Tag Archives: home decorating

Flower Market or Farmer’s Market?

August 17, 2019 Fran Comment

The best places to get the freshest flowers for your home.

I love how fresh flowers look in my home. I have some in my foyer, some on my breakfast table and usually a few stems in the powder room and in my bathroom (of course!). I even make sure I have a stem or two next to my bed. Of course, if I’m entertaining, I add flowers to wherever we are having cocktails and they are ever present as part of my tablescape in the dining room.

Fresh flowers brighten any room and bring life to any space they’re in. It’s interesting, guests mention that my home always feels welcoming but they don’t equate part of that feeling to the fresh flowers that are always present. But, I’m here to tell you that those flowers absolutely contribute to it.

Many people think that you need to go to a florist to have fresh flowers in your home and that you have to spend a lot of money on arrangements created by professionals. That is absolutely not the case. You can find fresh flowers at most grocery stores but they’re usually not the freshest. They’ll certainly do in a pinch – like if you can’t get to your local Flower Market or your local Farmer’s Market was a few days earlier and you need them ASAP. So, don’t completely write off your grocer’s flowers if that’s what you can get to in the minute – they will do just fine. But, with just a bit of planning you can get the freshest flowers from the flower or farmer’s market for a fraction of what it would cost you at a professional florist. Loose flowers from your grocery store will cost less than from a florist as well.

Talk to the flower merchant at the farmer’s market about which flowers are in season at the minute or simply find ones that you love. Ask which ones will stay freshest longest so you can enjoy them for a few extra days. If I don’t have a particular color theme I’m working with I like to find unusual colors of flowers – like the Mahogany Sun Flowers in the photos – I’d never seen them. Look at all the stems in whichever bunch you are choosing to make sure you don’t have any ‘sad’ flowers.

Be sure to recut the stems when you get home before you place them in water. Any container that can hold water can be used for your arrangements – they don’t have to be vases. In fact, sometimes the more unusual the container the more interesting the flowers look so canning jars, pitchers, glasses, almost anything can be the perfect ‘vase’ for your blooms. Cut them different lengths placing the shortest ones in front and the longest towards the center. I like them just loose.

And now that you know about where to find fresh flowers and how to have them in your home year-round you can save those visits to your local professional florist for when you absolutely must have that perfect arrangement for a special occasion.

Home Entertaining, Lifestyle

Flowers for Home Décor – How to keep Hydrangeas fresher longer

June 9, 2018 Fran Comment

A popular ornamental plant is our favorite home flower decoration – hydrangea!

The name “hydrangea” may or may not ring any bells. But if ornamental horticulture happens to be your “thing” or if you have ever seen the plant and its distinctive bloom, you might ask, “What’s that flower?”

You may see hydrangeas at florists, but it’s also just as likely this favorite ornamental plant already lives somewhere in your garden. It’s a favorite of landscapers and garden hobbyists because they are hardy plants, the blooms are huge and last a long time, and it has a long flowering season (from early spring to late autumn). The best part is that the cut flowers look fantastic in a vase in just about any home.

My mother had hydrangeas in the front and backyard. I’d cut the blooms and stick them into vases. We were surprised by how long they lasted. Plus, the color (white, blue, purple, lavender, violet, red or even green!) and size of the flower can really help add a fabulous spring/summer touch to your indoor décor. Interestingly it’s the acidity of the soil that is responsible for the color. Here’s a link to my video, you’ll see what I mean.

A bit of history, the Japanese are thought to be first to domesticate a wild variation of the plant found in Asia. Archeologists have found hydrangea fossils dating back 40 million years – pretty much all over the world. One story I read says that sometime in the mid-18th century, a European botanist brought back a North American variation of the plant to Europe and it instantly became a landscaping favorite.

A small warning – even the most common varieties of the plant have low levels of cyanide in the leaves – so don’t eat them. Only one varietal grown in Japan, called hydrangea serrata, is used in brewing a sweet tea for an annual cleansing ritual practiced by some Buddhists. They claim that the tea can help alleviate autoimmune disorders, malaria, and kidney stones. Native Americans have been documented using the root of the plant as a diuretic. In some cultures, the bark of mature hydrangea bushes is used in a concoction that dulls muscle pain.

