House Garden Designs: July 2010

Unique Lighting – Poppy Lamp Designs by Serien

Saturday, July 31, 2010

This whimsical lamp has some surprises in store – the poppy lampshade gradually opens up with heat! These artful mouth-blown glass blossom are available in a range of great colors, and each is perched on its own flexible, fabric-covered stem that you can twist and turn any which way. Create a trendy tangle of flowers overhead, spiral your sconces, and twist your tabletop lamps in a fashionable and functional way. These cute and quirky poppy lamps come in chandelier and sconce designs, as well as tabletop lamps ideal for reading or as a source of soft mood-lighting in any room.

New Lighting Fixtures – Babol lighting series by deMajo

This new Lighting Fixtures, Babol lighting series was designed by deMajo. The Babol lighting series features dreamy clusters of glowing “bubbles” in a line of pendant, wall-mounted and tabletop lamp designs. These coordinating lighting fixtures come in a variety of sizes to suit any space and function, all made of glossy white glass.

Modern Lighting – Furore Lamp by Lima De Lezando

It’s Modern Lighting Design, called Furore Lamp was designed by German designer Lima De Lezando. The Furore lamp consists of 7 differently formed steel-arms. Illuminating glass bodies are attached to the steel-arms. It is the perfect design object for contemporary interior design. With its gentle light Furore creates a comfortable and warm atmosphere.

White Color Theme Interior House in Piacenza, Italy

Minimalist space, luxury, elegant, and modern? this is the answer. This 120 square foot loft is located upstairs in a house in Piacenza, Italy and owned by Romolo Stanco. Ground floor 81 square meters while the first floor is 42 square meters.

The ground floor is 81 square meter while a first floor is 42 square meter. The white color is dominating around the floors and hightlights the shadows, the distances and the independent elements like chairs, a sofa, a table and other furniture. When you enter the home you see an open space that seeks a balance between the linearity imposed by the long, parallel main walls.

The second floor bedroom is a box suspended over the larger main floor and reachable only by a set of stairs that seem to hover along the wall like a child’s zig-zag drawing. The white walls, ceiling and floors give you the sensation of relaxing in a wash of light.

The white walls, ceiling and floors give you the sensation of relaxing in a wash of light.

A lovely Phlox cultivar

An interesting side benefit of going to Garden Writers Association conferences are the free plants; they're fabulous, to be sure. We're still enjoying the Iseli Nursery dwarf conifers from Portland a couple of years ago. They're wonderful, and were the only plants that I brought home to the Carolinas.

Last year's conference in Raleigh was within driving distance, but I remember what I bought at Plant Delights and Niche Gardens more than what we were given.

Penstemon 'Pensham Elanor Young'

But Blooms of Bressingham sent me (as well as many others) lots of small plants ready to trial.

This Penstemon 'Pesham Elanor Young' is a standout in our raised beds, which are nutrient-rich. The flowers are lovely, the foliage is attractive, and they're going to transplanted to the front meadow.

Hopefully they'll be tough, too!

Lawn Mower Problem

... resolved! Our semi-self propelled push mower had a broken lever. The lever made the wheels turn. For the past season I've been pushing the very heavy mower and ever so politely complaining that we need a (used) riding mower. Then I stopped mowing. Then hubby took over. Now he ordered the part. I have no need of a used riding mower at present ;) The End

Post typed as I sat sipping tea from my front porch (perch) observing my man mowing the hundred acre wood. End of rant. Beginning of new found freedom :)

Industrial design of Defne Koz

more: http://www.defnekoz.com/

Decorative tiles of Paola Orsoni

more: http://www.paolaorsoni.it/

Another Quiet Day.

No change in the weather. Because Radio 4 is quite interesting on Saturday mornings I spent the morning in the kitchen doing more tidying and cleaning (this place might even be reaching a state of normality soon). A lot of time was spent cleaning the hotplate which was mildly irritating as I have done little cooking in the last 6 months and I never fry things (the cause of all that splattered grease). Had a little excitement when the postman brought me a pair of black Ugg boots that I'd bought on eBay. They were expensive for me but less than half the shop price (I knew they would fit because I'd tried some on in Exeter.)

Red Admiral on buddlia.

When I did venture out into the garden the air was filled with butterflies. I spotted a common (rare here) blue on the santolia, it was still there while I dashed indoors to get the camera and then I watched it fly up, up and over the roof of the house never to be seen again.

It was back to work on the weeding of path around the pond, the only bit not done would have involved crawling under the overhanging very wet montbretia so I left it. Instead I made a start on pulling out a lot of the native flag iris which are taking over. As I cleared away the foliage I spotted this waterlily that had been hidden from sight. A lot more of the flag iris needs to go as well as the grass and all the dead and nasty foliage in the water.