Flowers | Design Happens

ALL POSTS TAGGED "[flowers]"

Daily Delight: Electronic Garden Pot (No Green Thumb Required!)

by Grant Dudley May 10, 2013 2 Comments

If most of your plants never survive longer than a few months, don’t worry, you’re not alone — “Hello, my name is Grant Dudley — and sadly, I kill plants.” To offer folks like us a hand, Click and Grow has created an easy-to-use solution.

A Click and Grow starter kit contains everything we need to become instant gardeners: a smartpot and a plant cartridge. These kits will grow our plants without us having to water or fertilize. Just add batteries, fill their water tanks and everything else is taken care of by smart technology.

Click and Grow Pot

Daily Delight: Metal Wall Flowers

by Briana Mowrey April 19, 2012 6 Comments

It’s usually bad to be called a wallflower, right? Well, not in this case. These pretty metal wall flowers from Pottery Barn Kids make a statement that is anything but shy.

metal flowers

They’re so big and glossy, and just kind of pop, right? It’s National Garden Month but because I have a terrible habit of killing plants — I ought to be studying HGTV Gardens more — I thought indoor metal flowers would be safer for me. Don’t let the fact that they come from Pottery Barn Kids fool you. I think these 3D blooms would dazzle anywhere from a barn wedding to a bathroom. So, go on and put the petal to the metal. (Tee hee.)

[Via: Pinterest]

My Favorite Florals for the First Day of Spring

by Briana Mowrey March 20, 2012 2 Comments

Happy First Day of Spring, everyone! The season stands for new life, growth and rebirth, and I’m feeling that all around me. The weather in New York has been eerily wonderful lately, and it seems the city is collectively in a better mood. This Spring Design Trends package has me obsessed with refreshing my decor. The HGTVGardens launch put gardening back on my radar, and even my Facebook news feed is full of flower photos these days. I’m not the first to gravitate to florals (stripes and dots tend to catch my eye first), but I think the finds below are a cheery way to welcome spring, don’t you?

spring floral decor

Left column, top to bottom: Libbey Vintage Drinking Glasses, Rose-breasted Grosbeak Print, Dershyl Ivory Floral Rug, Home® Floral Steel Watering Can. Large image: Floral Wing Back Patchwork Sofa. Middle column, top to bottom: Floral Heart Print, Floral Scarf Pillow. Right column, top to bottom: “Art Nouveau” Floral Utility Knife, Botanical Coaster Set.

The Botanical Coasters would look so fresh with glasses of Sparkling Sunshine Punch resting on top of them. (Check out the floating ice flowers!) Cheers to the warmer weather and good times to come!

How are you ringing in spring?

Daily Delight: The Prettiest Concrete and Wire Vases You’ve Ever Seen

by Briana Mowrey March 18, 2012 10 Comments

These V4 vases by Seung Yong Song live up to the title, don’t they? Not that there are so many different vases made out of these materials. It’s just that I couldn’t call the post ‘Concrete and Wire Vases’ and expect too many people to click, could I? That sounds kinda drab, and I’d be underselling these neat-looking vessels.

v4 vases

I love the juxtaposition of the tough, industrial materials and the delicate flowers tucked inside. The vases themselves also have the interesting contrast of their dense concrete bases and the light, airy wire forms atop them. Now the only question is, which HGTVGardens Flower of the Day would look best inside one of these?

[Via: Pinterest, DesignVagabond]

Good Scents: How to Use the Sense of Smell in Design

by Briana Mowrey March 12, 2012 8 Comments

Most of what we talk about in design revolves around the sense of sight. Although hearing (wind chimes, water features) and touch (textured fabrics, sheepskin throws) come into play a bit, I feel like the sense of smell sadly gets overlooked. Unless you’re counting the stinky trash that your boyfriend neglected to take out again, and I am not. (Ahem.) In fact, adding good scent back into your home can take what you’ve created visually to the next level.

floral arrangement

First, consider how large the room you want to perfume is, how strong you’d like the scent to be and how long you want it to last. Candles, like the ones designer Erin Valencich used in the photo below, diffusers and incense (Kim Myles loves Nag Champa) are on the stronger/longer side while sprays, sachets and potpourri are best for smaller spaces and a more fleeting or subtle effect, but they all have a place in a well-scented home. Fresh flowers — think lilies, hyacinths or roses — can be a natural way to introduce scent that’s beautiful to boot.

MORE: Kim Myles On Scent as a Layer of Design

Just as different design styles conjure up different feelings, you can incorporate specific essences into your home to achieve certain moods. Like feng shui for your nose, if you will. I definitely feel like certain scents relax me or rev me up. Lavender calms me, although there’s lavender body wash in my shower now, so perhaps that’s working against me when I’m trying to get ready for work in the morning. Gotta buy some grapefruit soap, and accent it with fresh grapefruit slices for an extra zesty kick!

MORE: Create a Candle-Filled Bathroom Spa and Other Great Ways to Bring Scent Home

erin valencich candles

I thought this article from The Chicago Tribune about using scent when selling your home had a good point about coordinating the kind of home you have with the overall scent profile you should think about creating: “A musk would be good for a house with a lot of dark wood, like cherry,” [President of AromaSys, Brad] Owen said. “White tea ginger would work for a more contemporary home.” This short piece from Allure also points out the need to consider what the room in the home is used for before you add scent. Florals may clash with food and cooking aromas in the kitchen, whereas food scents may be more distracting than relaxing in the bedroom.

