Many areas of a home are often left undecorated, as if they don’t belong to the house. Services areas for instance are treated like the “Maid Quarters” as if only second-class people live there and guests are prohibited access to.
Saving money on these areas is one reason for using low quality material and no design thoughts whatsoever. Most people settle for shelves and good appliances, the rest is non-descriptive.
Sure there is no attraction in the laundry rooms, closets, pantries, storage rooms, but what if these areas open into the beautiful parts of the home? Let’s say the laundry room’s door opens in a well-designed kitchen, wouldn’t it look better if the façade of that door was designed to disguise the laundry room entry?
I take any opportunity to change even a simple door into a painting canvas, like the mural I painted on a linen closet made of two doors and six drawers. This mural breaks the monotony of a long corridor and adds the element of surprise. If guests go to the bathroom near by, I hear a big “WOW, what is it?” all the time. The façade of this closet represents an Italianate style building.
Here I’ve put together a roundup of examples to help creativity flow and personalize your home.
At Columbus Day celebration in the city of San Francisco, I had plenty infinite inspiration. Coming in the city, an infinite number of Art Deco buildings and modern skyscrapers line the horizon. An infinite number of palm trees, street lights and street sculptures filled The Embarcadero, a long promenade stretching for a few miles overlooking the water.
Trolley buses revamped to their original charm come by with antique coquetry and their infinite electric wires share the air space with street lights, palm trees and buildings. Weekends in the city are devoted to street markets. Infinite number of white-tented kiosks occupy empty plazas on the Embarcadero, where San Franciscans and tourists shop for arts and crafts, novelties, custom-made pieces and organic food. Music colors the air making a pleasant city to walk in. San Francisco is definitively one of the best cities in America.
Following the Embarcadero, I reached the parade for Columbus Day celebration. The parade was nice, happy people, infinite candies thrown from moving vehicles making kids really happy.
I was more interested in seeing signs of Italian heritage, it was Columbus Day after all.
Other than a few stereotypes, tarantella, Perry Como and Dean Martin songs, things modern Italians don’t relate to, I found my infinite interest in a group of people dressed in colorful Venetians costumes.
The flag didn’t belong with the costumes, Tuscan people made an art of throwing flags, but not Venetians. OK, I understand, this is a make-believe Italy of the past, the Italy tourists like.
Among infinite marching bands from different cultures, Italian products and socialites in their convertible cars, I chose this group of people as they seemed the most authentic, true to the colors and opulence of historic Venice. Their gestures conveyed well the flirting mannerism of La Serenissima (ancient name of Venice) and the frivolity of the era.
I heard on the news today that someone is thinking of changing Columbus Day to Indigenous Day. Really? Did this person fall off the bed? Should we change the entire history of United States as well to suit every ethnicity? Ciao,
Valentina http://www.valentinadesigns.com
Valentina Cirasola is a trained Italian Interior Designer in business since 1990. Being Italian born and raised, Classicism, stylish and timeless designs have influenced Valentina’s design work. She will create your everyday living with a certain luxury without taking away your comfort. She loves to restore old homes, historic dwellings and she focuses on remodeling. Author of three books all available on Amazon: http://goo.gl/xUZfk0 Barnes&Nobles: http://goo.gl/q7dQ3w
This week photo challenge is about how we interpret our Morning. http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/10/04/photo-challenge-morning/
My day starts very early with a good morning ritual. My first thought as soon as I wake up goes to the Sun. I salute the Sun for its powerful energy that will energize me all day.
To have an advantage on my morning, I set my breakfast place the night before. As seasons change, my place settings change as well, I like to get in the mood of each new season.
Basically, on a place matt, I set out the book I am reading in that moment, a coffee or tea-cup, a glass for juice, a plate and silverware, fruit and a scented candle. Perishable food will come out in the morning.
My breakfast setting is simple and cheerful. I enter my day with ease and I allow myself to be with my thoughts in the quietness of morning silence. I don’t listen to the news and I don’t read the paper, these are activities I don’t do when I am eating. At breakfast I read only a pleasant book and I listen to pleasant classical music. I treat myself as the preferred guest of my life.
My private life is not disjointed from the business. Long time ago, I realized that to run a successful business one needs clarity of mind and eliminate all the negatives. That’s what I did.
