Stephanie Nickolson has designed residential, commercial and eco-conscious environments for more than 24 years. Her firm, Stephanie Nickolson Design, promotes the use of sustainable, non-toxic, recyclable and environmentally-friendly products and services. The firm works largely with clients who have allergies, chemical sensitivies or who have children with special needs.
Here in Chicago I am dreaming of springtime…
I am spring cleaning already–I’m ready for a new season, a fresh start, planting outdoor gardens and following through on exterior home projects. But until weather does actually permit, I’m placing fresh flowers around my house and thinking about all products floral.
Fresh flowers are uplifting. Photo By Stephanie Nickolson.
For those who are just not into florals, and I do respect readers’ opinions about them, as well as my male clients who have vehemently expressed their wish to avoid anything that even slightly resembled a bud, there are some more masculine interpretations of floral designs. One company, Mod Green Pod offers a fabric called “Crave.” It’s actually a very modern, non-frilly, abstract type of pattern. Shown here in a gray, cream and black colorway, it can create interest when intermixed into an eclectic room setting.
Mod Green Pod’s “Crave” design comes in custom colors, allowing you to pick the perfect palette for your home. Photo Courtesy Mod Green Pod.
Another company that offers a very versatile product is FLOR, which has a plethora of modular floor coverings. This product is extremely practical; when used in a child’s room, basement, or other area that has the potential to soil or get wet easily, only one or a few tiles need be replaced instead of tearing all of it up and reinstalling the entire floor covering in the space. You can also mix different tiles together. One floral pattern that I love is “If There Be Thorns,” shown below in Rose. When placed together, you can form an entry runner, rug or wall-to-wall carpeting. The tiles can also be placed to create a rug using a patterned field and a solid color border to frame it and give it a more finished and custom appearance. FLOR’s green story: the company is dedicated to caring for the planet starting from its design and manufacturing to reclaiming and recycling at the end of the product’s life cycle.
FLOR’s modular tiles make it easy to create a floral runner in your home. Photo Courtesy FLOR.
Another company high on my I-Would-Put-In-My-Own-Home-And-Recommend-It-To-A-Client list is C.R. Laine, a company that produces upholstered pieces of furniture. Its eco-components include responsibly harvested hardwoods, water-based wood adhesive with no VOC emissions, eight-way hand-tied springs made from recycled metal and soy-based foam cushions. Check out some of their floral products:
C.R. Laine’s Darby chair in Fassett Rose Spring (left) and Pendelton chair in Kyoto Wasabi (right) will add more than a splash of floral to your home’s design. Photos Courtesy C.R. Laine.
C.R. Laine’s Thatcher settee. Photo Courtesy C.R. Laine.
For those so inclined to add a hint of floral accents, but not so committed to using it in a large expanse in a room as an area rug or sofa for example, try adding accent pieces. Pier 1 inventories accessories such as picture frames, candlestick holders and glass coasters with this motif. Fresh flowers are always uplifting. Based on feng shui principles, incorporate fresh flowers into your home. They bring a strong healing energy, good luck and numerous blessings. Some of the most popular floral choices in feng shui are the following:
Peony: When placed in a bedroom, promotes sensuality.
Lotus: Symbolizes perfection, has medicinal properties and creates a harmonious home.
Cherry Blossoms: Promotes energy of new beginnings and also a cure for health issues.
Chrysanthemum: Creates ease and balance and used to attract good luck.
Narcissus: Used as a career cure, believed to help one get proper rewards for hard work.
I’d love to see your photos of how you’ve incorporated flowers into your decor. Please share your pictures and ideas!
Editor’s Note: Natural Home does not recommend, approve or endorse the products/services offered by companies guest bloggers review online. You should use your own judgment and evaluate products and services carefully before deciding to purchase.
