Home Designs Master | Valentina Expressions

Colors Of Barcelona | Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer

22 Mar 2014 6 Comments

by Valentina in Home Designs Master Tags: #BarcelonaColors, #ColorEnergy, #InteriorColors, #InteriorDesign, #RedVoyageIntoColors, #RelaxationColors, Barcelona

Ah Barcelona….! The city of dancing colors, as I call it. I was there last year between Thanksgiving and Christmas, it was cold, but the amazing colors of the city knocked off the winter darkness from me and made me feel warm inside. Color, style and funky shapes are everywhere. As I am approaching to return, I can see the colors all over again enveloping me in their warm sunny light.

(Click on each photo to view it larger).

The undulating building Architect Antoni Gaudí designed are the quintessential of extraordinary, a precursor of his time who was much criticized for his outlandish ideas of conceiving buildings. Nobody had built anything like that before him and nothing compares to the art of Antoni Gaudí. He left an invaluable and astounding patrimony the world admires breathlessly. The city is happy, colors affect people and their life. They are up all night strolling the streets, eating and drinking through the small hours of the night and I have not found one rude person there!

Every nuance of color has its own taste. The greens are luxuriant, the blues echoes the sea and sky, the reds and the purples are juicy like strawberries and plums. Nothing is dull. In this kind of environment is hard not to live in full colors. If I ought to have a flat in Barcelona, I would decorate it exactly as I made my color scheme palette, modern in style, hip and funky.

(Photo credit is given to each owner of each piece of furniture seen in my board above)

I would use all the colors of energy in the kitchen, dining, great room, and living; I would reserve the colors of relaxation, blues and the greens in bedroom and baths; I would paint in beige, cream and light browns all transition areas, study, and library, but when I get to my home office I would treat it a funky way to make each working day pleasant and playful.

What do you say? Can you handle all these colors throughout the entire home? Or after a while, you would need a detached house to get away from the energy of all these colors? Ciao,
Valentina
http://www.valentinadesigns.com

Valentina Cirasola is an Italian Fashion-Interior Designer working in the USA and Europe since 1990. Often people describe her as “the colorist” as she loves to color her clients’ world and loves to create the unusual. “Vogue” magazine and many prominent publications in California featured Valentina’s work. She also has made four appearances on T.V. Comcast Channel 15. Author of three published books, the latest ©RED – A Voyage Into Colors is on the subject of colors.
Amazon: http://goo.gl/xUZfk0
Barnes&Nobles: http://goo.gl/q7dQ3w

I Saw A Zebra At The Bar | Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer

12 Mar 2014 Leave a comment

by Valentina in Home Designs Master Tags: #DebbieBakker, #GameRoom, #KidsRoom, #RedVoyageIntoColors, #ValentinaInteriorsDesigns, #WallArt, Illustrations

How would you like to go to someone’s house and see a zebra comfortably standing at the bar having a happy beer in the game room?

I loved this image when I saw it at the art gallery I visited last weekend. I thought the zebra in cowboy clothes is an amusing creature and it would be an interesting décor for a boy’s room. To tell you the truth, I would like to have it as a mural on one of my walls in the kitchen.

Not knowing if the artist Debbie Bakker at http://www.debbiebakker.com produces murals I was prompted to call her and found out. We had a nice conversation over the phone during which she told me a bit about herself and how she decided to become an illustrator.

Her latest achievement was to study art at the Academy of Arts in San Francisco, where she had to decide what kind of art field she wanted to land in. Being interested in children books, she decided to become an illustrator. One of her first illustrations was a dinosaur, which one of her sons wished to have when he was young. Pushed by her husband, her children and the beauty of her illustrations, Debbie decided to reproduce her dinosaurs on wall plates and t-shirts that now she sells on Etsy https://www.etsy.com/shop/DebbieBakkerArt Pretty soon Debbie Bakker will produce posters and perhaps after my suggestions even murals.

Pen, ink and watercolors make her illustrations. http://www.debbiebakker.com/illustrations.html
Debbie’s illustrations struck me as kid’s rooms décor. Other than the usual cars, planes and boats for boys, flowers, butterflies and shoes for girls, there is not much on the market for kids’ rooms. I am always on the look out for new ideas and adventures, I am sure if I brought in one of these pictures, any kids would love it on the walls of their room.

