I had the privilege of being invited to participate in this year’s Firenza Fiera Italian Crafts & Accents show in Florence, Italy. The group of U.S. Buyers represented Florida, California, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Texas. There were fourteen people total representing boutique shops, architecture and interior design firms. Our obligation of attending was to meet with as many manufacturers/craftsmen as you can in a three day period. It is kind of like speed dating with a translator. So glad that my Italian came back to me! Of the fifteen companies that I met with here are the highlights:

BAU Design – www.baudesign.it

This whimsical modern furniture artist really impressed me with his out of the box design sense.

Maggi Massimo – www.maggimassimo.com

Now this is indisputably unique. Imagine combining traditional furniture design with modern implementation. Bars are their specialty – check out the gas pump that dispenses wine. Or how about the combo cigar/wine storage cabinet. This is so fresh. Make sure to watch the attached video link. This is every wine connoisseurs dream. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ARfl_yv2KQ

Antique Mirror – www.antiquemirror.it

If you have been keeping up to date with the PPDS website, you have seen that we are using more antique mirror as an accent in our projects. This company offers a wide variety of colors to choose from. They come in sheets, tiles, home collection products and “soul” the multi-faceted example shown below.

Fuecopared – www.fuecopared.com

Now this is absolutely a special find. A wall mounted terra cotta fireplace that doesn’t require ducting. It is fueled by bioethanol so it is environmentally friendly. It is offered in a basic black or white background and can be framed in gold or silver leaf. You can also select a custom art image to be placed on the box. Just imagine all of the applications!