A little red year round

Red  is a great accent colour anytime, but it seems to be even more inviting at Christmas.  All it takes is the merest hint to bring a room to life. It can be used in small accessories, window treatments or furniture.  In all can’t be ignored.

A splash of red always works

source

What a difference a pillow can make.  Remember to have at least three hits of an accent colour around a room to create movement.  

Black and red are very dramatic

 source

Red and black is always dramatic, and when your throw a bold pattern into the mix it is even more so. 

Stunning patterned bar stools

 source

 Red and gray is refreshing.  I especially like this crisp blue red with a white pattern. Three hits of colour is well displayed in this vignette. 

A sprinkling of red

source

Red paired with black and white patterned area rug is very eye catching.   What an interesting window treatment for more than one window set close together. Vertical stripes are so commanding. 

Who could ignore red with black and white?

 source 

 Bold black and white again with a red sofa.  Very commanding.  When you are hanging artwork on a striped wall it is best to keep the mats light and the images simple. 

Red and white striped headboard

source

A striking red striped headboard with charcoal and white. 

A stunning red console

source

Red with liberal amounts of neutral always works.

The post A little red year round appeared first on Decor Pur.

Read More

A little spring in my home

Do you like white flowers?  I’m a sucker for them.  Nothing is as fresh and inviting as white and let’s face it, there’s nothing white doesn’t match.  Lucky for me there are so many varieties of white flowers that  I can keep finding something  year round.  A large bunch can be divided into two vases if you keep your vases on the smallish side.

 Here’s my latest  addition in the laundry room.  Don’t be afraid to mix up your vignette for a bit of newness.

Which of these  vignettes do you like the best?

Margaret Ryall

A modified L line of design…

Margaret Ryall

 the classic check mark / V or…

Margaret Ryall

the always predictable A arrangement?

Sure do wish this art work was a little bigger!  It is one of my mixed media pieces ( 11 x 14 in.)  titled Attempting Balance (encaustic, paper, and metal on cradled panel) created at the 6th International Encaustic Conference in 2012 at Provincetown, NJ.   My laundry room is a lovely art gallery.  I have to make it nice because it is open to the hallway and a walk through for the powder room.  

I don’t only rotate the objects in my arrangement I also rotate the art hanging there.  If I want to live with a piece to determine if it is finished I hang it in the laundry room!

The post A little spring in my home appeared first on Decor Pur.

Read More

Do you need a little luck?

We just finished two months of renovations after our broken water pipes  and I wanted something fresh and green  for my living room. I went to the florist to get a….

 lucky shamrock seeing it was St. Patrick’s Day  and my ancestors are Irish.  The best laid plans often fizzle in the face of something more interesting or inviting. The poor old shamrock didn’t get a second look when I saw this….

Lucky bamboo pillar

I couldn’t help myself.  I was pulled in by this  lucky  bamboo. Most bamboo plants grow into a leggy, somewhat untidy mess, and for that reason I’ve never bought one.  I didn’t realize  there were different ways of braiding or shaping them.

So I am  now the proud owner of a lucky bamboo.  Here’s my Cole’s notes (am I dating myself?) version of my research on understanding them a little more:

10 facts about lucky bamboo

The lucky bamboo:

•  has been used for 5,000 years in the practice of Feng Shui
• arrangement can have  5 essential elements of Feng Shui- earth (rocks or pebbles), wood (stalks), water (for growth), metal (add small coin or ornament), and fire (red or orange   object added) 
• is not a real bamboo, it is an Asian tropical water lily, botanical name “dracaena sanderiana” 
• does well in low light, but needs a constant supply of  water (keep at 1 inch)
• likes distilled water  or tap water left out overnight ,
• doesn’t like  water with flouride 
•  needs a water change once a week 
• brings luck (amount of luck it brings depends on the number of stalks) check this link
• leaves can be toxic when ingested
• designs are trellis, pillar, tower or “random”

Special designs

Spiral triad

Pineapple braided pillar

Simple braided pillar

Two tiered tower

Serpentine wall 

Trellis lucky bamboo 

If you want a plant in your home a lucky bamboo is your best bet if you don’t have a green thumb.  It may even survive for awhile.

Using lucky bamboo in decor

Using repetition of small arrangements in a dining space

Source 

The sculptural quality of curled lucky bamboo makes a stunning centerpiece

 Heydt Designs

Lucky bamboo in a simple design works well in a Zen bathroom 

Ryan Interior Design

An  arrangement of curled  stems needs no other adornment 

  Adams + Beasley Associates

The post Do you need a little luck? appeared first on Decor Pur.

Read More

Have a little heart

Young children often call Valentine’s Day “heart day” .  The heart motif is constantly used in home accessories and these gems aren’t just for Valentine’s Day; they add lightness and love to your home all year round.   Have you woven any hearts into your home decor?

Honey Pie Design

This simple, graphic pillow  would look great layered with other pillows that have hits of red. The stitching and asymmetrical layout makes the design.

Totally Tutorials

Creating a wrapped yarn heart over a wooden or cardboard heart is so simple.  If you create two different sizes you can hang one inside the other.

How about Oragne?

A great activity if you are bored.

source 

In 1930s Hungary, farmers  personalized the designs of their grain
sacks so that they could easily identify the bag while transporting
grain, flour or sugar. Some of these distinct grain sacks are being
repurposed as decorative pillows for the home.  A pillow with history….

UncommonGoods

Design Sponge

Lots of ideas here for interesting, creative wrapping for your Valentine.

A Few Things From My Life

When you poke around on the internet you will find all sorts of ideas for do- it- yourself art with heart motifs. Most of the really successful ones make use of repetition as the  predominant principle of design.  

Arnold Schulman Design Group

This is one spectacular bookcase and the little hits of pink hearts are adorable.
 

London Interior Designer LLI Design

 Can you find the hearts? 

The post Have a little heart appeared first on Decor Pur.

Read More