The Plant That Lived

Despite varied attempts at being a gardenista, I have come to terms with my black thumb. Herbs die within the week; I even killed my succulents (how does that even happen?!). I go through the vicious cycle: buy the pretty, verdant greenery (it makes a house a home! Case and point illustrated below), marvel at their beauty and lushness on my window sill, under-water or over-water, watch in horror as they perish, vow that "that was the last time!"... and then, a few months later, go through it again. Vicious, like I said. 

That is, until I found The Indestructible Plant.

This little mama lives in my bathroom and I bring her out to bathe in natural light once a month or so. She needs hardly any water and... wait for it... she's living! Thriving, in fact, because, ladies and gents, THIS is a new, baby green shoot!

I picked her up a few months ago at Lowes after asking the kind man working there to point me in the direction of a plant that couldn't be killed (I'm totally jinxing this as I write it). She's called a ZZ plant (Gardenista talks about them here) and, $7.98 later, she was mine.

The pot (too big, I know, but she'll grow into it) I picked up at last year's Design on a Dime; her plastic pot has holes in the bottom so the water can drain without a worry. Shower curtain is old as the hills, from TJ Maxx, and the soap dispensers are Muji (my faves--streamlining!). 

There's something just so wonderful about having something green and alive in an apartment. Here are some of my favorite images where greenery reigns: 

Plants, plants everywhere (via Indulgy and pinned here):

This is an old favorite from domino (pinned here), with just a couple shoots cut in a vase, but what a statement!

Greenery on the mirror ledge? Yes please! (via Airows and pinned here)

This outdoor shower via The Jungalow (pinned here)... dreamy, steamy, marvelous. 

What a lovely little smattering! I'm also digging the shower's wall tile and black showerhead big time. (via Her New Tribe and pinned here)

Remember this post? Still love it (via One Kings Lane and pinned here)

Check out what this greenery does to an otherwise black-and-white kitchen (via Decoholic and pinned here):

Sooo pretty (via domino, pinned here):

ADORE (via Vogue Australia and pinned here):

I could go on, but I must go back to admiring my own little green goddess...

Do you have greenery in your own space? Tricks for keeping green things green? Share in the comments below!

Tub Trays

How great is this bathtub setup (via Remodelista and pinned here)?!

That wood plank across the tub makes me so very happy. Here's another one (via Hearth; I blogged about this bathroom here!): 

These curved edges on this tray (via La Maison Douce) are especially beautiful (and perhaps more forgiving if bumped into!):

I was just in one of my favorite spots in Brooklyn Heights, Collyer's Mansion, and saw this great tub bar. I love its simplicity: 

Of course, I also think this would be a terrific DIY opportunity. My girl Martha writes about it here. 

Not too tough, right? And so totally chic. Now I just need a claw foot tub!

Have you tried this DIY? Do you have a DIY you'd like to see featured on The Spoonful? Let me know in the comments below!

Bathroom Inspo

I came across this heavenly bathroom on One Kings Lane's instagram and just about died:

I love every bit of it, from the concrete floors to the leather pulls on the cabinet to the live greens to the wood slab across the tub. And the bath mat! Obsessed.

I thought I'd have a little fun and put the space together on here...

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Add a few big-leafed plants and it's a beaut!

Do you have a room you'd like broken down and sourced on The Spoonful? Let me know here or in the comments below!

Throwback DIY: Albert Hadley Walls

Many, many years ago, before I even knew the name Albert Hadley, I pinned this image of a bathroom wallpapered in a print ("Fireworks") by the design great:

A quick design history lesson... Albert Hadley was one half of the design company Parish-Hadley--"the erudite yang to Sister Parish's freewheeling yin," as Architectural Digest describes him here--who brought about wonderful things in the world of interior design. His clients included the Rockefellers, the Astors, and the Kennedys, to name a few, and his signature lay in creating a comfortable room with some punchy kick to keep things interesting. Though Mr. Hadley passed away a few years ago, his legacy lives on in many ways--including this wallpaper!

One college summer, I decided my lime green bathroom needed a facelift (really wish I had a "before" photo!), and, remembering that great image, I decided to do a little Hadley-inspired DIY.

First things first: paint the walls. I picked a sandy off-white neutral; this bathroom gets very little sunlight so I made sure to choose a light color, without feeling too sterile.

For the "fireworks," I picked a high-gloss white, the whitest white; the glossiness helps the white stand out against the sandy background color. Once the wall color was good and dry, I mapped out my pattern lightly with a pencil, taking care to space the fireworks correctly. This is one of those steps that takes a long time but makes such a difference and actually saves time--and headaches--in the end!

Then I got to work! I found it important to have enough paint on the brush each time so that the fireworks didn't look too painterly (a look I often love but not here).

I'm still so pleased with the result, even several years after completing the paint job. And it was absolutely more budget-friendly than installing genuine Albert Hadley wallpaper! Maybe one day...