Art Dealer's Modern-Native Mix in Canada

When discussing native artwork, the word traditional might come into mind. However, contemporary first-nations art dealer Douglas Reynolds of the Douglas Reynolds Gallery shows how nicely the historical artwork form fits into modern settings. This summer he plans to host an exhibition titled Modern Edge, that will showcase the development of Northwest coastal design. At home, his contemporary décor blends seamlessly with his private art collection.

Reynolds sold his prior condo unexpectedly, and the buyer desired all the furnishings, therefore Reynolds started his home search using a clean slate. The first real estate he looked at was love at first sight. Reynolds says, “I knew I needed it the minute I walked in, and have had no regrets because.”

at a Glance
Who lives here: Douglas Reynolds
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Size: 1,525 square feet (main level); 1,400 square feet outside living (upper level)

Heather Merenda

“I like relaxation, I like modern furnishings and I despise mess, at least for this home,” says Reynolds. He just stopped renovating and refurnishing a different property in Mexico and says, “If you compare Vancouver into my home in Mexico, you would think they were owned by two unique men and women. Everything in Mexico revolves around frescos on the ceilings and thick ornate furnishings and curtains. Although the areas are very different, they’re both very comfortable to be in.”

Art preceding fireplace: Robert Davidson

Heather Merenda

The simple beauty of this Alder dining table by Brent Comber brings an interpretation of this Pacific Northwest aesthetic into the space.

Coffee table: Alder around, Brent Comber; couch: B&B Italia

This polka dot etching is a special art piece signed and given to Reynolds by artist Damien Hirst as a Christmas gift. If you like the look but do not have personal ties to Hirst yourself, try Hirst-inspired wall decals from Blik.

Table lamp: Miss K by Philippe Starck for Flos

Heather Merenda

One of Reynolds’ Most Up-to-date artwork pieces is Gunarh and Whale, a bronze sculpture by Don Yeomans. “I always emphasized a houseguest will knock their thoughts on the underside of the stairs,” Reynolds claims of this sculpture’s positioning.

Heather Merenda

Luckily for Reynolds, the finishings inside the condo by Townline Developments were to his own liking. He did not have to touch the kitchen, baths or tile flooring.

Heather Merenda

The silver-tile backsplash is a nice contrast to the wood finishes in the kitchen.

Kettle: Richard Sapper for Alessi

Heather Merenda

The wood bar stools at the kitchen were imported from Italy.

Heather Merenda

The massive Dancing Frog canvas by Shawn Hunt injects a playful personality to the contemporary dining room.

Dining table: Brent Comber; chandelier: Brand Van Egmond

Heather Merenda

Intense tasteful elegance is interjected by this bold avant garde lighting palaces hand-picked by Dutch design duo Brand Van Egmond.

Heather Merenda

The custom closet doors at the main hallway are carried through in the kitchen area into the bedroom.

Custom Closets: A.J. Drury Custom Millwork

Heather Merenda

Kelly Deck made the space. “I met Kelly socially a couple of years before we started the renovations on my condo, and we worked together in designing the space,” Reynolds says. “In my bedroom, I told her I needed a low bed with a headboard that ran the length of the wall. I wanted the mattress to be drifting with lights lifting it off the floor. Kelly took that notion, made the mattress frame and indicated we pad the wall to finish the look off.”

Heather Merenda

Lamps: Josephine from Jamie Hayón for Metalarte

Heather Merenda

Outdoor space was a priority however Reynolds had no idea he’d discover a condominium. Since he entertains frequently, he took complete advantage of their private rooftop and gave it a makeover. The pergola was customized with glass to weatherproof the lounge area, and an integrated barbecue pit and pub area were inserted.

Coffee table: Paul Tellier

Heather Merenda

Above the pub outside is a bronze item Named Bear Panel by Beau Dick.

Heather Merenda

The Canasta Outdoor Lounger by Patricia Urquiola has been a welcome addition to the rooftop.

Lounger: B&B Italia

Heather Merenda

Close to the back of the room is a den with a TV and a couch.

Couch: Flexform

Heather Merenda

A remarkable white raven sculpture by Jim Hart graces the rear patio from the master bedroom. Reynolds considers this one of his pieces that are main. Hart is one of the Northwest coast’s most accomplished Haida artists; his work is found in collections throughout the world and is appreciated for its beauty, ethics and innovation.

In-ground LED Lighting: DGA Italy

Heather Merenda

Architectural features such as the rooftop pergola are highlighted by LED lights.

Heather Merenda

With crops, an outside fireplace, furniture and lighting included, the rooftop became an enviable, fully livable outside space, rain or shine. Reynolds says, “Although I’m surrounded by high-rises, once you are sitting in front of the fireplace onto the roof, it appears very private.”

