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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F For Fainting Moments | By: Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer Monday, Mar 11 2013

Welcome to my A to Z Challenge on the subject of HOME.
http://myatozchallenge.com/2012/02/20/welcome-to-my-a-to-z-challenge-2/

What do the Récamier, Méridienne and Fainting Sofa have in common? Three reclining chairs of the past and present home décor that have in common one idea: Relaxation. Ancient population understood the benefits of relaxation and included it in their daily life.


For Egyptians, Greeks and Romans the idea of relaxing often on the ‘kline’ – a type of day beds – was part of the daily routine as early as the 8th century BC. The modern Greek word ‘symposion’ or “symposium” means ‘to drink together’ in a party atmosphere with music and conversation while even conducting business. The Romans adopted the daybed for reclining in the daytime and during meals and at night they slept on. This type of daybed was widely used in the Orient as well, where there was no distinction between sleeping furniture and daytime furniture.

(Madame Juliette Récamier above)

Récamier Sofa (above) took the name from Madame Juliette Récamier, a French society leader, whose salon drew Parisians from the leading literary and political circles of the early 19th century. After Madame Récamier’s guests were well fed, she would preside over the discussions while reclining on a sofa, usually wrapped in a yellow shawl. That’s how Jacques-Louis David depicted her. It seems that a bit of gossip is appropriate with a Récamier: Madame Juliette Récamier married at the age of 15 Jacques-Rose Récamier, a rich banker nearly 30 years her senior and a relative of the gourmand Brillat-Savarin, who wrote a few books on the philosophy of cooking and taste. Fantastic books, I read them all and strongly suggest them. A rumor arose that Jacques-Rose Récamier was Juliette’s natural father who married her to make her his heir. The Récamier marriage was never consummated and Juliette remained a virgin until at least the age of forty.

Méridienne – a type of asymmetrical day-bed (above) – has a high head-rest, and a lower foot-rest, joined by a sloping piece. Every grand house of France in the early 19th century had one for every room. Its typical use was for resting in the middle of the day, when the sun is near the meridian, a practice still in use in the South of Europe and Mediterranean basin.

(Edouart Manet above – Fainting Sofa)

Fainting Sofa has a back raised at one end, often wraps around and extends along the entire length of the piece. Fainting sofa deserved separate rooms in the 19th century home décor, only used by women to faint on, due to their tight corsets restricting blood flow. However, another peculiar use of this chair made it go down in history. Sex between married people was intended only for procreation. Society’s false modesty prevented  women of high social background from taking care of  their men’ frivolous sex desires, it was considered an indecent behavior left only for prostitutes. That constricted way of thinking caused female hysteria, considered a real ‘disease’ that needed to be treated by home visiting doctors and midwives through manual pelvic massage. It was a recurrent need often requiring hours for the intimate procedure to work, thus creating a room for privacy and a chair for comfort was of the utmost importance.

(Méridienne in my client’s home)

We cannot build our future if we don’t know history. Today, when possible, I like to place one Méridienne chair or Fainting Sofa in my clients’ homes and I can’t help smiling…..Ciao,
Valentina
http://www.Valentinadesigns.com
http://valentinaexpressions.com

Copyright © 2013 Valentina Cirasola, All Rights Reserved

Valentina Cirasola has been a lifetime designer in fashion and interiors. Her extensive knowledge of colors and materials led her in both directions successfully. She is well-know for designing custom furniture. She cares to make spacious and functional pieces, but she doesn’t forget to introduce the element of surprise, sinuous lines, attractive shapes and colors in the style fit for each of her special clients. She is the author of RED – A Voyage Into Colors, Check out her three books on

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

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Colors For Humans | By: Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer Friday, Sep 28 2012

“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.

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/
http://valentinaexpressions.com/

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. Valentina’s book #3 RED-A Voyage Into Colors is almost ready for the market. Stay tuned!

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

 

 

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The Sails Sofa | By: Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer Thursday, Jul 26 2012

Yesterday, this video came across my desk, I thought it portrays the modern Italian living to the letter.

