Monday, November 11, 2013

How To Decorate With A Super Gourd


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Difficulty: easy peasy;
Time to complete: 10 minutes;
Budget: 1 euro for the gourd;
What I love the most: the contemporary look (which is exactly what I was going for).

Autumn is the perfect time to decorate with elements of nature. There are so many round pumpkins, fiery colored leaves, delicate wild berries, perfect pine cones and crazy looking gourds, that it's practically impossible to resist them. You just have to bring the nature indoors! 
Speaking of crazy shapes, I got this plus-size gourd on a September trip to the South of Romania. It looks like a cross-bread between a bowling pin and a wine decanter, don't you think? I decided to make it the living room attraction, but decorating with a huge gourd is no easy challenge. In case you need to decorate with a single gourd, follow a few design rules:



So let's see what can be done to create a vignette for this outstanding gourd:

1. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!
Find the perfect spot for your display. Choose a common room if you want more visibility. Make sure that your vignette gets plenty of light and that it's not overshadowed by other decorations in the room. 
The first question was "Where to put the gourd?". My first option would have been the home office, but there already was another gourd arrangement on my desk. So I decided to put it in the living room, where all my friends could see it from the moment they entered the room.

2. CHOOSE YOUR STYLE. 
Should you make a traditional Fall-ish shrine to nature? Should you go streamlined and minimal? The simplest way is to assess your room decor style and to create an assorted vignette.
Even if the classical approach is to make a fall arrangement with many gourds and leaves, I wanted to use the giant gourd as a stand-alone attraction. It also works best with the eclectic style of my home.



3. CHOOSE COLOR, SHAPE AND TEXTURE.
Start with the color of your gourd and work your color scheme around it. You can use a monochromatic, a contrasting or a complementary color scheme, depending whether you want your vignette to look natural & soothing, striking or interesting, respectively.

You don't need to buy new stuff! Go through your cabinets and find items to fit your color scheme.
I decided to use a complementary color scheme, with maximized contrast, for a guaranteed WOW effect. The gourd is green and green's opposite color is red. Green and red would be my color scheme. From this point on, we were down to business. Once I had the plan, I chose the DIY pink/red side table as my base. In the cupboards I found a red pitcher and a red candle holder. They were both round in shape and made of glass, similar in shape to the gourd's "belly" and contrasting with the heavy texture of the gourd.
For an eye-pleasing effect, I added a few items in neutral colors (the lamb and the baby-breath flowers) and  some cute tiny accents (the washi tape and the felt balls).



4. THE TRIANGLE LAYOUT. 
As you may already know, when in doubt use an asymmetric "A" shape layout. This way you make sure that the eyes of the beholder travel throughout the entire vignette. Layer the elements, placing the taller ones in the back row and the smaller ones in the foreground.

The gourd has been a successful conversation-starter, namely because I've made it the focal point of the room. Also, my boyfriend is amused by its shape and size and calls it "his arch-enemy", so the super-gourd is a great addition to our home :)

15 comments:

  1. I seriously love what how you styled it. I would have gone all fall on the table, but I think it really stands alone as the key accessory how you have. By the way, I don't see a way to email you privately here and there was something I wanted to ask you. Could you send me an email @ a-santaniello@msn.com. Thanks so much!

    Angela @ Number Fifty-Three

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  2. It's very happy the way you decorate - lovely :)

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    1. Thank you, Dana! Many time I wish to achieve the Scandinavian serene look in white, grey and black - but I can't stay away from colors!

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  3. How lovely! I always learn something from you when it comes to decorating! I have grown many of those gourds and here in the states we call them "Bottle Gourds" They dry out beautifully by the way. You can cut the top off after they are dried and use then for vases. Our Native Americans used them for storing things, including water.

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    1. Thank you so much for the input, Danni! Two hours of googling and I feel ready to carve my bottle gourd when the time comes - so wish me luck ;)

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  4. it's totally a cross between a bowling pin and wine decanter! i definitely see it and i love it!

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    1. Thank you, Yelle! Meanwhile, I've learned that they're actually called "bottle gourds"!

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  5. Really pretty the combination of all those elements and colors It looks really nice¡

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  6. Nature can really create wonderful form. The way you styled it makes it look like some design vase, lovely!

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    1. Well, I googled it and it looks like you can actually make a great vase from this type of gourd. Even if I think I will fail, when I grow tired of the gourd I will at least TRY to carv it in some manner..

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  7. It is really a super gourd Meeha! A very lovely combination of shapes and colors! Pretty with the neon table. :) You are an expert to decorate. :D I wonder, are you going to eat the gourd after a while ..? :)

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    1. Ha ha ha;))))))))))))))))
      I don't like eating gourds, any kind of gourds!
      I only eat zucchini made by my mother, with lots of cream and sweet cheese.

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  8. wow, i have never seen a gourd quite like that. it's amazing. it looks like it could be a piece of pottery or a vase. very cool.

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    1. Exactly my thoughts, Christine! I looked at the gourd and said to myself: "This vould be Danish MCM pottery!"

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  9. I love this groud!!! It seems to me a pottery!
    Fantasy Jewellery

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