Travel Theme: Foliage | By: Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer Tuesday, Oct 2 2012

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.

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/
http://valentinaexpressions.com/

Copyright © 2012 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 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://tinyurl.com/9agl5v9
Barnes&Nobles: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/valentina-cirasola

 

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Urban Gardens | By: Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer Thursday, Aug 16 2012

My fascination with gardens takes me to a constant research to find innovative solutions for my clients and for my garden as well. I do gardening and grow the food I like to eat as a form of relaxation and as another way to get closer to Mother Earth.

I came across this new idea called “Urbanana” created in Paris by French practice SOA Architects. The building of Urbanana sits between two residential buildings in the middle of the city and it is an open glass space dedicated to a cultivation of most bananas species, especially the type that is no longer available in Europe.
Inside of the building, on the bottom floor, there is an exposition area, a restaurant and even a boutique. There is no flooring above the exposition area, where the plants are growing, but a system of bridges fill the interior spaces to provide access to each section and to give maximum daylight to the plants. In this giant green house, artificial and natural lighting help plants maturing naturally, following the succession of seasons.
All Urbanana images belong to SOA

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This is a superb initiative and I hope more people will come up with similar models to reproduce many types of vegetation. Looking at the bird’s eye view picture, all those banana trees add a feeling of a tropical island in the middle of a busy city. I can smell the banana scent in the middle of Paris!

For homegrown food, we can take this model to make a less imposing structure and still produce natural food with only natural light, water and love. Vertical gardens can be attached anywhere in the outdoor space, on walls, on heavy fences, or made as freestanding structures. This has been my goal since several years ago, when I decided to become a weekend city farmer and turn my backyard into a healthy source of tasty food my way.

I have made wreaths of tomatoes and peppers to dry under the sun. In a few days the will be turned into sauces and compote for the winter. My winter table promises well and my friends will be really happy. Ciao,
Valentina
www.Valentinadesigns.com
http://valentinaexpressions.com/

Copyright © 2012 Valentina Cirasola, All Rights Reserved

Valentina Cirasola has been in business as an interior designer since 1990. 
She has helped a variegated group of fun people realizing their dreams with homes, offices, interiors and exteriors. 
She designs architectural landscape as a complement to the residential design concept.
Check out her 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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The Story Of Your Home | by: Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer Thursday, Apr 12 2012

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I was in a funny episode a few years ago, it just resurfaced yesterday because I was talking in a forum about this episode. I met a woman in a store in the area where I live, she was a foreigner, but we spoke Italian to each other, because she knew my language. We got acquainted and we talked casually for a while. At the end of the conversation she invited me to a party at her house that coming weekend. Bare in mind we were perfect strangers.

She appeared to be not well-groomed person, she said she was gardening that day before going out to the boutique were we met for the first time. She was very dirty, she was wearing jeans with holes (me, going out with holes in the jeans? Never, not even if they are in high fashion!), she had a mount of oily red hair flowing in the air, well you get the picture. Any way, I don’t know why, I accepted her invitation to the party.

When I arrived to her address, I saw a huge mansion of about 30,000 sq.ft., which wrapped around a hill (I learned later that the entire hill was her property, among many other properties). I called the number she gave me to tell her that I might had arrived at the wrong address. She assured me I was not and opened the gate.
Statues, fountains and scented flowers opened a beautiful path for me.
The family is a multi-millionaire ten times over. Her husband retired from his own company at age 37, he is now in his late 60s. There is no need to tell you what a beautiful, colorful and really extravagant, out of the ordinary home unfolded in front of my eyes, all decorated by her.

During the party she had a paid tour guide wearing a livery and white gloves who took every hour and half a group of 6 people at a time to visit the house interiors and the exterior luscious gardens, artificial lakes, ponds, outdoor pizzeria and outdoor rooms. The woman came from very poor origins and made it really big in this world as an emigrant.

Lesson learned. Never judge a book by the cover and never question the motives of rich people. They have it, they can flaunt it and I will enjoy every moment spent in their wealth any time I am around them.

Showing our home to the guests is a costume of certain cultures and a privilege to be shown around, but not everybody does it for a fear of losing privacy or being criticized. Commonly the rooms well made up are foyer, living room, kitchen and powder room. The rest of house being off limit to the guests is either not pretty or not clean, but you live in it and you paid for that space too, why not give a little consideration to it, adding a little sense of pride for what you achieved, may I add?

