Tchochkes

Mediterranean style draws influesces from twenty-one countries that lie along along the coast of this sea, think villa, outdoor gardens and luxurious living.

The main places to look for Mediterranean style are Italy, France, Greece, and Morocco with nuances from many smaller countries in between.  Even though each one of these countries has its own unique style, a strong connection can be seen linking one to the other.

The stucco walls, colorful textiles and added accents of wood furniture in this villa bedroom are all telltale signs of Mediterranean style.

Many Mediterranean homes are surrounded by lush herb and flower gardens, this Spanish bedroom’s bright green wall reflects what lies outside.  Elements of nature are added throughout Mediterranean style homes and can be seen reflected in many other design accents.  Rustic wood furnishings, antiqued metal vases and village art are all a part of this decor.

Greek Mediterranean style is a bit more minimalistic, this rustic wood bench paired with a blue and white striped seat cover add a touch of color to this otherwise subdued room.  The pillows and painted plates help tie it all together.

Notice the layered wall paint, this added texture enhances a display of brightly colored dishes.

French eloquence shines through in this sitting room, I love the red tile floor with the flowing green chartreuse curtains.  This is a good example of a balanced Mediterranean color combination.

Mediterranean accents take their cue from outdoors, the bright blue sky, shining sunlight and nature all paly a part in this show. Mediterranean design accents pop up in all sorts of places, like this blue gated window in Tunisia.

Don’t forget to look down when visiting a Mediterranean styled home, you may miss what is underfoot; like these unique Italian marble tiles.

or these red mosaic tiles…

There are many other design elements that depict Mediterranean style, here are a few more:  Terra-cotta tiles, pine armories and cabinetry, wrought iron furniture, painted pottery and potted herbs. 

Decorating tips for adding touches of Mediterranean style to you home:

1) Add some color: Stucco, layered paint and ceramic tiles will all add Mediterranean flair.

2)  Add some Texture:  Woven rugs, colorful textiles, pillows and  rustic wood furniture will all add texture.

3)  Add some tchochkes:  Potted herbs, painted pottery and collections of paintings hung in groups as shown below are a definite must.

Mirrors are truly magical when it comes to decorating.  They can make a small space appear larger, a dark space seem brighter and they can even disguise walls that are not in good condition.  I use a lot of mirrors in my work as a Feng Shui consultant and find that they always add light and life anywhere that they are placed. 

The first mirrors were made of metal sheets from Bronze, Tin and Silver back in 3500 BC. These metals were highly polished to achieve their most reflective qualities.  Mirrors as we know them today were first created by Justus Von Liebig in 1835, as a German chemist he invented the technique of silvering.

Justus Von Liebig

Here is a modern day example of  a polished metal mirror in the public bathrooms on Allenby and Shenkin streets.  The reflective qualities of these mirrors are inferior to the ones that are silver  backed but their function in this space is fine for what it’s worth.

Along with their function as a popular interior design accessory, mirrors add practical beauty.  It is important to consider the reflected image when hanging a mirror, be sure that it is something worth reflecting into the space.

This mirror is in my Living room, it is placed so that it reflects the greenery of the trees outside.  If you are looking for nice decorative tile mirrors like the ones shown below, ”Rotem” at 89 Sokolov Street in Ramat HaSharon has many to choose from. 

Here is another resource in Tel Aviv, Dali Zggim at 161 Ben Yehuda street sells mirrors of all shapes and sizes and also does custom work. 

5 Decorating tips:

1) Mirrors add light to a space through their reflective qualities.

2) Mirrors can make a room seem larger.

3) Mirrors are a great focal point when added to a room.

4) Mirrors make a major decorating statement.

5) Mirrors can be used to hide wall blemishes and minor imperfections.

Sea Urchin

I love seashells.  Seashells in their natural form,  seashells as art or as treasure.  I have a collection of shells that I started years ago.  As objects of beauty, seashells can be displayed in many ways.  It is best to organize them on shelves and if possible to keep them enclosed in a dust free display case.

Shown here is an old key box that I picked up at a flea market. These boxes were used to hold keys to establishments like hotels and public garages.  I added the plexi-glass shelves and made it into a seashell display case.

If you find the right resources and make sure not to exploit nature, seashell art can be a nice decorative accent in the home.  Many of the shells used for commercial use are from shell suppliers all over the world.  Here are some items made of shells that are beautiful and kitsch in the same breath.

