If I had a personal butler and maid I would direct them to place fresh flowers mixed with exotic fruits and branches and such in every room of my house 7 days a week.
Did you catch that show a few weeks ago on HGTV telling the world our top 25 design/decorating mistakes? If not, Rhoda sums it up here. I agree with some of them but like all rules, sometimes they are fun to break and prove the rulemaker wrong.
The very first rule listed was that it was wrong to use fake plants and or flowers. Ideally, this would be great if none of us used pretend plants. But, in reality it's just not feasible for those of us who want pretty wreaths and centerpieces that we don't have to replace weekly and keep a part time job in order to fund.
This week we'll talk about the best way to use fake plants and how to incorporate them in our homes without the HGTV police coming to arrest us. 
How do you feel about fakes?
Faking it
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87 comments:
I'm not crazy about alot of the silks (and boy howdy, do they get DUSTY), but I love alot of the dried items and things such as feathers, pods, etc. I only have one such arrangement though. I do use *fake* on the wreaths on my front door though. I try to use as many real plants inside as possible.
Happy Labor Day!
tina
tinam61@yahoo.com
Fake flowers do NOT bother me. Nowadays some of the fakes LOOK real. I cant keep a real plant alive to save my life. I can keep outdoor plants alive and kicking but something about being indoors justs kills them. I am actually headed out the door today to look for some "Funky Fake Flowers".
As long as they look real and aren't collecting dust, I can't imagine why it would be so bad. However, outdated flower arrangements, dusty ones, or those who have lost their "blooms" and have plastic pieces sticking up, should definitely be replaced!
I can't bear them, I'm a fresh flowers girl (sorry!) I blame my MIL though, she has them everywhere and they are generally plastic (no fabric ones) and they just collect dusty and look awful.
I love fakes!! I love re-using them in different areas- its all about recycling. The only place fakes are oh so not good- in your yard or garden (I have seen people do this-my grandmother for one) So thanks to you and all your mistreatment inspirations I did a laundry room makeover complete with mistreatments--go see
http://www.theecklife.blogspot.com/
love em!
don't mind them at all if they are good ones!
and you know what i mean...
I would love to have the luxury of fresh flowers all year long, but it's just not economically feasible. I do the best I can to make the fakes look real.....
I'm not crazy about fakes of easily grown plants. Especially african violets in a window with faded dusty leaves. I don't like fakes that try to fool people. I like fakes you know are fakes so they are art - not fakes! Topiaries for instance are great. My ivy always gets spider mites. This way I get bug free topiaries I can put anywhere and don't have to worry about lighting.
Michele
Honestly, if you use them in moderation and they aren't tacky, I say go for it! I love my little topiaries on the fireplace and faux rosemary in the kitchen.
I am with you on the real flowers....I would have them displayed everyday, if I could afford to. They touch my spirit and uplift me in so many ways!
Some fake flowers bother me quite a lot, but the idea of dried ones seem different. Besides, we've come a long way since the stinky plastic ones that used to be our only options.
Love the ones you've used in your photos... as always.
Meanwhile, I've just tagged you in a little game on my blog (although I emailed you, the "rules" say I have to post this in comments - speakin' o' rules...) and hope you'll enjoy listing some quirky things about you. Here's the post. I hope this is okay. Maybe I should have read your comment rules first, eh? Hmmm. Cheers! And thanks!
Pahlease! If it's ok to have fake everything else in this society it is SOOOO ok to have faux flowers in the house. I have a few vases filled with gardenias and roses that look so real that when friends come over they go to smell them only to realize they're... not so real. You know, the kind you get at TJ Maxx and Target (Tarjey!)that look like there's water in the glass vase as well. What is that stuff anyways? Glue?
Oh yeah, TOTALLY ok.
Good fakes are fine but cheap ones, well they just look cheap. And not too many of them. I you have on on every available shelf it just calls attention to the fact they are fake.
I don't mind fakes if they are done tastefully.
I don't mind fakes. We have a few arrangements in the church that we use every week. It's so hot in there that any real flowers we put in would wilt right away. And I try to get ones that look as real as possible.
In my house though, since I generally only put up flowers if guests are coming over, I try to use real ones--mostly because I like the smell, and injecting some life into our tiny, dimly-lit townhouse.
A lot of the rules they had on that list are only possible to follow if you've got the money. I'm a newlywed. I don't got the money.
