Archive for June, 2012

4th of July Celebration

June 30, 2012

Last summer we spent the 4th of July holiday in the State of Washington in the one county that allows the sale and use of serious fireworks and it was a cracking, blasting, popping, loud time. Because the weather there was so nice we were able to eat outside and enjoy the festivities.  My idea of the perfect American 4th of July picnic includes a little badminton, a game of croquet, a covered gazebo to…

Happy Canada Day!

June 29, 2012

This design is from my Olioboard friend Cheryl who lives in Canada. Cheryl lives in Nova Scotia.  The background of this board is The Highland Links which is on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is located on the famous Cabot Trail.
This golf course is rated among the 100 top rated golf courses worldwide. It was opened in 1941 and was designed by famous golf course architect Stanley Thompson. It is located in Ingonish,…

Nursery Design

June 24, 2012

July 5, 2012 Update to my post: This nursery won the Wayfair nursery design challenge and then it won the overall Wayfair design challenge.
I won $500 in gift certificates from Wayfair.

This is my nursery design in the Olioboard contest sponsored by Wayfair and here are the Wayfair products used in my design.
 …

Floral Designs

June 21, 2012

Earth laughs in flowers
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
Floral arranging has been a passion of mine for many, many years.  Finding new ways to arrange them gives me tremendous pleasure.  Creating a centerpiece for holidays and special occasions is a wonderful way to practice arranging. Over the years, I have made designs for my church, created designs for interior design clients, taught classes in floral arranging  and given my floral arrangements as gifts. These are some of the creations I have made over the years.
Ikebana
The word Ikebana (eey-kay-bah-nah) means “living flowers” and refers to the arranging of flowers so…

Barn Style – Home on the range with Hank Williams

June 20, 2012

Barn style to me is a mix of country, cowboy, rustic, ranch and western. Here are some spaces that are all of that along with my tribute to Barn Style – Home on the Range with Hank Williams. I recommend listening to Hank while you are looking at this post.

Rustic Family Room

Devine Ranch – living room with heavy timber, stone fireplace, and high ceiling.

Traditional Kitchen design by Burlington Architect Birdseye Design

Eclectic Bedroom design by San Francisco Interior Designer EAG Studio

Country French inspired breakfast room.

Modern Living Room design by San Diego Carpet And Flooring…

Chinoiserie Meets Ikebana

June 18, 2012

Chinoiserie, from the French word chinois meaning Chinese-esque emerged during the period of Rococo and became a very popular motif which still is prevalent in design today in porcelain pottery, textiles and wallpaper. The Chinoiserie style features Asian landscapes, pagodas and pavilions, elaborate birds, dragons, and Chinese figures.
Ikebana - Japanese Flower Arranging
Several years ago I took a class in Japanese flower arranging and found it a lovely way to arrange flowers. Currently I am…

Japanese Garden Patio

June 14, 2012

This is my Japanese garden inspired patio design for the competition on Olioboard sponsored by Wayfair. Wayfair is challenging the Olioboard community to design the ultimate outdoor living space. This is a week long contest and ends on Monday June 18th at 11:59am so get your designs in and get voting. Be sure to include at least 3 items from the Wayfair collection for your board to be eligible to win.  Please vote here

These are the items I included in my design from Wayfair.…

Sexy Beast

June 5, 2012

Did I get your attention?  Animal prints are the beasts I am referring to. They come in many different weaves, textile fibers, and styles. Woven from various fibers, you will see them in cotton, faux fur, linen, needlepoint, outdoor fabrics, silk, ultra suede, velvets and more.  A little animal print in a room will give the space that extra appeal and excitement. From casual elegance to sophisticated glamour, there is always a place for a sexy…

Cool Blue Stripes

June 3, 2012

Since the temperatures in Arizona are now reaching into the 100′s on a daily basis, I have been imagining . . .

Cool ocean breezes

While drinking an ice cold glass of lemonade
At an ocean front cottage
Wearing a jacket
enjoying Getting my feet wet walking on a  beach 
Here is the decor I am imagining to go along with my day dreams!
 

Ralph Lauren High Rock Stripe…

Portrait Painter

June 1, 2012

The first time I went to Italy I was 22 years old and purchased  a print on the easel  in my moodboard below which is a self portrait of the artist Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun and her daughter Jeanne Lucie Louise.  I really didn’t know who the artist was but I loved the painting. The print was thumbtacked on the wall at all the places I lived. Over the years it started to get ruined so I rolled it up and put it away. In 2000 I was in Paris at the Louvre and saw the original painting on the wall and…