Later, taking a better look of her illustrations, I thought there are plenty “young at heart” like me, who like to play with their décor, those people who like to have a house with character, without following any rules, a house not made with cookie cutters that doesn’t resemble everybody’s style. How about the man’s cave as it is called, a billiard room, or a music room illustrated with these life-size animals with human attitude? I can almost hear them gossiping about us humans.

Let me be your chosen designer who can put star-dust in your décor. I can help you with any style. Your comment is appreciated and I will answer you within 24 hours. 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 all over the world via Skype line and in the traditional in- home consultations producing concepts for remodeling, restoration of historical dwelling, upgrading, décor restyling and home fashion. Vogue magazine and many prominent publications in California featured Valentina’s work. She has made four appearances on T.V. Comcast Channel 15 and interviewed on various Blog Talk Radios. Author of three books all-available on
Amazon: http://goo.gl/xUZfk0
Barnes&Nobles: http://goo.gl/q7dQ3w

The Energy Of Your Home | Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer

08 Mar 2014 4 Comments

by Valentina in Home Designs Master Tags: #ColorBlack, #HomeEnergy, #HomeOrganization, #ImageConsulting, #RedVoyageIntoColors, #VintagePosters

For some reason an episode that happened in my career a few years ago came to my mind yesterday while I was talking in my monthly radio show. I started to talk about how I helped a client in many aspects of his life just by changing colors. The memory was sweet.

Mark (a given name to disguise his identity), a very nice chap, professional, single and always dressed in black needed a facelift in some parts of his home. He was a neat guy, everything was in its right place, but the energy of the house was not right. In one of our thinking moments, you know, coffee, ideas and notes, he confided that something was missing in his life: a steady woman. I don’t discuss private issues with clients, not unless they start first and if they do, I am always ready to listen, it makes my business a little more human.

seated young woman Pierre-Auguste Renoir

farewell at night Georges Barbier

He confided to be ready for a long-lasting relationship and perhaps marriage. During our conversations, my eyes shifted often on the pictures on the walls, all representing women with their back to the viewers. What is wrong with this? Nothing at all, especially when the paintings are famous and you are not looking for the real woman to settle down with. In the case of my client, the women in his paintings showed their beautiful backs, but the faces were totally hidden, there was no eye connection between him and the women. It was as if they refused his energy to be part of their life, in a figurative way.

I asked him if he was emotionally attached to those paintings and if he was opposed to change them. I suggested shifting the energy by temporarily hanging some pictures of happy looking women smiling, showing their lips, theirs eyes and the full figures in plain front view, perhaps colorful vintage pin-up girls that would bring cheerfulness in his home. We did that and put away the beautiful women’s backs at least for the time being. Looking at new smiling pin-up women everyday was like calling them into his life.

Then we proceeded to change the flow of the home, rearranged furniture, substituted old tired pieces with new ones, added some fresh accessories, new wall colors and real plants that didn’t need much care. The magic happened in his wardrobe. He didn’t know I could create personal images too, or that it is part of my services. For Mark a black shirt was easy to match with a black pants and black shoes, thus easy to get dressed in the morning.

Black is the color that blocks the light and the positive or negative energy from other people. He had the answer to his problems when he heard me speaking these words. In fact he recalled episodes at his work of people being not too friendly with him and keeping away from him. Often he was not invited to social functions because people thought he was single and too busy with different women, in reality the black of his clothes prevented people to get closer to him. In a way the color black made him look too sophisticated or in the eyes of some he was “callus” and not approachable.

The obvious solution to me was to give some colors to his wardrobe and as soon as he started to come out with striped shirts, some prints, elegant solid colors with funky ties and different colors shoes to match with different color pants, his face picked up a new light, a king of positive aura and a new energy. He looked healthier and happier, people started to get closer to him because the changes opened up a friendly path, people felt invited and so did the woman of his life. Six months after this major change, the right woman appeared and they got married. That was his goal and my goal was to create a positive energy in the house and around his image.

