"Superbly illustrated, this book discusses the interrelationships between culture and design in Italy in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Each decade is introduced with an outline of the popular trends in fashion, cinema, television, and industrial design in the context of Italian politics and society. The author discusses developments in manufacturing and marketing and the effect of economic trends on the design industry. The best of the furniture and design exhibitions and salons of the time are recaptured and their impact on other media is examined. The designs and projects of Franco Albini, Vittorio Gregotti, Gae Aulent, and Ettore Sottsass are among the many that are highlighted. Chairs, lighting, beds, and shelving are displayed in lofts, apartments, and country and suburban houses where conventional decor and cutting-edge furnishings are ingeniously combined. A multitude of products and interiors by the leading Italian designers of the last three decades is documented in beautiful photographs."--

An insider’s tour of the most creative and inspiring rooms belonging to tastemakers—artists, interior designers, craftspeople, collectors, and aristocrats—in Italy today. Italy has been a source of inspiration for generations of artists and lovers of beauty. In this book, Italians Oberto Gili and Marella Caracciolo Chia take us around the country and into the homes of some of its most stylish habitués. From rural estates in Tuscany and spectacular seaside villas to an eighteenth-century palace in Puglia and city residences in Turin, Milan, Venice, Rome, and Naples, the properties reveal the unique personal visions of the owners and the inescapable appeal of Italian style. The diversity of places echoes the wide range of geographical contexts. Each interior acts as a source of surprise and an impetus for creativity, reflecting the individual tastes and talents of those who live and have lived there—designer Carlo Mollino, couturier Stephan Janson, art and literary scholar Mario Praz, and artists Sandro Chia and Alessandro Twombly. In addition to the houses of artists and craftspeople, rooms of visionary interior designers, such as Camilla Guinness, Roberto Peregalli, and Laura Sartori Rimini, are also included. This book—an intimate glimpse into some of the most beautiful and inaccessible dwellings in Italy today—is perfect for aesthetically minded readers with an interest in interior design, Italy, and the art of fine living.

Italy is a country synonymous with style and beauty in all aspects of life: the rich history of Rome, Renaissance art of Florence, graceful canals of Venice, high fashion of Milan, signature pasta alla bolognese of Bologna, colorful architecture of Portofino and winking blue waters of Capri and the Amalfi Coast, among many others. Italians themselves live effortlessly amid all this splendor, knowing instinctively just the type of outfit to throw on, design element to balance, or delectable ingredient to add.

A celebration of Tuscan farmhouse style, with practical advice on how to bring the look home. For anyone who has ever dreamed of living under the Tuscan sun, Italian Rustic is the next best thing--a step-by-step guide to recreating the romance and appeal of the weathered Italian farmhouse. This nuts-and-bolts guide to building Italian-style walks the reader through all the elements that make the rustic Italian home so unique, from the hand-laid stone walls to the artisanal stucco wall finishes. Author Elizabeth Minchilli, an American design writer based in Rome and Tuscany, received dozens of questions from readers after publishing her last book, Artisan's Restoring a Home in Italy. The queries went beyond the usual searches for fabric and couches. "People were hungry to know how terra-cotta tiles were laid, or how fireplaces were built," she says. Italian Rustic, researched with the help of her Italian architect husband, is the user-friendly result: a book that explains, in clear text accompanied by photographs and drawings, how to lay a tile floor a la Italiana, or add a Tuscan-style pergola to any garden. With more than 300 stunning photographs shot on location in Tuscany and Umbria, the book contains profiles of local artisans, engaging text on how the farmhouse style evolved, and targeted advice on how Americans can find Italian-style building materials and craftsmen close to home. This essential sourcebook will appeal to anyone building an addition or an entire house from scratch, or for homeowners who want to add just a touch of Italian style to their houses.

Venetian art connoisseur, interior designer, and hotelier Francesca Bortolotto Possati knows the intricacies of Venice. To have her as a guide is to experience firsthand her passion for the private side of the mythic city whose daily visitors outnumber its population. Join her to visit artists’ studios, elegant Venetian friends, and palaces’ secrets. Everywhere one wanders, a sense of history saturates the buildings and landscapes, harking back to the artists of the Renaissance and the chic masquerade balls of centuries past.The discerning eye of photographer Robyn Lea makes this book a revelation of the Venice of dreams, which will surely allow readers to see this iconic destination through new eyes.A sentimental foreword by Jeremy Irons perfectly complements this stunning volume.

Interior guru Caroline Clifton-Mogg distils the essence of Italian country style, captured in the use of colour and texture, furnishing and fabrics, and outdoor living. The homes featured in this book offer many ideas for interior decoration that are easily translatable into other lives and cultures.

A fresh look at the interiors of Renzo Mongiardino—considered one of the finest designers of the late twentieth century—that will both appeal to past devotees and introduce his work to a new generation of design enthusiasts. This book explores the sublime work of Renzo Mongiardino (1916–1998), reinforcing his place as a legend in the field. Mongiardino has a background as an acclaimed set designer for stage and film, which had an effect on his work—lush interiors with trompe l’oeil finishes, museum-quality antiques, sumptuous fabrics, and a bewitching theatricality. Clients included elite members of the worlds of fashion, art, and society: Agnelli, Rothschild, Peretti, Radziwill, and Onassis. Cabana, the au courant interiors magazine, investigates Mongiardino’s work with stunning new photography (many interiors are published here for the first time), thoughtful prose, and animated layouts. This is the most contemporary book on the creations of the modern master and will appeal to connoisseurs of beauty and interior design.