Pattern | By: Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer Wednesday, May 15 2013

This week photo challenge by Sara Rosso is Pattern, I like it and I am taking the challenge. http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/05/10/weekly-photo-challenge-pattern

Pattern

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What is a pattern? Pattern has a different meaning for each of us.

In my world of design, a pattern might be:
A wooden model or paper drawing used to build a home.
A diagram, or model drafted for making a dress.
Artistic or decorative throw pillows with paisley and flowers, or a quilt made with left over fabrics.
A design of natural origin: wild bird formations happening in my plants every spring.
An assortment of Victorian cutlery on the dining table or the cutlery motifs painted on my decorative glass plate.
A Christmas light ball I turn on every night makes different designs as I turn the colored lights.
A person considered worthy of emulating, learning perhaps from a famous chef.
Pattern of things I see and intrigue me.
Traits or features characteristic of a recognizable individual: Sophia Loren.
Colorful hand-painted Italian ceramics and tiles.

Life is full of patterns. “Sans poésie on exist sans vivre” – Without poetry we exist without living.

Pattern of being thankful and recognizing friendship. I want to take this opportunity to thank two people who nominated me last month for two awards. I am so honored:

Tom at The Palladian Traveler http://thepalladiantraveler.com  nominated me with the HUG Award©.
When you contact your nominees for the award, please include a link to this page  http://ahopefortoday.com/2012/01/14/hope-unites-globally-hug-award-guidelines
I will nominate one person for this award Adam at http://unorthodoxepicure.com – Confession of an inspiring food snob.

Natalia at Postcard From Italy http://nataliasarkissian.wordpress.com nominated me for The Versatile Blogger Award.
I will nominated one person for this award: http://littlemisswordy.wordpress.com
Awards usually come with some rules.
1. Thank the person who gave you the award.
2. Include a link to their blog.
3. Name the bloggers to whom you would like to pass the award and send them a link to tell them you’ve selected them.
4. Finally, tell the person who nominated you seven things about yourself.

I wish you a productive and happy rest of the week. Ciao,
Valentina

http://www.valentinadesigns.com
http://valentinaexpressions.com

Copyright © 2013 Valentina Cirasola, All Rights Reserved

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 author of three books available on Amazon and Barnes&Nobles.
Get your copy of her book on colors: Red-A Voyage Into Colors 
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/9agl5v9
Barnes&Nobles: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/valentina-cirasola

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Liebster Award | March Appreciation | By: Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer Wednesday, Mar 6 2013

Amaryllis

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Are you getting ready for spring? Are you looking into your wardrobe to see what looks good for keeping and what doesn’t?  Are you ready to change into spring colors? Do you usually invite spring into your home with new colors, deep cleaning, moving furniture around, or adding nature in some corners? Before my March is over I do all that and I make a special appreciation day to everyone and everything contributing to  the “good and pleasant” in my life. Ask me how to do it, if you have challenges. Decorating for Spring with your skin and eye colors is fun.

Today I am recognizing Sindy at http://bluebutterfliesandme.wordpress.com  for nominating me with the Liebster Award. Please visit her site, Sindy writes about spirituality. Sindy, I know a few weeks have passed since you awarded me, but I haven’t forgotten you, just needed to find the right moment. Last December, I stuck the beautiful amaryllis’s bulb in the pot and waited for a miracle to happen, until one day it bloomed literally before my eyes. I dedicated this flower to you Sindy  (it came out a little dark, I don’t know how to fix it) and thank you for nominating me, I feel honored.

~Award Suggested Guidelines~

Answer the questions below.

Nominate 11 bloggers

Inform your nominees by posting a link on their blogs

The Questions Are:

What first inspired you to start writing a blog?
In 2005, I was blogging on an Italian designers’ site and didn’t even knew it was called blogging. I thought I was participating to discussions. Then, my business coach said I needed to have my blog site and three years ago I landed on WordPress.

What is the biggest challenge you have had to face when writing a blog?
What is on my mind, it’s also on my tongue.  I was concerned my words would start a third Punic War.

If you traveled through time, what time would you want to arrive at and why?
I am very sure I lived in the 17^th Century between Venice and France. I have too many déjà-vu examples that I have been there already.

However if I were to just pick one time in the past..
Definitely it would be Paris in 1920. I agree with Sindy, Woody Allen’s movie, “Midnight In Paris” project the perfect time for my character. I watch that film religiously at least once a month.

Do you prefer to eat chocolate, sweets or neither?
Chocolate for sure, no guilt.