Italians have lived and enjoyed antiquities for centuries. One can find there almost every style of architecture ever invented. The county is small, but concentrated with arts from the past in every expression from the Roman Empire era all the way to today’s contemporary arts and everything in between.
Yet, Italian homes are not decorated with antiques or traditional furniture, except in sporadic cases. All those antiquities we have been accustomed to for centuries stay out there in the streets. We ignore the treasure that surrounds our daily life as if they are nonexistent. They are our landscape.

Gone are the times when Italian people lived in large homes. The film “Under The Tuscan Sun” portrayed a way of living that does not exist any more. People who still own those dilapidated homes (we call farmhouses), such as the one in the film, have understood there is money to be made and that foreigners want to experience that kind of living. The next step was to remodel and turn those farmhouses into B&B, Spas, or making them available as vacation homes for hire by the week or by the month.

Le Vele sofa

Italian people live in condos, one on top of the other, space is very limited, therefore furniture must be beautiful and contain stuff. Our homes are decorated with colors, bright lights (which I truly despise), linear furniture and very simple shapes; furniture must be stylish, but functionality and space saver are the only two notes Italians want to hear.

In this video you will see a cleverly designed sofa, which can be utilized in many different solutions, indoor and outdoor.
I am here to help you implementing these ideas, designing with you and finding you special pieces.
Like what you read? Sharing is caring. Pass it along to someone who’d benefit. Ciao,
Valentina
www.Valentinadesigns.com
http://valentinaexpressions.com/

Copyright © 2012 Valentina Cirasola, All Rights Reserved

Valentina Cirasola has been a lifetime designer in fashion and interiors. Her extensive knowledge of colors and materials led her in both directions successfully. She is well-known for designing custom furniture. She cares to make spacious and functional pieces, but she doesn’t forget to introduce the element of surprise, sinuous lines, attractive shapes and color in the style fit for each of her special clients. Check out her books on

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

 

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The Sunshine Award | By Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer Tuesday, Jun 5 2012

Yesterday Jamie from http://grandmothermusings.com/ nominated my blog for the Sunshine Award.

I have been blogging for a while on anything that has to do mostly with style, home décor, architecture, or fashion. You might have guessed it, I am a passionate designer.
From my www.Valentinaexpressions.com site I write about Italian culture and food.

Although I love to blog, I must admit for a while it felt as if I was writing to a wall. It felt lonely, it felt like a giant void, I had the impression nobody was interested in style, or design matters. But I don’t easily give up, I continued having fun with my blog, at least I was putting down my thoughts. Now, I am honored you guys are reading my blogs and following me, which brought me to receive the nomination of the Sunshine Award.
I am supposed to nominate 10 other bloggers and talk about me in 10 questions. The first part is easy, the second is not, as I rather talk about other people and not about myself. Here are the award rules.

Award Rules
** Include the Award’s Logo in a post or on your blog.
** Answer 10 questions about yourself.
** Nominate 10 other bloggers.
** Link your nominees to this post and comment on their blogs, letting them know they have been nominated.
** Share the love and link the person who nominated you.

10 Questions About Me

What is my real fear?
To be left completely alone in the world, with no other human being or form of life. Boy, that scares the hell out of me!

What did I want to be when I grew up?
I am still finding that answer. It’s so difficult to become one person only when I can be many people.
I am pretty happy being a designer today, but I like to cook I could be a chef too, or a comedian, perhaps I could be a comedian chef who designs my stage clothes. UHM!
I also like to travel, perhaps I can be a comedian chef who designs all my own shows in different parts of the world in different sets.

What are some of my hobbies?
I like to sit at a cafe’ to observe people, listening to their conversations, watch street actions and write fantasy stories based on what I observed. When I don’t watch the world, I have interests in reading, painting, cooking, singing and in most of the common hobbies. Basically, I like to feel the ground under my feet. I will never jump off a bridge or a skyscraper to feel my heart in my mouth and my brain in my stomach just to have fun.

What hobby would I like to start?
I like to learn saxophone and play it until I am 100 years old. Perhaps that will keep me young, actually I am sure it will.

