Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Master Bedroom Project

This week I scored a pair of vintage bamboo chinoiserie chairs from a local estate sale.  I love them so much that I've decided to keep them for my own home.  But now, I need to decide how I'm going to refinish them!


My master bedroom has been in a state of flux for a few months.  It has changed drastically from the photos that appear on the blog.  (Visit Master Bedroom).   If nothing more, this project has made me realize that I need to get some updated shots of the bedroom up here!


Forgive the overly saturated color of this bedroom shot.  I'm sharing it here so you can have a reference point of where I'm starting from.  Earlier this year, I swapped out the pinstripe duvet for a custom duvet made from Cotton & Quill's art deco collection.  I needed to work around the curtains in the room because we put some money into them and it's too soon to update them (budget wise).


I thought this Runnin Wild pattern from Cotton & Quill tied together the existing colors in the room nicely.

Here are the swatches on the bed during the planning phase.  I had the front made in the art deco pattern with above and the back of the duvet in the yellow.

Vivid Hue Home Master Bedroom Project

I love how the duvet fabric blends with the chevron teal rug that was already in there.


Here is a very rough shot of the completed duvet with the drapery.  I promise to share better photos as I move forward with this project, but this will give you an idea of what's in there now.


I plan to remove the gray fireside chairs that are in the room (in fact they are already gone and put into our guest bedroom).  The new bamboo chairs will go on both sides of the fireplace.  The natural frames will already blend beautifully in there if I decide not to paint them.  But you know me, everything is better with a pop of color.  The decision is still out on whether or not I will paint the frames.  



The seat cushions will definitely be recovered and I'm currently gathering swatches to consider.  
Here are some considerations: 

These Broome Street Studio designs are not as saturated in color as they appear here.  I love the peacock and think that would tie in with the art deco theme of the current duvet.  



However, this Impari Vase by Thibaut is a dead match for color (I've already received the swatch).  The jury is still out.


Here is the impari vase on a Society Social Chair.

Photo Courtesy of The Blue Octagon
I will share more photos as I continue our bedroom update.  What are your preferences for the fabric and color choices for these chairs?

Visit more of Vivid Hue's Home, here.  

Best
Heather


Saturday, September 16, 2017

A Look at VHH's Personal Flower Arrangements

Yesterday I got a call from Annie, our manager at the shop.  I'd just left the shop to pick up Smidge from school  but Annie was insistent that I return for "a surprise."  My immediate (cynical) thoughts went towards thinking there MUST be a character in the shop that Annie wants to make sure I experience...or we've just gotten a massive delivery of products and she wants me to share in the glory of processing all of it.  I pressed for more info, but nope....she only replied, "Some surprises are worth waiting for.'

So I arrived back at the shop with Smidge in tow and was presented with the most unexpected surprise of all, this beautiful bouquet of fresh flowers from my favorite flower farm in Connecticut, Eddy's Farm:


  My fellow color-loving instagram friend, Kim Crawford of The Spirited Flamingo  had dropped them by the shop as a "just because."  Kim now also works at Eddy's.  She and I have given each other support through social media and have gushed over each other's love and appreciation for color!  What a way to make my day.  

Bouque from @spiritedflamingo for Vivid Hue Home. Photo courtesy: Vivid Hue Home

This sparked a little project yesterday afternoon and I started to peruse through my photo library discovering just how large my love of flowers seems to be.  Any time I'm entertaining guests, I must have flowers.  Every tablescape I set, there are flowers.  And on a good week when I have my act together, I have "just because" flowers (the best).

So today, I'll take you through the photo library of my personal flower arrangements.  They make me happy and hopefully will make you smile, too.  All of the arrangements below were styled by me so go easy on the judgements.  ha.  You'll also notice a theme....I LOVE to find unique vessels and vases to use for my arrangements.  Not that flowers need the extra boost, but it's fun to think about creative ways to display them.

A few things I have noticed about myself and flowers:
1. I use unique vessels for display
2. I tend to buy different flower types in the same color hues
3. I always look for the most unique flowers (and often don't even know the names of the flowers I buy).  I just buy what I like.

4. Sometimes I cheat and mix faux flowers into the arrangement to increase the longevity of the bouquet.  I mix them with real flowers for better disguise.  (SHHHHH).  I'll share below on when that's been the case.

Vivid Hue Home Sunflowers in front of my Parker Kennedy Elephant Candlesticks
My husband loves fresh sunflowers and I'm fortunate that any time he spots them at a farm stand, he picks them up and brings them home.  They add a sunny cheer to our kitchen.  Here they are with my Parker Kennedy candlesticks (sans candles but I still love them).

Vivid Hue Home Peonies in our gold Pineapple Canister
Peonies are one of my favorites! And here I put them in a gold Pineapple Jar from the shop.

Vivid Hue Home
A little fall arrangement with miniature pumpkins and gourds.

Peonies in the Vivid Hue Home sunroom
Peonies again!  I told you I love them.  A couple of years ago we had a photo shoot at the house for a publication that has since gone out of business...the photos from the shoot never aired.  A bit of a bummer, but that's not at all uncommon.  Maybe some day.


