Bloom and Bouquet Furniture

I very recently posted an Inspiring Images piece from the Chelsea Flower Show. Now I've come across some beautiful furniture that takes flowers as inspiration very literally.

From Kenneth Cobonpue, The Bloom Chair will add a sense of fun and spring time to any room. The chairs are handmade of a microfiber sculpted by hundreds of fine running stitches over a resin base. It is available in moss green, light green, red or yellow. I'd take it in any one of those colors!

 Also from Kenneth Cobonpue,is the bouquet table. It is a resin table with floral pattern relief, available in black or white and as a coffee table or end table.

For more ideas on how to find inspiration for your home anywhere, see my posts on inspiring images or my post on interpreting inspiration into your interiors.

Beautiful Habitat: Interior Design & Decoration www.beautifulhabitat.com

Before & After: Choosing Wall Color

This room is one of my very favorite Before & After transformations. It's also a fun room in general. It is off of the foyer of my client's home and intended to be the study. Because they are empty-nesters, the office spaces have moved into other bedrooms to create this music room/library. It's a fun, yet sophisticated space.

Before: 
The room has beautiful built-in shelving and wood frames around the windows. It's hard to find such beautiful detail in architecture these days. The window valances were well chosen for the room and windows. But there were some minor problems with the room, and it wasn't making the WOW statement that it potentially could.

The first problem was the bold red wall color. Now don't get me wrong, I love a bold wall color. But this wasn't the room for it.The red actually competes with the color of the woodwork. Because those two darker elements are competing, your eye actually goes straight to the white ceiling, which seems to glow next to the darker walls and woodwork.
The next problem is the area rug, which nearly blends into the carpet, not really adding any value to the room.
Another problem is the arrangement of the bookcases themselves. See this previous post for tips on how to arrange a bookshelf for maximum impact.

 After:
 The wall and ceiling color were the biggest changes made in the space. We went with a golden tan on the walls, and painted the ceiling the same color, at a 50% intensity (A GREAT tip that I frequently use on ceilings). This color now draws all the attention to the amazing woodwork. The ceiling technique softens the harsh transition from the woodwork to the ceiling. No more glowing ceiling.

Next we brought in an area rug that coordinated with the window treatment colors.It adds more contrast to the floor and creates a focal area and flow around the piano.We added a cozy chair for reading or listening to the piano.
Now it's a more relaxing space to be in, while also making a great first impression to visitors.

I'll have more tips on choosing wall and ceiling paint. Stay tuned!

Beautiful Habitat: Interior Design & Decoration www.beautifulhabitat.com

Inspiring Images - Chelsea Flower Show

"April showers bring May flowers". That's what I kept reminding myself through all the April SNOW showers this year. As I walked my dogs this morning, it certainly looked like the April showers were paying off with some beautiful flower beds and flowering trees. It reminded me of a visit to the Chelsea Flower Show in London.The Chelsea Flower Show is one of the best gardening shows in the world, put on by the Royal Horticultural Society every May. If you ever find yourself in London in May, I highly suggest getting tickets. If you can't make it, here are some inspiring images from 2008. I must give credit for the beautiful photos to my photographer friend Michele.

 These water gardens are so tranquil. I'd love to have that outside my home.

 I love these flower umbrellas and would absolutely put them in my yard. Think I could get them approved with our HOA?

 Hope you have some inspiration for your home or garden!

Beautiful Habitat: Interior Design  www.beautifulhabitat.com