Palm trees and Permanent Botanicals

I cringed as I heard the chain saw fire up and dig into the trunk of my palm tree. I planted her myself and nurtured her for many years. She gave us a grand canopy that softened the side of our home and swayed so beautifully in the wind. However, she could not take the last cold snap that we had before summer and slowly I watched her stop flowering and frond by frond her canopy fell. We finally had her removed and there is an empty space on the side of my house where she used to live. Each day when I arrive home I see that spot and wonder what I will put there next. It will be a palm but I am going to investigate native palm varieties that require less care. In the world of decorating palm trees are simple to care for and they never die because they are permanent. The use of permanent botanicals keeps everything looking green and bright inside without worrying about when to water or fertilize. Let’s take a peek into a courtyard villa to see how permanent botanical palms highlight the view somewhere in the heart of The Villages.

• Use mostly what you have
The homeowner liked the furnishings that he had purchased but felt the house needed a bit of a refresh. The furniture that we would be working with had a definite tropical vibe. We decided to enhance and bring out the tropical look just a bit more in the space.

• Paint
The original paint was Villages White and the homeowner had not repainted since the home was purchased. This meant the original flat paint was still on the walls. We chose Heron Plume 6070 to cover all the walls in the main body of the home. The color is light and grey with an undertone of tan to keep it warm. The painter applied two coats of paint which is necessary for any type of painting. Paint consists of both liquids and solids so when the first coat is applied the liquid dries leaving the solids behind. Usually, the first coat will absorb in the wall quite a bit because the flat contractor paint does not do a great job of sealing the wall. The second coat of paint is able to fill in all the little micro spaces that are missed from the first coat of paint. The two coats together create a rich and sealed look on the walls. Finally, the warranty calls for two coats on most interior paints. Always insist that you paint professional apply two coats of paint.

• Add molding
The first thing that you see when entering the space is the beautiful view outside the large living room window. We wanted to add a large picture frame around the window to really highlight the view. The trim molding specialist applied 3 ¼ inch molding to the sides of the window and added a crown molding header to the top. The window looks finished and framed out. The large slider that is behind the couch has a vertical blind that is mounted exteriorly to the wall which stands out from the wall about seven inches. The molding specialist created a white wooden cornice that looks very similar to the header on the window and hung it over the top of the vertical blind. The two windows, though they are different look visually cohesive and finished.

• Keep the tropical sofa
The sofa is mixture of rattan and printed upholstery. The sofa in front of the window never was used that much and was still in great shape. We decided to keep it since it worked with all the other rattan and play up the tropical vibe.

• Entertainment unit
The entertainment unit is rattan and open but we liked it and rattan has a tropical richness that works in the space. However, we removed all the tiny accessories and filled in the blank spaces with larger items. Adding in the larger items filled in negative space and made the rattan piece look full but not cluttered.

• New art
We brought in new pictures that reflect the tropical vibe. We were able to find some vintage parrots that looked great with the rattan. Also, a picture of a coral study that was framed to look like it came from the British Isles.

• New lamps
We added in two small heavy brass pineapple lamps that look so rich in the space. Finally, we added a tall pineapple lamp to the side table between the two couches. The homeowner liked his swing arm brass lamp which worked great with the other new brass lamps.

• Travelers Palms
The window is a major focal point in the space and I thought we should highlight it with symmetry. We added two seven foot tall traveler palms. The large leaf of this palm looks so amazing on each side of the window. The palm trees are seated in two woven wicker baskets that are a light tan color. If you love indoor plants and you love palms then traveler palms are perfect.

• Permanent Botanicals always look great
It would be lovely if you could have real palms in the house and they always looked great but they need lots of sun and water. I love permanent botanicals because they always look their best and they are pet proof and neglect proof.

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Before and After Pics Below