Stil Novo Design » Handmade Lookup

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Stil Novo Design

Artist: Camilla & Stefano Capaccioli
Work Grass Valley California USA Etsy Shop Website Blog

Biography

Wine Barrel Furniture

While visiting a local winery in the north of California, we noticed a bunch of unused barrels, piled up in a corner and ready to be discarded. We asked a few questions and learned about the chemical properties of oak itself and how it plays a significant role in wine making, affecting the color, flavor, and texture of the wine.  Over time many of the oak properties get ‘leached’ out of the barrel and after a few vintages the barrel is ready to be discarded.

Being such an experienced and passionate woodworker, Stefano could immediately recognize and appreciate the quality of such material and felt that we could turn that unfortunate waste into a ‘green’ idea.

The more we worked with this wood, the more we could notice and appreciate the uniqueness of each barrel, the different grain, quality and character that every stave presents; for us every dent, discoloration and mark is a very valued and honored sign of age that we have a lot of respect for.  It makes us quite happy that we are able to give this wonderful material a new life in our customers’ hands.

In Italian ‘stil novo’ means ‘new style’ and it’s reminiscent of the ‘dolce stil novo’, which was a very important literary movement in Italy during the 13th century.  Somehow it seemed to fit with our vision and stylistic choices.

Our European heritage brings an innovative, highly sophisticated sense of style and superior manufacture standards to this century’s ‘green revolution’.  Our concern for the environment doesn’t affect, nor compromise, the quality and sense of esthetic conveyed in our creations; we proudly strive to exceed our customers’ expectations. We create heirlooms for you to cherish for years to come.  We want the eco-friendly to be elegant, refined, chic and stylish and we don’t believe in shabbiness!!  The upcycled shouldn’t be inferior to the high-end market’s standards and moreover should maintain the same sense of exclusivity and distinctiveness.