Known for her incredible curatorial eye and wonderfully eclectic interiors, Fabrizia Caracciolo is a writer, editor, and decorative art consultant based out of Milan and Paris. Born and raised in Italy, Fabrizia traveled widely throughout her youth, exposing her to various styles of architecture, from exuberant Sicilian Baroque to austere Neoclassical palazzi, which ultimately helped form her point of view around art, design and decoration. After having graduated from The University of Milan’s faculty of law, Fabrizia followed her passion and pursued postgraduate studies in Art History at the Êcole du Louvre in Paris and at the Courtauld Institute in London.
As Contributing Editor for Cabana Magazine (a favorite at Maison Carlyle) and Architectural Digest Italia, Fabrizia travels extensively and reports on some of the most interesting historical properties around the world. Her latest articles include an elegant apartment housed in an eighteenth-century building in the heart of old Milan, a folly on the lake of Naivasha in Kenya, as well as her wonderfully curated postcard series for Cabana, offering insights from a lifetime of summers exploring the Italian Peninsula. Having studied the work of Renzo Mongiardino, Fabrizia was also involved in the curation and editing of one of our favourite books; The Interiors and Architecture of Renzo Mongiardino: A Painterly Vision.
As a former art consultant for Sotheby’s, Fabrizia also worked on several important art exhibitions in Italy and London, and currently serves as a Representative Associate at Large for Totah Gallery.
Extremely well connected in the art and design worlds, Fabrizia’s beautifully curated Instagram feed is considered a best kept secret to many within the trade…and certainly a favorite at Maison Carlyle! We couldn’t be more delighted to sit down with our favorite editor, whose style we adore, and talk all things designs!
Where did you grow up and how has your past shaped your design aesthetic?
I grew up in Italy between Milan, Tuscany and Sicily, which allowed me to appreciate various forms of architecture; from exuberant Sicilian Baroque to more rigorous and austere, Neoclassical Palazzi. That’s why I love the clash between culture and architecture.
How would you describe your style?
Eclectic.
Who are some of your style icons?
Marella Agnelli, Hubert de Givenchy, and David Hicks.
Where do you turn to for inspiration?
My travels, nature, old photos and vintage interiors’ books.
How did you start your company and what do you love most about what you do?
By chance… friends would ask me to help them with their choice of colors, fabrics and decorative objects, and thus began my consultancy business in art, design and tableware.
What would your dream project be?
A small and charming family-run hotel on the water…either seaside or on a lake.
Which decorators from the past do you most often turn to for inspiration?
Mongiardino, Henri Samuel, Emilio Terry and Madeleine Castaing, whose words around creating a home I adore; “Making a house is creating. I make houses like others write poetry, make music, or paint. A house is more of a likeness than a portrait. Don’t be intimidated by audacity; be audacious, but with taste. You also need intuition, originality, vigour. Avoid reproduction, that easy and banal method. Don’t get taken in by fashion. A secret: love your house.”
If you could hire any designer from the past to decorate your home, who would it be?
Difficult to choose…probably Henri Samuel because he was one of the first to mix antiques and contemporary pieces.
What are some of your indispensable items when entertaining and how do you ensure a memorable dinner party?
Delicious drinks, excellent food, an abundance of flowers in interesting bud vases, candles scattered around the middle of the table, and a good mix of guests who ensure a lively conversation.
If you could invite any three individuals from the past, who would they be and what would you serve for dinner?
I would invite Madeleine Castaing, Charles de Beitsegui and Marie Laure de Noailles, and would serve consommé en gelée, tourteau salad and soufflé Rovasenda.
What does living beautifully mean to you?
Appreciating the beauty of life during happy times and appealing to it during the difficult ones.
How do you make every day feel special in your home?
Being surrounded by people you love, objects which convey happiness and beautiful flowers to connect you with nature… especially in the city.
What is your typical morning routine?
Armchair traveling…getting inspired by the beautiful faraway places you can find on some Instagram accounts. I also enjoy long recharging walks around the Quais de la Seine, cradled by the sound of the river, while absorbing the beautiful sunlight of Paris.
How do you like to unwind after a busy day?
With a glass of champgane.
What do you love most about living in Paris?
The beauty and culture of the city while always being surrounded by interesting people.
While traveling, are there any objects you enjoy collecting?
Whatever fits the tradition of the place I visit.
What is at the top of your bucket list?
Going back to Japan and India, and visiting Mexico, Transylvania and Brazil.
What are some of the greatest lessons you learned from your parents?
From my father; appreciating beautiful portrait paintings. and from my mother; “living beautifully” in an unpretentious way.
Fabrizia's Favorites
Favorite Travel Destination?
Greece in the summer and Lamu Island in Kenya in the winter.
FAVORITE HISTORIC HOUSE MUSEUM?
Villa Gnecchi in Milan, Musée Nissim de Camondo in Paris and The Frick Collection in New York.
Favorite interior of all time?
Marella Agnelli’s Chalet in St. Moritz -many different styles mixed up in the most refined way…warm and cozy so that one would never leave the house!
Favorite design era?
The 30’s.
Favorite piece of furniture in your home?
Difficult to choose…
The sofas which my grandfather designed in the ‘50s at Casa Trabia that I reupholstered with one of my favorite fabrics by Nathalie Farman-Farma, a coffee table by Gabriella Crespi, an armchair by Bonacina, and a Maison Jansen wheeled table.
Favorite design book(s) you most often turn to for inspiration?
Visite Privée, Living by Design by John Stefanidis, all of David Hicks’ books, and Roomscapes by Renzo Mongiardino which has been my “chevet” book since it came out. What a gift it was to have come full circle and work on The Interiors and Architecture of Renzo Mongiardino: A Painterly Vision alongside Martina Mondador and my fellow editors at Cabana.
Favorite movie(s) every design lover should watch at least once?
The Remains of The Day for it’s 1930s English countryside style, and Barry Lyndon.
Favorite tabletop shops in Paris?
Bloom, Le Chateau de ma mère, Vis à Vis and Sabre.
Favorite restaurants in milan?
La Latteria, Santa Lucia and Da Giacomo (the original one with Mongiardino’s decor).
Favorite family tradition?
Traveling all together.
Favorite piece of advice from your mother?
Always be yourself.
