Let’s talk about style – with Salvatore Izzo

Spring: a time of beauty, rebirth, hope, and a renewed desire to take care of your home... Here are some useful tips!

Salvatore Izzo is an interior designer specializing in the custom design of American-inspired homes, with taste, refinement, and a special touch that makes everything more beautiful. We wanted to explore some topics related to style together, to better understand how everyone can find their own style, at the table, at home, but also in life.

Salvatore, with your useful tips, you inspire many interior design enthusiasts every day and offer small tricks to make the most of your home. Tell us how your passion for beauty began.

More than a passion, mine is a real need. I take refuge in beauty; it helps me to counteract the ugliness of the world, now more than ever. We turn on the TV and hear about wars, we leave the house and feel the weight of a frustrated, angry society. Beauty offers harmony and balance of colors and shapes. For me, it's like medicine, but I don't base my judgment solely on beauty; what really matters is the potential of things. When I look at a space, I imagine how welcoming and elegant it could become. The beauty that resides in things, even hidden beauty, has real value for me.

And your love for American style?

I owe everything to this style. With a great deal of courage, I brought my audience a design that was previously confined to overseas lands. When I started to make my way in the world of interior design, I had to fight against a "single" way of thinking that wanted all houses to be the same, modern, and linear. I am more classic, I love wood paneling, built-in furniture, high baseboards, and all those details that make a house a place of the heart. The American style gives me the desire and strength to do this job. What I always tell my clients is that we are not just choosing furniture, a kitchen, or a table, but a new lifestyle. More intimate, more comfortable.

What are the characteristics of an American-style home?

In my opinion, there are three fundamental elements in a colonial-style home: the first is parquet flooring, the second is built-in, full-height furniture, and the third is large windows that let in natural light. This type of design gives spaces a very welcoming yet sophisticated and timeless style. Leafing through a magazine from twenty years ago and finding those homes still contemporary is clear proof that you can never go wrong with classic geometries. Forever Classic.

What elements do you think are essential for American-style interior design?

There are several accessories and accents that make up the grammar of this style, but if I had to identify the most important ones, I would say that lantern-shaped chandeliers, XXL rugs, and large, comfortable sofas are definitely among the "must-haves" in American homes.

Where do you get the inspiration for your ideas?

From TV series, trade magazines, the internet, but also from social networks such as Instagram and Pinterest. I am obsessed with images of famous homes on the web, I observe every detail, every particular. I can also be influenced by how a ray of sunlight passes through the window, casting shadows on a piece of furniture. Natural light modulates spaces like nothing else. Light is the mother of my inspiration.

How do you find and define your own style?

In my opinion, this is the fundamental principle for working and living with peace of mind. We are often influenced by the choices of others. "If it worked for them, then it will work for me too." In reality, that's not exactly how it works. Our style must represent us; we must feel that connection with the things we choose. It is a process that requires a very accurate knowledge of ourselves. Asking ourselves questions is the best way to define who we are and, therefore, to find our style.

Attention to detail is one of your stylistic hallmarks, which is in line with our philosophy. What are your tips for perfect table setting?

Details define who we are, not only at work but also in our relationships. In my opinion, a perfect mise en place must have a focal point in the center of the table around which glasses, plates, and cutlery are then arranged. Using an "unexpected" element as a centerpiece, such as a statue, a branch, or a vase, is definitely the best choice.

You have created wonderful tables with our lines, but which is your favorite?

The one that is closest to my heart is the Christmas 2020 table. The elegant details, the glasses embellished with golden flashes, and the vintage gold cutlery literally stole my heart.