Myrtle Topiaries - the New Hermes Blanket?

So we all know that Hermes blankets are expensive, right? I mean, what's not expensive from Hermes? They've managed to stay trendy, used as props in photoshoots of interiors for decades. It's a status symbol, and they've marketed themselves well. You'll never find a sale at Hermes, if you want it - you'll pay full price for it, and you'll probably end up regretting it later. I did. Luckily, if you're in the market for one - or you wanna part with yours, there are high-end consignments shops online, like The Real Real that do a great job of selling them quickly.

But I've started to notice that fewer and fewer high end designers are using this blanket as a go-to for decorating. I mean, who hasn't used them? 

Mark D. Sikes

Suzanne Kasler

Mary McDonald

Ellen DeGeneres

You're getting the point right? All published rooms - all by the big name magazines. But now, you're seeing less and less of this, and more and more of an even more costly and luxurious item ... 

Tory Burch

Myrtle topiaries are back in vogue. Designers like Martha Stewart and Loi Thai would likely argue that they've never fallen out of style - but geez have they made a come back, stealing the spotlight from the now passe plantcessory, the Fiddle Fig.  

The king of myrtle might as well be DC shop owner and interior designer, Loi Thai. He writes a blog called Tone on Tone (also the name of his beautiful shop) that shows off his neutral designs that incorporate painted Swedish antiques and one of a kind pieces. 

Now I know what you're thinking - there's no way that a topiary costs more than that Hermes blanket. And you're right. They don't, but they aren't cheap - and you're not seeing just one lonely myrtle in these pictures, either. 

Snug Harbor Farm is mentioned over and over by bloggers and magazines as the "Dealer" for these topiary plants. They're located in Maine, but they do ship their topiaries to anywhere in the country.

At Snug Harbor, plants are sold in 3 different sizes, the smallest is 12" tall and costs $90, the medium, 18" tall for $100, and the large for $110, all plus shipping. This of course, is for relatively young plants, all with a tight topiary ball about 4-5". The three you see here would set you back $300 plus shipping. 

So what does something like this cost? 

Steven Gambrel

Instagram

You're looking at $1,000 in plants and pots on this table. And it's pretty, yes. Very pretty. Those triple ball topiaries are nothing short of stunning. But is it even more frivolous to spend $1,000 on plants that may not live, than it is to spend $1,500 on a blanket that will last you forever? 

It's an honest question, with a million different honest answers, I'm sure. But there's no doubt in my mind that you've seen the trend, and that you might be really aching to dig into it but without the expense. You know, in case you kill it. 

You're not alone. And, I found a way for you to test the waters for a lot less than you'd think:

This little topiary comes in a 4" pot (which you'll have to replant in the container of your choice) for $17.99 plus shipping. Yes. Just $17.99 plus shipping. The reviews are wonderful, and in short order, I'll have several myself that I'll be more than happy to give you updates on. $17.99 is about what you'd pay for an orchid at the grocery store, right? So, why not dig in and give it a go? You could be the next Bunny Mellon. 

Oh, and speaking of Bunny Mellon. Vendome Press has published a GORGEOUS book THE GARDENS OF BUNNY MELLON and it is filled with gorgeous photos of brilliant gardens that include, you guessed it, topiary after topiary. Bunny was known for her love of the myrtle topiary, and had become quite famous for her meticulous care of her impressive collection. 

So while you're ordering those topiaries for yourself, order a copy of the book for inspiration. Just a thought. 

Rich Hippie

What do you think of when you hear those words together? Rich Hippie? Honestly, if it's conjuring up images anything like mine, I don't blame you if you can't formulate the words. I wasn't sure what to think, and I wasn't even really sure how I came to know that the two words were being used together to identify a particular style, not only in interior design, but in fashion, jewelry, and more.

I had always loved the look of the multi-layered and eclectic "old school" Ralph Lauren Bohemian rooms. You know the ones, where beautiful things mixed symbiotically with the aged and decrepit? One of those collections from Ralph Lauren was called New Bohemian, and had rooms so layered and collected it boarded on hoarding:

I've always called this style Bohemian. That crazy mix of rough and refined, old and new, and a collection of genres and periods, from French and Victorian to antique books and vintage posters. It's an acquired taste, I assure you - but one that I think never quite leaves your palette once you either perfected it, or seen it perfected.

Personally, I love it, and a room like this makes me smile - not cringe. So, when I realized that the style formerly referred to as Bohemian, was now being coined Rich Hippie, I had to do a pinterest search to see what came up.

The first thing to come up was this gorgeous room by Furlow Gatewood. An eclectic mix of fabrics and furniture, ikat with stripes and other ethnic or tribal motifs, Asian porcelain mixed with Victorian birdhouses and steeple studies ... French upholstered furniture and Hollywood regency side tables. If this is rich hippie, count me in!

 

 

Here a gorgeous Flemish tapestry hangs above a chintz sofa, which clearly has seen better days. Fortuny throw pillows, mixed with pottery barn feed sack ones ... it's captivating. Wrong and right all at the same time, and certainly a room you either love or hate. There are some, I being one of them, who would say, switch out the sofa and the ottoman for something new (or at least in good shape) and it'd be magazine ready. But, the ideology behind the Rich Hippie look is about comfort, artistic expression, and creative composition. The ability to afford is not a question here. It's the ability to define a personality. One that says "screw convention!"; one that embraces the things we love - whether they be new, old, worn, or pristine.

 

 

Color is also not something the Rich Hippie is shy to use as a method of expression. The rooms are bold and vividly patterned. Prints on prints on prints, with seemingly no worry of their pairing are used without abandon. It's gypsy meets Marrakesh meets Pottery Barn meets flea market, and yet it all seems to work.

 

 

If I had to pick a decorator who I thought embodied the Rich Hippie look, I'd point you immediately to the work of Tony Duquette. I did a review of his book, More is More here. His home in Beverly Hills is exactly what you'd expect of the Rich Hippie:

 

 





and his partner and protégé, Hutton Wilkinson is carrying on his legacy in his own rooms ...

The style is enigmatic, isn't it? Fresh and classic all at the same time. It's the wild use of color, the crazy display of bold and uninhibited style that I find so alluring about all of these spaces, but namely Wilkinson's. He's not copying anyone, he's not looking at a magazine - any magazine - and saying, I want to recreate that look. He's not found a blog to emulate, or a blogger or designer to shadow. He's bought the things that he loves, and he's used them - together, unsparingly.

Another designer that comes to mind, is the great Sid Bergamin, who also has a love for color and an eye for pattern pairing:

 

 

His approach, like most of the other designers and rooms above, is about mixing without fear. A 1970's mesh chair pairs up with a French daybed, and vintage folding iron garden chair. A roman statue towers atop a 70's table and boldly colored Kilim rug plays off the other handblocked and ikat fabrics used on the chair and daybed. It's clever and magnificent, and totally unique.

Other designers have pulled off similarly unique rooms, like this parlor in Jonathan Berger's home:

 

And this living room in John Robshaw's Manhattan apartment:

 



This glorious living room by Martyn Lawrence Bullard, the penultimate of his work for me:

 



The mirrored living room of Lindsey Coral Harper:

 

 

And last, but not least, the beautiful prior Ojai home of designer, Kathryn M. Ireland:

 

 

So while there is no Webster's definition for Rich Hippie, this look book is as close as you'll come to a Vanderpool definition. So what do you think? Are you bold enough to make a statement in your home, and let a little of that hippie out? Make you sure you give them access to your checkbook - you'll need it! As I finish up this post - I have ebay open to a gallery of global and ethnic fabrics. Just you wait - Artie's got a few ideas!