Inside the Villa della Regina; an 18th century chinoiserie fantasy

Located high in the hills above Turin, Italy, and surrounded by luscious Italianate gardens is the royal Savoy palace known as the "Villa della Regina".  Despite damage from WWII and years of neglect the villa has remained a fantastic example of the exotic 18th century chinoiserie style.

The building has been the property of the country since 1994 and maintenance is directly funded by visitors ( so make sure to visit! ). The views of Turin alone would be worth the trip.

Above you can see the highly terraced gardens with the house nestled into the hillside creating a protected entry court.

 The views down to Turin are stunning!

 I love these highly terraced, architectural gardens.

 The fountain at the entrance is large enough to be a pool!

 The fountain above is stunning even when not running.

 This teahouse terminates the view up the hillside.

The real thing to see here however are the interiors, preserved from the 18th century in all of their exotic-ness.

 The boiseries in many of the rooms contain panels of chinoiserie wallpaper.

 The details are gorgeous

 and the scenes intriguing.

Very few examples of the original furniture exist but the above cabinet gives one a taste of what once was.

 The room above has a bit of everything: rococo, chinoserie, Pompeian scenes, etc.

In the above enfilade you can tell just how big this place is although not all of the rooms retain their original decoration.

The rooms which still boast their frescoes make up for it though. Have you ever seen anything so fanciful?

The ceilings in most cases are more interesting than the walls.  Let this be a lesson to all of us; no more boring white ceilings!

 You almost need a microscope to take in all of the detail.

Some of the rooms have lost their original decoration but retain the plasterwork like above for a more modern look.

Comparing the same room's ceiling from 2 different angles shows one what a difference the decoration makes.

I hope you enjoyed this peek into the Villa della Regina and found something to inspire you! Thanks again to my Penpal for sharing these gorgeous images. As always click on the photos to view in greater detail.

BUtterfield 8 movie sets

This past weekend I watched the movie that won Elizabeth Taylor her first Oscar in 1960, BUtterfield 8. While Mrs Taylor's performance and the movie as a whole were excellent I have to say what stole the show for me was the NYC apartment of her society 'boyfriend' Weston Liggett played by Laurence Harvey.

The neutral tones of the apartment were predominantly gray with black doors and white trim. Sound very 2014 to you?  I also loved that the plaster casings around the door - seen above -and in the fireplace surround seen in the first photo were a very classical Greek key. Design inspiration is everywhere if you just look!
Apologies for the photo quality which I took of my tv screen!

Inside the Villa del Balbianello

Nestled into the hills surrounding Lake Como is the Villa del Balbianello which is open to the public. On his recent visit my penpal thankfully shared these photos with us!

Last inhabited by explorer Guido Monzino, the villa is left as if he had just packed up on one of his adventures. Decorated in classical mid-century splendor there is much inside to inspire today's decorators.

Before going inside lets first lets explore the grounds of the villa as the setting is really more spectacular than the architecture. Built in 1787 as a Franciscan Monastery, the villa shortly thereafter became a family home.

The Villa and gardens were restored in the early 20th century by an American businessman, Butler Ames, who used it as his vacation home.

The views of the lake and surrounding hillsides are stunning. The gardens are kept simple to allow the view to take precedence.

Above you can see the original chapel with clocktower.

The carved stonework is intricate and fanciful.

 How would you like to wake up to this view everyday? Sign me up!

Inside the elegantly muted interiors leave the spectacular views to become the focal point.

I love these soft boiseries in the main salon. Notice the chandelier is not electrified.

 Looking the other direction the views of the lake are probably amazing.

I wish I had one of these 2 story paneled libraries in my own house! The chandelier is more practically electrified.

 This paneled sitting room operates as a sort of treasury or collector's cabinet.

 The touches of green throughout the house connect the interiors of the villa to the gardens.

 I love the very elegant sitting room above.

The dining room looks as if it could hold quite the large dinner party, perfect for lots of weekend guests. The dreary red carpet 'runway' to protect the floor finishes really ruins the effect.

The velvet upholstered furniture throughout the house is all really beautiful and not dated at all. The chinoiserie secretary is probably coveted by many!

 Notice the very (now) trendy printed curtains in the breakfast room.

 The villa appears to be full of many dining room or perhaps this is a study off the library?

 The kitchen remains efficient and practically simple but notice the stylish lantern fixture.

The sumptuous bedrooms again feature elegant candle-lit chandeliers. I'm assuming these would never or rarely be lit!

 The marble bathrooms are again beautifully detailed.

I think something is really charming about guest bedrooms with pairs of twin beds; I'll file this away for inspiration.

Monzino loved the Villa del Balbianello so much that he is even buried on the property. I can see why; I've added the Villa of my (long) bucket list of places to visit!

Arco della Pace, Milan

Recently my Austrlian Penpal sent me photos from his trip to Milan, Italy, including photos of the Porta Sempione. The centerpiece of this city gate is the Arco della Pace, or Arch of Peace, designed by Luigi Cagnola in the early 19th century.

The arch replaced an ancient Roman wall and gateway which were called Jupiter's gate or Porta Giovia. The significance behind the arch remains a mystery. It was either built in wood in 1806 for the marriage of Eugene Beauharnais with a Bavarian princess and later recreated in more permanent marble, or was designed for Napolean in 1807. Either way the arch wasn't completed until 1838 for Emperor Francis II, 5 years after Cagnola's death. Flanking the arch are exquisite neoclassical customs houses.

 Other than the iconic Parisian Arc de Triomphe it remains the largest structure of its kind.

 The construction of the sculpture reliefs are not only marble but also wood, bronze, and stucco.

If you find yourself in Milan, take a break from shopping to check out the Aro della Pace!

Pittsburgh from above

As long time readers of this blog know that while I've called Washington, DC home for nearly 13 years I'm originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; home to Heinz ketchup, robber barons, Andy Warhol, and Mr. Rogers.

This past labor day weekend I had the chance to play tour-guide for a few friends on a quick trip to the city which is thankfully only a 4 hour drive from DC.  Seeing your 'home' from a visitor's viewpoint is always eye-opening and left me with a new-found appreciation for the city.

After a day spent at Kennywood (a historic and very pretty amusement park set amid gardens) we visited downtown Pittsburgh from above. No not from a helicopter but on one of the 2 remaining funicular's or "inclines" which lead one from the river's edge up to the neighborhood of Mt. Washington overlooking the city. I believe at one time there were 13 of these cars operating along the river, some of which could even carry cars!

We had typical "Pittsburgh weather" as I call it - overcast and drizzly - but the sun was able to breakout a few times to enjoy the view.

If you ever find yourself in Pittsburgh treat yourself to a round trip on one of the 'inclines'!