February | 2011 | Valentina Expressions

The Ridicule, A Piece Of History | Valentina Cirasola | Designer

28 Feb 2011 6 Comments

by Valentina in Friday Fashion Tags: #HistoryOfFashion, #Masks, #Ridicule, #ValentinaCirasolaFashionDesigner, #XIXCenturyFashion, Costume

When a woman of the XIX century was getting ready to go out had many things to coordinate for her outfit. The parasol, a pair of gloves and a hat, a shawl and the fan to disguise her blushing at the compliments from a man.

By then, the woman’s dressing ensemble had become a little less complicated than the previous centuries, nonetheless, feminine frills still continue to exist. One accessory she couldn’t forget to take before leaving the house was the “Ridicule”.

Silk Ridicule

It was a small purse in the shape of a sack with a long silk decorative cord, worn hanging from the arm. Inside the Ridicule, the woman used to put a lipstick, a handkerchief and a mirror, which by that time was a popular item to carry in the purse.
If the woman of the XIX went dancing, one important item was kept in the Ridicule: a little book where she noted the names of the men who asked her to dance. Each man had a number on that list, she would accept their gallantry as she went through the list and took the center floor.

Last night going to the masquerade ball, you know is Carnevale at this time of the year, I wore a Ridicule with my costume. I found it a few years ago in an antique shop in Italy. I wanted it so bad, but the price was so high that I had to let out my bargaining skills in order to get it somewhat at my price.

Pompadour

Back to the masquerade ball of last night, I was wearing a beautiful Pompadour purse in my hand and the Ridicule hanging from my rhinestone-studded belts. Of course, a few people were curious to know what was that thing hanging from the belt. Telling the story of the Ridicule last night was an experience all by itself.

It was a bit like a lesson on the history of costumes, a bit of story-telling, quite a few laughs, but the important part was that my Ridicule became an icebreaker with people I met for the first time and a conversation piece. The modern woman (me) was carrying business cards and cellular phone in the Ridicule, no name of any man waiting to dance with me. How times have changed!

If you are interested in creating a fashion statement for yourself and for your home décor, I am here to help you, just leave your name and comment in the box below. Ciao,
Valentina

Fashion Services
https://valentinadesigns.com/services#fashion-services

Valentina Cirasola is an Italian Interior Designer in business since 1990 and a Fashion Designer. She blends well fashion and interior in any of her design work. Being Italian born and raised, Valentina’s design work has been influenced by Classicism and stylish, timeless designs. She will create your everyday living with a certain luxury without taking away a comfortable living. Author of three books available on:
Amazon: http://goo.gl/xUZfk0
Barnes&Nobles: http://goo.gl/q7dQ3w

Bizarre Faces of Arcimboldo | Valentina Cirasola | Author and Designer

21 Feb 2011 Leave a comment

by Valentina in The Good Life Tags: #ArcimboldoArt, #ItalianArt, #ItalianDesign, #ItalianFoodPainting, #ItalianLifeStyle, #ItalianTableCustom

Palazzo Reale in Piazza del Duomo #12, in Milan, Italy will host the exhibition of “Arcimboldo” a Renaissance Mannerist artist of the 1500’s. The exhibition will be open from February 9, 2011 until May 22, 2011 and it will feature the fantastic bizarre “Composite Heads” , the whimsical portraits of the Italian artist who composed them of plants, animals, and objects.

Giuseppe Arcimboldo, also spelled his name Arcimboldi and Arcimboldus, nobody knows why, the painter used all the names to sign his works, therefore it is uncertain which version is the correct one, but I think extremely creative people want to hide behind various identities to give themself an enigmatic aura.

Arcimboldo was born in Milan in 1527 and grew up during the High Renaissance. He was born “con la camicia” (with the shirt on, not naked) as we Italians would describe someone born under a lucky star, in fact his father was the painter commissioned to paint the Milan Cathedral. And so his life evolved between one lucky opportunity to another. Giuseppe became a student to the renowned painter Leonardo Da Vinci. In the course of 25 years he became the painter to the royals and due to his ability to design the bizarre was hired by many royal courts as “The” party planner of the sixteenth-century staging the most flashy affairs of Europe’s courts.