It doesn’t take much effort to bring the invisible part of the house up to par, especially with the help of a professional who has a trained eye and knows how to find the best within your budget. Each one of us has a story to tell about the house, your guests will be interested to hear it and get to know you better through your cocoon. Surprise them!
I am here for you or anyone you know. I have been at your service since 22 years ago and I show no signs of wanting to quit. Sharing is caring, pass my article around freely. Ciao,
Valentina
www.Valentinadesigns.com
www.Valentinaexpressions.com

Copyright © 2012 Valentina Cirasola, All Rights Reserved

Valentina Cirasola is a trained Italian Interior Designer in business since 1990. Being Italian born and raised, Valentina’s design work has been influenced by Classicism and stylish, timeless designs. 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. Valentina is the author of the forthcoming book on colors RED-A VOYAGE INTO COLORS. Check out her two published books available 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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Up In The Air Or In The Ground | By: Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer Wednesday, Jun 1 2011

We have been accustomed to create gardens and orchards in the ground. Getting down in closer contact to the ground I think is very spiritual. While we attend our garden on our knees we can touch nature with our hands, shape it to our liking, mix the color we prefer and perhaps listen to our favorite music on the iPod. I find gardening time very relaxing and a good way to do some thinking.

Unfortunately a couple of months ago I fell in the street on hard concrete and seriously injured my right knee, lucky me I did not break it, but here I am two months later I still cannot bend my knee to go down very well and my garden as been suffering. As a designer the natural thing for me to do was to research on raised gardens or finding some easy solution for clients who have knees or back problems.

I found this attractive creation designed by Patrick Morris called Sky Planter, which can be used indoor for fussy plants and outdoor to save our back. It is made of ceramics, locks the plant and soil into the place and hang from a ceiling or wall-mount. A reservoir hidden in the top waters plants gradually.

I also found the easy reach, the ultimate Pulley System for any plants! I think this is such a brilliant idea for any flowers, vegetables and cooking spices.
The pot can even be raised up and down to put the plant in the sun when needed and in the shade when the sun get to hot. Take a look of the video by clicking on the following link:
https://www.geteasyreach.com/?tag=im%7Csm%7Cgo%7Cgn&a_aid=011&a_bid=2c0f9e42

At the Orticola Garden Trade Show in Milano last month, I saw gardens on rotating stairs like a Ferris wheel, easy to attend and to water as the plant comes around.

For those people who live in the city and don’t have much space for gardening, I found the eco urban garden, called the “Cavalier”, made by Paris based designers Az & Mut.

Hand-made in France, the products are made from a composite of 70% flax fibres. Pot cavalier is designed to be slung over the balcony railing, holding itself in place without any other hardware. The pots are light and frost-resistant.

The same designer came up with the idea of the “Danseuses” a lamp shade that balances on its two cut edges. It can be used either lying down, between plants to emanate a very delicate glow in its surrounding space or hung onto a wall, or suspended looking like many dancers (danseuses). They are made of bleached flax fibres and ecological resin.

Brilliant ideas to make our lives easy and as I always say:
“When life is easy God answers”.

It is my pleasure to bring you ideas and novelties. Let me know if I can help you with some exteriors or interior solutions. 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 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 and hardscape as a complement to the residential design concept as a unity. She is the author of three books available on

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

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From Royal Hats To Garden Hats | By: Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer Tuesday, May 24 2011

It is so refreshing to see hats completing women’s attires again. I believe this year has marked the advent of a new era for hats. We have seen many extravagant creations on the stage of the British Royal wedding last April.

Some hats were awesome, some not so quite and some others puzzled me how they stood up on women’s head in a perfect balance, but they all had the goal to shock and amaze. After all it wasn’t a common day for business as usual, it was the day of the royal wedding, every guest had the license to overdue.

A couple of weeks later, at the Orticola Trade Show in Milano, I was happily surprised to see so many women in hats again, but this was a garden show, a place where vendors were showing their green novelties in gardens and orchards, flowers, bulbs, vegetables and the latest in garden technology. I truly loved the display of floral hats in all shapes, forms and colors, a display of elegance and femininity returning on earth. Women are feeling comfortable in their own skin again, no longer having the need to mimic men in any of their life expressions.

