Looks We Love: Vintage French

There's something wonderful about classic French interiors. Timeless relics meet modern luxurious treasures to form a look that's at once rustic and opulent. The French seem to have a true devotion to beauty in everything - why should the home be any different?

Louis Vuitton family home via theselby

Louis Vuitton family home via theselby

French countryside look via desiretoinspire

 

a Parisian patio via remodelista

 We've just gotten in a lot of new items that reflect a French way of living - simple, but sumptuous, balancing quality vintage with classic modern textures and looks.

Clockwise from top left: Beehive Pendant ($213) / Antique Églomisé Paintings ($350 each) / Vintage Metal Basket ($98) / Belgian Linen Towel ($26) / Handmade Rustic Pitcher ($299) / Antique Turkish Kilim Rugs ($1588) / French Dresser ($2995) / Braided Door Stop ($75) / Petit French Ashtray ($11) / Tufted Chair ($1500) with Linen Scarf ($51) / Plate Set: Large Plate ($16) Small Plate ($11) Bowl ($12) Raw Linen Napkin ($26)

 We also got a set of these hand-bound journals created from vintage French books. C'est magnifique!

For more vintage inspiration and other gorgeous goods, come by Wildflower today.

Top Ten Gifts of 2012: Number 9

Our countdown continues with this gift set for anyone who loves hosting dinner parties. Our Vintage Style Pig Plate ($15) has been incredible popular at Wildflower. We love the simple, vintage design and the size is perfect for a side plate or candy dish.

We've written before about how much we adore linen, and these napkins are no different. Softer with every wash, these authentic Belgian Linen Napkins in Soft Gray (set of 6 for $136) are made from the highest quality European flax - a quality you can feel right away. They're sure to last through dinners over the years and are strong enough to be passed down for generations.

More to come!

Holiday Gift Guide: For Your Dad

The gift guide continues with these bar-themed gifts for Dad. 

Clockwise from left: 

This Glass Decanter is an elegant addition to any man's barware. $160. / We can't get enough of this Vintage Bar Cart, which looks great in just about any space. $795.  / Simple, right? These Vintage Coasters are perfectly masculine. $6. / Get nautical with this bronzed Anchor Bottle Opener. $15.

Holiday Gift Guide: For Your Boyfriend

Our list continues with some guy-themed gifts.



  Clockwise from left: 
The Chalk Board Globe is the perfect spot for him to plot his adventures. $230. / This Vintage Desk Lamp is a great blend of art and function. $100. / These White Coated Antlers are both rustic and modern. $438 / Give him a new set of plush Organic Cotton Block Print Towels. $16, $31, and $75. / Cozy up with this Brushed Cotton Herringbone Throw. $79.

In the store: New Finds

Our owner here at Wildflower is always exploring the best national markets, searching for new treasures to keep our collection fresh. This season is no different, with rare and antique pieces coming into the store daily. Here we've cataloged some of our favorite finds.

Vintage birdcage - $1200

Oversized basin - $650

Vintage sailboat - $325

1860's trunk - $695

Domino Set - $335

Antique Locker - $1600

Side table - $350

Antique side table - $850

Angel wing - $488

Looks We Love: Whitewashed Rooms

via lonnymag

These days, we're seeing a lot of whitewashed rooms. It's easy to see why - there's a comfort in pale neutrals, a cleanness that provides a calmness and tranquility. And going white is a risk-free decision, as your white accessories will go with just about anything if you decide to paint the walls or slipcover the sofa.

via apartment therapy

Of course, with any strong theme for a room (or house), there's the chance of doing it wrong. A room full of white can be warm and inviting - or it can be sterile and dull. We've compiled a few Wildflower suggestions on keeping your neutrals noticeable. 

 1. Embrace subtlety. 

via kinfolk

via lonnymag

If we had to pick a signature look at Wildflower, it's a subtle blending of tones. Contrasting a creamy white with natural beige tiles, or a soft gray with a clean white, creates a dynamic look without a lot of jarring contrast. We use this same sort of principle when building a bed by blending champagne, pebble, and a soft blushing pink. 

Standard Vivian Case in Pebble - $92 / Alyssa Euro Sham in Sand - $150 / Madera Case in Petal - $60 / Madera Sheet in Petal - (Flat) $266 (Fitted) $278 / Eloquence Bed Frame - $4125

2. Go bold.

While we love the soft look of understated contrast, there's something really special about highlighting the perfect piece in a white room. Whites and neutrals offer a great canvas to display items that might get lost in a more embellished space.  

