One of Italy’s leading designers, 79-year-old Alessandro Medini, is currently running an exhibit called “Ouali Cose Siamo” at the Design Museum in Milan. The expression means “The Things We Are,” and, if you think of it, isn’t that what all interior design is about.
The language of decor may be French – chandelier, armoire, epergne (centerpiece), chinoiserie, cartouche – but the soul of design is definitely Italian. Remember, Rome was already a beautiful city when Caesar defeated the Gallic tribes. And it was Rome that would bring classical design, and the skills to create it, to every corner of Europe.
Italians decorate. On whatever economic level they are, and with whatever resources they can muster, they will decorate with style, their style.
When Italians first came to America, the staid establishment was taken aback by such in-your-face decoration. At best it was described as “colorful,” but mostly it was derided as gaudy and ostentatious. “Really, a Madonna on the lawn!” Did the Italians care? Not one bit. Their answer: “This is what we are; deal with it.”
As a matter of fact, statuary is one of the important elements in Italian decor. It’s a tradition that goes back to the Roman lares and penates, minor household and civil deities.
This tradition translated into the Church’s canon of patron saints. Italians design also celebrates cultural figures in sculpture, like Dante, Da Vinci, Donatello, et al Unlike the stony, eyeless Greek statuary, Roman figure are alive with real human character.
You will also find plenty of hand painted faience in Italian decor. It’s a colorful earthenware pottery with a metallic glaze, and it gets its name from the city of Faenza, which dominated early Italian production. During the Renaissance it was Florence that dominated the ceramic arts.
Italians may have learned art glass from the Egyptians, but they certainly took it to another level in Venice and the island of Murano, which is also where the earliest glass mirrors were made. Venetian mirror and chandeliers are still very highly prized.
Italian style is not always so very formal, however. Italian country style has become very popular these days, especially with so many American tourist are bypassing the big cities to visit the rural areas of Italy, like Tuscany.
And Italian decor doesn’t stop at the front door. Outdoor living space is very important, and should be just as pleasing to look at as our interiors.
Maybe it was building all those Roman monuments, and all those churches, but Italy has produced a lion’s share of the world’s painters, sculptors, carpenters, glass artist, stone cutters and metal crafters. If Italian homes display many of their creations, well, that’s just who they are.
Whether we are Italian or not, our attention will be turning to our indoor spaces now that autumn has arrived. We’ll be spending a considerable amount of time there in the next several months, and we’ll even be inviting guests to join us. Do the things there say who we are, or who we were? Is it time for a change? A tweak? An upgrade?
If you don’t know quite yet what your style is, what things are you, there are centuries of Italian artists and craftsmen who have a few ideas for you. To find out what they might have to say, your local antique shops are a good place get started..
Arthur Schwerdt, a certified appraiser, is the author of “The Antique Story Book: Finding the Real Value of Old Things,” and co-owner of The August Farmhouse Antiques on Toute 9 in Swainton. Send your comments, questions and appraisal requests to: aschwerdt@cmcherald.com.
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