Peacock Walls? Oh yes...

Every so often I need a dose of peacock love.

While I've shared their iridescent beauty in the past, here is an up-to-date version that Miles Redd just worked on.

The wall is actually covered with a custom-created peacock feather wallpaper made by his crew. Lots of patience, no?

Here are a few of my past peacock favs...

An illustration from a vintage children's book

Another peacock feather wall with accompanying colored trim and ceiling

And lastly, the crème de la crème

 (and unfortunately now unavailable):

 What's caught your attention?

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Stay Warm, Stay Safe

With many of us experiencing record, frigid temperatures, 

PlumSiena wishes everyone safety and warmth.

With that in mind, here are some tips to pass along to get your home through the 

sub-zero temps from a heating & cooling company in Indiana:

We are expecting the coldest weather we have faced in over 20 years Sunday night through Tuesday night with wind chill temperatures of up to -40 degrees. Please read the information below to assist you in preparing your heating and plumbing for this extreme weather.

Set your thermostat a few degrees higher to build up some warmth BEFORE the extreme temperature arrives. You can expect your furnace to run constantly until the outside temperature returns to a seasonal average.
Your furnace is designed to keep your home comfortably warm for average weather conditions. The extreme weather that we are expecting will cause your furnace to work its hardest. It may not keep your inside temperature to the set-point because of the huge temperature difference between indoors and outdoors. You may need to put on a few more layers until the extreme weather is over. (Layering covers on your bed will keep you warmer at night also.)
For Heat Pumps: Please do NOT switch your thermostat to the Emergency Heat setting. It will turn off the outdoor unit and provide less heat.
Shut the registers in unused rooms only if they do not have plumbing. Close the doors to those rooms also.
Close the dampers on your fireplace only if it is NOT in use.
Use towels at the base of your outside doors to lessen the entry of cold air.
Keep your garage door closed.
If you have plumbing in the garage, provide heat to that area if possible.
Close your crawlspace vents and access holes.
Open cabinet doors for all plumbing fixtures located on the outside wall.
Leave the water running in a small stream when plumbing fixtures are located on an outside wall. NOTE: If you are leaving for an extended period of time, turn the water off to your home and shut off the power supply to the water heater.
If your washer is located on an outside wall, add a small amount of anti-freeze to the trap and monitor it while in use during this extreme cold.
Locate your water shut-off valve now in case you experience a burst pipe.

Texturing

No boring walls here!

Parisian designer Jean-Louis Denoit's took his own library's oak wall panelling one step further and surrounded it with a laser-printed canvas inspired by tree bark. 

An intriguing way to bring in more texture and subtle colors... 

If you want rustic... 

Love these birch veneer wall panels, framed by split branches.

For the glitzy side of your persona, instead of boring stain, I would definitely be interested in cladding the cupboards with a hammered silver leaf top à la Deniot. These were made in Morocco...

Paint and glazes can also do wonders. This ceiling was intended to be a sky trompe l'oeil, but the owner liked it so much that he continued it all the way down the walls. This is where it gets tricky- you really need an expert to do this, otherwise it would look too "faux." Here it is like being in the painting.

And lastly, here the pattern of the floor was continued up onto the walls by a decorative painter. You can't even tell! 

The only element missing is a lovely scent wafting from the scented candle...

Would you go woody, floral or green?

1,2,3,4,5

With Hope and Inspiration

Dogwood bloom ready to burst

As we take stock this first day of the year, we are truly thankful for our amazing family and friends. If we all would step back and look at the beauty surrounding us and the miracles that occur daily, this world would no doubt be a better place.

PlumSiena wishes you a very Happy 2014!

Metallic Beauties

I've admired her work for a very long time.

Miriam Ellner's quest for beauty, methodology and inventiveness continues to grow. She is the premier verre églomisé artist in the world. 

(You ask what that is? I quote from Miriam's website: "the process of gilding precious metals on the reverse side of glass, etching in a design and setting it off with color...")

Discover what Miriam's been up to in 2013 in her latest newsletter.

PlumSiena last profiled her stunning work here and here.

Books, books, never enough books

Who says books are on their way out?

Digital viewing may be handy, but nothing beats holding a beautiful tome in your hands.

Walking into a library automatically increases my pulse. The possibilities!

I just ran across The Library: A World History by James WP Campbell, just published a few weeks ago. If you're like me, this will make a perfect gift for the holiday gift giving. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

It is available for purchase here.

Going Indigo

Even though 2013 was the year of Tangerine Tango, we believe it is really the year of Indigo. 

(BTW, one of 2014's Pantone Spring Colors is Dazzling Blue, a tad brighter than Indigo).

Introducing Indigo Perfumery!

We opened our perfume shop and website on October 15th and have been going strong since.

Indigo Perfumery's gallery space showcases perfumes made by smaller, artisanal companies who concentrate on the art of the scent rather than mass production. We also carry five 'natural' perfume lines, exquisite scented candles and natural soaps.

Back in January, the idea that had been in the back of my mind for years suddenly surfaced and it wouldn't go away. As in totally took over. I dove in head first, researching all that I could devour, often saying to myself  "What are you doing?" 

But I just kept right on going.

Needless to say, I am now in awe of any entrepreneur. It may seem fun and glamorous, but it pretty much is the opposite. 

See this article just published today- it is so true.

I still have much to learn...

That said- here are a few photos of what we started with > 

and where we are now >

If you're looking for a new fragrance, come on over and browse through

Indigo's website.

The fragrance lines include: 

Ambre Blends, Ann Gerard Parfum, Jardin D'Écrivains, Jul et Mad, Magnetic Scent, Maria Candida Gentile, Phoenicia Perfumes, PK Perfumes, Providence Perfume Co., Sarah Horowitz, Tommi Sooni, Viktoria Minya, Undergreen and Yates Apothecary (a Cleveland company)