Just imagine gilded fountains and rivers of champagne, flocks of colored birds, music, theater, tons of original artwork, sculptures, and much pageantry. As a precursor of his time Arcimboldo invented unique special effects for the royal events. He called one of his invention the “Harpsichord of Color” a gigantic hydro-mechanically powered musical instrument, a sort of modern organ.

His art was considered more a novelty than great paintings. As famous as he was during his artistic life, he was forgotten after his death and rediscovered around the end of the 19th century. The art critics attribute the lack of interest in his style of painting to a generational changes of taste, fashion and manners.

Particularly I adore the four season paintings series.

In the Summer portrait (above) the gentleman’s nose appears to be made of a cucumber. On the man’s coat the artist embedded his name into the collar of the jacket and the date 1573 on the shoulder at the seam of the sleeve.
Arcimboldo dedicated the series called Earth paintings to the elements of nature.

The very famous Man in the Vegetables painting is an inverted illusion. Right-side up, the painting looks like a bowl of fresh produce, invert the picture and it looks like a man’s face with lips of mushrooms.

A lover of food and food depicted in art like myself should not miss this event, but unfortunately I will. For now, I am just content to tell the story, perhaps things will open up in my busy agenda. Never say impossible.
In the meantime, I am here to help you with the selection of your art for any decor. As the professional who is always ready, I shall be prompt and ready to help you with any of your needs, whether it will be decorating, designing, or remodeling. Just leave your name in the box below, I shall answer in 24 hours time. Ciao,
Valentina
www.Valentinadesigns.com

Valentina Cirasola is an Italian Interior Designer working in the USA and Europe since 1990. She colors the world of her clients. She has been described as “the colorist” and loves to create the unusual. Her specialty is to design kitchen, wine cellar, entertainment rooms and bathrooms like spas. Author of three books available on:
Amazon: http://goo.gl/xUZfk0
Barnes&Nobles: http://goo.gl/q7dQ3w

The Kitsch Of Today | Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer

19 Feb 2011 Leave a comment

by Valentina in Home Designs Master Tags: #DecoratingTips, #FurnitureDesign, #HomeFashion, #KitschStyle, #ObjectsD'Art, #VintageStyle, #whimsicalDecor

In every era items of dubious taste appear on shelves of home décor stores and invariably we have a good laugh when we find them in people’s home.

The term kitsch refers to an item regarded as tasteless, sentimental, or ostentatious in style. Sometimes an item is so kitsch to turn irresistibly attractive, perhaps because it has an inner beauty, or an intrinsic collectible value, or better a memory of a romantic past. I love to hunt in flea markets, looking at some items often is a learning experience of the past, especially when I engage in conversation with senior exhibitors who know all the life story of an object and turn into instant story-tellers. I could spend hours and hours listening to people who have lived in different eras, I find it very fulfilling and educational. Today I want to talk about the funny aspect of a few kitsch items.

Take a look at this David statue, one of the most recognizable masterpiece of the world and an enduring symbol of Florence. To see the David in Piazza della Signoria in Florence is natural, it fits the historical environment, but to see him naked in a home would be a bit annoying.

Coat of Arms near the living room fireplace, or on top of the doorway will really tell your friends how highly blazoned you feel, unless for real you have royal blood, but in this case you wouldn’t display the coat of arms so visibly anyway.

The Folies Bergère stool is very kitschy and extremely whimsical, but I wouldn’t put it on display in the center of the most used room. It would feel appropriate in a boudoir, where you can sit to take your shoes off after a night of follies.

The Babette side table. Just the name alone of this table will tell the story. It might be useful to rest a drink on it, but its disheveled look, seamed stockings, red garters and strappy red heels demands attention!
A romp boisterous lad experiencing his first flat might like this piece as a way of entertaining his friends in funny conversation.

Folie Bergère Ottoman

Guillotine – Cigar Cutter

Babette Side Table

Ah, the guillotine was a classic in the ‘70s. I have seen it in some offices propped proudly on a boss’s desk used for cutting the tip of cigars. It was considered an unusual historic executive toy. It hurt just to see it and wondered what kind of pleasure there was to own such object.

