DOWNTOWN — Carla Bassi is an artist. Her medium, flowers. Bassi, her husband, Jim, and daughter Thea own and run Che Bella floral design in East Village, one of the premier floral design teams in San Diego. Pronounced “kay bella,” the name means “how beautiful” in Italian. Though it served them well for the eight years or so they spent in Little Italy located in the colorful cottage shops on West Fir Street, Carla said the story behind the name goes much deeper. It was a term of endearment from an Italian family in the neighborhood in which she grew up, as well as coordinated with her own initials: CB. Though Che Bella provides full-service floral design for weddings, offices, holiday decorating and hotel and product launches, Bassi believes that regardless of budget, even the smallest introduction of plant life can change the feel of a room. “It doesn’t need to be an arrangement. It can be a single stem,” said Carla, who has been in interior and floral design for 41 years. “Even a single stem can change the energy. Especially in this time when everyone is doing without on some level, it gives you a sense of luxury.” For contemporary architecture, including the modern loft units peppered throughout downtown, Bassi recommends adding something structural, like a well-shaped branch.?”The really geometric shape, it always reads cold and uninviting,” she said. “Adding a simple, organic thing can make it more peaceful and warmer. It’s like the difference between florescent lights and windows.” In addition to providing floral arrangement for private clients and urban condo dwellers, Che Bella has an impressive résumé, including arrangements for The W Hotel, Tower 23 in Pacific Beach, the U.S. Grant Hotel, Bloomingdales, and The Keating Hotel, where they worked both on floral and interior design. Carla said adding some floral life is even more critical for city dwellers. “It definitely changes the energy not being the only living thing in your space,” she said. “It’s there for no reason other than to be beautiful.” She recommends putting a floral accent near the front door so the fragrant smell is the first thing that greets visitors when entering and the last thing they remember when exiting. Carla said none of the arrangements at Che Bella are pre-made. All bouquets and arrangements are made to order, and custom designed to the needs of the client. Being a storyteller that uses rose instead of prose, she said she always like to find out about the person or place where the design will be going so as to be able to create something that captures the meaning of the occasion. Che Bella relocated about a year ago to the East Village to a loft space in a converted ice crème factory, the “Reincarnation” building, adjacent to Sushi Performing Arts. In addition to floral, other interior design accents are available at their tranquil storefront, and visitors are greeted by the family labrador, George, and Milo the cat, truly a family endeavor. Che Bella also offers floral design classes, both as private parties and as public events. Che Bella is located at 1037 J St. For more information on floral design or upcoming classes, call (619) 232-3193 or visit www.chebellafiori.com.