Thursday, April 8, 2010

Customer Photos 3

Here are some more customer photos to inspire new ideas in your own home!

Colorblock Painted Canvases

Golden Angel Wings

Happiness Pots

Labels:

posted by Wisteria at 1:03 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

A Collection: Mirrors


Our journey to create this little shop called Wisteria is really quite simple. We gravitate towards products we love and develop a collection around that.

We're not really quite sure what it is about these mirrors that we love so, but we do know that while one can look great standing alone, several together really brings out the brilliance in each.

A simple image search can lend you several lovely photos of mirror collections. And we did quite a bit arranging and rearranging to finally get these beautiful mirror images. Now we want to see what you've done. Send us your photos of mirror collections (or any ol' collection) in your home to blog@wisteria.com.

Labels:

posted by Wisteria at 10:59 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

Friday, February 12, 2010

Valentine's Day Floral Arrangements


This Valentine's Day, we imagine ourselves out of our predictable surroundings and into a bohemian, Parisian apartment preparing for a romantic evening indoors. The rooms would be small and intimate, the ceilings would be high and lofty, and the walls would be covered in rich tapestries and bold saturated fabrics. The accessories would be globally influenced and handmade by artisans and the furnishings would all be one-of-a-kind. And of special importance on Valentine's Day, this fantasy flat would require simple yet unique floral arrangements. With the bohemian Parisian apartment as our inspiration, we decided to pair this traditional Valentine's pallet of roses in crimson and cherry and combine it with bold graphic black and white accessories, mixing in rough finished ceramics and handmade textiles. The juxtaposition of rich bright fabrics with global influenced accessories transforms these simple floral selections into arrangements that are eclectic, modern and a little avant-garde.


This graphic Inlaid Flower Bone Tray adds interest and keeps the arrangement from being too soft and feminine. We filled the black urn with a mixture of pink ranunculus, burgundy and pink mini calla lilies, and a pair of pink banksias. Banksias are wildflowers native to Australia; their spikey exterior and unusual texture give the arrangement a contemporary and compelling look.


This lush little arrangement is practically effortless, accomplished by simply grouping a bunch of blooms together in a container. Just clip the blooms off a bunch of flowers, we used pink ranunculus, and place them in a clear glass container. They naturally will fall and lean into graceful positions. And when their petals open and unfold they resemble the soft layers of a ballerina's skirt.


Labels:

posted by Wisteria at 2:26 PM 2 Comments Links to this post

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Christmas Memories

In our holiday collection this year, we feature a set of Toy Soldier Candles. The idea originated with Hudson, our Vice President of Merchandising, who received a castle with toy soldiers when he was just little guy. He just remembers sitting for hours on Christmas morning looking at all the different parts and creating various battles scenes with the soldiers and horses.

We love the idea of nostalgia during the holidays and wanted to keep his holiday memories alive with these candles. Here's a special look at them and Hudson as a youngster.



Labels:

posted by Wisteria at 3:34 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Inspriration: Wine Bottles

We just love the graphic beauty of wine bottle labels and how every bottle has an amazing sparkle to it. They range in color and shape and look amazing empty as well as full. You may have seen our Wine Bottle Holder in our catalog. It was photographed indoors. But what is truly amazing about this rack is how lovely it can look all lit up with lights. Just string a stand or two of lights around it and let your empty wine bottles do the rest!

Labels:

posted by Wisteria at 1:27 PM 1 Comments Links to this post

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Inspiration: Chinese Elements

We're inspired by cultures from all over the world, and in this case, we've drawn inspiration from Chinese culture. Wu Xing, a traditional Chinese way of describing various interactions and relationships has five phases (or elements as they're called in feng shui design). Each phase is associated with several aspects of nature and life: seasons, climates, colors, emotions, creation, planets, fruits, sense, and many more. According to feng shui design, including pieces that represent each of these elements can make a room feel more balanced and pulled-together.

Wood
The Chinese associate wood with the color green. Think trees, the spring season, and sprouting plants. Our pieces are reminiscent of those lively aspects of nature: textured wood, twig-like details, and beautiful greens.

Fire
Fire is exactly what you'd envision: hot, the summer season, blooming plants, and creative energy. Vibrant colors and the flicker of candles are aspects of fire you can find in our pieces.

Earth
For earth, think of the freshness of terracotta, the color yellow, ripening fruits, and the feeling of clarity. This element is the balance, the yin and the yang. Our pieces reflect that sense of finality, incorporating finishing-touch elements.

Metal
The element metal is represented in whites, a sense of intuition, and the season of autumn. Our metal pieces incorporate the sleekness and polished quality of this element.

Water
Water is the element of intuition and is represented by blacks, blues, and the subdued aspect of winter. Our pieces include mirrors, antiqued glass, and reflective surfaces.


Labels: ,

posted by Wisteria at 11:11 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

Friday, August 21, 2009

Spanish Cuisine: Tapas



One of Spain's most charming cities, Granada, is famous for its beautiful scenery and bustling nightlife. Nestled at the base of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, tourists flock here every year to visit the Alhambra palace, shop in the towns outdoor markets, and experience the local cuisine. On busy summer nights, tourists and locals alike infiltrate the town's festive bar district in search of flamenco music, live entertainment, and tapas.

