My husband, John, has to be one of the most talented men I’ve known in my life. He’s not only a gifted chef, but he can fix or do anything around the house, in the yard or with our cars. Before we met, he had already built, on his own with the help of his dad and a few friends, three houses in his spare time. When we got married, we planned ‘our dream house’ on the land we owned in Nelson County, Virginia. John took on this long daunting project, with the assistance of some necessary sub-contractors. But believe me, he did the bulk of the work to the exterior and interior of our 3400 sq foot home (pictured below). Yes, he built this!

So when we moved to Italy, there were no concerns that John couldn’t accomplish house related projects. Little did we know that acquiring the right materials would be the issue. But let me say, this is just from our experience alone. Others doing DIY projects, renovations, etc., may have had or have different experiences in sourcing than we have. And it is most likely very different for those living in metropolitan areas. Since we’ve chosen to live out in the countryside, we have had to adapt. 😉

Now we are big supporters of the family owned small businesses, whether here or back in Virginia. We frequent the ones in Roccaspinalveti, where we are able to buy most of what we need for daily household use. And we don’t want this country overrun with box stores that put the smaller enterprises out of business. But from time to time, we find we do need to look elsewhere for some items.

While we were living on the farm and just renting, John had some small projects and usually the BricoCenter about 20 minutes away in Citta Sant’Angelo had what he needed. He did say that, unlike the big box-store Lowes in the US, the layout of this store, as well as others he’s been to here in Italy, were not as user-friendly. He has to really search for items that were related but not located near each other. He also used OBI and Leroy Merlin (our two favorites)  about 45 minutes from the farm, for materials….. Big selection for those DIY.

So, with the move to Roccaspinalveti, came the adjustment. John is one of those guys like Tim Allen “Tool man”. In the US, he logically presented to me the need to own just about any tool there was as ‘he was building our home’. Most of those tools got sold at our big moving sale before we came to Italy. John’s favorite place to shop was Lowes. Here we are in Rocca and we have a  surprisingly well equipped general/hardware store – Il Mercatino Di Battista Marcello. For me it was a surprise as it has dry goods for the kitchen and home! ….Pastas, cereals, drinks, cookies, wine, flour, sugar, detergent, paper goods, on and on. For John, he can get most things he needs for his projects, up to a point. …Nuts, bolts, varnish, saw blades, fencing, peat moss, flower pots, ……. I’ve included a few pics below to give you an idea. Great store and great people and only about 5 minute drive from our house. It has been a longstanding business in the community and we are thankful for both Marcello and Lucia.

John is in the process of updating our courtyard, including some gates and fencing to allow the dogs access and give us a place to relax outdoors and barbeque. This project would also require some masonry work. Down the road about 20-30 minutes away is the next DIY business, Edilizia Del Gesso SRL. We ended up there yesterday, ordering block, cement, rebar and the such to be delivered in a few days. Family owned and run, with a smattering of English speaking thrown in to assist with the more technical stuff.

 

 

 In Italy, many homes are encompassed by lovely gates and fencing, or on the farms, maybe just utilitarian fences and gates. There are many reasons it was done and continues today. Security from roaming bandits, keeping animals at bay, whether wild or containing domestic, and privacy. There are talented blacksmiths ready to craft you the most amazing gates and fences,  custom-fitted to your design. But with beautiful custom ironwork  come substantial costs. For our budget, we are going with factory built. We actually located our fencing online at Bricoman and they deliver. There are all kinds of ‘Brico’ stores in Italy and they are small or grand sizes. I’ve put a few logos below to some of them as well as other DIY stores mentioned earlier.

 

We placed two separate orders with Bricoman and all the materials are now here for John to complete his project. It may take a couple more weeks for the fencing to be scratched ‘finished’ on his list, as John is fitting in some winterizing projects. He has gotten most of the gates up, taking into account pre-existing brickwork to which he is adapting into his courtyard design. Fencing will go up last after the masonry work is completed. I promise to post pics when dogs are happily in the courtyard. 🙂 And of course, we plan to use it as well!

I have to say sourcing materials has been the most frustrating issue for John here in Italy, requiring adjustment and patience. Lowes USA set the bar high in regards to ease of purchase, cost and availability. But at the day’s end, neither of us would change how it is here. We patronize our local businesses, develop friendships and working relationships, and support the local economy. No Lowes can ever compete with that! Ever!… projects get completed, my husband smiles..we relax and enjoy life here…

I leave you with a totally unrelated picture… the beauty of the Majella, Central Apennines with an early snow…everyday there is beauty around us..when we get too caught up in projects, we take a walk, most often with the dogs. We are always ‘wowed’ by the views here. Enjoy and ciao for now..