Maybe it’s because we’re dreaming of a tropical getaway (it is the middle of winter, after all) but we’re slightly obsessed with coral themed accessories.  In any color, coral is a beautiful way to bring a bit of nature into your home. It also fits in well with a nautical or beach theme … even a dreaming-of-the-beach theme.
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We love this expert tip from interior designer Susan Ferrier of McAlpine, Booth, & Ferrier via House Beautiful:

“Mirrors are one of my favorite objects for giving a room character.  A large-scale mirror creates a generous window.  Don’t be afraid to stretch the idea of it.  Lean it against the wall.  Distress and age the glass to create a textured atmosphere.  Have the audacity to cover some of the mirror with a suspended piece of art or an architectural fragment: it will compel you to stop and take notice.”

 
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We love this ideabook created Debbie Snider (owner of ds design studio in the San Francisco Bay Area) on Houzz.com.  The weather is getting chillier, so now is a great time to warm up your decor, starting with the bath. Check it out:
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One of the necessary additions to a great bed ensemble is the pillow protector. A good pillow is a major purchase today, so it’s a good idea to protect it from dust and dirt. Our Fiona pillow protectors, made of the same Italian-spun 300TC Egyptian cotton sateen as our best-selling sheets and duvet covers, are a fantastic value and adorn the pillow with the quality it deserves. Read more

Time to replace your old, worn-out bath towels?  Maybe you’re redecorating and need a new, bold color?  Or you’re looking for a great wedding or hostess gift.  Whatever the question, we’re sure these beautiful new bath towels from Sferra Fine Linens are the answer. Read more

Flowers, butterflies and insects can all have a place in the home.  Maybe not necessarily real ones, but the ones that have been recreated in such detail they’re practically dancing before your eyes.  Anna Weatherley’s dinnerware is the perfect way to add a touch of botanicals to your home.  Once you are finished dining, you can do what many designers do and hang them on the wall.

Every piece of Anna Weatherley dinnerware is hand painted in Hungary by a group of master artisans, each of whom specialize in a particular design.  The flowers and fruits are painted mostly by men, while women tend to be the experts in painting the charming bugs and butterflies with miniature detailed wings and legs and gold-dipped eyes. The grasshopper is a favorite and each one is given a different personality. To finish, softly brushed golden borders on the porcelain are painted by a single painter with special mastery in this special application technique.

Ms. Weatherley was inspired by the work of botanical illustrators of the 18^th Century.  You can clearly see the same attention to detail and appreciation for natural beauty in all of her pieces.  Eighteenth-century European illustrators such as Pierre Joseph Redoute, William Hooker, and Georg Dionysius Ehret are considered the masters of botanicals.  For instance, pictured below are two pieces by Redoute.  It’s easy to see the inspiration that Ms. Weatherley has drawn from these historical pieces. Each work of art is simple, beautiful and in vivid detail.  While Anna Weatherley’s designs are refreshingly rooted in history, they are equally at home in contemporary or traditional settings.  Prints of these botanicals have long been a staple in many decorators’ repertoires.  Framed and hung in groupings on a wall, they offer maximum style to a home.

The same can be said for dinnerware by Anna Weatherley, which has just as much impact on a wall as it does on the table.  I love the idea of a table filled with her plates and saucers, alongside tiny finger sandwiches and a few pots of delicious tea.  Guests will certainly smile when they discover a butterfly, ready to spread its wings, or a tulip that’s as wonderful as the real thing.  If you are like me, and are just starting to add botanicals to your home, you might simply tuck one of Ms. Weatherley’s plates next to your bed on your nightstand, or in the entryway to catch your keys and daily trappings.  What a beautiful way to add a bit of whimsy to your home!

To see our whole collection of Anna Weatherley dinnerware, visit us here.

Gracious Style is an online retailer of sophisticated, high-quality products for every room in the house.  We love helping others create warm and welcoming rooms for themselves.  To read more, visit our blog.

Grey is my favorite color for the home.  I love how it creates a perfect canvas for any color you use against it.  In our home, we have grey everywhere.  Our living room walls are a medium grey, and they look great against the dark wood floors, white paneling, and coffered ceilings.  In the bathrooms, the light grey walls are wonderful against all our white windows, our white subbway tiles, white and grey marble floors, and nickel fixtures.
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If you love paint as much as I do, you’re going to love this one…

We love what the super talented Christiane Lemieux has done with Benjamin Moore paints (if you don’t know Christiane, she’s the genius Founder/Creative Director behind DwellStudio; they make many of our cool, urban, and witty bed linens and accessories).
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Baths are great fun to decorate because they are small and you can change the way they look in just a few minutes.
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