Ciao, Italian Design Lovers

Hello fashion, farewell boredom.

By Carol Tisch

In Italian ciao means hello and goodbye. It’s the fun that went on in between that made the party at Home Resource Contemporary Furniture Friday night into such a happening ((741 Central Avenue, 941-366-6690, www.homeresource.com ).

To celebrate the debut of Bontempi Casa furniture at the Sarasota store, owners Michael and Kathy Bush served Italian wines and brought in an extraordinary Italian-made piano and concert artists who performed works from favorite Italian operas to Ezio Pinza’s South Pacific movie tunes.

Michael Bush and Andrea Minnucci with Bontempi Casa furniture

But the stars of the evening were Bontempi Casa’s furniture (www.bontempicasa.com) and charming Andrea Minnucci, on hand to explain his company’s high style products and design philosophy.

Michael Bush and Andrea Minnucci with Bontempi Casa furniture

Minnucci says there is a big difference between American and Italian contemporary design. “American contemporary uses more wood; it’s not as minimalist as Italian,” he explained. Comfort and the best materials are as important as the styling of Bontempi seating, according to Minnucci, who said every chair and sofa they introduce is subjected to an ergonomic study that takes up to a year.

In this country for five years, Bontempi says his mission is to convert style-conscious Americans to contemporary design. “In Europe, contemporary is the majority – over 80 percent – of all furniture sales. Here it is 15 to 20 percent and growing because more and more people are living in apartments now. Contemporary fits in apartments,” Minnucci declared.

But will it play with tradition-based Sarasota homeowners? “Atlanta and Boca were traditional markets, and stores there have become major customers of ours,” he said.

“Michael shares our vision, and understands the culture of Italian contemporary design,” Minnucci said of Bush. “That’s what will make the difference – we think he’ll grow our sales in Sarasota to what we have in South Beach or Boca – we do wonderful business there.”

As customers lined up to meet the Italian design expert, husband and wife team Lorraine Murphy-Renfroe, a lyric soprano and Douglas Renfroe, a nationally acclaimed bass-baritone, performed with Robert Beane, tenor and Robert Reeves, accompanist. The Refroe’s web site, www.srodolor.com, details upcoming area concerts and the pair’s amazing credentials.

Robert Beane, Lorraine Murphy-Renfroe, Douglas Renfroe and Robert Reeves

Equally amazing was the concert-grand sound produced by the upright Schulze Pollmann (www.schulzepollmann.com) piano lent by Mathis Music for the occasion. According to Tom Mathis, the Northern Italian company was founded by two German piano builders in the 1920s. “The construction is beautiful,” Mathis said. “The tone wood [for the sound board] comes from the same forest in Italy as the wood used for Stradivarius violins. It’s Cirassa spruce that comes from a section of the Southern Alps where Italy and Switzerland meet.”

Made in Bolzano, Italy, the piano fit the occasion for two reasons: its Italian origin and a design that works with contemporary interiors. “It’s a European studio piano – they don’t make their pianos to match furniture styles in Europe; they all look like this over there,” said Mathis, who’s offering two other Schulze Pollmann styles (Mathis@MathisMusic.com, 3821 S. Tuttle Ave., 941-924-2202).

Schulze Pollmann Style # 118P8 in feather mahogany is $12,490 at Mathis Music.

P.S. The first use in English of the word ‘ciao’ is attributed to Ernest Hemmingway in his 1929 novel, Farewell to Arms. It is speculated that the writer learned the word while in Northeast Italy, and adapted it from the Venetian dialectal, ciau – which means “servant or slave.” The casual greeting, ciao, translates literally to, “I am your servant.”

Posted: 2/26/2007 9:23:01 AM | 0 comments

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Ciao, Italian Design Lovers

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