Reynolds told himself that this renovation could be it for awhile, but only last week, he started to go over a new job with his contractor. The plan is to rip off the front of his gallery and reconstruct it, giving it a modern edge. “I feel the modern facade I have in mind will create an impact into the South Granville area of Vancouver,” Reynolds says, “and will tie into the modern artwork I carry and juxtapose the historical”

More
Eclectic Vancouver Loft
Vintage Charm at Vancouver

Browse countless inspirational homes

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All-White Gardens Light Up the Night

Have you ever wandered through a backyard at night? While the sounds and scents seem to intensify, it is usually difficult to enjoy any of those sights without a flashlight. A white backyard is a different story: You will want to leave the flashlight behind and revel in how the white blossoms glow. Not only are those luminous blooms beautiful to check at, but many have intense night fragrances and bring wonderful white nocturnal pests for its whole sensory experience.

Here you will find ideas for plants with beautiful white blooms, how to arrange them and how to work them in your garden’s style.

Hydrangeas are perfect in formal gardens but work just too in more informal settings. A path lined with those beauties is the best sidewalk manual for nighttime strolls.

Amy Renea

Spiraea is a great choice for a snowy spring bloomer. It conveniently blooms at precisely the exact same time as tall white iris and midsize white peonies. Combine these 3 plants to get an easy-care, high-impact garden.

Matthew Cunningham Landscape Design LLC

Working with a shady place? White astilbe is your solution. Brightening the darkest color with waving plumes of white, astilbe is a timeless, easy-to-grow shade perennial.

Tips to get a White-Blooming Border

Produce a mix of heights that will bloom at precisely the exact same moment. This boundary does a fantastic job of spreading the blooms to create a balanced appearance.

Deborah Cerbone Associates, Inc..

Imagine what this walkway looks like at night — small dance blooms all along the left side and a wave of glistening white softening the fence to the right. Pure magic!

Glenna Partridge Garden Design

Consider situating white plants round curves from the backyard. When you’re strolling through a garden at night, it is helpful to observe the twists and turns forward, so use white blooms as a natural type of fluorescent arrow.

Glenna Partridge Garden Design

Your white backyard doesn’t need to be expansive. Plant a few white flowering plants close to the entrance of your home. When people approach the front door at dusk, they’ll be greeted by observable blooms.

Working White Blooms Into Every Garden Style

Conventional. White gardens may go ubertraditional with row after row of white blooms perfectly set in geometric arrangements.

Lenkin Design Inc: Landscape and Garden Design

Another option is to encase a sea of white-blooming showstoppers in boxes of trimmed hedges.

AHBL

Rustic. Go to get a more organic, woodland appearance by integrating minimally pruned trees and naturalistic plantings.

Aiken House & Gardens

Victorian. Charming at the daytime and enchanting at night, this snowy backyard is full to bursting with blooms. Choose white furnishings iron, wicker or wood to add to the theme.

Whether you are gilding the lily of a classic trimmed estate or beginning a nation garden from scratch, consider the effect white blooms can have on your space. Create an all-white backyard, add a few white bloomers around curves, or line paths that night travelers will be taking.

Tell usCan you have white blooms in your garden now? Show off them below!

See more great design blossoms and crops

More:
What to Do On Your Garden This Month

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Contemporary Split-Level in Chicago

“Peachy” normally means something great, but for Michael and Karen Hohman, it described the outdated pastel hue of their 1950s split-level house in Chicago. In the exterior trim to the walls and ceilings, almost all lace the bright hue. The Hohmans understood that, despite the color, there was great potential in the structure of the house. With the help of designer Lynn Hertl of LKH Design, they started with a fresh coat of paint and renovated the living area, family room and sunroom, altering their midcentury space into a modern home.

at a Glance
Who lives here:
Michael and Karen Hohman, kids Kate and Grant and their four chihuahuas
Where: Highland Park suburb of Chicago
Size: 3,500 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms; two half-baths
That’s interesting: The lively ceramic egg-head sculptures by LaGardo Takett at the living room have been marketed and used as condom holders in the 1960s.

Cynthia Lynn Photography

A fresh new color palette made a huge difference in the overall appearance of their living space, formerly marked by weathered floors and cherry walls. The Hohmans used the high ceilings and built-ins to their advantage, painting the ceiling white to create a light-filled, inviting space.

Sofa and chair: Sofa, Roche Bobois; java table: Instructions; corner table: Altura

Cynthia Lynn Photography

The brick chimney shaft is first to the house, and the Hohmans additional new built-in cabinetry to tuck the TV away.

The timber chair and ottoman beside the fireplace were rescued from a curbside garbage heap. A self-described Dumpster diver, Karen watched beyond the shabby cushions and asked Hertl to provide the chair brand new life by refinishing and reupholstering it.

Cynthia Lynn Photography

The couple’s inside style comes mainly in their artwork and found objects. Karen says,”I feel that an eclectic mixture of elements makes an intriguing, cursory look to a house. We started collecting quirky artwork, not knowing their initial function.”

The egglike sculptural heads are by ceramicist LaGardo Takett. “Little did we all know that these humorous pieces had a goal beyond decoration,” Karen says. “They were created and marketed through Playboy magazine as condom holders in the 1960s.”

