Valentina

Geometry | Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer

04 Nov 2012 10 Comments

by Valentina in Home Designs Master Tags: #GeometryInArchitecture, #ItalianArchitecture, #MosaicFloor, #NeoClassicArchitecture, #RedVoyageIntoColors, #StoneFloorDesigns, Colors

Saint Nicholas’s Basilica – Bari Italy

San Filippo’s Cathedral – Gioia, Puglia

Gioia – Puglia, Italy

Ceramic Tile Floor – Adelfia’s City Hall, Puglia

Matera

(All photos are property of ©Valentina Cirasola)

This week theme is perfect for me. The geometry of the Italian architecture has conquered the heart of the world.
In a chaotic country and yet vibrant and artistic as Italy, there is order, tranquility and harmony in all the buildings. They stand erect as a live testimony, that regardless of the state of the economy, or passing of different governments, dictatorship, wars and dominators, Italy has always offered the best examples of beauty. Triangle and semi-circle pediments on top of windows, square top entries and round top entries share the same building façade in a neo-classical order, which is as new today as it was when it was first invented. Colonnades and arcades are perfect to walk under and stay dry for window-shopping, or carrying on a normal day, while outside is raining.

Brunelleschi’s dome, or Palladio style villas have been reproduced everywhere in the world and there has not been yet another architect able to rethink these architectural features. A Dome has been a dome since the Renaissance time; arches have been arches ever since Romans built the first one with the keystone in the center. The White House is one of the many examples of a Palladian villa scattered in the world.

Repetition is the Italian secret to everything. Once we find or create something beautiful, we will repeat it to increase the sensory pleasure. Beautiful quarried stones cover columns, floors and walls of churches, palaces, offices, villas and even simple homes. We walk on luxury every day and we die in luxury carrying with us, on our tombstones, the trait of elegance that distinguishes this small, forever troubled country.

Well, since I come from there, I can proudly say that I can design a mosaic stone floor for any house, small or big. I will be delighted to help designing yours. 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. As an Italian designer and true to her origins, she provides only the best workmanship and design solutions. Author of three books all available on
Amazon: http://goo.gl/xUZfk0
Barnes&Nobles: http://goo.gl/q7dQ3w

I Was In A Comedy Dinner For Six | Valentina Cirasola | Author and Designer

29 Oct 2012 Leave a comment

by Valentina in The Good Life Tags: #FormalDining, #HowToDineProperly, #RedVoyageIntoColors, #TableCustoms, #TableEtiquette, #TableManners

It’s Friday evening. I am dressed to the teeth, ready to enjoy a formal elegant dinner in a private home. One of the women in the group won the ticket for a dinner for six at a private home at a charitable event and chose five people of her liking to appear in this charade dinner. I was one of them.
In the casual Californian atmosphere, I am already wondering how this formal dinner will be conceived, nobody organizes formal and sitting down dinners anymore, especially in California. For this occasion, the wife is the chef, the husband is the waiter dressed in total black with a white napkin neatly folded over his right arm, playing the part to the letter. They are travelers, I wonder if they learned that in Italy?

The dinner table is elegantly made in a 1930s style: crystal glasses, silver tableware, embroidered tablecloth, and fabric napkins. I counted the plates and there are six place sets, but we are eight counting the hosts. “There is something wrong with this picture” I am starting to ask myself. I didn’t know the people offering the dinner as an action item are not supposed to sit down with the guests.
The small cup style champagne glasses really caught my eyes, so dainty, well-etched, so different from today’s fluted glasses and so short. One sip and the champagne is gone… and so is the mind of some of the guests….
It took only a few bubbles to lose composure. Oh dear, non-senses are already spoken and we are only at the hors-d’oeuvres. What is it going to happen until the end of the dinner?

The hosts invite us to sit down. I didn’t know anyone in the group, except the lady who invited me and was excited to meet new people. Neither did the hosts know anyone. Apparently in this type of style dinner, the hosts cannot sit with the guests, only serve them.
I truly felt awkward being served by an older couple and not having the pleasure to converse with them at the table. In my native Italy, this will never happen.