Personally, I think the seasons influence my preferences the most. In the winter, I tend to like warm, spicy fragrances. Now that we’re moving into spring, I am excited to open up all the windows to get some fresh air, clean my apartment and move toward scents like linen, green grass and delicate florals. Ahh!

What are your favorite scents in the home, and how do you incorporate them?

Daily Delight: A Blooming Bathtub Mosaic

by Briana Mowrey March 3, 2012 3 Comments

I am a self-professed lover of tile. Naturally, I love tiled bathrooms, but recently I’ve been seeing more tiled bathtubs which is like, Why didn’t I think of that? First there was this pretty little number all done up in blue by Anthony Baratta. Then I saw this mosaic bathtub by Mosaic Sweden and I don’t know what happened, but I had to be revived with smelling salts.

mosaic bathtub
I can’t read Swedish (I know, so uncultured!), but I think this was a project for the Stockholm Furniture Fair 2012. The mosaic’s subject matter is apt for this time of year when I am yearning for spring. The details and depth of color in the mosaic plus the dramatic shape of the clawfoot tub make this an all-around impressive piece. Just throw in a petal-packed Lush Rose Queen bath bomb for a full-flower sensory experience!

[Via: Pinterest]

Featured

House Diaries: Spring Surprises

by Liz Gray February 24, 2012 22 Comments

Some surprises you get with a new house can be less than positive. They can range from annoying (Surprise! The sellers left a giant oil painting of a quarterback in the attic.) to slightly more horrifying (Oh look, the faucet suddenly has no water pressure!), but luckily, there are lots of good surprises too.

Good surprise exhibit A: Discovering the new-to-us garden. Since the yard thinks its spring (It was 70 degrees yesterday…in February.), each day we’re seeing new bits of green shooting out of the ground. And almost every day, a different flower pops out. Of course, as gardening novices, we have to run to a flower book (or to the all-knowing HGTV gardening editor, Marie) to identify most of them.

Everything from crocuses…

Freshly-sprouted purple crocuses

…to daffodils…

Yellow daffodils, after the rain

…to rambling vinca. And more is popping up every day!

Vinca major

Read Liz’s previous House Diaries posts here and follow her home inspiration board on Pinterest.

What surprised you most (good or bad) about your first house? Tell me in the comments below.

Daily Delight: How to Cook Up Kale Floral Arrangements

by Briana Mowrey February 22, 2012 5 Comments

I’m going steady with kale. Sure, I’ve had flings with other veggies — spinach, broccoli, Brussels sprouts — but none of them were as versatile as kale, and I’m true blue to my leafy green. How do I love kale? Let me count the ways:

1. I love kale in Veggie Booty, which is covered in kale powder. (Hey, 15% Vitamin A and 10% Vitamin C, it counts!)
2. I love kale in the Mean Greens juice I get from the One Lucky Duck juice bar.
3. I love kale chips, especially the flavors from New York Naturals.
4. I love sauteed kale, and this recipe couldn’t be easier or more delicious.
5. I love kale in ornamental garden beds and in floral arrangements.

[cue record scratch sound effect]

kale floral arrangement

Yes! It isn’t just good to eat. You can absolutely grow some gorgeous kale and use it in elegant arrangements. We have a tutorial for making a dramatic edible fall arrangement with ornamental kale and asparagus, and I might use some of its pointers to recreate the gorgeous Kale and Eschevaria arrangement from Jayson Home shown above. (I spotted it on their site the other day, but sadly, it’s only available for order in the Chicago area. Go Bears.)

Would you use kale or another veggie in a floral arrangement? Or do you think they should appear on dinner plates alone?

Featured

Toast to Love: Valentine’s Day Cocktails

by Liz Gray February 14, 2012 7 Comments

Happy Valentine’s Day! Have you found (or made) that perfect gift? There’s still time to create a thoughtful, delicious present: a romance-themed cocktail. Here are some of my favorites…

For your uber-romantic dinner for two, try the, ahem, to-die-for Romeo and Juliet cocktail. Top tequila and Grand Marnier with peach juice and ruby-hued Chambord. Garnish with an orange twist and a few maraschino cherries. Just add a not-too-cheesy card.

In lieu of a bouquet of flowers, why not mix up this fruity cocktail garnished with edible flowers? Swap orange juice for mango puree for a fresh spin on the classic mimosa. Punch it up with vodka, then top with a fresh viola, pansy or nasturtium flower.

Sure, you could buy a box of waxy supermarket chocolates or spend the evening baking a chocolate souffle. But this chocolatey dessert drink, made with white chocolate liqueur and dark chocolate shavings and a hint of orange liqueur, is just as satisfying and much more unexpected. Of course, since it’s Valentine’s Day, I wouldn’t turn down chocolates, a souffle and the cocktail…just sayin’.

See (and make!) all 10 romantic cocktails >>

What are your plans for Valentine’s Day? Tell us in the comments below.

Daily Delight: Personalized Vases

by Briana Mowrey February 7, 2012 2 Comments

Okay, so if you DO go the flower route for Valentine’s Day, I think a pretty classy touch would be to place the bouquet in a personalized vase, like these ones from Maid of Clay Ceramics.
name vase
These have that posh, understated elegance that only something monogrammed can have. And talk about romantic and thoughtful. You can pay extra to have important dates added to the vase (like anniversaries) and short notes inscribed on the bottom. Swoon! I’m going to be dropping hints, but if I don’t get one of these on the 14th, I’m hoping someone will spring for it as an eventual wedding gift. AHEM.