Yes, you read that right...'Gilt Complex'. (It's a new year, we don't need to drag the other kind of guilt into it!) The 'Winter' theme for retreat is about warmth, glimmer, and glamour. And as always, it is about using imagination & creativity to bring new life to old things!
A cold January brings with it the freshly-cleaned rooms of a new year. Our holiday decor has been packed away, and the house is in need of a bit of sparkle and luxe to cozy it back up. Since metallics - specifically, gold - have been touted as the 'new neutral' for 2008 (Leatrice Eiseman of the Pantone Color Insititute), we focus on this warm and regal tone for our January booth display...
Gold, in gleaming metals, rich brocade fabrics, and glittered accents, warms up soft ivory painted furniture. (There is a darling little gold chair in here - I just didn't get a great photo of it!) The sparkle of clear glass and crystal add a reference to the icy weather outside - and when the sun does peek out, what a rainbow results! Cake pedestals, domes, and drop crystals make everything look special. A lamp & simple re-styled chandelier are adorned with extra crystals to break the light into facets, sprinkling diamonds across a ceiling at dusk...recalling a flickering fire.
Gold flatware, votive holders, and dishes create a regal tablescape for fireside dining. A collection of gold embossed tins provide varied levels to display accessories, from gilded glass grape clusters to more crystal domes, bowls, and apothecary jars. Placing a few of those tins together on a cake pedestal gives the appearance of a cake - a touch of whimsical is needed in every display, I think. There is even a tiny little mini-chandelier in there, sprinkled with gold glitter!
Making a simple wall sconce special is easy - tuck a few sheets of music or book pages around it (use sticky-tack for no marks) and a small item has more presence. I could have hung a few crystals on the arms of this...but I was trying to practice restraint! The gold cone is made from embossed florists' foil, old book pages & crepe paper, and a vintage fabric rose. A romatntic finishing touch.
A great find of antique spice bottles are embellished with vintage trims & jewelry bits. A great place to tuck new years' resolutions, or fortunes from fortune cookies!
This golden vignette will be in place for a few weeks, until we install a new look featuring black, white, red, and pink for Valentine's Day!