Here, a large collection of framed work is balanced by the consistency of images and the muted colors of accessories. High ceilings help in keeping a feel of calm in what could be a busy space.

via lonnymag

In this room, an oversized painting stands out amidst the minimalist walls, while eclectic accessories highlight the owner's individual taste. The bold leopard-print rug is balanced out by clean white furniture and more graphic fabric prints. Finding balance in white spaces is key, especially when purchasing a more striking piece.

via lonnymag

Our Sieger Tulips ($2395), subtly accented with gold leaf, would look gorgeous on white walls.

Lighting is another great way to add a dynamic look to a white room. Go big with a neutral toned chandelier, or hang a set of industrially inspired pendants to add interesting contrast to a soft look.

Sea Chandelier - $2700 / Dye Basket Pendant - $189

3. Keep it natural.

Adding organic materials, like unpainted wood or found items, is a great way to create warmth in a minimalist white space. A butcher block counter top or raw wood headboard can keep a space looking homey, and the natural tones of wood stand out beautifully against solid neutrals.

via lonnymag

via remodelista

via remodelista

This reclaimed wooden bed frame ($2000) has a deep tone and natural texture that contrasts beautifully with white.

4. Get textural.

One of the most important ways to keep a white room from feeling lifeless is adding texture in as many forms as possible. Layer rugs, seek out sculptural pieces, fall in love with fur and found objects.

via lonnymag

Driftwood Lamp with Linen Shade - $473 / Fur-Covered Mad Men Inspired Office Chair - $695

clockwise from top left: Blowfish Vase - $95 / Coral Sculpture - $188 / Ceramic Deer Skull - $438 / Fleur Lamp - $618

In bedding, balance out subtle tones with different feels of linen, soft cotton, wool and ruffles. 

Alyssa Euro Sham in Sand - $150 / Madera Case in Petal - $60 / Raw Silk & Organic Cotton Pillow - $225 / Linen Blanket in Flax - $478 / Bella Sheet in Petal - (Flat) $266 (Fitted) $278

Allow vintage pieces to steal the show. Don't be afraid of mixing and matching - neutrals almost always compliment each other. These vintage burlap cases add character and contrast to a light room.

Vintage Jute Trunk - $345

5. Trust yourself.

Of course, our advice in putting any space together is this: trust your gut. If you fall in love with something that doesn't look like it's from the magazines, don't worry. Creating your space is all about bringing together pieces that reflect your unique taste and style. Love the process. And of course, call us with your questions.

Creating a home: Then & Now

We think a lot about personal, interior spaces here at Wildflower. We daily strive to create homes from houses, to create refuge in the midst of mere walls and roofs. We can't help but be fascinated by the interiors that humans have crafted over the years, ruminating on how much a home can speak of a person's life and how much those places can evolve over the years.

all vintage photos via shorpy / all current photos via the selby

 But what is it about our spaces that we so deeply feel the need to modify? The family above hangs their Dobro on the wall; the couple below strings paper flowers over the window. Why do we need to define ourselves through our space, to create a separate world that few will experience with us? 

 

Alain de Botton, a Swiss writer and philosopher, offers some explanation in his article, The Idea of Home:

"We depend on our surroundings obliquely to embody the moods and ideas we respect and then to remind us of them. We look to our buildings to hold us, like a kind of psychological mould, to a helpful vision of ourselves."

"What we call a home is merely any place that succeeds in making more consistently available to us the important truths which the wider world ignores, or which our distracted and irresolute selves have trouble holding on to."

"...[At home], looking out of the hall window on to the garden and the gathering darkness, we can slowly resume contact with a more authentic self, who was there waiting in the wings for us to end our performance. Our submerged playful sides will derive encouragement from the painted flowers on either side of the door. The value of gentleness will be confirmed by the delicate folds of the curtains. Our interest in a modest, tender-hearted kind of happiness will be fostered by the unpretentious raw wooden floor boards. The materials around us will speak to us of the highest hopes we have for ourselves. In this setting, we can come close to a state of mind marked by integrity and vitality. We can feel inwardly liberated. We can, in a profound sense, return home."

Perhaps we create space, like de Botton says, to reflect some part of ourselves to the wider world. Perhaps we build rooms to remind us of our best qualities. Maybe our homes function as an escape from the rest of our daily lives. Whatever your reason for creating your perfect space, at Wildflower, we completely understand.

Check out our overflowing sale room!!!

We have been changing our showroom as new things fly in from market which has left our sale room overflowing with beautiful goods. We have Oly, and Adler,and Jamie Young, and vintage and more all 30-50% off!