The suspended flying guy is by Jonathan Forrest Read. The couple found this bit at the St. Petersburg Clay Company in Florida. “We enjoyed his job according to his unconventional thought — a human figure drifting through the atmosphere without care,” Karen says.

Cynthia Lynn Photography

Cynthia Lynn: Where are your favourite places to buy artwork?

Karen Hohman: Mike and I love to locate unique galleries once we travel, and we look for emerging artists wherever we go. We once bought a number of bits in Canada during one vacation. Mike and I enjoy encouraging gifted artists who are building their careers. We regular certain galleries like Vickers Gallery at Aspen, Colorado, along with the St. Petersburg Clay Company in Florida.

One of our favourite musicians, Mark Winter, created the large sided animal-like sculpture at the corner of their living area. We’ve gathered a range of Mark’s impressive bits. He incorporates scrap metal and recycled components and manipulates them into sculptural forms. Mike and I see his Wisconsin studio to watch him at work.

The mantel painting is from my grandma, who had been an avid art collector at the’50s and’60s. The painting is titled Ghost Rider, by Thomas Strobel. Our family has lots of the paintings using natural landscape themes and eye-fooling, antitraditionalist abstract geometric patterns.

Cynthia Lynn Photography

CL: What did you do to make it yours? What is your decorating doctrine?

KH: First of all, we painted all, because the whole house was painted in coral tones. That alone made a big difference. We then replaced the timber floors, the carpet, the tile and all the window treatments to liven up the space. We installed all of new lighting fixtures throughout and additional cabinetry in the living space, then completed the modern look with our artwork. Our philosophy was to pick a color palette which pulled away from the existing look. Our designer, Lynn, found an entirely different color palette which complemented the existing hard stuff.

Cynthia Lynn Photography

This bronze sculpture, Ladder — Seven Climbers, is by artist Bill Starke, bought through the Vickers Gallery. Karen says,”We loved that his job created compositions of figures that depicted the beauty and sophistication of the human state.”

CL: How would you complete these sentences?

If I could have four famous people over for dinner… I would encourage Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Steve Jobs and Chris Rock.

My mum moment was… taking a look at the before and after images of the house and realizing just how far we have come in altering the distance.

My advice to other homeowners would be… to enjoy and utilize all of the space in your house. Don’t create a space unlivable as it’s too overdone.

My house is… my way to express my personality and flavor through layout and artwork.

Cynthia Lynn Photography

New lighting fixtures were added across the house along with new window treatments. The Roman blinds update the space and allow more light in.

Karen bought the dining room celebrity sculptures when she had been a student at Indiana University. She states ,”They have an wonderful art college, and I had been lucky enough to buy them from a gallery that sold and featured pupil work.”

Living room table: Instructions; chandelier: Nido; seats: Altura, Bergamo cloth

Cynthia Lynn Photography

The kitchen needed the smallest quantity of renovation. Other than changing the paint color and also the kitchen faucet, the Hohmans left the space as is. Karen says their next design job is to reestablish it.

Cynthia Lynn Photography

High ceilings make this the perfect spot for enjoying breakfast.

Table and seats: Crate and Barrel

Cynthia Lynn Photography

The living room renovations also started with an entirely new color palette. The Hohmans awakened the old laminate floors, replacing them with hardwoods. The cherry wood warms the space without overpowering it, unlike its own peach predecessor. The formerly peach walls have been painted a neutral color. The first fireplace surround featured patterned tiles, and also the Hohmans replaced them from Ann Sacks. A signed Picasso lithograph hangs over the mantel.

The snakeskin chair is another one of Karen’s recovered objects, found on the curb in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Hertl refinished and reupholstered it.

Cynthia Lynn Photography

CL: What was or is your main style dilemma?

KH: The area spaces were awkward, and it challenged us to design each room creatively with furniture and artwork. We tried to salvage some of this challenging material that existed in the house, like the granite and the cabinets.

Cynthia Lynn Photography

The sunroom also failed a color transformation. Formerly, dark colours on the ceiling and dark furniture dulled the space, along with the Hohmans chose a soothing sage green and replaced the outdated chairs with vivid and inviting furniture. The sunroom overlooks the backyard and joins to the family room.

Cynthia Lynn Photography

The glass doors are original to the house. The cozy sectional serves as the perfect rest spot for the Hohmans’ four chihuahuas.

CL: What’s the first thing you’d grab if your house were on fire?

KH: I would grab our four chihuahuas.

Cynthia Lynn Photography

Pitched ceilings and strange layouts throughout the house presented a creative struggle. A personalized photo collage by Karen hangs in the master bedroom; it comprises photographs taken of her family, travels and everyday environment.

Bed: antique; nightstand: Instructions

Cynthia Lynn Photography

Karen and Michael chose a subtle color palette for the master bedroom, while the kids’ rooms obtained bolder choices.

A reading chair sits at the corner of this area, opposite the bed. Light from either side makes it an ideal reading spot. Karen says the master bedroom is where they feel the most at home:”It’s the ideal place to sit back and relax.”

