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Events

Happy Birthday, America!

Happy 4th!

Even though July 4th falls in the middle of the work week, we’re still going to celebrate in style!  We have all the makings for a party.  Confetti balloons…

Andrew Howard

and red, white and blue decor.

Kim Seybert

Kim Seybert‘s festive table settings…

Elle Apparel by Leanne Barlow

and a patriotic party dress.

Tequila Cobbler Cocktail

A delicious tequila cobbler…

Berry Pavlova

and an even more decadent berry pavlova.  How are you spending the day?  Wherever you and and whatever you’re doing , we wish you all a Happy 4th!

balloons / room / place setting / dress / drink / dessert

Events

Be a Royal Guest

mr and mrs wedding chairs

Sitting Pretty

We so love a British royal wedding and haven’t missed one since Diana and Charles walked down the very long aisle at Westminster in 1981.  After Andrew’s, Anne’s and Edward’s, a new generation is upon us and we sat glued to the screen when William and Catherine took the plunge 7 years ago.  And yes, we’ll be up early Saturday morning with our cups of tea and scones to see how Harry and Meghan make their special day…  well, special.

Barnard & Westwood Invitation

Barnard & Westwood Invitation

The invitations printed in black and gold with American ink on British stock by Barnard & Westwood were just like the ones Will and Kate had and we’re still waiting for ours!

Elderlower, Lemon and Mascarpone Cake

Elderlower, Lemon and Mascarpone Cake

Violet Cake‘s Claire Ptak is baking the lemon elderflower cake to capture the bright flavors of spring…

Philippa Craddock Rosetti Bouquet

Philippa Craddock Rosetti Bouquet

while the flowers (branches of beech, birch and hornbeam, and white garden roses, peonies and foxgloves) will be picked from the gardens and parkland of the Crown Estate and Windsor Park and arranged by Philippa Craddock.

George and Charlotte

We know George and Charlotte will be adorable and might even steal the show, as they did at their Aunt Pippa’s wedding last year.

St George's Hall, Windsor Castle

St George’s Hall at Windsor Castle

Bucking tradition, the couple will wed at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle and will have their reception at St George’s Hall once they ride through town in a carriage.  Rumor has it the bride will wear a Ralph & Russo dress and will change into something looser after the ceremony.  We, of course, will attend in our pj’s…  Let us know if you’re watching, too!

chairs / invitation / cake / flowers / george / hall

Events

High Point Highlights

Meg Braff

We’re back from a very busy 10 days in High Point where we showed our floral collections for the first time.  While we didn’t get to see many showrooms (being stuck in our booth for eleven hours a day!) we did get to see some of our favorite designers who stopped by to say “Hi”.  From Meg Braff who loves our fiddle leaf fig trees…

to Robert Passal for whom we created custom peony bouquets, we can’t help but admire the talented clients we have who use our designs in their projects.

Libby Langdon

Libby Langdon paid us a visit with the news that the bouquets we lent her for the Hampton Designer Showhouse last year will be featured in Traditional Home this June and was kind enough to pose with us in our booth.

Eddie Ross and Jaithan Kochar

And since we’re name dropping, why not mention our wonderful chat with the divine design duo, Eddie Ross and Jaithan Kochar – we loved hearing about their new venture, Maximalist Studios, and seeing pictures of their Pennsylvania digs!

Celerie Kemble

Long-time client Celerie Kemble was kind enough to place our flowers with her bedding at the Eastern Accents showroom…

Phoebe Howard

and we even got an order from Phoebe Howard for her store, Max & Co!  All in all, our High Point show was a huge success, thanks to the old friends we connected with and to the new ones we made.

P.S.  Our High Point highlights would be not be complete if we didn’t mention the fabulous Robin Baron and thank her for adding us to her Suite Spot Tour – it was a blast!

meg / robert / libby / eddie / celerie / phoebe

Events

A White House Christmas

Mrs. Bush in 2005

Did you know that we’ve created designs for two presidential libraries?  Well, we have and the latest project was just unveiled in Dallas at the George W. Bush Presidential Center.  All Things Bright and Beautiful was the theme picked by the Bush’s for their White House celebrations in 2005 and the new holiday exhibit showcases simple, yet elegant, decorations from the natural world.

