If you're anything like me, the decorating of your Garden is simply an extension of your Home's living space and you give it equal attention. I always bring the inside out... and the outside in... the lines are blurred for me and I've often used Garden furniture, plants, flowers and Architectural elements inside... and our outdoor Garden Rooms are decorated as elaborately as our inside living rooms, including the use of Chandeliers and Vintage fabrics or exotic rugs. Often my Outdoor Rooms reflect a style of living that is actually more true to my aesthetic... since I would prefer to live out of doors most of the time, weather permitting, and I tend to spend more time outside than in. Therefore, I'm always on the lookout for Garden Room Treasures to dress up our Outdoor Living areas or to bring inside for that out-of-doors feel to our interior living spaces. Nothing can make me swoon quite like good weathered Garden Art, Architectural Salvage and Vintage Garden furniture. The Vintage Metal Motel Furniture of the 1930-1960's era are a particular favorite of mine, as are old wooden French Bistro Chairs. Who doesn't want to languish in a deep cast iron Clawfoot Tub and have a Calgon Take-Me-Away moment... and I must say, if it's too damaged for bathing they do make adorable planters too... and if you just find the feet... great doorstops or bookends! Wrought Iron... now that's an invention I could never have imagined living without, sturdy and yet it can be so ornate and delicate in appearance. Old Enamelware... it holds up outdoors as well as it does indoors and gives a beautiful Rustic appeal to everyday utilitarian items... old French Enamelware are among some of my favorite Treasures to find... especially French Body Pitchers. There are still Garden Room Treasures to be found discarded and strewn about the landscape... long drives in the Desert have often scored us discoveries of beautiful weathered old pieces long ago abandoned or discarded... such rescue missions are a true Treasure Hunt and you never know what Garden Room Gold you're likely to discover! I'm delighted that many forward thinking Boutiques are now carrying an array of beautiful Garden Room Treasures weathered to perfection... some of the items pictured are from a few of my favorite haunts such as "CeeCee's On The Corner" and "Cottage Garden" in Olde Town Glendale... or "Melrose Vintage" and "Rust And Roses" in Downtown Phoenix. Then there are the Artists that specialize in Garden Art and outdoor Sculptures... and let us not forget FOUNTAINS... the sound of a Water Feature is one of the most serene and soothing of Nature's Music... and that serenity translates into Zen Moments that are priceless restorers of our Soul and Spirit. Being in the Garden to me is like being transported to a slice of Heaven here on Earth... so why not decorate it in a way that makes that Heavenly experience all the more personal and an expression of who you are and what you Love... Dawn... The Bohemian
"We have not inherited the earth from our parents; we have borrowed it from our children."...L. Brown, 1981
"Show me your garden and I shall tell you who you are."...Alfred Austin (1857-1929)
"A garden is a delight to the eye and a solace for the soul."...Sadi