Cleopatra Chaise, even though a little garish and excessively ornate, I can use it as an accent piece and let it claim a place of honor in my décor. After all, it is a reproduction of the famous ruler’s chair and it is fit-for-a-queen (me). By the way, my title of last published book is: Sins Of A Queen. You can find it here: https://valentinaexpressions.com/

(All photos from: Toscano Design)

Ok, I have been playing around today with outrageous things, I know, but not all kitsch items are ugly, extremely in your face, garish, or unpleasant. The idea behind choosing a kitsch object is to have fun and to create an attraction, just do not use many of these objects in one room, or many times over throughout the home décor.

Ultimately, if you like one piece, nobody can tell you what you should or should not have in your décor, just do it sensibly. Do not overlook flea market findings, they could be a treasure sometimes.

As a professional designer, I can stir the selection toward a more valuable choice and toward the choice that makes sense for the style of your home. I shall be here to help with any choice, selecting furniture and accessories is one of the specialty of my business. Leave your name in the box, I will answer you in 24 hours time. Ciao,
Valentina
http://www.valentinadesigns.com

Valentina Cirasola has been in business as a designer since 1990. She has helped a variegated group of fun people realizing their dreams with homes, offices, interiors and exteriors. She is a designer well-known to bring originality to people’s homes. Author of three books available on
Amazon: http://goo.gl/xUZfk0
Barnes&Nobles: http://goo.gl/q7dQ3w

A Tango In The Garden | Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer

12 Feb 2011 Leave a comment

by Valentina in Home Designs Master Tags: #GardenArt, #GardenDesign, #HowToPrepareGardens, #RedVoyageIntoColors, #SpringGarden, #SpringPlanting

Lately, I have listened to the music of Miguel Del Aguila, a new exploration between contemporary classical chamber music and Latin popular folks styles, played mostly with a clarinet. His music has been my inspiration in creating a Valentine’s garden this year, where I want to find a new style of warm and descriptive passion of love through tropical plants, succulent plants and colorful flowers. To achieve that and to get colors that sing at me, I want to reproduce the colors of the Argentinean homes, colors put together without any rules. However, this is still February, days are short and in most places cold too, not much grows in this month, but if I want to enjoy flowers in a few months from now I must plant the kind of dancing beauty now in February. Planting beautiful flowers early allows more growth time for a healthy root system.
(Photo: La Boca Buenos Aires)

Sweet Alyssum can be planted in February in a sunny spot; this species likes not soggy soil, blooms in pink, purple and white. It is a fragrant flower.
Sweet Pea flowers are good to plant a month before the last frost date. Place a net over the seeds to protect them from birds and snails. They are very colorful and can be used for cutting to bring inside the home.
Marigold or Calendula is an annual plant, good to plant in February, but it will bloom in June and up to the next frost. It blooms in yellow, orange, apricot and cream.
Euphorbia, graceful curving stems with loads of tiny flowers blooms in February. Not all colors are available at the same time, consult with your nursery.
Gentiana, a long-lasting trumpet-shaped flowers with straight stems.

I like my February to be bursting in colors with tulips, narcissus, daffodils, crocus and freesia, therefore I made sure these bulbs were in the ground no later than November and now they really sing at me!

In warmer climate zones plant Strawflowers in the family of daisy flowers. They produce yellow, red, pink, orange or white flowers with papery petals. The cut flowers dry well and they do well in flower arrangements. Like petunia and verbena, Strawflower likes lots of sunlight, but protect them from any February frosts. These are flowers that grow and bloom profusely if planted in February, and they continue to look great until late May.

February is a time to do a variety of chores in the garden: harvest winter crops before they bolt; begin to divide perennials; plant bare root roses and fruit trees; continue planting cool season vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, kale, lettuce, onions.

I wanted to share some of the ideas I have for my Valentine’s garden, hopefully they will be good for your garden too, but whatever you choose to do, remember to add music in your garden as if you are directing an orchestra, do that by using colors freely and not in a structured palette. Music is one thing flowers and plants like very much. On the other hand, you can connect music speakers concealed in fake rocks made of resins, light weight, easy to carry and play that Tango music around your plants. They will reward you with beauty.

