Bookshelves - Libri.... libri.... libri.....

A room without books is like a body without a soul! - Plato

The phrase above should be engraved in gold letters so that every human being can become aware of the importance of culture and books. I grew up among books, in my parents'home the bathroom also is full of magazines, multilingual books and volumes of all kind. 

With that background, no wonder I love going at the bookstore during my lunch break. Every day I strive to find a little time for myself in order to keep updated with the latest publications, but as every working woman and every mom knows it’s not always possible. Fortunately, very close to my office there is a well furnished bookstore where I have the opportunity to breathe a good amount of culture and get a little updated. Don’t be surprised! I read an entire book (of about 10 pages) with some poetry by W.H. Auden. Amazing!!!! Tell me the truth about love etc. Reading those marvelous poetry lines I wondered on how could I possibly enrich my personal library or better organize my bookcases. I have plenty of volumes, some suffering from lack of space and others waiting to be rearranged. Here are some pictures that inspire me. 

Contemporary style and pure lines! 

Traditional, warm and familiar! 

This is how my library would be if I lived in a loft! 

A quiet relaxing home office - angolo ufficio in casa

I think that  every woman on earth keeps working  even if she’s not in her office and I am one of them. I get home late and my toddler son wants my attention, he just yearns for some parental loving care. Then, there is housekeeping , cooking for dinner for hungry hubby, cooking for toddler … and at last switching again my computer trying to figure out how many projects can I follow. There are translations I must deliver within a short period of time and a pile of interior design projects that I am working on with a friend. That's my daily schedule. Well, there are thousands of things waiting for me  when I get back home…. That is why I am longing for a place like this!!!

Of course, I have a personal relaxing working corner on my own, but I need to redesign it and give it a fresh and colorful look. I just need to add some pictures, bold hues and other little objects that would create a much more intimate concentration-inducing atmosphere.  Here are some interiors I can draw inspiration from. 

Ogni donna del globo, per deformazione genetica, lavora anche dopo l'ufficio e ovviamente, io sono una di quelle. Tornata a casa, devo dedicarmi al mio piccolo bimbo che non vede l'ora di avere un po' di attenzione dalla genitrice assente per quasi tutta la giornata. Poi c'è il maritino che reclama la cena, il piccolo che reclama il cibo ed infine il pc acceso per capire come potrei raccapezzarmi tra lavori di traduzione e altri impegni di interior design che sto seguendo da un po'. Ovviamente, ho un angoletto tutto mio, ma penso che necessiti di un un rifacimento. Dovrei aggiungere qualche quadro colorato che ispiri buon umore, crei un'atmosfera rilassante e induca alla concentrazione. Eccovi alcuni interni da cui potrei trarre ispirazione.

Just gorgeous!!!!! A little loving corner in the midst of nature! 

Stupefacente! Uno studio in mezzo alla natura!

Colorful home office for goodhumoured people!!!!   

Non ispira buon umore? 

Use dividers if you can't afford wide spaces!   

I paraventi sono un'ottima soluzione per chi vive in un piccolo appartamento! 

Lightflooded home office! 

Un ufficio inondato dalla luce! 

News from Rome - novità arredamento a Roma

Living in Rome, I'm entitled to inform you that a new fabulous furniture store has opened in one of the most art loving and crafty streets of the capital city. In Via Margutta you'll find a Flair store and the perfect mix of edgy modern and super chic pieces of furniture and classical ones. By adding just a few pieces of Flair furnishings your house will look immediately different. A friend of mine just bought two lamps for her entry hall and I can assure the effect was just "incredibly unique". 

And for all those planning a trip to Rome, a walk in via Margutta, after dinner can be revitalizing and magical. 

Dato che vivo a Roma credo di avere le credenziali per segnalarvi un meraviglioso nuovo negozio. Flair ha appena aperto un nuovo punto vendita in via Margutta che come si sa, è una delle strade più particolari della città, piena di negozi di arte, antiquariato e arredamento moderno e contemporaneo. Per le amanti delle belle cose un giro a via Margutta può avere effetti terapeutici dopo giornate passate in ufficio. Come avrete modo di notare dalle poche foto del post, in questo negozio troverete dei pezzi unici, moderni e al tempo stesso dal gusto classico. Un'amica ha comprato due lampade per il suo ingresso e vi assicuro che l'effetto è davvero luminoso. 

