Our Best Posts of 2018
After nine years of writing this little blog of ours, we’re sad to say that we’re closing The Buzz down so that we can focus our attention on our growing Instagram following. We’ve seen amazing growth and are excited to add more beauty and content there. If you’re not following us already, please click this link. From our family to yours, have a Happy 2019!
Tiptoe Through the Topiaries
It’s raining… Again! We had over 10 days and 4 inches of rain in July and the storms just keep coming. So instead of hanging out in our gardens, we’re getting our green fix on Instagram.
Row of Rosemary
Anouska Hempel‘s feed had us at “hedge” and it’s completely enchanting. The striking gardens and landscapes she’s designed for homes and hotels the world over are so lush, layered and lovely, they literally take your breath away. It was hard not to ooh and aah over every image.
Hedging Our Bets
A Plethora of Pots
Alpine Pool with Burmese Umbrellas
A fusion of east meets west pervades Anouska’s design aesthetic whether it is classical or contemporary in feel. And her landscapes use the exquisite Japanese layering of box trees, bays, hornbeams and myrtle, to create space and texture.
A Kitty Among the Greenery
The effect is intimate and magical, and so very, very green! Just ask the kitty cat among the plants…
The Ivy Chelsea Garden
London shopkeepers have taken window shopping to a whole new level lately and it seems everywhere a Londoner turns, there’s a fabulous floral display to behold. One such place is The Ivy in Chelsea where flowers are switched out seasonally to create an enchanting backdrop for outdoor dining.
Saint Aymes
Saint Aymes is another Instagram-worthy visit, not only for their 23ct gold hot chocolate but also for the beautiful wisteria framing the window and door.
Daniel Wellington
Over in Soho, Daniel Wellington, known for their luxury watches, softens the store’s dark facade with bunches of white flowers, giving it a natural lightness.
Peggy Porschen Cakes
And some say Elizabeth Street in Belgravia is the prettiest street in London. With the likes of Peggy Porschen Cakes, Les Senteurs (London’s oldest independent perfumery), and Jo Loves (Jo Malone’s shop), who wouldn’t want to spend an entire day window shopping there.
Jo Loves
Les Senteurs
Given all the snow we’ve had this month, we may have to bring home some flowers and create a display of our own! Counting the days ’til spring…
photos
Bedside Beauty – The San Vincente Bungalows
First, our apologies for the lack of posts… We’ve been hit with two major storms in the past week – a nor’easter that took out our power for a couple of days and Winter Storm Quinn that dumped more than a foot of snow yesterday. It’s hard to believe that spring is less than two weeks away and who knows when we’ll see flowers bloom again in the garden. That’s why we’re seriously considering a mural by Kate Schelter for our studio!
Must Read!
Ever since the publication of her book Classic Style last year, we’ve been huge fans of Kate’s. While we knew about her charming illustrations, we were recently reminded that her scope of work also includes murals. Just look at what she painted for Lara Connor (Vogue contributing editor Marina Rust’s daughter).
Lara’s New Room
Graceful Geraniums
With a degree from RISD and internships at W and Christian Lacroix, Kate’s love of fashion led her to a career as a stylist, but she always kept her watercolors at the ready. Her first illustrations appeared in Assouline’s Gypset Travel in 2012 and in 2014, John Derian curated Kate’s first painting exhibit. Her portfolio has grown over the years to include collaborations with The San Vincente Bungalows (opening Summer 2018), Chateau Marmont and Greydon House.
Pretty Poppies – Kate’s Bedroom
Kate’s murals are as fun and fresh as their subjects – whimsical geraniums and poppies look as if they’re growing right out of the floor and beautiful blue hydrangeas brighten a bedside. Colorful and elegant, these flowers are exactly what we need in these last days of winter. Who’s ready for spring?
Preen Spring 2017
Spring is mere weeks away and we’re looking forward to shedding our winter clothes and our winter skin! It’s no secret that blooms are good for your mood, but they’re also good for your face and while we won’t go as far as sticking flowers to our forehead, we will shake up our beauty routine with these botanically based potions.
Herbivore Face Mist
Hibiscus flowers contain alpha hydroxy acids that gently exfoliate and give the skin a youthful glow so use this hydrating face mist after you cleanse and before you moisturize.
Clarins Day Cream
For those of you of a certain age who need a little plumping and firming, why not turn to the flower power of kangaroo paw in this day cream that has the added benefit of smoothing out fine lines.
Dior Cleanser
We knew that echinacea flowers help cure colds but didn’t realize that they also contain anti-oxidants that protect the skin from inflammation. Dior’s micellar water removes makeup with one swipe while delivering the soothing benefits of this versatile bloom.
Kiehl’s Gel Masque
Known for its ability to protect even the most sensitive skin from dryness, calendula is mixed with aloe vera in this gel masque which will instantly refresh winter-stressed skin and give your complexion that fresh spring glow.
Aesop Body Scrub
And finally, what better way to scrub away the winter than with a body scrub with the invigorating power of geranium leaves – this botanical beauty not only helps purify and calm the skin, its scent may just cure the winter blues. What’s your spring beauty routine? We’d love to hear!
Home Sweet Home
On a windy, gray day last fall, we headed to a gorgeous waterfront home in Rowayton to shoot lifestyle images of our new Spring 2018 collections. Needless to say, the home was fabulous, not to mention the views… and absolutely perfect to showcase our Urban Oasis designs.
