vegetation – Designing Goldilocks

Design with an open mind

Sometimes the house dictates the decor.

Take color, for instance.

Blue is my favorite color, and dominated my design choices in terms of color for years at my condo.

Dinnerware: Dansk Blue Mesa.

Master bathroom accessories: Tommy Hilfiger Elizabeth Anne.

Kitchen motif: Sunflowers with a blue backdrop.

But blue does not work well in the new house. The color that does work?

Green, which comes as a big surprise to me because green is my least favorite color behind pink. But I like it.

It could be that green complements the brown walls and cabinetry. Think tree trunks and leaves. It could be that the house has tons of natural light. Think sunshine and vegetation.

I could have gone with blue if I wanted to. The living room and master bedroom suites are grey and silver, both of which are cool colors. The blue would have fallen in line on the color palette.

But that’s just it. The silver, grey and blue do not provide a colorful range. Once I opened my mind to green, and saw the life it breathed into the decor, my love for the color grew like ivy. Now it’s the color I gravitate to.

Fortunately, the interior decor world is ruled by indoor trees, succulents and fig leaves.

Green is the perfect accent color in this sea of grey and silver. Photo by Cindy Hernandez

Statement pieces

You won’t find clutter in my house.

No bric-a-brac on shelves.

No knickknacks.

No trinkets.

This is mostly because I hate to dust. So the fewer items on display, the fewer items to get dusty.

Instead I go for statement pieces. A vase. A plant. A votive.

The pieces are grand. They speak for themselves. They encapsulate my decor. They don’t take center stage, they take the whole stage.

If you’re in the process of organizing your house and want to de-clutter, take these steps to maximize your space without forgoing style:

Pick a cluttered tabletop.

Choose a favorite object that represents your decor. Be sure it is large enough to pack a punch without overtaking the table.

Place it in the center or the corner, wherever it makes sense.

Stand back and evaluate. The piece should be eye-catching. A conversation-starter. It should cause someone to do a double-take and say, “This piece looks like you.”

Here are 3 examples of statement pieces in my house

This pineapple piece takes the stage on the buffet, all from Pier 1 Imports. Photos by Cindy Hernandez

*This artificial* plant from Target adds greenery to this mirrored accent table from Pier 1 Imports. It’s okay to leave the bottom shelf empty.

*This centerpiece says it all, ‘centerpiece.’*

To adorn or not to adorn?

The wall space between the pantry door and the closet door doesn’t have to be decorated. You can go either way, and have the same effect.

Some notice the artwork I hung there. Others don’t.

I may not have even thought to adorn the space had it not been adorned in the model.

If I recall correctly, the model had only one piece of artwork – impressionist fruit if memory serves me right.

I knew I wanted three art pieces in vertical formation. Green. Leaves. Not the same leaf, but leaves in the same style. And I found exactly what I was looking for in a 3-pack set.

But I have to admit, after the pieces were hung, I wasn’t blown away. Maybe they had to grow on me? (Vegetation humor.) But a few months have passed, and they still don’t blow me away. And I’m not sure why.

Is there too much space between each piece? But any closer, and I was afraid they would look squished.

Everyone who’s seen the pieces says they look fine. And I believe them. But I still can’t put my finger on why I’m not completely convinced.

I wish I had a shot of the wall without them so that I could get your input.

Thoughts?

As I’ve thought about it more, I might know what it is, but I want to get some feedback first. So have at it. Please.