Some things get a bad wrap in the design world, it can be quite a snooty place. For example feature walls (many designers turn up their noses at them sighting them as suburban or my new favourite word too pedestrian) they show commitment issues, they are to safe to easy blah blah blah. I disagree if you want a feature wall, have a feature wall don't listen to anybody other than your self. Pot pouri gets a similar bad wrap, anyone who comes to the classes will know how we totally and utterly throw that one out the window with an out of this world scent that mirrors an Italian woodland in the rain, but we shall keep that one between ourselves. Same goes for carnations, garage flowers I heard someone call them recently, and maybe I'm an odd one but the minute anyone turns up their noses and dismisses something like feature walls or garage flowers I want to prove them wrong.
Every week I walk to the flower market, Columbia Road being very near our house and buy fresh blooms, bunches of eucalyptus
s makes the lower ground floor smell intoxicatingly forest like and a couple of bunches of other blooms for tables and desks, and yes I adore the faux's I have them all over but I like having both. Sometimes I'll buy hydrangeas (now very much in season) sometimes roses and sometimes carnations. Carnations (aka garage flowers) I here you cry, wait up and I will explain. These poor fellows get a bad wrap and yet they last forever and are one of the cheapest varieties to buy. Here's the trick and there are a few, cut the stems so that the heads just topple over your vases (and by the way you don't need a conventional vase,any old jam jars, the odd glass or tea light holder will do. Next up try mixing deep red with pink a magical combination and if you've got people over for dinner one of the coolest things you can do is decant in little t-light holders, chop stems off so they topple over the container, spray with hair spray and sprinkle with glitter. At night its magical truly truly magical. Or you can mix them with other blooms for another truly magical combo.
Some flower images below:
These are carnations are from Saipua a Brooklyn florist and one of the coolest around.
Another mixed bunch roses and carnations who would have thought they would look so cool?
These beauties from the blog,
www.fromtherightbank.com.
Oh and as for feature walls here is my one which I love, and which I intend to keep just like so until at least 90 years of age! Wallpapering this double height wall totally softens it and makes it feel like an art installation, so to all the naysayers out there I do not give a rats ass if they are in or they are out. Happy Wednesday