Do you prefer to read or write?
I am addicted to both, it’s hard to choose.

What is your favorite non-fiction topic to read about and why?
Famous people autobiographies to learn from successful, smart or rich people how to make a better life and travel novels to learn and dream from people’s experiences about distance places I will never see.

If you could buy one book that would help you solve a problem in your life, what would it be and why?
As practical as I am, no book will ever solve my problem in life, unless I work at my problem with action. A book can only give me some inspiration.

Do you prefer to write at night or during the day?
Anytime, I am a nightcrawler and early birds, depending on my mood.

If you could be any character from a book, who would you be and why?
I am very happy being me, but for the sake of this award,  I would try a man’s role, just to see how it is on the other side. I would choose to be Casanova.

Do you prefer to read a printed book or an e-Book?
A printed book smells like a book and knowledge.

These are my 11 nominees, all very talented and creative people. Please visit each other, I am so grateful for all your knowledge, spirit and insights you bring me.

http://greendoorhospitality.wordpress.com/

http://astimegoesbuy.me/

http://terry1954.wordpress.com/

http://marianne365days.wordpress.com/

http://thepalladiantraveler.com/

http://jakesprinters.wordpress.com/

http://50yearproject.wordpress.com/

http://petit4chocolatier.wordpress.com/

http://katrinaperkins.wordpress.com/

http://shareandconnect.wordpress.com/

http://misbehavedwoman.wordpress.com/

Life, colors and bread go on. Take control of your own food and the happiness that will follow.  Those who have seeds and know how to make food will survive. Create a great week. Ciao,
Valentina

http://www.Valentinadesigns.com
http://valentinaexpressions.com

Copyright © 2013 Valentina Cirasola, All Rights Reserved

Valentina Cirasola has been in business as an interior designer since 1990 improving people’s life by changing their spaces. Often people describe her as “the colorist” for a reason. She lives in a colorful world, wrote a book on colors and loves to color her clients’ environments by creating the unusual. Her deep interest in food led her to study food, natural remedies, nutrition and well-being as an autodidact and finally wrote two books on Italian regional cuisine. Find Valentina’s books on

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/9agl5v9
Barnes&Nobles: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/valentina-cirasola

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Garden Inspiration | By: Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer Monday, Jul 30 2012

In this part of the world, California, we are having a mild summer, very pleasant and conducive for work in the office, or work in the garden and a day at the beach is never scorching.
For a couple of months, we can still make improvements to the garden, before we need to prepare it for the coming winter. The garden should follow the architectural style of the house, at least at the front street side, the curb appeal should reflect it. The interior part of the garden, or otherwise called backyard, might be extravagant, whimsical, dreamy, or it might be kept in the same style of the house.

If I am designing the interior colors, I keep them communicating with the exterior and the garden colors. This will avoid the choppy or disconnected feeling and will keep everything in harmony. A Mediterranean style home with a Japanese style garden is out-of-place. The best way to design an interesting garden, large or small, is to divide the ground in many vignettes and create a certain rhythm that will invite you in. My Pinterest board has been an inspiration; so many good ideas and tips are showing up and I am taking full advantage of all of them. Here there are some solutions I find very intriguing:

Strawberry rocks – No longer need to worry about birds eating your baby strawberries. Place these rocks around the strawberry patch, the birds will bite on the rocks thinking they are biting on the strawberries and will soon learn never to come closer to your patch.

Broken clay pot – Do not discard, use them to create a view in your fantasy.

Create islands – Place an island here and there, with loose bricks and rocks, the pot in the center will carry the plants arrangements of your liking and will become the centerpiece.

Simple fountains – Very inexpensive to do, made of simple rocks or leftover construction material, a small lining to collect the recirculating water and a pump; place them anywhere between plants.

Pathways – I love to see pathways not designed in the same style. Pathways should change according to the vignette design. Keep them interesting.

Playing games – Don’t you love this checkered game area with tall chess pieces?

Vertical orchard – This is possible to create even if you don’t have a garden, on a balcony or on a terrace. If you can, plant food, it will be better than food sold in stores, guaranteed!

Paint a color door – Allow only one door leading in the garden to be of a different color, I painted red my garage door leading to the garden. A bit of splash of color among the greenery is intriguing.

Do you like vintage? – Look what is possible to do with old china sets, or with an old musical instrument. One becomes bird’s bath with a few modifications and the other one becomes a flower display bed. Actually, a speaker hidden inside the flower display, would a stylish solution, from which the music of a violin diffuses in the air. I often hide speakers under resin rocks. How sweet!