Well. There's definitely a fake line you shouldn't cross. I don't like a LOT of silk flowers and especially ones in unnatural colors. It seems the more expensive the flower, the better the quality. I tend to like "fake" natural items rather than flowers... know what I mean?
I love real plants, but I also have fakes around the house, too. I mostly prefer silk plants to flowers. I really love fresh flowers!
that's so funny that this is on everyone's mind right now...i didn't see the hgtv show, but saw Rhoda's summary after I posted this last week:
http://kristensbloglife.blogspot.com/2008/08/is-nate-berkus-right-about-fake-flowers_19.html
too funny!
i look forward to reading everyone's two cents!
I would love to be able to afford fresh flowers but the reality is my cats view live flowers and plants as their personal salad bar. Of course then they get sick on the white duvet cover or the wool carpet, never the tile or hardwood which are easier to clean. I have tried cat grass - they go for the pretty plants instead. So no live plants for me, but I do have some fakes that look pretty real, including some orchids that everyone always thinks are real until they touch them. And of course my wreaths are fake but if you buy good quality ones they always look good and they last.
hi. the fake question is an interesting one. like most things, there is a time and place. amanda is right-on with the fakes in the garden. i see fakes in the yard behind me and shake my head at every viewing. i mean, it's kinda like the reconstructed chest: if it's obvious it really isn't working so well. but the stuff that is dried, or things like shells, cones,sticks etc. are lovely. they aren't fake, just being repurposed. or continue-purposed.
on another note: i mistreated the two oak shelves i have that hold the cds and albums (yes, we play records!) with tension rods, and flat panels of cloth. i really mistreated: pins are still in the material and no thread or glue was used! just the iron! i don't know how long i can let it remain unsewn, but for now it is is great!jkj
Thanks for the link, Nester! As you can tell, I don't take all those rules too seriously either. We all have to live in our homes & I've enjoyed fake flowers for years now. I have weeded out (ha-ha!) some of my silk flowers lately, in favor of more sticks & simpler arrangements, but there is always room for a few fakes, I say! I think my home wouldn't feel nearly as homey without some of my faux palms and plants. I do have quite a few real plants too....love to mix the 2.
Rhoda
I have a black thumb and can barely keep my kids alive! I absolutely cannot keep plants alive, not for the sake of trying! I love my fake flowers! I saw Nate on Oprah & he said the same thing. We would have NO foliage in our home or on our porch if it wasn't fake...sorry, I'm a rule breaker!
Our house was the model and we moved into it with all of the furniture and decor in it. It was a real blessing for us to have furniture for the rooms that we did not have furniture for. Anyway there was fake plants and greenery EVERYWHERE. Over the years, I have scaled down quite a bit but I still have a fake tree in my bedroom and some ivy on top of the cabinets in the master bath. Dusty is better than dead and who can afford fresh flowers every few days.
really whatever looks good is good for me!
Well, if it weren't for fakes, I would have a bunch of dead real plants in my house, since I totally have a black thumb! Not to mention the fact that my budget doesn't allow for fresh flowers every week.
I am amazed anyone would say it was "wrong" to use fake plants or flowers. I do not have a green thumb at all -- none of my indoor plants lives, and the outdoor ones thrive in spite of me. Artificial flowers are a great way to bring some color and softness into a room. They do get dusty -- but they last a lot longer than real plants in my house. :-)
I'm off to read the rest of what I may be doing wrong!
I have to admit that I really don't like fakes.
If a room is too dark for a real plant to grow, a fake plant in the same spot just looks out of place. More so if it is dustry!
I love your dried and seashell arrangements, though, and all sorts of natural things arranged in your artful way--feathers, pinecones, etc.
I try to keep 1 or 2 live arrangements in my house each week--either a group of 3 handblown glass jars with 1 or 2 fern fronds in each, or a big wild arrangment of branches, grasses, weed flowers.
Sometimes I splurge and pick up a $2.99 5-rose bouquet from Aldi.
Done right they can look Fantastic and Real!
I just made an arrangement for a friend and will do a post this week! I think it turned out realy nice...we used stems that look real and lots of feathers too!
I have a hard time finding any that look good and I think I have worried too much that it was a decorating no no. However since I can't keep plants alive for the life of me, I am on the look out for some fakes. As for real flowers, I'm so over them. It kills me to spend that kind of money only to watch them die in a week. It's good to hear everyones opinions.