Many people treat a home just like an investment without caring much of the content and cleanliness. Often I go into dirty and untidy homes, where I could write the story of my life on the dust of their furniture and where I can smell the fish or the bacon cooked many days before. A home has a soul and not just your soul, the walls and the upholstery breathe all the smells of the house, from perfume to fried food. Dirty windows will block the positive energy from coming in. Organized closets and drawers will help you simplify any chores. The colors of your home will depress you or make you happy, they are that powerful and the right lighting…..will illuminate you! Ciao,
Valentina
http://www.valentinadesigns.com

Valentina Cirasola is an Italian Interior Designer working in the USA and Europe since 1990. Often people describe her as “the colorist” as she loves to color her clients’ world and loves to create the unusual. “Vogue” magazine and many prominent publications in California featured Valentina’s work. She also has made four appearances on T.V. Comcast Channel 15. Author of three published books, the latest ©RED – A Voyage Into Colors is on the subject of colors.
Amazon: http://goo.gl/xUZfk0
Barnes&Nobles: http://goo.gl/q7dQ3w

Welcome Colors | Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer

05 Mar 2014 8 Comments

by Valentina in Home Designs Master Tags: #FallColorSchemes, #HarmonizingColors, #RedVoyageIntoColors, #WarmColorPalette

During the cold months when everything is covered in white in all tints and tones I was thinking of putting some colors in my wishes. There are are in fact many flavors around me and each has its own color and texture. (Click on the photo to see it larger).

Playing in my box of buttons, in my trunk of yarn and with my colorful hand-painted ceramics, I was calling a new client with a love for colors and so it happened. One day I received a private message on Facebook from a person I didn’t know who was asking questions about my on-line design consultations. She had followed me for a while without my knowledge. We connected on Skype and like magic it happened.

Doing a heavy lifting in the house is easy when people know how to coordinate the big items with all the small details, otherwise it could be overwhelming. I was called to restore the harmony of the house with warm colors and to reproduce the client’s summer-fall season of her skin.

She likes Opera, but has never been to an Opera House to watch an opera live. Just like in my wishes I called a person with the love of colors, I thought perhaps if I add an opera libretto in my color palette will take her closer to the opera and make her wish come true. It’s really true whatever you manifest will happen. Ciao,
Valentina
http://www.valentinadesigns.com

Valentina Cirasola is an Italian Interior Designer working in the USA and Europe since 1990. Often people describe her as “the colorist” as she loves to color her clients’ world and loves to create the unusual. “Vogue” magazine and many prominent publications in California featured Valentina’s work. She also has made four appearances on T.V. Comcast Channel 15.
Author of three published books, the latest ©RED – A Voyage Into Colors is on the subject of colors.
Amazon: http://goo.gl/xUZfk0
Barnes&Nobles: http://goo.gl/q7dQ3w

Home Designs Master Has A New Home | Valentina Cirasola | Author and Designer

22 Feb 2014 6 Comments

by Valentina in Home Designs Master Tags: #BlogMigrating, #BlogMoving, #homeDesignsMaster, #RedVoyageIntoColors, #ValentinaInteriorsDesigns

WELCOME TO MY NEW HOME

Do you recognize the icon at the top? It was Home Designs Master’s old home by me Valentina Cirasola, Interior-Fashion Designer until mid-February 2014. I moved the design blog into a new site. Here you will find many items grouped together, such as my three books, my organized trips to Italy and more stuff. In the same site you can enjoy my three blog columns as well:
Home Designs Master, The Good Life, and Friday Fashion.

I asked WordPress Angels to help me migrate the blog from one site to the other. The process was seamless, but unfortunately, all the Likes and Comments I received in four years of blogging are lost, the WP Angels told me the comments wouldn’t line up with the blog they were written for. It seems as for four years I wrote to the walls, it looks very lonely, but that’s the way it is, moving to a new home takes a few adjustments. All of you followers and readers have migrated too with the blogs, I am sure I will see your blogs coming in my email notification, but I do need your help in getting back all the Likes and Comments on any of my blogs as a real person and not a robot. The blog awards I received through the years are still there on a new page called Blog Awards Collection and I thank everybody gratefully for awarding my blogs so many times.

I am moving my design career to a new height and new experiences, thus I wanted my readers to find all my activities under one same roof. Looking forward to interacting with all of you again. In the meantime enjoy a well presented and inviting garden. The champagne is chilling in the bucket, just sit and enjoy a relaxing time. Ciao,
Valentina
http://www.valentinadesigns.com

Bari – Teatro Margherita

This is my 24th year in the design business and I am not showing signs of wanting to quit. I will be evolving in different directions, while still helping people realizing their dream spaces in homes, offices, interiors, exteriors and improving their personal images.
Check out my books on this site and on
Amazon: http://goo.gl/xUZfk0
Barnes&Nobles: http://goo.gl/q7dQ3w

Helping Designing With Care And Love | Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer

11 Feb 2014 8 Comments

by Valentina in Home Designs Master Tags: #ColorScheme, #CoordinatingExistingFurniture, #DesignServices#Online, #FurnitureSelection, #InteriorColors, #ValentinaInteriorsDesigns

The last three months of last year I was submerged with projects to develop online, projects I would have never considered when the work of an interior designer was only face-to-face and in the home of a client. Three years ago, I decided to add online consultations to my services, to help people with a tight budget.
(Click on each photo to view it larger).

