New Look for Holiday Decor

Here's a glimpse of what we're working on this week! We're finishing up an installation using our products to decorate an attorney's office as she prepares for a Holiday Tour for charity and a Christmas Open House to follow. The single wreath is one of two matching wreaths hung on the tall French entry doors to her office.

The idea that looks so new and fresh is created with fruits, flowers and surprising color! Our designers have pulled together our lovely demi pears in yellow-green and golden yellow, along with smaller pears and small green apples. Snowball blossoms and a fresh-looking green ivy are tucked around the artificial boxwood wreath to create a surprising introduction to the office!

Inside, visitors are treated to variations on the theme, as additional wreaths on tall patio doors are placed one over the other, almost like a Topiary, and on those, bright red berries are added along with small fruits in reds and sheer red ribbon bows. A touch of gold on ribbon and fruit creates a subtle sheen perfect for the season.

If you are wanting a new idea for your holiday decorating, visit our Artificial Fruit collection or email me at kparry@furnituregourmet.com. Large quantities of our larger 4" yellow-green pears, along with our light red pomegranates were used for Christmas Decorations at the White House a few years ago!

Room Arrangements make me feel peaceful

Here is the room arrangement that makes me feel "at peace" We have a long family room, with fireplace at one end. However, we have chosen to place the TV (large) in the "first third" of the room - as you come in the door, on the left, with the fireplace ahead of you. In decorating magazines, the fireplace is always the focal point, with no TV in sight. But, our room had both the fireplace and the TV. This arrangement, with two wing chairs, at either side of the fireplace, and (this is the difference) with the love seat angled at the left beside the wing chair, and the movable ottoman rounding out the circle, centered on the generous coffee table, we have a conversation area that finally works!

A Feeling About Home

I love to walk through a room in my home, and think "yes, I like it here." It makes me feel "at home" as though, little by little, I am making it MINE. It was a house, 5 years ago we bought it, I guess we saw the potential. Almost like an attraction, in which we only saw the best of the other person...we sensed the good that the future could bring. We didn't make a list of all the things we wanted to change. Things sort of pop up, asking for a little help. When I respond, then it settles us all back down for awhile, happy and content. Most recently, it has been furniture placement. Who knew that could be so unsettling, or so calming when it is right. I will tell you first about our great room. For 5 years, the room was never right. How to make a fireplace and a big screen tv happy in the same room? How to have two focal points? A question never answered - till now. I will take a picture for you when the sun shines again, and tell you more. Meanwhile, think about what your rooms are saying to you.

It may be Fall, but remember your favorite colors, and don't neglect what's still going strong!

We love our fall colors, but when the blue Plumbago on the deck is still going strong, it is hard to move it out for yellow and orange.  They can go in the front. I've learned not to hang in there when the geraniums have become leggy and look tired. You may notice that as summer drags on. Don't worry,  just replace them with a new vibrant color, like our blue here, which is fresh and healthy.  Plumbago Grafito comes in white and blue.  We like blue because we can follow our favorite color from our family room, out to the deck.  This ties our inside colors with outside. Can you tell, we have had the deck painted, and we're thrilled to have happy plants to greet us when we go outside!  Watch out!  Mums are next, but we can cling to a little bit of summer with our blue, till Frost!

Architectural Digest features Campion Platt

Our top picture is a page from this month's Architectural Digest (September 2009) featuring leading architect and designer, Campion Platt, in his renovated Palm Beach winter retreat. The lower picture is of a project featured on his website, and we think he has things to teach even those of us not in the luxury market.

His projects are said to embody luxury, innovation and an eco-friendly consciousness. I might add, his use of color and texture are amazing, and I think we can learn a lot by studying his designs. In the top picture, Campion designed the colorful banquette, which just fits into the bay window. We might not be able to do that, but we could find a small sofa or love seat to fit in our bay window. In his renovation of this 85 year old Palm Beach house he wanted to capture and make the most of the "Palm Beach" light, so that every room "almost dances with light"(text by Gerald Clarke) Platt used a large mirror to surround the white fireplace, high gloss finish on the floors to reflect light, white furniture and lots of glass. Even white stucco outside in the pool area reflects light into the kitchen which overlooks the pool. I learned to choose shiny tile for my kitchen back-splash because my kitchen desperately needs light, and the glossy tiles will help reflect the light that does come in.