BEFORE: The bath

Cynthia Lynn Photography

AFTER: The bathroom countertops and sinks have been replaced with contemporary faucets, and rainforest marble adorns the his-and-hers sinks.

Light fixtures: Lumens

Cynthia Lynn Photography

The Hohmans completely gutted the shower, removing the doors with chrome trim and replacing them with glass panels. They incorporated new tile and fixtures and painted the ceiling white.

CL: What is your ultimate dream house thing? What is your latest splurge?

KH: An art studio with many windows will definitely be my dream house thing. We completely gutted our master bath, and it was worth it.

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Summer Shade Combo: Blue and Green

Ever since I was a young preppy, I’ve loved green and blue together. The preppy look was always a combination of navy blue and Kelly green, but now designers are providing it an update. Vibrant apple and lime paired with turquoise or teal are a dynamic combination. Here are 10 ways to integrate the summery pair in your decor.

Amy Lau Design

1. Glean inspiration from sea glass. The glass pendant, headboard accents and brushstroke patterns on the pillows combine colors of apple green and heavy watery blues in this bedroom.

Munger Interiors

2. Tie in your beach towels. If you are like me, your beach towel set is most likely a mishmash of uncoordinated, threadbare specimens. Keep an eye out for end-of-summer earnings and treat your self to fresh fitting ones which you can hang with pride. (Check with local animal shelters to see if they could use your older ones.) Turquoise and lime towels can enliven a wall using beachy style.

Towels: Goal

Crisp Architects

3. Let tender blue soothe in the bedroom. Use cool blue on the partitions, then chalk it up with bright green accents.

Wall paint color: Highland Breeze, Benjamin Moore

Michael Abrams Limited

4. Construct in white area. This room uses darker greens and blues, but it remains light as a result of the well-edited usage of color.

Pillow and window cloth: Lulu DK; blankets: Pottery Barn

amanda nisbet

5. Energize a space with a accent piece. A glowing green slipper chair gives this white and navy palette a playful jolt.

Willey Design LLC

6. Start with the basics and coating on color. A neutral base of tans, creams and browns calms popsicle pastels in lime green and aqua in this living room.

Laura U, Inc..

7. Take the look outdoors. Rich jewel tones include a sumptuous texture to this Moroccan-inspired covered terrace in Texas.

Bench paint color: Oceanside SW6496, Sherwin-Williams

Rachel Reider Interiors

8. Publish a bold hue using a softer one. Bright lime green accents give this room plenty of bold color, while the blues require a longer muted backseat.

Dufner Heighes Inc

9. Go for bright stripes. Notice that in this jewel box of a toilet, they utilized one constant shade of blue and then mixed in sage, moss and acidity green stripes.

Bowley Builders

10. Mix patterns in green and blue. Solids, stripes, botanicals and even a giraffe pattern play nice together against the crisp, white backdrop of Benjamin Moore’s Decorator’s White.

Tom Stringer Design Partners

Your turn: Perhaps you have used a green and blue palette in your property? Please share your room with us in the Remarks, and any advice you’ve got about using the combination.

More
Fresh Color Duo: Maritime Blue and Green
Cool Color Palettes: Enviable Green and Blue Spaces

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Handmade Home: Doilies for More Than Valentines

As long as I can remember I’ve loved paper, and paper doilies are no exception. I perused an estate sale last weekend when a tiny box caught my eye. I started it up, and much to my delight, it was filled with quite classic paper doilies in different sizes and sizes! Needless to say, I snatched the box up for only a few dollars.

Susan Duane

After Valentine’s Day, paper doilies may be used for many different jobs. Try adhering them into a blank canvas as part of a collage or adding them to a journal using Modge Podge. Don’t worry if you can’t find classic ones — new doilies are readily available at craft shops in the baking aisle.

Susan Duane

Utilize a doily into stencil a bag bag

Materials
• Blank bag, lunch bag, etc..
• Doilies in desired dimension
• Fabric paint
• Foam brush
• Re-positionable spray adhesive

Step-by-step
1. Lightly spray the back of this doily and place on bag.

2. Brush gently with foam brush dipped in fabric paint. Dab brushto get the paint in all the small cutouts.

3. Carefully remove doily. Utilize a new doily each time you stencil on the bag.

Susan Duane

Make a simple doily banner

Materials
Classic seam binding, string or juteA dozen doiliesGlue, principles or sewing machineSimply fold the doilies in half and put the seam binding or string inside. Glue, staple or put in place with your machine. A banner like this may be used for weddings, birthdays, dinner parties, showers and other special occasions.

Susan Duane

Valentine’s Day present packaging

Here, I utilized doilies as part of my own packaging for Valentine’s Day gifts. I filled classic glassine envelopes using blank note cards, folded a doily above each, tied with twine and added a tag.

Susan Duane

Don’t forget other conventional applications of doilies, like dressing up food on dishes and trays.

