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Roosters Rule the Roost!

September 17, 2010 By Jaima 1 Comment

oIt ‘s no wonder that  people and countries love the rooster. It is a symbol of pride, honesty, courage, vigilance, strength and arrogance.  In French, often the rooster is named Chanticleer, which is the name of this aqua wallpaper print from Jaima Brown Home.

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Filed Under: Symbolism of Pattern Series #1 Tagged With: chanticleer, chickens, decorate with roosters, designer fabrics, le coq, rooster china, roosters, weathervane

Buzzng with Bee Symbolism

September 7, 2010 By Jaima Leave a Comment

The bee motif is a  classic symbol and was used by many countries  to symbolize royalty and imperialism.  Bees represent power and industry.

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Filed Under: Symbolism of Pattern Series #1 Tagged With: bee bracelets, bee jewelry, bee symbols, Bees, honey, napoleonic bees

The Meaning of Birds in Your Decor

May 10, 2010 By Jaima 15 Comments

Take flight within your own home and surround yourself with natures beauty: birds!  Designer Miles Redd used this  gorgeous bird  wallpaper  pattern  to envelope this  bedroom creating a warm and modern decor. It is like bringing the outdoors inside!

When I was little, we had a bird  fly into my parents home one day.  I think it came down the chimney but no matter how it entered our home, it certainly did create quite a commotion.  My mother was  running around opening all the doors  and windows to let the  swallow out.   Lots of birds have many meanings and with  our bird incident, I like to think positive and believe it meant “new life taking flight” which is a  symbol of hope and of new things to come.  Most people are unaware of all the hidden meanings behind bird images in design.

It is a fascintating world of birds. Remember the  famous Alfred Hitchcock  movie “The Birds”. Who wasn’t  frightened after that?  Well, as it turns out I overcame my fear and  am now a proud owner of an African Grey named Lily.  I inherited her from my mother in law, Alice.  She loved this little talkative bird so I decided to carry on the tradition and continue to love Miss Lily.   With  summer almost here,  we see birds re-surfacing into the  home decor market like   Pottery Barns Spring Sparrow Bedding.   The bedding features blue birds which  symbolize happiness;  sparrows  represent companionship and good luck for lovers while the cardinal represents beauty.

Birds have often been tied to some of the most profound meanings since  ancient history and their symbolism  has crossed many cultures worldwide. As  birds travel in the air, they are often connected with the Divine, symbolizing the human spirit and soul. I am sure  you have heard the saying ” a little bird told me so” well this quote is from ancient folk lore  when birds flew ahead to forewarn a hero from danger.

Beautiful flights of fancy  like Peacocks were popular throughout history and  Religion.  Peacocks were a symbol of immortality, royalty, nobility and  spirituality during the Byzantine and  early Roman Churches. Today, in Hinduism the Peacock represents kindness, patience, compassion and good luck.  For thousands of years, peacock feathers have been used for spiritual healing energy to help  with balance and harmony  in peoples lives. Mostly everyone knows that peacock feathers are used  to bring luck to oneself and reflect beauty, strength but also reflect vanity.

Today, peacock feathers are  being brought back into fashion this year by designers like Tory Burch and  Zang Toi.  As usual, what is in fashion is now often found in home decor.  As featured in  InStyle Magazine “This spring, stylish stars are strutting their stuff in peacock-print dresses. And it’s no wonder—the retro print has what designer Tory Burch calls a “ladylike, but eccentric and quirky” flavor.”  It certainly adds drama to ones wardrobe.  It is amazing to see  how bird images have graced so many items in today’s  lifestyle products and in event  planning.  Depending on the style, birds can  present a high end luxury look as well as a cottage style feel  with warmth and charm.  Coasters, plates, cakes, ring pillows, fabrics and furnishings are just  a few of the things found with  bird motifs in the home  lifestyle catagory.

Most people are unaware of the hidden meanings of birds. At  weddings, often newly wed couples will  release two white doves after the ceremony, this is to  bless  the couple and wish them hope and peace (the symbol of doves).   Other birds  found in designer fabrics are  roosters (pride),  cockatoos,  peacocks (pride and vanity) and  parrots (Ostentatiousness).   Below is a bedroom featuring a bird fabric on the wall with a parrot in the cage and a peacock on a branch.

The classic  American Eagle  represents power and strength.   Herons mean self reliance and hummingbirds symbolize joy. It is easy to get inspired when decorating with these visually  stimulating  motifs as they make spaces unique and bring deeper meaning into a home. Using patterns in general always make a home more interesting but when you add the hidden symbolism, whether it is from folk lore or history,  it just makes your story telling for your home interior more fascinating.
Here are a few ideas on how to use bird motifs throughout your decor.

1. Use them  to create a focal point in a room.  This can be done by using accent pillows  on  couches or beds. Coverlets on a bed can carry the theme of the room and add a color story. Use a dramatic shower curtain to accent a small bathroom.

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2. Hang a large bird painting  or print above a  sitting area,  fireplace or in a foyer to make a substantial impact when one enters the space. If the art is smaller,  group 2 or four prints together.

3. Surround yourself with a beautiful wallpaper or fabric. Hang it on all four walls or only on one wall to create a feature wall in a room.

The birds in fabrics above like the Chickadees symbolize optimism; pheasants mean harmony; quails means family;  Ravens mean shifting but a Robin means new growth.   Of course,  the list of bird meanings is extensive. There are many famous bird quotes as well, one  I really like is by Salvador Dali  “Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings”.

