Archive for April, 2010

Tuscany in Primavera . . .

Monday, April 26th, 2010

While Massimo is in San Francisco, I am in Tuscany enjoying perfect springtime weather and finding exciting treasures for the shop! Luckily, my fearless Italy-obsessed mom is here with me – my most favorite buying partner! We just can’t wait to share the antique furniture & accessories that we have found so here are photos of a few items that will be on our next container to San Francisco…

Painted wood panels from the turn of the century

Exceptional antique glass-enclosed bookcase

Petite Tuscan dining table that expands

Antique trunk from the 1700s

Stunning antique mirror

There are a pair of these oversized lanterns. To be honest, I have not bought these, but if you like them, let me know!

A fine burlwood credenza

Antique Italian vetrina, unusual with 3 doors

Today mom and I walked the backstreets of Florence’s “oltrarno” visiting artisan workshops. First stop was the Locchi laboratory to pick up a few more beautiful and ingenious no-drip olive oil cruets – in this photo the artisans at Locchi are polishing a cruet.

At the Locchi laboratory

Later in the day, on our way to another artisan shop, I just had to stop and take a photo of this incredible wisteria – we could smell its sweet perfume from across the street!

Also notable, today we picked up old as well as new Florentine prints – bellissime stampe!

Stay tuned for more posts this week – tomorrow an artisan fair, and then handmade knives, ceramics and more antique furniture!
Ciao,
Heather

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Your Perfect Tuscan Villa Rental Awaits

Sunday, April 18th, 2010

Relax and settle into a different rhythm at Podere Erica, our family’s farmhouse in Chianti.

View of the house with surrounding vineyards and forest

Podere Erica is perfectly located for exploring the quaint hilltop towns in Chianti as well as Florence, Greve, Siena, San Gimignano or Volterra. You can walk to the charming village of San Donato in Poggio, explore local wineries, or just “stay home” and enjoy the pool, the wood-burning pizza oven, the beautiful woods, cooking classes or lessons on wine tasting. Get to know the real Italy!

Massimo loves to roast meat in the wood-burning oven

Our family would love to share this special place with you. See more photos and a complete description of the property at www.chiantivacation.com

While the farmhouse is over 800 years old, we have recently remodeled the entire house. You can see Massimo’s handiwork throughout the house – from the gorgeous stone tile in the bathrooms to a rustic kitchen hood, salvaged from the previous ancient fireplace. Throughout the remodel, we made every effort to retain the authentic rustic Tuscan charm of the house.

Massimo in 2008 finishing the tile in the Papaveri bath.

There are still a few weeks available for this rental season so book now! For availability and rates, contact Jan Dempsey.

The pool is adjacent to the house and overlooks the surrounding forest.

Papaveri bedroom, just one of 5 bedrooms at the Podere

Can't you imagine relaxing here under the loggia?

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New Container from Italy Arrives April 7th!

Friday, April 2nd, 2010

Our latest container shipment from Italy is here!
Come by Wednesday, April 7th to be first to see the treasures we found in Italy.
We scoured the antique markets, braving the chilly Tuscan winter weather . . .

Massimo pleased with his latest find

We negotiated the best deals for you!

Is that your best price?

We also visited Tuscan artisans, including the Marchini family, our olive wood artisans. They demonstrated how they handcraft each piece – check out all of that olive wood!

The Marchini brothers demonstrate for us

    New Italian Glassware

We are bringing some new handmade items to the shop, such as Zafferano glassware from the Veneto region. Be sure to go to the glassware section of our website to see what is new.

    Tuscan Ceramics

We also have a new collection of handpainted ceramics from Tuscany so stop by the shop soon for the best selection.

A presto!

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Antique Italian Furniture arriving soon

Friday, April 2nd, 2010

Here are just a few of the many antique pieces arriving from Italy on April 7th. Please contact us for more information – or just drop by the shop!

Antique chest of drawers from Lucca

Antique Tuscan cabinet

Antique Toilette

Antique cherry rush seat chairs, set of 6

A pair of antique Tuscan side tables

Antique drop leaf table (the wicker-covered jugs too!)

Small gilded table with marble top

Antique Tuscan walnut console

Antique Tuscan desk with carved faces

Low Tuscan table made of antique pieces

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What does “Fatto a Mano” mean?

Friday, April 2nd, 2010

“Fatto a Mano” means handmade in Italian. If you have spent any time in Italy, most likely you have heard an artisan or merchant proudly proclaim an item as “fatto a mano.” From ceramics to knives to pasta, handcrafted products are a point of pride for Italians.

As they should be. If something is handmade it means that an artisan has spent hours or even days creating it, adding their personal touches and artistry. In this time of mass-produced goods, handmade items are very precious and in the future will be even more valuable.

And how do you say it? Try this: “fah-toh ah mah-noh”

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