I T A L Y

FLEA MARKETS | Milan | Mercatone dell’Antiquariato

FLEA MARKETS | Milan | Mercatone dell’Antiquariato

25 April 2019 ♦
STORIES
All year round, on the last Sunday of each month, the Mercatone dell’Antiquariato is held along the Navigli Canal in Milan. This is one of my favorite flea markets in Europe, and I have found some of my best treasures here. It was here that I first discovered these stunning…
Read More→
Italy | Risking my life for damask

Italy | Risking my life for damask

8 September 2018 ♦
STORIES
[damask |ˈdaməsk| noun | A figured woven fabric with a pattern visible on both sides, typically used for table linen and upholstery.] Not exactly the kind of thing you’d risk your life for, right? (more…)
Read More→
Italy | The Joy of Cooking

Italy | The Joy of Cooking

3 March 2014 ♦
STORIES
Passing by Ristorante Buca di Bacco in Positano one day, I noticed a raucous group of tourists with aprons on, and wine glasses in hand, in the kitchen. It looked like a party, but upon further inspection, I discovered that it was a cooking class. I signed up immediately. The…
Read More→
Italy | Under the Ligurian Sun

Italy | Under the Ligurian Sun

17 February 2014 ♦
STORIES
The blog can’t seem to get out of Italy, because of all the questions that have come from viewers of “The Brian Boitano Project,” since it aired on HGTV. One of the queries was, “Where did you stay during the house renovation?” The answer is a charming town on the…
Read More→
Italy | The Great Big Italian Feast

Italy | The Great Big Italian Feast

31 January 2014 ♦
STORIES
It was like a movie.  On the side of a mountain, just off a treacherously curvy road, the residents of the town of Favale di Malvaro gathered for a Sunday afternoon feast. Brian’s contractor for the renovation of his family home in Favale was Enzo Pezzolo, and he invited us…
Read More→
Style Moment | Lake Como

Style Moment | Lake Como

26 July 2013 ♦
STYLE MOMENTS
“If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things in nature have a message you understand, Rejoice, for your soul is alive.” Eleanora Duse (1858-1924) Italian actress
Read More→
EYE ON DESIGN |CHAIRS|A Chair in the Family

EYE ON DESIGN |CHAIRS|A Chair in the Family

15 February 2013 ♦
EYE ON DESIGN
Giuseppe Gaetano Descalzi was a visionary when it came to chairs. Chiavari, Italy had been known for the production of heavy, elaborately carved furniture since the year 1200. In 1807, this young craftsman, Giuseppe, came up with a chair that was “so lightweight that even a child could lift it…
Read More→