I also realize that our lives are not the same. Families with kids have hectic schedules and may not have the same luxury to easy into their days. However, running a family is very much like running a business. It’s all matter of organization and planning the right activities for the right time. Those breakfast food that can be prepared the night before and warmed up for breakfast will cut the stress of the morning and the clothes to wear can be made ready to go the night before as well. “Il buongiorno si vede dal mattino” ~ says an Italian proverb. Translation: A good day stems from a good morning. Ciao,
Valentina http://www.valentinadesigns.com
Valentina Cirasola transforms and creates spaces realizing people’s dreams in homes, offices, interiors and exteriors. She infuses your everyday living with a certain luxury without taking away a comfortable living. She offers design consultations on-line through Skype and the traditional in-house consultations, helping people with their design challenge any where in the world. She is the author of three books, all-available on Amazon: http://goo.gl/xUZfk0 Barnes&Nobles: http://goo.gl/q7dQ3w
Welcome to my personal A to Z Challenge on the subject of Home.
The goal, in a year time, is to elaborate and dissect topics regarding the Home not as containers of stuff, but as a cocoon for the soul, mind and heart. I will touch on decorations, style, trends, history of home and sometimes technical information.
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Oh, come to mama! I opened the window of my hotel in Venice and saw the naked statues of the building right across the street. Every morning the scene of naked statues sitting on top of pediments was more interesting than the action in the street down below. The male statues carved in marble stood on the pediment in all their male beauty oblivious to the passage of time.
Aegina, reconstruction
Vicenza, Italy – Rotonda broken pediment by Andrea Palladio
Various pediment style
Pediment with dentelle work
If we look at any Greek temples, a Pediment is the triangle gable built above a colonnade filled with sculptures representing humans and sometimes animals in some type of action. Pediment decorated each entrance, front or back, of any temple and each pediment told a different story. Sculptures were not made all together, marble is a hard material and much time passed between one chisel and the other. Due to different time of fabrication, we can see now the evolution of the species through the art of sculptures. The gable being a triangle with two slender corners, limited the placement of standing statues in all their height, thus reclining figures, kneeling figures and figures with bent knees were the only positions for depicting statues.
We are accustomed to see statues in the pristine white of the marble and never gave a second thought that Greeks took inspiration from the Egyptians and used very bright, contrasting colors, at times even garish for the background of pediments and for the statues. Temples were the houses of Gods and places of worship, thus always built high up on hills, perhaps the reason for coloring sculptures and the background of pediments was to be seen from afar when ships approached the islands.
Romans copied the pediment idea from the Greeks and placed it on top of their temples built all over the Empire. Since then, the shape of a pediment continued through various periods and various architectural styles evolving in pointed, curved and broken pediment, the latter became the most used pediment in the very ornate Baroque period. Today we still build homes with pediments and we have extended its application to furniture, mirrors, fireplaces, entry doors and interior doors, windows and roofs. We still call it the “classical” style as the Roman did when referring to Greek architecture. Certain details never go out of vogue!
If you like the classical style, ask me how to add value to your home with timeless features. Ciao,
Valentina http://www.valentinadesigns.com
One of my friends in my homeland Italy sent me a piece of news with a comment: “Valentina decorates her home projects with colors of food and the fashion industry is putting food on clothes”.
Are fashion designers tired of seeing model as stick figures or finally they have realized that good food emanate good energy and vibrate positivism?
There is nothing more perfect than nature. Getting into the habits of cultivating own food, which is possible even on small patches of dirt, balconies, small patios or terraces and then cooking the homegrown food is the quintessential of health, fun and alignment with the Universe. Colors of natural food are vibrant, dynamic and alive. If we put natural food in the mouth why wouldn’t we want to wear their colors? The natural and positive vibrations will double for sure.
You might want to click on this link to see a roundup of fashion collections and the food that have inspired different designers in various years of this decade. In this site there is fashion by season, by recipes, by colors and designers. http://www.tasteofrunway.com/
“Who said there are only colors? There are also the nuances.” ~ said Diana Vreeland, editor of American Vogue in 1969.
That’s right. Have you ever looked at the peel of red onion? Outside is red-purple and inside is almost pinkish. The colors of fried onions in a tempura batter with sage leaves range from beige, golden beige, pale yellow, gold, silver sage and white. This poor specialty was Armani’s inspiration in designing the perfect 2014 shimmering collection inspired by fried tempura onions. Onion is such a poor ingredient with a not so high reputation that often disgusts a few people, but when cooked can give an aura of elegant sophistication.
The colored pasta Marelli – http://pastamarella.it/ – produced in Puglia, the southern Italian region where I come from, inspired Missoni soft colors for 2014 Spring, while Marc Jacobs for his 2011-12 collection chose stronger and more vibrant colors from the multicolored pasta that marries well with four types of cheeses pasta dish. This multicolored pasta inspired him to combine bold colors, just like the pasta dish combines the strong flavor gorgonzola with three other cheeses.