Miguel Del Aguila says “life without music would be an error”, I agree. After you plan a Valentine’s garden, take your love for a twirl of Tango. Happy Valentine’s day.

As the professional who is always ready, I shall be prompt and ready to help you with any of your needs, whether it will be decorating, designing, remodeling, or planning your outdoor rooms. Place your name in the box below, leave a comment and I will answer you in within 24 hours. Ciao,
Valentina
www.Valentinadesigns.com

Copyright © 2011 Valentina Cirasola, All Rights Reserved

Valentina Cirasola is an interior designer, in business since 1990. She helps people realizing their dream spaces in homes, offices, interiors and exteriors.
She will guide clients in planning gardens with design concepts, selecting hardscapes, plants and accessories. No land assessment.
Check out her books on
Amazon: http://goo.gl/xUZfk0
Barnes&Nobles: http://goo.gl/q7dQ3w

Brewing In Architecture |Valentina Cirasola | Author and Designer

11 Feb 2011 Leave a comment

by Valentina in The Good Life Tags: #AldoRossiDesigner, #AlessiKitchenProducts, #CoffeeBenefits, #ItalianCoffeeMakers, #ItalianEspresso, #ItalianFood, #ItalianKitchenGadgets, Alessi

Getting up in the morning with that roaring sound of my Italian professional espresso maker really gets my blood going. Aside from the sound of birds chirping outside my bedroom window there is no better sound I like to hear in the morning.
Espresso, my lifetime lover I can’t do without it. My coffee has always been the same type for years, a blend of Brazilian green coffee beans that I toast myself to my liking. Espresso requires special Italian machines to make it frothy, thick and short.

One type of very common machine for family consumption is made for a stove top and produces one cup (small machine) up to twenty-four cups (very tall). The other kind is the café type with a few levels, one for each cup, a selection to make one or many cups at once, the cappuccino and steam feature, temperature/pressure gauge and more buttons that you know what to do. You get the picture, it is a professional machine, which performs for high traffic cafés.

A coffee maker in Italy like everything in my country must have style, we just don’t settle for functionality, we want beauty in the kitchen too.

Italian architect Aldo Rossi (1931-1997) using architectural features of Italy designed many attractive famous espresso makers all produced by Alessi. He is considered to be the greatest Italian architect of the second half of the 20th century. It has been said: “Aldo Rossi is an author of abstraction, geometrical patterns and silent evocation created some of the most intensely poetic works of architecture and design in his age”.

In his products he utilizes geometrical shapes to make profound design statements. Aldo Rossi designed the Pens espresso makers, La Cupola espresso maker in 1984, la Conica espresso maker in 1988. All these designs reflect the harmony and the beauty of the classic architecture of Italy. Aldo Rossi has been called ‘a poet who happens to be an architect’. His theory on the nature of design is about offering an alternative to the technological and functional emphasis of modernism. Italians love to roll around in antiquity even when making coffee. Our eyes rejoice in the presence of a Brunelleschi’s cupola, Medieval Towers or Palladian’s architectural details. Now transfer all that beauty into food and gadgets to serve those food and you have pure pleasure. Espresso for Italians has the same importance as tea for British. It is one of the many pleasures of the day in the Italian life and it is good for you.

I read a very encouraging article on the New York Times about coffee health.
In some researches has been found that caffeine might prove to be a way to stimulate hair growth in men going bald. Coffee could protect people against multiple sclerosis. Habitual coffee consumption is associated with a substantially lower risk of type 2 diabetes.
Higher coffee and caffeine intake is associated with a significantly lower incidence of Parkinson’s disease. Harvard Medical Study says coffee drinking may help against heart disease. Women who drink coffee are (much) less likely to commit suicide.
Abstinence from Coffee drinking leads to early death.
Who would have ever thought of all these benefits!

