Ageless Style-Power Couple Brooke and Steve Giannetti

Happy November.  This month Elizabeth (the vintage contessa) and I are bringing you Ageless Style a week early. Today I am so happy to be featuring power couple Brooke and Steve Giannetti. I have long admired their innate ability to combine the antique and modern for a seamless collected look.

 As many of you know, they are the principals and owners of  Giannetti Home.  Steve is the principal architect and Brooke the lead designer. They work as a team and individually on projects all over the world.  Brooke and Steve have written three books, Patina Style, Patina Farm, and  Patina Living. Brooke is also the author of the long-running and much-beloved blog Velvet and Linen.

Their storefront Giannetti Home in downtown Santa Barbara features custom furniture and accessories and imported antiques.

Recently they added a clothing line to the eponymous Giannetti home line, with the help of their son Charlie. Charlie handles all the production at his factory Giannetti Factory  Their clothing line reflects their love of natural quality fabrics and clean lines. The entire line is available online at Giannetti Home

Together Brooke and Steve have shaped the way we live our lives, how we appoint our homes, spend our time (we all want to live the Patina Farm lifestyle), and now how we dress. Welcome to Ageless Style Brooke and Steve.

Who and what inspires you and why?

S Classical, functional, minimal design. The simplicity of the Apple stores and the elegant design of an iPhone. Elon Musk’s rethinking of the car to its first principles like a Tesla. 

B  When Steve and I travel to Europe, I am always inspired by the women I see who have a classic, uncomplicated style. Women in Europe are drawn to well made, timeless pieces. They don’t need huge wardrobes but do spend on quality.  

What inspires your signature style?

S Style icons with classic casual from Paul Newman to Steve McQueen.

B Our lifestyle. I need to have a wardrobe that works on our farm, on a job site, at meetings with clients, and for traveling. 

I know that you are passionate about your niche,  Was it this passion that led you to add a clothing line to your successful brand?

S Like Brooke, I couldn’t find the pieces I liked so I made them. I wanted to add function to my clothing pieces as well… jeans with the perfect side pocket for my phone and a jacket with a zipper compartment for my sketchbook. 

B  We started designing clothing for the same reason we started designing our own furniture pieces… an inability to find the timeless pieces that we imagined in our minds. 

Did you choose simple pieces in beautiful fabrics for your clothing line so that they could provide the base of a layered look similar to your design aesthetic?

S All the pieces were proportioned so that they work together. The tee shirt is the perfect length to work with jeans and the jackets. 

B We call our home design style “Patina Style”  because we love using natural materials that age well over time. The same can be said for our clothing pieces. We use natural linen and cashmere for many of our pieces that get softer as you wear them. Our home designs and our clothing designs are also based on classic proportions and details. 

Do you have a signature piece in your furniture or clothing line that defines the Giannetti Style

S My favorite is the Suede Moto Jacket. A modern interpretation of the classic motorcycle jacket with just the right amount of detail. 

B I love our elongated linen button-up. I can wear it anywhere. I also love our antiqued velvet mules. I can pair them with any of our Giannetti Home pieces, and they look fantastic any time of year. 

Are their elements in architecture and design that inspired your clothing line?

S I am always inspired by designs that appear timeless. It’s not trying to be a trend. 

B Absolutely! Our color palette for both our interior designs and clothing are inspired by nature. We also use the same natural fabrics for all of our design work. 

Do you have any plans to expand your brand further, perhaps garden items inspired by the lovely Patina Farm?

S We have gotten so busy doing Patina Farm size estates for clients that it may be a while before we start designing garden items, although I do have an iPad messenger bag design in the works. 

B I love the idea of designing garden items, including an attractive apron, linens, and the illusive good looking chicken coop!

What advice do you have for those that want that Giannetti Home Look?

S If you are looking for designers, we are here to help you design the home of your dreams!  

B That’s why we wrote our books 🙂 So many people ask us questions about our life and design philosophy, so we decided to share our ideas in our books and our social media accounts. We also sell all of our furnishings and clothing online GiannettiHome.com

Do you have a particular diet or exercise regime that you follow? 

S Brooke and I go on long morning walks with our dogs every morning. We know the exercise is great for our bodies, but having that time at the beginning of the day to connect has also helped us stay focused on what we want our life to look like. It’s our time to dream up what’s next. 

B We started walking together over ten years ago, and I think that’s when we started making huge leaps in attaining our dreams. Our walks gave us the time to really focus on what we wanted to manifest.  We also subscribe to an intermittent fasting regime. We limit the number of hours that we eat, and we only eat breakfast and lunch most days of the week. 

How do you two stay healthy and fit with so many irons on the fire?

S Having so many animals forces us to stay fit. Taking care of the animals is a pretty physical activity.

B I find it’s important to make it part of your routine. I  go to pilates and yoga twice a week. Committing to being in a class gives me that extra push I need. At this point I notice a difference in my emotional well being if I don’t exercise. Walking is also the perfect exercise because you can do it anywhere!

Do you have any anti-aging foods or supplements that are your go tos?

S  We’ve started to eat a Whole Foods plant-based diet. In the beginning, we made the switch because we could no longer disconnect our lovely animals to the meat on our table. But after eating a plant-based diet for a while we realized that we felt better too. It was also a lot easier to maintain our weight.

B I take a few different kinds of Chinese herbs for my memory and my body. I love Jing Herbs JingHerbs 

They use very high-quality ingredients. Their Reishi mushroom tonic and their Master Mind blend are great. You can also get a free analysis. 

What advice do you have for men and women over 50?

S The best way to stay healthy is to keep your weight under control. You’ll feel better and look better.  

B Embrace this time of your life. I stopped coloring my hair a few years ago, and it was the best thing I ever did. I don’t have to spend a whole day at a hair salon every six weeks. I can spend that extra time in my garden with my animals. As I get older, time gets even more precious

Thank you so much, Brooke and Steve, for letting us feature you here on Ageless Style.  You continually inspire us with your effortless, elegant style.

Now pop over to the Contessas blog to see who she is featuring.