The Tree in 2017

Lily Ornaments

From now until January 7, 2018, visitors can get a first hand look at a White House Christmas, from gorgeous floral designs by yours truly and colorful murals, to behind-the-scenes photos, Mrs. Bush’s holiday dress, and BarneyCam videos (not to mention Scotty-shaped topiaries decorated with gold bows!)

Tulips and Pears

Roses and Boxwood

We had such fun recreating the massive arrangements (over 100 stems of flowers in each) and making the 220 hanging lily ornaments for the 18-foot tree.  Best of all was seeing our designs come to life in this video and getting a tour with Mrs. Bush.

Barney and Miss Beazley Topiaries

Needless to say, our Christmas decorations won’t come close!  If you want more information about the event and buy tickets, click here.

photos here and here

Set The Table

Autumn’s Bountiful Blooms

A Covered Vase

Just when you thought you had weeks and weeks to plan your Thanksgiving table, it will be here before you know it.  Just like Halloween, we feel like the holidays are fast approaching and we’re so not prepared.  Our clients are getting their act together, though, judging by the record breaking week we just had on our online store.

A Pale Palette

While the old saying of the shoemaker’s children have no shoes does apply to us (i.e. the flower girls have no bouquets at home!), we’re going to make a big effort this year to have a beautiful Thanksgiving table.  So we’re already gathering our fall floral favorites (thanks to Southern Lady magazine) in hopes that they will come in handy on the big day.

Orchids and Berries

Succulents in a Painted Box

Why use an every day glass vase when you can use a pumpkin or gourd?  And why not mix in an unexpected element like succulents or orchid blossoms?  We think a holiday centerpiece should wow the crowd and given that we’ll be sitting around the table for hours, it also needs to be pretty.

Pretty Pumpkin Posy

Something decorative at each place setting makes the guests feel special and we’re loving this idea of a persimmon and a place card.  The fruit doubles as an appetizer if the meal is delayed!

Persimmon Place Setting

Happy Friday to all and may your weekend be sweet.

photos

 

Set The Table

Some Enchanted Evening

Sam Allen Interiors

The theme was All That Glitters, the place was New York’s Cipriani 42nd Street and the cause was the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House…  And dozens of designers moved heaven and earth to create magical table settings in a matter of hours.  While we didn’t attend the gala in person, we did provide the flowers for Sam Allen‘s springtime setting.  Cherry and apple blossoms spilled out of a Christopher Spitzmiller vase and each place setting was decorated with one of our White Rose Gifts topped off by a Joanna Buchanan Lady Bug Swizzle Stick.

Diane James Home + Joanna Buchanan

We were thrilled to hear that the evening was a success and to see our flowers on ArchitecturalDigest.com.

Michael Wainwright

Paloma Contreras

Janus & Cie.

Selina Van Der Veest

From understated to over the top, we hope these images inspire your next party!

photos

Set The Table

Not A Bunny In Sight!

Blooms in Bud Vases

It wouldn’t be Easter with a pretty post about easy do-it-yourself centerpieces and since our kids are all grown (and some flown) we’re keeping our inspiration this year bunny-free.  Not that we have anything against Peter Cottontail (except for the fact that we think he’s guilty of beheading the pansies on the front porch!)  Since we’re mostly adults for Easter lunch, we’re liking the combination of blossoms and eggs – either the dyed or chocolate variety.

Blooms in Eggs

Blooms and Egg Bouquet

Golden Tulips and Eggs

Bird’s Nest Fern and Eggs

This last idea is right up our alley – make a centerpiece out of the eggs (which the kids have dyed) and just cut some flowering branches.  Note the glasses of white wine… Easter made easy!