With this in mind, let us keep the habit of making coffee, but let us brew it in the classicism of Italian architecture where romance is written on buildings the world admires. (All photo credits: Architect Aldo Rossi).
I am here ready to help you with the selection of special objects, gadgets and kitchen wear and to design that special Italian kitchen for you. Ciao,
Valentina
www.valentinadesigns.com

Valentina Cirasola is an Italian Interior Designer with a passion for kitchens and cooking. She loves to remodel homes and loves to turn ugly spaces into castles, but especially loves to design kitchens and wine grottos. She is the author of two regional Italian cookbooks available in this site at the Books Page:
Come Mia Nonna – A Return To Simplicity – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lnq8baaAq0M
Sins Of A Queen – Italian Appetizers and Desserts

Also available in various locations:

http://outskirtspress.com/ComeMiaNonna

http://outskirtspress.com/SinsOfAQueen

Set The Mood With Colors | Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer

07 Feb 2011 Leave a comment

by Valentina in Home Designs Master Tags: #ColorfulHomes, #DecoratingWithColors, #HomeInteriorsColors, #ValentinaBookOnColors, #ValentinaInteriorsDesigns, Avaliving

“Let me out of the grays and beiges please!” My client was screaming.
She managed a computer software company. For 10-12 hours a day she lived in a boring environment. She was longing to see a colorful home upon her return in her cocoon to balance her day. She requested bold colors and being single, she only had to please herself. As a designer many times defined “a colorist” I was in my perfect spot with this client.

To really understand her needs, I went through a long list of questions to find the right colors for her personality and her life style. We all know colors are easy for designers, but not for all the clients. Sometimes a color they like very much might not be of their liking anymore after the house is painted.
Colors can either break or make a space and I did not want the result to be a failure.

This client liked the warm and vibrant colors of the buildings in Italy. She had never been to Italy, but saw enough photographs and films to make her dream about it. Good enough, I am Italian born, I know what she wants exactly, so I dared. She was astonished about all the color palettes I could come up, but not overwhelmed. In all the palettes I coupled cold colors with warm colors and added some texture samples for the areas of her liking. She chose to texturize kitchen walls and lightly antiquing the green color areas of the family/living room.

Living View From Upstairs Photo ©Valentina Cirasola

She studied the color palettes for a few days, then we passed to the action: painting! The house came alive from the white walls you see here to all the colors. Emphasizing many architectural features was also my goal, in fact they looked so much better with the games of colors playing with each others.

I recall the painter singing while he was working, he really liked to apply those vibrant colors. The client was so happy and enjoyed the colors for a few years until her work moved her to another city and she was compelled to sell the house.

Now you would think it is hard to sell a house with all those colors. I must admit that it is not true. Selling homes painted in beige and neutral colors might take forever. The boring homes dressed in beige, must offer other strong features in order to sell fast, such as price, location, square footage etc. But when the market is soft, economy is not so friendly, location is not the best of the best, is easier to sell homes with colors. Paint the walls in soft yellow and the front door in a golden tone of yellow or dark red and the house will sell immediately.
People feel attracted towards yellow because is the color of the sun and towards red because is the color of many food. These are inviting colors and mean family.

After this house was posted for sale, it sold in three days, just because of the interior colors. The next buyers told me later that everyday “she baths in colors”.

Let me know if I can do the same for you. I offer design consultations on-line. Leave your name and email in the box below, so I can give you details on how to contact me and I love to hear your comments too, thank you.

Avaliving is a site for designer helping consumers. My colorful project was selected to be featured for one week Feb.7-Feb.14, 2011 among many beautiful projects of other designers. It is an honor to be part of Avaliving’s community. Thank you Ava for featuring my project again and to the wonderful team who puts everything together. Ciao,
Valentina
http://www.Valentinadesigns.com

Valentina Cirasola is an Italian Interior Designer and former Fashion Designer, working in the USA and Europe since 1990. She blends well fashion with interiors and colors the world of her clients. She has been described as “the colorist” and loves to create the unusual. ©RED-A Voyage Into Colors is her third book, now in the making and coming soon. Check out her books on
Amazon: http://goo.gl/xUZfk0
Barnes&Nobles: http://goo.gl/q7dQ3w

Dinner At 7:00 pm | Valentina Cirasola | Author and Designer

05 Feb 2011 2 Comments

by Valentina in The Good Life Tags: #ItalianDinnerCustoms, #ItalianEatingHabits, #ItalianFood, #ItalianLifeStyle, #ItalianTableManners

Dusk is coloring the sky with ochre color and tone down shades of red, the evening will be arriving soon, the aroma of food is filling the home, the clink of wine glasses and flatware is making the air festive.

