December 2010 – MarvinGardensUSA

Make Walls Come Alive with Urban Metallic Wallpaper

When it comes to wallpaper, there’s an infinite supply of patterns, colors and textures to choose from. This new Urban Metallic collection by Carnegie Fabrics can now be added to the list. We found these wall coverings on Design Milk.

The Midas pattern is sure to add sparkle to any space. At first glance, this pattern would be fitting in either a bathroom or a dining room that often accomodates lots of guests.

Midas wallpaper pattern — Photo Credit: Design Milk

This deeper, more serious bubble pattern is known as Helics. The darkness of this print is appropriate for a quiet room like an office. It might also work for a dining area where quiet meals are held.

Helics wallpaper pattern — Photo Credit: Design MilkThe Glint pattern, a wall of endless colorful stripes, gives off a light, happy aura. This is perfect for a kitchen. Photo Credit: Design Milk

Which of these three wallpaper patterns do you like the most? Leave a comment and let us know!

The Comeback of Chesterfield Sofas

The term chesterfield means couch or sofa in Canadian. Over in Europe a Chesterfield is identified by a plethora of buttons and a low back. The great thing about a Chesterfield sofa is that whether you dress it up or down, it’s going to look fabulous. Period. Take a look at what we found on the Belle Maison blog.

In a goldenrod shade of yellow, this butter soft leather Chesterfield can fit into a feminine or masculine setting.

This black Chesterfield boasts feminine flair as it’s dressed up with a mini coffee table and a rug.

It doesn’t get much better than this. A golden and velvety Chesterfield against a bright plum backdrop.

Turquoise Chesterfields surrounded by polished wooden walls creates a formal yet stylish setting.

A plush white Chesterfield adorned with touches of navy and midnight blues is ultra chic.

What do you think of the Chesterfield style? Leave a comment and let us know!

Protect Your Plants from the Elements this Winter

Winter Garden [Day 11/365] — Protect your plants from the harsh weather this winter with these tips!

Have you prepared your home for the winter? What about everything outside your home? Have you taken any precautions to protect your plants from the harsh winter climate? If you’d like some great tips on how to protect your plants from the elements this winter, check out these tips, courtesy of The Augusta Chronicle.

• Move your container plants inside your home, garage, shed, or greenhouse. This works for all container plants, with the exception of ferns. Do not move your ferns inside unless the temperature is going to drop to the 20’s or below, and if that happens, move them into your garage.

• If you’re going to leave your container plants outdoors, you can protect them by pushing them together and covering the sides with mulch or a blanket in order to decrease their loss of heat. This is more effective than covering the entire plant with a blanket.

• Keep your plants well-hydrated all year long, especially right before the temperature drops in the wintertime. Hydrating your plants will make them stronger and healthier, which will aid them in being able to tolerate the cold a lot better than they would if they were dehydrated.

Image courtesy of indigo_jones via Flickr

O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum…

Are you decorating your home for the winter holiday season? Trying to get into the holiday spirit? Have you put up your holiday tree yet? If not, you may be trying to decide how you want to adorn your beautiful tannenbaum this year. Do you want to stick with your traditional holiday decorations (red and green ornaments, tinsel, a star or angel tree topper, etc), or do you want to go with a theme that’s a little more modern and funky? If you’d like some inspiration for decorating your holiday tree, check out these pictures of some gorgeously decorated tannenbaums, courtesy of Habitually Chic. These photos are sure to inspire you and put you in a cheery and festive mood, just right for the holiday season! If you enjoy these pictures, check out the rest of these trees by clicking on the link!

Forget Red & Green, Try Silver & Sage

This holiday season, why not try decking the halls with colors remnant of the season, besides traditional red and green? You’re probably wondering how you can possibly make your home look festive and cheery without the classic holiday colors red and green, but trust me, it is possible to do! You can bring the spirit of the winter holiday season into your home with wintery colors like silver and sage. By adorning your home with these colors, you can achieve a beautiful atmosphere, reminiscent of wintertime, that is also classy and elegant. Check out these pictures, courtesy of Habitually Chic, of a lovely home that was decorated for the holiday season with the colors silver and sage. The décor really is gorgeous! You can get numerous holiday decorating ideas from these photos. If you like these, you can check out more pictures of this beautiful home by clicking on the link!

Images courtesy of Habitually Chic

Create Your Own Festive Holiday Centerpiece

Have you begun decorating for the winter holiday season yet? Looking for a way to make your dining room or kitchen table look festive and cheery? Why not try creating your own holiday centerpiece yourself? You can do it quickly and easily and without blowing your budget. All you’ll need to create this beautiful holiday centerpiece is a cylindrical glass vase, a small plastic cup, several pine cones, a festive ribbon, and amaryllis flowers. According to Canadian House & Home, you can make a lovely holiday centerpiece that will brighten up your kitchen or dining room with these few simple, inexpensive items. Check out the steps to creating this centerpiece by clicking on the link to their website.

Here’s what the finished product looks like! Gorgeous!

Image courtesy of Canadian House & Home

…More From the Darien Estate!

….and our Darien Estate photos continue! Contact us today to learn more about how we can assist with your next design project. In the meantime, take a closer look at one of the residence we recently helped seasonally decorate!

Photo Credit: Marvin Gardens

A Closer Look at the Darien Estate

If you’re interested in amassing a collection of objects for your home that conveys a strong sense of individuality and energy, you’ve found your creative partner in Marvin Gardens! Contact us today to learn more about how we can assist with your next design project. In the meantime, take a closer look at one of the residence we recently helped seasonally decorate!

Photo Credit: Marvin Gardens

5 Festive Winter Plants

Contrary to popular belief, it’s very possible to have a beautiful and healthy garden in the winter time. There are a wide variety of plants that can be grown successfully during the cooler months and with a little bit of know-how and some TLC, they can thrive wonderfully into the spring and even the summer of the following year.

At Marvin Gardens, one of our favorite winter plants has always been the Poinsettia with the whimsical Christmas Cactus not too far behind. They both add such a festive touch of cheer to any yard and also liven up interiors just as nicely!

A few others include:

Skimmia x confusa Kew Green: Shiny green leaves with fragrant greenish-yellow flowers. great for under trees in partial shade, drought tolerant.

Choisya ternata Sundance: A rounded dense shrub, evergreen with bright yellow-green glossy leaves. Scented white star shaped flowers in clusters in late spring.

Helleborus niger ‘Christmas rose: Clustered light green flowers on strong stems, forms bold clumps of deeply divided evergreen foliage.

Contact Marvin Gardens today to learn more about how we can help with your holiday decorating!

Decorative Repurposed Garden Animals

If your garden needs some character, there’s no way you can pass up this adorable collection from Marvin Gardens. Featuring a wide variety of animals from piggies to goats and everything in between, “Animals” is a collection of Mexican folk art that’s been created from recycled pieces of industrial and agricultural sheet metal. Many of the pieces are life-sized creations that still bare original paint and lettering. These repurposed little guys make great holiday gifts so purchase a few today!

Contact Marven Gardens for more info and visit the Animals album on our Facebook to see more from the collection. And don’t forget, you don’t have to be a member to view our Facebook page!

Photo Credit: Madeleine Stanley