In the Palm Beach house he uses high contrast in his color choices, but in other projects, he choose a softer transition between colors. The lower picture uses medium to lighter wood and brown tones, with that wonderful soft blue on the dramatic chairs, and the same color in the artwork above the table. Clean lines, confident colors and always, Campion Platt creates his own style.

A perfect day in Missouri

Today is a perfect day in Southwest Missouri! It's sunny and cool, but doesn't feel like fall yet - good thing, we're not ready for the season to change! But it's not hot, like August 21 is usually hot. So, what shall I do? Should I go for a walk? Make cookies? Or, reach out into the vast social network to find a friend? Any of these choices would be good...but I have some new products I want to add to my website, and that would mean new and exciting options for my customers...I'd better do that, and then, the walk! Ok, here's one, our large Shell Plate, perfect for jewelry or many other uses - or a wonderful, inexpensive, gift surprise!

Creative Client: Cachepot & Apples

It seems like a simple idea - but sometimes the simplest, cleanest ideas are best. Our client, V, has chosen our Ivory Ceramic Cachepot, and our Golden Green Apples....the result is very pleasing, as the colors play against the soft blue of the placemat, the warm wood of the tabletop, and ivory chairs which relate to the distressed Ivory Cachepot. And, look! The softest blue on the walls, with curtains made from a print that pulls all the colors together. As we always say - our clients are soooo creative! Thank you, V for sharing! A closer view of her Cachepot with Apples is on our website. To us, this is a perfect example of how our realistic artificial fruits and veggies can actually bring "life" to your rooms with their color, texture and reference to food! I think we react with very positive emotions, and our emotions don't care whether the fruits are real or faux!

The Wild Raspberry

When we received an order for our Artificial Raspberries from a store named The Wild Raspberry - we just had to ask - who were they, and how were they using our raspberries? Here's what they told us...they make the hole in the top of each raspberry a little bigger, add a drop of glue, and insert green embroidery thread, and tie on their beautiful gift packages! Hooray! Another great way to use Artificial Raspberries. And, you need to take a look at their website http://www.thewildraspberry.org/ and follow to their blog. It will make you feel really good.

The Wild Raspberry is a sister-owned shop in Bates City, Missouri. They make handcrafted home furnishings, gifts, and personal accessories. They love things that hearken back to a simpler time and their creations reflect that love. They offer one-of-a-kind handmade purses, totes, aprons, and pillows - many of vintage fabrics. Their wooden pieces, which include signs and stepstools, are painted in colors inspired by an earlier era. It's a nice feeling to surround yourself with items that can conjure up memories of the past - and bring a smile to your face and warm your heart. They call it simple, beautiful living. Thank you, sisters, for sharing!

I love this deck! Oh, and our artificial raspberries are featured too...

I love this deck! The blue cushions against the deeper colors of furniture frames and tables, as well as the classic and interesting rug - just make me want to climb into the picture! We were sent these pictures by one of our customers, and she had a great story to go with them! She was marketing her house for sale, and included these pictures. Well, she sold her house, and the buyers actually told her these pictures really made a difference...they said they completed the look of a warm and inviting outdoor space that made them just want to "hang out on the deck".

The Furniture Gourmet connection is, those are our artificial raspberries and boysenberries in the bowl on the table!!! We know, the deck design is fabulous even without the berries - but we were delighted to be a part of this successful house sale! We have very creative customers!

Creative Client #2 Hilton Head

This beautiful arrangement of artificial veggies, in a stunning footed Italian bowl, graces the table in a light-filled vacation home on Hilton Head! What a wonderful welcoming statement it makes. This arrangement was created by one of our very creative clients! She wanted to add the feeling of fresh - and did it very well with artificial! Don't you love the way the white pumpkin is tucked in among radishes, peppers, artichokes, cucumbers and avocados? I think this shows wonderful creativity, with variety in color, texture, and size! She used her own bowl, and our artificial veggies. I can just imagine her coming in from the city, for the weekend - and enjoying the lively look her centerpiece adds to her room. Her vacation home will feel like she had just visited the farmer's market earlier that morning and gathered fresh veggies for the table. Thank you, dear client, for sharing your creativity with us!