But, in our culture, we love them because they are so beautiful. And after years of experimenting, I have some cool tips to pass along for keeping this gorgeous flower alive in your home for a long time.

If you happen to have a Hydrangea bush, it’s best when you cut the blooms in the morning by 7 am – or right after sunrise. Pick the ones that are fully open. Also – this is important – place the stems directly into a bucket of water while picking. Don’t let them sit long without water. They’ll dry out very quickly, and they won’t last long in a vase.

When you’re ready to put the stems into a vase, re-cut the ends at a sharp angle with a very sharp knife (very important). If you can manage it, cut both sides of the stems – like a “V” shape – to increase water intake.

After a few days, they may start to wilt. Don’t toss them! Just re-cut the stems and submerge them (blossoms and all – I know this sounds crazy) in a large container of cold water! Let them sit fully immersed in the water for several hours until they rehydrate entirely. Depending on how long they have been drying out, you may need to leave them overnight. Hydrangea are the only flowers that absorb moisture from their blooms as well as their stems. This is why it’s important to have them fully submerged in water – they will float to the surface and that’s OK.

When the blooms are perfectly restored, cut the stems again and arrange them in your vase as though they were fresh cut!

I’ve extended the life of my hydrangeas for weeks using this method. Just keep dunking them and bringing them back to life.

Enjoy.

Home Entertaining, Lifestyle

How to get the perfect rug size for your dining room.

March 10, 2018 Fran Comment

Tips for Home Décor – creating the right “balance” between look and function.

When I buy rugs for my home, I think about how they’ll look in my home – color and style, and how they will ‘get along’ with everything else that is already in the room. But for some people that’s not enough. They like to go a bit further with themes, shapes and symbology.

I have a friend who is a professor of history at a university and, logically, is a real history buff. He says that his biggest problem is that he can’t look at anything (including furniture and rugs) without thinking about its story and that sometimes creates a small problem (like if he needs to buy a rug!). But sometimes it’s fun for those of us within earshot to hear the history and stories behind a design.

Not long ago, we were at an event together and he noticed a lovely ornate rug with all sorts of little designs around the edges. There was other furniture in the home that was equally impressive but, my friend couldn’t take his eyes off that rug. He proceeded to wax poetic about how in ancient times each of the designs in a pattern had a separate meaning.

Because rugs were more durable than flags or clothing, the stories of the family that commissioned the rug were told in the designs and symbols within the pattern – their accomplishments, alliances, and very often how they got their wealth. Rugs (think medieval tapestries that were hung on the walls to keep warmth inside) were incredibly expensive to own so the families that did own them wanted everyone to know (without actually using words) their family history.

Today the rugs you choose can still tell so many stories about who you are – what you like, the style you’re comfortable in, etc. – things that can start a conversation. That one little ornate rug at the event we were attending not only got my friend going, but he eventually had three or four other people listening to his stories and asking questions.

For a dining room (or any room) think about all the furniture in the room before you start – not just the table and chairs but any other pieces that will ‘live’ in the room. Every item in the room should work together – in unison they convey the look and feel that you’re trying to create. The rug anchors the space – helps it look appropriately balanced. Rugs can not only add to a room but, if not chosen carefully, can also take over that same room. So, before you go out and buy that rug, place all the furniture in the room exactly where you want it.

Pay attention to the functionality of the rug you are looking at – that gorgeous maroon and grey floral design might be the perfect color for your chairs, but is it the right rug for the room it will ‘live’ in? Is it practical enough to deal with the occasional spill? Is it the right size? Too large and it will just look like wall to wall carpeting and your furniture will look crowded. Too small and your chairs will scrape the floor when they are pulled out and likely catch the edge of the rug when they are pushed back in. When it’s just the right size the feet of the chair remain on the carpet when the chairs are moved away from the table.

