Passion - That is the Key

"Passion - that is the key in Interior / Exterior: the urge to beautify and capture reality and to inspire others."

This is an excerpt taken from the book: INEX by Wolterinck. It is one of my favourite books as it features the interiors of homes and shows how the surrounding gardens have been designed to compliment the interiors, creating a total lifestyle concept. This concept is especially more relevant at this time of year when the weather is warm and invites us to spend more time outdoors, thereby extending our useable living spaces. In 1986 Marcel Wolterinck opened a flower shop in the village of Lauren, Holland. His concern for perfection and versatility later resulted in his own furniture range and his passion developed for incorporating the interior of the home with the gardens.

The above pictures are part of the garden that surrounds an updated 70's house. Both the garden and the house breathe an Oriental atmosphere. The garden by the bamboo planting around the house, and a Japanese touch is provided by the oak fence which turns gray when weathered. The garden fountain is lead produced by W, and the table in the upper left is a work of art in bronze by the Dutch Sculptor, Huub Kortekaas. The garden chairs are teak and metal.

This Provencal Villa (above and below) is situated in St. Tropez. where the emphasis is placed on the exterior life. This is expressed in an outdoor room and outdoor terraces. How very pleasant to sit at the large, wooden table with a zinc base underneath the pergola overgrown with Wisteria. The presence of an outdoor kitchen provides an additional dimension to being outdoors and can be used as an exterior fireplace lit on summer evenings. The planting is a combination of old and new. An age-old olive tree dominates the view (below) and is surrounded by a row of box trees and a wealth of plants such as Santolina, Pittosporum, Senecio, Helichrysum, Laurus nobilis, lavender, thyme, and Westringia fruticosa, all creating a subtle interplay of greens and grays and a perfect match for the various local types of stone.

Paradise in Algrave: This beautiful villa (above) is located in Portugal. Wolternick arranged the seating areas surrounding the villa like rooms. The floor lamps, tables, and chairs with cloth upholstery have been assigned a permanent place in these comfortable outdoor areas. Taste and rhythm also apply to the exterior kitchen with its fireplace to grill dishes. Meals can be prepared on the worktop that flanks the fireplace on either side. At right angles with the fireplace is a bold U-shaped zinc table surrounded by delicate director's chairs.

The above photos are part of a 20-hectare estate in Bremen, northwestern Germany. The 16th century farmhouse on the estate is surrounded by ancient trees and hedges. The farmhouse court, where horses once stood, was all stone, but was given an intimate character by Wolterinck by means of 60 year old beech hedges, walls, and trained box trees. The garden has many exotic varieties of plants. "The people who used to live on estates like these traveled extensively and brought back with them plants from distant places. This is how many exotic varieties ended up here, like Brugmansia, Hibiscus trees, Agapanthus, lemon trees, figs and Plumbagos. In summer these are put outside in pots, in autumn they find shelter in the orangery". The teak bench from the Lister Collection in the top right picture is in the style of the English Architect, Sir Edwin Lutyens (1869–1944) who collaborated with Gertrude Jekyll the renowned English artist and gardener.

What is your most favourite garden?
What makes a garden special to you?
Please let me know by leaving a comment.

Photos and excerpts from: INEX Wolterinck
Photography: Sigurd Kranendonk

Patricia Gray writes about 'WHAT'S HOT 'in the world of Interior Design, new and emerging trends, modern design,
architecture, and travel, as well as how your surroundings can influence the world around you.
© Patricia Gray Interior Design Blog, 2009

Making Orange Work with Sherwin-Williams Paint

Making Orange Work

The following is an article I was interviewed for in this month's issue of Sherwin-Williams Stir on how to
successfully incorporate orange walls in your home.

You can successfully incorporate orange walls in your design by choosing the right rooms, complementary colors and accessories.

Orange is a vibrant, happy, social color. An orange wall can bring a dynamic energy to any room. It can simultaneously brighten a space while warming it up. Paired with the right colors and accessories, a large swath of orange can make a room really shine. But orange walls haven�t always been an easy sell to homeowners. An orange wall need not look like a giant homage to the citrus fruit; many different hues of this inviting, invigorating color exist in the paint world. Patricia Gray of Patricia Gray Interior Design in Vancouver, British Columbia, has selected three Sherwin-Williams paint colors that she feels illustrate the diversity of orange:

Husky Orange Sherwin-Williams 6636: "Husky Orange features rusty tones with more brown in it, and I find that this color is a lot more acceptable to a broader range of people. It is one of my favorite colors for using in living rooms, libraries and family rooms."
Tango Sherwin-Williams 6649: "Tango Orange is what I would call more of a mid-range orange, a current and hip color. I would use it for a focal wall in the living room or dining room; it would also be fun for an entryway."
Kumquat Sherwin-Williams 6648: "Kumquat is beautiful because it tends to go into the peach tones, but it�s an upbeat and livelier tone than what we were inundated with in the �80s. I find that Kumquat is very relaxing and soothing, which makes it ideal for a bedroom, sitting room or anyplace where you want a quieter mood."

Like any dramatic color used abundantly, orange needs its counterparts.
"White or cream help balance the heat of the color," Gray says.
"Chocolate browns and charcoal grays are also accents that balance and coordinate nicely."

Sherwin-Williams Husky Orange 6636

An example of what might look like on a wall in a living room or family room.
Photo Jeffery Bilhuber

Sherwin-Williams Tango Orange 6649

An example of what Tango Orange might look like on a wall in a dining room. in a dining room.
Photo Antonia Hutt

Sherwin-Williams Kumquat Orange 6648

An example of what Kumquat Orange might this color might look like in a kitchen on a backsplash of back painted glass.
The glass gives this color more vibrancy.
Photo Jennifer Gilmer
** Colors may show differently on computer monitors than in real life. I always recommend painting a sample test.

Have you used orange paint in your home?
Do you think that you are likely to use orange in your home in the near future?
If so please let me know about it by leaving a comment.