playing with colours

Today, I see rain, and I see sunshine. I see large rainbows, and colourful autumn leaves. I am thinking of colours and colour combinations - for doors, walls, rooms.

Since a while, I am collecting, researching and observing all around colours. Of course this leads unescabably to Le Corbusier and his use of colours in architecture and interiors.

Here, you see the 63 colours from the colour palettes LC 32 and LC 43 by Le Corbusier :


Le Corbusier’s sophisticated color theories, outlined in his Polychromie Architecturale writing (Le Corbusier Polychromie architecturale: Farbenklaviaturen von 1931 und 1959 / Color Keyboards from 1931 and 1959 / Les claviers de couleurs de 1931 et de 1959 (German, English and French Edition), were influenced by his experiences as both an artist and an architect.


The color palettes he selected for a Swiss wallpaper manufacturer (Salubra) were systematized in chromatic ‘keyboards’ with accompanying cut-out cards. This tool will help to isolate color combinations.

The LC 32 series are organized into groups based on mood, from which a smaller palette of three to five harmonious colors can be selected.

The stronger colors of the LC 43 series appear on one page, with color proximity and the cut-out cards enabling selection for two to three vividly contrasting colors.



This sounds like a perfect tool box to find the most interesting colour combinations. Probably there are combinations, we would not even have thought of. But the price of this book (299 Euro!) scares me off. I will have to trust my own feelings, intuition and experience.

In case you are interested to know where to source these colours for your own painting project:
The Swiss based company, kt.COLOR, founded by the chemist Katrin Trautwein, is a highly specialized manufacturer of fine paints for interior use, licensed the exclusive rights to manufacture the original Le Corbusier colors from Foundation Le Corbusier in 1999.

kt. COLOR showroom


At Farrow & Ball's website I found the following useful hints:

- a dark dramatic entrance creates a contrast to brighter rooms
- a dark (painted) floor makes a room appear wider
- for small dark room: use no white but bright sunny colour
- grey is an elegant and cosy wall colour for a bedroom

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You might also be interested in:  Le Corbusier's colour experimentation

Shopping in Venice: VENETIA STUDIUM

In the heart of Venice you might come across a little shop that has beautiful silk lamps, handbags and scarf, elegant velvet cushion covers and table runners in modern and oriental style. The shop windows always magically attracts me and my husband. And you can read the magic Roman letters : VENETIA STVDIVM - which is the Venetia Studium company that has several showrooms all near San Marco square.


Fortuny silk lamp "Cesendello" on the rod and silk scarves.
We like the style of the lamp, that is influenced like all the Venetia Studium products by the "history of Venice and its links to the Byzantium and the East".  However, we have no idea (yet) where to use it. Actually we look at this lamp as long as we visit Venice together, since over 13 years!


Scarves, shawls, handbags and cushion covers made of silk or velvet - and the elaborated glass lamp Saraceno.


Another Venetia Studium shop with similar window display ...


... and another shop specialised in cushion covers and table runners
Here my friend from Bangkok needs to shop for a friend in Thailand (that's why I saw all the shops!)


Little detail: I especially liked the typical Venetian terrazzo floor
(and the interesting Italian shoes of an Italian male)

PS: Venetia Studium has a showroom in London and selected products can be ordered online
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Window Shopping in Venice

Window shopping is something I like to do - it is ispiring and joyful - and it does not cost much. Do you like to join me for a window shopping trip to Venice ?

Here we go :


illuminted lighting shop in Venice
See, the gondolier is waiting for us in the background ...


Venetian chandeliers made of Murano glass by Zanetti



a fancy shop at the end of Piazza San Marco
Can you see the red Murano glas chandelier ? (click on pic to enlarge)



Murano glass chandelier with a modern touch by Venini


Venini has a long history (since 1921 in Murano) and is famous for its modern classic style and great craftmen's skills



This shop in Mestre has more affordable products, and they are not less pretty


The pinkish Venetian chandelier is seducing, but ...


... these "Balon Venexian" caught my eyes - simply charming and affordable.
Maybe for the guestappartment's entrance that leads to the vaulted cellar?



And this artist shop caught my eyes too - love these baloons made of Murano glass !
Livio de Marchi is a Venetian artis who is famous for his carved sculptures.



Ferrari red pops up among grey and attracts the male shopper



A chair and a vase at Dolce& Gabbana ...
.... can't tell what I like better - the big stone vase with the tiny cactus is quiet interesting (having my terrace in mind)


Christmas decoration at D&G (12/2008) 
including reflections of Gucci 2m across the aley

Window shopping can be exhausting. I recommend an expresso or prosecco (anytime), cappuccino (before 11am), hot chocolat (in winter) or an aperitivo (before lunch or dinner) at Caffe Florian or Caffè Quadri, Piazza San Marco. If you feel you do not have to sit down, take your order at the bar and save some Euros. However, after a window shopping tour we can afford to sit down, right ?! Salute !

