Wishing You a Happy New Year from Marvin Gardens!

Over the last year, we have been excited to bring you all of the latest news and trends from Marvin Gardens. From our ever-growing supply of garden accessories, to our custom made landscaping decor, we enjoy sharing our business with each of you!

We would also like to say “Thanks!” to each of our team members, clients, and readers. Working alongside a dedicated team allows us to continue doing what we love.

To celebrate the beginning of the New Year, we also wanted to take a moment to look back on some of our favorite posts from 2011. While you peruse through the links listed below, consider all that 2011 brought with it and join us in welcoming the New Year ahead; we look forward to sharing it with you!

Luxurious Low Maintenance Container Planting at Your Home

Marvin Gardens Awarded Blue Ribbon at Philadelphia Flower Show

Traditional English Landscape at Greenwich’s Old Mill Farm

Summer Croquet in New England

Marvin Garden’s Philosophy

Artistic Impressions Through Creative Expression

From our team to yours, we’d like to wish everyone a safe and Happy New Year!

2012

Image via Ludie Cochrane

Fill Your Gardens With Winter Blooms

Now that you’ve found all of your fabulous garden decor at Marvin Gardens, it’s time to think about the plants you’ll have in your garden this winter. It’s often assumed that flowers only bloom during the Spring and Summer months and that during the winter, our gardens are left to look dreary and depleted – but this couldn’t be further from the truth!

During the next few months, the most radiant gardens will likely feature some of the plants we have listed below. These flowers are the essential pieces to creating a unique and intriguing winter garden.

The Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’

daphne flower

 The Pieris japonica 

winter flower Winter Jasmine

winter jasmine

‘Jelena’ Witchhazel

witchhazel

If you haven’t yet, take a moment to “Like” Marvin Gardens on Facebook, as during the approaching weeks we will have many more additions and products to share with you!

Images via HGTV

New Additions at Marvin Gardens!

Over the next few weeks, expect to see a lot happening at Marvin Gardens! Have you taken a look at our newest additions yet? With everyone preparing their own winter decorations, we couldn’t miss out on the opportunity to outfit our shop with fantastic holiday decorating.

outside of marvin gardens

There’s nothing quite as impressive as a bold look for your home. But how do you achieve this look during the winter and holiday season? Though it takes a little finesse, getting the right look that is both personalized for your tastes and is alive with holiday spirit can be done. At Marvin Gardens, we bring dozens of those kinds of options, inspired by our own decor and unique pieces. For example, have you considered using faux bois and vintage cast cement containers or birdbaths as holiday gifts or as dramatic table top interior pieces?

We would love to share more about how this can be done in your home! Take a look at our newest additions at Marvin Gardens by stopping by for a visit!

Wallpaper That You Can Reach Out and Touch

While Marvin Gardens’ style of décor is more on the traditional side, we’re always interested in finding out more about the latest innovative design trends out there, even contemporary ones.

A new wallpaper concept from Ilias Fotopoulos really caught our attention. Using felt dots to create words in over-sized Braille, Fotopoulos creates patters that are illustrative and imaginative.

From Apartment Therapy:

Oversize braille! The concept from Ilias Fotopoulos is a rather unique one and for those that still have their sight, it doesn’t too shabby either. For those without, the idea of standing on a ladder to run your hand over all of it seems a bit perplexing, but none the less, it’s an interesting way to design a surface.

Photo Credit: Apartment Therapy

Small Space, Huge Potential

Smaller rooms can be a popular place to gather in the house. Friends and family are able to sit close and enjoy conversation. The problem with small rooms seems to be that they clutter way too easily. The potential of a small room is huge, if you know exactly what to do with the space. Southern Living Associate Photo Stylist Alan Henderson revamped his den when he decided that it needed to be a more inviting space. Check out his work for some inspiration:

This is the space Henderson started with, a small room lacking that comfy, cozy feel.

Henderson’s finished product- He kept his existing furniture and re-covered it with fabrics (a great way to revamp and save money) that flowed with the color scheme of the room. Solid velvet and synthetic suede paisley in golds and browns provide just enough contrast but still work together. Nail heads add a decorative touch and delineate where the two fabrics meet.