A relaxation area – Unused trampoline turned into a cozy place where to nap on a Sunday afternoon, or anytime rest is needed.

Many different ideas, funky, whimsical, elegant and original will be available. If in doubt call the expert, I love to design gardens that speak of you.
I do offer design consultations on-line through Skype line. Visit my Pinterest boards, when you have some free time: http://pinterest.com/vcvalentina/. Ciao,
Valentina
http://www.Valentinadesigns.com
http://valentinaexpressions.com/

Copyright © 2012 Valentina Cirasola, All Rights Reserved

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 designs landscape as a complement to the residential design concept as a unity.

Check out her books on
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/9agl5v9
Barnes&Nobles: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/valentina-cirasola

 

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Woman’s Day In Yellow | By: Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer Thursday, Mar 8 2012

March 8th is the International Woman’s Day.
It is traditional on this day to give yellow mimosa flowers to women as a sign of respect and solidarity. This is a day to celebrate appreciation and love towards women and to celebrate women’s economic, political and social achievements. Women give Mimosa to each other as well.

Yellow is one of the many colors that characterizes spring and summer. A controversial color that makes people feel happy, but creates anxiety; it is the color of the sun, which gives life to nature, but as the autumn approaches, the leaves turn yellow, lose their life and die. It is a cheerful color, however not many people can wear it, they feel either washed out or don’t feel good in yellow. Being a bit of a difficult, but inviting color, how can we include yellow in our fashion or homes?

(Bouquet Bed from Arch-Expo).

Orienting your color scheme to your own particular hair and skin coloring is a good practice to make a pleasing cosmetic environment. The same practice is valid when decorating any spaces we live in. Before pairing colors with yellow, we should know how to distinguish each yellow.

Winter and summer yellow is stripped of any gold reflexes. Winter yellow is pale like the winter sunlight. Spring yellow is hot and delicate, like the yellow of the daffodils; summer yellow is riper as the pineapple and it is also sharp as lemon; the autumn yellow is deep mustard gold.

White is the neutral color needed to calm the yellow and it is perfect for the blue-based winter and summer skin tone, as it brings out the pink tone in their skin and make them look healthy. Winter and summer people can use yellow in home décor with a good amount of white. White washes out people with golden tones skin. Spring and autumn people need to turn to creamy beige colors.

It is good to pair yellow with metals. Add silver for people with a blue-based skin tones and gold for people with yellow-based skin tones to bring out their warm coloration. Brown and purple are perfect colors to tone down the yellow. As you see in bedroom photograph, a metallic yellow is the accent color in the bedspread, pillows and glass details.

It communicates well with the metallic purple, the silver coloration of the floor and the white light of the lamp, but what brings everything together is the golden brown of the wood furniture with a yellow tone. This room will work well with an autumn person.

The right cosmetic color will lift our spirit and light up our face, it will work the same in our home décor, after all if one color doesn’t look good on us, it will not look good in our environment either. The walls or décor will reflect the wrong energy and we will never feel comfortable in that space.

Mimosa (acacia dealbata) was introduced to Europe from Australia in 1820.
It is probably the first tree to flower as early as January with yellow flowers.

A Mimosa Cocktail to serve at a morning brunch is the easiest drink to prepare:
Mix one part champagne (or other sparkling wine) and one part thoroughly chilled citrus fruit juice, orange juice or grapefruit juice.
It is traditionally served in a tall champagne flute.

Tomorrow, celebrate your beautiful self and give a woman a mimosa.

My book on the subject of colors RED-A Voyage Into Colors is just about ready to be released. Stay tuned for the launch, but if in the meantime you need suggestions on colors, please do not hesitate to leave your name in the box below. Ciao,
Valentina
www.Valentinadesigns.com
www.Valentinaexpressions.com

Valentina on Affluent Living:
http://youtu.be/kWuB7I8uJjg
http://youtu.be/eC2LVXANG5U

Copyright © 2012 Valentina Cirasola, All Rights Reserved

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.

Check out her books on
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/9agl5v9
Barnes&Nobles: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/valentina-cirasola

 

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Emptiness And Serenity In Japanese Décor | By: Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer Friday, Aug 12 2011

I have gone into many homes in my life, some very attractive, some less interesting, everyone with its own particular style but not always reflecting the homeowner’s personality. The other day I had lunch in a Japanese friend’s house. It is not my first time visiting a Japanese home, in fact a few years ago I was in Japan where I had a taste of the original Japanese décor.