(Photo source: Palazzo Pizzo blog, all rights reserved)
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PS:
Thanks to Anita from 1richtungsblog who featured photos of our renovation project and an interview with me last week, I have received many more readers from Germany than usually. To welcome them and also just for fun I wrote a post in German language, my mother tongue. This was just a one time experiment as I do not want to loose any subscribers !!! And my German readers seem to not mind English. - Welcome back !
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Experiment: post auf Deutsch - Rote Sitzmoebel

Gruess Gott, Guten Tag und Servus auf diesem Blog !

Ich heisse alle deutsch sprachigen Leser herzlich willkommen, die diesen blog post gefunden haben und vorallem diejenigen, die aufgrund der beiden 1richtungsblog posts, hier und hier, heruebergekommen sind.

Wie gestern versprochen, blogge ich heute mal auf  Deutsch, um zu sehen, wie sich das anfuehlt. Lockere Sprache ist auf Englisch ja voellig normal. Aber auf Deutsch ? Vielleicht muss ich mich da erst eingewoehnen ? Zeitungsdeutsch hat auf blogs wenig zu suchen. Zumindest nicht unbedingt in der Katergorie Haus&Garten.

Jetzt aber die Frage an Euch Leser : wuerdet Ihr diesen blog lieber auf Deutsch haben ? Oder macht es nichts aus, dass ich auf Englisch schreibe ?  Englisch versteht doch fast jeder. Zumindest meinen begrenzten Wortschatz, oder setze ich da zuviel voraus ? Ausserdem, wer liest schon all die Artikel Wort fuer Wort -  wenn doch die Bilder schoen sind ? Zugegeben, ich ueberfliege sehr oft, auch in Zeitschriften. Daher also die Frage: Wie haetten'S denn gern ?

Und nun schnell 'was Buntes bzw. Rotes - 3 x rote Sitzmoebel - passend zur kalten Jahreszeit :


Sofa Alcove, Design: Ronan und Erwan Bouroullec, 2006 fuer vitra


Ei Sessel, Design: Arne Jacobsen, 1958 Daenemark


Ameise Stuhl,  Design: Arne Jacobsen, 1952 Daenemark
(mit Filzauflage auch im Winter gemuetlich!)

Das Bildmaterial kommt von cairo, einem deutschen Design-Versandhaus, das auch schoene Kataloge versendet. Die Bestellung vom Katalog geht online und ist kostenlos (wahrscheinlich  nur innerhalb Deutschlands). Um Produkte bei Cairo zu bestellen, muss man nicht unbedingt - wie angegeben - Freiberufler, Dienstleister, Gewerbe oder Handel sein. Man muss auch gar nichts bestellen -  nur schmoekern ist auch erlaubt!

Und bitte sagt Bescheid, ob Euch dieser Artikel (post) auf Deutsch gefallen hat. Und, ob Ihr wieder kommt, wenn ich auf Englisch blogge. Entschuldigt auch, dass ich keine Umlaute kann mit meinem Computer aus China, wo ich drei Jahre lebte und hier bloggte.

Auf Wiedersehen (bzw. -lesen) und schoenes Wochenende !
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Palazzo Pizzo featured in German "1richtungsblog"



Today this blog is featured in 1richtungsblog written in German language by Anita.  Her American experience of 7 years in Dallas definately brings a fresh spirit into her daily updated blog.  Style Spion a leading German blog calls her the "German Decor8".

She frequently features private homes, fellow bloggers and artist. And I am happy to see that the German blog scene has developped. All the German language blogs in her blogroll are inspiring as well. And I am happy for the very friendly feature - in German language of course - about our renovation project in Italy.

Maybe you wonder, why I am writing in English language and not in German, as I am not only born in Germany but also at the moment based in Germany.

So, here is my explanation, why blogging in English :

When I started blogging - almost three years ago (!) - I wrote my first posts in German language :

My very first post on December 31, 2006 :  Ein Abenteuer beginnt
Then, January 7, 2007: Haus am Meer gesucht
The third and last in German language on February 7, 2007:  Der Grundriss
(not sure where the pictures have gone)

Okay, I am admitting that one post per month was not enough to attract a crowd of readers and commentators, but I felt that the German blog scene was somehow boring - at that time. I could not find anything interesting or inspiring I would have liked to link to.

And then my absolute favorite blogger of that time - Maryam - left a comment on my blog :  I wish I could read your blog:-(

That were the magic words that made me start writing in English.

I do really enjoy the English writing group that blogs about interior design, home & garden and all inspiring beautiful things. However, I am open to meet the German scene as well.


And that's why I am going to greet them in my mother tongue :

Hallo und willkommen auf meinem blog !!!!  Schaut Euch um, fuehlt Euch wie zu Hause. Mehr auf Deutsch spaeter ...
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