A Classic Glam Apartment in Italy Designed on a Budget

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Name: Marci and Carlos Cordero, with children Penelope and Mitchell
Location: Vicenza, Italy
Size: 2,150 square feet
Years lived in: 5 months, renting
Marci and Carlos have only lived in their Italian apartment for five months, but you’d never know it from looking around. There are photos and art hung (even with the stubborn concrete walls!) and every piece of furniture seems to fit into place and have a home. This could be because of Marci’s philosophy of being incredibly intentional with bringing things into her home, or because they’re a military family and pros at moving by now.
One thing’s for sure, Marci has an eye for design and how to improve basic, inexpensive pieces. While stateside, she used to make a living by finding designer pieces at thrift stores and reselling them internationally online. She brings that eye into all corners of her home, especially into her kids’ rooms, and does it in a thrifty way. Her ability to take everyday, boring pieces and make them work for her style is enviable, as is her ability to give each of her kids’ rooms such individual personality and organization. Can we say mom goals?
Apartment Therapy Survey:
Your style: Classic Glam
Inspiration: Our inspiration is to have a warm and welcoming home; an oasis where we can decompress from “adulting” and our children can play, explore, and create.
Favorite element: Our dining room “travel wall.” It captures some of our favorite memories and reminds us there is always more to see and do—together.
Biggest challenge: Working with non-standard room angles. The apartment is actually made up of two adjacent units that were connected to make one large home; more importantly, however, we joke that the builders must have “eyed” much of the measuring, because the rooms widen or narrow in places. This made the apartments unique but hard to decorate.
What friends say: “The views are incredible.” The corner apartment is located slightly above the Italian terracotta rooftops—giving us a 180˚ view of downtown Vicenza and the Dolomites. To our South we see a medieval tower built in the 1400s with Monte Berico in the background. To our East we have two churches that play the most beautiful tunes with their bells throughout the day. And to our North, you can see the Dolomites and their imposing peaks.
Biggest embarrassment: Honestly, we don’t have one. We put a lot of thought into our home decorating, so if we are not “absolutely IN LOVE with it, we don’t buy it.”
Proudest DIY: Most of our decor consists of DIY, but if we had to choose one, it would have to be our dining room table. We started building it while pregnant with Penelope and in transition from living in Virginia to being stationed in Italy. So we had to be patient, work as a team, and be persistent.
Biggest indulgence: Prior to our Italian move, we lived in our 175-square foot Airstream while Carlos finished school in Chapel Hill. As a present to ourselves for living in such close quarters, we decided to splurge on a nice bed.
Best advice: Do not buy anything unless you have a plan for it! Often we find ourselves moving items, furniture, and rugs just to incorporate that one piece that we just “had to have.”
Dream sources: One Kings Lane and frequent visits to Pinterest
Resources:
DINING ROOM
Kitchen table — DIY
Kitchen chairs — Safavieh
Table runner Pottery Barn
Fruit bowl — In Vietri (Nove, Italy)
Picture frames — IKEA
Candlesticks — Pottery Barn
Side table — Thrift store find
Chairs — Homegoods
China cabinet — Henkel Harris
Gramophone/speaker — Restoration Hardware
Sideboard — came with apartment
Shell bowl — Pottery Barn
Copper hurricanes — Williams Sonoma
Bar cart — Target
Bar cart picture — Thrift store find
Pineapple Tumblers — Target
MASTER BEDROOM
Headboard/bed — Restoration Hardware
Linens/pillows — Pottery Barn
Side tables — DIY
Crystal table lamps — Restoration Hardware
Dresser — Thrift store find (painted)
Gold table lamps — Nate Berkus for Target
Jewelry holder — Pottery Barn
Pineapple dish —Target
Mirror — DIY
Bench at end of bed — DIY
Gold mirror — DIY
Poufs — Target
Rug — Purchased in Afghanistan
Framed Agate — DIY
Hanging jewelry display — DIY
MASTER CLOSET
Wardrobes — Included in apartment
Vanity — IKEA
Mirror — IKEA
Lamp — Target
Chair — IKEA
Sheepskin — IKEA
BATHROOM
Hallway mirror — Target
Linen shelf — IKEA
Towels — Ralph Lauren
Cabinet — IKEA
KITCHEN
Dining nook table — IKEA
High chair — Keekaroo
Stools — Target
Bottle drying rack — Boon
Kitchen towels — Anthropologie
Pantry shelves — Williams-Sonoma
HALLWAY
Buffet — Included in apartment
Small table — Family hand-me-down
Shell prints — DIY
Lamb children’s walker — Family hand-me-down
PENELOPE’S ROOM
Crib: https — Jenny Lind
Fitted Sheet — IKEA
Crib Skir — DIY
Blanket — Gap
Palm pillow — DIY (fabric)
Starburst mirror — Safavieh
Stenciled Wall — Royal Design Studio
Soapbox derby toy — Schylling
Jute rug — Pottery Barn
Dresser — DIY
Changing pad — Babies R Us
Table lamp — Hobby Lobby (lampshade DIY’d)
Gold mirror — Thrifted
Rocking chairs — IKEA
Palm pouf — DIY (fabric)
Stand-up lamp — IKEA
Pineapple print — Etsy
Flamingo print — Etsy
Sheepskin rug — IKEA
Gold bookshelf — IKEA (painted)
Palm prints — DIY
Gold pineapple — Target
Wooden blocks — Melissa & Doug
Piggybank — Tiffany & Co
Baskets — IKEA
MITCHELL’S ROOM
Bed — Heirloom
Linens + bed spread — Land of Nod
End-of-bed stools — Target
Monogrammed canvas — Etsy (DIY)
Rocket poster — Target
Fox — Gift
Rocket toy (next to bed) — KidKraft
Dresser — Thrift store
Mirror — Thrift store
Rug — Purchased in Afghanistan
Blue chair — Target
Boat toy — Teamson Kids
Space posters — DIY
Mirrored frames — Target
Piggybank — Tiffany & Co
Lamp — Thrift store
Globe — DIY
Train set — Melissa & Doug & Thomas the Train
Play table — Melissa & Doug
Giraffe — Melissa & Doug
Blue mirror — DIY
PLAYROOM
Yellow/gray rug — Homegoods
Bench/shelf organizers — IKEA
Gray bins — IKEA
Book rail — Target
Pillows — Ralph Lauren
“Follow that dream” print — Hobby Lobby
Kitchen set — IKEA
Red rug — Purchased in Afghanistan
Lego organizers — IKEA
OUTDOOR SPACE
Patio set — IKEA
Pink pillows — Pottery Barn
Starfish pillow — Pottery Barn
Candle holders — Target
Jute rug — Pottery Barn
Coral rug — Purchased in Africa
LIVING ROOM
Couch and armchair — Craigslist find
Gold nesting tables — IKEA (painted and adhered faux marble contact paper)
Blue pillows — Pottery Barn
Coral pillows — Pottery Barn
Embroidered pillows —Pottery Barn
Bird prints —Pottery Barn
Throw blanket — Homegoods
Rug — Pottery Barn
Side table — Henkel Harris
Table lamp — Thrift store find
Coral table — DIY
Children’s tent — IKEA
Mirror — Homegoods
Children’s chair — Pottery Barn
Thanks, Marci!
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