News from the Site

Finally some news from the site. We are here since last Sunday. First inpressing thing was the journey itself. Calabria seemed so far from Germany. By car it would be a two day trip at least. Or a day trip via airplane with change of plane in Turino, Milano or Roma, delays and loss of luggage. Not this time! We had a direct flight from Stuttgart to Lamezia that took one hour and 50 minutes - 110 minutes only! Everything perfect. It was a total different feeling. We arrived in Calabria for breakfast, fresh, save and sound. A new experience of a shrinking world. Although convenient, somehow strange, there was no time to adapt, it did not feel far away anymore.

In the afternoon we went to see the house. I did not expect it looking worse than last year. More windows were broken. Probably from stone throwing children. The doors had more graffitis and inside the house plants were growing in almost every room.

We spoke to the architect who had not finished the layouts yet. That was not a problem because apparently, he had not received my drawings via email and so our ideas were not considered in his layouts. However, they will soon these days.

On Monday was the day of the 'Madonna del Carmine'. The church next to our house is named after her and every year, on July 16th, the Church is open and the statue of the Madonna is taken out for a procession through the village. After that there is a party in front of the church, our house respectively. I am happy to have been in Pizzo that day.

Yesterday, we looked around in some 'house remodelling shops' that sell doors, windows, tiles etc. in Vibo Valentia. And today, we took a wooden door from one of the windows of the house back to Vibo Marina (where we actually stay). My father in law worked on door, took off the old paint to see if we can re-use it and keep it natural.

Unfortunately our internet access here is very, very slow. And the pictures I took are not on the laptop I am able to connect with the internet. I hope, I can blog actual pictures someday later.

Another Renovation Story

Last summer I read 'The Reluctant Tuscan' by Phil Doran. Doran is an American author and script writer (originally) based in Hollywood. The book tells his own true story and starts with a phone call from his wife... She just bought an old, unlivable 'rustico' in Tuscany, Italy.

Their adventure of renovating this property is a light and funny summer reading - interesting for everybody dreaming about settling down in Italy.

Italian Kitchen Talk

Actually, there is no kitchen in the house. And the area where the kitchen used to be is a bit small, at least for Italians which spend half of their lives in the kitchen...

So we opt for taking out another wall in favour of a spacious and open family kitchen.

My argument for an open kitchen: if you have guests and do not have an open kitchen, you miss half of the conversation.

Here are some dreamy solutions:





The last kitchen is from Boloni, a Chinese-Italian joint-venture in Beijing, China. Boloni's website seems inactive at the moment (www.boloni.com.cn). But I can tell you that Boloni is known for its high standard kitchens that are produced in Beijing since 2001. They are developed and designed with the support of German and Italian designers - and with the Chinese talent of copying new technologies of the west for less money.

As we still live in Beijing, it is an option to buy a kitchen here and then ship to Italy.

beds, beds, beds

Classical bedrooms in Hotel Particulier, Arles, France via Desingers Block and bedroom in Casa Fresco, Florence, Italy

Tropical bedrooms in private villa and Burirasa Resort, both Koh Samui, Thailand

Bedroom via Marie Claire Maison and a bedroom in private villa in Phuket, Thailand

Bed from B&B Italia (AC) and bedroom via AD magazine


Bed by Lambert, bed milleunanotte, steel bed, wooden bed by Maitland Smith, bed Arezzo by Niermann Weeks, Louis XVI canopy bed

It is crystal clear, that I want a 4-poster-bed. And I need a good picture for a carpenter in China, where we actually live.

links:
Designers Block
Hotel Particulier, France
Burirasa, Thailand
Marie Claire Maison
B&B Italia
Lambert, Germany
Sorry, for the incomplete source


More beds at my flickr set for interior decoration.