Home Tour - Joe Valenti

I have a treat for you dear readers! I've mentioned my favorite vintage store many times. Today, I'd like to reveal my secret. It's Flower Child, owned by the uber creative Joe Valenti. Joe very graciously invited me on a tour of his atomic ranch. I have to give props to interior photographers, it's not as easy as it looks. So while this is not a professional shoot, Joe's creativity shines through at every turn. This is a home which deserves a professional shoot for a magazine layout. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Upon entering the home I was greeted by one of my favorite colors! Yummy turquoise. Love the Warhol print.

The open style kitchen features a cute breakfast nook, also in turquoise. The breakfast nook sports a Nelson bubble lamp, and a whimsical painting Joe did as a student at the prestigious Cleveland Institute of Art. And check that Haeger vase on the window sill. A rare apple green. Love it.

There are cool things to catch the eye at every turn.

The kitchen is a marvel of organization. These beautiful blonde wood cabinets open to reveal tons of storage.

And pull out drawers to keep everything neat.

I love the cook top.

And appliances.

Joe's dining room is a stunning color, putty by Benjamin Moore. Love the large painting and the sputnik lamp.

Joe has a divine collection of art glass.

The living room.

His collection of ceramics comes mainly from garage sales. And dig those rare oversize Blenko pieces. Those are vintage pieces used in window display. Joe got his start in window display, and is very skilled at it.

There's beautiful art and pottery at every turn.

Here is the master bedroom. I love the painting, I believe it's by A. Scott Miller, but I will need to confirm that. The room is painted a beautiful shade of blue. Gorgeous apple green chair helps keep the decor cohesive.

Gorgeous tactile art work in the hall.

The second bedroom sports a light board made by Joe.

And beautiful gray bedding.

A blonde wood dresser with apple green glass pieces.

The basement features a lounge and bar. It's fun and whimsical. The perfect place for a party. Indeed, Joe has accommodated 100 guests comfortably in his home!

Groovy Moss lamp and photo of Eartha Kitt as Cat Woman.

Love the chair he found at a garage sale!

The TV room continues the color scheme of black and red, and blonde wood. Perfect round coffee table. The three pieces of atomic enamelware were a gift. (I tried to get him to give these to me - but I didn't push too hard because he would have! He's very generous.)

TV room also boasts amazing cabinetry which hides electronics and components.

The TV room has glass doors which spill to the outside.

The decor is continued to the outside of the home. This piece of recycled art is a fountain.

Joe was working on this upcycled piece as I was there. He glued the enamel bowls to the piece. Everything Joe touches turns to gold.

The vestibule was built by his father. Talent must run in the family. I adore the geometric patterns the sun makes on the patio.

The other side of the home also sports a vestibule. There are plenty of areas for guests to congregate.

A lovely seating area in the back yard. Joe had just gotten that sofa and chair from a thrift store. He has plans for it. I can't wait to see what he does with it. I'll make sure to show you the after shot.

I just had to peek at the projects going on in his garage. This is Joe's life. He eats and breathes this stuff. I love the little desk and stool, and can't wait to see what he does with it. If you liked this home tour, you'll want to stay tuned. I have a very exciting announcement in my next post.

Mood Board Antonio

You already know how much I adore the designs of Antonio Ballatore (see below). I am always decorating imaginary places in my head. As I shopped last week, I began to think about a loft and how fun it would be to decorate it with Antonio's help. Let's pretend I have a new, large loft and that money is no object. We'll call this episode of Creative Influences, "Mood Board Antonio."

The Style

My style is feminine, but edgy. Industrial, clean and simple, but cozy and with just the right amount of whimsy. Kinda modern Bohemian, Asian and retro, There are beautiful things, displayed with a flourish, but no clutter. It should still flirt with minimalism and be light and airy. A tall order. But I know Antonio can unify these disparate demands.

The Color Scheme

As you know, any color scheme I contemplate always starts with pink. Pink is not just a girly color, and can be done in a thoroughly modern way. Also, with any color scheme there must be large amounts of white.

Added to this are my two new favorites, turquoise and gray. There would also be pops of hot pink, my absolute favorite.

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Shopping

I would take Antonio to my favorite vintage store, Flower Child. I always get inspiration there. I know he'd love it.


Dig this acrylic table at Flower Child. I love acrylic, and definitely want an acrylic coffee table. I also love these stacking side tables. Of course, they'd have to be spray painted hot pink.

I've featured this room in a previous post. I adore the black acrylic table. I wonder if there is a treatment that could be applied to the above table to make it black. And, as you know, my floors would have to be painted white.

I adore textiles. I'd get coziness by having lots of pillows casually thrown about. Flower Child has an abundance of gorgeous pillows.

The Living Room

Ever since I saw Antonio do a mural in a Zen living room, I can't get the notion of a mural out of my head. I think my Kupur watercolor would make a great mural, but I've toned down the colors to make it gray. I am still terribly in love with my danish sofa, but I'd love to see it recovered in the perfect pink. For my flat screen TV and for storage, I adore this Coach House dresser in glossy white. Remember the table I'd like to paint? I've decided to do it in high gloss white. For extra seating, I'd like ottomans and vanity stools like these.

These chairs are the perfect color. This is the color I'd like my sofa to be. Image from Harvest Moon, I think. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

The Lighting

I'd need some funky lighting. I think my favorite lamp of all time is Abigail Ahern's white lamp. I totally dig the oversize yellow shade. A pop of yellow would work well in the space. I also really dig the lamp Kim of Desire to Inspire has in her bedroom, and have been on the look out for the perfect Kwan Yin statute to make into a lamp. I love the lamp Antonio made out of an Asian statute in the Zen living room I spoke of earlier.

Here's another possibility. I've always wanted to make lamps out of vases. I think this one would look great with this shade at - you guessed it - Flower Child. The shade has thin strips of fabric in a perfect metallic gray-blue and changes color in the light. I really want it.

The Walls I'd like to have the space completely open, with a few 3/4 walls to divide the space, painted in accent colors. Ever since I saw this wall in Tricia Guild's book, White Hot, I've been wanting a wall with recesses. I think recesses would be a great way to display my Buddha statues and my new Haeger panther.

On another wall, I'd like to have white floating shelves to display my spray painted pottery.

On yet another wall, perhaps a hallway, I'd like to display some of my edgy art. I am really enjoying the project I am working on entitled Pink City. I'm thinking of having these photos printed on canvas and adding paint to them.

The Dining Room For the dining room, I want a rustic table in a pale, unstained wood. I've had this one in my inspiration file forever. (Image Dwell magazine, May 2006) Juxtaposed with that will be a couple of ghost chairs and a couple of these fab chairs from Lavish. Black acrylic chandelier also from Lavish. I'd love to have Jessie's love print enlarged on the wall.

I still really love my little dining set made from various pieces I collected off the curb and painted. I'd use it in the breakfast nook, or on the patio.

The Bedroom
I believe a bedroom should be a place exclusively for love and rest. No TV, no computer, no work allowed. I love a minimal bedroom. I'd like a very simple bed, like the Stratus from CB2 with divine silver bedding. On the wall behind the bed, another mural. This time an enlargement of my vintage Hindu print. On the floor would be my favorite lamp of all time, the Noguchi Akari lamp.

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In a separate post I will prepare mood boards for my office and studio. Two requirements are that they be industrial chic and extremely organized. I hope you enjoyed Mood Board Antonio. Stay tuned, in my next post I have a treat for you, dear readers! xxoo
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Image of Antonio from his Facebook page.