Today at the Finale' of SWEET SALVAGE'S 'Boho Nouveau' Event I'm taking you where Bohemian and Botanical kinda fuse in a Delightful Atmosphere of Sage and Sepia Styling with Pops of Color. This actually is MY preferred Palette... of Organic and Sepias, which I Adore by the way... AND Colorful Elements Blended and Fused... like a Peacock standing in a Natural Setting of those Colors of Nature that just go with everything because they were Intended that way.
Have you ever noticed that Nature really blends seamlessly and just doesn't seem to clash, but instead has a Unified Cohesion that just works together and is pleasing to the Eye, the Spirit and the Soul. Just like that Peacock that might be standing in a Meadow... Bright Poppies growing up the hillside... Blueberries growing up and ripening on the Forest floor under a canopy of Evergreens... or the inhabitants of a Coral Reef against the backdrop of the Sea. God blended His Organics and Jeweltones so Impressively that it always spoke to me on what can Work together if done Well.
And I haven't met very many Boho Spirits that don't also connect to Nature and Creation deeply in some way, blending a bit of both in their own Unique ways.
I have always Connected Strongly to Botanical Elements and Styling... bringing some of the Outside In and the Inside Out... Collecting Specimens of Botany and Decorating with Garden Art which will very often stand alongside my Exotic Fabrics and co-existing with my Bright Colored Treasures. Something doesn't have to be Functional for me to Appreciate it, even when rendered without Original Function, like this Old Motel Chair now turned into a Rustic Fountain, I could Work it into my preferred Style.
And I have been known to utilize Functional Elements in the Home for Styling Options temporarily... like putting Vignettes in Seating that we will use for the Purpose Intended, but when not in use, it can double as temporal Eye Candy and then just be moved off.
That way things HAVE to Evolve in the Home for Practical Reasons if nothing else... and when Practicality and Art blend it can make for some rather quirky Vistas and furrowed brows of those that are trying to figure out your unconventional Styling choices. *LOL*
Or why your Bohemian Bling might just combine Vintage Oppulence with Salvaged Functional Items... like Sparkly Orphaned Vintage Bling on a Doorknob Plate with Old Keys, Coins and Altered Silverware attached and dangling beneath. But these are the things I Love and Decorate with or wear daily... I couldn't Imagine changing it out with the Ordinary and the Mass Produced Furnishings, Wardrobe and Accessories.
I realize that it's not everyone's 'Thing' and they might not like it, but they usually do take a second look and 'Feel' something about it... and to me that's the Point... to Live with Feeling and not banality... where everything is so conventional, boring, ordinary or dull and unremarkable that I fail to Feel anything at all when I look at it or am surrounded by it. I'd rather be Exposed to something Original that I don't even like or Connect to at all... than to be yawning during an experience because it is devoid of Freshness or Ideas and Originality of what has been Created and presented.
Like a Good Book that you don't want to put down, an Interesting and Unique Space can make you want to stay for a while and Explore and Soak it all in, maybe even coming back and bringing your Friends... that's when you know you've Succeeded in doing something Well.
And at SWEET SALVAGE they do it so Well as is Evident by the Crowds that keep coming back on Pilgrimages... and folks that now Travel from afar to Experience this firsthand after hearing about it or seeing it in Print or here in the Land of Blog. And always come away Feeling something and deciding that it was worth it to stand in line and vye for the Found Treasures offered with larger than normal crowds of other eager Treasure Hunters and Lovers Of Old.
Just when I think the crowds on Opening Day couldn't be larger... they are... and it makes me very Happy for the Team because I know they've all stepped out in Faith by doing an Occassional Sale Themed Event and trying New Things in Styling and Inventory without really knowing how it will be Received by the Public... and in Retail you know that is Risky Business... but definitely worth the Payoff when you Nail it... and they have been Nailing it... Month after Month and I give them a Standing Ovation for that Creativity and Boldness of doing something quite Different with Confidence and Style.
I equate it in a way with going to the Circus... when you go, well, you just knew you were gonna see the Greatest Show on Earth and that in the various Rings there will be something Different by the Artists that have honed their Craft in their own Unique way to Entertain and Delight you.
When I go to SWEET SALVAGE I just know I'm gonna be Entertained, Delighted and see something very Different than what most Retailers are doing... that Various Stylists will put their own Spin on the Current Theme that is being Presented and it will always offer not only Inventory that I will want to Buy, but also that I will come away with Ideas, with Inspiration and that I'll undoubtedly have a Good Time in the Process and want to bring my Friends.
I know that whether I'm Decorating my Potting Shed, Studio or one of the Rooms of our Home, I'll undoubtedly find something that will Work in any or all of those Spaces.
