Leaf Inspired

The leaf in nature is a captivating and symbolic figure that makes a recurring appearance in design. There are leaf prints on fabrics, wallpaper, and framed art of many different designs. The designs run from small leaves to large tropical prints and all leaves in between. The leaf as a symbol has moved through the ages representing everything from re-birth to death and all that occurs in between. In the world of decorating I personally love the presence of leaves, particularly palm leaves and banana plant leaves so I was thrilled when my client and homeowner chose a large banana leaf print as the inspiration for her living room. Let’s take a peek into the living room of a Monticello model to see how a banana leaf fabric came to life somewhere in the heart of The Villages.

• Leaf print
It all started with the large leaf print that covered the accent swivel chairs. The background is blue and the leaf prints are large banana leaves. The leaves had a bit of tan, grey and brown which pulled in the must have piece that had to stay….the recliner. The recliner was purchased before anything else and the brown turned out to be great color with all the other fabrics.

• Two swivel chairs
I always recommend two swivel chairs when they have to set on each side of the TV. They are comfortable for conversation and easy to slide around should you need more chairs facing the TV. These chairs are called “Kaylee” by Best manufacturing and they are some of the most comfortable swivel rockers and a client favorite.

• Couch
Speaking of another client favorite, the couch is amazingly comfortable. This couch is custom made to fit the length of the homeowner. The homeowner was able to pick the arm style and the cut of the cushion. She chose to have no skirt and she was able to choose the depth of the deck (where you sit) of the sofa. The depth of a sofa is the most important part of a sofa because most sofas are too deep and to make it fit you need to put a pillow behind your back. Finally, the fabric inspired by the print on the chairs is a high performance fabric that looks blue with touches of crème and tan woven into it.

• Rug
The rug is a wool rug that is mixed blues, whites and crèmes. The wool is soft and resistant to stains. I liked this rug because it had several blue colors but did not compete with the printed chairs. The rug is an 8’ by 11’ to fully fill the space. Remember, you cannot go wrong with a larger rug. The larger rug allows the homeowners to walk on the rug fully so that the rug is not a trip hazard.

• Focal Wall
The large focal wall is the only place to put a TV and it always looks best attached to the wall. Though there is no entertainment unit the TV still needs something to visually ground it. The homeowner purchased a ninety inch TV console that fits the large space nicely and visually grounds the TV.

• Candle sconces
The homeowner decided that she loved the hanging wall sconces that you see in the picture so we purchased those from an online retailer and hung two on each side of the TV. This focal wall can be tough because it is hard to find items to use on the wall and keep them from conflicting with each other. However, I love these candle sconces and the candles are from Luminara and turn on with a remote control.

• Large art
The wall to the right of the TV is the first wall that greets you when you walk through the foyer from the front door and we wanted it to be spectacular. Large art will always shine and she chose a great blue heron by water color artist Gene Rizzo. The size is 56” high by 40” wide. One big statement done well with large art makes a great impression.

• Basket
Below the picture we found a thin tall basket to place under the large blue heron. The basket is so big that it looks like a small piece of furniture and can hold extra accent pillows and throws. The basket is woven seagrass from an online retailer and it is so unique that it is one of the most asked about items in her home.

• Coffee tables
The coffee tables are beautiful glass and metal stacking tables. They fill the middle of the room well and function to hold a drink and a snack.

• Lamps
The lamps are blue green glass with a metallic glazing that shows many colors as the light moves through the room. Each time you look at the lamp a new color is revealed.

• Buffett wall
In the Monticello model I love to place a big buffet into the niche wall opposing the windows. This wall is a great wall to add a reflective mirror and that is what we did. The large Grand Palais mirror had just enough room to hang close to the buffet and just under the crown molding. This large mirror looks like a window and adds so much light to the space.

• Décor
The homeowner did not want to have too much stuff on every surface so we placed a large orchid arrangement on the buffet with some family photos and a lamp. The coffee table received two books, a eucalyptus permanent botanical and a gold sphere.

P.S. –Attention all club presidents! We give free decorating seminars. It is lots of fun and very informative. Call and schedule your club today. Also, we are on-line check out our web-site at www.ruthdyer.com and you can always e-mail us at ruth@finishingtouchfl.com or Call Ruth your full service decorator at 352-804-2056.