Seven courses are waiting to be consumed. I glanced in the kitchen, the portions are very small, but some of the women felt intimidated when they heard about several courses coming and felt stuffed before even trying them.
In one of the many forums I belong, it was said that seven courses are too much to offer, considering that people don’t eat that much anymore. How do we explain so many overweight people in our society? Perhaps, the large portions eaten mindlessly are the fault. The women in the group were no small examples either.

Did I see a pair of shoes loose under the chair of the woman on my left? Oh my, this is really promising! The woman directly across from me, an artist, asked the hostess in which order to use the flatware. Clearly, she eats with plastics every day.
Then, like in a comedy film, I incredulously saw everyone turning the plates over to see the trademark and where the dishes came from. I tried to stop them by talking about the design on the front of the dishes. It seemed very much a John Sanderson’s design, neo-classic fretwork of the middle 1700s, perhaps a copy. Well, the two women on both sides of me, just came out with a simple “really?” and still looked at the backside of the dishes, the rest of the guests were in their own “cookie wonderland“. Hard to make conversation with shallow people, I thought.

(Pumpkin Photo: BHG)

A cute starter of small baked pumpkin filled with mozzarella cheese opens the banquet and libations. The woman next to my left, after the first course, unravels the layers of her clothes. She would have taken off her bra if she could have, she admitted.
I asked her what she does when she eats in restaurants, but I received no answer.
I am envisioning this dinner as the same version of the funny film Hollywood Party with Peter Seller. I don’t know if I am amused or disgusted. I cannot get up and leave. I am beyond being offended already, so I observed in silence, thinking of what other mishaps I am in for.

The highlight of the dinner is the changing of wines with each course. Strange as it sounds, I like this old fashion way of pairing wines with food. Those women, not being wine connoisseurs, can only flash heatwaves on their skin, with increasing bawdy attitude and loud talking. To think they started the conversation in a softly and lady-like manner. What happened to their initial gentleness?

In the next scene, one woman tips over the wine glass full of white wine over the embroidered tablecloth and another one pins her long hair up with a huge clip looking as she just came out of the shower. This disaster dinner is really getting good!
The palate cleanser arrived, a well-balanced peach sorbet. Oh yes, some of them thought we are having a dessert and questioned where did the rest of the courses go. They expected to see a 6-course dinner since this affair was won at an auction.

The conversation is boring, I am a spectator in pain and amused at the same time. Dinner was prepared in a simple way, even though seven courses sounded heavy and complicated, but it was not. It went on as the host planned it, I enjoyed every bite, appreciated the host’s culinary efforts and did not exclaim “no food for me for the next three days!” as some of the women did.

This comedy is winding down with the doggy bag shocker scene. You heard it right. A few of these “classy women” are asking for a doggy bag for their leftovers. Clearly, they have mistaken a private home for a restaurant. Once people learn bad habits, they repeat them to the nth power.
The women present at this dinner were not professional actresses, they just made their own funny and impromptu comedy. I would have liked to record it for my amusement later.

Lessons learned:

1. Never go out to dinner with unknown people, unless you make an effort to get to know them before the event, which is not always possible.

2. If you are hosting a sitting down dinner party, never serve more than four courses. Not a good idea to keep guests prisoners attached to the chairs, forced to listen to unpleasant shallow people.

3. Wines do not need to be paired with each course. Find one red wine for meat and one white wine for fish and vegetables, or find one that can be served interchangeably with all the food and stay only with those two choices.

4. Offer well tasted and liked recipes by previous guests in previous parties; offer food in the right quantity to avoid the “doggy bag” situation. No more than 1500 calories should be served all together through the entire dinner.

5. If you can, distract guests from turning over the plates, with a talk on the special dishes designs, or table setting decorations. Witty conversations are of great help in keeping the attention of guests and drive them to more proper behavior.

6. Make sure there is fresh air circulating through the dinnertime.

To me, breaking bread with people is an honor, having good manners at the table shows respect towards the hosts, the food so well prepared and the guests.