I thought this box was amazing in its display of fine shells and pattern.  The top looks like it came straight from the sea.

and another treasure of a box…

I think a mermaid dropped this one!

Here is a contemporary piece using a giant white sea urchin.  I think this lamp is very tastefully done.

Urchin hanging lamp from Flos, only$3,196.00 USD!

This one is really neat. It looks like an x-ray of a nautilus shell but It is actually a couch made by the design firm Haldane Martin.

Here is the couch in a more conventional shot.

And of course there is seashell art, this shell is made out of paper.  I can see making a few of these in bright colors and decorating a beach house wall…

Happy shelling, happy summer!

If I had to choose a single store to decorate my entire home it would be Hederim. Their style is casual, warm, and cozy - the Israeli version of modern country home. I’ve reviewed them before, but I didn’t have any pictures. This time I brought my camera (so much more helpful).

I took an obscene number of pictures because I just couldn’t help myself. Hederim doesn’t have a store, you have to go to south Tel Aviv to be able to shop there. Also, they used to be open on Saturday, but when we went there was a sign announcing that this would be stopping soon.

The brown sofa would be dull without the rose embroidered cushions. The rough hewn table is aged design (in other words, it’s new - it just looks old). Some design blogs are predicting the death of this style of design - and maybe it will happen eventually, but I don’t think it will be any time soon. People who like country home tend to keep their furniture constant and change up the design by changing the accessories.

I love this table. The chair edges might be overkill of the fake-age thing. Ok, actually I think it is overkill. I think if I were to order this set now I would get the blue color, which is fabulous, but not have them rough-edge the corners. In other words, the painting would be consistent and not sanded on the edges. Now, I wouldn’t get freaked out if the edges were bashed while in use. I just wouldn’t go and have it done on purpose when I bought it.

The ceilings in this store are a reason to go there in itself. If you are lucky enough to have high ceilings - this is a fantastic idea for your home.

How stunning is that? Seriously.

I love this room. The sanded edges are better for this set in my opinion than in the dining room chairs. Even still, I have to wonder how this would look without the rough edges. My guess is it would look too dollhouse-y. This room appeals to me for its soft edges and sleepy atmosphere. This is a room where I could imagine myself sleeping in. This is a well-dressed bedroom.

The story-line in the store design is so consistent and clear. Everything here is set up perfectly. Love it.

Look at the tiles!!!! You can’t get those anymore, and if you could - who has the nerve to place such a strong design into their home on a large scale?

 Another great bedroom. If you can’t afford Hederim, this style would be easy to get copied by a carpenter in Florentine.

I love this bed. I wouldn’t get the edges sanded - but I would keep the gray-ish blue color. I’m thinking I may have to get this…

Himalaya, located in Moshav Udim specializes in ethnic furniture and home accents.  Adding ethnic accents to a rooms decor can give a room  that decorators touch.  This is not a new trend but a lasting one, interior decorator Vicente Wolf  is famous for adding ethnic accents to modern interiors.  I personally love this style, it is a pleasant combination of comfort with a decorators attitude to boot.

It seems like every corner I turn there is the question of “where do I put the plasma”?  The plasma AKA flat screen television is one popular item these days.  Personally I would throw every one of them out a five story window but this is just me.  Most people love the idea of integrating a plasma into their home.  The one shown above is isn’t bad, it looks like this piece of furniture was designed to hold up the television set. 

This plasma is set into a freestanding wall that is centrally located.  I don’t get it… How can you watch this television?  From the photo below it looks like the living room is right off of the kitchen, this is the worst design ever.  The noise from the kitchen (pots, banging etc.) make it hard to hear the television so the user keeps raising the volume, my parents have a floor plan similar to this one so I know for a fact that this is a big don’t.   

Is that the old television set in the foreground? 

This solution drives me crazy,  I can’t imagine hanging a television above a fireplace.  Like oil and vinegar don’t mix, neither do televisions and fireplaces.  My advice to these folks would be to do without it.

And this is the second solution that makes me insane, a television in the bedroom is one of the most popular decorating don’ts.  Look how this one is wedged into the corner of what looks like a large space… hanging the television in this fashion reminds me of a hospital room.  This is a popular practice in Israeli homes… you got me on that one.

This option is nicer esthetically but then there is the curtain hanging down in front of the set.  Ultimately, I would not suggest a television in the bedroom.  Bedrooms are for resting and rejuvenating the body and the spirit, televisions are an overstimulating element to place in this room.

