First Spring Messengers...

Although it had snowed during the night again I am happy to have the first spring messengers here. It makes such a difference to see some other colours than grey and white again and the fragrance - oh my the fragrance cannot be surpassed. And of course these living flowers could be part of any tablescape if you like them - ideas are galore...

 all photos ©Petra Voegtle

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An Indoor Pool with the Refulgence of Heaven

When I saw this photo I was absolutely fascinated by the luminance and the colour of this indoor pool. As if heaven had come down to earth. At the same time I thought if someone is using this pool for relaxing with his family or friends why would you want to look at walls which are extremely bare and cold?  The problem could be solved easily...

(original image source: homesolute.com)

Now don't tell me that adding this painting to the wall would not transform the whole interior into an even more breathtaking roomscape:

The original painting has been painted on silk, belongs to the Magic Landscapes Series and depicts a motif from the Hawaiian Islands. The image shows the view from the Northern side of the Haleakala region where the lava fields were running towards the sea. Details of this paintings you can see under this link.

Btw - instead of hanging the original I would hang a fine art reproduction print on heavy canvas in this case because of the humidity.

"Rainbow over Wailua"
(from the Magic Landscapes Series)
silk, 21" x 40"
©Petra Voegtle

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GUEST POST: 8 Must Have Plants for the Holidays

Holiday decoration is soon to come. Here is a guest post from Brianna Davis:

8 Must Have Plants for the Holidays

If getting an interior ready for the holidays, fresh greenery is a must.  But which plants are associated with the holidays and can be utilized for indoor decorating?  The below is a list of eight must have plants for the holidays, which include a few well known plants and even some only told of in stories.

1.   Poinsettias – These red and green flowers are a staple for the holidays.  They can be used in boxes, vases, as garlands, and many other uses.  They need lots of direct sunlight, water when the first half inch of soil dries, and liquid fertilizer. 

 Image source: http://www.cherrygal.com/

2.  Holly – There is a reason the Christmas carols say to deck the halls with this plant.  Hollies have distinctive, crisp, green leaves in addition to bright red berries for that Christmas color scheme.  They are often used in hedges and can withstand heavy pruning.

  image source:   www.tortenwelt-shop.com/

3.  Evergreen – These trees are commonly known as Christmas trees.  Spanning from a few inches to several dozen feet, these trees are the kind that decorated indoors with lights, tinsel, and much more.  However, those with a yard and a knack can plant their own.  In addition to evergreen trees, firs, pine trees, spruce, and others can also double as Christmas trees.

image source:  www.henryfields.ca

4.  Mistletoe – Known as the kissing plant, what holiday would be complete without one?  Usually joined together in a bunch and hung over a doorway, mistletoe is actually a semi-parasitic plant and grows on the branches of various host trees.  A little known fact is that in the first days of mistletoe kissing, a berry would be plucked for each kiss until they were all gone. 

image source:  metrolic.com

5.  Christmas Cactus – The plant earned its name for a reason.  Not a traditional cactus in the spiked sense, this plant almost looks like a fern with pink flowers growing on it.  Another plus of the Christmas cactus is its low maintenance. 

©Petra Voegtle

6.  Laurel – These shrubs are relatives of azaleas and are best known for their white flowers.  It is a broadleaf evergreen commonly found in New England.  They are also commonly found as accents in Christmas wreaths.

image source:  herberowe.wordpress.com

7.  Frankincense – One of the three gifts for Baby Jesus, many have heard of it, but few know what it is.  This herb is made from the Boswellia tree.  It is commonly burned during church masses and has a distinct smell.

image source:  incensedshop.com

8.  Myrrh – Like the above, this is also one of the gifts the three wisemen brought for Christmas.  It is from the Commiphora myrrha tree.  It is also used as incense burned during church ceremonies.  It is also used as an antiseptic in mouthwashes and toothpastes.

image source:  pointsoflight.com

Brianna Davis keeps up the site Bachelors of Arts Schools. Her site helps students find the right college to get a degree in the arts.

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FINDS: Green Walls for Indoors

After I managed to turn our balcony into a little green jungle this year, I thought it might be an extra to have green walls inside as well. I mean real green walls with plants growing vertically not horizontally.

There are a couple of companies who create breathtaking green walls for inside with immense advantages for your well being and enjoyment because who would not love to have a green living wall in front of you rather than a grey concrete monster? Here are a few examples which may give your interior designs a completely new twist:

The first examples are from a company in Stockholm, Sweden, Greenworks:

image source for all above images:

  http://www.greenworks.se/index.html

Wouldn't it be exciting to work in an environment such as this? Or imagine to have a green wall in your living room so that it would not be necessary to have an additional sunroom to enjoy the feeling of an inside garden?

The following examples are from Indoorlandscaping, a German company, located now in Munich but with subsidiaries in Los Angeles and Mexico City:

 image source for above images:

  http://www.indoorlandscaping.de/

And here are some more examples from a company in England, Bio Tecture which are specifically charming:

 image source for above images:

 http://www.biotecture.uk.com

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