A ray of light

 Seemingly and hopefully Rome has left behind snow and cold.... A ray of light over the last couple of days warmed the city and since it seems the cold days are to be forgotten once and for all, at least for this year, here I am wishing to everybody out there a nice, bright and warm day! I am looking forward to summer this year. Winter just seemed was never ending. Today I am inspired by these wonderful , freshlooking and lightflooded interiors. Enjoy!   

This is how my table should look today! 

A loft in Milan.

The picture below shows the interiors of a penthouse in Manhattan. Wouldn't it be just great to have a look of the apple from here? 

I'm loving this room... stripes again

I just couldn't wait til tomorrow and here I am with another post. Have a look at this fabulous French interior and notice the great gilded/black combo that renders the entire living room so unique, magnificent, elegant and high-styled. Design and good taste just spring from every corner!!!!! 

Stripes.........................

I'm really liking stripes in home furniture lately, coniugated in every form and color. I bought a sofa lately and I am thinking to upholster it with a white and black striped textile. I'm also going mad about striped rugs and carpets. Mostly I like bold and classical color combos, like black and white, yellow and grey, yellow and black and so on.....  Stripes are so modern and contemporary and they give a very fresh and young look to every interior. Her are some interiors I chose for you and where you'll find my favourite decorative elements; stripes, facial outlines, bold color, all-white interiors. 

Red passion

First of all I want to make clear one thing, once and for all! I am not a bit romantic lately and it is hard to say but I don't like Valentine's Day. It's hard to admit though that even a person like me, a very realistic and not quite a victim of commercial events like Valentine's day have "feted" Valentine with my former fiancé and now husband. But, you should  also know that we always planned trips abroad, in France, Spain, Tuscany and other Italian marvellous cities.... so it was just a great occasion to have a trip, cultural trips mostly. 

This year I'm just longin to go someplace, but I don't think it will be possible..... Well, with a toddler of 15 months experimenting his first steps, it quite hard to plan going on a trip. Let me then, share with you some great interiors that greatly suit Valentine's day. 

Let's now imagine a perfect Valentine's Day, a hommage to the romantic ones that are counting down the hours to a great memorable day! You inaugurate your morning with a coffee in a kitchen like this......

Imagine then you have a chat with your Valentine in a living room like this one..........

Red can really be challenging, but this is what you'll have if you create a balance of bold hues like orange, red and black. Isn't it sexy????? So, here is my advice: dare!

Leave your home for a dinner here......

and finish your soirée here!

Earth tones - part three

I found some pictures of Giorgio Armani's home in Switzerland and I wanted to share them with you. Notice the colors of the pillows on the sofa.... They're just the same I bought a few days ago. I am proud that my taste coincides with that of one of the greatest living stylists. 

Modern and Contemporary furniture - Dalani

Design sites and design tips in general can be very tricky. People usually look for design tips on a budget, cheap, but still great looking furniture and self-made decorations.  Your search can put you on a very slippery ground. If you don’t get the right advice and if you don’t find the right tips you’ll wind up mixing styles and pieces of furniture with kitsch and bad looking outcomes. Today  I wanted to share with you a very appealing website I ran across a few days ago. It offers fabulous interior design objects at very interesting prices.  But it’s not about low cost furniture! It’s all about exclusive designed furniture that will add a very personal  and chic touch to your house. If you take a look at this fresh and great website you will certainly have the impression that this is what you were looking for. That is what I proved when I first saw it.  Products and furniture objects you'll find on the site have been chosen by a real expert of interior design. Adding a touch of Dalani products will make your home look groovy and fabulous. Take a look for some fresh and cutting edge design inspiration and share your impressions with me!  

Here is my invitation to dalani

Still snowing......

Rome was still covered by snow this morning. It was an amazing view....... merry people and children playing with snowy balls and joyful dogs running around as if sharing their masters' happiness.

Wouldn't it be great to warm by a wonderful fireplace reading Tolstoy? 

Let it snow

Oh, the weather outside is frightful, But the fire is so delightful, And since we’ve no place to go, Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow............................. Snow in Rome is not really a usual natural phenomenon and when it happens people get excited and worried at the same time because of the beauty of Rome under the snowy blanket and because of the traffic jam it brings along. Those who live in Rome know very well what I am talking about. I just wanted to give to you a sample of what Rome looked like just two hours ago. Here are some snaps I shot today......

This is one of my favourite pictures..... everything looks gloomily surreal. 

Follow me on my next post!!!! There are some "warm" surprises!!!