One of my favorites is Balmain 2013 black and yellow ensemble with similar colors in the tasty dish of Linguine with lemon and cuttlefish ink. This is a dish for fine palates and food connoisseurs.
The friend who sent me the flavorful articles made another question:
“In which location would you enjoy eating the plate of Linguine with lemon and cuttlefish ink and which wine would you choose? He suggested Amalfi Coast as a location where to taste Asprino d’Aversa; on the beach of Ragusa, Sicily, drinking a Grillo; in Salento on the cliff of Otranto, Puglia tasting a Verdeca wine.
Well, with these good suggestions from my Italian friend, I will go look for cuttlefish (ink is so very easy to extract from it) and will hand-made the linguine.
It’s more difficult to talk about hand-made pasta then actually make it.
Create a great weekend. Ciao,
Valentina http://www.valentinadesigns.com
This is a park I often go to for long walks two miles or more. The park is very green, luscious and full of flowers. Can I leave well enough alone, YES, nature is beautiful just as it is and needs no correction. I don’t ever see this park in an orange sunset or a silver moonlight, I see it in the morning light only. During my walks, I enjoy imagining how it would look in different times of day and in a totally different texture. The question is always: What if?
What if I see nature in different colors? What if the park was an abstract painting, I am sure nobody would question purple leaves or purple ground. The eyes of an artist see things in his/her perspective and manage to convey new emotions not yet felt.
Well, I know my passions and limitations and even though I can take great photos, I know I will never become the greatest photographer on earth. I don’t get up at 2:00 am to go catch the right light at sunrise, because often I go to bed at 2:00 am and I don’t stand on the top of 100th floor building to get the right depth of field, because I fear height. With these limitations, just to name a few, I can only be the greatest manipulator of colors. I can do that very well and Photoshop is my friend.
These are my attempts to change nature according to my eyes. Now, I have found a new thing to do and I will turn these photos into prints.
This takes me to another thought. The ability to see things in a different light is also the ability to make and welcome changes. What do you see differently in your life that other people don’t? I am curious. Post it here, we will make a party. Ciao,
Valentina http://www.valentinadesigns.com
Welcome to my personal A to Z Challenge on the subject of Home.
The goal, in a year time, is to elaborate and dissect topics regarding the Home not as containers of stuff, but as a cocoon for the soul, mind, and heart. I will touch on decorations, style, trends, history of the home and sometimes technical information.
What a cheerful thing to see when approaching someone’s home: a wacky mailbox.
To me, it indicates the family is creative and loves to amuse.
Often, when I see a wacky mailbox want to stop and talk to the owners to find out about the creative thought behind their design.
It’s not always possible to find someone in the home these days, but when I do, usually they end up inviting me in and offer me a cup of coffee, as they are so happy to see someone interested in their design. Perhaps they think I am a martian knocking on people’s door just to ask about the mailbox.
You know, I am an expat in a foreign land and a curious person. I want to learn as much as possible about the land that has adopted me.
Somehow I associate artistic mailboxes to some customs in old-time Europe, when people’s surnames derived either from their trades, a particular detail in the personal appearance, or something totally wacky about a person. I remember the last name of one of my mom’s clients was Scarpagrossa (large shoe). She was a big woman with large feet and her shoes were of course big. However, she inherited that last name when she married a Scarpagrossa, a surname that started in her husband’s earlier generations of a family with big people. The last name was kind of a reflection of their size. British brought this custom to America and now we have Smith, Fisher, Phillips, Dickson and many more. Perhaps this will be another topic for next time. Today, we can recognize people’s liking, passions, and trades by their mailboxes and no longer by their nicknames.
Some people will make a mailbox an exact copy of the architecture style of their home, some will show the symbol of their trade or something totally of fantasy.
Do you see the chiropractor or the painter’s mailboxes in my video? They don’t need any advertisement for their business, their mailboxes speak about their trades.
So far, I have seen painted fire hydrants and painted mailboxes, painted garage doors, and extravagant entry doors. I have seen vegetation on rooftops and homes underground for energy-saving. I have seen warehouses changed into contemporary lofts and glass homes. Creativity is something everybody has and can be expressed freely.
If a house is located in an open countryside where the next house is a few miles away, then it’s easy to get wacky with the exterior concept, but if the house in located in an agglomerate of homes, where there is the “usual irresistible complainer” as a neighbor, think again before putting up something that might offend that person. In some cities, homeowners must submit a conceptual exterior plan to the city even for a simple creative mailbox. Check with the building department and don’t let anybody stifle your creativity! Create a cheerful new week. Ciao,
Valentina http://www.valentinadesigns.com
Valentina Cirasola transforms and creates spaces realizing people’s dreams in homes, offices, interiors, and exteriors. She infuses your everyday living with a certain luxury without taking away a comfortable living. She offers design consultations online through Skype and the traditional in-house consultations, helping people with their design challenge anywhere in the world. She is the author of three books, all available on Amazon: http://goo.gl/xUZfk0 Barnes&Nobles: http://goo.gl/q7dQ3w
There was no way we could leave a family or friend’s house before tasting a touch of home-made rosolio. I know you are asking what the heck is a rosolio.