If I were a TV producer, I would have turned this dinner into a funny comedy, but I hope to have amused you for now. Ciao,
Valentina

http://www.Valentinadesigns.com

Valentina Cirasola has been a lifetime designer in fashion and interiors. Her extensive knowledge of colors and materials led her in both directions successfully. Vogue Italy magazine and many prominent publications in California featured her work. Among designing and remodeling homes, designing custom-made furniture and writing books, Valentina is now teaching etiquette, table manners, table setting, and lifestyle. Her new book Red-A Voyage Into Colors is about how colors affect us in life. Get your copy on
Amazon: http://goo.gl/xUZfk0
Barnes&Nobles: http://goo.gl/q7dQ3w

An Incredulous Vision | Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer

27 Oct 2012 32 Comments

by Valentina in Home Designs Master Tags: #BlogAward, #ColorTheory, #Inspirational, #LovelyBlogAward, #RedVoyageIntoColors, Dreams, Self-Improvement

An incredulous thing happened to me yesterday afternoon around 6:00 pm, I just want to know if any of you have ever experienced anything similar. I am still thinking about it and what is the meaning of it.

I was driving on a super busy freeway, when all of a sudden, the town I was approaching, but not yet my exit, all the lights of that town, the freeway landscape, the shape of the winding road, all reminded me of another place in Europe.
In my over imposed view, I could not recognize this place in my déjà vu, but I was sure I had been there sometimes in my previous life. It was very clear in my mind, it was very familiar, I know I had been there in that cozy place, but where was it?
Then, as in any dream, I had an abrupt awakening, the view disappeared and returned to the dreadful, super busy freeway.

This morning, I drove 45 miles to return to the same spot on purpose, but the view I had seen yesterday didn’t come back. Perhaps the view of that beautiful place in Europe appeared because I was hungry and the emptiness of my stomach played a trick on me, or I was wishing in that moment to go somewhere unknown. Perhaps, the strange lights of a freeway in the early evening distort images, or the stress of my work is taking a toll. I think the latter is more real and not an excuse.
What do you guys think and what does it mean? Why this view appeared yesterday and not any other day, since that is an area I drive through often?
I will remain puzzled.

On the note of my stress, a few days have passed since I wrote my last blog, I am feeling withdraws as if I have a blog vise and a few days have passed by without thanking Jamie at http://grandmothermusings.com for nominating me with two awards:
The Reality Blog and One Lovely Blog Award. I appreciate your wisdom Jamie and I appreciate all the bloggers’ talents, information, photos, fun and personal dilemmas. That’s is what a community supposed to be. It is not always possible to answer all of you, but I do see and read you all everyday.

These are five questions for both Awards.
I will only answer one, my eye lids are falling off at the moment:
1) What is the one thing really scares you?

Being left completely by myself on this world, no people, no animals, no books, nothing.
2) If you could change something, what would you change?
3) If you could repeat an age, what age would it be?
4) What one dream have you not completed yet and do you think you will be able to complete it.
5) If you could be someone else for the day, who would you be?

(Photo above http://www.delish.com/food-news/a44086/champagne-water-cooler)

I am thinking that perhaps I need something as joyful as this in my photo above, chilled and refreshing, in any corner of my house. I might be able to find another meaning of life, or will cure my stress.
I am also thinking that some of my clients will appreciate having one of this in convenient places, especially when we are in the remodeling process.

I will nominate five bloggers and there is no specific rule to these awards. Each nominee is free to accept and do what he or she will with his or her award.

http://tresorsdeluxe.wordpress.com

http://passport.laurenoliviaco.com

http://astronomybythecosmos.com

http://katrinaperkins.wordpress.com

http://fueledbyvegetables.com

Create a great weekend. 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 interior and colors the world of her clients. She has been described as “the colorist” and loves to create the unusual. Her latest book ©RED-A Voyage Into Colors is published. Check out her books on:
Amazon: http://goo.gl/xUZfk0
Barnes&Nobles: http://goo.gl/q7dQ3w

It’s RED Hot ! | Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer

19 Oct 2012 20 Comments

by Valentina in Home Designs Master Tags: #BlogTalkRadioREDHot, #DesigningWithRed, #REDColor, #RedFashion, #RedInteriors, #RedOutfits, #RedVoyageIntoColors, Colors

“Valentina, I’m having a lot of fun reading your book RED. I cannot refrain from marking these points that I found super original and very Valentinians! Page 28: In a highly creative country such as Italy (….) it is only normal that red traffic lights bring out a creative touch of disobedience in any driver. Page 39: Stunning effects such as these (…) try them on, walk proud (…) but before you do that, let’s have a lemon muffin (followed by recipe). Page 44: In Spritz Veritas(…) how tasty this page is!”

