Latest Challenge: Mixing Floral with Southwest
Recently, I was contacted by a client with a rather strange, but exciting request. She wanted us to do a floral project for a party she had coming up in her modern Southwest style home. If you’re unfamiliar with Southwest style then just know that it’s characterized by Native American art, bison heads on the wall, intricate Southwest rug patterns, bright oranges and turquoises littered throughout, and of course all with a nod to the desert and Native American history and culture. Needless, to say it is a bit tricky to think of how to work floral into this style. I mean there’s not many flowers in the desert!
When I asked her what she was thinking for this she sent me an email detailing her ‘home ethos’. I will paste a segment of the email below (don’t worry I asked for permission :):
“Albert Hadley once said that “the essence of interior design will always be about people and how they live.” That is what I love about home decor. Whenever I walk into someone’s home, I get a glimpse of the person who inhabits the home. Not only does the interior design of a person’s home reveal aspects of that person’s character, it tells the story of their life. A shining silver statue on the shelf could be a souvenir from when that person visited Syria. A vibrant green shrub in the corner could have been a gift from that person’s grandmother. The painting on the wall could remind the person of a childhood memory. Therefore, since I believe that the interior design of a person’s home provides facets of who they are, the decor of a person’s home is extremely important to me.
Since the interior design of a person’s home is significant, when I started college, I was determined to create a dorm room that would not merely be a place to stay throughout the school year. I wanted it to be a place I would love to return to every day. Therefore, I decided to do some interior designing. I searched for inspiration on Pinterest, pinning pictures and deciding on what I wanted for my bed. Throughout my whole search, I kept certain decorating tips in mind. Be creative. Have fun. Be true to yourself. These were tips that I valued because this would be my room. No matter who gave their opinions in the end, I was the one who would be living in that room every day and so I had to be the one who liked the interior design. Additionally, I kept other advice in mind as well. Capitalize on natural light. Choose a color palette that is inspiring. Use unique pieces. Through these pieces of advice, I was able to decide on what to hang on my walls, the design of my bedsheets, and what pillows to use. Then, I could buy the materials that I wanted for my room in order for it to be designed the way I wanted.
To choose an inspiring color palette, I decided on a colorful bedspread of white, orange, and blue henna designs and blue pillows. For a unique and fun piece, I had a soft blue furry pillow as decoration. Through these pieces, I was able to create a room that was true to myself. Though these lights, bedspreads, and pillows might not have been much, it was enough for me. Each day, whenever I returned home, I was able to be in a place that I had made for myself, a place that I enjoyed being in because it reminded me of who I am.”
As you can see I had my hands full. Here’s some photos of what I came up with. Let me know what you 🙂