Tapas literally translate into English as "small plates." Several have theorized about the origin of tapas. Andalusian lore suggests that bartenders first created them in order to keep flies from lingering on patron's glasses. Between drink sips a slice of crusty bread topped with a piece of cured ham was placed on top of the glass. The bread and ham became a light snack to enjoy with the drink. Tapas culture has since evolved and so has the type of tapas. Typically it starts out small, a handful of nuts or olives, and progresses into more substantial fare, encouraging patrons to keep ordering drinks.

Tapas make great food for entertaining: their small bites allow for conversation. The portions are small and meant to be eaten by hand or with a toothpick. A trip to your local deli or the olive bar at your local gourmet store is all you need to set up a sumptuous spread. Pair the tapas with a bottle of Rioja or a refreshing pitcher of Sangria, perfect for impromptu summer get-togethers.

Labels:

posted by Wisteria at 3:57 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Inspiration: Fleurs-De-Lis

Even Buckingham Palace has a gate a fleurs-de-lis around it.

Parlez-vous francaise? It's okay if you don't, however some of our products are quite fluent and it's obvious with their adorning fleur-de-lis.

The fleur-de-lis (in French, fleur means flower, and lis means lily) is a stylized lily used as a symbol. It is a theme found on Egyptian reliefs, Mycenaean pottery, Indonesian clothes, Japanese emblems, and other forms of art around the world. Typically, it is associated as an enduring symbol of France that appears on French postage stamps and continues to ornate other hierarchical powers such as the King of Spain and the Grand Duke of Luxembourg. In North America, this symbol is associated with areas formerly settled by France such as Quebec and Louisiana.

By and large it's a very stylized figure with different contexts that has been used by most civilizations of the old and new worlds, which is one of the reasons we love. It can have different meanings, but however you interpret it, it still seems to add sophistication and even a bit of royalty to our products, particularly the Regal French Chandelier and the Fleur de Lis Iron Shelf.

Labels:

posted by Wisteria at 11:47 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

Friday, June 26, 2009

Piles of Inspiration

The one thing all Wisteria employees have in common is their piles. Call those piles a source of creativity, research resources, or future purchases, they are everywhere. Walking from office to office, you might discover anything from stacks of books to a stockpile of toys. But it's always amazing to see a pile start as a source of inspiration and turn into a Wisteria product.

Some assortments are organized, neatly shelved,
stacked, or pinned up.


Others are exceptionally interesting, deserving a place of
prominence on the wall or atop a shelf.


Still others are just plain bizarre,
we wonder where they even came from.
(This is Andrew's prized Elvis Pez collection.)


And then one day in a meeting,
someone remembers a stashed-away pile
and the interesting thing on top of everything.


And the next thing you know, we're imagining it in our homes and developing it into a product!
(In this case, it's the Animal Throw and the coordinating square and rectangular pillows!)


Labels:

posted by Wisteria at 11:20 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

American Summer


Remember when summers were filled with simple pleasures? Days were long and languid, filled with treats made by your grandmother. The only relief from the heat in the kitchen was to go outside and stand under the hose. We drank real cokes from glass bottles and chased lightning bugs through the yard. We ate popsicles on the porch and laughed when our tongues turned bright orange and purple. Those are the kind of summers we want to hold onto to or at least try to recreate ourselves. So this summer we will spend more time at home, creating memories, sharing recipes (making an apple pie from scratch), and letting time slip slowly by.

What are some of your favorite and simple ways to enjoy summer at home?

Labels:

posted by Wisteria at 1:14 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Friday, May 29, 2009

Inspiration: Oysters

Like going to an art museum and using every bit of restraint in you not to touch the oil paintings, we're drawn to things that have texture, like oyster shells. Their pearlescent colors lure us in and all that rough calcified texture distracts us from what's inside.

Lucky for the oysters, we're less fascinated with what's inside. As the oysters disappear, beachcombing allows us to reuse and repurpose the shells. And we like the interaction between human hands and nature as the shells travel from beachside to beach house.

We draw inspiration from all kinds of marine life. But the oyster is truly a special creature. We've tried to capture its stories here in each of our oyster pieces.

Labels:

posted by Wisteria at 2:26 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Mother's Day


Both Shannon and I grew up with designing moms, who were always arranging and rearranging our homes. When I was young, I often wondered why my mom would work for hours on the smallest of tasks. But it always seemed like those extra details made the room special.

Sometimes she would come across something she loved in an antique store. I had no idea where she would place that item in our house. But she always seem to make it work, sometimes rearranging the entire room around it. Part of the reason Shannon and I started Wisteria was because of those moments spent admiring our mothers. We're so thankful for their influence in our lives.

Mother's Day is just around the corner. The pictures you see above celebrate some of Wisteria's mothers. Masami, our Vice President of Production, is pregnant with her second child. She leads the team of people who put together our catalog. Mary Jane, our Senior Creative Director, is a brand new grandmother (pictured with her new grandson Moss). And the last picture is my mom, Cooper and Susanna, their cousins, and Shannon's mom.


The top two photos were taken by Dylan Hollingsworth.

Labels:

posted by Andrew at 3:48 PM 2 Comments Links to this post