“L’amour! For me, it’s always love for a person or a place that has a driving force to make a change or move.” Patricia Rodi
Patrica Rodi was born with wanderlust in her feet and soul. She grew up in the leafy boulevard of Gothenburg, Sweden with her French father and Czech mother. Summers were spent in France, in the village of Villefranche-sur-Mer, where her father was born and raised. It is a place they say, where beauty was invented. Nearby there lays a stunning harbour, thought to be one of the most enchanting in the Mediterranean.
L’AMOUR
The port, the Citadelle, the old town, and the gentle curve of the coast all contribute to the allure of the village which dates back to 130 BC. The Bay of Villefranche is embraced by the Cap of Nice to its west and Cap Ferrat to the east. The village of Villefranche Sur Mer, perched on the bay, is located just over the hill from Nice and so close to the beating heart of Monaco.
You can almost hear the hauntingly beautiful voice of Édif Piaf echoing through the warm air, as you imagine endless summer days, and envisage the piercing and electric blue sea lapping up against your feet. It is a place where memories are made and kept close by forever. It was Paris though that took Patricia’s hand at the age of 18 before she returned to her native Sweden. Her travels would then take her to Scotland. A place that she now calls home.
So, how did Patricia come to live in Scotland? Her lips curve with a knowing smile. A slide show of memories lights up inside her soul as she reminisces. She looks up, her eyes flicker, wild and wide with excitement, “L’amour! For me, it’s always love for a person or a place that has a driving force to make a change or move.”
AN ARTIST IN EVERY SINGLE WAY
Patrica Rodi is an outrageously talented interior and digital creator. She is also incredibly poetic and passionate. A traveller an adventurer and a woman infinitely curious about the world around her. Had she been born in a different era you could imagine her at the heart of the Belle Epoque era or engaging in conversation and creativity in 20’s Paris, with Hemingway, the Fitzgerald’s and Gertrude Stein. She is an artist in every single way.
She has always been deeply passionate about interior, slow fashion, food, and travel. After moving to her house in the Scottish countryside, Patricia started to share her renovation journey on social media, showcasing her unique interior style.
Her ideas and style captured the imagination of thousands of people and household brands such as Farrow & Ball, Laura Ashley, Anthropologie, Etsy, Ben Lomond Gin, Sezane, Odd Molly, Juniqe, and Sandgrens Clogs. She was also featured in the final of the BBC show Scotland’s Home of the Year (2022) and was the cover girl for Home Style Magazine in October 2022.
With, the warm hue of autumn leaves burning brightly, and the chill of winter nearing, The Atlantic Dispatch caught up with Patrica to find out more about her childhood memories and style. What it is that inspires her, and why individuality makes a home.
MY STYLE IS INSPIRED BY MEMORIES
My family is scattered around different places and countries. I have family in Nice, San Remo, Prague, Gothenburg, and now Scotland. My interior and style are heavily influenced by my multicultural background and especially my childhood memories. My father used to own restaurants long ago, and I always liked watching people eating, laughing, flirting and conversing about anything and everything. My style is influenced by those memories; the French antiques and Italian tiles in my father’s restaurant. The feeling of comfort, of old wooden chairs and tables, there to be used, spilt on, eaten on, and lived in. The French, Swedish and Czech people I was observing, and those women whose lives I marvelled at.
I would say my style is chaotic but put together. And I think that’s how my personality also shows in the way I curate my home, design spaces, and dress. I guess you could call it eclectic maybe? I like Nordic farmhouses, English country, Renaissance design and French antiques. It sounds like a mash of everything – but I don’t think it’s good to put yourself in a box. I know what I like, but there isn’t a word that could describe it. “
INTERIOR ADVICE FOR AUTUMN AND WINTER
I find that colour has such a powerful effect on our mood and well-being. So, for fall I tend to go for a botanical green gingham pattern that brings a touch of nostalgia paired with a more pale yet darker pink. Adding blankets and throws, and textured pillows in autumn hues.
It is about layering textures and adding some fall touches. Invest in some dried flowers – hydrangeas in a dark pink/blue colour placed in an earthy terracotta vase. Don’t forget to bring some magical ambience to your space with candles and books. Individuality, for me, is what makes a home. Homes that feel instantly warm and inviting and that make you feel like you belong there.
My style is influenced by those memories, the French antiques and Italian tiles in my father’s restaurant. The feeling of comfort, of old wooden chairs and tables, there to be used, spilt on, eaten on, and lived in. The French, Swedish and Czech people I was observing, and those women whose lives I marveled at.
PATRICIA RODI
SIPPING ON GLASSES OF ICE-COLD MILK
The kitchen is my favourite room in the house. When designing my kitchen I wanted to recreate the feeling of belonging and openness – both in the layout and in an emotional sense.
Growing up, the kitchen was a sacred place. Eating dinner around my mother’s old Czech kitchen table in Sweden, the smell of freshly cooked fish, sitting on the countertop chatting about my day in school with my dad, whilst sipping on a glass of ice cold milk and nibbling on bread dipped in olive oil. The feeling of comfort, of old wooden chairs and tables. So the kitchen table, an antique farm table from France – where all those memories are evoked, again.
If you would like to learn more about Patricia Rodi, then please visit: www.patriciaamaliarodi.com