If I could tell people anything, what would be the most important thing to say?
Love, live and matter in people’s life.

What’s the best prank I have pulled off?
This is really funny, but I don’t know if it can translate well. I am Italian born and lived in Italy all my life until a few years ago when I decided to move to California.
One day in Italy, we were all teenagers, we decided to go to the cinema. A tall bald man was sitting in front of me covering most of the screen view, at least I thought he was. While he was watching the movie, he moved in his seat to the right and I moved to the left. He moved to the left and I moved to the right. I could not bare to watch the entire movie like that. So I invented something. I slapped his bald head saying: “Hello John, long time I haven’t seen you. What a coincidence, you are here too, why did you not say you were coming, we could come together?” Obviously he was surprised, he wasn’t anyone I knew, I just wanted him to move to another seat and he did. We were a group of belligerent, but innocuous teenagers sitting behind him, he couldn’t take us. As he moved to the upstairs balcony, we followed him in silence and sat right behind him again. This time we wanted to have fun. After about 10 minutes, I slapped his bald head again saying: “I am sorry sir, I thought you were my friend John. Excuse me, but downstairs there is a man who look just like you, you might want to meet him”. Well that was the end of him that night. I think he left the cinema for good. Today those teenagers are all professionals, from lawyers to doctors, from bank directors to designers and architects and we never used any drugs, only simple fun.

What book am I planning to read next?
Generally read two books together. Perhaps next book will be a Molière comedy. Fun.

Coffee, Tea or Champagne?
Bubbles all the way.

Lemon Torte or Chocolate Cheesecake?
Chocolate cheesecake with added lemon flavor. Yummy!

10 Fabulous Nominees!

http://cosmiccowpie.com/blog/ – Navigate with Carra today’s stressful world.

http://bringingeuropehome.com/ – I love her story of Europe.

http://healthdemystified.wordpress.com/ – Health, fitness, and success.

http://nataliasarkissian.wordpress.com/ – Her postcard from Italy brings great story and pictures.

http://astimegoesbuy.me/ – About fashion dilemma.

http://thebigbookofdating.wordpress.com/ – Dos and don’t about dating.

http://letlifeinpractices.com/ – About Psychology, Relationships

http://grandmothermusings.com/ – Helpful hints on everything. She nominated me for this award.

Well, I am missing a few more bloggers, hope some of you will forgive me. You are all important to me, but it is late at night and I can’t connect my brain energy anymore. I have not worked on my book tonight, perhaps playing on-line was what I needed to do instead. Thank you for reading me. Ciao,
Valentina
www.Valentinadesigns.com

http://valentinaexpressions.com

 

Valentina Cirasola is a professional interior designer still having fun with her work even after twenty-two years, showing no sign of wanting to quit. Her book on the subject of colors is just about ready to be published. Stay tuned for the launch of RED-A Voyage Into Colors. In the meantime 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

14 Responses »

 

Some Like It Pink | By: Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer Wednesday, Mar 21 2012

Spring is here, at least on the calendar, even though in some parts of the world is still cold. In the spring we want to get rid of the dark colors in favor of bright, cheerful colors that will welcome the spring in our heart, gardens, wardrobe and our spaces.
(Source: colmet.tumblr.com)

Spring palette contains most of the colors of all the palettes and all the colors of the rainbow. But can everyone wear or live in the spring palette? Certainly not.
Our skin tone is a major indicator; it will tell which color looks the best and which color fights with it.

To be able to create a color palette that will always be in harmony with our skin, we need to choose colors that have the same temperature and value as our skin, hair and eyes. Let’s say you have a cool-based coloring, violet-rose skin tone, grey-blue eyes, cool greyish or cool brown hair, then I can say your coloring is cool and you can choose colors from all cool hues families.

Warm colors are not off limit to a person with cool colors, just need to find the undertone of the warm colors and mix them with cool colors.
Sounds difficult, but in reality it is not.

If the skin agrees with certain colors and not others, the interiors of our spaces react the same ways when we use the right colors that match the color temperature and color value of our skin. If the wrong color bounces off the walls and reflects on our skin, we will certainly look and feel not at ease.

