new blog theme

We changed the appearance of our home accent collection blog, moving toward a more minimalist and modern theme, retaining the green in our blog title and blog description. We have added a Search This Blog box and Subscription link, as well as the Share It feature for Twitter and Facebook. Feel free to tweet or follow us @homeaccentcolle on Twitter, or visit us on Facebook!

inspired by nature

An intermittent theme over time in home decorating has been a nature theme. Themes based on nature are increasingly showing up in other retail markets at this time. Is it merely the season, or a trend? If a trend, I look forward to seeing how it will play out against the current modern theme in decorating. If the season, enjoy! Either way, your home as your sanctuary is a timeless theme.

decorating with Millie

Millie, the lamp in my living room, was the initial inspiration for my current home decor. Millie, the lamp, was advertised as "Traditional...yet thoroughly modern" by Murray Feiss. I first saw her in a trade journal, and awaited her arrival on the retail market with great anticipation. She is no longer in the Murray Feiss product line, but she continues to occupy her space in my living room in front of the window, and though not the focal point, it is obvious (to me, anyway) that the room really revolves around her!

bookcases and home decor

I love books. My favorite weekday date is a trip to the used bookstore. I have several bookcases which are filled with books. If my house is cluttered, the likely cause is a pile of books. When I go to get a book, I get three or four. I purchased a coffee table book one time. Well, actually I bought a book that I liked and the excuse I made to myself was that it would make a good coffee table book. I guess you might say I collect books.

My love of books started when was a child. My mother signed me up for a children's book club and I would receive a book every month. I was too young to wait for and anticipate the next months' book, instead they appeared to me as regular surprises! I was was also too young to be wed to a particular type of book, so it was really quite a smart move on my mother's part. As an adult, my book collection started with a birthday gift of ten dollars. I was living in a new region of the country and I bought a regional cookbook, which is now one of my favorite cookbooks.

I have acquired lovely bookcases, one a handmade bookcase with windowed doors. As a consequence of that bookcase I have considered at an entire style of decorating that I would otherwise have overlooked. The path of life can take lovely twists and turns often leading us to places we had not planned. When I was twenty years old I did not envision my first book purchase to lead to a room of furniture, but the journey and destination have been wonderful!

funny traditions

One of my funny holiday traditions is to use the holidays as an excuse to acquire some new home accessories or accents. Last year it was the mirrored etagere. This year I am considering a luscious wool area rug. The pattern doesn't fit my existing decor, so I would need to create a little nook with some additional accents and pieces of furniture to make it work. Hmm...

fabrics and windows

In the past, I lived in a house overlooking a lake with a beautiful view of the water and the evening sunsets. The windows throughout the house were covered with gorgeous white plantation shutters. I no longer live there, and when I moved I wanted a change. One of the changes I made was in window coverings. In an area where blinds were the custom, I decided to break convention and use fabric draperies in many of my rooms. I have the option of changing draperies, and the entire ambiance of the room, easily. This fall I am adding a custom made dupioni silk valance to my kitchen window. This dupioni silk is a medium-weight, crisp and shimmery fabric, with slubs that form an uneven finish. I love the combination of the roughness of the fabric and the shimmer.

autumn

Autumn - the last days of golden warmth before the winter season. And, the time when the outdoors is the perfect compliment to any home interior.

grays and shadowy purples

I have been noticing shades of gray from soft gray to medium gray, and purple in a range of shadowy colors. In addition to mango and deep pink, it is going to be a fun Autumn to shop.

cotton bolls and other acts of nature

Lately, every time I walk through my garage my eyes are drawn to my Autumn wreath with it's red, orange, and yellow leaves attached to a grapevine form with some dried green moss tucked in here and there. My favorite book about wreaths, which is really about wreaths and swags and garlands, is Great American Wreaths: The Best of Martha Stewart Living, created by Martha Stewart and Hannah Milman. The book features 51 wreaths, one for each state and the District of Columbia. Who else would have thought of a wreath made with cotton bolls?

In the meantime, my Autumn wreath will wait for the baby birds nesting in my Summer wreath to leave home. A picture then.

sustainable home accents - a few thoughts

Buy home accents that will last. When you no longer want an item, you can donate it to a charity and someone else can benefit as well as the environment. Buy furniture made with certified wood. Expand your vocabulary. Learn what certified wood is, and what cradle-to-cradle means. The glossary on the ASID website under Sustainable Design is an excellent place to start. The links on the website are invaluable and often entertaining.

