Interior Design Blooms at ADAC!

I have been on a Blog Break!

At the beginning of July I took a break and went to the beach for the 4th of July

holiday and to spend time with family and friends. When I returned, I

gathered a few of my flower minded friends and we headed off to the Atlanta

Decorative Arts Center, (ADAC: see this previous post)

ADAC had partnered with Flowers Magazine to present a day full of fun and information. ADAC has opened it doors in the past few years to the public for some extra special events and this was one of them. They started the day with a panel discussion. We didn't make it for that first program. It is getting harder to get five women of a certain age, dressed, out the door and to an event an hour away!

We entered the design center to check in and were greeted by this beautiful

arrangement on the sign in table.

Jason and Andrea Moattar with Amy Osaba (center)

From there we moved to a showroom with some of the most fabulous rugs. Our

first program at Moattar Showroom was the talented flower arranging skills of

Amy Osaba Be sure and click on her name to see all the beautiful work she has on

her website!

The showroom presentation was standing room only! That is us in the lower right

hand corner. This turned out to be a great location to see up close how she 

created an arrangement. The tips Amy shared with us were:

• Go with your gut and if it feels good do it!
• She recommends to start high and then fill in as you go
• It is important to use different sizes and textures in your arrangement
• She uses a stick or a pencil to create the hole in her oasis and always cuts on an angle
• Stop and check your view from all sides. You don't want to see the tricks, just the pretty

Arrangement in progress

Our next showroom stop was to Travis and Company were we had the

privilege of hearing Barry Dixon speak on his design inspirations. Barry Dixon is

one of interior designs "living legends!"

Barry's interior design firm is located in rural Virginia near Washington, DC. When

he is looking for inspiration it is found at home. It is no surprise he named his

newest book "Inspiration."

This was the inspiration for a fabric called Chrysanthemum.

Can you see where this fabric inspiration originated?

A chenille fabric "Cantaloupe Hide" was inspired by the heirloom cantaloupes he grows.

A china pattern was the inspiration for Warrento toile.

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Barry's Grandmother was his mentor and he got his love of gardening from her.
Her cocoa tin became the inspiration for the pattern Cacao Vine.

Our next stop was at Logan's Garden, a wonderful resource for outdoor living. 

The program was presented by James Farmer. This Georgia boy is full of charm

and his many talents come from his southern upbringing. You can read about

James here.

It is hard to believe that this down home boy has three top selling books!

A Time to Plant: Southern Style Garden Living

Porch Living

Sip and Savor: Drinks for Party and Porch

Did I mention that they wined and dined us in each showroom? Also every participating

showroom had beautiful floral arrangements. This beauty greeted us as we entered Jerry Pair for our last presentation.

Tara Guerard

What an entertaining way to end the day with Tara Guerard of Soiree. She is wedding planner and floral arranger extraordinaire! Tara's design philosophy is that

little touches and details are what makes the difference. She also believes that

the wedding setting should play heavily into the theme.

This wedding was in Athens, Georgia and had the theme Under the Oaks."
We were in for a surprise. As she showed the slides and talked about how she put
this event together, we realized we knew the bride and her family! If you or
someone you knows has a wedding in their future. Be sure and browse her website
for some wonderful ideas.

We wrapped up our day by enjoying a bit of shopping. There were orchids,

succulents and herbs for sale.

These are my two new beauties!

If you "like" me on my facebook page, I will keep you update for the next big event
that ADAC offers to the public! (You must read this on line by clicking on the title of this post.
Then click on the word Facebook at the top of the page and it will
take you there)

I hope you have enjoyed your tour of the ADAC in Bloom!