| Add A Little Circus Color to Your House |
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This kitchen features a paper designed by Vicki Butler for Blue Mountain Wallcoverings' "Cirque du Soleil" collection. It is rich with reds and browns and features cool blues and soft, intense colors reminiscent of the changing of seasons. (SHNS photo courtesy of Blue Mountain Wallcoverings)
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By Chris Casson Madden
Scripps Howard News Service The Big Top! It's that time of year! The Big Apple circus recently wowed audiences in Rockland County, New York, and just driving by their large white tent brought back so many wonderful memories. I fondly recall visits to the circus as a child growing up in the Midwest. Whether it was the clown troupe making us laugh, or the up-close and personal view of the amazing animals we only saw in picture books or the defying high-wire acts scaring us just a little, I always loved when the circus came to town. Even now in the urban canyons of Manhattan, my family has thrilled to the majestic twists and turns of the Big Apple Circus -- especially when they tour for their annual holiday show. It's always inspiring and probably some of the best holiday memories of time we've spent as a family. Recently, the world renowned Cirque du Soleil (Circus of the Sun) -- a non-traditional, theatrical show blending circus artistry and street-like performances, coordinated with music and creative lighting, has redefined the circus atmosphere for many with their electrifying performances. And the performances have actually inspired Blue Mountain Wallcoverings and Seabrook Wallcoverings to collaborate with Cirque du Soleil to create a line of wallcoverings depicting the exuberance and energy of the troupe. As Chris Wood, president of Blue Mountain Wallcoverings said, "The wallcovering designs are characterized by amazing texture, bold colors and a wide range of cultural influences inspired by Cirque du Soleil perfomances." There's something expressive, refreshing and a bit unpredictable about the circus. I always come away looking at color a little differently. I'm often asked where I get my inspiration for new furniture designs and book designs. For me, design inspiration comes from a myriad of sources -- from my travels, from shopping flea markets, from visiting museums, from taking nature walks in the woods of Vermont, from attending Broadway shows and, yes, sometimes even trips to the circus. So if you're feeling a bit of the decorating blahs, or need a bit of circus energy and excitement in your own home, here are five inspirations directly from the Big Top: - Color:
From sparkling costumes down to the clowns' red noses, a trip to the circus is a truly visual experience. Why not add such an uplifting splash to a room or two in your home? If a bright red, blue, green (all popular now) is a bit too adventurous for your decorating style, consider a toned down color for the walls -- perhaps a seafoam instead of a primary green or a soft pink instead of red. - Create a magical circus theme using artwork and accessories:
Find circus themed prints in local art stores. Blow up your favorite photographs of trips to the circus and hang them in groupings on one wall. Frame your child's artwork in brightly colored mattes and perhaps even circus-inspired frames. Consider keeping the furnishings, floors and walls neutral to make it easier when it's time again to re-decorate. - Use pillows, throws and rugs to bring the circus onto furnishings and raise the Big Top on the floor:
A circus-themed throw rug paired with colorful ones of different shapes and sizes (with a little bit of animal print thrown in) can make the circus come alive in any room. - Wallpaper:
Whether it's a cheery yellow-and white-striped wallpaper or Blue Mountain Wallcoverings' Cirque du Soleil inspired paper, there are many wallcoverings that can add circus whimsy to any room in your home. - Lighting:
Be creative with your home's lighting. Jazz up a lampshade or two, taking inspiration from circus entertainers' costumes. With a glue gun and inexpensive lampshades, create one-of-a-kind designs using sequins, beads, broken jewelry and colorful ribbons. I hope you are inspired to add some circus magic into your own homes or at least try not to miss the magic the next time the circus rolls into your hometown. (Chris Casson Madden, host of the Home & Garden Television show ''Interiors by Design,'' is also author of 13 books, including the newly released Getaways: Carefree Retreats for All Seasons, Clarkson Potter Publishers
RESOURCES :
Getaways: Carefree Retreats for All Seasons
Model: 0609603205
Author: Chris Casson Madden
(2000)
To order this title from Amazon.com, click here.
Clarkson Potter/The Crown Publishing Group/Random House
Website: www.randomhouse.com
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