Hagan 1

McKenna Hagan

Ivey

Honors Interior Design II

1 May 2017

Culture and Interior Design of Italy

Italy is a diverse and thriving culture. It is full of beautiful cities, beautiful architecture,

and beautiful people. Italian design like the countrys history is marked by a regionalism

that breeds eclecticism, diversity and an artistic sentiment that favors experimentation. (1stdibs

blog). Italy is located in Europe, and is found underneath France and Germany. It is commonly

associated with the shape of a boot. The Renaissance period that took place in Europe greatly

influenced the culture, art, and history of the country. Many of Italy's famous cities show just

how different the culture is and the way its gifted people made the country what it is today.

Structures such as the colosseum, the venice canals, and the leaning Tower of Pisa show off the

uniqueness of the country and its cultural differences. Italian interior design is greatly influenced

by its culture because it is so unique and diverse.

The interior design is unique to the country and to the people who live there. The

creations of the rooms shows how much detail and attention is put into the design. Notice their

rich sense of history, appreciation for the arts, and unequivocal sense of glamour

(mydomaine.com). Italian influence and origins date way back to the early history of the country.

Many of its influences occurred during the Renaissance period and it left a lasting impact on the

country. Other historical influences includes the world wars and Roman culture. The

industrialization of Italy occurred after World War II and as stated by everyculture.com, After
 Hagan 2

World War II, there was a great migration to urban areas and into industrial occupations. This

migration to urban areas made a drastic change to the interior design of houses because they

became a more modernized theme than ever before. Roman culture influence makes its way into

Italy and leaves a lasting impact on its housing and designing. The architecture throughout Italy

has strong Roman influences. (everyculture.com). These historical influences on Italy make it

what it is today and it reflects heavily on the cultural aspects of the interior design of its homes.

Some key design features that are commonly found in Italian homes is iconic pieces of

furniture that is original to the country, hardwood flooring, symmetrical living rooms, large

paintings, elaborate trim, and much more. Italy is a world trendsetter, and has some of the

greatest furniture designers in the world, such as Gio Ponti and Ettore Sottsass. (wikipedia). The

balance between classic and modern pieces is what really gives designers a leg up when it comes

to designing furniture. A style that flourished in Italy in the 1920s is called rationalismo or

rationalism. Its main contributor was Gio Ponti and his work is still looked at by so many others

in the interior design world today.

The comparison of the interior design of Italian homes to American homes is no contest.

Italian design has been around for centuries and outweighs the newer in comparison American

homes. Italian design has a sophisticated and classy vibe to it, while American homes feel more

patriotic and simplistic.

Italian interior design (living room): American interior design (living room):
 Hagan 3

Looking at these two different pictures, it is obvious that the Italian home is much more

traditional and extravagant than the American home. American homes can be extravagant as

well but in comparison most are not, while many in Italy are. In the Italian home, there is more

symmetry, detailed wood work on the ceiling, a large chandelier, etc., whereas in the American

house it almost looks plain but it still nice and quaint.

The room I designed is the dimensions of an Italian house plan as shown below.

My room was the living room and was approximately 16 feet by 13 ft and it had 8 foot ceilings.

The design was inspired by a somewhat elaborate Italian living room.

 Hagan 4

First I put in the dimensions I mentioned above and I also added in the French doors, and I then

added a fireplace to match the floor plan of the house that was already created. Then, I put in

basic features of a living room such as a couch, tables, and a chair, and then I moved on to

design the other aspects like the large rug, side table lamp, the plant, and a chandelier. I chose

the colors and patterns that I did because I felt they were more extravagant and blended well with

the design features. Altogether, I believe my room turned out nicely and exemplifies a modern

Italian room.

In conclusion, Italian interior design is greatly influenced by its culture because it is so

unique and diverse. Many of the countrys influences come from historical time periods and

events, as well as, other countries influences. Key features of Italian housing include

symmetrical rooms, extravagant detailing, and more. Comparing Italian and American homes

gives the sense of Italian interior design being superior as it is much more elaborate and

captivating. And lastly but not least my model room turned out nicely and portrayed an Italian

room well.
 Hagan 5

Works Cited:

"Italian Interior Design: 19 Images of Italy's Most Beautiful Homes." 1stdibs. The

Study, 09 Dec. 2016. Web. 01 May 2017.

Walsh, Julia Millay. "15 Insanely Chic Italian Homes." MyDomaine.

MyDomaine, 02 Sept. 2015. Web. 01 May 2017.

"Architecture of Italy." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 29 Apr. 2017. Web. 01

May 2017.

"Italian Design." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Apr. 2017. Web. 01 May

2017.

"Italy." Italy. Countries and Their Cultures, n.d. Web. 01 May 2017.

"Italian Architecture." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th Ed. Encyclopedia.com,

n.d. Web. 01 May 2017.

"Bellini House Plan." Sater Design Collection. Sater Design, n.d. Web. 01 May

2017.

Greenhalgh, Paul. Modernism in Design. London: Reaktion, 1999. Print.

Caruso, Nadia. Policies and Practices in Italian Welfare Housing: Turin, up to

the Current Neo-Liberal Approach and Social Innovation Practices. Cham: Springer

International, 2017. Print.