Online projects are quick, often not complicated and do not engage me for six months to a year. People hire me for only a few hours of consultation via Skype and the rest is in their hands. Some people who have seen those projects I posted on social sites were kind to say “it’s nice and simple” another way to gently say “it’s too simple”. Yes, I hear you, projects online are simple because they are for people who want professional opinions and ideas, but want to challenge themselves to do it. However, as much as projects can be simple, they require the same efforts from me to produce something aesthetically pleasing and affordable. It would be a waist of my efforts to give someone something they can’t afford.

Aside from the simple projects that come almost every week, my online consultations have helped far away customers with large remodeling projects. In fact I designed a kitchen in England, a living room, studio and entry in a house in France, a kitchen and conservatory in Florida and a few others around the country without moving an inch from my desk, all via Skype. New floor plans drawn up and spaces redesigned by me the professional was the object of all these projects, hiring the labor to execute my designs, supervision and resolving problems that might arise during construction was left to the client.

In online consultations, due to lack of personal contact, there is no touching, hand shake, sharing a cup of coffee together, or taking a client to lunch, people only talk to me through a computer screen and it becomes almost impossible to cultivate a client. To avoid having impersonal conversation it is important to listen well, to be compassionate, make them feel loved, show the same care as for large projects and sell only what they want and give them only what they need.

My services have the same value, fees are not discounted and my knowledge doesn’t change because I consult online. The savings is in getting a few hours of my expertise, versus hiring me from concept to completion. Doing designs online has its downfall: often contractors take advantage of cutting corners if the designer is not on board checking on every little details, therefore if my design concepts have changed and at the end the project doesn’t look the same, I will not publish it.

Here I am showing one online project for a college woman in her 20s, who gravitated my design decisions around a large brown leather sofa she owned before she met me. The scheme #3 is her final choice. I ordered a few club chairs to fill up her empty living room, seamstress sewed pillows and curtains, selected an Ikat rug, a few lights, a coffee table with seating and shipped everything to her.

I expected to see a more vibrant and upbeat taste in a young woman, this to me is very traditional, but this is exactly what she wanted. She is happy and that’s all it matters. 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

Home Couture | Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer

07 Feb 2014 2 Comments

by Valentina in Home Designs Master Tags: #ColorsAndLight, #FurnitureCoordination, #HomeCouture, #HomeDecor, #homeDesignsMaster, #RedVoyageIntoColors

(Find all these pieces at Joss and Main)

Does it make you feel like a million dollar when you can come home to a stylish place, clean, uncluttered and coutured to your need? I think it does.

Decide the type of person you are: traditional, modern, eclectic, country, the list could be very long.

This will give you the idea of the furniture to buy, or to take from different rooms. Rotating furniture pieces from one room to another will change the energy around the house, just like rotating the tires of the car will not wear them on one side only.

Select the colors to reflect your spirit and consider the light exposure. Color contrast sharpens everything and puts in focus one piece at a time. If a few pieces of furniture are superb in style and character, all pieces will go automatically together and give the room harmony of form and coordination. Don’t be afraid to be imaginative! Ciao,
Valentina
http://www.valentinadesigns.com

Copyright © 2014 Valentina Cirasola, All Rights Reserved
As a designer in business since 1990, I am interested in helping people designing their interior and exterior spaces to add that feeling of peace and relaxation everywhere. Find copies of my three books on
Amazon: http://goo.gl/xUZfk0
Barnes&Nobles: http://goo.gl/q7dQ3w

The Seven Wonders of The Blogosphere | Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer

05 Feb 2014 12 Comments

by Valentina in Home Designs Master Tags: #BeverlyHarvey, #EncounterOfTheSeventhKindAward, #homeDesignsMaster, #ValentinaInteriorsDesigns, #WordPressBlogAward

Make someone happy today, it will make you happy too.
She called it “Award Encounter of the Seventh Kind” when Beverly Harvey received seven awards in one day from one of her blog followers. Beverly’s favorite subject is all about Cats. If you have a cat or you are thinking of getting one, you might want to follow Beverly to get her point of view, tips and suggestions on cats. http://moggiepurrs.wordpress.com/2014/01/09/award-encounters-of-the-seventh-kind/ Thank you Beverly for nominating me with seven awards.