And that no matter what the Theme turns out to be, that I'll want to see it, to Experience it, and to Expose myself to Ideas, Creations and Styles beyond my own.
And I know that People of all Generations are going to Enjoy it equally well... from the Grammas to the Grandchildren and everyone inbetween. Princess T really wanted me to 'Score' that Bird Tree. I've brought Seniors to the Event, folks from my Children's Generation and our G-Kids and they ALL have Enjoyed the Experience of an Event worth seeing and doing. Just a Footnote though: Better to bring the Youngsters on Days two through four rather than Opening Day since that can be rather overwhelming and perhaps frightening to a Child when it gets that crowded and exhuberant in the shopping frenzies of the Big People.
Yet except for the size of the crowds, you can see by the Images that it is near Impossible to tell Day One from Day Four in the Fabulous Inventory and Styling that will be offered throughout the Event. So any of the Four Days would be worth Calendaring. {Is that even a Word I wonder... I'm not sure I didn't just make it up?! LOL} Princess T asked me to take several Images of her Bird Tree since Gramma wasn't popping on it, though I did think it was way Cool too. I just knew that had I sprung on said Bird Tree, somehow those Birdies would have taken flight on the Wings of a Certain Princess setting them Free!!! They would have ended up in various Individual Vignettes and then I'd of had a Birdless Bird Tree. *Winks*
And speaking of Birds, this Vignette that had Bird Upholstered Chairs and Pops of Red against Black were also very Eyecatching and also gave an Asian Influence to Boho Styling that I really liked.
This would have undoubtedly been the Vignette my Mom would have been drawn to... she's Bohemian to her Core and the Red and Black Styling Elements were her Favorites and I grew up around that preferred Color Palette and the Decadent Oppulence she Created so Effortlessly in our Home regardless of how Challenging the Budget might have been. Mom always showed me that you didn't have to be Rich to live Richly and with Style and Class.
Anyone can do it... on any Budget in fact... just tap into your Creative Spirit and follow your Heart and you will Arrive to that Special Place in your Styling that will make you Feel the Emotions that your Nest should make you Feel every time you enter it and that Feeling will extend outwards towards others you Invite in.
Making your Nest Feel really Special is just a Process and a Journey, one that really never ends as it continues to Evolve and developes a Life of it's own as Elements are brought in and go out.
No two Precious Souls are Identical and neither should their Private Spaces be... your Home and Private Spaces you might Work or Retreat to should be as Unique as you are and Reflect who you are and what you're about.
I'm not gonna bash any Popular Retail Chains, because many of them do have some nice Styling Elements at great prices and Talented Stylists that Create their 'Look' and Editorials. But your Home shouldn't look like their Space, it should look like YOUR Space... even if you're utilizing some of their Styling Elements, Ideas and Inventory to Create your Vision. Don't make your Efforts devoid of YOUR Character by just copying a Showroom or Magazine spread to the tee. Otherwise I might must think I'm IN say Pottery Barn or Ikea and that would be a bit Surreal in a Private Home don't you think?!??!?? *LOL*
Do YOU so Well that you'll be Inspiring others in the Choices you've made and giving them Ideas Fresh from the Canvas of your Imagination!!!
You don't have to Feel as though you have to Invent something... in fact, few have Truly Invented the Wheel. Nor do you have to become a Legend in your own Mind to Confidently bring out the Inner Stylist that is within you yearning to break out and get busy with it! *Winks* Everyone is capable of an Original Idea and knows what they really like. When you see what you like or Love you know it... its just that some might be timid to just go with it at first... all I can say about that is PRACTICE getting Comfortable with it until you make no apologies for it and don't care what other people think about it. If you like or Love it, why not Live with it I say?!?
If you Love it Bright and Cheerful, go Bright and Cheerful... BTW: LOVED this little Bright and Cheerful Vignette!!!
If the Taste of the Exotic is more your Thing then go with that!
Do you want some Romance or Oppulence, who says you can't have it? If you're Grown you don't need anyone's Permission to do what you do! I haven't had to have anyone make my Choices for me since I was Grown, well, actually long before that even. And I'm Eternally Grateful that even as a Child my Parents were of the ilk to allow us to make Styling and Artistic Choices for ourselves so that we could grow into who we were rather than mere Mirror Images of them, though they did greatly Influence us because of their Talent at doing what they did and who they were so Well.
If you do what you do Well then you could Influence others more than you know and that will be your Gift to them.
When I see something like this Vignette it Influences me in a way that makes me want to take some Amateur Upholstery Lessons and get busy Upcycling Old Chairs by Upholstering them with my Vintage Fabric Stash! *LOL*
And what a Cool way to Repurpose Large Silverplate Serving Spoons by making them into Drawer Pulls!!!