You just get dressed beautifully, take a bottle or two of wine, or dessert as a gift to the host and show up at 7:00 pm at your host’s door. If the invitation comes from an Italian family, be ready to do some serious eating and enjoy the most delicious food always prepared by the host.

In Italian homes the dining table is never decorated in a fussy way with useless objects on it. The table is dressed for food, Italian people entertaining with tasty simplicity, but they get you with food. The menu valorizes quality, variety and simplicity. Appearance of food is an important part of what makes our food so appetizing, especially when the table is filled with food of bright vivid colors. Food is the most important subject in the Italian culture. We get up in the morning and we already talk of what we are going to eat for lunch, or dinner. Shopping for food falls in the daily chores and in between work, family and errands.

We take out our small trolleys to the market and fill it with fish, vegetable, charcuterie, meat, cheese (let’s not forget the cheeses, please) and fresh breads. It seems like a whole lot of food, but it will last for a few days. A few items are bought daily, the majority will serve to make the simplest and most flavorful food.
(Click on each photo to view it larger).

Let’s go back to dinner at 7:00 pm. When you get invited by an Italian family at 7:00 it always means dinner, not after dinner drink get together, as some people think. In fact a few days ago, some friends of mine were telling me about their disappointment when they invite people of different race in their home for the evening and they come with a full stomach with the answer is “sorry we already ate, we can’t eat anymore”. Imagine how the host feels after cooking all day and really looking forward to sit down with friends to relax. And how about all that food that goes untouched, not good. My suggestions was to specify that the invitation is for dinner and not for goofing around after dark. On the other hand, those people who eat at 5:00 in the afternoon might think that dinner at 7:00 pm is too late and refuse the invitation. Oh well, we can’t please everybody. Italians love to eat dinner with the moon rays, not sun rays.

Dinners in the evening will extend well into the small hours of the night. It starts with an apéritif and hors-d’oeuvres of different kind, wet with prosecco sparkling wine. Conversation, jokes and laughs fill the air until every guest is in. Then the real dinner start, either sitting down or self-service type, in either case, the plates are ceramics and the cutlery are not plastic. This is for the respect of the guests and for the respect of food.
Dinner consists of many different courses from pasta or rice, fish or meat and various vegetables.
Wine, wine and wine is served.

In the winter the fireplace is on making the evening really cozy, in the summer all the windows and doors to the balconies are open to get the fresh breeze in.

Conversation shifting from politics to religion, from gossip to intellectual subjects keeps the night young. Italians love to talk about everything, political correctness is not the center of their world.

The evening dinner ends with a cart filled of cheeses to roll around the guests, more wines to pair with the cheeses variety and later, the same cart will bring the desserts, cookies or pastries. Thank goodness Italian sweets are not that sweet so we can indulge in more than one portion. Conversation continues smoothly with coffee, teas or more wines for people like me who don’t drink coffee at night.

At this point, soft music comes on, some guests will leave and some will remain, but those who will stay will enjoy a very nice glass of Port, Whiskey or Brandy culminating the conversation in something really intellectual, pleasant and interesting.
It’s an honor to eat at someone’s dining table, breaking bread together is an act of sharing love, intimacy and friendship since the beginning of time.

Dinner at 7:00 pm is a serious business for the Italians, don’t go unprepared. Ciao,
Valentina
www.valentinadesigns.com

Valentina Cirasola is an Italian Interior Designer with a passion for kitchens and cooking. She loves to remodel homes and loves to turn ugly spaces into castles, but especially loves to design kitchens and wine grottos.
She is the author of two regional Italian cookbooks available in this site at the Books Page: Come Mia Nonna – A Return To Simplicity.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lnq8baaAq0M
Sins Of A Queen – Italian Appetizers and Desserts