{"id":10047,"date":"2022-04-11T10:13:33","date_gmt":"2022-04-11T08:13:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homesandantiques.com\/?p=28362"},"modified":"2022-04-11T10:34:10","modified_gmt":"2022-04-11T08:34:10","slug":"an-italian-apartment-filled-with-plants-and-antiques","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/rss_feed\/an-italian-apartment-filled-with-plants-and-antiques\/","title":{"rendered":"An Italian apartment filled with plants and antiques"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Christianne Raymer\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Monday, 11 April 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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With its high ceilings, generous windows and tables filled with verdant houseplants<\/a>, the open-plan apartment that Annalisa Lo Porto and Francesco Dal Bo have made their home is an airy oasis in the heart of Bologna. From the moment you step into the main living space it\u2019s clear that plants and nature are central to the way they live and work \u2013 Annalisa is a florist and Francesco is an environment designer. Their business, Fl\u00f2, is a stylish and influential florist\u2019s shop, run from premises below their home.<\/p>\n

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Before moving to Bologna, the couple lived in the countryside within a short drive of the city. Their life was one of simple pleasures, explains Annalisa: \u2018lighting a fire every evening, tending to our vegetable garden, having friends over for meals in the farmyard on warm summer evenings.\u2019 When work and their children\u2019s activities called for the family to move back to the city, the couple were sad to leave these rituals of rural bliss.<\/p>\n

But it was around this time that Francesco and Annalisa came across Bloom, a Dutch lifestyle magazine focusing on nature in relation to interiors and fashion. \u2018That was back in 2000,\u2019 Annalisa recalls, \u2018when topics such as ecology weren\u2019t part of everyday life, though an awareness was developing.\u2019<\/p>\n

Fascinated by the potential she could see for a \u2018greener world\u2019, she took the plunge and started Fl\u00f2, a shop that sells flowers alongside artworks and vintage<\/a> and antique furniture<\/a>. \u2018Fl\u00f2 has never been just a flower shop, but rather my personal path to create and bring to life something I really believed in. Plus, to me, it\u2019s the most fantastic job.\u2019<\/p>\n

The first branch of Fl\u00f2 opened in March 2002, in the very centre of Bologna and, not long after, the couple were thrilled to discover that an apartment above their shop was for sale. It was the perfect opportunity to create a living space that reflected the spirit of their business. \u2018Nothing of what you see was the way it is now,\u2019 says Annalisa, explaining that Francesco, whose work in fashion design often involves breathing new life into historic brands, oversaw a complete redesign of the space, hiring specialist craftsmen to install floors and wainscots.<\/p>\n

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When it came to decorating the space, there was never any danger the couple would turn to the high street and big brands. Francesco has always preferred buying antiques and vintage pieces, a passion that began when he was a student. \u2018I used to buy my clothes from flea markets,\u2019 he says, adding that he would also raid his father and grandfather\u2019s wardrobes. Over the years, his interest in vintage clothing expanded to include old film and advertising posters<\/a> and, from there, to furniture, art and other curios.<\/p>\n