A Star Is Born
Our friend and super talented photographer, Jane Beiles, showed up camera in hand and we spent the next four hours shooting away. Many hands made light work and with the help of another friend, we were able to fluff and photograph over 20 different designs in different rooms of the house.
BLOOMS Breath of Spring
We’ve just added the Urban Oasis collection to our website and it’s already proven to be a best seller! Inspired by all the greenery we’re seeing in floral design, this collection is as fresh as it is unexpected. We’ve paired anthurium leaves with vintage bottles, succulents with white clay bowls and boxwood topiaries with hand-thrown terra cotta pots.
Fresh Start
And since we always want a realistic touch, we’ve even added some bugs to our gift selection! These are made by a Charleston designer and are far from icky.
Goldbug Stayin’ Alive Pendant Necklace
Best of all, we captured all the fun we had in a video so you, too, can see what went into the shoot… Click here to see our “Behind The Scenes” video and here to shop the new collection!
Nature’s Twins
Have a happy Friday and a wonderful weekend.
Le Kiosque
A stop at Ponce City Market has become a must for us when we’re in Atlanta and this time we ventured beyond the food hall to discover Le Jardin Francais, a grab-and-go kiosque featuring beautiful blooms and terrific textures. Marie-Laure, founder and owner of Le Jardin Francais, combines the classic French style that her shop on Howell Mill Road is known for with the rustic industrial style of the market to create a space that is both enchanting and functional.
Hellebores and Tulips
Orchids, Roses and Hydrangeas
As full-fledged flower lovers, we couldn’t resist buying a little posy to keep us company while in Atlanta, though choosing one over another was difficult. Seasonal anemones, tulips, hyacinths and hellebores spilled out of interesting metal and glass vases as if they had been hand picked in the garden that very morning (which was unlikely given that it was 34 degrees that day!)
Tulips and Calla Lilies
Peonies, Roses and Berries
The company’s philosophy is to respect the cycles of nature and be inspired by the rhythms of the seasons. And according to Marie-Laure, “The objective is not to take the most perfect flower grown in the green house and arrange it with another perfect flower or foliage, but to recognize the most beautiful specimens of what is provided naturally, and to create something beautiful.”
Roses, Orchids and Viburnum
We completely agree, even if we do work with faux fleurs.
Simple Winter Greens
As we mentioned in our Instagram post yesterday, we’re keeping things simple this year, embracing our inner wabi-sabi and finding the beauty in the not-so-perfect. Winter greens are a beautiful way to bring the outdoors in and we’re loving a mix of eucalyptus, cedar and pine. Not only do the greens pop against a white door or banister, the combined scents are heavenly.
Stylish Stairs
Simple cedar on the mantle can be dressed up with gold and silver balls or a glitzy garland…
Marvelous Mantle
while a simple pine accent at each place setting will make your family and friends feel oh so warm and welcome.
Perfect Place Setting
Stems of boxwood and cedar can be wrapped with a pretty ribbon for a swag to hang by the door and pine boughs can fill metal orbs for a festive outdoor planting.
Sweet Swag
Outdoor Decor
With Christmas less than two weeks away, it really is time to decorate!
Parisian Peonies
Happy November! Fall has finally arrived and as the flowers fade in our gardens, we’re reminded that we have to wait until spring for bright blooms to reappear. That’s why we’re thankful that our blogging bestie Jeanne reached out to us to let us know that her wonderful watercolors are now available for purchase on her website! What better way to survive the long winter months than with one of her pretty paintings…
Jeanne’s Parisian Peonies
More Parisian Peonies
Pretty Paintings
Flowers are one of Jeanne’s favorite things to paint and this year they took her to Paris where she stalked peonies (no pun intended!) at the outdoor markets then painted them each evening, a brush in one hand and a glass of rosé in the other. We can just picture her in her Saint Germain des Prés apartment capturing their happiness and elegance to a tee!
Jeanne at Work
Wonderful Watercolors
These Parisian blooms are now available – along with a year’s worth of floral watercolors – on Jeanne’s online store. Ranging in size from 5″ x 7″ to 11″ x 14″, these paintings make the perfect gift for flower lovers everywhere. And for those of you in the Seattle area, stop by Watson Kennedy where you can see Jeanne’s collection of exclusive paintings inspired by the owner, Ted.
Be So Brave Bouquet
People say pictures are worth a thousand words so we finally decided to book our favorite photographer, Jane Beiles, to shoot lifestyle images of our Fall 2017 collection. The house we scouted belongs to the wonderful artist and founder of Jack and Lulu, Julie Bowers Murphy, who was kind enough to let us take it over for a day.
The Highlands Bouquet
Before the shoot we had spent some time in the house deciding which spaces would work for our new designs. Since the collection was called Alpine Attitude (where rustic earthy elements mix with modern flair) we wanted to incorporate Julie’s whimsical, yet contemporary, taste as much as possible. Thank goodness she had so many decorative items to play with and her paintings made a wonderful backdrop!
In Full Bloom Bouquet
Miramonti Bouquet
Needless to say, Jane is a total pro and knew exactly how to make our flowers come alive. Not to mention Pretzel, Julie’s adorable pup, who decided he wanted to be part of the action.
Little Nell Bouquet
Chalet Chic Bouquet
We love how the pictures turned out and we hope you do, too… Here’s to a happy fall season full of beauty and of course, flowers!