THE EXPERT ANSWERS



FROM THE RESTORATION TO THE RISORGIMENTO

Can an unmistakable style be distinguished from the rich production of 19th century Italy?
The taste for Italian classicism is a strong component that unifies the eclectic production of that period. The tradition of "workshops" and the artisan schools created a cultural homogeneity that is the strongest binder of our history, which survived despite divisions and wars, passing down a working knowledge that is culture in its most genuine definition. The diffusion of Ornate through books, prints, drawings for children, forms the base for top quality production.
What are the characteristics that make a piece of furniture "original"?
The quality of the work, the choice of wood, the guaranteed origins, the continuous possibility of creating an original by joining the various elements with personality, mean that the furniture never has a uniform nature, and antique furniture is witness to life and to history.
What are the current elements in a piece of 19th century furniture?
19th century furniture was created originally for the "home", in the comfortable sense of the word, made liveable by wellbeing and the pleasure of being there. This extremely important added value for furniture makes it a precious witness to a sense of familiarity with the item, which is strongly returning in the use of furniture in modern decor.

THE  SUN KING  AND LOUIS XIV STYLE (1643 - 1715)

Can a house be proposed today that is inspired by the Palace at Versailles?
Everything is possible if done with taste and reason, it is sufficient to know how to combine certain aspects of Louis XIV style with elements more adapted to our style of life, for example: certain refined French style curtain fabrics, typical of this era, can be combined perfectly with coloured walls, framed by narrow stucco with small volutes, everything in moderation. The risk of a house in Louis XIV style is the desire to overdo it, perhaps by trying to combine this style with others that have nothing in common. We must always remember that, like Baroque, Louis XIV is a style of rounded forms and curved lines full of "doodles", therefore it could never be combined with the straight lines, initially of the Renaissance and then of the neo-classic periods If you want to learn more, the book "Inside Furniture", published by Neri Pozza in Vicenza, written by me, gives an extensive description of this fact, with drawings and stylistic charts.
How can furniture from that period be fitted into modern furnishing?
It is no good alone, the right setting must be created similar to its period, perhaps walls covered with coloured drapes, ornaments, crystal lampshades. The photographs, taken from the Versailles collection belonging to Faber Furniture, show certain small expedients that help us better than any words to understand how to decorate without exaggerating. It is not difficult to have good taste, as long as we recognise the styles and consider them with humility; which is why we have prepared this column.
Could a reproduction Louis XIV piece of furniture have value in time?
If it is well made, with care paid to the details and strictly adheres to the stylistic canons it represents, it will certainly be admired over the years, otherwise, like a lot of furniture made today, its parable would be decidedly short. Therefore, I recommend not taking just the first impression, if you buy a Louis XIV style piece of furniture, even though this is the guiding light in our choice, but you should fall in love with it slowly, experiencing the history it wants to transmit to us, if you can grasp this sensation, you will then give an added value to your choice.

RENAISSANCE: THE 15TH CENTURY

What sense does the renaissance have in a modern home?
In a modern home, both rational and elegant, the Renaissance of the 15th century gives pure and linear forms, it fits in almost perfectly, dare I say even naturally for us Italians. Furnishing the home with furniture that recreates the Renaissance atmosphere, is quite certainly a synonym of class, it is sufficient to know how to fit them in and combine them with the rest, to recreate a past that was always a source of light, with the aim of rediscovering "the lovely". It is sufficient to choose a sideboard, table or a cabinet, to recreate good Medicean furnishings, the whole conceived by carefully observing the lines and details that create style in each piece of furniture, adapted to a home that belongs to us.