So add a little flight of fancy to your interior and fly away with meaning…..

Images via: jaimabrownhome.com;blisslivinghome.com;lindamackenzie.net;thesorrellcompany.com;potterybarn.com;walnutwallpaper.com;

Filed Under: Symbolism of Pattern Series #1 Tagged With: aviary, bird meanings, bird symbolism, birds, chickadees, herons, parrots, song birds

Acanthus Style

March 30, 2010 By Jaima 3 Comments

Symbolism of Pattern Series #2

Acanthus is one of the oldest flowers of the Mediterranean which is believed to be the symbol of long life. These ornamental luscious leaves have influenced designs for hundreds of years and played an important roll in architecture, fabrics, furniture,  and paper designs. In Architecture it is defined as a carved ornament based on the leaves of the acanthus plant, found on the capital of a Corinthian column.

The leaves were often used in  art and  architecture of ancient Greece and Rome and have frequently been used throughout history  in the famous  “Corinthian capital”.

According to the architectural historian Vitruvius, the column was created by the sculptor Callimachus, probably an Athenian, who drew acanthus leaves growing around a votive basket. Well, we have come a long way when one looks at how we  have been incorporated this beautiful leaf shape  into today’s architecture in New York and around the world.
As the Acanthus is one of the oldest flowers of the Mediterranean area, some believe it is the symbol of  long life. A famous English wallpaper designer, William Morris popularized the  stylized leaf amongst royalty and citizens.  He was extremely influential in  the Arts and Crafts movement during the 20th century. It all started when Morris commissioned a new house to be built in 1859 but could not find any textiles and furniture in the simple vernacular style he wanted to decorate his  new home; so he decided to design them himself. His company was called Morris and Company and he dreamed of  re-establishing traditional craftsmanship with simplicity of design. He designed many diverse items such as stained glass, wallpaper, furniture and textiles. His designs often incorporated floral and foliage motifs.  The Acanthus was extremely prominent in his wallpaper and textile  designs making it extremely  popular with his wealthy clients and the masses.


Because of the Acanthus popularity  in design and architecture, it  was often incorporated into a wide range of products and interiors over the  next centuries. The actual leaf shape has evolved into being known as the “Scroll.” A flowing leaf trail that is easy to live with and has been designed into many fashion items  like shoes, bags, jewelry, furniture, bowls, watering cans, wallpaper, lighting, moldings and many other  interior products.

We love this acanthus leaf design as it reflects style, endurance and elegance. It is especially stylish when used in wallpaper and fabric designs.  William Morris would have loved this Carlise acanthus scroll wallpaper pattern propecia blind date as it is simple and elegant yet still hints of a traditional past. A perfect transitional design.

No wonder it means eternal life! The Acanthus design never goes out of style! Enjoy.

Images Via: Jaimabrownhome.com;wikipedia.org;kaboodle.com;zazzle.com;buffaloah.com;mydeco.com

Filed Under: Symbolism of Pattern Series #1 Tagged With: acanthus, corinthian, leaves, Scroll, William Morris

Pattern Your World

March 19, 2010 By Jaima 1 Comment

Ok….I have to face it….I love pattern!   All patterns actually. Why?  I have been designing  wallpaper and fabric collections for the past 20 years  and suddenly came to realize, my life is not full if I don’t have some sort of pattern around me.    I truly believe pattern makes  a world of difference in a home and in fashion.  We can go from boring to great in an instant with the right pattern and color.   Pattern is seductive. It is the patterns we wear and incorporate into our  homes that make a statement about who we are in life.

Pattern for fashion  and home  are closely related. Look at some of  the famous designers, propecia baldness hair loss like Oscar de la Renta, Armani and Ralph Lauren.

When they design fashion collections with  pattern  they usually  carry over the same   feel of the line into their home collection.  An entire cohesive lifestyle look is created.

People  are similar to designers in that sense,  they naturally are drawn to patterns that reflect ones personality which is carried into their homestyle.

Well, the classic fashion  and home furnishings company  Liberty of London  from England is coming to America!  Target is full throttle ahead in featuring the famous prints from Liberty of London in a new line of clothes and home products.

This will definitely spring pattern into style for fashion but also puts  it on  the map for home interiors. We see a revival of  pattern in general  and are starting to see wallpaper edge its way back into the home.   I  believe wallpaper makes a house into a home and  pattern  makes life more interesting. Often patterns have hidden symbolism and meanings but they also reflect a style and mood of a person.   There is definitely a correlation to how we dress to how we decorate our homes.

Sunny yellow, a color that is bold, bright and vibrant is a symbol of   happiness and friendship, an inspiring color but when combined with circles a deeper symbolism is created.  The Circ wallpaper from the Aja Collection was created from a vintage wood block print where the  circles are intertwined.  Circles from ancient times have   symbolized  wholeness, infinity,  the goddess and female powers.  The circle,  a perfect shape, visually  gives us a sense of unity and balance and when mixed with  yellow creates a fabulous look with  subliminal meanings. The power of pattern and color is truly amazing.  The deeper one looks into pattern, the more interesting the stories  become about ones interior style.

The entire design direction for  2011/12  is all about pattern. Something we can  look forward to enjoying on all levels of design.

So until next time, make a statement with pattern, bring the  power of pattern into your  life!

Jaima

Imagesvia:jaimabrownhome.com;toryburch.com;dvf.com;cotorture.com;ralphlauren.com;

Filed Under: Symbolism of Pattern Series #1 Tagged With: circles, Pattern, pattern meaning, symbolism

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