Here are my three easy tips to help you figure out just the right size for your dining room:

Pull out all the chairs as if you are just going to sit down. The back of the chair should be 18-24” from the edge of your table with about 8-10” from there to the wall or the closest piece of furniture.
Pick a rug that is the same shape as your table to create symmetry.
Remember the basic sizes, and plan accordingly:
- For a 6-chair rectangular table the ideal size is an 8-foot by 10-foot rug.
- For an 8-chair rectangular table the size goes up to a 9-foot by 12-foot rug.
- If you have a 4-chair round or square table, then either an 8-foot square or 8-foot diameter round rug will look perfect.

An excellent online source is Rug Studio – pictures alone will help fuel some ideas.

Restoration Hardware – another favorite source of mine – is also a great site for some truly inspired design ideas.

Home Entertaining, Table Top, Lifestyle

Upgrade your Coffee Table or Dining Room Table

February 17, 2018 Fran Comment

Make a statement with cool accents and fabulous conversation starters.

A lesson I learned from my mother: if it has dust on it, it’s been out too long. The lesson from that idea may not be what you immediately think. She tended to toss things out and wasn’t very fond of collecting (even silver I’m sad to say). BUT she did like to change out her home décor from season to season so that the whole house seemed to constantly renew itself. Truly, one of the only things that stayed the same was the amazing Chinese Red silk wallpaper she had put on the ceiling in the living room!

The focal point of your living room is your coffee table. It really is the center of the room, you literally sit at it. For that fact alone, it’s probably one of the first things in your whole house that your guests notice. Imagine what happens when you go to a friend’s home and you see this beautiful Fabergé egg on the coffee table. You know the kind – intricate porcelain design – amazing colors. It’s a fabulous egg. It’s gorgeous. But year after year it’s in the same spot and is never moved. It now becomes a boring egg, doesn’t it? What fun is it once everyone has seen it so often that it becomes ‘old news’?

Because it is the center of attention, the coffee table is potentially your best tool for starting conversations. If you want to be a star in home entertaining, this is your stage. At least, it’s one of them. From the time that guests first arrive until the last one leaves; what’s on your coffee table can trigger icebreaker conversations. Sometimes there’s a lull in the conversation but the décor on your coffee table can help keep the ‘buzz’ going.

True story: a friend of mine collects what she calls “stupid stuff” like toys and bobbleheads. It is kinda silly – I have to admit – and I’m not the biggest fan. But there we were at a recent gathering, laughing and giggling over these silly things. It really started off a great evening on the right foot. She’s a terrific cook and always serves some of the best food and drink but I think it even made everything she served taste that much better.

Let me put one big caveat on what I mean by “changing out” your home décor. I don’t mean to say you shouldn’t be attached to certain items in your home, even if they have to be dusted off, from time to time. But, think about what can easily be refreshed which might mean only adding a couple of items but moving what you do love to different spots so that they look new.

I have some examples that can start wonderful conversations. They’re easy upgrades for your coffee table or dining room table: cool accents that will set off just about any room. Watch my video to see them in my home.

Let’s start with what we can call the center attraction. I’m already getting ready for a spring look (it’s been pretty sunny here in Cali), so I looked around and found glass sculptures from Kosta Boda. I fell in love with a piece called “My Wild Life” by master glass artist, Ludvig Löfgren. The pieces are not mass produced – each piece is a unique work of art.

Then I found a collection by Michael Aram that I think complements the room. I selected a piece called Butterfly Ginkgo Centerpiece that’s made from natural bronze and nickelplate. The Ginkgo Biloba or Butterfly Ginkgo is a tree that has leaves that look like butterflies.

I liked the Kosta Boda piece so much that I went back for more and found these colored glass brick candle holders that are especially lovely for tea lights. Remember, design looks best in odd numbers – in this case three, especially candles and candle holders. And if you don’t like the hassle of real candles, I recommend flameless candles from Crate and Barrel.

Finally. A nice ‘coffee table’ book is always a great way to set off a conversation. If you pick a travel book, make it someplace you’ve been or is on your ‘bucket list’. I have books about Italy, India, and places all over the U.S. Other types of books work – depending on your interests: historic photojournalism (e.g., great moments in history), art books, astronomy, architecture, flowers – or even pets, if you have a penchant for cute and cuddly.

The point is – make the centerpiece the center of conversation. That means it should change with your life and the seasons. Your guests will love it. And to be honest, so will you!