More Handmade Home ideas:
How to Sew a Table Runner
DIY Outdoor Winter Table Setting

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Treat Yourself into Spring Blooms in Winter

Forcing bulbs inside is an effortless way to enjoy spring blossoms in winter. Almost any spring bulb can be forced indoors. Forcing is a broadly used term which means you are fast forwarding their growing cycle to bloom in winter. Paperwhites, also called Narcissus papyraceus, are among the easiest bulbs to force since they don’t require a chilling period. The fragrant flowers bloom within approximately four weeks of planting.

Susan Duane

You will need:
A container, 3 to 4 inches deep. If you are pushing the bulbs in water you can use a little bowl, vintage trophy, or another fairly dish would work superbly. If you are planting in dirt, choose a pot with a drainage hole in the bottom. Pebbles or potting soil to fill the bottom few inches of your own container. Bulbs of your selection. I utilized paperwhites, such as these grown by Jennifer of Dear Lillie, and tulips. Mine were purchased from Home Depot but they may be easily found online and at the neighborhood nursery.

1. Fill in your container with a couple inches of dirt or soil. Use bagged potting soil, or simply go outside and scoop a few pebbles and dirt from the backyard.

Susan Duane

2. Nestle the bulbs into the pebbles/dirt with the tips facing upward.

3. Place a few pebbles/some dirt around to keep the bulbs in place. It’s okay to put them closely together. It is going to help hold them up right, and they look amazing in bunches.

Susan Duane

4. Add water, stopping just short of the bottom of the bulb. If the bulbs sit in water, then the bulbs can rot. If utilizing dirt, water enough to dampen the soil.

5. Place container in a cool (50 degrees or so) dark spot until roots begin to form. My paperwhites took 10-14 days. Tulips may take up to ten weeks. Keep adding water as needed, filling to just below the bulb, or before the dirt is totally damp.

Susan Duane

Last year I used dirt in terracotta pots for my paperwhites. I spray painted the pots black and composed messages on them . It made for an enjoyable screen!

Susan Duane

Once the roots take hold, put the container into a warmer room and set in the sunlight. When the paperwhites begin to bloom, move them to indirect sun. This will help the flowers last longer. The tulips will bloom beautifully with direct sunlight.

Susan Duane

Vintage milk glass vases were my pick this year. Here they are just beginning to peek out. I adore the white milk glass with the white blossoms.

I used two of the containers on the buffet in my dining room. They should look like this after spending a week or two in the house. It’s wonderful how fast they grow!

dreamywhites.blogspot.com

Maria of Dreamy Whites planted hers in shallow bowls. As soon as they grow taller, then you might need to tie them together. I enjoyed that she packed the bowl with lots of bulbs giving them a true existence.

dearlillieblog.blogspot.com

Jennifer of Dear Lillie utilized paperwhites in a vintage trophy for a simple, elegant holiday mantle.

Paperwhites are a part of the centerpiece with this table. Because this is so simple to accomplish, you can plan to do this anytime during summer time bringing in a gorgeous, organic element to your desk.

These potted bulbs also make for a wonderful present, or even a fun activity for the children. I hope you’ll give this simple, budget friendly project a try on your own home.

More: Amazing Air Plants for Wall or Tree

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Dirt Optional: Beautiful Air Plants for Wall or Tree

For outdoor lovers and botanical admirers, winter can be a difficult season. However, for the people at Flora Grubb Gardens in San Francisco, the struggle only fuels their imagination and famously alternative approach to gardening.

A fresh release of vacation products reveals innovative strategies to give and decorate with plants. Building on the use of their signature succulents and air plants, these designs prove how easily indoor gardening can extend beyond the normal Christmas poinsettia, lasting well past the holidays and into the new season.

Flora Grubb Gardens

The nursery features a distinguished choice of succulents and tillandsia air plants. “Our inspiration was the astonishing and unusual qualities of the plants themselves, and also their own capacity to endure without roots, without dirt,” Grubb says.

“We adore the giftability of those inventions, and also the fact that they continue to raise and bring joy far beyond the holiday season. We can not wait to see what our customers do together.”

Flora Grubb Gardens

“We are plant people,” adds Grubb. “We love being close living things. During the spring, we won’t be found by you indoors — if we’ve got a selection. So during the winter as we turn our attention to being indoors more and for entertaining, we work to bring the things we want to be around inside with us”

An assortment of air plants on a wall provides a chance to enjoy the complexity and elegance of the tillandsia’s arrangement and growth both up close and as a group.

Flora Grubb Gardens

Thigmotrope Satellite Air Plant – $29

Grubb uses advanced pieces of steel hardware made in collaboration with Seth Boor to secure the air plants into the wall.

Flora Grubb Gardens

Boor demonstrates how to use the Thigmotrope Satellite to scatter a wall using tillandsia. Air plants may be removable for replacement or watering. Make sure you set up the hardware at which you won’t bump into it!

Flora Grubb Gardens

Succulent Ornament – $19

These unique holiday ornaments made from plant cuttings will continue well through the winter season and beyond. After the holidays, the cuttings will happily consider to planting and might even begin to sprout new roots while hanging around the tree.

