Garden Style...
Long winters and cool springs make us crave to be outdoors and in our
gardens once warm weather hits. Extend your garden year-round by
decorating your home in Garden Style. Imagine lazy summer days sipping
lemonade on the porch, balmy breezes and plenty of sunshine…indoors.
Garden Style goes beyond simply dressing your rooms in floral fabrics –
consider botanical and large tropical prints, or the pastoral outdoor
scenes of French toile for a refined and elegant feel.
Blur the boundaries between outdoors and in with a natural color palette
- rich earth tones, cool greens, warm yellows and sky blues provide a
seamless transition. Let in as much natural light as you can with floor
to ceiling windows, French doors and skylights for stargazing at night.
Use natural materials from the floor up – stone and wood echo the look
of a covered porch or patio. Garden pavers or tumbled stone will provide
a more rustic, European flavor. Jute, sisal or kilim throw rugs define
seating areas and provide warmth, color and pattern underfoot.
Dress windows with matching fabrics or a few vines and branches. Curb
too much sun with shades and blinds – wooden matchstick blinds blend
well in a garden environment. Faux wall treatments can add depth and
mimic the façade of faux stone or aged plaster.
Garden inspired furnishings should have an airy quality about them, but
should also remain comfortable. Outfit wrought iron chairs with plump
cushions and pillows. Mix upholstered pieces in with weathered wicker. A
garden bench makes a wonderful banquette in a kitchen or dining room.
You can mix found treasures and cast-offs with regular furnishings – a
classic garden style formula. No need to re-do gently distressed pieces,
just clean them up a bit and let their aged-patina shine through.
Large planting pots and urns can be transformed into accent tables with
a simple glass round. Display vintage garden tools with framed seed
packets as an interesting wall collage. Architectural elements and
garden statuary can stand in as fine art or as a backdrop to other
decorative pieces.
Of course you’ll need lots of lush plants and blooms to complete the
look. If you’re looking for a bit of inspiration – look outdoors and
decorate your home in this fresh, timeless style that works well in
every room of the house.
Kimberley Merritt
Beautiful Living
info@BeautifulLivingOnline.com
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