As I am running a promotion for my book launch, some comments are already coming in from readers who purchased the book on Amazon: http://goo.gl/qNxXrB – and this comment above is from one of the readers. I am so pleased that she is amused reading my book. That is exactly the goal of my book, to inform, entertain with wit, add some personality and allow the readers, through some story telling, to understand the process of designing on the real field, often undermined with many challenges.

Today, my BlogTalkRadio interview took place and we talked about colors in fashion we wear, color in interiors we live in, colors in food we eat and even color in astrology. It was a colorful and inspiring show. Here is the link, if you want to listen to this fun radio show. It’s about an hour-long: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/carra-riley/2012/10/18/red-hot

I am so happy to have done what I have done, this book #3 is right in line with what I am supposed to do and where I am supposed to be in my life at this time. The book is sending lot of vibrations and I am vibrating too.
I am offering – to the first 100 people who purchase ©RED-A Voyage Into Colors on Amazon: http://goo.gl/qNxXrB – One hour of design consultation, FREE of charge, through Skype line (proof of the receipt needed). Take advantage. 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 interior and colors the world of her clients. She has been described as “the colorist” and loves to create the unusual.
Amazon: http://goo.gl/xUZfk0
Barnes&Nobles: http://goo.gl/q7dQ3w

In The Light Of Chartreuse | Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer

12 Oct 2012 18 Comments

by Valentina in Home Designs Master Tags: #1700FashionStyle, #ChartreuseColor, #ChartreuseFashion, #ColorCoordination, #HistoryOfCostumes, #RedVoyageIntoColors, #VenetianFurniture

Hot – Cold – Yellow – Green. Luminous. Undecided, yet strong. What is this chartreuse color? There is character in this color and it takes courage to wear it or live in it. Personally, I love it and have wore it ever since I can remember. I found the way to incorporate it in my mises, even when it was not in fashion. In the history of the costume, light green was considered a manly color. Men wore jerkins embellish with hand made silk embroiders and lace ruffles. Men wore brocade, damask, silk and velvet fabric just like women. Often a chartreuse fabric was designed or embroidered with patterns of pink color with shoes to match. Men were confident with their sexuality and carry chartreuse, pink, or both together, just as good as women.

(Photo above: Wikipedia – Watteau, L’Enseigne de Gersaint)

Men of today, confidently still wear these two colors, they think of them as just another way to jazz up some boring ensemble, which men have plenty of those boring garment occupying their closets. In the 17th century Europe, Chartreuse was the color of many highly decorated or carved Venetian furniture from trumeau to commode (a low cabinet or similar piece of furniture, often highly ornamental, containing drawers or shelves and not a toilet, as in the English language).

(Photo above: Hand painted Venetian chest by BG Galleries)

In today’s fashion this color persists and has invaded every closet I have seen so far, but who can really wear this color? A person whose skin’s color temperature is considered warm. That means golden-brown hair, brown eyes and yellow-brown skin, or ivory tone skin. This person might choose all the colors in the warm palette, reds, yellows and oranges with the warm undertone of each color. This person also is allowed to choose the cool colors temperature, as violets, blues and greens with the warm side of each color to wear in combination with the reds, yellows and oranges. If you are this person, imagine your chartreuse warm summer palette as in my photo below.

Composition Chartreuse Summer by ©Valentina Interiors & Designs

(Above composition by ©Valentina Interiors & Designs)

This combination will be perfect for home interior as well, we tend to decorate in the same colors we like to wear. Imagine chartreuse walls, yellow-orange seating area with leopard print pillows or rug, chartreuse accessories and chartreuse window treatment, add warm tone lighting.

A person with a combination of warm color skin, green or blue eyes and light brown, ash blond or red hair has a temperature of sun/moon. This person have a mixed color temperature, thus can choose all colors from the cool and warm palette, as in my chartreuse compliment colors palette. Again this combination can be used for the interior as well. Imagine chartreuse seating and walls, blue-green accessories, black pattern pillows, black chandelier and lampshades. To this picture I would add one wall covered with black pattern fabric and chartreuse window treatment.

