The Confidence of European Design
There is one element that I find to be at the very essence of European design: confidence. Like fashion, an outfit – or living room – can be pretty or nice or pleasant but in order for a space to be elegant, (and elegance has a lasting quality), the outfit - or living room - has to be confident. The living room should attract you, it should draw you in to sit on its sofa and to spend time with it. If a room (or outfit, to keep this going a little longer), is shouting ‘I’m here’ then it’s not a confident room and it won’t hold your attention for very long. Europe has held my attention for decades.
FRANCESCA OVERLOOKING THE VIEW AT CHIESA DI SANTA MARIA IN CASTELLO, OVERLOOKING THE TUSCAN TOWN OF VECCHIANO.
In my almost yearly travels to Italy and the United Kingdom, I have been struck by scenes of confidence in design and have filed them away to inform my work as an interior designer (and, frankly, my life). I am naturally drawn to the classical and traditional elements of design and architecture, finding the most joy in design that strikes harmony with the natural world. I am a romantic at heart, after all.
GATEHOUSE OF AN ESTATE WITHIN THE VICINITY OF BROADWAY, AREA OF THE COTSWOLDS, ENGLAND.
I appreciate the confidence in a classical Roman arch, in the solidity of a 400-year old oak floor in an English pub, and in a Florentine man wearing dusty-rose coloured slacks to dinner. It is such confidence of form, materials and colour that drive me, that inspire me and serve as a backbone for my work. The classical arch will inform an elegant transition between rooms, the timeworn floor will serve as an anchor in my desire for quality materials and the pink pants add a purposeful freshness to a colour scheme.
Above left: Arched section of ‘calle’ (street) in Venice; Above right: detail of Francesca’s home with arched hallway painted a deep blue to frame views into rooms.
Always interested in seeing what people collect and populate their homes with, I have noticed a relaxed yet purposeful attitude in the décor of the homes I have visited in Europe. Pieces are assembled because they are of value to the person, not for mere décor or popularity. Whether a priceless antique or a collection of rocks from the beach, they hold stories and are on display as a clue to the life of the home and of the inhabitants, both past and present. I consider this to be a confident form of decorating - that of assembling both antiques and stones together - and of putting on display items that hold genuine importance and are there to reveal something about the owner.
Above left: collection of German porcelain plates on the living room wall of Francesca’s aunt Silvia’s home in Tuscany; Above right: Francesca’s living room.
Whether it is the expression of maximalism, such as in the extremely inspiring home of Sir John Soan, its unabashed displays of goods a reflection of the incomparable collector that he was, or the ‘multim in parvo’ approach of finding more in less, European décor tends to showcase the life of the collector rather than the collection. Injecting life into the home, by way of décor, will make for a home that resonates with the homeowners – and guests - for years. Spaces void of life are forgettable.
LA PESCAIA RESORT, HISTORIC HOME OF THE TOLOMEI FAMILY, MAREMMA, ITALY.
This is a journey of remembrance and inspiration. A look back at the years of travelling the Europe I know, recalling vignettes that made me stop to take note and that inspire the very core of who I am as a designer. Future instalments in this series will consider light, form, colour, texture and landscape within the theme of confidence in European design. Even at a distance, through my collection of memories, Europe entices my every sense. This pause on travel serves as time to let previous experiences mature and develop into my personal version of European design for a West Coast clientele.
- Francesca