Tag: HM Oliver

What Types of Risks Do You Take When it Comes to Your Home’s Design?

“At HM Oliver, style is created and there are forcible efforts to move away from trends,” says Principle Amabel Chan. “Our design philosophy encourages risk-taking on the homeowner’s part and the willingness to incorporate unusual and unexpected elements.”

We’d like to hear from you and find out what types of risks you take when planning out design ideas for your own home? Do you like to experiment with combining different fabrics? Perhaps you incorporate bold color schemes into your home’s overall look? However you distinguish yourself from the pack, we’d like to know!

Below are some of our favorite examples of work from homeowners around the web that have decided to incorporate some of those more unusual and unexpected elements.

Emily LaMarque Design Studio, courtesy of Berta Art
From Metropolitan Home, courtesy of Nest Egg
From Metropolitan Home, courtesty of Nest Egg

A Bit of Whimsy for Your Walls From Graham & Brown

Wallpaper guru Graham & Brown exhibited their new modern wallpaper collections at this year’s International Contemporary Furniture Fair. The showcasing of their new items was a great success with all of the collections well-received, according to the company’s blog.

This year’s ICFF was the official launch of our latest designer wallpaper collection with Amy Butler, as well as a sneak preview of another designer collection with Kelly Hoppen. Designer wallpaper collections which were also exhibited were, Barbara Hulanicki’s Flock Collection and new modern wallpaper designs from Laurence Llwewlyn-Bowen.

Graham & Brown also showed a few collections from our own design studio. Among these were, the Spirit collection, a romantic bohemian collection full of beautiful florals and striking damasks and stripes.

Click here to view more collections from Graham & Brown.

Green UP with Fresh Wall Planters

Photo Credit: FreshHome

If you’ve been looking for a way to incorporate foliage into your interior design but just don’t have the floor space for planters, check out this idea from FreshHome. These unique wall-mounted planters grow flowers, succulents, ferns and ivies indoors right on your living room wall so you can maximize your home’s space. FreshHome notes that the plants grow in a planting grid, while a white cedar wood frame houses a watering tray on top that trickles water down to each pocket in the grid. All excess water is collected in a tray on the bottom. If you love nature and plants these wall-mounted planters and freestanding models are an easy way to add a breathtaking plant display to your home.

For more information from HM Oliver Interiors on wall planters, click here.

The Unfortunate Celebrity of the Painted Ladies

The Victorian-style and architecture of San Fransisco’s Painted Ladies is getting an unusual amount of attention this week as its size is being used as a measure of volume in relation to the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The Architect’s Newspaper Blog created an image by Hulett Jones of the San Francisco firm Jones | Haydu. Basically, 10,000 barrels of oil spillage (approximately 2 days) would roughly fill up the size of a Victorian row house in San Francisco meaning that at this point, we’ve filled up almost 12 houses worth!

Enchant Mom With The Majesty of an Orchid This Mother’s Day

What better way to commemorate mom’s special day than with a beautiful orchid?! For centuries, these enchanting plants have captivated the attention of both flower enthusiasts and laypeople alike. HM Oliver and Marvin Gardens encourages you to consider dazzling the wonderful mothers in your lives this Mother’s Day with one of these striking blossoms. Take a peek below at some of our favorite types from Orchidaceous.

Odcdm. Catante Pacific Sun Spot

Cymbidium Kenny "Best"

Colm. Wildcat Yellow Cat

Dtps. Taida Salu "Alisan"

The History of Decoupage

The beautiful art of decoupage is one that is timeless and yet unrelentingly vintage at the same time in today’s traditional design. And it seems to be making its rounds in some of today’s most enchanted showrooms. According to out friends at Design Sponge, the craft is thought to have its roots in East Siberian tomb art and was later perfected in China where it was used as early as the 12th century for decorative objects. Throughout Europe in the 18th century, Venetian artisans developed the technique of taking sheets of engravings which were hand-colored, and cutting and pasting them onto the surface of furniture. Several layers of varnish were applied to create the high-gloss sheen reminiscent of traditional lacquer work. The Venetians called this relatively inexpensive technique lacca povera and the French later renamed it decoupage.

“Magnolia” from the Mary Delany Collection at The British Museum

Spanish lacca povera box sold at Christies

Photo Credit: Design Sponge

Does Travel Inspire You?

There’s usually no better vehicle for inspiration for a designer than visiting another country. Often times, international voyages provide them with a feast of ideas to bring back to the drawing room when planning their next remodel or maybe it rouses ideas for items to be on the lookout for on their next buying trip.

HM Oliver’s own Amabel Chan is no stranger to this concept of travel-inspired design. She took a trip to France last year and came back with tones of great ideas, as noted in our last post, “Get Inspired.”

Well now, the opportunity to travel abroad to seek out your own inspirations is all yours. Design Sherpa, the Atlanta-based Social Media marketing team, asks the question, “What Inspires You?”  in their upcoming designers contest. The designer with the most compelling answer can win $10,000 and an all-expenses-paid trip to Paris, France to attend the Maison & Objet show at the Paris-Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre.

At Home in Arkansas Editor-In-Chief Diane Carroll and renowned design blogger Tobi Fairley, will be part of the panel of judges that have been hand-picked by Design Sherpa.

Click here for details on your chance to win!

The Song of The Crocus Fairy

Along with Tulips and Daffodils, Crocuses are flowers most commonly associated with spring. Fittingly, “The Song of the Crocus Fairy” is the first poem in Cicely Mary Barker’s classic book, Flower Fairies of the Spring, and crocus fairies are pictured on the cover. This very book has served as inspiration for some of the world’s most notable gardeners.

Crocuses are most often found in Lilac, mauve, yellow and white and there are approximately 80 species and 30 cultivars and they are an absolute sight to see during a spring shower. Be sure to keeps your eyes out for these beauties through the month of April!