trends | outdoor upholstery

canadian media and branding mogul tyler brule founded both wallpaper* and monocle magazines.

he also writes the fast lane, a column in the weekend financial times (FT) that is generally amusing, often hilarious, and usually opinionated.

'a springtime special delivery', the 21 april 2012 the fast lane, answers readers' queries about travel, fashion, and design, including questions about garden design.

question:  'my terrace is looking a bit tired and i want some new furniture.  should i go wood or woven for chairs?  how do you feel about outdoor sofas?'

answer:  'first, sofas belong indoors...'

for lifestyle luminaries, such as restoration hardware, outdoor upholstery could be considered a brilliant product extension that blurs the distinctions between interior and exterior furnishings.

resto's outdoor upholstery collections are constructed of weather resistant materials, such as marine grade plywood and quick dry foam cushions, slipcovered in sunbrella or perennials solution dyed acrylic fabric.

their spring 2012 design source book shows outdoor upholstery installed on sand... 
restoration hardware | capri outdoor upholstery collection
photo credit restoration hardware

or gravel...
restoration hardware | belgian slope arm outdoor upholstery collection
photo credit restoration hardware

or grass...
restoration hardware | belgian track arm outdoor upholstery collection
photo credit restoration hardware

could outdoor upholstered furniture be as durable, low maintainence, or weather resistant as teak, all weather wicker, or powder coated metal furniture with removable cushions?

do you think that upholstered furniture belongs outdoors?

flowers | jane packer

in admiration of jane packer (1959-2011)

jane packer is one of my favorite florists in london.  i just love their simple, contemporary style...

jane packer's styling suggestions

use four or fewer types of flowers in an arrangement

choose flowers in monochromatic or tonal colors
choose flowers with complimentary textures

arrange the flowers by clustering each type of flower together
photo credit jane packer

and, i also love how they artfully choose containers that compliment the color, and texture, and composition...

hall table with sweet peas, zinnias, dahlias, and peonies clustered in vases of different sizes, shapes, and heights
jane packer | at home with flowers | page 18
photo credit catherine gratwicke

i really wish that i would have taken a course at jane packer's flower school while we lived in london.  their shop in marylebone is only a few blocks away from the flat where my husband, bob, and i lived for five years.

jane packer | 32-34 new cavendish street | london united kingdom | W1G 8UE
photo credit jane packer

so now, i'm settling for the next best thing by acquiring some of jane packer's floral design books.

jane packer | jane packer flowers design philosophy

photo credits catherine gratwicke 

on friday, i made an early morning orchid run to the san francisco flower mart.  in addition to the orchids for one of my interior design projects, i couldn't resist purchasing the materials to create a jane packer bouquet.

jane packer | jane packer flowers design philosophy | pages 52-53

photo credits catherine gratwicke 

even though it requires some assembly to measure, cut, and tie them together with raffia...

photo credit lisa walsh | innerspace

...bundling the tulips and branches together makes it much easier to arrange the flowers in the container.  the pussy willow branches also help to support the tulips, which continue to grow after they have been cut. 

photo credit lisa walsh | innerspace 

to extend the life of the bouquet, jane packer suggests cutting the stems on the diagonal, then changing the water and misting the flowers every day.

i hope that misting the flowers really does help the bouquet to last longer!