An oversized ottoman was changed into a coffee table. It’s a versatile piece of furniture that you can prop your feet on or you can toss a colorful throw on it to look more formal. Furniture can do double duty is always a great addition to any room. Use your imagination and you’ll come up with endless possibilities.

Textured walls are sometimes the most striking change in a makeover. Henderson went with grass cloth because it has a natural weave. He liked how the black tones behind it draw the darker colors throughout the room in, like the chocolate brown on the windows.

For more inspiration, visit the Southern Living site.

Photo credit: Laurey W. Glenn via Southern Living.

Italian Inspirations

Rome, Italy is where we are headed today! Rome is one of those places that was very intricately planned, from the stones that marked the paths of the streets to the carvings in stone buildings. Designer Erin Schlosser of Fresh Nest Design recently visited Europe and shared some great pictures on the Fresh Nest blog. Here are some favorites:

These basalt paver stones mark the path at the Roman Forum. Julius Caesar was just one of the many Italian greats who walked this path.

Architectural ruins from the Roman Forum… although simple, they are beautiful and were meticulously carved.

The Colosseum… need we say anything other than “Wow!”

 For more pictures of Italian stone architecture, visit Fresh Nest Design.

Photo credit: Erin Schlosser via Fresh Nest Design.

This Just In: HM Oliver gets a New Look and a New Name!

You’ve probably noticed a few changes to this blog if you’re a regular who visits daily to read our posts. We’ve changed our name from HM Oliver to that of our sister store, Marvin Gardens, since we’ve consolidated and moved to 713 Danbury Road. We’ve also got a new Facebook and Twitter account so be sure to add us! But don’t worry, you can still count on getting the usual garden tips and decorating ideas here, and remember, if you’ve got an idea for a post or simply a topic that you’d like to learn more about that we can help you explore, send your ideas our way!

Thanks for reading,
Amabel Chan
Marvin Gardens

HM Oliver Interiors and Marvin Gardens Has Extended Their Moving and Consolidation Sale Until the End of June!

The moving and consolidation sales event will feature all regular retail at 20%-50% off and will take place at 632 Danbury Road. As part of the consolidation of HM Oliver Interiors and Marvin Gardens, we will incorporate furniture from different sources, warehouse and industrial furniture and bulk sales. All sales are final.

“If the warehouse/over stock sale works, we’ll create an urban market monthly (or biweekly) and invite other dealers to participate (Eleven Shades of Grey),” said HM Oliver Principal Amabel Chan. “It’s been done in Houston and Atlanta — maybe we can reinvent that type of retailing here on the East Coast.”

Doors will only be open from 10:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. through the end of the month. For more information, contact Amabel at (203) 856-0309

Please note that Marvin Gardens’ location at 713 Danbury Road, Wilton remains the flagship location.

Get Ready for the 5th Annual Georgetown Gallop 5K Fun Run!

Join the town of Wilton this Sunday, June 13 for the 5th Annual Georgetown Gallop 5K Fun Run. The 5K race begins at 10:30 a.m. on Old Mill Road with check-in beginning at 9:30 outside the Village Chef Deli at the corner of Rt. 57 and 107.

From the Wilton Chamber of Commerce:

The “Pony Express” Kids Fun Run will kick off after  the 5K.  Entry fee for the 5K is $12 on or before 6/8, $15 after.  Kids K is $5.  Online registration can be made at www.wiltonchamber.com, or by calling the Chamber office at 762-0567. After the road races, everyone is encouraged to attend the Georgetown Day Festival sponsored by the Georgetown Village Restoration Association, which will be held right across the street from noon until 7 PM, rain or shine.

Click here for more information.

Transform Your Dining Experience From Mundane to Glamorous by Tablescaping

Whether for breakfast, brunch or dinner, a formal dining experience at home usually includes setting the fine china out, adorning the table with a pretty centerpiece and of course, serving up a delicious home-cooked meal. Sounds lovely, doesn’t it? But if you’d like to take the “usual” fine dining experience to the next level where glamour and pizzazz reign, think of creating a tablescape.

Tablescaping is the practice of creatively setting a table and has been a huge trend in the design community over the past few years. It not only allows the “tablerscaper” to channel into his or her creative veins but the “tablescapees” also get to dine on a tabletop that has essentially been transformed into a work of art.

Click here for a helpful list of tablescaping ideas from House Beautiful.

Photo Credit: House Beautiful