Composition ©Valentina Interiors & Designs

(Above composition by ©Valentina Interiors & Designs)

Putting together unusual color combinations will show your all-round self-confidence. On my Pinterest, there is a board dedicated to Chartreuse, ideas and a few color combinations: http://pinterest.com/vcvalentina/chartreuse/

Transforming your image or your spaces is a challenge, but working together with me and my ”step-by-step” approach, you can reach your owns special milestone. Ciao,
Valentina

Design Website: http://www.Valentinadesigns.com

Valentina Cirasola is an Italian Interior and Fashion Designer, working in the USA and Europe since 1990. She blends well fashion with interior and colors the world of her clients. She has been described as “the colorist” and loves to create the unusual. Her latest book on colors: ©RED – A Voyage Into Colors is published. Find it:
Amazon: http://goo.gl/xUZfk0

Barnes&Nobles: http://goo.gl/q7dQ3w

Roll In The Cheese | Valentina Cirasola | Author and Designer

06 Oct 2012 3 Comments

by Valentina in The Good Life Tags: #CheeseGadgets, #CheeseSelection, #CheeseTools, #CheeseVariety, #DinnerItalianStyle, #DinnerWithCheeses, #HolidayFood, #HowToServeCheese, #ItalianDinnerCustoms

Hello everyone,
I am back after one month of vacation and preparation of the launch for my book #3 , just published last weekend.

(Find cheese utensils at: MyHabit.com)
(Find cheese markers at http://www.napastyle.com/home.jsp)

It is so vivid in my mind how many times I have eaten cheeses at the end of each lunch and dinner in this last trip back home to Europe.
Europeans eat cheese with ease because they walk a lot, thus burn those calorie day by day. Cheese is not seen as something to entertain with, but something to enjoy everyday with a glass of wine.
In Europe we serve it without any pretense, we take cheese out of the refrigerator while we are preparing dinner and we leave it on the counter at room temperature to bring out the full bloom of each taste. The same is valid when serving cheeses at parties.

(Find cheese pots and boards at: MyHabit.com)
Many serving utensils are part of the ritual of putting cheese on the table, from knives, cleavers, marker signs to fondue pots, raclette grill and cheese cart.
There is nothing sophisticated about serving plain cheese. It comes from the milk of an animal and often is kept in rustic stone cellars, or left to ferment for months.
I can’t wait to have a bunch of boisterous friends sitting around a fondue pot tasting the latest cheese I brought from Europe. I have a Canestrato Pugliese, aged in caves for a year, with a hard rind and dark yellow interior color. The mature version is savory and aromatic. Best paired with a red Primitivo from Manduria, a wine with a lot of round body.

The vessels needed to serve any cheese are slate stones, wooden boards, marble slabs, or clay platters, the rougher the better. It is good to mark each cheese with the proper marker fork to distinguish goat cheese from cow or sheep milk products and in the absence of these small markers, a hand-written tag placed near each specialty will suffice. The basic cutlery is simple: a cleaver and a semi-heart shaped knife will cut hard and semi-hard cheeses; a thin blade knife will cut a semi-soft cheeses and a round knife will be the spreader for soft cheeses; a shaver will help shaving the cheese, although this utensil is more used at the table to shave a hard cheese directly over the plate. If you want to get fancy and make a good presentation add grape scissors to all cheese cutleries.
One of my favorite cutters is the Swiss scraper “Girolle” used with “Tête de Moine” or Monk’s Head, a cheese from switzerland. The Girolle will shave the “Tête de Moine” cheese in small florettes, or ruffles. It is an expensive cheese, but it is worth it.

(Photo above found on: http://cookingguide101.blogspot.com/2010/12/tete-de-moine-cheese-real-gourmet-swiss.html)

I have seen cheese paired with jelly, grapes, edible flowers or other extravagant food. My favorite accompaniments are raw celery or fennel slivers, olives, nuts, or chicory heads to cut the sharp smell and balance the flavors. Don’t be afraid of serving smelly cheeses. The fermented cheeses at the end of a dinner are good to help the digestion. If you add truffle sliced paper-thin over any soft cheese, mamma mia, what a kick in flavor and in the presentation!

