Indoor Gardening

A dear British lady once told me to throw out design rules and to think of a room as a garden. For me, it was a major lightbulb moment. I had always wondered how the English had mastered the art of cozy vignettes, and the gardening analogy made perfect sense. What better place to learn about scale and colors?

While arranging furniture on your "lawn," you might wish to create a "hedge" to divide the area. A sofa, piano, or a large table can divide a large space, or create layers in a smaller one. You can keep adding hedge rows, making cozy places to write letters, read, play cards, or serve afternoon tea (a lovely ritual, even for one).
Walls and windows are the background "vista," with art and draperies drawing the eye upward. Rugs lay out the geometry of your space, rather like the border of a flower bed. Folding screens can further divide a space.

Finally, study beautiful flowers. Pay attention to texture, scale, and repetition of colors. Better yet, make friends with a gardener! A good way to begin is to fly over to RMS and study the way Tootsie creates magic.
Hope the sun is shining wherever you are today.