I’ve never shopped at Restoration Hardware, but when their “Outdoor & Garden Spring 2011 Source Book” came in the mail, I instantly noticed the intentional use of green–not colorful blooming–plants.
I have sat on this for a while, not sure if it was worth sharing. Over the past couple months, I have seen a few other things that lead me to believe there may possibly be a trend. I’ll post about the other things I’ve seen in the next few days.
This catalog’s use of green plants caught my eye.
I throw most “junk mail” out without a second glance, but this one had green plants, photographed beautifully. So I held on to it, and below are a few of the 226 pages that are representative samples of how they used green plants to showcase their outdoor furniture.
That’s right, 226 pages. They have a crazy amount of furniture. I had no idea.
The use of green non-blooming plants could be because they did not want their product upstaged by the landscape. It could be that this is standard architectural/designer shorthand. Or it could be that the designers at Restoration Hardware think that green plants and subtle color is trending.
How many times have I heard people disparrage “meatball shrubs?”
The only thing not green is their product. “Reporoduction of a 1950s French antique metal agave has a weathered patina and is planted in a cast iron urn.” $119
They use succulents as centerpieces frequently.
- $7,717: that’s what this scene would cost you to own (excluding the plants, the patio and the shipping).
In addition to the planters, they also list for sale “live boxwood topiaries.” I wonder who these are coming from?
Of course, the containers cost roughly twice what the boxwoods do.
This is just a few pages from the catalog which looks just like what you see above. Green, green and more green. What’s the take-away? I don’t know, but someone other than me seems to think green plants are cool.
~Art