I'd love to have fresh flowers in every room of the house at all times just as much as the next bird, um, I mean, girl, but I don't have the green thumb or the $$$ for that. But, I think that when they're done well, fake plants can be almost as nice. Not teh 50 cent ones you can buy at wallyworld, but nice fakes - the dried natural items are my faves. I don't have a lot of fake FLOWERS in my house, but I have a few "natural" things - greenery, dried sticks/reeds (whatever you call them), wicker balls, etc.
If the HGTV police don't like it, they are more than welcome to give me the funds to put fresh flowers in my home every day! :)
I love them and the fact that they need very little maintenance. Of course fresh and new each day would be fabulous, but then I don't think that will ever happen in my world. So yes to the high quality "everlasting" flowers and plants.
No plastic one though. If you have a HomeGoods Store near you they have nice ones that are reasonably priced.
I don't care for fake silk flowers or an entire fake greenery display. I do, however, like fake reeds and pods and branches, etc. for decorating. I don't mind a few fake silk flowers in a wreath or seasonal floral arrangement. They are just big dust collectors. Some of the new silks are very deceiving though.
They are recyclable. This is a good thing. They will not rot and attract bugs. If you find good ones you are set but stay away from the cheap looking stuff.
A real, true, living-just-a few-minutes ago flower does wonders for me perched by my sink or on the table. It reminds me of the time and effort my Creator put into making ME! :0)
The trick is to get yourself a "Grand Ole Southern Lady" antebellum home (at auction) and instantly inherit a year-round supply of fresh flowers-magnolias, gardenias, camelias,azaelas, roses. Even the zinnias come up volunteer...what a gift!!
Thanks so much for you! :)
I like the budget friendly fakes. I would prefer real but I'm not crazy about keeping a second job to pay for them! Nothing wrong in my book with using silks, etc.
Oh boy oh boy am I glad you are doing this! I cruise past all the wonderful fakes at Home Goods and wonder what in the sam hill I could do with them. Some of the twigs, vines, branches all call out to me but I just don't know how to incorporate them with it looking like I bought a boat load of fake stuff and stuck it in jars, vases, urns.....
Hurray again for The Nester!
Can some of you post pictures of your fake arrangements?
I've invested some decent money in some decent fakes...and they have paid off year after year. All those fresh roses that I have put in vases are gone! Long live the fakes!
My blogger photo is of the fake arrangement on my sofa table. It is 7 years old. Have a good holiday everyone!
There is a definite difference in quality I've noticed and it ranges pretty wide from ghastly to realistic. I splurged on a lot of expensive silk stuff ( most on sale ) and I've had people touch the arrangment to see if it was real. But I do like to have a vase of fresh cut stuff everynow and then. The smell, you just can't replicate that! But potted plants in the house usually don't last long for me. I am very neglectful...
I'm not a fan of fake flowers unless they look real. I prefer fake plants to flowers, but use them sparingly. Like on top of ledges that I would totally forget to water. :) I have one on top of our entertainment cabinet (about 8' off the floor) and one on a high ledge in the dining room. I can't wait to get to our next duty station and buy some real plants! If they're done right though who cares what HGTV thinks?
BTW, I finally got my military base tour up o my blog if anyone is interested in seeing how the military live.
I am all over the fakes. otherwise on a budget and with kids and time, how would could some one do it??
I think hgtv needs a few toddlers hanging around and then they'd get the picture.
I love the feel of some greenery and flowers always brighten my mood. Fresh is just not always and option. I think fake plants are fine as long as they are realistic and not overdone.
The industry has come so far with silks. Sometimes it's hard to tell they are fake.
I'm a florist and I see nothing wrong with using beautiful silk flowers.
~Angie~
I asked the same thing on NBBC (you should go and lurk once in a while). I like 'em in other people's homes but I just can't do it in mine! I wish I could bring myself to because flowers are soo expensive and I have an addiction to stargazers!
I will always love my fresh flowers. But, I definitely use silk greenery and dried arrangements to add a finishing touch that I wouldn't have had otherwise.
I also like fake flowers and plants if they are the nice kind. As far as the faux plants...I got tired of killing the real kind. So I had to go with fake. :-)
I think all of us would love to have real plants and flowers thoughout our homes all the time. For me, though, the way my house is situated makes that impossible. The only rooms I can grow plants in are the bedrooms, which is silly because no one would see them. I have a silk floral in my kitchen window because nothing will grow there - it faces due west and has a huge cedar tree shading it all day. I do have three hefty real ficus trees on my porch, though, and most of the time I have mason jars full of real flowers cut from my own garden scattered about the house. One of the advantages to living in CA is having flowers in your yard all year.
