Outdoor
Silks
Lately, the trend
to bring both living and entertainment spaces outdoors has
been growing by leaps and bounds. Firepits, outdoor kitchens,
fireplaces and built-in entertainment centers have all become
lanai mainstays in new home construction, while older homes
are being renovated to add these must have spaces.
At the Naples
showroom of Sweetgrass Designs, Inc., President and Owner,
Saundra Riccardelli, offers everything the homeowner needs
to dress these outdoor living spaces. Riccardelli began
arranging floral designs in 1974 and has been at the forefront
of many design trends.
According to Riccardelli,
“Outdoor living has become so popular that more and
more people are bringing silk florals outside and using
them to decorate their lanais, pool areas and even the front
of their homes. Today, silk florals are botanically correct
and realistic-looking. The manufacturing process includes
photography of real leaves and flowers, and then transposes
those pictures onto fabric. The leaves and flowers are then
stamped out, capturing minute details such as intricate
veining and petal detail.”
The resulting
silk florals are extremely realistic-looking, while at the
same time dispensing with the constant maintenance and pest
control associated with real plants.
While most silk
florals can technically be used outside, those that have
been coated with a polyurethane finish will hold up better
in direct sunlight and beneath a covered area.
Silk florals are
also ideal for those homeowners who are only in town infrequently.
"Many seasonal
residents regularly come and go and they don’t want
to have to worry about watering their 4 plants," Riccardelli
says. "In addition, a silk garden always appears to
be in bloom. In fact, I have hanging baskets of orchids
in front of my home and I regularly supplement them with
silks. Even though many of my neighbors know what I do for
a living, they’re still convinced that I have non-stop
blooming, live orchids."
The construction
of silk trees has also come a long way, with trunks now
made from longer-lasting materials, such as fiberglass and
composite materials that look more natural. Other trees
are crafted from actual tree trunks. Additionally, silk
trees are now being assembled and made to look more life-like
through extending individual tree limbs and using leaves
that feature intricate detail and which are shaped properly.
Smaller trees and bushes are available in all shapes and
designs, including bromeliads, ficus trees and palms. More
traditional choices include boxwood and evergreens.
In addition to
flowers, trees and shrubs, Sweetgrass Designs, Inc. also
offers decorative items for outdoor use including wall art,
metal artwork, whimsical decorative pieces, outdoor rugs
and accent pillows covered in outdoor fabrics.
Riccardelli will
be debuting a new store in the new year at the corner of
95th Avenue North and and US 41, just north of Vanderbilt
Beach Road, which will be called Sweetgrass Silks.
"We intend
for the new space to be very retail-friendly," Riccardelli
says, "Our stock will have something for everyone,
from the affordable to the very upscale and unique. We’ll
also be carrying accessories and many unique items not available
elsewhere."
The new space
will have a contemporary feel. Clean lines will be complemented
by a black ceiling and floors, while the brown walls and
glass accents will lend drama to the space.
While Sweetgrass
Designs, Inc. also offers a wide array of pots and floral
containers, they invite you to bring in your own pots so
that they may help you select the perfect silk floral arrangement
for any room, in or out of your home. Whatever your floral
needs, the knowledgeable staff at Sweetgrass Designs, Inc.
will help you meet all of your silk floral needs.
Sweetgrass DesignS,
Inc.
1719 Trade Center Way, Suite 8,
Naples, FL 34109
239 594-2823
Written by Kristine
Hughes
Photography Courtesy
of Sweetgrass Designs, Inc.
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