Construction Update #10

We have just returned from our latest visit to Lerici.  We wanted to be in Italy for Easter since it is a good time to catch up with friends who are home for the holidays.  The weather is turning warm, and some local specialties are on the menu.  Colomba di Pasqua, is the cake for Easter.  It is typically made with orange peel or chocolate – we sampled both of course.

 Construction is nearing completion, but many small details remain.  The major stumbling blocks are falling, but we have been waiting months for a gas meter hookup, which is necessary for heat, hot water, and cooking. The electrician needs to install the face plates for the outlets and a few fixtures.  The electricity is on and many of the lights were working.

 One major new addition that has now been installed is a Pergola on the balcony.  This structure can be adjusted to compensate for the suns glare, closed for rain, and has embedded lights.

For the first time, I am posting pictures of some of the “artistic features” now completed.  The tile artist, Giampiero has created some stunning images for the kitchen.  The backsplash features a fantasy scene as envisioned by Mozart for The Magic Flute.  It harmonizes perfectly with the green granite counter.  The kitchen floor is hand cast terra cotta which he interspersed with painted tiles inspired by the renaissance.

The first bathroom is now complete.  Once again Giampiero painted and fired all of the tiles including the sink and the fish emerging from the shower wall.  The medicine cabinet/mirror and shower doors are also now in place.

When I first began thinking about the design and composition of the living spaces, I wanted the flat to be very Italian.  The secondary considerations were sea themed, and history.  This is obvious in the bathroom above.  Even before construction began, I wanted an element to reflect my long-standing interest in ancient Rome.  I searched for the right image and a way to produce it.  In 2015 I stumbled upon a mosaic preserved in a museum in Sousse, Tunisia.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sousse_Archaeological_Museum

The mosaic of Neptune is most likely from a wealthy Roman’s villa in North Africa.  I was fortunate to find a group of artisans in Lebanon who recreate mosaics using natural-colored stones.