The types of pottery made are as diverse as the many regions of Italy. Towns like Deruta and Campania are known for their pots, jars and bowls as well as their intense ceramic art. In Rome, as the country’s most famous city, pedestals and columns abound as do table bases and platters that evoke memories of the Empire at its most powerful and wealthy.

While Italy is as famous as Greece for its architecture, its pottery often is more ornate, intricate and complex. The process of sustaining a thriving pottery industry has been no small feat. Throughout its history of political and economic turmoil, invasions and occupations, Italy’s pottery and pottery artisans have remained mainstays.

In American colonial times, wealthy merchants secured a combination of Spanish pottery and Italian pottery as status symbols. One restaurant in Philadelphia still has colonial era pottery on display as a relic of the past and a window into what the upstart early Americans considered enduring indicators of wealth. Much of the pottery they have on display is Italian, early French and Spanish.

The Italian pottery industry is one of the oldest and most lustrous industries in Italy. Beginning with multiple firings in the middle Ages that allows the intricate layers of colors and finishes through the present day where the industry employs around 8.000 people. Italian pottery is so popular that it has found its way into mansions and palaces and has been imitated in just about every department store worldwide.

There is not a collection of major manufacturing companies that make Italian Pottery, but rather a dense network of artisans located throughout the country that usually specialize in their own designs and even unique production processes. Pottery items found in the United States can be imported from major cities like Roma or small villages that dot the Italian countryside. While each piece is not usually hand crafted anymore, every piece does receive individual attention and reflects each artisan’s unique blend of talent and artistic flair.

Purchasing quality New Zealand Sheepskin products can set the tone of a room, give it elegance and comfort all in one fell swoop. The properly appointed throw rug, sofa or seat cover can provide both an aesthetically pleasing article as well as something that can quickly induce naps on cold winter afternoons or evenings. New Zealand, known for its natural beauty, leads the world in producing quality sheepskin products that will please you for years to come.

As any discriminating shopper knows, quality is worth paying for, even if it means that the quantity of the purchase might not be as much. A good suit, for instance, not only looks and feels sharper than an off the rack affair, it also lasts longer and is more durable. The same can be said for sheepskin products.

There are many harvesters and manufacturers of sheepskin products, but very few outside of New Zealand can match that country’s craftsmen when it comes to beauty, quality and functionality. Quality New Zealand sheepskin rugs are just one example of what that country can produce. A well made run will last for years, is durable, easy to clean, beautiful to look out and comfortable to lay down on, even for children.

Gone are the days when homes were built with a stuffy, formal living room and the children were relegated to the recreation room in the basement. Modern homes are designed to ‘live’ in and that means huge main floor living areas that combine multi-media functionality and ultimate comfort.

Many new homes are being designed with great rooms, which mean a huge family room that is usually next to or combined with a large, open concept kitchen. A great room generally features a large fireplace, lots of windows, and vaulted ceilings. The look is comfort (think Upside Living) and the feel is warm and cozy. It has become the hub of the home and it is so popular now that many families with older homes are redesigning their floor plans to mimic the new homes.

So you have a great room and although the space lends itself to family and togetherness, it really is how you decorate it that makes it luxuriously comfortable and conducive to family life.

For wall colors, keep them warm and neutral. If you want to add color, do it in the carpet, draperies and artwork. Choose overstuffed large furniture in chenille fabric or lambskin leather for a sumptuous look and feel. For the ultimate in luxury, choose sofa cushions and pillows that are down filled.

One of the best aspects of decorating your home is that you are free to do whatever you like, choosing whatever home décor scheme that catches your fancy and infusing your home with your taste, style and personality.

If you are looking to add a touch of panache to your luxury home décor, and prefer a style that is different from your neighbors and is decorated in an eclectic manner that speaks of your good taste and character, consider adding colorful Spanish pottery or Italian pottery in your decorating.

There are so many different types of unique pottery, from all corners of the globe that your choices are virtually limitless. Whether you are looking for colorful charger plates to create an accent wall, or themed pottery pitchers to use as unique flower vases, there are many types of pottery to choose from.

The most common and fashionable are earthenware and porcelain potteries. Each comes with a rich history and an evolution of the pottery making processes. Anyone who loves or collects pottery understands the difference between hand painted masterpieces created by skilled artisans and cheap knock-offs that are mass produced in Taiwan.

Dining at the cabin is always relaxed and informal, as it should be. No sterile white dishes permitted! Infuse color and playfulness in your cottage table settings. One of the best ways to do this is through the use of hand painted Spanish pottery – brimming with unique themes, color and vibrancy. Absolutely a perfect choice to set your cabin table with fun and personality.

In the bedroom, load the bed with down filled duvets and comforters, lots of lofty pillows and patchwork quilts that you can wrap yourself in on a cold morning. Add a pitcher and glass to the bedside table so that you can laze away the hours in bed, just reading or doing whatever you enjoy doing.

No matter how you choose to decorate your new rural space, do it with love and the definitive goal of respite and leisure. Many choose to omit modern conveniences at the cottage, such as television and computer. Instead, they choose to keep the cabin as a location that offers a complete disconnect with the hustle and bustle of everyday life in the city. It becomes a retreat – a place to rest, relax and rejuvenate. Enjoy!

As you know, trends in luxury home décor come and go. Some trends are better than others and tend to stand the test of time and become favorites. In upscale, luxury living, there have been some interesting trends over the past few years that seem to have evolved as a result of advances in home electronics technology and the constant search for fine living.

Flat Screen Feature Walls

With the gaining popularity of plasma TV’s and very large screen LCD televisions, a dilemma evolved in how to incorporate these expensive new electronic toys into a room design. As such, a fabulous new trend evolved in high end homes that include a feature wall that is designed around the large screen. For some the screen is covered by a piece of artwork or a mechanical wall that conceals the large screen television when it is not in use. Other luxury homes have chosen to leave the screen exposed and built a modern feature wall around the television – incorporating floating shelves, edgy pottery, and clean, modern lines. When done correctly, they look fabulous in any luxury home décor scheme, from contemporary to traditional. Truly the best of both worlds!

Great Rooms with Class

The evolution of the family room to the great room for the modern families has certainly been a work in progress. Recently though homeowners and interior decorators alike have found a way to blend luxury with comfort and casual elegance in the modern Great Room. This is largely accomplished through the use of quality woods, high end furnishings and then using accents, accessories, draperies and soft furnishings (such as sheepskin rugs and sheepskin pillows) to soften the space. Rich dark wood floors are very popular, as are floor to ceiling windows without coverings that have the effect of making the room look twice as large.

Fabulous Fireplaces

Until recently, fireplaces in a home have been largely traditional in design and not overly exciting. Thanks to new technology in both gas and electric fireplaces, there are many new and exciting options for creating a stunning fireplace focal point in any room. For instance, ceramic logs are no longer your only option for gas and electric fires. You can now choose from polished rocks that come to life with fire, a sleek bed of shimmering beach sand that sits beneath the fire and looks fantastic when the fire is not burning. Furthermore, clever advances in mantel design means that you no longer have to settle for the boring brick faced fireplace with the wood mantel. Upscale homes are now sporting massive floor to ceiling fireplace fronts that are made of slate, granite, marble and travertine. These add drama and interest to a room and provide a feel of affluence and luxury, certain to make a room and indeed a home stand out from the crowd and be a true conversation piece.

Of course, trends in luxury living come and go but these three are here to stay. All offer permanent and fashionable solutions that address issues that exist in today’s modern upscale homes of distinction.

Above all, remember to keep comfort and relaxation as your motivating factors when choosing your interior cabin décor. For you, this may include large, overstuffed furniture that you can lounge in for hours, reading a good book or watching the fire dance in the hearth.

Area carpets and throw rugs in the bedroom and all around the cabin lend an air of coziness and quaintness. When shopping for carpets and area rugs, choose thick and warm ones that you can sink your toes into. Comfort accents may include sheepskin rugs for the ultimate comfort indulgence. Lots of throws, pillows and candles will add to the ambiance.

Don’t forgot the outside of your cabin or cottage where you are bound to spend many nights in the complete silence of nature, gazing at the stars and listening to the grasshoppers chirp. Consider adding a beautiful copper fire pit so you can enjoy a safe, outdoor fire and perhaps install a unique weathervane with an equine or nautical theme, which will add character and personality to the yard area of your cabin.

One of the hottest trends in recent times is baby boomers looking for an escape to the country. Having attained a certain status in life; financially well off after years of hard work on the career front, North Americans are seeking out remote locations and purchasing cabins and cottages in record numbers.

Some have chosen the quiet, remote areas of Vermont and Massachusetts. Others have sought out peace and quiet in the waterfront cabins in Florida and North Carolina. Nature enthusiasts have turned to the mountains in Colorado and the Ozarks. No matter what location you choose for your home away from home, it represents a distinct opportunity to decorate in a more laid back, casual and ultimately comfortable manner.

No rules apply here – you do not have to maintain the formal or functional décor that you do in your home in the city. You can inject your personality in your cabin home décor and have fun doing it.

Stay tuned for the rest of the story…

So, how are luxury and warmth balanced in a way that allows for comfort yet still illustrates your good taste in furniture and home décor? It is actually not as hard as it might seem. Creating that balance takes some thought, but virtually everyone can do it with any style of décor imaginable.

Using art that is timeless is also a good idea. Italian pottery offers many different possibilities. Mixing tasteful pottery pieces and art throughout your abode will allow for a warm, but luxurious atmosphere.

Additionally, you want to include different accents that have appeal aesthetically, but also lend themselves to helping create an aura of understated comfort. Another good suggestion is to incorporate wood sculptures within your home. Deep dark wood creates a sense of elegance, but also exude comfort.

How you decorate your walls also plays a role in determining the overall aura of the house. Colors can be bold, but should also be done in way that is not overwhelming. Also, using off whites, creams and beiges create a sense of calm that also lends to a comfortable environment. Lastly, avoid stark colors unless they are muted by smudging or “raking” to dull their effect somewhat.

Mixing class and comfort is not difficult to do as long as you choose your luxury home décor carefully. By embracing luxury items and setting them around a room, you can set an aura of luxury and warmth. Most of all, people are comfortable with their own preferences, so make sure that anything that is chosen is done so in a way that will reflect your personality and likes. That way, no matter what you choose, you will be comfortable because it reflects your innate taste.