Bring the Outdoors In This Spring
As the spring rains bring our lawns and gardens to life, many of us find our home interior is a bit dull in comparison. Today’s silk plants and flowers are a wonderful way of bringing Mother Nature into our homes all year round. The variety and quality of silk plants and florals on the market today are astounding, and their authenticity keeps improving every year. With some careful shaping and placement, these foliages can fool the eye and really add warmth and charm to your interior.
Plants have the ability to transform a room from cold and unappealing to a space that’s warm and inviting. By cleverly mixing plants with accessories in your cabinets and bookshelves, you can avoid an over-arranged look and create a natural flow of contrasting items. No matter how many fabulous accessories you find, they still need the softness of greenery to complete the full package.
People who fear synthetic foliage may be remembering the plastic flowers of their childhood. Fortunately, silk flowers, trees, and other foliage have evolved to be very realistic and made of high-quality materials. In fact, silk foliage has many advantages. For example, it can be placed high on shelves without worrying about how you’ll water them. Silk flowers and trees can also be located in rooms without sunlight, unlike many real plants and trees. A large variety of flowers are available at any time-they never go out of season. Finally, silk arrangements can be made to match any fabric; just by tipping or spraying them, your floral de-signer can make them just the right shade to pull your room together.
When choosing a floral arrangement, people often find themselves in the middle of a giant floral department at their favorite superstore. Unfortunately, this can be very overwhelming for people without experience in floral design. Using a custom floral designer who can give you personal attention may be a better choice. Here are some guidelines to follow when choosing the elements of your arrangement:
Plants have the ability to transform a room from cold and unappealing to a space that’s warm and inviting. By cleverly mixing plants with accessories in your cabinets and bookshelves, you can avoid an over-arranged look and create a natural flow of contrasting items. No matter how many fabulous accessories you find, they still need the softness of greenery to complete the full package.
People who fear synthetic foliage may be remembering the plastic flowers of their childhood. Fortunately, silk flowers, trees, and other foliage have evolved to be very realistic and made of high-quality materials. In fact, silk foliage has many advantages. For example, it can be placed high on shelves without worrying about how you’ll water them. Silk flowers and trees can also be located in rooms without sunlight, unlike many real plants and trees. A large variety of flowers are available at any time-they never go out of season. Finally, silk arrangements can be made to match any fabric; just by tipping or spraying them, your floral de-signer can make them just the right shade to pull your room together.
When choosing a floral arrangement, people often find themselves in the middle of a giant floral department at their favorite superstore. Unfortunately, this can be very overwhelming for people without experience in floral design. Using a custom floral designer who can give you personal attention may be a better choice. Here are some guidelines to follow when choosing the elements of your arrangement:
- Bring your fabric with you. This allows you to pull the colors from your fabric and incorporate them into your arrangement.
- Be conscious of texture. Don’t choose just one type or size of flower. Too many of the same can make the arrangement look empty-no matter how many flowers you put into it. It can be fun to use a large flower like a hydrangea combined with a smaller, "spiky" flower or some natural branches to give the arrangement texture.
- It doesn’t always have to be green. In addition to the variety of greens available, foliage also exists in many shades including gold, plum, burgundy, and wheat.
- Be scale conscious. Make sure the arrangement you’ll be making meets the needs of the space it will be filling. Far too often, people are afraid to use arrangements that are actually large enough for their space. Remember, what looks huge in the crowded floral shop may look small in your giant, empty living room. If you’re trying to cover the top of the television cabinet in your family room with the cathedral ceiling, you must think big and tall. Also consider the container you wish to use, and scale it appropriately. You want to bring the eye up when you have two-story ceilings to show off your architecture. This can only be done through pieces with considerable height.
If you keep these simple steps in mind, you can easily turn a boring space into something dynamic and full of life. If the task seems too big, many floral designers offer in-home consultations and will even place the plants and accessories in your home. Whichever route you choose, liven up your life with a bit of man-made Mother Nature. TPW