Flora Grubb Gardens

“Many men and women think of succulents as those cute rosette-shaped plants with plump leaves and nominal, if any, spines,” says Grubb. “One of their charms is how easily they root from cuttings. They are amazingly durable and breathtakingly lovely, and thus perfectly conducive to being used as ornaments for a couple of months. We love how they look hung in a tree — upon cutting cutting. What distinguishes the decoration from the tree is that when the tree comes down, the decoration can go into a pot to become a new plant on the windowsill or in the backyard “

Flora Grubb Gardens

Aerium Ornament – $24

Specimens of tillandsia, mosses and lichens encapsulated in glass decorations create miniature landscapes to your own Christmas tree or window.

Flora Grubb Gardens

Grubb functions with vendors to come up with new contours to best show off the plants, also stresses the importance of supporting independent companies to fuel innovative layout.

Flora Grubb Gardens

At the dead of winter and without any needed nourishment, you can not help but be astounded by the beauty and tenacity of those succulents and tillandsia air plants.

Flora Grubb Gardens

Find joy in keeping living items close at hand while stuck indoors for the winter — with the prospect that spring is just around the corner, bringing with it new life for your outdoor garden once more.

See more gift ideas from Flora Grubb Gardens

Next: 11 Inspiring Vertical Gardens

3 Fuss-Free Ways to Garden

Great Design Plant: Blue Chalk Sticks

Grow With Winter Berries

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Guest Groups: Talkin' Turkey

Whether you’re novice or a specialist, whether it’s your very first turkey or your 50th, we need your main dish this Thanksgiving to be among the record books. There are particular essentials you need to cook the perfect turkey, and we’ve gathered 20 of our favorite products which we believe are must-haves for paying honor to the celebrity of this table this holiday season.

Heather and Vanessa from In the Picket Fence

Pottery Barn

Bountiful Turkey Serving Platter – $79

We can’t think of a beautiful way to present the crown jewel of this Thanksgiving feast compared to with this gorgeous platter. The colours catch the gist of harvest year, and we would love to get this gracing our tables this year.

Goal

Rachael Ray Red Open Roaster with V-Shape Rack – $59.99

A roaster may be a Thanksgiving essential, however they do not have to cost a arm and a leg. We adore this beautiful reddish version from the Rachael Ray set at Target.

Big Chill

Big Chill Retro Stove, Cherry Red | Big Chill – $4,295

If the turkey is the celebrity of Thanksgiving, the oven is where the conversion occurs. In our dream world, this reddish variety would have us speaking turkey daily.

Crate&Barrel

“Thanksgiving” Cookbook – $15.95

We can practically smell this turkey! The cover of this beautiful cookbook is simply a sampling of all the wonderful recipes and tips you’ll find inside. Take your time to pore over every page and revel in planning for this particular period of collecting together.

Williams-Sonoma

Apple & Spices Turkey Brine – $18

Using a brine can be a great way to add flavor to your bird. We love this mix, which has all the ingredients that you need to take the guesswork from brining.

Acorn Twine Holder | Williams Sonoma – $29.95

This is the way you shop kitchen twine in fashion. The acorn shape captures all the best of autumn, and we would have to keep it on our counters yearlong. We just love the way the smooth end of this alder wood turns this functional kitchen item to a work of art.

Organize

Cuisipro® Dual Baster and Flavor Injector – $10

We definitely belong to the “turkey basting” camp. After all, who needs dry turkey? This fantastic baster serves two purposes, basting and injecting flavor, for the perfect turkey every time.

Cooking

Hamilton Beach Electric Roaster Oven – $79.95

Just say no more stuffing — your oven, which is. We love the notion of freeing up much-needed oven space by using this stainless steel, electrical countertop roaster to cook your turkey.

Goal

Turkey Fryer – 3 in 1 Multi-Use – $59

Turkey? Good. Fried? Good. Fried Turkey? Yes, please! You won’t need to be worried about a crispy coating once you use this 3-in-1 turkey fryer. We have it on good authority that guys adore fried turkey.

Williams-Sonoma

All-Clad Instant Read Digital Thermometer – $39.95

Maintaining its temperature might not be the most glamorous part of cooking the bird, but it is undoubtedly the most important. So why not take it in fashion? We adore this sleek digital meat thermometer for taking the guesswork out of getting the meat just perfect.

Anthropologie

Rococo Potholder – $12

It is possible to pull your turkey from the oven or fryer in style with these gorgeous cotton bud holders. We think they’d be perfect for the entire holiday season.

Food Network Store

Sili Gourmet Oval Turkey Lifter – $34.95

For an alternate to heaving that turkey from the roaster, how about utilizing this Sili Sling Lifter? We love that you can actually roast the turkey directly on it and then lift it from the pan. Sounds a lot less messy to us!