Stores are filling up with all kinds of food and table accessories. This is the right time to get some of these fun utensils and make your food look really good for the holidays.
Once they are in your kitchen repertoire, you will find that it is easier to treat yourself everyday, rather than waiting for the holiday to roll around to use them again.

Cheeses are a good source of calcium and protein. Don’t be afraid of having small bites everyday. Visit my Pinterest board for food inspiration – http://www.pinterest.com/vcvalentina/food-with-character
Ciao,
Valentina
http://www.valentinadesigns.com

Valentina Cirasola has been a lifetime designer in fashion and interiors. Her extensive knowledge of colors and materials led her in both directions successfully. Besides her regular work, Valentina is now teaching etiquette, table manners, table setting and life-style. Her deep interest in food led her as an autodidact in the studies of food in history, natural remedies, nutrition and well-being, then finally she wrote two books on Italian regional cuisine and one book on the subject of colors. Find Valentina’s three books on
Amazon: http://goo.gl/xUZfk0
Barnes&Nobles: http://goo.gl/q7dQ3w

Travel Theme: Foliage | Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer

02 Oct 2012 11 Comments

by Valentina in Home Designs Master Tags: #CaliforniaArchitecture, #DesigningWithColors, #DesigningWithFoliage, #FountainDesign, #GardenSolutions, #TravelThemeFoliage

From Ailsa’s travel theme: Foliage
http://wheresmybackpack.com/2012/09/28/travel-theme-foliage/
She says: “anyone who tries to tell you it’s a small world hasn’t tried to see it all”.

This setting, over 100 years old, some described it Spanish, some said it was Tuscan and some called it plain California style, has remained in my memories as the most beautiful place I lived when I first arrived in California from my native Italy.
(Click on each photo to view it larger).

At night it was magical, we fantasized seeing Humphrey Bogart coming through the gate, or Clark Gable holding one of us in his arms. It was easy to make up these images, the suffuse light emanating from the old street lamps and the smell of the juniper threes, helped us creating romantic imageries.

The stairs to my studio were a set for many weddings’ photography and many painter’s inspirations, who came with empty canvases and left with the interpretation of their imagination imprinted on. Virginia Klassen, a German flamboyant woman, then 83 years old, impenitent single, harpist player in many European orchestras, often sat with me on these stairs to invite me in her memories of a life on the Orient Express, passionate lovers, lavish living and famous theatres of the world.

The gate to a perdition, as I called it. We were all artists of some kind, or musicians living there, all without kids and family. An architect, a designer from Italy (me), an image consultant from Sweden, a chef, a novel writer, a furniture designer, an opera singer, a flute player, a software engineer from Germany, a pottery designer and an expert in custom laws from Mexico. Every day, after 6:00 pm, as we closed our business, we would meet around the fountain with wines, food and music and spent a few hours together, but often we went into the small hours of the night. Conversation around many topics was interesting and enticing, friendship got tighter and tighter as we got to know each other better.

This was my small world away from home, where people welcomed me as their friends and where we all shared our pains, jokes, aspirations, concerns and family matters. Unfortunately, this place doesn’t exist any longer. An architect firm abated it to build high-rise, high-priced office and condos.

In my work as a designer, I often find a way to preserve something with a meaning, or history and incorporate it in the new design. Ciao,
Valentina
http://www.valentinadesigns.com

Valentina Cirasola, is the principal designer and owner of Valentina Interiors & Designs. She is a trained designer and has been in business since 1990. She works on consultation and produces design concepts for remodeling, upgrading, new homes, décor restyling and home fashion. She also offer on-line consultations through Skype line. “Vogue” magazine and many prominent publications in California featured Valentina’s work. She also has made four appearances on T.V. Comcast Channel 15. Check out her books on
Amazon: http://goo.gl/xUZfk0
Barnes&Nobles: http://goo.gl/q7dQ3w

Colors For Humans | Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer

28 Sep 2012 4 Comments

by Valentina in Home Designs Master Tags: #DecoratingTips, #HumanaeColors, #PantoneColorsHumanae, #RedVoyageIntoColors, #SkinColorsForHome

“Spanish artist Angelica Dass has conceived ‘Humanae’ for Pantone. The project applies the alphanumerics classification of the Pantone coloring system to human skin tone, communicated through a photographed portraiture series. The background of each piece is dyed the exact shade extracted from a sample of 11 x 11 pixels from the very face of the people depicted, with the ultimate aim being to record and catalog, through a scientific measurement, all possible complexions” says Pantone.

