Like many of us, clutter like this is not something I can live with, so I need to find ways to visually contain it. Today, I target a problem area in my living room and explain how to hide the clutter with style. Below is a photo of where we store the children’s toys and games. The influence of nature is pretty obvious here, but the arrangement is lacking textural interest (and plants in the terrarium, but that's a discussion for another day). This is what it typically looks like - design up top, chaos below. Now I'm embarrassed. I already made curtains to cover the lower shelves, now I need a solution for on top that will also add another layer of texture. That was unpleasant to look at, so
I don't know about you, but I’m a bit lazy when it comes to maintaining houseplants. I prefer to just help Mother Nature along, not do her work for her. Watering an array of houseplants is not a task I want to add to an already full list of to-dos. To compensate, I have figured out some low maintenance ways to bring nature inside that are easy to incorporate into your own home. Preserved boxwoods are a great care-free way to get the look of a live plant and, because they start out live, you can avoid the shiny-plastic-fake-houseplant look. I found these at Marshalls and dressed them up with Guy Wolff pots. An alternative to preserved boxwood is moss. Crate and Barrel is one place I know of t
Last Friday I posted about easy ways to liven up the current “extreme neutral” trend with green. One example showed a layered trim I added to some oatmeal-colored curtains. Now I will spill the beans about how I did it. The curtains are Emery Linen/Cotton from Pottery Barn. I like the blend of fibers. The fabric has the texture of linen with a little less of the wrinkle that usually comes with 100% linen. I had some trouble finding an affordable wide ribbon for what I had in mind, until I remembered M&J Trimming in New York City. I used to frequent the store when I worked in design development at Anne Klein. I was happy to find that they have an extensive selection of trims available to buy
I am so excited by the design trends I'm seeing with natural materials and textures: weathered wood, twine, galvanized metal, linen, chunky wool blankets, wicker, whitewash.... It's like seeing my inner spirit come alive. Yet, I find that living with the extremely neutral palette that is part of this trend feels somewhat lifeless and bland, however much contrast and texture there is. Have you noticed how there is usually some sort of greenery styled into the design to liven it up? Since I love gardening and nature so much, I try to find ways in my own home to bring in the green. Below is the (mostly practical) centerpiece of our dining room table. A bowl of dried nuts and bark in neutral ton