It is a big surprise to receive blog awards from readers and followers we don’t even know except from their writing. I had my surprise too when Beverly awarded me with the same seven awards and that’s the reason I called this thank you page “The Seven Wonders of The Blogosphere”. What can I say? I feel very honored and humbly accept them all.

♥♥♥♥

The rules are as follows:
1. Display the award logo on your blog. 2. Link back to the person who nominated you. 3. State 7 things about yourself. 4. Nominate 15 (more or less) other bloggers for this award and link to them. 5. Notify those bloggers of the nomination and the award requirements. 6. Take the awards not yet given to you and enjoy them.

7 Things about me:
1. My favorite drinks are water as everyday liquid, coffee to burst my attention, champagne or prosecco (bubbles as I call them) to enjoy weekends.
2. I sleep very little, I have too much to do in this life.
3. I prefer foreign films, especially European.
4. Theatre plays and Opera are the two entertainments I gladly spend a bundle of money.
5. Cooking is not a chore for me, but my moments of enjoyment. I pour a glass or red wine, put on a classic music and start cooking. I do it everyday.
6. I am friendly and know a lot of people, but everybody is not my friend, only a few special people I choose are my friends.
7. I speak what’s on my mind, one of my biggest defects.

The nominees are:
http://theothersideofugly.com – Sherri addresses her audience as “Dear Humans”.
http://greendoorhospitality.wordpress.com – Kenley cooks like me.
http://katrinaperkins.wordpress.com – Katrina, actress and stories of theatre.
http://myhomefoodthatsamore.wordpress.com – Josephine cooks food with Amore.
http://travelsandtrifles.wordpress.com – Tina expresses thoughts through photography.
http://designsecretsnj.wordpress.com – Nancy writes about design secret.
http://tresorsdeluxe.wordpress.com – Exceptional Jewelry.
http://theamberlight.wordpress.com – Amber is into awareness of energies beyond our physical bodies.
http://tbmarkinson.wordpress.com – American novelist expatriate to England.

I chose a colorful and variegated group of bloggers, each one is an inspiration, check them out and make new friends in the Wonders Of Blogosphere. Create a great rest of the week.Ciao,
Valentina
http://www.valentinadesigns.com

As an Italian designer and true to my origins, I am well-known to bring originality to people’s homes, but that’s not where I stop and any situation is a perfect opportunity to design something out of the ordinary. Check out my three books on
Amazon: http://goo.gl/xUZfk0
Barnes&Nobles: http://goo.gl/q7dQ3w

Xhilaration Ruffle Curtain | Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer

15 Jan 2014 4 Comments

by Valentina in Home Designs Master Tags: #homeDesignsMaster, #MyPersonalAToZChallenge, #ValentinaInteriorsDesigns, #XilarationBedSet, #XilarationRufflePillow, #XilarationRuffleWindowPanel

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. My challenge is now over!

To find a topic for the letter X was hard, there isn’t anything in home décor starting with X that suited my taste, thus I left it for last to close the series of my challenge Home From A To Z. I found instead a very inexpensive and fun way to cover windows.

Xhilaration Ruffle Window Panels-https://www.target.com/p/xhilaration-ruffle-curtain-panel-50x84/-/A-14565711

Xhilaration Ruffle Window Panels-https://www.target.com/p/xhilaration-ruffle-curtain-panel-50×84/-/A-14565711

Xhilaration Jersey Ruffle Pillow-https://www.target.com/p/jersey-ruffle-throw-pillow-xhilaration-153/-/A-14864584#lnk=sametab

Xhilaration Zebra Bed in a Bag-https://www.ebay.com/b/Comforters-Sets/45462?Brand=Xhilaration&Color=Black

The Xhilaration Ruffle Window Panels. They have been designed to add a soft feminine touch to any window with five ample ruffled layers that create a soft texture. They are transparent gauze to let to sunlight in and still show the view of the outside. If privacy is needed, add the light block fabric behind it. Colors are limited, only white, black and rosy color are available. They are available on Ebay for the magic price of $16.99. Ruffle pillows make a nice parure with the ruffle curtains.