Well, this is good news for people like me in the design world. I can add more personality than ever into people’s home. It has been my trait to include in my color palettes the eyes and hair colors of the main people living in the house, often also the color related to their zodiac sign. Now, I can add different skin colors to the décor or to the walls for a total harmony.

Living in our skin color season, with the right color temperature, the right color value and color intensity can only improve our feeling good in the home environment. Is it not the same when we choose our clothes? Yes, it is. That is the reason people consult image-makers to learn about the season of the skin they live in and to select related wardrobe colors in the right season that will make them feel good and project a confident aura.

I just want to make an example. If you have golden-brown hair, brown eyes and yellow-brown skin, or ivory skin tone, your skin color temperature is considered warm. You can choose all the colors in the warm palette, reds, yellows and oranges with all their warm undertones. You will feel at ease with color from Pantone 62-6 C (photo below), for the walls of your home or a few walls in some rooms. Due to your warm skin temperature you are also allowed to choose the cool colors temperature, as violets, blues and greens, but only the warm side of these colors in combination with the reds, yellows and oranges. Therefore your room or rooms will be the result of a series of furniture and accessories enclosed in an upbeat and vibrant color combination, made just for you.

(All photos are Pantone property)

These same color combinations are also perfect for your wardrobe and will exalt all the beauty of your warm temperature skin.

I like this new discovery in the colors adventure very much, it opens new opportunities and allows me to run free with many more solutions.

Let me know if I can help you with colors in any way. I offer consultations on-line through Skype line. Share me freely. 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 interior and colors the world of her clients. She has been described as “the colorist” and loves to create the unusual. Valentina’s book #3 ©RED-A Voyage Into Colors is almost ready for the market. Stay tuned!

Amazon: http://goo.gl/xUZfk0

Barnes&Nobles: http://goo.gl/q7dQ3w

Good Day Sisters! Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer

11 Sep 2012 16 Comments

by Valentina in The Good Life Tags: #BenefitsOfSisterhood, #GirlfriendTime, #MindBodyConnection, #SelfHelp, #SelfImprovement, Friendship, Self-Improvement

Today I am going off topic from my usual design and style. I like to repost a piece from one of girlfriends and artist who wrote it after she attended a talk at Stanford University.

Tiffany (left) Valentina (right) having fun at a restaurant.

“They Teach It at Stanford:
In an evening class at Stanford University the last lecture was on the mind-body connection – the relationship between stress and disease. The speaker (head of psychiatry at Stanford) said, among other things, one of the best things that a man could do for his health is to be married to a woman whereas for a woman, one of the best things she could do for her health is to nurture her relationships with girlfriends. At first everyone laughed, but the professor was serious.
Women connect with each other differently and provide support systems that help each other to deal with stress and difficult life experiences. Physically this quality “girlfriend time” helps us to create more serotonin – a neurotransmitter that helps combat depression and can create a general feeling of well-being. Women share feelings whereas men often form relationships around activities. We share from our souls with our sisters/mothers, and evidently that is very GOOD for our health.

He said that spending time with a friend is just as important to our general health as jogging or working out at a gym. There’s a tendency to think that when we are “exercising” we are doing something good for our bodies, but when we are hanging out with friends, we are wasting our time and should be more productively engaged? Not true. In fact, he said that failure to create and maintain quality personal relationships with other humans is as dangerous to our physical health as smoking! So every time you hang out to schmooze with a gal pal, just pat yourself on the back and congratulate yourself for doing something good for your health! We are indeed very, very lucky.

Let’s toast to our friendship with our girlfriends. Evidently it’s very good for our health”.

I am taking this opportunity to thank Jamie, my new-found friend here on WordPress
http://www.grandmothermusings.com for my nomination of “One Lovely Blog Award”. Jamie says that “Sharing little slices of life makes the journey more exciting!” I could not agree more.