(Source: Pinterest)

Some like it pink, but pink doesn’t like everybody and I am one of them.
My skin has a golden tone, pink will clash with it and with my personality.
I can wear pink away from my face, as for instance I can wear a pink purse, which will be the accent and not the main colors on my body.

I apply the same rule to my spaces. My main living colors must be in the golden tone, or vibrant warm tones. I can highlight an area with pink, as in my photograph of the open view bookcase with pink wallpaper in the background. I can accent an area as the pink staircase, or the pink refrigerator in the kitchen, but pink for people with golden tones, must be used in a small format and must be toned down with many browns, grayish brown and warm greys, or black.
Although for some people pink equals vintage, its use can be quite attractive and elegant in home décor.

In the Italian bath photograph (below) the use of pink is limited to accent the room. The smarter part is the way grey tiles mixed with the pink tiles create a verticality of dynamism. Silver plumbing fixtures, accessories, a large skylight and all the silver contours in the room add a load of natural light and pleasant reflections. The bathroom is playful but elegant and it can be used by both sexes. It is equally masculine and feminine. (Source: Italian Magazine)

On the contrary, the Russian designer’s pink bath glows in playfulness. (Source: http://milleniondesign.com/apartment)
Two different styles and both are elegantly original in pink.

There is a lot to say about colors, when in doubt, ask the experts.
I am one of them and I can save you money, time and headache.
Like what you read? Sharing is caring. Pass it along to someone who would benefit. Ciao,
Valentina
www.Valentinadesigns.com

A Design Success Story Video:
http://youtu.be/pOKI6LkOkkA

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. Red-A Voyage Into Colors, her book on the subject of colors is the publication and will be released by the end of April 2012. Check out her other two books on

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

4 Responses »

 

My Red Philosophy | By: Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer Saturday, Feb 25 2012

Lovely to place another check mark near my goals with the word DONE. Here I am at my third book, finishing up the publishing process.
Red-A Voyage Into Colors will be released in the Spring 2012.

In this book, I have talked about colors in our spaces, homes, offices, gardens, fashion, food and astrology. I have also included easy studies on colors for those readers who want to learn how to make colors, learn how to see and interpret them, or learn to understand their psychology. Oh, yes, wear the wrong colors and the face will show signs of aging, the body will look awkward, out of proportions and the wrong colors in the house will give us headache.

The philosophy of Red-A Voyage Into Colors is based on the playful nature’s colors we have been gifted with and that we enjoy every day. It was easy to think of nature and write about it. I get up in the morning and salute the sun. Even when it rains, I welcome the gray colors of a wet day and wear the brightest colors in my wardrobe as a propitiatory dance to let the sun return into my life, but in the meantime I enjoy the changing of weather. Nature is my inspiration, always.
Color is life! We live under a blue sky and a yellow sun; a silver moon kisses us at night; we swim in green-blue seas and climb on brown mountains; we stroll in green parks and forests, our gardens are filled with a profusion of colored flowers. Nature has done it all for us, we can just copy it and celebrate. We are the nature; we are the colors.

[Find my images on Pinterest]

A jolt of happiness travels through our brain and body when we get up in the morning and see beautiful colors in our house and then again when we go into the closet to select special color combinations fit for the occasion of the day.
With the promise of a colorful day that will put our disposition on a positive track, why would anyone live without colors?

So many people spend their life in dreadful beige homes, or worse in the colors for resale value, living not in colorful spaces of their liking, but living the life of the next buyer. People are so afraid of colors and yet colors have flavors, emotions, harmony and music. Colors play along with the daily rotation of the sun transforming their structure and light each time the sun touches each colored surface with its warm rays and because there is rhythm in colors, let’s not forget that each colors will increase our creativity, or inspire us.

Allow yourself to experiment with various color combinations and challenge your fantasy, when in doubt, always refer to nature.

I have produced one book a year for the last three years. I can really say nothing is impossible! I know which book will be next, I will leave that news for later.
Stay tuned for the release of Red-A Voyage Into Colors, hardcover, filled with my photographs and my drawings.