Xhilaration Zebra Bed in a bag twin set is available in hot pink with zebra print, on eBay $49.99, or scroll design for $59.99. Altogether it would make a perfect ensemble for a teenage girl room.
There is good décor out there for everyone, every budget and every style. The important thing is to coordinate all the items in a room and to layer textures with an artistic touch. No one will ever know the décor is inexpensive. Your home begins with your story, tell it in your own fantastic way.

I wrote 26 posts, one for each letter of the alphabet. I had fun in the process and at times I felt the pressure. I hope to have kept you interested and inspired to create a home that is only yours and not a copy of a magazine.

I want to thank Julie Dawn Fox http://myatozchallenge.com/author/juliefox – a British expat in Portugal for being a gracious host of this wonderful idea of anything from A To Z Challenge. Now, I will return to my comfortable one time a week blogging. Ciao,
Valentina

http://www.valentinadesigns.com

It’s my hope that through my writing I am enriching your aesthetic sensibility towards design, style and inspire you to live in beauty. I have loved my profession as an interior designer since 1990. I am here ready to offer consultations on-line if you need it. Check out my latest book on colors ©RED-A Voyage Into Colors, available on

Amazon: http://goo.gl/xUZfk0
Barnes&Nobles: http://goo.gl/q7dQ3w

Riser With A Skirt | Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer

14 Jan 2014 6 Comments

by Valentina in Home Designs Master Tags: #MyPersonalAToZChallenge, #NewelPost, #RedVoyageIntoColors, #StairHandrail, #StairRisers, #StairsBuildingCode, #StairTreads

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. One more post and my challenge is over.

Lucky are the people who have a staircase in their home! If I had stairs in my home I would never go to the gym again. Going up and down the stairs, every day and many times during the day is a good cardiovascular exercising and the best way to stay fit. Besides, the staircase offers a good opportunity to turn the space underneath the stairs into extra storage for shoes, wines, books, or a small room for some activity as writing.

In Europe where building code is not so strict people can get away with open stairs, but in America is not possible, stairs must have a handrail. Stair rails installed after March 15, 1991, must not be less than 36” in height.
However, one very important rule is that if a rail has balusters, also called spindles made of stone or wood and sometimes of metal, it cannot allow the passage of a 4” sphere between balusters/spindles. This rule was made to avoid small children to go through the spindles and make a long fall to the next floor. It happened to me when I was five years old in Europe in my grandmother’s ancient home. Playing with my brother on the stairs, I went through the rail, flew from a height similar to the second level of today’s home, hitting the marble floor so hard that I was in a coma for 45 days. I can’t even begin to think about how devastated my parents must have been.

Contemporary stair skirt – http://uniquecustommouldingsandtrim.com

Classic stair brackets-http://www.invitinghome.com/Stair_Brackets/Stair_Brackets_List.htm

Stair railing and decorative skirt – http://freeportwoodworking.com/project/interior-trim/

Nick-nack shelving under stairs -BH&G

(Photo credits are given to the respective owners)

Each part of a stair has a name and a rule.
The handrail with the fundamental rule already described.
The tread is where we put our foot to start the climbing. The minimum tread depth must be 10”. I like the 12” tread for better comfort.
The riser is the vertical area between treads. The maximum riser height must be 7-3/4”. This part can be very decorative and one can have fun with tiles, wallpaper, hand drawings and whatever fancies the homeowner, or it can be left plain, while the tread can emphasize beautiful material.
The skirt or bracket is the decorative design created on the exposed wall between the riser and the tread. Is it important to have it? Not really, but it exalts and glorifies a staircase made with beautiful material, sinuous form, and interesting rail. Skirts are for both traditional style or contemporary style homes.
Newel posts are the post supporting one end of a handrail at the top or bottom of a flight of stairs. There is no limit to fantasy designs, the newel is the end of the stairs, make it attractive.
If you go to my Pinterest board Up And Down the Stairs, you will see some glorious staircases. http://www.pinterest.com/vcvalentina/up-and-down-the-stairs/

Stairs make the focal point of the house, especially if they start in the entry. It is of the utmost importance to design them with flair, otherwise, they will be only an imposing presence in your home. If the stairs are straight, soften them with plans, color, lights, and water features. 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