I prefer fresh flowers but it can get pretty expensive.
If you can show me how to tastefully display fake flowers and whatnots, I would greatly make the switch to half fake, half fresh.
I'm personally not a fan of fakes. One, it's hard to find good fakes, and two they're often coated with flame retardants, or formaldehydes that I don't want in my home.
In the spring, summer, and fall I use inexpensively grown flowers from my cutting garden. In the winter I buy holiday flowers or use garden foliage. It's pretty cheap to grow your own flowers, and doesn't take that much work either!
You were on my mind at Hobby Lobby a few days ago when I was picking out fake feathers! I like to add a few fake things to dried arrangments I put together (usually sticks and such). A friend has real birch logs and twigs--LOVE those! Lastly, I have a fake tomato plant in my kitchen windowsill and housesitters always water it! My rule -- anything in moderation is a good thing.
I am so glad you blogged about this! I was starting to get a complex ;O) I like to use two or three arangements in my home that use dried natural things as well as the fake stuff. I think the key is to be careful about what you choose and make sure it looks tasteful. And, I want to add that I visited (walked throught the lobby - hee hee hee) of a four star hotel in Yosemite Park over the weekend, that is known for it't spectacular decor - and guess what? Fake arrangements! That's good enough for me!
What about a Mr. Linky to share our renegade faux arrangements?
Blessings,
Courtney
Of course, I would like the real but if it is done tastefully and not collecting dust...I guess it is okay. I have always had a fake wreath on my door. One time I had real flowers and it stained my door. So fake is okay!
-Sandy Toes
I like fakes when done well. I'm looking forward to your posts this week!
Ok, I'm totally going to decorating jail! Fakes are the only things I "grow," but mine do look real. Ohhh..this is such a great post. Can't wait for the follow-ups.
-Hayley
Since I commented last week that I thought fresh flowers were a decorating must (allthough I did say that I prefered them from my own garden), I feel I should answer this one too.
I have mixed feelings about fake. I generally hate silks and most fakes just don't have it for me. But maybe the quality I can get here is just not as good as yours because I generally love your arrangements and have a hard time seeing the 'fake' in them.
I'm looking forward on hearing what you have to say about the subject.
Greetings, M
Hello, I am Jami from Arizona. I just want you to know, you have a HUGE following from us Arizona gals. We love YOU! I do enjoy a really well put together silk arrangement...but there is a time and place for them. They are a dust issue...but what isn't? I of course would love to have a fresh arrangement put together once a week for each room in my house, but my bank account says "No"!
I also wanted to ask if you could do a post about your tassels! I love them, they speak to me! I would love to try and make some myself, but I have a few questions. I don't know if it would be a conflict of interested if you did a post showing off your skills, but I would love it if you would!!!
I hate fakes. Hate them, hate them. HOWEVER, I think it's because so many people do them incorrectly. Having just declared my hatred for them, I will say I like them if they're done just right. I have said before that I love your floral arrangements. When someone does them well (like you do), it can make a world of difference in a home. So...good job doing what many people really struggle with!
Ever since I lived in Austria - I have loved dried flowers. Hanging upside down - or with popurri... I love twigs. Its not fake -just preserved well. They make a home look just as homey as real flowers. I love to look at real flowers in my yard and I am totally ok with not having them in my home.
Im sure there is a way to do fake flowers right but I have yet to see a circumstance when no flowers isn't better than fake.
We'd love a maid or butler to put out fresh flowers and fruit daily too, but until that happens, fake is ok. As long as it doesn't look TOO fake and tacky.
They have such realistic looking ones & let's face it...anything's going to look better than a live one that I've been taking care of.
I think they're acceptable, in moderation.
they have to be good quality i must say... but as it has been said they gte dusty... and it is not my mission in life to dust... though my daughter thinks its a fun game... boy does she have it coming later in life...
Just found your blog.... what terrific ideas! Beautiful photos! Have a great start to your week!
I am in such trouble if the fake police come my way. I just bought some fakes, but everyone thinks they look real ( or did before my kids knocked down the arrangement I worked so hard on), so doesn't that count?
A tasteful fake is better than a live plant with moldy dirt, knats flying around and dead leaves! I'm not a fan of fake flowers that are not the color of real flowers. When/if I'm going to do fakes, I try to include dried items or a bird's nest (fake)- mixing it up a little.
