As warmer weather arrives, there are lots of ways to soften the boundaries between indoors and out.
Even city dwellers without so much as a balcony can create a modern mini-Eden by incorporating elements of the natural world into their home.
For some, it may be a sleek bamboo print indoor/outdoor lamp (www.homeinfatuation.com), branch motif rug (www.smithandhawken.com) or sculptural root repurposed as furniture (www.vivaterra.com).
Faux zinc planters are lightweight enough to carry up a few floors and fill with serene greenery. There are curvy, steel, barrel stools (www.homegoods.com), and display cabinets filled with found items such as birds' eggs, shells and organic ephemera. Often imbued with an Asian or Californian aesthetic, these pieces marry well with contemporary decor.
Advances in photoprinting technology have allowed designers to place evocative and beautiful images on all sorts of furnishings.
Seascape Lamp's misty, sepia-toned forest pendant lampshade is a perfect accent over a sleek table. Or opt for a fixture with images of fresh green bamboo stalks on a crisp white shade. (www.seascapelamps.com)
At Urban Outfitters, find a leafy canopy imprinted on canvas. A group of them placed on a bedroom ceiling would serve as a gently invigorating eye-opener in the morning.
Other folks might prefer the exuberant, showy side of Mother Nature with enameled cachepots in hot hues, or a Zen-style large vertical garden planted with fragrant herbs that can go indoors or on a balcony (www.smithandhawken.com).
Designer Jason Champion powder coats vivid shades like fire-engine red, Popsicle blue, Kelly green and yellow onto aluminum screens, planters and table sets, laser-cutting them with geometric or leafy patterns. They can carry a home's sophisticated, modern sensibility out to the terrace (www.homeinfatuation.com).
Also for the terrace or a window is a clever planting bucket that straddles a railing and takes up very little space (www.uptoyoutoronto.com).
There are pieces that evoke nature in a charmingly artsy way. Little bird wall hooks (www.wisteria.com, www.urbanoutfitters.com); leaf magnets (www.uptoyoutoronto.com); tiles brushed with blossoms (www.xeniataler.com); playful squirrels peeking out of trays (www.iddko.com); and ornamented chests elaborately adorned with flora and fauna (www.wisteria.com ).
Autograph a wall with letters fashioned from twigs, feathers and tiny dried flowers, from www.vivaterra.com. Strings of whimsical little lights or hanging Bindi lanterns (www.homegoods.com) give off a Bohemian vibe.
Finally, for those who wish to let their inner nature lover run wild, consider the garden murals from www.muralsyourway.com.
Among the offerings is "Poppy Field," a riot of cheery blooms that, on a full-wall expanse, will elicit Lilliputian sensations. Or try a verdant trail through a sun-dappled autumn forest: With the mural named The Path, you can almost smell the woods.
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Sunny accents bring us closer to spring
Sunny accents bring us closer to spring
Winter won't be over for a couple more months, but already the sun is climbing a little higher in the sky, and feeling a little warmer.
Early spring catalogs and shelter magazines are letting the sun in too, with a variety of yellow hues in paint, furnishings and accessories.
Yellow can be cheerful and uplifting, or mellow and warm. It plays well with all woods and most other colors, and complements a wide range of decor styles. Whether you're bold enough for egg yolk or prefer the softer, mustardy side of the hue, yellow is worth considering.
Cozy decor: Knitwear gets comfortable throughout home
Cozy decor: Knitwear gets comfortable throughout home
London-based knitwear designer Melanie Porter turned her skills to home furnishings when she acquired an antique chair that needed reupholstering.
"But I couldn't find a fabric I liked, so I instinctively turned to knit," she says.
Several years later, her growing collection includes a funky '70s-era chair covered in the Union Jack, a cushion festooned with ruffly knit "corsages," and several pieces upholstered in a cozy, creamy fisherman knit. Porter notes, "It's a technique that allows me to position color and texture in precise positions; felting the knit makes it hard-wearing."
Stylish storage for dirty laundry
Stylish storage for dirty laundry
When we were young, "laundry hamper" might have referred to the floor under the bed.
A little later, it may have meant a mesh sack kept by the front door, with a pouch full of quarters for the laundromat.
But we are grownups now. An attractive receptacle for the day's castoffs is one of the small civilized gifts we give ourselves. It's generally a modest investment that banishes the chaos, and brings in the calm that is the hallmark of a well-kept home.
Use back-to-school energy to reinvigorate home
Use back-to-school energy to reinvigorate home
Spring may be the season of cleaning out clutter and brightening up the home, but autumn can be equally inspiring.
You can feel it in the air: Bright yellow school buses have returned to the roads and store shelves are stocked with crisp, fresh notebooks and pencils. Whether you're a student or not, a new semester filled with possibility is upon us.
That back-to-school energy motivates many homeowners to freshen up their space. Interior designer Betsy Burnham of Los Angeles' Burnham Design, says the phones at her office ring frequently in the fall. The summer entertaining season is over and people are excited about making fresh decorating decisions.
Bringing the outdoors in
Bringing the outdoors in
The indoors is taking on the distinct look of outdoors in this fall's home decorating trends.
Shades of green, rustic looks and elements of a farmers market will play a big role in your fall home decorating. It's like a retreat to the forest, capturing the mood and ambience of beautiful wood designs and garden floral patterns.
Neutral colors such as gray and light brown whisper comfort and create an inviting place.
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