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Decorating with Flowers

Open up the house! Pull back the curtains (better yet, change them to sheers), open the windows, and get ready to "spring" into action. Okay, it might be too chilly outside to open the windows all the way, so just crack the window open enough to let a small breeze through.

I like to surround myself with vibrant florals and I enjoy treating myself to fresh colorful and fragrant flowers throughout the seasons. My favorite is the starfire lily; it is bursting with perfume-like fragrance. Sometimes fresh isn't always possible, so I arrange bunches and bunches of silk florals in a tall vase, such as the one you see here: our "Springtime Vase." The vase can be an inexpensive container. All you need to do is spray paint it, roll paint it, or rag paint it. Now add a hint of glimmer by spraying gold paint randomly onto the vase and add the florals. The florals you see include silk hyacinths, delphiniums, and lisiathius in a variety of colors. There are also lilacs, roses and green sprigs of eucalyptus, and fir. This is another ethnicHome way to bring in spring!

Stepping over your threshold should be a good experience. After fighting traffic, do you really want to fight your way through the entry...over shoes, boots, newspapers...Need I say more? Where do you start? Look around. Are the walls kind of dull and bare?

Hang a piece of African-inspired artwork, fabric, or other ethnic-influenced pieces you have collected. Or recycle a few of those beautiful African-inspired holiday cards you received for Christmas or Kwanzaa. Select a few cards, frame them, and hang them on the wall. How about a grouping of baskets or masks? Then again, maybe all it takes is a fresh coat of paint? Color is expressive; it evokes certain feelings in us. Generally, I like bright, vivid colors; however, for my entryway I chose a tranquil moss green. Green is one of the most selected colors for decorating, because of its calming influences and its connection with the environment. I just like the color!

A new table treatment for a hallway table can make a table seem new and you can do it very inexpensively. Browse through a catalog or see what's on sale at a local store. How about hanging a mirror on that empty wall? It's always a good thing in the entry for one last glimpse before you're out the door to work or on a special date. A mirror enlarges a small area, and it's a great finishing touch for that "new" table.

I can't imagine anything more vibrant and appealing than the richness of ethnic-inspired decorating. Using some of these tips in your entry and throughout the house says your place is special. You'll be saying: "It's me!" In other words: think bold, think rich, think exciting, and don't be limited by anything but your imagination. What you imagine can be. Come to think of it, the lack of imagination shouldn't stop you either, because that's why ethnicHome is here.