Thursday, April 24, 2014

Bringing the outside in ...


watercolor landscape by Anne Rogers of Lynnfield Art Guild


Each spring I look forward to participating in “Art in Bloom, the annual collaboration between the Village Home and Garden Club of Lynnfield and local artists. This year, I was inspired by the watercolor above painted by Anne Rogers. To me, the simple landscape was beautiful. With its expansive green lawn, it reminds me of one of the golf courses in town that whenever I drive past it, I vow to take up the sport just to enjoy a close up view of the immaculately landscaped grounds. 





I chose to combine a trio of orchid plants adorned with yellow twigs to represent the small patch of trees in the center of the painting. A small arrangement of green chrysanthemums in a silver vase placed in the foreground stand in for the evergreen bushes that dot the open field.

It seems as if my arranging style has become quite minimalist over the years, favoring groupings of same flowers and repetition of color. This is probably a result of my work schedule taken up more of my free time, but it is still a good example of how a simple flower can add beauty and drama without the fuss. Anyone can do this!





Along with bringing an arrangement for inside the library, I also had the job of decorating the front display window at the entrance of the building. Since our garden club is now a Home and Garden Club (membership has doubled!) I focused on showing ways to “bring the outside in when decorating interiors. I brought one of my favorite prints from home and paired it with fresh lillies in a black vintage teapot. Wallcoverings, paint chips, fabric swatches and garden inspired objects filled the case. 



It was kind of a hodge-podge of design ideas, but in person I believe it looked a little more inspiring. I especially enjoyed being able to include origami birds folded in spring colored papers by my son Owen. Had to pay him $5, but it was worth it! Below are some of my nature inspired decorating ideas ...



Arts + Crafts style wall covering
from Victoria + Albert Museum


from Bassett Furniture








A recent window treatment project I designed with this fabric for a client




White Dogwood, Azalea Flower, Coming up Roses



Lily by Sherwin Williams


Daffodil by Sherwin Williams


Daisy by Sherwin Williams




a bouquet of purples from Sherwin Williams
Obi Lilac, Radiant Lilac, Valiant Violet




origami art by Owen




grasscloth





How do you bring the outside in?










Thursday, April 10, 2014

California Cool: #BlogTourLA Revisited

#BlogTourLA design bloggers at WestEdge Design Fair:
Geraldine Tan, Gudy Herder and Ronique Gibson


In honor of #TBT (Throw Back Thursday) I am reminiscing about my October visit to sunny Los Angeles with my design blogging friends from #BlogTourLA. One of the highlights of our Modenus sponsored trip was checking out the inaugural opening of the WestEdge Design Fair in Santa Monica. We also toured a wealth of West Coast design destinations including the studio and boutique of designer Kelly Wearstler, fab shops in the La Cienga Design Quarter, plus numerous art studios and design industry showrooms. There was a lot to love!

Below are my favorite snapshots from the trip that capture a dozen design trends that are currently in fashion:


Malachite
Lighting that Shines
Vintage Glamour
Bright Colors
Nature Inspired
Reclaimed Materials
Industrial Design
Geometric Patterns
Organic Sculpture
Rock + Roll Edgy
Succulents
Brass



faucets as art: Gessi Goccia on display at
Snyder Diamond Los Angeles showroom



Will Taylor of Bright Bazaar and Ashlina Kaposta of the Decorista
visiting Gessi at WestEdge Design Fair with #BlogTourLA



Brass lav faucet from Gessi at WestEdge Design Fair



Natural Curiosities design studio




monarchs as art via Natural Curiosities



vintage screen at Dragonette Ltd.



colorful dinnerware at Heath Ceramics



design bloggers getting cozy at the WestEdge Design Fair:
Veronika Miller, Emily Anderson, Cheryl Kees-Clendendon, Andie Day, myself



honey comb sculptural lighting by Patrick Weder



vintage dining featuring custom wallpaper and brass accents
at Dragonette Ltd.


lighting by Apparatus at WestEdge Design Fair



lighting by David Trubridge at WestEdge Design Fair



furnishings from BDDW at WestEdge Design Fair



unique lighting design from Zia Priven at WestEdge Design Fair



industrial lighting at Lamps Plus



pattern and texture at Mecox Gardens



bright and bold leathers from Moore and Giles at WestEdge Design Fair



repurposed Dhurrie handbag at Will Leather Goods



succulent gardens outside Sherle Wagner on La Cienga Boulevard



sidewalk succulent garden



succulents with orchids



Geraldine Tan, Mindy Miles Greenberg, and Lynn Byrne
relaxing on set at WestEdge Design Fair



colorful mix and match lighting at Lamps Plus



vintage pattern play at Dragonette Ltd.




Kelly Wearstler designed accents: ceramic, brass and stone



brass accents and grand scale in the conference room at Kelly Wearstler studios
photo op with Krista Nye Schwartz, Kelly Wearstler, Tami Ramsay



Marble Kiss on brass etagere at Kelly Wearstler’s LA boutique




ALWAYS IN FASHION ...
friendship, champagne, sunshine

apres shopping at Kelly Wearstler boutique:
Susan Serra, Will Taylor, Cheryl Kees-Clendendon



macaroons and champagne served at Dragonette Ltd.



Lynn, Emily, Gudy, Ronique, myself, Geraldine, Mindy
Krista,Will, and Tami enjoying a West Coast sunset






Click below to discover the design trends that Modenus
and BlogTour have seen lately. Since my #BlogTourLA trip, they have gone to Vegas, New York and most recently Milan!






Thursday, April 3, 2014

Get the Look: HGTV Smart Home 2014


kitchen pictures from HGTV Smart Home 2014


The latest HGTV Smart Home was introduced this week online. I’m super excited about it because custom designs from Bassett Furniture are featured throughout this Nashville based home. The pieces are fun and functional, dressed in rich colors and fabulous patterns. A lot of the accent pieces are from the HGTV Home collection which is manufactured by Bassett. Take the virtual tour online and then come visit me in Burlington to get the look for your own home. Below are some of my favorite Bassett pieces from the HGTV Smart Homes great room.

P.S. The Smart Home has some great examples of stylish and dramatic draperies. Custom windows available via Bassett.

























What is your favorite room in this year’s HGTV Smart Home?