I want to talk about making your home a warm and welcoming environment. It should embrace you. I love coming home, and it’s usually my favorite part of any trip.
What makes it special is a touch of the outdoors on the indoors. Flowers!
****PLEASE NOTE****
This applies to REAL or SILK flowers. I just wanted to add a note because of a sweet email I received reminding me that real flowers are not for everyone. I had mentioned in the post that I thought either real or silk would work, but I wanted to be more clear, because some thought I was saying the flowers had to be real. I really think either way, flowers just make a room prettier, real or silk.
Do what works for you.
So why should you have flowers in your home? For your mood. Flowers add pleasure to your life. Here’s a link to a study about how flowers boost one’s mood in the morning. Flowers boost morning moods
Did we need a study to prove that? Apparently!
And as part of the mood boasting, I want to show you how the flowers make a room feel better.
Are you ready? Here we go. Plain jane with a hint of lavender versus….
Greenery and apples.
Here I’ve used no flowers just some greenery you can easily grab from your yard. When I trim the bushes, I try to bring some of the cuttings inside for my tables. Next time if I can’t find anything in my yard, I’m going into the alley to get some.
Ready for more? Here we go again.
Shelf with dried lavender or…
Shelf with pink roses. The container is from Ikea, so you really don’t need to spend a lot on an expensive vase.
I love using ironstone for flowers, but there are so many other things you can use as well.
Crystal water pitchers and antique cream pitchers work beautifully. The small purple flowers are dried.
Actaully pitchers are my very favorite thing to use as a vase.
Vintage silver water pitchers work very well too.
I try to mix it up and use different vases and different flowers. I buy flowers at the grocery store. They are often 4 – 10 dollars for a bunch.
Ready for another example?
Here is a room without flowers.
And here it is with a large ironstone pitcher full of pink roses.
You can also keep some plants indoors, although mine don’t usually last very long. This plant has sadly already bit the dust.
Well I hope I have encouraged you to bring the outdoors inside. I think we need to think about what makes us happy. Often it is small things like flowers that can bring a smile to my face. And I want to say again, that you need to use the flowers that best suit your situation. Okay did I say that right?
I agree completely! I majored in Horticulture in college, focusing on floral arranging. I haven’t bought floral arrangements in the last 25 years, I make my own and SAVE money. I love using all greenery as well.
Bringing the outdoors in whether it be plants, flowers or garden accessories is one of my favorite things to do. Your home always looks so beautiful with the flowers that you always adorn it with using very special containers whether antique or new. Placing each vase or container in a perfect place in each room that can only make one smile and feel at home!
Anita,
You are always my go to girl for decorating tips. I have several bouquets in the house right now and thanks to you one of them is in a silver water pitcher!
Happy Wednesday-
Jemma
A world without flowers is a gloomy place.
I have fresh flowers on our dining table always,
They just make me smile. I have silk flowers in the art room. But often add some fresh flowers too. Love this post, of course your photos are gorgeous. I invite you to share at the Thursday hop ( you can link up through Sat midnight) xo
I love flowers! And I do so love to bring flowers into the house to make it feel friendly and welcoming! Like you, I too love to use pitchers as vases for flowers and/or greenery. I have quite a lot of pitchers in assorted sizes, and they make perfect vases.
You proved your point when you added the pretty flowers to the bedroom! It made such a difference…and seemed to come alive!
I am really looking forward to spring this year!
Have a delightful day!
Linda
My favorite walk (weather permitting) is during lunch from work to head over to Pike Place market and buy some flower bunches, but that includes even beautiful branches. This was perfect timing, today I went and picked up a gorgeous bunch of 4′ tall pussy willow branches.
Now everyone that comes by my office stops to look and feel them and I love seeing them smile!
I loved the wall shelf the most.
Anita I just love your blog & posts and you have explained many things that my instincts were telling me. With that said I am glad real flowers and greenery are for me! I have always enjoyed collecting whatever’s in the yard and flower beds at no matter the season or time. So after your post a few weeks ago I found a perfect French jar I just couldn’t justify buying bc it came with silk hydrangea blooms which was definitely reflective in $$. If you know of any secret shops in the Central Ohio area please share. Keepa postin;-)
Valerie
Thank you Valerie. I am not aware of any in Ohio, but maybe some others readers might know.
This post gets a wholehearted “AMEN” from me! I simply can not live with out flowers…I am a “real” flower person. I especially love geraniums for indoor plants because they bloom all winter long and brighten my day and my home. In the summer I move the pots back outside! I also do the same with hibiscus. I don’t use too many inside plants…because they can overwhelm but placed in vignettes they are lovely!