Strangely, I find that Japanese born people living in the western world tend to appreciate the western décor more than their own traditional style. Is it because they want to blend in with the hosting country, or because the western décor is new to their eyes and want to embrace it? Probably, I will never ask them this questions, but one thing I felt in my friend’s home: a certain serene atmosphere and subdued colors.

Colors in Japanese décor are never too strong or too visible, ranging from browns to beige, from light green to light pink or peach, their function is to balance the environment and provide a resting place for the eyes. Although red is a perfect color for the coloration of their skin, therefore it can be found often in their garments, Japanese hardly paint walls in their homes in red or place a huge piece of red furniture in their décor. Red might be present in small amount inside of a painting, or blended softly with other colors in throw pillows.
Furniture are sparse, barely the minimal even in large homes, leaving wide unused spaces to a free flow of positive energy.

After lunch my friend served a gentle lemon grass tea in a British blueish-green porcelain cup with gold designs rolling in a white background, accompanied by white linen napkins and brushed stainless steel flatware for tea and dessert. White is the color that pulls their soft colors together. Interior doors and frames, windows and frames, foyer and corridors marble floors, kitchen and service areas floors, ceilings and some upholstery all play that role, in some case even table and bed linens.

Fresh flowers and natural plants are part of the Japanese interior décor, but they are graphic, mixed with stones and kept in one color scheme. I have never seen a flower arrangement in a riot of colors, as I see it often in western homes. Japanese like the gentle simplicity of nature and they will never recreate what nature does not create. They keep the shapes organic and natural even in garden arrangements.

Rocks are an important element of a Japanese dry garden “Karensansui”, designed for meditation and to restore heart and mind. It is meant to be contemplative while sitting down in one place to see it at eye level. By gazing at different size rocks, sand and gravel, one is to imagine ocean water flowing and waterfall cascading down hills and mountains. My friend told me that the rocks resemble the island of Japan, sand and gravel placed around the rocks are designed as ripples resembling the movement of water. The gardener will use a rake to create this movement.

She gave me a little insight on what kind of rocks to choose for a dry Japanese garden and the meaning of each rock called Ishi. There are only five types of rocks to choose, but very important for keeping the equilibrium in the mind and soul:
• Vertical rock or soul rock as it is called. It gets interspersed randomly in the landscape.
• Body rock is a tall rock, which is placed towards the back of the garden, because is the tallest stone and also represents a God.
• Heart rock is flat, almost like a stepping-stone and balances all the vertical rocks.
• Branching and Reclining rocks balance all the forms and shapes, vertical and horizontal.
• Rocks to avoid are the broken ones and the Dead Rock, which are long and can only be used horizontally, making a figurative dead person.

Spaces in the garden must be empty, not crowded with plants. Empty spaces will create something in the viewer’s imagination. The contour of all the elements around will create a sense of time in space, a sense of solitude and a cure for the spirit.
As the rule demands, my friend’s Japanese dry garden is well enclosed on all sides in a wood fence and surrounded by tall trees and maples.

Her rock garden was designed outside a traditional tatami room with shoji doors, complete with a spa room, soaking tub, steam shower, lanterns, silk kimonos and bamboo fabric bathrobe and slippers. Particularly I admired the exquisite herringbone woodwork on the ceiling. This Japanese wing of a French Chateau house in California (what a mixture!) was detailed to the letter to make a real, traditional and original setting. It was a surprise to see it, as it is not visible from any part of the house. I was impressed to see all this beauty and serenity created as a secret island in a home that vibrates as all the busy homes do with everyday routine.

Leaving any Japanese home, don’t forget to thank the host for the courteous hospitality and to bow down to show your appreciation for being in their home and for the special care received. Japanese hospitality and courtesy always leave me astounded.

Has my experience in a Japanese home been useful to you? Do you feel you need a serene secret island for your mind and soul? Sometimes it might take a little study, but any décor can be recreated anywhere, let me know what you need by leaving a comment below. Ciao,
Valentina
www.Valentinadesigns.com

http://www.youtube.com/user/affluentliving#p/u/2/eC2LVXANG5U
http://www.youtube.com/user/affluentliving#p/u/0/kWuB7I8uJjg

Copyright © 2011 Valentina Cirasola, All Rights Reserved

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 home, décor restyling and home fashion. Valentina has been featured in Italy on: “Vogue” magazine and many prominent publications in California. She also has made four appearances on T.V. Comcast Channel 15.
Find her books on

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/9agl5v9
Barnes&Nobles: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/valentina-cirasola

 

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