número 7: funky shapes, working from home and natural light w/ Valentina Valldejuli
this San Juan home feels intentional, practical and fun!
hello again or welcome to this biweekly (ish?) newsletter. I’m really glad you’re spending some time with me and today’s guest! the past few weeks have been incredibly heavy for all of us and I keep thinking this lil’ newsletter is not important enough. but then, as I browse through all the lovely photos of the spaces of our guests and the thoughtfulness behind them, I try to convince myself this might be an okay distraction. so, here we go…. thanks for sticking around for newsletter número 7!
today’s guest has been on my list of people really wanted to get to know for years! you know that feeling when you’re finally connecting with a friend of a friend of a friend? that’s what this feels like! she’s incredibly talented and her home feels intentional, practical and fun. ;) say hello to Valentina, Art Director from Puerto Rico!
name: Valentina Valldejuli
pronouns: she/her
occupation: Art Director
homebase: San Juan, Puerto Rico
time loved in the space: 1 year in this apartment, PR my whole life
describe your space: I envisioned this space to be all dark green, white and light wood tones... but that definitely changed! Working from home made me rethink the style and be more open to having fun with colors and funky shapes to keep me inspired.
what's your favorite part? The layout of the apartment and the natural light we have from our big windows.
one thing you'd recommend everyone should buy or find secondhand: Glassware is definitely something I love finding secondhand. It gives character to any meal and bar area. I'm currently on the hunt for more.
one person you’re obsessed with? Mei Pang. I'm constantly in awe with her creativity and how she really elevates makeup as an art form. I love watching her content.
one thing you love to do or want to do soon? I've been meaning to work 1 day a week in different local coffee shops in order to change my work setting and get more inspired. Luckily, I have some pretty cool ones close by.
one place (or thing) to eat: Umai, which is a local izakaya/latin fusion restaurant. Hands down my favorite sushi spot.
one thing on your wishlist: I've been eyeing for a while the Roly Poly Chair by Driade.
one piece of advice you'd like to share: Don't be afraid to spice up your space! You can always switch it up as you grow.
thanks for letting us have a peek into your beautiful home Valentina!
find Valentina on the internet: website | insta
you did it! you’re all the way down here. many thanks!
here’s a list of my current screenshots that I stash away and forget about until I organize it once a year into very efficient lists of things I’ll never buy and things I’ll never do. (:
to do
save your corks!
I wish I could remember who’s post this was or why I was scrolling at 10:39PM. But, I do remember being very excited about the (quasi-cute) demise of fruit flies via corks.
to buy
floor pillows
do you spend an abnormal amount of time thinking of the comfiest slash most cohesive way to have extra seating for guests even though you’re mostly a homebody and have 1 human at a time visiting, or are you… normal?
to plant
nasturtiums
this might not be for everyone who follows this newsletter but I felt compelled to share it in case you’re in the middle of gardening season like me. I just planted nasturtiums as my filler plant to give my tomatoes, green beans, and herbs a fair chance of growing without pesticides.
to find
ceramic vessel for olive oil
I think I first saw the Frantoio Galantino Hand-Painted Ceramic Jug in a Samir Nosrat NYT cooking video during the first couple of months of quarantine. I might have about 3-5 screenshots because I keep thinking I’ll finally feel good about shelling out $50 for a jug someday. it’s been… almost three years and I' haven’t bought it. so, yay me I guess. but, I’m determined to find a similar vessel! does anyone wanna teach me how to make one?