Roma!

Such a decadent layer cake (Tiramisu? Lasagna?) of history, culture and art. Read on as I share the inspiration I gathered in the eternal city.

Some of you may know that, first and foremost, I am an artist. Before founding CALAFIA Home Design, I taught art and art history. In creating an itinerary for this trip, I was intent on seeing in real life the wonders I had only lectured about—the colloseum, the pantheon, the Caravaggios. And I was not disappointed! But visiting the city with an eye for architecture and design, I was charmed by its everyday grandeur, its patina and character. And since the Italian influence is everywhere in California culture, it should be no surprise that I found a lot of inspiration that resonated.

A Palette of Sun and Earth

Rome has a strict color scheme; the regal spectrum from red to gold. Its architecture speaks to its history—dug from primitive earth to shine in splendor in the sun. It is both earthy and ostentatious at once, a beautiful contradiction. Personally, I have always loved neutrals—and here were all the earth tones I could ever want—russets, terracottas, ochers, and rusts—all turned up to ten.

Every morning, I walked out the door to a city illuminated by the sun—a city that, even in the dead of winter, glowed.

Now, I grew up in southern California in the 90’s, and saw the unfortunate rise of many a faux-Italian villa painted sherbet tones. But now these warm colors are back in a good way! I’m seeing them in both in small doses and wall-to-wall treatments. Inspiration over imitation is the key.

As always, Farrow & Ball has a range of rich ochre tones I wouldn’t shy from. And clé tile’s selection of terracotta tiles are classically Californian, including authentic antiques and mediterranean-style classics. They also have some with an Italian modern twist that would perfectly suit any midcentury home .

2. Frescos and Floors

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The Roman taste for color didn’t begin with the Renaissance. In fact all of the pristine white marble statuary and temple architecture we associate with ancient Rome was once marvelously colored with fresco, encaustic, and mosiac. In other words, the Romans have always been maximalists.

I spent a day wandering through the ancient city of Herculaneum, another site buried in the infamous eruption of Vesuvius, just agape at the overwhelming effect of the intricate mosaics and elaborate frescos that covered every interior surface.

I imagined dark interiors lit only by torches and blazing braziers. Walls decorated with paintings of fantastical architecture that expanded and confused the interior space. I walked over floors of inlaid stone that must have looked bejeweled when polished.

The Romans were not ones for subtlety then anymore than now.

While I’ll never be a maximalist, I am ever drawn to natural materials like stone, and found myself dreaming of more serene version of this beautiful material, perhaps in clé’s new lapidary collection. And returned home to review my favorite moody interior hues, and muralistic wall treatments.

3. Idiosyncrasy, charm, and mystery

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Layers of history have left Rome all built up upon itself in sometimes illogical ways. It is idiosyncratic and inconvenient. Its gardens are hidden behind gates and in the sky, and its lives lived in the streets and plazas. It is both ruined and rebuilt.

All of my favorite design projects have the same kind of charisma. Elements that are collected rather than curated. Beauty sometimes yielding practicality, sometimes superceding it, becoming its own kind of reason. Among many things, Rome reminded me to stay attuned to the intuitive. To tolerate a little tension. To leave a little mystery.