The Flower Recipe Book
Posted by Cynthia | Filed under Musings
Ever wish you could create the stunning arrangements you see prepared by a a stylist or professional florist? I discovered a wonderful book titled The Flower Recipe Book, that helps identify the critical elements need to create a beautiful arrangement. From the right vessel, to unique floral species, this beautifully illustrated book makes it easy. Not only are there step by step recipes to follow, but artists Alethea Harampolis and Jill Rizzo share their tips of the trade from their SanFrancisco floral design company, Studio Choo. What a gift of experience ladies!
vessel image joythebaker.com
tool image gardenista.com
http://www.workman.com/products/9781579655303/ workman publishing the flower recipe book
Tags: floral design, Flower arranging, Fresh Flowers, interior design, Photo Shoots, Photo Styling, Studio Choo, The Flower Recipe Book
Gone Mod.
Posted by Cynthia | Filed under Musings
Go. Designed by Ross Lovegrove for Bernhardt Design
June 10-12 at the Merchandise Mart Chicago, Neocon kicks off with more than 700 showrooms and exhibitors. It’s an exciting time for the design industry to see new resources and product introductions. While perusing the vendor list online, I couldn’t help but notice the new designer series at Bernhardt Design. These pieces are distinctly modern, and what I love most is that they bridge the gap between residential and commercial design. These beautiful pieces would be at home in any private office or reception area, as well as a residential living room. With the work place often functioning much like a collaborative living room, this seems the perfect fit. Sculptural and dynamic and oh so lovely.
B2. Designed by Fabian Baron for Bernhardt Design
Remy. Designed by Jeffrey Bernett for Bernhardt Design
Images sourced at http://www.bernhardtdesign.com/seating.html
Tags: Bernhardt Design, Chicago, fabian baron, interior design, jeffrey bernett, Merchandise Mart, Modern Furniture, Modern Seating, Neocon, ross lovegrove
Oh That Neon Sign
Posted by Cynthia | Filed under Musings
There’s just something cool about vintage neon signs. If you are lucky enough to find one in good condition with an eye catching message, it can bring an element of fun and wit to the design of your space. With roots int he 1940′s and 50′s, the creation of a neon sign embraces a hand-made process, and each sign is unique. Like many things, handcrafted neon signage is becoming something of a lost art with few craftsman still building, designing and creating these one of a kind works.
Thankfully, Todd Sander’s studio Roadhouse Relics, creates these beauties, the old fashioned way, one by one, by hand. In an interview with Fast Company, he reveals a bit of the process he respects and honors in the development of his work.
“Everything is done by hand, from scratch,” he says. “Exactly the way they were in the 1940s.” Each creation follows a pretty standard process, honed with decades of experience.First, a concept is sketched on grid vellum–“a lot of grid vellum”–and the motif is made into a transparency which is projected full-size onto a wall. Next comes the patterns: master, print, neon, metal, and mounting. In the end, sheet steel is spot-welded together and enhanced with touches of sign painters’ paint. Authentic neon hardware–made the same way it has been for some 70 years–holds the finished product together, and vinegars, scuffing pads, and a matte finish clear coat are applied to weather each piece.”
So, when that wall in your living room is screaming ‘Neon’, a vintage find, or a custom weathered vintage sign might be just the call.
Images and excerpts sourced at Fast Company Design
Tags: Fast Company Design, Glass Art, interior design, neon, Neon Sign, Roadhouse Relics, Todd Sanders, Vintage Signage
Sling-Shot Spring
Posted by Cynthia | Filed under Musings
Looking for a little fun in the garden this Spring? These designer seed bombs are just the thing. A fun way to involve the kids, and of course the kid at heart. Blast these seeds out onto your garden patch and watch for a colorful display to unfold in the coming weeks. A new planting experience, and loads of fun. I enjoy the haphazard and abstract painterly approach to planting this way.
The seed bomb will break upon impact with the ground, and will further disintegrate with the rain. The red clay and worm castings in the seed bombs enrich the soil around the seeds, helping your flowers grow.
The bird-, bee- and butterfly-friendly flower mixture includes Annual Gaillardia, Baby Blue Eyes, Black-Eyed Susan, Calendula, Dwarf Cosmos, French Marigold, Lance-Leaved Coreopsis, Plains Coreopsis, Perennial Gaillardia, Perennial Lupine, Purple Coneflower, Red Poppy, and Sweet Alyssum. This colorful flower mix can be grown anywhere in the US.
Images and excerpts sourced at: http://poketo.com
Tags: flower garden, gardening, interior design, organic gardening, seed bombs, Sling-shot, Slingshot, spring color, spring flowers, worm composting
Legendary Hollywood Stars at Home
Posted by Cynthia | Filed under Musings
Marilyn Monroe in her Beverly Hills abode.
Elvis Presley sitting at his Memphis, Tennessee, mansion Graceland on a 15′ sofa, in the 1960′s.
Even the celebrities among us share in the common thread of homemaking. Architectural Digest this month shared a peek into some famous folks private spaces. I found it interesting to see the styles of decor, and the element of privacy and comfort we all need from time to time. The colors and styles of midcentury design is present across the board, but each space is uniquely personalized to reflect the individual style of the homeowner. I enjoyed this peek into the private spaces of these very public figures, and their reflection on ‘home’.
Asian art picked up on worldwide travels is tacked to a wall of actor John Wayne’s living room in the San Fernando Valley.
Joan Crawford and her fourth and final husband, Pepsi-Cola CEO Alfred N. Steele, relax on the plastic-covered sofas of their 18-room New York City duplex penthouse in the 1950s.
Images sourced at Architectural Digest
Tags: Architectural Digest, Celebrity Homes, Elvis Presley, interior design, Joan Crawford, John Wayne, Marilyn Monroe, Midcentury Modern, Modernism