If possible, the best place for a plasma is in a room away from the main living space.  If you don’t have an extra room then I suggest enclosing it in a cabinet made just for this purpose.   

Yes, this is a church in Lakewood, California and that is Jesus on the big screen.  This is not a plasma but an actual 240″ motorized projection screen.  

For more~

Stay tuned for “Life Wall” unveiled by Panasonic at the 2008 Consumer Electronics show in Las Vegas, this wall size screen is the mother of all Plasmas. 

The lotus flower is an graceful symbol of purity and peace.  It’s day job is as a Water Lilly is routine, it emerges each morning from the depths of lakes and pools; only to go back under water each night and start fresh the next day. 

As a meaningful symbol, it has touched Indian, Egyptian, Tibetan Buddhist and Chinese cultures through art and design.  The Chinese eat it as an herb and use it as an art subject , the ancient Egyptians have been known to build Phoenician capitols…

This is the Lotus Temple of Bahapur in India.  The archetecture was inspired by the lotus flower with its layered petals reaching up to the light. 

Hindu god krishna and goddess standing on a lotus flower

Lotus ball wall lamp.  This contemporary interpretation of lighting depicts the lotus flowers delicacy, this room is all about the light fixture. 

Lotus flower wall paper.  Something about this pattern makes me want to wallpaper a room.  I love the color and the pattern.

This lotus bean bag chair is wonderful, it can be a chair or on its own; a piece of art!

With these examples you can see how the lotus flower has touched many areas in home furnishings and architectural design…  Beauty inspires beauty.

I haven’t even started this post and I’m already feeling guilty. The woman who owns Goldies Antiques in Jaffa souk is so lovely and sweet, she really doesn’t deserve to have anything even remotely negative written about her shop. And the thing is, if you’re into dolls, then this shop could be quite cool.

I, on the other hand, couldn’t stop thinking of the Bride of Chucky.

Honestly, you need to go to this store for it’s creep value alone. If you aren’t freaked out by dolls made to look like life like babies or miniature people then you should go in for it’s kitch value. I mean, there’s just so much of it in such a small space.

Goldie, as I’m sure you have sorted out by now, features antique dolls and all of the accoutrement’s that go with them. Porcelain tchochkes (doll figurines - I know, shocker), lamps in lady form, and pictures. Oh, the pictures…

She had two of this one. The other wasn’t in quite as good condition. I’m kind of shocked they had two, I didn’t realize this was such a famous piece…

I could imagine it in, well - a bordello in Texas?

Who decorates with dolls? I suppose you could put them in a girls room if you want to terrorize her like the clown in Poltergeist, although one might find such a thing rather cruel. These would look good in a grandmothers flat along with the miss-matched china and the doilies. Do grandmothers like that exist anymore?

The words escape me. A must see, for so many reasons and on many different levels, Goldies Antiques.

Making something old look fresh again is an emerging trend in Landscape Architecture.  The use of old farm equipment can enhance an outdoor space with charm and old world style.  This grain bin makes a really nice planter and adds additional interest to the entrance of this walkway.

Turning an old tractor seat into a conversation piece is a great idea for a garden and you get extra seating too!  I think this idea would have been more successful if it were integrated into the garden a bit more.  I can see this seat emerging from a colorful flower patch.

If you are interested in adding a touch of this trend to your garden or outdoor space you can try Sejera, a local supplier of old farm equipment. 

A wagon wheel is always a nice accent when placed against a stone wall or next to a  tool shed.

This bright red grain mill would enhance any garden space.  It can stand on its own in the center of a yard or against the backdrop of a garden.  This trend helps recycle and reuse, what’s better than that!

Check out this beautiful view… but what is that cement box on the left in this photo?  That box holds electrical wires and was added in front of each house in kibbutz Gesher Haziv in the Western Galilee as part of a full landscape overhaul.  What an ugly addition to this otherwise beautiful community.

Remember Lynne from Sundays post?  she did not let this box hinder the rear entrance to her home, she fought back with stencils.  Below is a close up of the cement boxes before Lynne’s magic touch. 

And here is what she did with that ugly cement box out front.

Lynne picked up on the foliage growing around the box and used this motif to camouflage it into the natural surroundings.  I think Lynne might have to quit her day job and help the other residents with their new electrical storage boxes…