Month: November 2010

4 Favorite Bold & Beautiful Rooms

How adventurous are you willing to be with interior wall colors? There’s something to be said for bold splashes of colors and it certainly can completely transform a space. On the other hand, various shades of white and eggshell colors are very neutral and versatile and can be the most efficient rout to take for some people. So which category do you fall into when it comes to your preference for room colors? The bold or the boring?

At Marvin Gardens, we just love character. Whether it comes in a simple shade of grey, a flashy firecracker red or a plain-Jane white, character is what counts. But if you are thinking about adding some a bold new shade or two to your walls, take a look at a few or our favorite rooms as pictured in Canadian House & Home!

Photo Credit: From Tricia Guild’s On Colour: Decoration, Furnishing, Display (1992 Abe Books), photography by Richard Bryant

Photo Credit: Martha Stewart

Photo Credit: From Coco + Kelley Favourites photo gallery on Houseandhome.com, room design by Suzanne Kasler

Photo Credit: The City Sage, February 10, 2009

Dressing Up Your Gingerbread House

Crafts and the holiday season inevitably go hand-in-hand. Decorating Christmas cookies, glittering stockings and of course hand-making ornaments are just a few of our favorites here at Marvin Gardens. One of our particularly favorite holiday projects is building gingerbread houses. Not only do gingerbread houses make the perfect holiday centerpiece, but they’re delicious and creating them is a fun activity for the little ones. If you’re planning on taking on the task of building one this holiday season, we’ve got something for you. Take a look these tips from Canadian House & Home for making sure your project goes off without a hitch! For more information on how to improve and simplify your holiday craft projects this season, contact Marvin Gardens.

Photo Credit: King of Prussia Mall

A Closer Look at Some Elegant Items from Marvin Gardens’ Fall Collection!

Elegance, timelessness and quality are three characteristics you’ll always find in Marvin Gardens’ fine home and garden decor. Accessorize indoors or outdoors with items from our antique, vintage, contemporary and traditional collections to craft a genuinely unique ambiance that cannot be found elsewhere. Take a look at some of our newest fall items for sale. Contact Marvin Gardens today for more information!

Old 46"D Firepit Available for Sale
Redding Estate Large Teak Root Ball: Marvin Gardens Landscape Architect: Richard Hartlage, AHBL.com
Ridgefield Estate, 2010 Large AgriOrb: Marvin Gardens Other Styles and Sizes Available for Sale
Redding Estate Custom Pergola by Marvin Gardens, 2004 12'x16', Aluminum Columns, Painted Redwood
Redding Estate Garden Cloche Landscape Architect: Richard Hartlage, AHBL.com
Jacquemart Iron Dogs French Reproduction Available for Sale

Photo Credit: Marvin Gardens

Garden Favorites from the Shippan Designer Show House

If you didn’t have a chance to visit the Shippan Designer Show House over in Stamford last month, then you’re in luck. We’ve managed to find some fabulous photos from our pals over at Victoria Lyon Interiors of their Creative Garden Retreat. Lyon, an Old-Greenwich-based designer, worked in tandem with friend Robin Horton, creator of the award-winning blog Urban Gardens, to create the lovely space.

Lyon is also responsible for the show house’s elegant “Cocktails at Sunset” room, which was decorated almost entirely using eco-friendly processes and materials. Brava!

Photo Credit: Elements of Style

Brilliant New Flooring That’s a Pretty Penny

If incorporating new flooring into your latest room design is a task on your to-do list, there are literally dozens of different materials to choose from: laminate, bamboo, tile, cork wood and vinyl, just to name a few. The possibilities of what you can use are endless and various options can beautifully complement a specific room better than others depending on the décor you have in place. Additionally, certain materials may be better suited to your needs depending on the type of climate that you live in. For example, if you live in an area with high humidity and moisture, then it is best to choose flooring material as like stone, marble, granite or concrete slabs because it won’t rot and does not absorb water. If you live in a cold climate, then carpet might be a good option as it’s a good insulator and will help keep your space warmer than it’s cool counterparts.

A recent post from Inhabitat introduced us to an innovative type of flooring material that might just be versatile (and hip!) enough to be used in any home. Take a look, it’s absolutely brilliant!


Photo Credit: Inhabitat

Contact Marvin Gardens today to learn more about how we can help with your next remodeling project.

Take a Look at Marvin Gardens’ New Design!

You’ve probably noticed some changes to the Marvin Gardens blog this week. But fear not, all the same information that you’ve come to expect from us is still right here! We’ve simply changed the design to be more efficient and accessible to our readers. Some of the new features include:

  • Boxes at the bottom of each post that suggest similar content for posts that “you might also like”
  • More posts on the homepage arranged as smaller excerpts
  • Facebook “like” and “tweet” buttons at the top of each post so that you can easily share with friends on your social networks
  • A cleaner featured-post gallery window at the top of the blog that previews recent posts (see below)

Leave us a comment today and tell us what you think about our sparkly new look!

Marvin Gardens’ Sister Company presents Texas Tortilla Soup!

Soups Galore, a sister company of Marvin Gardens’, is proud to unveil its hearty Tex-Mex meal-style Texas Tortilla Soup! A popular Southwest tradition, this soup awakens the palette with its flavorful seasoning of southwest spices and fresh ingredients. It’s hearty enough for a meal and sure to please a crowd. Best part is, this delectable soup comes beautifully packaged and perfect for gift-giving.

General Directions:

Add water, chicken and vegetables. Ladle over a heap o’ tortilla chips and sprinkle on any of the following: cilantro, cheddar cheese, sliced avocados, diced tomatoes and a dollop of sour cream. Makes about a gallon. Serves 6—8.

Check back soon for more about this soup and others from Soups Galore!

A Walk in the Gardens with Stella McCartney!

What a treat! The tranquil British gardens of designer and fashionista Stella McCartney were recently featured over at Habitually Chic and are simply gorgeous! The gardens are home to dozens of little nooks and crannies that are all perfect for some solitary meditation time to reflect, maybe enjoy a picnic or just read a chapter or two of your favorite book. Perhaps our favorite things about these gardens is that they look as if they’ve been around for years and years even though they’re fairly new. And they possess such charm!

Take a look below at some of our favorite garden shots from HC’s collection. They’re simply beautiful!

Photo Credit: Habitually Chic