Simon Pearce & Artificial Strawberries

I'm not entirely upset about the jolts we have all experienced in the last 18 months, as our economy bump-bumped downward, like Winnie The Pooh bumping down the stairs behind Christopher Robin. I can say that now, that I have had time to process it. One thing I have learned, that in choosing the things we add to our home....only the reason may have changed, not the requirement. That requirement is that we CHOOSE. We may be more careful now because of our budget, but we should have always been careful only to buy things we love. We are to carefully notice what we love, what makes us happy, what pleases our eye. And, we are to leave everything else for someone else.

I like what interior designer Mariette Himes Gomez says in her book "Rooms", as she wrote about decorating her own home..."I had to figure out what is important to me in my own home - what hurts and what helps in creating a space that can sustain my spirits and enhance my daily routine."

I was reminded of the joy of the beautifully hand-crafted, when I watched the video on the Simon Pearce website. As Simon spoke of his love of the craft of glass-blowing, and as his potters spoke of their love of the clay, I was thrilled to remember the joy of buying one special treasure, rather than a bagful of "stuff". Simon Pearce is truly an amazing company, which creates beautiful glass, pottery and home accents, in Vermont and Maryland, along with their unique restaurants. I was blessed to sell our Artificial Strawberries to Simon Pearce, to be used to display their incredible table settings in their many east-coast stores.

Above, you see a picture of our Artificial Strawberries at work! What a fabulous idea! How would your footed compotes look with a few Strawberries accenting the beauty of the glass? Thank you, Simon Pearce for the priviledge of being a part of your wonderful story!

Salute to Saladino

"Every home should be a santuary: entering it you should immediately feel physically and emotionally protected."

"Good design is about turning dreams into reality."
"If you walk into a room and it does not move you, then the room is a failure."
"In choosing colors...follow nature's lead."
"In my view, no space without natural light is worthy of human occupation."

"...We need space that liberates us from terra firma, allowing our spirits to soar and our imaginations to take flight."

--John Saladino


We find John Saladino to be an inspiration and obviously quote worthy. We've even made a collection of fruit inspired by this very design.
Who is your favorite designer?

Classic Combination 2: Apricots & Love Apples

Here is a combination of our apricots and bright green love apples. The orange and bright green definitely say "fresh" to us. The colors are friendly and inviting. We have sent this combination for a wedding. Love is in the air and the wedding season is here! Many people are using fruit in floral arrangements for an additional splash of color. The fruit can be used in an infinite number of ways. Just to get your creative juices going they could be used in glass jars, as name tags in seating, included in center pieces, or as a boutonniere. You can see how weddings have incorporated fruit in one of favorite wedding blogs: Style Me Pretty.

Creative Client #1: Grapefruit

Our purpose of this blog is to share ideas with one another. We are proud to present our first batch of creative clients. At the beginning of the year we learned how our clients, Sheila and Marcia used our oranges and grapefruit to create garlands for their horses! She said, "We had the best dressed horses in the Spherion Citrus Bowl Parade." These Paso horses are America's oldest breed and their ancestors were brought to the New World by Columbus on his second voyage. The International Paso Horse Federation is dedicated to promoting these show horses while honoring and preserving their culture, heritage, and history. Thank you so much Sheila and Marcia for sharing your lovely horses with us. We are honored to have helped you make them look their best.

Please send your ideas and how you've used our products so that we can share them with one another. You can send your pictures and stories to emily@furnituregourmet.com.

Cookies and Cranberries

Dusti was asked to provide cookies as favors for a celebrity wedding. Stop by Dusti's blog and see our artificial cranberries in a new way. They are peeking out from underneath the cookies in the lovely glass containers. We were so glad we could help make her creations even more spectacular. What do you think?

Lemons on Vacation

The vacation season is here and we want to see where you're going. This might be a little crazy, but we thought it would be fun for you to take a piece of fruit from us on vacation with you. Take a picture of you and your fruit and send it to us. We'll feature you and your vacation on our blog! One of our very own tried this and had a great time. She said:
Last weekend my daughter and I took lemons to Eureka Springs for a get away! Pretty soon, our weekend's theme became "Lemons on Vacation" and we laughed every time we said it.

The lemons piled in their basket, looked right at home on an antique dresser in the Palace Hotel. Then, we took them to a beautiful, cooling grotto nearby, which surrounded a natural spring. Their bright yellow color really glowed against the deep green foliage and the red flowers. The natural spring splashed and gurgled into its pool on the way down the hill, and the pleasant sound completed our feeling of taking a little break, with our lemons by our side.
Later, I just tucked one lemon in my purse, and pulled it out at the restaurant when we asked our waitress to take our picture. She acted as if it were perfectly natural for me to hold up a lemon in our picture!

