When you take the Line 1 vaporetto at night, you glimpse in wonder at the private residences along the Grand Canal. You see beguiling Murano glass chandeliers, ornate painted ceilings, and carved embellishments in stone and stucco. It is this wonderland that Servane Giol has beckoned us to explore in her new book, Venice: A Private Invitation. By delving into history, culture, and creativity, Giol unwraps an intimate Venetian world of design, craftsmanship, and the gracious art …
Articles
Venice on her 1600th birthday
“We native Venetians and long-term residents number just over 50,000. We are dying out. Soon, we will disappear. The city prefers to be inhabited by someone else: not so much by other categories of human beings but by another way of being in the world.” – Tiziano Scarpa March 25, 2021, dawned quietly in Venice. The city was still in full lockdown, a Zona Rossa. The Piazza was empty, the calli were eerily still. It was a subdued day to celebrate the birth of Venice. According …
#NoGrandiNavi. An open letter
In her article published on Ytali, JoAnn Locktov writes about cruise ship tourism in Venice: The cruise ships account for less than 10% of annual tourists but they claim 100% of our attention. Their presence is so deeply antithetical to everything Venice represents, that we have to wonder if the obliteration of Venice is not the by-product of poor governance but the actual goal. They said it couldn’t happen. The cruise ships were too big to fail. Escorted by tugs at the bow and stern, …
Express Your Passion For Pastels with Mosaic Tiles
Pastel colours with their soft, enchanting qualities can saturate kitchens and bathrooms with transcendent calm. These hues reflect dawn and dusk, and the cheerful optimism of spring. At their best, pastel colours reflect the abundance of tranquility found in nature from the luminescent green of new growth grass, to the dusty charm of hydrangea petals. When pastel blues are inspired by sky and sea, interiors invite contemplation. The challenge in using pastel colours in design is to achieve …
How Chinese Design Has Influenced Western Kitchens and Bathrooms
With Chinese New Year being celebrated on February 5th, when the Year of the Pig will commence, Cean Irminger, creative director at New Ravenna, was inspired to take a look at the influence of Chinese design in western culture. There are several elements of Chinese design that have been interpreted by artisans, bringing the colours and culture of the Far East into our homes… As Dutch and British merchants explored the Silk Road trade routes into Asia, examples of China’s “exotic” decorative …