I am available for hiring in speaking engagements on colors and how we can use colors to our advantages. Ciao.
www.Valentinadesigns.com
www.Valentinaexpressions.com

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

 

 

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Hunted and Saved | By: Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer Friday, Jan 20 2012

Ciao everyone,

For a few days now I have been going around the house looking to give a second life to some old pieces. Strong of the experience I had a few years ago, I am ready to repeat the artistic experience with a new piece. Sundays are perfect days to go bargain hunting around garage sales and flea markets. I love flea markets! In one of those excursions, I found a few old pieces of furniture and ventured through the refinishing process.

There are a few things you need to do before you tackle a refinishing of a piece of furniture. First, you don’t know where the piece has been before you and how the previous owner used it, unless someone tells you the history. Disinfect, clean it really well and keep it in an open and well-ventilated place for a few days to eliminate previous odors. While you are deciding on the transformation of the piece, the new design, color, pattern or the overall new look, I would suggest taking pictures of the piece and visiting some reputable antique dealer who will tell you just by looking at the photograph if it is a valuable piece or not. If it is a value piece you might want to leave it as is, just give it a good clean, otherwise if it gets restyled into a new life, the piece will lose its antique/historical value.

The refinishing process is very easy. Strip old paints and varnishes with a coarse sand paper by using a sanding machine or plain elbow grease, which I like better as it is another way to exercise muscles. The plain wood grain will surface again in all its beauty. At this point you can decide to leave it natural to emphasize the wood grain and apply only transparent varnishes, or you can paint it in your favorite colors. My photographs show painted examples, découpage and antique finishes.

Dust off the remaining of the sanding with a soft cloth; make it really clean, you must not feel any grain under your fingertips. Apply a coat of primer paint to cover all the imperfections, wait until it dries well, sand it lightly with a less coarse sanding paper, and dust it off again. The surface must be really clean every time another coat of paint goes on.

Apply the first coat of the paint color of your choice. Let it dry. If the result is good, then the piece is almost done, but if it needs another coat of paint, sand it lightly again, dust it off and apply a second coat.

Most of my pieces have been speckled at the end. With a small brush I splashed a dark varnish here and there for interest. Highlighting all the details is the fun parts. The style of the piece of furniture will dictate whether the highlights will be antique or contemporary style.

Découpage is always done as the last detail. The only items needed are a flat brush, a découpage glue and an image, nothing to it.
If you like to draw an image free hand, that step is also done after the piece has received the last coat of paint. Trace the image with a carbon paper; with a brush go over the line drawing and paint your image with the selected colors. This is the easiest way to apply a design. Stenciling a design over the top coat is another way, but this takes a good skill. Seal the découpage, stencil work or any drawing with a non-yellowing water base varnish.

Now it is time to apply the jewelry. Get your fantasy in motion, use anything and everything for drawer pulls, or door knobs. One of my cabinets has a pair of hearings as drawer pulls. Others are a mix of style, colors and textures. Arts and craft store sell wood knobs and pulls, which can be painted in any style you like; that will satisfy your artistic vein, other than saving you money.

There are professional artists on the market who make excellent money in producing elaborate faux finishes. I know this process as I have described might sound simplistic. If you don’t have velleity of taking your refinished piece to the Guggenheim exhibition and you just want to give a second life to something old with interesting shapes, then don’t make the refinishing process complicated. Follow these simple steps and you will produce an attractive piece just like those in my photographs.

A few years ago I helped a person in France restyling her piece. She contacted me through Facebook, asked me questions about the furniture she wanted to refurbish, liked my answers and hired me to assist her in the production. I did not move one inch from my desk, our communications developed through Skype calls and emails. She purchased the knobs from my selection photographed in a store. Her French piece turned out beautiful. If you are stuck, let me help you or anyone you know in restoring your piece, it doesn’t matter where in the world you are. Ciao,
Valentina
www.Valentinadesigns.com
www.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 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.

