Antonio Giuseppe Martiniello is the successful architect behind this apartment in an 18th century building in the heart of Naples. It had stayed empty for 90 years before he moved in and then a magical architectural touch by Antonio woke this sleeping beauty up and caught it up to design in terms of modern standards.

 

Photo by Walter Picardi.

Tiles on the floor, hand painted walls, and ceilings of the past mix with the contemporary art and design in this home-studio-gallery.

 He likes to play with space and light, which he thinks are the two main elements that define the environment. The current space and the natural light alignment, coupled with the original position of the rooms, readily creates a fabulous atmosphere. You can see the rooms settled side by side.

 

Purple couch "On the Rocks" by Edra.

 

Red doors takes us inside of the kitchen.

One of my favorite works in the house, photo by Salvino Campus.

Emerald green and black couch by Alcantara Frichetto from 80's and the stars on the wall by Rosy Rox.

A work of Alberto Tadiello.

 

Rosy Rox

Federico Del Vecchio

 

Incredible walls from the past renovated perfectly.

Antonio and his car, as seen from his window.

A sneak peek through the huge windows can make you wonder what's inside. You can think it is a house. But if you give it a try, upon opening the door you will see the magical atmosphere of Ayse Orberks shop in Cukurcuma, Istanbul.

 

When you enter the place you are awestuck for a moment and find yourself daydreaming. It seems like the house of a person with the finest taste in high ceilinged old buildings with huge windows and old parquets. I would go as far as to say that it appears to be the owner's second home, a place to host friends and spend some quality time. It looks like it was organized meticulously, as if she lived in those quarters full time. A burning fire place, an antic piano, drinks, and fresh fruit treats affirms the feeling that you are paying a visit to a friend in her home.

She likes the showcase various objects, collected only if found in their indigenous resting places.

I knew this place from my high school years since my high school was just few steps further. But I never knew first floor extended all the way to the top floor and opened to a big balcony from which you can see the entire area full of antique and design shops and historical buildings. I think that the black wall and fallen part create a really nice texture.

 

So if you wanna shop in this exceedingly charming atmosphere here is the adress:

                                           Turnacıbaşı Sokak No 51 Çukurcuma, İstanbul

Pitti Taste was the reason why I decided to make a trip to Florence (the photos of this trip are coming soon). The final tally was a group of 8 gourmet souls meeting for the delicious food of Florence. Some of them were also interested in the fair but primarily it was the "Fiorentina Steak" that brought us together. We had reservations at the Trattoria Gobbi 13. As soon as I entered the place, I thought it was the cutest trattoria that I had ever been to. The sharp decorations, the ceramic plates, and the gloomy atmosphere created with the candles formed my first impressions.

We started with the appetizers: buffalo mozzarella, prosciutto, pecorino, and gorgonzola cheese were the ones I remember. Then arrived 'rigatoni', Gobbi's famous speciality, to pretty much every single table. I don't think I noticed a single neighboring table that did not have rigatonis on it.

Fiorentina Steak was the pinnacle of our dining experience which I can only describe as "phenomenal".

The next day we decided to go there for a second time and strengthen our memories of the scrumptious food. We started with buffalo mozzarellas again. Then I had myself some onion soup while one of my friends had the "Tortellini in Brodo".

I can say that Gobbi 13 was a cozy place not only because of the decoration and the near-magical atmosphere, but also because of the employees who were incredibly nice and warm.

It hasn't been too long since she moved back to Istanbul from Italy, where she first graduated from Marangoni and then worked as a designer at Alberta Ferretti. She quickly became one of the most well-known and successful designers in Turkey. I can safely say that she is one of the few Turkish designers whose collections I anticipate with the utmost curiosity.

While everyone usually raves about her success in design, her genuine personality also doesn't go unnoticed. She passionately talks to me about her design process in fine detail.

This jacket, that is her own design, is one of the crown pieces of her past collection.Alongside her amusing designs, she has a real good taste of style and a closet full of unique and rare pieces of clothing, vintage accessories, and garments spanning almost every worthy brands. Her hat collection is also a sight to behold.

I guess this is the flag that is used in Beefeater Collection's shooting which she collaborated with Jonathan Saunders.