Decorating-Unique Ideas for Using Flowers in the Home

Unique Ideas for
Using Flowers in the Home

Today, many Americans are slowing down and staying home in record numbers. Experts have named this phenomenon "downshifting" and it goes hand-in-hand with another trend -- "nesting."

As people seek more time in their havens, atmosphere is becoming increasingly important. Use the following unique ideas from the Society of American Florists to brighten your home with flowers.

Bring your collectibles out of the closet! Old water pitchers, antique teapots, classic urns or even tattered clay pots make fascinating containers for a casually placed flower arrangement.

Take your favorite vase, treasured antique bowl or silver pitcher to your florist for a custom-designed arrangement. Seeing your personal treasure spring to life with flowers will uplift the room and your spirits.

Add simple touches. An elegant decoration for any corner of the home: float two or three blooms, such as gardenias or gerbera daisies in a favorite crystal bowl. Add a floating candle or two for a glowing evening effect. For a just-picked-from-the-garden look, fill a clear glass vase with a cheerful bunch of loose stems and anchor with colored marbles.

Greet guests at your front door: attach small vases to a pre-made wreath and add short stems of fresh flowers. You'll be amazed what a warm welcome they communicate.

Match the mood of a get-together with the flower arrangements you place around the house: for a romantic dinner, choose a classic arrangement of roses, lilac, or hydrangea, accented with an elegant ribbon; for a festive Tex Mex bash with friends, look for vivid, exotic varieties like bird of paradise, anthurium or ginger; for an afternoon brunch, bring spring inside with a cheerful bouquet of flowers such as tulips, irises and daffodils, or a brightly colored flowering plant. Whatever the occasion, your florist can help make it special.

Create an interesting centerpiece decoration using several miniature vases, each holding the same type of flowers or combining an eclectic mix of color and variety. Then as guests leave, offer to let them make a choice to take home... an extension of a lovely evening.

Individual flowers are perfect at place settings or attached to name cards and will long be remembered by guests.

Surprise house guests with a lovely bud vase placed at their bedside table or next to their morning coffee. Even a single stem is welcoming and heart-warming.

Try floating rose petals in a special bath to spoil a friend!

Decorating with Flowers
Room by Room

Brighten the rooms you use most and bring a moment of calm to a hectic day.

Entrance hall / foyer	Make a first impression with a large, abundant arrangement. Or create a focal point with a piece of artwork on a pedestal draped with a garland and flowers. For a friendly look, place a basket with a garden bouquet on the entry table.
Dining room	Flowers and arrangements should complement the decor and mood - use containers of crystal, silver or porcelain. For an easy, elegant table decoration, set a series of alternating crystal vases and candles on a fabric runner. Place fresh flowers in one's, two's or three's surrounded by greenery in each of the vases.
Family room	A place for warm camaraderie, floral touches heighten the mood. In the summer when the fireplace isn't being used, brighten the hearth with an abundant assortment of seasonal flowers. Continue the theme by placing a few of the same flowers on the mantle next to those family photos.
Kitchen	Trim a windowsill with a collection of terra cotta pots, using a combination of herbs and sun-loving plants like kalanchoe, African violets or primroses . . . enjoy your mini-harvest every day.
Bedroom	There is nothing like waking up to a hint of fragrance wafting from a bud vase on your night stand. Ask your florist about tea roses, freesias, peonies, lilac and lilies, all deliciously fragrant choices.
Guest bedroom	Welcome your guest with a bright addition. Hide a bud vase with a simple cluster of flowers in the center of a clear bubble bowl filled with potpourri.
Home office	Statistics show more Americans than ever are working at home with high tech equipment. Give yourself a "nature break" by keeping a flowering or green plant next to that computer station or fax machine.

Experimenting on Your Own

Develop your own personal style and taste by experimenting with different colors and types of flowers. Start out by buying loose bunches.

Each week try a different look, color or kind of flower. Enjoy the seasonal variety. Buy the types of flowers most abundant for that time of year. This low-cost method will help you develop a "flower" sense of what appeals to you and works with your decor.

Experiment all year long -- tall, elegant gladiolus one month ... friendly, casual tulips the next ... or a cheerful mixed arrangement of spring flowers. Flowers can provide the right atmosphere for an afternoon brunch or a celebration with friends -- all without changing a single piece of furniture.

"Centerpiece"
Flowers featured: Lilies, carnations, spray roses, alstroemeria, daisy chrysanthemums, solidaster, monte casino.

Blending with the casual atmosphere of modern home entertaining, this centerpiece is sure to dazzle guests during afternoon brunch or informal dinners. The candles provide a refreshing combination using the elegance of flowers with the ambience of candlelight.

"Water Pitcher"
Flowers featured: Alstroemeria, carnations, freesia, roses, bouvardia, delphinium, stock, Star of Bethlehem, asters, statice.

Loosely clustered to give the look of a freshly cut garden bouquet, this hand-tied design adorns a favorite water pitcher. The complementary flowers and colors brighten any part of the house, from the kitchen to the family room to the bedroom.

*Editor's Note: To retrieve photos in digital form for use in news stories, contact Wieck Photo Database at (972) 392-0888. (Refer to the Floral News Bureau file and picture title).

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	Bring your collectibles out of the closet! Old water pitchers, antique teapots, classic urns or even tattered clay pots make fascinating containers for a casually placed flower arrangement.
	Take your favorite vase, treasured antique bowl or silver pitcher to your florist for a custom-designed arrangement. Seeing your personal treasure spring to life with flowers will uplift the room and your spirits.
	Add simple touches. An elegant decoration for any corner of the home: float two or three blooms, such as gardenias or gerbera daisies in a favorite crystal bowl. Add a floating candle or two for a glowing evening effect. For a just-picked-from-the-garden look, fill a clear glass vase with a cheerful bunch of loose stems and anchor with colored marbles.
	Greet guests at your front door: attach small vases to a pre-made wreath and add short stems of fresh flowers. You'll be amazed what a warm welcome they communicate.
	Match the mood of a get-together with the flower arrangements you place around the house: for a romantic dinner, choose a classic arrangement of roses, lilac, or hydrangea, accented with an elegant ribbon; for a festive Tex Mex bash with friends, look for vivid, exotic varieties like bird of paradise, anthurium or ginger; for an afternoon brunch, bring spring inside with a cheerful bouquet of flowers such as tulips, irises and daffodils, or a brightly colored flowering plant. Whatever the occasion, your florist can help make it special.
	Create an interesting centerpiece decoration using several miniature vases, each holding the same type of flowers or combining an eclectic mix of color and variety. Then as guests leave, offer to let them make a choice to take home... an extension of a lovely evening.
	Individual flowers are perfect at place settings or attached to name cards and will long be remembered by guests.
	Surprise house guests with a lovely bud vase placed at their bedside table or next to their morning coffee. Even a single stem is welcoming and heart-warming.
	Try floating rose petals in a special bath to spoil a friend!

	Develop your own personal style and taste by experimenting with different colors and types of flowers. Start out by buying loose bunches.
	Each week try a different look, color or kind of flower. Enjoy the seasonal variety. Buy the types of flowers most abundant for that time of year. This low-cost method will help you develop a "flower" sense of what appeals to you and works with your decor.
	Experiment all year long -- tall, elegant gladiolus one month ... friendly, casual tulips the next ... or a cheerful mixed arrangement of spring flowers. Flowers can provide the right atmosphere for an afternoon brunch or a celebration with friends -- all without changing a single piece of furniture.