Just Eggs!

Wishing you all a happy and fun-filled Easter weekend.

bud vases / eggs and flowers / pastels / tulips / fern / eggs

Events

Studio Sale!

Flowers!

Flowers!

Please forgive the lack of posts…  We’re getting ready for a huge studio sale which starts tomorrow!  If you’re in the area, please stop by to shop well priced stems, vases and more.

Thursday, November 3rd – 10 am to 4 pm
Friday, November 4th – 10 am to 4 pm
Saturday, November 5th – 10 am to 3 pm

112 Main Street
Norwalk, CT  06851
(back left corner of Broward Plaza parking lot)

203-846-0303

flowers

Events

Monday Mix #Beautifaux

Mix this…

Summer Whites

Summer Whites

with this…

Meet Ruger, Our First Winner!

Meet Ruger, Our First Winner!

and get this!

$100 Off Your Next Order

$100 Off Your Next Order

We’re hosting an Instagram contest all summer long so now’s your chance to show off your Diane James design!  Post a picture of a Diane James Home bouquet, plant or gift item in your home on your Instagram account and enter to win a $100 Diane James Home gift certificate!  Here’s what you need to do to:

  1. Follow us on Instagram @diane_james_home
  2. Take a picture of your Diane James Home bouquet, plant or gift and share it on Instagram using #beautifaux in your post between June 21 and September 21, 2016
  3. Make sure your profile is public so we don’t miss your entry

One winner will be selected each month (on July 21, August 21 and September 21) so you’ve got two more chances!  Click here for contest rules.  Good luck to all!

Set The Table, The Latest Buzz

Coffee Table Essentials Challenge

Mid Century Coffee Table

Mid Century Coffee Table

What would we do without our coffee tables?  They are the centerpiece of any living or family room and play a vital role in our daily lives.  Our family room coffee table is devoid of any knick knacks given that it’s usually the place where teenage feet and multiple remote and gaming controls come to rest.  Our living room’s coffee table, though, is a pièce de résistance.  We love a well-styled coffee table so when we heard about Chairish‘s Coffee Table Essentials Challenge we knew we wanted to take part in the fun.  But styling a coffee table can be tricky.  Some people tend to over accessorize leaving absolutely no room for a wine glass, while others leave the space unadorned and decidedly uninteresting.  There are several things we keep in mind when we decorate our tables.  First, we like to use books.  New or vintage, the more colorful the better.  You can’t go wrong with coffee table books (and perhaps that’s why they’re called coffee table books!), especially if the cover or subject matter coordinates with your environment.

Cy Twombly - Paradise

Cy Twombly – Paradise

Second on our list is a natural element to soften the hard edges and add texture to flat surfaces.  Of course, arranging flowers right before guests arrive may not be how you want to spend your time so a potted plant, a bowl of succulents or a very lifelike faux design is good to have on hand in a pinch.

Pink Peonies in Marbled Vase

Pink Peonies in Marbled Vase

Third on our list of essentials is something fun.  We love games but we know that Monopoly takes up lots of room so we opt for something compact like a beautiful deck of cards or this elegant shagreen tic tac toe set.

Aerin Home - Shagreen Ric Tac Toe

Aerin Home – Shagreen Ric Tac Toe

Candles are a must to bring sparkle and life to a party.  We like the look of tapers in beautiful holders on a coffee table as they bring height and light to the space.

Skultuna - Lily Candle Holder

Skultuna – Lily Candle Holder

Last but not least, we love using decorative accents that we’ve collected on our trips or that have been passed down to us by our parents and grandparents.  We have a collection of vintage decanters and while we wouldn’t necessarily use them for our wine, we do like to display one or two.  They add interest to the setting and inevitably spark a conversation.

Empoli - Decanter and Glasses

Empoli – Decanter and Glasses

We hope you’ve enjoyed our styling tips and wish you all a Happy Easter!

coffee table / book / bouquet / game / candle holder / decanter