Trend Alert! Natural Fibers
Void of splashy colors, the soothing off-white and beige hues of natural fibers blend easily into any space. Fabrics that are not chemically processed include hemp, linen and silk.
Reclaimed woods (including driftwood) and fast-growing bamboo are popular sustainable wood choices.
“It’s a really good way to add interest in a room so it’s not flat or boring,” Sarah Fitch, owner of Decor Adore Boutique in Hartland and a designer with Lake Country Interiors, says about such natural fibers and materials. “They add texture and look more layered. It creates a welcoming warmth.” And in many cases, they represent a sound environmental choice.
“Natural fibers tend to have less toxins and chemicals,” says Fitch.
Organic bud vase, $50, Camino Woodshop, caminowoodshop.com
Kasia grass basket bowl, $16, URSA, shopursa.com
Wicker hampers, $170-$178, The Home Market, shophomemarket.com
Handcrafted rattan lounger, $849, Il Bosco, ilboscomke.com
Tell us who you’d pick to be a Betty this year!
On View: A Wright Retrospective
FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT left quite an imprint on Racine County. His designs there include the Thomas P. Hardy House, Wingspread and SC Johnson’s headquarters. Opening in April, an exhibit at the Racine Heritage Museum focuses on Wright’s early commissions, as told through architectural elements salvaged and curated by Tim Samuelson. Many of those hail from homes designed with Wright’s mentor Louis Sullivan between 1888 and 1893, when Wright was a draftsman at Adler & Sullivan. Paired with many of the artifacts are photos showing where they once appeared in the home.
“He’s got a marvelous collection,” says museum executive director Christopher Paulson. “It’s a way of understanding Wright on a different level. You can see, with Tim’s curation, an evolution of what he [would] eventually become.”
Two blocks from the museum is the Cecil Corwin-designed Henry and Lily Mitchell House, thought to be a collaboration with Wright. Corwin’s relationship with Wright is also explored in the museum’s exhibit. “Wright refers to him as his dearest friend,” says Paulson.
A Pop-Up for Plants
“MAYBE WE SHOULD open a garden center?” Molly Mundt asked Valeri Lucks, co-owner of PIE Inc., the group behind Honeypie Cafe, Palomino and SmallPie. With an eye toward carrying “stuff you can’t get at Lowe’s or Home Depot,” Buttercup, a pop-up garden center, debuts outside SmallPie in mid-May, selling annuals, perennials and fresh-cut flowers that can be built into bouquets. “We’re also hoping to have some garden events and speakers,” says Mundt, who has a horticulture degree and 15 years of landscaping experience. “It makes sense to do it at SmallPie because we have everything we need – food, wine and non-alcoholic beverages, and tables – and also to get our feet wet.”