And I Love the Paint Job on this Desk as well...
But it is definitely those great Spoon Handles that add Interest and Creativity to make this piece truly Unique and Desirable!
You're probably rushing to your Kitchen Cabinets to bend some of your Old Silverware Stash now aren't you? *Winks*
And let me tell you there were some hard to find European and Nordic Design Books that I would Love to be able to add to my Library some day!
And the blinged out Clock Face with Old Rosary attached to it... Loved it!
And here's a Vintage Frock that I Wish I could fit into... the Style of it is Timeless. And us Bohemian Romantics will wear Formal and Semi-Formal Attire every day if we really like it. *LOL* I'll often dress up for no apparent reason or occasion... but just to Please myself and Feel Good in Clothing I Love to wear.
And there's not much more I could say about Vintage Dress Forms except that I WANT THEM ALL!!!
Yes, I could easily become a Vintage Dress Form Hoarder, especially those with the Caged Skirts and Beautifully Aged and Distressed Form in Sepia Hues.
And I'm sure by now you can see that Boho Style can be in more subdued Palettes and still remain Delightfully Eclectic and Unconventional.
Yes, you can mingle your Jungle Prints next to your Antiques and Traditional Collectibles just fine...
Or Showcase some of your Vintage Hat Collection in your Kitchen... maybe perched on a Silver Tray set atop your Antique European Scale? Unexpected, yes, but I like using Items you don't expect in certain rooms... that's why my most Valuable Persian Rug is on our Main Kitchen Floor rather than in say a Livingroom or Diningroom.
And you don't have to match anything or everything either... Orphaned pieces can Complete a Look Beautifully and be far more Interesting, not to mention seek out on the Thrill of the Hunt. I prefer Mismatched Chairs and Mismatched China and Cutlery at our Dining Tables. All of our Family and Friends are Unique Individuals so why shouldn't they each Enjoy a Different and Unique Place Setting and Seat at the Table?
And Art that I Love and Connect to is certainly something I'd put Everywhere and Anywhere... doesn't have to be hung on a Wall or in a Gallery or even Framed... it can be propped up in any Vignette Frameless and Informally.
And I don't know if this will bring out the Inner Boho in any of you that haven't yet tried the Style and you'll rush out and get some Animal Prints to go with your Burlap and festoon your Ceiling with as many Chandies as you can light up without going blind? *Winks*
How far you take it is entirely up to you. And you might just Enjoy the Visuals and not feel compelled to add any of it to your own lair and that's okay too.
But as for me and my Home Boho Living is the only way to go... the Style I Feel most Comfortable in and surrounded by and which Stirs my Soul and Ignites my Creativity and puts it into hyperdrive.
And mostly because I never have to ask myself the Question when I see something I Love of: "Will that go with what I've got?" Because in Boho Style if you Love it, it doesn't matter if it 'goes' with anything in the Conventional way of Styling and Thinking anyway. *Smiles*
Because the Critique of others won't sway or Move me one way or the other anyway in my preferred Choices and Style... and Popular Opinion has been something I've rather resisted than embraced. If something is too Overdone and Common I am likely to avoid it even if I once liked it.
And I'd much rather seek out one Special and Unique piece that I Adore and will want to keep, than acquire a myriad of pieces I'm just 'meh' about or have a fleeting Interest in.
Investing in those Special Purchases is always worth it in the long run.
I Hope you've Enjoyed spending Time with us having a Boho Nouveau Adventure?
I know I had a Great Time... and next Month the Theme will be Sweet Retreats, Inviting us into the Vision of the Stylist's most Inviting, Private and Luxurious Getaways with all the Comforts of Home!
And who among us doesn't enjoy Getting Away to a Private Retreat?! A place that we might Style completely different than where we live full time. Maybe a Fantasy Decor of your Wildest Dreams?!? Where your Alter Ego can come out and Play!
I can hardly wait to see what an Experience that will be? So you KNOW I'll be making my Monthly Pilgrimage to The Sweet...
And Yes... of coarse you can come along again... either Virtually or I'll see you there... be sure to come up and say Hey! And perhaps you'll end up in a Bohemian Valhalla Blog Post too? *Winks*
All you'll need to bring is the Desire to have a Good Time!
And that way even if you don't take away a lot of Found Treasures... you will have taken away loads of Inspiration and Memories of a Good Time and Memorable Experience.
It all just goes by too darn fast though doesn't it... having a Good Time! *LOL* And Believe me, it was a Good Time!!!!!!!!! *Winks*
Blessings from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian