“Nowadays hotels are more like homes and homes are often more like hotels,” explains Rocco Forte Hotels’ Director of Design, Olga Polizzi. “When I’m designing, I always think about things personally – what would I want in a room?” If you’re looking to transform your home, here, the interior design expert shares her simple tips on how to recreate the elegant atmosphere in her own home.
1. Books of short stories: “I have lots of these at home and like to leave them lying around for visitors to discover and flick through. They add character and personality. Many of our hotel rooms feature books for guests to pick up and enjoy, especially Brown’s, which has a long literary heritage.”
2 Good shelving and storage: “At home, I want to find things straight away and have everything nicely presented, so quality shelving and storage is essential. Declutter as much as you can and pick something practical yet stylish, whether that’s an antique piece or something more modern.”
3 A show-stopping piece of art or sculpture: “A statement piece of art makes a great focal point of the room and will create atmosphere and drama. My house is eclectic as I have collections of pictures and sculptures as well as objects and paintings from my parents’ house.”
4 Mirrors: “Mirrors are a wonderful way of adding glamour to a room, and of course they create the impression of space too. I don’t think you can have too many.”
5 Magnifying glasses: “Decorative and practical, I love magnifying glasses. They’re useful for when I’m designing and look intriguing, lending a sense of antiquity to a room. You can source beautiful vintage ornamental ones as well.”
In the 17th century, Artemisia Gentileschi emerged as one of the most compelling painters of her time. Her unflinching clarity and business acumen allowed her to flourish in a world dominated by men. In her hands, familiar subjects were transformed: heroines once cast as victims emerged instead as warriors. Her work gave voice to women too often silenced, not only on the canvas but in life.
Verdura Resort has always drawn its character from its surroundings – the wide sweep of Sicily's south-western coastline, the olive groves and macchia mediterranea stretching back from the shore, the quality of a landscape that shifts hour by hour with the sun. When Paolo Moschino and Philip Vergeylen, working closely with Olga Polizzi, began designing the resort's new collection of sea-facing suites and rooms, that relationship between interior and place was where they started.
To understand Baroque, you have to understand its ambition. To fully appreciate it, you have to go to southern Italy. Emerging from the Counter-Reformation in early 17th-century Italy, the movement harnessed drama, ornamentation and light in service of devotion – art designed to engage the senses as much as the intellect.
