By: Lance Thomas of Thomas Guy Interiors
Much of the past year, for us, has been helping homeowners rebuild their Lake Charles, Louisiana, homes after two back-to-back devastating hurricanes, a debilitating freeze, and the worst flood in recent history.
Designing spaces like this garden house has been more than just making them beautiful. It’s been about boosting morale and giving clients a glimmer of hope that life will return back to normal. We wanted the garden house to be a special respite and a happy, multifunctional space full of life.
- Embrace the space—When renovating, embrace the charm and timeworn qualities of a garden house. We saved all the original windows and architectural details, no matter how tattered and torn, and just cleaned them up a bit. With too many renovations, the intent behind the space will be lost. There is beauty in simply tidying up the ugly.
- Allow the plants to pop—Remember that your plants should play the hero in the space. Allow their beautiful colors to pop by supporting them with a neutral palette. We particularly love a strong black-and-white story to define a color spectrum. By using bright white and dark black accents, all of the vibrant floral colors in between will shine brighter. We chose to paint a black-and-white harlequin pattern on the floor to ground this spectrum.
- Bring the outdoors in—When decorating your garden house, make sure to incorporate outdoor accessories and furniture. Favorite garden hats, tools, statues, feeders, and hanging baskets (to name a few) help tell your story and give your space individuality. Not only do they weather the elements, but many of your accessories will also look better with a bit of patina. We loved using this iron outdoor sofa for lounging and impromptu Sunday Fundays with friends.
- Replace a rug with paint—Painted floors are a fantastic way to incorporate interest and anchor a space without the maintenance of a rug. Let’s face it, maintaining a beautiful indoor garden is a dirty business, and rugs are impractical. Don’t sacrifice aesthetics for function. Simply paint and seal your floors for visual impact. A little insider tip: Start painting at the opposite end of the entry and work your way toward the door. Seems self-explanatory, but we learned the hard way.
