Some things you must be in Italy to truly experience 鈥 the charming unevenness of a cobblestone street, the gooey ribbon of melted, fresh mozzarella stretching from a slice of hot-from-the-oven pizza Napoletana.
Some things you don鈥檛 鈥 like sinking into a sumptuous Italian leather couch right in your own living room.
Italy鈥檚 always on the cutting edge of everything 鈥 fashion, interior design, sports cars 鈥 but for years, a prohibitive exchange rate for the euro meant the country鈥檚 sleek, modern furniture wasn鈥檛 readily available here. A better exchange rate, though, means Italian design will soon arrive in the Southwest, where it works quite nicely. On Oct. 1, will introduce the trends that blend with contemporary desert living. Owners Carol Bell and Tamara Scott-Anderson remodeled 1,000 feet of showroom into a minimalist Italian apartment to illustrate how an Italy-Old Pueblo mashup would look.
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The duo attended the Salone del Mobile Milano 鈥 the largest international furniture show 鈥 in April to select styles for the Desert Italia collection.
鈥淲e felt something was missing in 蜜柚直播,鈥 Scott-Anderson said. 鈥淲e wanted high style, more unique.鈥
Just as the Italians renovate an old building and retain its rustic exterior but decorate the inside with modern furnishings, 蜜柚直播ans can do the same, Bell and Scott-Anderson said.
The Italian style trends that tie-in with 蜜柚直播 homes:
Leather. Already a mainstay in desert dwellings, Italian-made Gamma furniture is the ultimate upgrade. Scott-Anderson says it鈥檚 more luxurious. 鈥淭his leather, they use only bulls,鈥 she said. 鈥淭he leather is thicker, yummier.鈥 The line also offers thick topstitching in several different options, Bell added.
Wallpaper. This is not the stuff in your grandmother鈥檚 powder room. The Italian version features large, wall graphics rather than a small, repeating pattern, and it looks very textural.
Sleek storage. Once upon a time, TVs 鈥 when they weren鈥檛 on 鈥 were tucked away in wooden cabinets. Today鈥檚 TVs are huge and flat and mounted on walls. Still, you need a place to stick stuff. Boxy, minimalist cabinetry with exposed shelves looks contemporary and is practical.
Secret speakers. Miniforms鈥 Caruso stereo cabinet looks like art with a rectangular base festooned with a trumpet-shaped 鈥 or doughnut-shaped, depending on your perspective 鈥 speaker. You just plug in your iPod, and the unit doubles as storage.
Hot colors. Big on the horizon are copper and rose-gold along with orange and salmon. Blue, a mid-range shade between aqua and cobalt, complements those sunset-ish hues.
As with all good things, there鈥檚 a wait. While it takes about 10 to 12 weeks for something to arrive from America鈥檚 furniture hub of North Carolina, it might take around 14 weeks for Italian-made pieces.
鈥淵ou must have a patience to your being,鈥 Bell said.
The trade-off is you don鈥檛 have to tack on a two-hour drive to get what you want.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 want people to have to go to Scottsdale,鈥 Scott-Anderson said. 鈥淪hop local. 蜜柚直播鈥檚 got high style now.鈥
