Nature's designs to inspire home's interiors at Bartlett

Nature's designs to inspire home's interiors at Bartlett "I just love the theme of this show house," she said, as she carefully crafted another leaf with the bristles of her paintbrush. "One of the wonderful things along the way has been this sense of community," Vandamm said. "It is one of my favorite motifs," she said, as she described the flowers and the birds that would soon appear. "I'm not a designer, but I am a builder," he said during a recent interview. As a result of this, he focused on creating a clean canvas for the designers, which meant a new paint job, new flooring in some areas, fixes to the plaster and other restorative work. Given the age of the home, it needed some attention even before the designers and artists could get to work, the organizers said. Once the showcase ends, the home will be ready to serve as an administrative space and place for the public to gather. What's more to her s co-chair role, Vandamm also is collaborating with Bellehumeur for the entry and staircase work, and Hoffman Landscapes for a tailor made presentation in the home's library. For many of the designers and artists, who more typically have their work displayed in private settings, this project will be a way to have their talents seen by the public. "This certainly is a great celebration of the Bartlett Arboretum," said Vandamm, who runs the inside design firm Vandamm Interiors in Stamford. On this morning, with the warm yellow tones of the foyer walls emanating a sunshiny glow, Bellehumeur worked to create the trees and other botanical elements - in the style of chinoiserie - which will be featured throughout the entry space and up along the walls of the spiraling staircase. This is the first designer showcase at Bartlett, which is a source of pride and anticipation for the organizers. "It's like being a kid in a candy store," she said of the designer showcase experience. "Some of it was challenging," he said. "It's a different type of designer showcase because it doesn't feature the typical mansion or showroom," she said. It's really been a pleasure. Nature's designs to inspire home's interiors at Bartlett Trade News selected by Local Linkup on 02/06/2012