Mountain Woods

Acacia Turkey/Roasted Meat Serving Board – $34.95

We adore the dual purpose of this acacia wood carving board. One side is smooth for everyday cutting, but the opposite surface includes deep grooves for amassing the liquids from the leafy greens, preventing messy counters.

Cuisinart

Electric Knife – $49.95

It’s rated one of the best by Good Housekeeping which makes it a winner in our book! If you prefer to carve your turkey up before it strikes the dinner table, we think this electric carving knife can fetch you the perfect slices every time.

Food Network Store

Knuckle Sandwich Guy Fieri Carving Set (2-pc.) – $89.95

You won’t have any more trouble convincing the man in your life to split up the turkey with this Guy Fieri carving set. He can slice that turkey up like a rock star fighter.

OXO

Fat Separator – 4 Cup – $14.99

Nobody needs a greasy gravy. We think the heat-resistant OXO fat separator is the perfect instrument for straining off the fat for perfect gravy every moment.

Pottery Barn

Antique-Silver Gravy Boat – $39

We adore the timeworn patina of the vintage-style engraved gravy boat. It’s a great new addition to your table with the look of a traditional family room.

Cost Plus World Market

Turkey Serving Dishes – $7.99

Don’t leave your side dishes from this turkey talk! Mound your stuffing and mashed potatoes in those domed, covered serving dishes. They are pretty enough to maneuver around the table.

Crate&Barrel

Storage Bowls With Clear Lids – $19.95

We love to send our guests home with leftover turkey — when there is one. These clear glass storage bowls make the great take-home containers.

Williams-Sonoma

If all else fails, you can always buy one of those fabulous precooked-to-perfection turkeys. Scatter the above mentioned products around your kitchen and also pass this yummy mail-order bird away as your own. Your secret is safe with us!

Next:
20 Ideas for Your Thanksgiving Table
Fun at the Thanksgiving Kids’ Table

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Nordic Style with a Twist

A mixture of comfy and worn-in antiques and flea market finds mixes with genuine Swedish designs within this Northwest home. Blogger, online store owner, and Sweden native Monika Claassen shares this house with her husband, 3 kids, 2 cats, and a hamster. Due to her legacy, her look has always leaned towards the clean lines and simple palettes that dominate the Swedish layout landscape. Claassen’s Washington house is a definite reflection of that style, but with her own unique take.

Splendid Willow

One of the great things about Claassen’s house is the abundant existence of that beautiful Northwestern lighting that many Oregon and Washington designers rave about.

The dining table and seat within this eating nook is from Cost Plus. Claassen, who runs the internet store Splendid Willow Avenue, could not pick between several tables for this area, so that she posed the question to readers of her website. They picked this affordable and beautiful setup.

Wall baskets: Ralph’s
Table/Bench: Cost Plus World Market
Lighting fixture: Crate & Barrel
Chairs: Tolix Marais A Chair

Splendid Willow

Claassen embraced the openness of her house’s design. The rooms flow beautifully, and there are lots of big spaces for entertaining. “I put a great deal of emphasis on making my house warm and inviting so individuals will want to stay until we have to kick them out,” she states.

At the dining area, Claassen mixed antique Swedish 18th century chairs (with the first paint) with fresh slipcovered chairs from IKEA, and breeding Gustavian chairs.

Table: 1700 Collection
Candle centerpiece: Crate & Barrel

Splendid Willow

The warm and comfy burnt orange formal living area is Claassen’s favourite room in the home. “I love the colours in it, and it has the ideal reading nook next to the big bright window,” she states. “It’s usually just me and the cats in there!”

Curtains: Swedish imported
Ladder bookshelf: Urban Outfitters

Splendid Willow

“A number of my dearest things have a private connection or background,” she states. “For example, an older Swedish 18th-century secretaire actually reminds me of my home nation. I have called it ‘Longing Home’ and that I maintain little Hindi paintings in it.”

Splendid Willow

Claassen goes on the hunt for products only about everywhere. Some of her favourite finds have come from eBay, Etsy, neighborhood stores, antique malls, and late-night net searches. She also brings several pieces from her annual visit to Sweden.

Mirror: Swedish Antique
Background: David Hicks Hexagon

Splendid Willow

This was initially a blank wall across from the desk at Claassen’s library and office. She wanted to put something inspiring there, so she created a vignette with an antique secretaire and a cubby shelf full of Swedish collectibles. A couple contemporary art pieces add contrast.

Cubby: Pottery Barn

Splendid Willow

In 4,200 square feet, Claassen’s home is a fantastic size, however there are not very many walls to place furniture against or display artwork. A window, door, or alcove fills the majority of the wall area, therefore it was challenging to decorate initially. She made great use out of this space she did possess, incorporating unique and quirky wallpaper and Victorian-inspired artwork into her home office, for example.

Background: Andrew Martin

Splendid Willow

In this dark gray and chocolate brown stairwell, Claassen made a small vignette with an antique chest of drawers and a vintage educational poster from Sweden. This poster was designed from the 1940s to show the parts of a violet.

