Wednesday, July 1, 2009

This was the first time I got to see one of my decorating skills come to life.

For my Color & Design class, I had to decorate a section of the classroom. I chose to do the studying area, and decided to give it a relaxed feel because studying can be pretty stressful. I drew inspiration from Zen gardens, Mediterranean coasts, tropical island huts, Arabian castles, and outdoor canopies. I'm sure I could find more inspiration if I actually went to these places.

I came up with the idea of using dried and live bamboo. Instead of using a traditional vase, I put the live bamboo in a goldfish bowl. To make the whole thing steady, I used white rocks. Unfortunately, they took forever to wash because the water kept calcifying. And since "patience makes the heart grow fonder," I'm pretty fond of the look.

As simple as it seems, it took a really long time to do. The paint was the biggest issue because I wanted the walls to be robin egg blue. I mixed white, blue and green, and never really got the shade I wanted, so I went with celestial blue; it reminds me of a Mormon temple. I painted the table black to add some sophistication to the lax atmosphere. I softened it up with some wooden and straw chairs.

To hide that ugly door, I used some muslin to make a curtain. It's sort of like being in an oasis in the middle of a desert. I tried to keep that shelf in the back to a minimum, but other people ruined it with their "artwork." Why did they have to mess with perfection?

Here is a good view of my corner. That draped chair completes the look. I was originally going to use a tie dye fabric, but one of my classmates convinced me not to. I guess it's good to listen to people's constructive criticism. All in all, I am proud of my wannabe island retreat.

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