Asparagus Interiors Inc.

Love the look of a chandelier, but you’re just not that into crystal and scrolls?

Consider a shade pendant.  The soft glow, graphic details and interesting patterns may just be the fixture for you.

Anchor a pendant with a seating area accented with a mirror to bounce the light around.  Special places accented by a pendant don’t have to be the dining room table or foyer.  Consider a reading nook a special place and … let it glow.

(Note: Pendant at left, Roots Chandelier by Agnes & Hoss and Stonegate Designs – found at Fyndes.com. Pendants at the right, Drum Pendants by Galbraith & Paul)

With all the hype of the Slumdog Millionaire, and my new found obsession with the soundtrack.  I’ve been thinking… how could I add global designs to my interiors?

1) Research.  Go out and explore!

Find cultural influences that inspire you.  We visited the North Central College International Fair this month.  I’ve always been inspired by the far eastern cultures.  My daughter loved the vivid colors and jewel tones of the costumes.

2) Little Pieces Speak Volumes

Consider including a little sculpture, vase or piece of artwork, but place it in a prominant location.  Make your little piece a focal point and topic of interest for guests.
Chinese Stool found at Pagoda Red, Chicago.

3) Incorporate Graphics Found in Architecture

Love those Roman columns or Moorish arches.  Mimic those architectural details with moulding, wallpaper or painted murals.  Architectural details create the feel of being in another country and give your bland dry wall construction the grand lift it needs.

Imperial Trellis II – Wallpaper, 100% Linen Schumacher.

I’m just canvasing some of the latest green products and resources out there for building an eco-friendly kitchen or bath.

Some noteworthy items:

Crossville’s Echo Recycled glass, made of 100% recycled content.  Wide range of colors and sizes.

Kohler Indio Sink
An under counter mount made of 93% recycled and reclaimed material of cast iron.

Interesting feature: Many new sinks are offering a side faucet mount.  Allowing you to maximize depth and reduce the holes in your counter top.

Soupcan, offers countertops in concrete, stainless steel, copper and zinc.

Notice: the undermount sink with side mounted faucet.

Also the 2-3″ depth on the counter top edge.  A greater edge depth can give the counters the look of a thick, beefy edge without adding bulk to the surface.

Soupcan can also include integrated drain boards, backsplashes, metal accents in concrete and form the concrete substrate into a single surface with integrated sinks.

Last weekend mom, Maggie and I took a road trip to Big Rock, IL (approx. 1 hr from Chicago) to Esther’s Place.

Now that Mom has Alpacas she’s been looking for local sources to buy roving and other wool fibers.  She started PokeyTree designs creating purses, pillows and other objects d’Art from dry and wet felting techniques.

Esther’s Place, founded by mother and daughter team, Donna and Natasha, offer classes, products and artist retreats.  Esther’s Place is a great resource for fiber artists and novices who are interested in working with fiber.

While Mike was out of town last week, I though I’d finish our room as a surprise.

I used a darker gray on the focal wall and a lighter gray on the 3 additional walls.  I tried Harmony (no-voc) by Sherwin Williams on the lighter walls and Duration (low-voc) by Sherwin Williams on the dark wall.

Both paint options are eco-friendly, but the Duration is made to be more durable, scrubable and I thought it covered well.

The Charles and Ray Eames Blicks wall decals added some fun to the walls and add a tone on tone contrast.  I made 4 paper canvases from Paper Source for color and to create a focal point.

A quick update, but it’s given me a place to call our own.

I love the carved tiles by artist Natalie Blake.  Her “Tree of Life” group just won the “2009 – Niche” magazine award for ceramics.

The carved tiles are hand-made, sgraffito-carved, porcelain wall tiles.  Some day I’d love to have a grouping.  It’s everything I dig about art.  Texture, color, handmade and with 3 dimensional meaning and purpose.  All the more reason to visit the studio in Battleboro on my next trip to VT.