Let’s go back in time: Renaissance Italy 1400. Monks and most respected families engaged in a practice of adding flavors to distilled water to cure simple ailments and to help digestion after a heavy meal. The flavors came from experiments of macerating herbs, plant roots, flowers, and seasonal fruit, sometimes mixing some species together and sometimes using them singularly. Sundew, a particular carnivorous plant considered aphrodisiac attracted so much interest during Renaissance time that became the main ingredient for Rosa Solis, a cordial liqueur of a pretty bright yellow. Flecks of pearls and real gold to attract energy from the sun enriched the mixture. Nothing but the best for the rich and nobles! The word rosolio originated from the predecessor Rosa Solis. By 1700 entire Europe was enthralled with spirited drinks served in dainty glasses that became a social recreation more than medicinal purposes.
It’s hard to get rid of something that makes us feel good, therefore this social habit continued to these days and digestive drinks (after dinner drinks) were born.
(Click on each photo to view it larger).
In Europe is still very common to find cordials in most households. They are generally made of seasonal fruits and served straight out of the bottle, no ice, no water added to the glass. Just like during the Renaissance, a cordial drink is always served in a small and dainty glass that one holds by the foot of the glass, or by the lower part of the stem. This is not a drink that goes down in one shot, sipping and savoring is the way to go while enjoying the company. It forces us to have cultivated manners.
There is still time to produce this delightful Strawberry Liqueur and have a taste of a home-made stiffener during the holidays. My clients get an array of original food I produce in the most natural way and not found in any stores.
Strawberry Liqueur
Ingredients:
34 fluid oz. of pure alcohol 90° proof
17.5 oz. of strawberries
34 fluid oz. of water
24.5 oz. of sugar
Wash strawberries, take out leaves and stems.
Place the strawberries in a glass jar with a lid that closes hermetically, pour in the alcohol, and let them macerate for at least 30 days. Gently turn the jar upside down every three days and return it to the upright position.
After 30 days, make a simple syrup with water and sugar. Bring it to a boil and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the sugar is melted.
Let it cool before filling the bottle.
Filter the macerated strawberries trough cheesecloth or a tight mesh colander. With the help of a funnel, pour the strawberry liquid in a decorative glass bottle, add the simple sugar. Shake the bottle gently, taste. Mix in a little more alcohol, if you like it stronger. Close with a tight cap. Let it rest one more week, then enjoy it.
Valentina Cirasola has been in business as an interior designer since 1990 improving people’s life by changing their spaces. Most often she designs kitchens and wine grottos; outdoor kitchens and outdoor rooms; great rooms and entertainment rooms. Her deep interest in food led her as an autodidact in the studies of food in history, natural remedies, nutrition, and well-being. Finally, she wrote two books on Italian regional cuisine and one book on color theory. Get your copy of Valentina’s books on Amazon: http://goo.gl/xUZfk0 Barnes&Nobles: http://goo.gl/q7dQ3w
Welcome to my personal A to Z Challenge on the subject of Home. The goal, in a year time, until Jan. 13, 2014, is to elaborate and dissect topics regarding the Home not as containers of stuff, but as a cocoon for the soul, mind, and heart. I will touch on decorations, style, trends, history of the home and sometimes technical information
Let’s get prepared for the autumn, shall we? As the leaves change, we should change our décor too. Without changing the entire furnishing of the house and with only a few strategies, it’s easy to get a fresh new look more suitable with the changing of seasons and with our personal look changing through the seasons.
Last week, I put together a flower arrangement for one of my public events. The colors in the arrangement inspired me to create my color trend for the coming fall. I called it “Golden Inspiration”. It’s elegant, warm and inviting.
Except for people with a pinkish skin tone, this palette is suitable for all golden skin tones, ivory skin tones, black, red-haired people and people who are in the summer/fall season category.
Changes are good, we must keep up with the change of seasons, changes of life events and embrace changes age brings. Every age has its beauty, the important thing is to be aware and know how to play it to our advantage.
Next week, I will bring another exciting color scheme that exudes energy and that will inspire you to play with fantasy.
