Searching for Home Renovation Supplies in Italy

PART 129: It might be interesting to share how we pulled off living in Italy for part of the year. I will post some steps and what we are learning along the way.

We love every minute of it, and what was once a dream is our life!

We live in Tuscany in the Fall, then back again in the Spring, and in California for the rest of the time (in a previous blog, I explained why we live in Italy only part of the year).

Step 1: As we explore areas in Italy, we discover some gems worth sharing. Some are well-known tourist magnets, and others are lesser-known but always amazing.

This week, let's stay closer to home and share how we find supplies in Italy (Tuscany) for our home renovation.

Step 2: When we purchased our house in the historical center of Arcidosso, Tuscany, we anticipated some renovation work ahead. We knew we needed to create a second bathroom and replace the bathtub with a shower. However, as we progressed through our renovation journey, our list of tasks expanded.

In addition to our initial plans, we realized the main bathroom would require moving the toilet, removing the bidet, and installing new fixtures, including a vanity, sink, and toilet. We also identified a need for more storage space. The kitchen would have to be demolished entirely and replaced with a new one, and all the lighting throughout the house needed to be updated. Furthermore, the main room, currently used as a dining room, needed to be converted into a living room.

We also planned to modify the heating system and replace the windows with double-paned glass.

Step 3: Finding supplies while in California

Since we wanted to start the renovation when we returned to Italy, we asked our excellent contractor to source the supplies for both bathrooms while we were away. He immediately set to work and developed a great plan, utilizing materials from our local builder's store to create the showers, vanities, new toilets, electric towel racks, and more.

Step 4: Living in a space and changing one's mind

Living in the space about to be renovated has revealed several issues we hadn't anticipated. One was the need for additional bathroom storage. Another was the layout of the main bathroom, which could be improved. The kitchen's functionality was a third concern.

We asked our contractor if we could change a few of the materials we had initially chosen, and he agreed to the modifications.

Step 5: What we needed.

We started our renovation journey by visiting our local builder's supply store. We explored their selection of tiles, shower displays, bathroom vanities, faucets, and paints there. All of their products were of excellent quality, but since it is a medium-sized store, many materials would need to be ordered.

With the renovation start date about a week away, we had little time to research. We quickly realized that a pedestal sink wouldn't work in the new bathroom due to our need for storage, so we needed to find a different option. We discovered some gray modern tiles within our budget at the local builder's supply store, which would be perfect for the new bathroom, including the shower and floors. However, since the main bathroom was already tiled in white and we didn't plan to rip it out, we decided the gray tiles wouldn't work its shower. Therefore, we needed to find tiles matching the room's style.

Additionally, we had to find lighting that would balance modernity and Tuscany to complement the house's overall theme.

Lastly, we needed to search for a new kitchen (more on that in a separate blog).

Step 6: Specialty shops

We initially looked at bathroom vanities at our local builder's supply store. The quality was excellent, but the sizes were too large for our space.

Next, we visited a mid-sized builder's store in Grosseto; unfortunately, the quality was low.

We then explored several high-end specialty stores throughout Tuscany, but the prices exceeded our budget.

Our challenge was finding quality vanities that fit our limited space while providing maximum storage under the sinks in both bathrooms.

We continued our search for the right vanities.

We noticed a tile section at the back during our visit to one of the expensive specialty stores. We decided to look since we needed to tile the backsplash in the new kitchen and shower in the main bathroom.

This store offered some very cool tile options for the kitchen, and after taking measurements and calculating costs, we ordered the backsplash tile. However, they didn't have anything matching the existing tile in the main bathroom.

We still needed to keep looking for tiles.

Step 7: Big box stores

During our time in Puglia, we discovered that Technomat is Italy's equivalent to Home Depot. Even though it was a two-hour drive from our house, we decided to make the trip two days before we needed the shower tile to see what we could find.

Walking through the aisles of Technomat felt warmly familiar. Shelves filled with home renovation products, tools, garden supplies, paint, and anything else a homeowner might need. We headed to the tile section and spoke with an attendant about our requirements. Within five minutes, we found the perfect white tile that had a modern touch yet complemented the more traditional white tile already on the walls of the main bathroom.

It was an easy decision—we bought it.

As we continued to explore the store, we came across a fantastic lighted bathroom mirror. We also checked out various bathroom sinks and vanities, but unfortunately, none matched the size or style we were looking for.

We still needed to find our bathroom vanities, and the deadline was approaching. My partner suggested, "Why don't we visit Ikea since it's nearby to get some ideas?" Since we were just five minutes away, we jumped in the car and navigated through the model rooms until we reached the bathroom displays. There, we discovered some excellent ideas for bathroom vanities and storage solutions.

Even if one doesn't end up buying from Ikea, their room designs are great for brainstorming. In fact, we clarified our design ideas for increasing storage in both bathrooms based on what we saw in the model rooms.

That same day, we visited a few more stores and found the perfect vanity and sink combination for both bathrooms.

Step 8: Amazon

I prefer not to go to Amazon as my first choice since I like to support local businesses. However, Amazon can fill the gap when I can't find what I need elsewhere.

Recently, we set out to find lighting fixtures in a modern Tuscan-industrial style. Additionally, we wanted an electric towel rack for the main bathroom that could also heat the entire room.

We searched both boutique and big-box stores for these items. The lighting fixtures we found were either extremely modern or very old-fashioned. As for the towel rack, we couldn't find any that combined a small space heater with the towel rack feature, so we decided to turn to Amazon.

We ordered the lighting fixtures and a great towel rack from the site. However, two ceiling-mounted lighting fixtures we bought didn't work because our wood beam ceiling was uneven. Since I wasn't sure how to return items on Amazon while in Italy, I asked our local friends and searched the Amazon website for guidance. We discovered we could package the items and take them to our local post office.

We returned several items, to the point where the postal workers started recognizing us as the "Californiani" every time we walked in. We managed to avoid the long lines by going during riposo hours.

Ultimately, we found the remaining items we needed on Amazon and were ready to proceed with our project.

Step 9: How it is coming together

A few days before we left to return to California, our contractor completed the renovations in both bathrooms, installed the new kitchen, added new lighting fixtures, and cleared all the debris. After we departed for California, he installed the double-paned glass windows and made a few final touches.

When we returned to our Tuscan house a few months later, we were amazed at how it turned out. The blend of Tuscan charm and modern conveniences was simply stunning.

Insights:

The initial step in establishing our life in Italy was our choice to learn as we go rather than plan every detail in advance. This approach guides us through our renovation process as we explore blending modern and traditional elements in our Tuscan home. We are discovering where to source materials and trusting everything will fall into place. It's all part of the adventure.

More next time.

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