Vivid Hue Home
Elephants with more elephants.  I am in love with my elephant planters and use them often.

Vivid Hue Home-
Hosting an impromptu wine and cheese get together.  I find that adding flowers immediately zhushes up the occasion and makes your guests feel like you may have gone to a bit of prep for them.

Vivid Hue Home Whole Foods Flowers ready for purchase
Shades of pinks and purples, all loaded up in the cart ready for purchase.

Vivid Hue Home- medley of mixed flowers

Vivid Hue Home 
Full disclosure, the white floral base of this arrangement is faux.  I added the berries and additional live flowers into the mix. 

Vivid Hue Home 


Vivid Hue Home retail display

This is an entirely FAUX flower display that I designed in our first Vivid Hue Home location.  I used chicken wire in the back and my intent was to make it appear that the flowers were flowing out of the white porcelain vase on the table.  


There are the elephant planters again....I sure have gotten my mileage out of those.


Flowers are a great way to welcome guests to their rooms when staying at your house 

Vivid Hue Home Kitchen arrangement


Vivid Hue Home dressing up a cheese platter.  

Vivid Hue Home
Yes, the elephant planters again.
Vivid Hue Home.
Loved these at Whole Foods.  They were a just because arrangement.  


Prepping for a dinner party.  I LOVE my fish planter (also available at Vivid Hue Home). 


Just because.  GORGEOUS arrangement from a farmers market.


Photo shoot prep in Vivid Hue Home kitchen 

And this flower inspiration all started from a surprise bouquet that showed up at my shop yesterday.   The best news is that I've since learned that Eddy Farm has a bouquet CSA.  Subscribers will receive a fresh, hand tied bouquet weekly for pick up at the farm.  Their farm share runs April 21st through September 29th and you can sign up at any time, the price is prorated weekly to reflect the remaining time ($10/bouquet).  Check out more from their site here.

And to The Spirited Flamingo, thank you from the bottom of my heart for bring this wonderful treat my way.


Cheers, 
Heather 





Thursday, September 14, 2017

Vivid Hue Home Shares Personal Tablescapes

Earlier this week I shared My Quest for unique Table Wares so that I can set a "proper" table at a dinner party.   I want to start to curate finer china but I feel super uneducated when it comes to names to hunt for and styles that would be considered a "great find" if I'm ever in an antique shop and come across them.

Despite my lack of a fine china collection, I've managed to set my tables in the past using unique plates that were collected through thrift shops, antique stores, and...Home Goods (ha).
I was the bride that didn't register for fine china because I knew my finicky tastes would change over time and I literally like to use different plates every time I host an event.  Setting a themed table is sort of my "thing."

Today, I decided to share some of my tables from the past.  



Vivid Hue Home Dinner Party with Vintage Country theme

This setting was for a dinner party I hosted at my house and I wanted an vintage country type feel.  I wanted to use a mix of place settings as if I'd used my grandmother's china (when in fact, these plates are from Anthropologie and Home Goods).  The tablecloth was April Cornell from Home Goods.  
Vivid Hue Home Country Vintage Dinner Party
Vivid Hue Home Dinner Party
Flowers are key for any table I set.  I generally select one solid hue to decorate with because I think it gives more of a professional look; however, for this event, I mixed and matched wildflowers because it went with the farm/ country style I was seeking.

Vivid Hue Home
And, of course, in true Vivid Hue Home style, there is never lack of color on my tables.  


The next tablescape was used at a Bon Voyage party for our family friends who were moving from Connecticut to Syracuse, New York.  I wanted to incorporate the Blue and Orange Syracuse colors without being too cheesy or over the top....and of course I had to implement a pop of pink!

Vivid Hue Home Bon Voyage Syracuse Dinner Party
 Would you believe I scored these Johnson and Brother plates from (where else), Home Goods?  The bottom placemat is Caspari (sold at my shop).   The orange and white check runner is simply a fabric swatch.


Vivid Hue Home
 I tend to collect fish planters and pots and then incorporate them into my table settings for fresh flowers or water.

Vivid Hue Home
Vivid Hue Home


And last, here is my Christmas table from last year.  We host ten family members (plus 4 kids) for this holidays every year and I look forward to curating a different table every year.  Last year, I used burlap as our table cloth with fresh greens, antlers, red ornaments and plaid napkins.

Vivid Hue Home Christmas Table 
 You'll notice that I use my elephants as centerpieces quite often.  They make a sure statement.  





To see a few more Vivid Hue Home tablescapes, visit the links below:



Please excuse some of the editing in some of the photos....there was a time period where I overly saturated my photos in the editing process!

I'm digging this more frequent posting thing....Promise I'll try to be more active on this blog.  It's been awhile and I miss sharing my projects and ideas.  In the meantime, if you ever want an up to the minute snapshot of what Vivid Hue is up to, visit our Instagram Page, Vivid Hue Home