Splendid Willow

Claassen recently redesigned her son William’s room, to transition it from a nursery to a “big-boy’s room” Like the rest of the home, she wanted it to feel distinctly Scandinavian, so that she stuck to a simple palette with a mixture of furniture from IKEA and salvaged antiques.

Bedding: IKEA
Headboard: IKEA
Map: IKEA
Milk crate: Vintage, with casters additional on

Splendid Willow

One of the main focal points of the soothing child’s room is the daring red chalkboard. Claassen and her husband painted red chalkboard paint directly onto the wall, and stained a large custom made gray/blue frame to put around it. To light it up perfectly at all hours of the night and day, she put in a swing arm adjustable sconce above it.

Sconce: Boston Library Light, Circa Lighting
Red Cabinet: Antique
Rug: IKEA

Splendid Willow

This bedside vignette is the 1 part of the home that’s 100-percent Claassen’s — everybody in the home knows not to mess up mother’s special corner.

The nightstand is vintage. Claassen painted it a brilliant shade of cerulean and emphasized it with brass lion attracts. Vintage marching-band music cards have been pinned up next to the curvy mirror she discovered at a consignment shop.

Lamp: Tizio, Design Within Reach
Stool: Cost Plus World Market
Bedding:
Target
Pulls on chest: Whitechapel Ltd
Paint on chest: Benjamin Moore’s Old Navy

Splendid Willow

While durability and comfort are the biggest priorities in her house, part of what pushes Claassen’s design philosophy is a love of contrast. Mixing antiques with contemporary pieces and high-end flea market finds help her produce rooms with personality. This living area (just one of three in her house) is an ideal example of that style, with a mixture of Swedish antiques and contemporary textiles.

More Tours:
Playful and Elegant at New York
A Neutral Palette Pleases by the Sea
Personality and High Design in Toronto

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Blue Crush: Tranquil Palettes Inspired by the Sea

In the glowing aquamarine tones of Caribbean waters into the deep indigo colours of the Pacific, coastal-inspired colors of blue are versatile, relaxing and elegant. Consider developing a luxurious, tranquil space using a pale blue shade or fashioning a sharp and cool haven by pairing bright turquoise with crisp white. If you’re afraid of going full blue, then incorporating jolts of color using accessories will infuse your house with an aquatic flair. To get a sea-inspired abode, read on–the sea blues are prepared to enchant you.

Elad Gonen

Strong blue accents and beautiful artwork join forces with the deep azure of the sky overhead to take center stage in this area –quite a feat thinking about the highly effective design element and rustic charm created by the all-white slick lines of the furniture and walls.

Philpotts Interiors

The unusual pairing of colours within this living area is a touch of genius. Pale turquoise colors pop when placed within an earthy environment. The artistic faux finish resembles the crystalline waters of an untrampled Caribbean shore; the exact same blue is replicated in the cushy sofa and chairs. The rustic columns flanking the entrance add to the pure feel. All in all.

Jerry Jacobs Design, Inc..

This bedroom is a study in how to use different intensities of the same color. Sky-blue stripes on the mattress give this ocean-view space a nautical touch. Royal blue paint on the walls is strategically extended to the borders of the ceiling, putting off the super pale blue it surrounds and adding dimension to the room. Bright white throughout ties it all together. Every single time you use color, add a lighter shade of the color too to balance out the color scheme.

If you aren’t fond of working with a great deal of color, a very simple but bold statement can be reached by adding only one brightly colored accessory. Here, the luscious small seat functions as a focal point, adding interest without compromising the natural and relaxing feel of the rest of the room.

Gentle blues are heated by natural light within this irie bathroom. Pale blue hues can create quite relaxing moods, especially when white functions as an anchor.

Sylvia Martin

A bold bit of blue-hued art is used as a focus in this area. The turquoise panels are reminiscent of sea waters and deliver a spirited twist to what would otherwise be a somewhat somber and serious vignette.

Divine Design+Build

The gorgeous shade of brown on the cabinets serves as the perfect foil for your aquamarine counter tops. Other colors of blue can also be used throughout the kitchen, in the backsplash, the pottery and even the cups. The color scheme jumps from bright blues to snappy oranges, giving the room a fun and flexible style.

Applegate Tran Interiors

An oversize art bit sets the tone for this particular room, leading to an area that’s modern, artistic and tasteful. Indigo, brown and white mix together perfectly , with every color perfectly balanced in relation to the others. Just a tiny dose of blue is enough to add a sea appeal.

Jeffrey Gordon Smith Landscape Architecture

Tranquil and exotic, this place gets its cool from the deep, ocean-inspired blues of their cushions and the firebowl. The classic table and the pure finish of the wooden gazebo exude warmth and elegance.

Anna Lattimore Interior Design

This diverse version of a sea-inspired motif has a lively vibe, thanks to the rich, dark shade of turquoise on the wall that serves as a backdrop. Considering how many colors, prints and designs are utilized, as well as the amount of exotic pieces, it is impressive to see how coherent–and dazzling–that place seems.

Next: More ways to utilize blue

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