REPEATING CORAL

When I was painting my chinoiserie table and chairs coral, I impulsively took the paint brush to some branches in a vase.  At the time there was no plan.  What I later realized was that those curly, gnarly branches repeated the coral in the room, not just in color, but in form too. 

CORAL BRANCHES ON MY BAR CART

Those turned and twisted branches repeat the pattern of coral.

GNARLY "CORAL" BRANCHES

The coral shape repeats itself in the coral framed prints and reflects and repeats in the mirrored frames.

CORAL BRANCHES REPEATING AND REFLECTING IN FRAME

REPEATS AND REFLECTIONS FROM ANOTHER ANGLE

The coral pairs and compliments the copper in the room. Notice the sculptural metal coral on the stand in the upper left corner behind the leopard shaker.

CORAL AND COPPER COMBO

I added a sea life Pottery Barn platter on the bottom shelf.

POTTERY BARN PLATTER ON BAR CART BOTTOM SHELF

I also have some "coral" candlesticks on my table.  I purchased them at West Elm many years ago.

CORAL CANDLESTICKS ON MY TABLE

One of my all time favorite books, CABINET OF CURIOSITIES, rests on my coffee table.  Of course the cover has what else but some coral.

MY FAVORITE BOOK WITH CORAL ON THE COVER

Do you repeat design elements?  Do you have a plan or does it just happen?

BOUQUETS WITH BRANCHES AND OTHER YARD FINDS

While I'm waiting for blooms from my garden, I love to use branches from my yard as bouquets.  I have a huge demijohn on the landing in my foyer.   It's the vase for some birch branches.

BIRCH BRANCHES IN MY DEMIJOHN

Sometimes I paint them.

PAINTED BRANCHES ON MY MANTEL

I painted these branches too and placed them into a vase with shells and sand to support them.

BRANCHES ON MY MIRRORED TABLE

BRANCHES REFLECTED IN MY MIRRORED TABLE

Branches don't have to be bare to work as a bouquet.  I have Nandina shrubs in my yard.
 They're a bouquet source all year long. 

BOUQUET OF BRANCHES FROM MY NANDINA SHRUB

I clipped some branches from my cedar tree and wrapped them around some spheres
 inside a dough bowl on my dining room table.

CEDAR BRANCHES IN A DOUGH BOWL

My yard pickings aren't limited to branches.  I even invade my neighbor's yard.   She has a  huge tree that drops the most wonderful seed pods.  I added them to an urn and complemented them with some of my shed antlers.

SEED PODS AND ANTLERS IN AN URN ON MY PORCH

What do you bring in from outdoors to use inside?