This year the trend of artificial flowers in communion with artificial food fetish is showing up everywhere too, in jewelry, on hats, in dresses and even in the way stores display their fashion merchandise. A casual summer dress this year looks very flowery and colorful. The lightweight lends itself to the games that a soft wind might play between the fabric.

Artificial flowers made of silk and papyrus with a hint of perfume were already known in Egypt around 3000 B.C., also used by Greek and Roman women. During the Middle Age artificial flowers became so fashionable in upper class circles of France that Paris and Lyon became well-famous for manufacturing the most stunning creations of accessories with flowers, fruits and ribbons destined to embellish the already extravagant ladies’ dresses.

Fresh flowers adorned women and men’s body as well all through different historic periods.
During the Middle Age girls in age to be married decorated their head with a single wreath of fresh flowers, an indication of virginity.

During the Rococo’ and the French Empire Era women decorated their voluptuous dresses with fresh flowers and ribbons, while men’s final touch was to wear a gardenia on the lapel, a custom men continued well in today’s dressing: a gardenia for a tuxedo and a carnation for an evening suit.

Earlier, I mentioned how creative some trendy stores are treating the display of the merchandise in their windows this Spring. The usage of fruits, vegetables and some beautiful insects like butterflies instill harmony and peace in the shopper’s view, it doesn’t really look like they are selling. Selling is a real art, when selling with nature in mind, it feels good and inviting.

I am loving the soft look of Spring and Summer collection this year, it is spiritual, organic, sexy and it is calling for love. You will find it also transported in the interiors of eclectic homes where natural fabrics and colors mix and blend with bricks or distressed wall finishes. Get the inspiration from one of my earlier blog entitled: http://valentinadesigns.wordpress.com/2011/01/10/i-prescribe-bohemian-style-by-valentina-cirasola-interior-designer/
When in doubt, call the expert and I shall be here for you. Please leave your name in the box below. Ciao,
Valentina
www.Valentinadesigns.com

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

Copyright © 2011 Valentina Cirasola, All Rights Reserved

 

 

Valentina Cirasola is an Italian Interior and Fashion Designer, working in the USA and Europe. She blends well fashion and interior in any of her design work. She loves to remodel homes and loves to create the unusual.
She is the author of three books available on 

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/9agl5v9

Barnes&Nobles: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/valentina-cirasola

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Illuminate Your Summer | By: Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer Friday, May 13 2011

Light is life. Where there is light there is a crowd of people and where there is a fun lighting there is also a fun divertissement.
We all know how to illuminate our exterior paths, the garden and the house and we do it accordingly to the style of the house. Illumination is one of those items in the décor that can go extravagant, out of the ordinary, be a bit crazy.
In my house I have lamps and light sources different from one another and yet they live together really well, adding the conversation element too.
I want to show you how to illuminate your summer with solar lighting in the fun way and save you money at the same time.

Magic Solar Glowing Globes are good for any pathways, swimming pool edge line, or as stakes on the grass between vegetation.

Solar Stakes add a little comic life by mimic flowers and plants elevated to the nth power. Glass Solar Steaks go into the ground, the multicolored glass will illuminate in colors any trees, any shrub, any vast area of plain grass, now you only need imagination in creating your own secret garden fantasy.

If you have a swimming pool you can produce a nighttime underwater lighting show with lit up fountain creating water shooting scattered here and there on the water of the pool.
How about something to recreate pleasant sounds?
Whether you like quiet time with yourself, or entertain in style, these fake rocks are light enough to be picked up by one person and moved anywhere you like. Add speaker to them and your favorite music will fill the air.

A chandelier in the garden, what a novel idea! They are not what they seem, they are hummingbirds feeders in the version of small chandeliers, artsy, whimsical, colorful. Any place in the garden is the right place, hang them off trees, pergola and arbors. My hummingbirds are very happy these days.

Now relax, sit in this “Paradisio” alcove, with UV-resistant fabrics and maintenance-free material and forget the world!
There is so much more to do in recreating a summer of harmony: solar shower, outdoor heaters, nighttime fire and all the items I can pull together for you in a jiffy, while saving you money too. Leave your name down below in the box and I shall answer you in 24 hours time. Ciao,
Valentina

www.Valentinadesigns.com

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Copyright © 2011 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 and hardscape as a complement to the residential design concept as a unity. Find her books on
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/9agl5v9
Barnes&Nobles: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/valentina-cirasola

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