She is the author of RED-A Voyage Into Colors, her forthcoming book on the subject of colors.
She is also a published author of two regional Italian cuisine books. Find her books on

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

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Keep It Festive | By: Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer Thursday, Dec 29 2011

Every year most people get the beautiful Christmas decorations up and functioning soon after Thanksgiving festivity. For more than a month we get used to live with shimmering colored lights, many different colored decorations, scented candles, crystal items and silver flatware. Everything looks so lucent and elegant. We do need all of this as a way to reward us for a year of hard work and to celebrate in style the passage into a new year with renewed hopes, dreams and goals, but as soon as we are into the new year the trees and decorations go down and the shimmering lights are turned off. I keep all of my Christmas decorations until January 6th to celebrate Epiphany Day. This is a Christian commemoration of the Magi or Wise Men’s visit to baby Jesus, which marks the end of all December festivities. Kids get another present, just like Jesus received incense, myrrh and gold from the Magi, the Christmas tree is taken down on that night with all the beautiful lights and decorations, Christmas markets close, holidays are over and officially the year starts.

Epiphany day was a fun day for kids. On that night of January 6th, my parents organized a tree dismantling party and invited other kids with their parents. Our Christmas tree, as most people did, had chocolate decorations hanging among all the other Christmas decorations.
With a draw, one kid at a time had to find the chocolate decorations as a price, whatever object the kid touched first, that was the item he/she had to take down first. If a chocolate decoration was found first, the game moved over to someone else. Another kid’s name was drawn to give everyone the chance to dismantle the tree and to find the chocolate pieces. Kids fought, laughed or exchanged items, according to each of their tempers or level of vices. This game lasted for hours, before all the decorations were down on the floor, but the tree game was the excuse to get the adults together for another eating feast. My mom and her sisters prepared the last treats of the holidays, generally it was panzerotti (small size stuffed calzone), or home-made pizza, potatoes coquettes, or arancini (rice balls), lot of vegetables, sweets, biscotti, pies and prosecco. This custom is now gone forever as Christmas is more of a consumerism event than a celebration of life, light, spirituality, love and New Year’s good intentions.

Whatever you do to take the Christmas decorations down, it remains the fact that at the start of the year the glitters and glamour are gone and that corner where the tree was is now in the dark. Some people suffer the blues after Christmas is over as they settle into winter, cold and short days. What do you do to avoid that? Redecorate, move furniture around or thinking of Spring already? In some parts of the world Spring may not come until late April, that’s a long time to stay depressed. For me it is easy and simple, as I have adopted a simpler life.

I keep some Christmas decorations around for the next three months. I choose to leave out the not so obvious Christmas decorations, but only one special item for each room, one with an attractive shape or color. First thing to do is to illuminate dark corners with some light decorations, hang something with a visual impact from the ceiling, embellish a doorknob, or a lamp. Glass balls or ornaments generally have interesting shapes and nice colors, I like to keep them in bowls on coffee table and furniture mixed in with other textures. I also like the idea of filling lanterns with colored balls and create an arrangement of three. After the holidays nothing will look Christmassy any more. Take a look at the photos to get an idea and perhaps you have some of your own you want to share with me.

The ornaments will keep my house festive through some cold days while surprising some of my friends. In the meantime, while I am waiting patiently for Spring, I will think of new ways to redecorate and go through the process of cleaning out closets and cabinets. As it happens every January, there will be someone new who wants to take the renovating journey with me as their designer to guide them. It will be a new adventure just right for the new starting year. If you are ready to take that journey with me, do not hesitate to leave your name in the box.
Happy New Year, may all your wishes come true. Ciao,
Valentina
www.Valentinadesigns.com

www.Valentinaexpressions.com

Copyright © 2011 Valentina Cirasola, All Rights Reserved

Valentina Cirasola is an Italian Interior and Fashion Designer, working in the USA and Europe. She blends fashion and interior well in any of her design work. She loves to remodel homes and loves to create the unusual. She is also the author of RED-A Voyage Into Colors, the forthcoming book on the subject of colors and the author of two published book on Italian regional cuisine, available on Amazon, Barnes & Nobles and various other locations.
http://outskirtspress.com/ComeMiaNonna
http://outskirtspress.com/SinsOfAQueen

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