Also, remember that computers, computer monitors and many other electronics include toxic materials. They should not sit in landfills when they are replaced. Anything synthetic can be recycled; even athletic shoes. Contact your Chamber of Commerce to find a local recycler for synthetic materials.

the garden

It is spring throughout the US, and many of us have turned our attention to the outdoors - taking a walk in a nearby park, replacing the wreath on our front door, potting some flowers for the front porch, and even updating our planting areas, if we have a yard. So far, we have purchased a tree, some flowers, herbs for the kitchen, decorative planting pots, and the necessary materials to make a "spring" wreath for our front door.

Planning and procuring plants and other items for our backyard has been as time-consuming and expensive as decorating a room. Perhaps, more so. It has also brought us as much pleasure. After scouring many magazines, the internet and books from the library for ideas, and touring other neighborhoods by foot and car for further inspiration, I finally developed a detailed "plan" for our backyard. I planned a Japanese-style garden/yard. Our life is hectic and I wished for a calm and relaxing garden.

With plan in hand, we went to our favorite nurseries. Each time I would ask for a specific plant, the knowledgeable nurseryman would pause, his or her face would assume a blank look and they would politely say that perhaps they could show me a similar plant more suited for the local climate. The local climate is confined almost just to our city as it is on the border of two zones. Each time I would dutifully take the substitute flower/plant/tree home and have it planted.

I am flexible. My garden looks like an English countryside garden replete with hummingbirds, butterflies and a profusion of flowers! Sometimes plans go awry, but the results can still be wonderful. I wouldn't trade my garden/yard for another.

for children

(Photo used with permission.)

Walk into Clover in Ballard, a neighborhood in Seattle, Washington, United States, and you will feel like you are walking into a child's fantasy world. The neighborhood itself is beautiful, and this store is a gem tucked in it's midst. They carry "Unique Toys, Furnishings and Clothing for Children." I have a link to the "Room Decor" section of their web site under "Mostly Interior Design." Take a look at "About Us" for more about the store's beginnings and it's owner. Children change your life AND your home! Sometimes you need to put aside your favorite home accents for a few years. The aforementioned mirrored etagere would not last long in most homes with children. But, not only do children add inexplicable joy to your life, they provide an opportunity for design possibilities. Make your home the "go to" place for the children in your life. Photo by Breanne (see breannec.com). 

the mirrored etagere

I purchased a mirrored etagere several months ago for myself. It is a petite, rectangular accent table with mirrored shelves in a nickel finish frame. The mirrored shelves are etched. It is a very "feminine" table. The table is still in it's box, awaiting it's grand entrance. I can't wait to find a home in my home for this little treasure. 

a nice little bakery

A less tangible home accent in your home is the food you eat.  From gourmet food to country home cooking, food plays an important part in home life.  Some are fortunate and have many family recipes, while others have worked to develop their own special style in the kitchen. Sometimes a little help is appreciated and bakeries are an excellent place to start!  Le Panier - Very French Bakery, located at 1902 Pike Place in Seattle, Washington, is one such bakery (www.lepanier.com)!

shimmering glass

I love the organic shape and shimmering luster of a handmade vase I purchased at Crate&Barrel (www.crateandbarrel.com) in 2004 for $11.95.  It was made in Finland.  I don't believe I will ever throw the vase away.  Good design is  lasting and it is not necessarily expensive.  The vase was called the Small Eva Vase. 

a grand chandelier

In 2003, I saw Northfolk, a Paramount Classic movie.  Inspiration can be found in unexpected places.  This movie is surrealistic.  When watching this movie I saw something I had never seen before - chandeliers hung in austere rooms.  I decided that I needed one for my bedroom, which while not austere, is serene.  It was decorated with the word, unwind, in mind.     

As you can see pictured, there are truly grand chandeliers.  This one is located in what was the Harem, or private quarters, for a Sultan and his family, in Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, Turkey.

I now have a chandelier hanging in my bedroom.  It is less extraordinary than the chandelier in Topkapi Palace; however, every time I turn it on, I am delighted!  Sometime, when decorating, follow an inspiration and delight yourself.  If you are truly avid about chandeliers, you can have one custom-made!  Picture by Tyler Hill.  Used with permission. 

favorite rooms and fond memories

Some of our favorite rooms are filled with fond memories.  One year I went on a trip to New Orleans (pre-Hurricane Rita).  It was a magical trip.  After that, I saw a gelatin silver surreal photograph by Barbara J. Kline at a local juried art festival and purchased it without hesitation because it reminded me of that trip.  The tree was photographed in Audubon Park in New Orleans and the door was Ann Rice's in the Garden District in New Orleans. What a find!  Every time I see that photograph, I am reminded of that magical trip.

Barbara J. Kline's fine art photography can be found at www.barbarajkline.com.  The black and white gelatin silver photograph I own is "Resurrection Door" and can be found on her Web site.  Try visiting local art shows to purchase original artwork for your home; art can often evoke strong memories and it's presence can make a room special.