We think the lemons enjoyed their little vacation-we certainly did!

Classic Combination 1: Lemons & Limes

There is something about having a bowl of fruit in your home that creates the perfect finishing touch. It adds a touch of color and a breath of fresh air. But how do you know what to pick? What is right for your room? Or you might be putting together a flower arrangement and need a something you can't quite put your finger on. Each month we intend to bring you a "classic combination". We want you to see something ordinary in a new light, or make you think of a new color combo that could be just what you need.

Our lemons and limes are our most timeless combination. They are by far the most popular item. They are the perfect summer accessory for your home. The yellow and green in a white or glass container is a simple and clean way to add some summer color. We think you'll love them as much as we do.

'Summer-ize' with Pillows

With the new season fast approaching parties are happening and friends are coming over. We get the itch to change things up without spending a fortune. You can "summer-ize" your home by making a few simple changes. For instance, why not add new throw pillows for a touch of fresh color. Decorative pillows are a great way to change a look without breaking the bank. Imagine a soft colorful pillow on your favorite chair. They add an inviting feeling and simply ask you to sit down.

We have discounted our lovely Jane Seymour throw pillows for you. We want everyone to feel invited to sit down on their own furniture. So we are selling our lovely, ornately embroidered pillows for $15! They are regularly $79 and we want you to have them! This offer only lasts until May 24th.

Think about them as a great graduation present too. Adding a colorful pillow to their bed in their new dorm could link them back to the feeling of home.

'Fresh' Ideas from Pamela Green

We asked our design team what makes a home "fresh". Here is what Pamela had to say:

Color is definitely one of the first things that come to mind when I hear the word “Fresh”. Fresh colors tend to be crisp and clean. They don’t have to be bright, but must not be too muddied down in the shade or tone of the color.

Flowers and plants always help add to the freshness factor. Now that spring is here and summer is on the way, I like to use fresh fruit, like lemons and limes, sliced and placed in the water of my flower vase. It looks fabulous and again alludes to freshness. If you like scented candles, stick with citrus and herb scents. Nothing to sweet or musky.

Sheer draperies blowing in the window evoke the feel of freshness. Sheer draperies are back in style, big time. There are many, many wonderful patterns out now that add interest and tie in to the rooms décor without overpowering. They are not just the plain old sheers we used to use.
Pamela Green works as an interior designer in California. She is passionate about design from everything to interior design including residential and commercial spaces, as well as entertaining and even creating fabric patterns. Check out her website at http://www.pamelagreeninteriors.com/.

Our Inspiration

Our elegant deer inspire us to nourish our sense of wonder, and take delight in cherishing the beauty we find around us.

Indeed, for many years, during many magical Christmas seasons, our deer stood proudly with Santa in each year’s special Christmas window, at The Denver Dry Goods Store.

We believe our deer were carved, in the 1930’s, from solid blocks of Olive wood. We can imagine countless children pressing their little faces to the windows to marvel at each magical Christmas scene. When the store was sold to a larger chain, the deer were moved to the back of a warehouse and no longer used. After years of neglect, they were rescued and restored to their former glory!

Our deer remind us that the careful work of the original woodcarvers, nearly 80 years ago, was worth preserving. Their presence is more than that of a sculpture or a valuable antique. Their personality and beauty inspire us to value the creative expression that originated, and later, restored them.

We believe the things you bring into your home and the items you keep can also be nourishing to you and your family. Decorating is not done all at once, when you buy a room full of furniture. Your rooms are created, over time, as you add a bright spot of color, or a special accent or find a way to work in something you “just love”.

Be careful to choose items and images that support you in a positive way as they express your personality, your spirit, your caring. Your choices can help you create an environment in which you feel valued, safe and happy.

Our deer remind us that “sustainability” is more than a popular slogan. The idea of sustainability nudges us to hold on to the good, take care of special things, and especially to take good care of the people we are privileged to have in our lives.

Spent the morning with other women interested in entrepreneurship, hearing from women who have successful businesses! It was an awesome morning! I learned - that I need to "get out there" to show the potential customers who I am. Many thanks to the Edward Jones Center for Entrepreneurship, and all the people who particated. Thank you!