Rules for the One Lovely Blog Award:
1. Give credit to the awesome person who nominated you and post the Award on your site.

2. Describe 7 things about yourself.

3. Nominate 15 other bloggers. I will tweak it a little.

7 Things about Home Designs Master
1. A few moons ago, I moved away from the Old World to only find myself doing things in the Old World style in the New World:

a. My laundry yard is where I hang my clean laundry to dry in the sun and wind. Will never own a clothes dryer.

b. Microwave cooking is not for me, it’s very bad to cook in it. Will never own a microwave either.

c. In my garden, I created an orchard, where I grow many types of food, Summer is harvest time. I preserve them for the winter, going through so much cooking, stuffing, canning and pickling, but my winter looks colorful, abundant and healthy.

d. If I am not using parts of my home at night, the lights stay off in those area; only keep lit the rooms I am using at certain given time of my evening.

e. For a good health of the home and the health of people living in it, I keep windows open to circulate fresh air all through the day. In the morning, when I get up, I open the windows and when I cook, the windows are open also. During remodeling process, I make sure to include plenty windows in clients’ kitchens and bathrooms. It is important these two spaces have egress for steam, vapors and odors.

e. I learned to make facial masks and skin, hair, or body treatments with food in my kitchen.

My way of living is in tune with my eco-friendly designs, which I offer to my clients, if they care to save money and live in a natural way.
The government didn’t have to tell me what to do to respect the Earth, I was born into a saving mentality.

Allow me to tweak the rules of the award and nominate the following 10 exceptional blogs for the One Lovely Blog Award. Many thanks to all of you for spending time with my writing and sharing your experiences and thoughts with me. Ciao,
Valentina
http://www.Valentinadesigns.com

*******

These are my nominees:

http://healthdemystified.wordpress.com/
http://zenandgenki.com/
http://openplatforms.wordpress.com/
http://myhomefoodthatsamore.wordpress.com/
http://cancerkillingrecipe.wordpress.com/
http://jeffsinonphotography.wordpress.com/
http://bluebutterfliesandme.wordpress.com/
http://shareandconnect.wordpress.com/
http://thebigbookofdating.wordpress.com/
http://thismansjourney.net/

Valentina Cirasola has been a lifetime designer in fashion and interiors. Her extensive knowledge of colors and materials led her in both directions successfully. “Vogue Italy” magazine featured Valentina as the guru of staging in the theatrical way. Among designing and remodeling homes, designing custom-made furniture and writing books, Valentina is now teaching etiquette, table manners, table setting and life style. Her new book on the subject of colors is almost ready to be published. Stay tuned for ©Red-A Voyage Into Colors.
Check out her books on

Amazon: http://goo.gl/xUZfk0

Barnes&Nobles: http://goo.gl/q7dQ3w

Reflection | Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer

07 Sep 2012 18 Comments

by Valentina in Home Designs Master Tags: #DesigningWithMirrors, #JakesprinterPhotoChallenge., #ReflectedImages, Reflection, Sunday Post: Reflection

In my world of design, Reflections are very important, as they can make or break a perfect space.
The placement of objects must communicate with all the elements in the space and be in harmony with the people living in a given space.
Mirrors play a large role in our life, they are supposed to tell the truth about our image and appearance, giving the opportunity to fix whatever is necessary.
Mirrors also reflect beauty and art on its own. The image reflected is often repeated to infinite, especially if the mirror is placed across a window or a light source.

Be careful where you place mirrors in the house, you don’t want to reflect an unpleasant view, a mess, or an habitually dirty home. Be creative.
This is my version of Reflection for Jakesprinter weekly photo competition.
Now, go around your home and pay attention to what your mirrors reflect. Love to hear if you like or not the reflected images you see. Ciao,
Valentina
http://www.valentinadesigns.com/

Valentina Cirasola is an Italian interior designer in business since 1990. She is passionate about colors and all expressive arts. She is a “colorist”. To her, selecting art means to bring out the best energy of her clients and nourish their soul. She is the forthcoming author of her book on colors: ©Red-A Voyage Into Colors, which will be released by the end of September 2012. Check her books on