I like so many pieces that when I
go to market I can’t commit.
"
Codanti’s own style may be a work in progress, but he’s much more comfortable helping others
cement their visions. He does professional in-house consultations now, his babysitting days long
behind him. He’s found that the TV show “Designing for the Sexes” is based in reality. Women
tend to ask for the consultation, but their spouses will often have input that is quite different.
One wants contemporary and one wants traditional. They can’t decide on art or color. The trick
is getting them to compromise.
“You have to almost play therapist with the client,” he says.
Gay clients, he says, are a little easier.
“With gay couples, there’s usually one inside person and one outside person,” he says. “One per-
son is in charge of manicured, perfect yard and garden, and the other does the interior. But gay
couples usually enjoy making their home beautiful.”
When Codanti isn’t working, he’s out in his kayak or visiting friends at a dinner party – where
he usually ends up working.
“I’m always getting invited over for dinner, and I think ‘I hope it really is just for dinner,’” he says.
“But then I get there and realize the hosts have an ulterior motive – they ask, ‘Can you look at this
room and this room?’ It happens a lot, but it comes with the territory.”
As far as Codanti’s love life goes, he’s an eligible bachelor, but his disciplined ways are keeping
him hard at work. He intends to “put [himself] out there,” though, he says. Just not at a bar.
Bella Casa in the Pearl
Codanti: 4 Tips
1.
PRIORITIZE. For a lot of Portlanders, the home comes last. The Pacific Northwest is
more about the outdoors. A lot of people would rather be outside than inside, so
their homes end up looking sparse.
2.
IT’S ALL ABOUT PLACEMENT. When I go to someone’s house I ask if they have things
in their house they want to use. Then I find the right way to place those things. For
example, in a narrow family room, placing a rug at an angle creates interest and the
impression of a larger space. Placement like that changes a room without costing
anything,
3.
USE COLOR. People have been stuck on one color or no color, but now multiple
colors are being used. It all comes from European fashions, which set the trend for
interior design.
4.
MIX YOUR STYLES. There’s nothing better than having a Louis XV chest of drawers in
a hallway with a beautiful abstract painting above it. If you mix your styles, you look
like you’re well traveled and you’ve gone out and found pieces that you love.
For more information: BellaCasa.com (223 NW 9th, Portland) 503-222-5337
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JustOut.com
August 2012