A week ago, I reached 1000 likes from all of you, creative and interesting friends. I want to take this opportunity to thank all my readers and followers for this beautiful number. Each one of you brought me news, ideas, encouragement, support, and knowledge. From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU.
Let me be your designer of choice for any of your decorating and remodeling needs. I offer design consultation on-line via Skype. Ask me for details. Ciao,
Valentina http://www.valentinadesigns.com
Often I study consumer behavior statistics to get to know changes in my market. Some studies say that women are the primary decision makers in almost 90% of all home purchases. In all my projects this statistic has been correct, unless I dealt with single men. In my homeland Italy, we have a saying that goes like this:
“I am the boss, but the person who bosses me around and makes decisions is my wife”.
In my career as a designer, I made many observations on how today’s homes often don’t reflect people’s needs. Generally, the square as shoebox is the most common shape for homes (round shapes are difficult and costly). The shoebox homes have large rooms to fill with stuff and possessions, high ceilings to waste a lot of space and very little attention devoted to the spirit.
If I were a builder, I would pay more attention to people’s living habits. I would make the necessary adjustments to the concept plans to make sure the home has harmony and beauty first, then comfort. Coming home from work should be a pleasant experience, even when we have a lot of chores waiting to get done.
In all my years in design business, I have observed how people enter their homes. The front door is beautifully decorated, but they hardly see it. Home owners reserve to themselves the ugliest part of the house to enter from: the garage, where a pile of laundry, cars, stuff and all the mess will greet them everyday. They reserve the best for the guests: the front door.
During the year, I make a round of visits to my clients’ homes and leave a small token at the door if they are not there. Then, I will call to let them know I was at the house and left a package at their front step, otherwise they will never see it. What is the point of making a surprise visit if I have to tell them to open the front door and pick up my small token? The phone call spoils the surprise.
(Click on each photo to view it larger).
One day, I thought if I were a builder, I would design the house with a back door foyer, where one door would lead to a mudroom/garage and one door would lead to the kitchen. In the back door foyer, I would create a drop zone for the mail, keys and charging area for phones and electronics, that way all that stuff will not end up on the kitchen counter.
The list of areas I don’t like in a modern home is very long. I have spotted a point of disadvantage in all the closets in American homes. They have no window and being positioned just in or outside bathrooms, it’s only natural that clothes smell musty, molded and old. One more thing, people who live with pets, wears the smell of their pets on their clothes. Think about it, just an operable skylight will suffice to get rid of house and pets smells. I get up in the morning and open my bedroom to let fresh air in. I would do it even if I lived in a cold climate. A few minutes of fresh air don’t hurt anyone, it helps clothes smelling fresh and keeps the house healthy.
If I were a builder, I would add a window in all the closets. I would move the linen closet outside the bathroom and find a way to circulate fresh air into it, if there was no possible way to add at least a window.
How about hosting dinner parties and entertainment? I remember a different functionality in European kitchens. We had a small area off the kitchen, closed with a door, where food preparation and cooking took place, we called it the hot kitchen, where there was the essential, a chopping table, a sink, the garbage and the refrigerator, the rest of the kitchen cabinets, storage and small appliances were in the better part of the kitchen. As soon as food was ready, we brought the plates to the table in the better part of the kitchen used for everyday informal eating. This same area was also the place where we had a cup of coffee with close friends, we paid bills, kids often did their homework and we mingled with family. Formal dining room was close to the kitchen, but not close to the hot kitchen, just so the cooking smells would stay away from the formal area. Outside the hot kitchen, we had the spice garden for our cooking needs.
If I were a builder, I would return to the European way of planning the kitchen for real cooks. For people who don’t cook but spend a bundle of money in remodeling the kitchen just to have a good resale value, I suggest to save that money and go on a fantastic trip. People who use microwave to reheating store-bought food don’t need to have a fancy kitchen. Any house will sell for various reasons, not because there is a fancy kitchen in it.
If I were a builder, I would pay attention to open spaces, dual-purpose stairs, I would turn a non-utilized spaces into workable zones and I would pay attention to creative details to build a livable home my way that would embrace soul, mind and body of everyone living in the house.
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As seen on Affluent Living:
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Remember to tell me your story, I will design your dream. Come one over to Facebook, let’s start a new friendship there too. Ciao,
Valentina
Valentina Cirasola transforms and creates spaces realizing people’s dreams in homes, offices, interiors and exteriors. She infuses your everyday living with a certain luxury without taking away a comfortable living.
She offers design consultations on-line through Skype and the traditional in-house consultations, helping people with their design challenge any where in the world. She is the author of three books. ©RED-A Voyage Into Colors is on the subject of colors. All Valentina’s books are available on