I like both. I use fake hydrangeas on my bookcase and they look great, but I also love having fresh flowers. I usually go to Trader Joes every week and get one of their bouquets for my diningroom table, I can splurge $5 or $6 on that. I think it's just a matter of not overdoing it and using fakes that look somewhat real. If you are going to have fakes, then keep them dust free. I have 2 fake large topiaries, one in my backyard and one in the front yard and a small fake topiary in the house. I love fakes, but they've got to look real.
I love silks and other 'fakes'. There are such good faux flowers and such out there now.
Your arrangements are beautiful.
Lisa Q
I don't like fakes. But there is NOTHING wrong with using dried naturals. Also sticks, twigs, stones, shells feathers, sand, whatever is REAL - just please NO FAKES.
I don't mind a really well made fake flower if it is vintage in velvet or silk. Silk greenery is a no no with me. I much prefer real natural items. Hey, I'll take real any day, I just can't afford them every day, so I have to use a few stand in s from time to time.
They don't bother me so much. What bothers me is my real plants with dead brown leaves. Fake plants look better than dead plants.
I do like a stick arrangement, though. They make me happy.
-- Brandi
I love fakes. I used them in my wedding bouquet and for the maid of honor and corsages and boutenirs and they looked just fine!!
Fakes work fine in my home, too. Until,they get dusty.
Boy, looks like you hit on a hot topic with this. I was thinking about this same thing the other day.
While they're not my favorite, I think fakes definitely have a place. I guess I prefer to use fakes when it's obvious that they're fakes. Does that make sense? Like when they're stuck in a wreath. Obviously fake.
I had a neighbor who used to "plant" plastic flowers in her front beds. She said they looks just as pretty with none of the work. She was a sweet, quirky old lady so it worked for her.
Hi - i'm a frequent lurker and I can jump in with this one. I love to have fresh flowers whenever possible. It would be nice to have them everyday, but that is not feasible. I am not a fan of "fake plants" but I have seen many "faux" wreaths and floral arrangements that I love.
okay nester- we all need some additional guidance with this one. i am all about the fake- but i want them to look like yours! so how about helping a sista out with the next few posts being "what to do/what not to do" with regards to the fake?? love ya!
Totally depends on the faker in question. Once they start collecting dust, the effect is gone. I think they have to be super realistic and clean. That said, I only have a couple of fakers in my home, the real deal are sooooo much better, but not as affordable.
Nothing wrong with a well done fake. Phooey on HGTV anyway.
I love the fake grasses, pussy willows and basically all 'greenery' the most. In the summer, I try to have a vase of fresh flowers on my kitchen window sill, that I get free from my garden :)
Nester....I finally figured out what to do with my Iron Work Wall, I posted about it today, come see, come see :)
Thanks!
Bella
I think we all went a little crazy with the fakes in the '90s. We were cramming fake ficus trees in every corner. I think there has been a backlash against all that unnecessary silk and greenery because it had gotten so ridiculous. There is still a place for them, in moderation, imo.
I personally got rid of 99% of mine a few years ago. I decided I'd rather have empty spaces than dust catchers. -Julia :-)
I'm with you. I couldn't afford not to have fakes!! I can't wait to see what all you do with the fakes.
I have to admit, I'm very strongly anti fake plants...they typically just look so, well...FAKE! I do not, however, classify dried items in the same category--however you have to be careful with dried things...they can look dated.
~ Sarah
ok, I am a fake LOVER! but you really have to be careful. there are some REALLY UGLY things out there. I do wedding flowers. while fresh are lovely, in the heat of AZ, it's just stupid to expect them to look nice all day. so i am a big "silk" fan. I have even seen pointsettas in a Christmas tree. (as ornaments) very cool. if you need a Real Lift and have a tight budget- try placing a few fresh cuts in water tubes into you silk plants. or add silk blooms to your living green plants. and don't forget the beauty of a well made topiary. real ones have to be pruned. For those of us in the desert SW who love hydrangas, well, they don't even SHIP fresh here during certain times. whahhhh.
Doing fakes every now & then isn't that bad idea. Just think for funding every week. Well, if sky is the limit pockets, so NO WORRIES, at all.
I am a fake lover and I don't careless what others think of my likes. THey are beautiful...
But i do have 95% real plants inside §:-)) though
Greetings from Stockholm!
Very interesting! I am a "nature girl" myself and really appreciate a good looking faux! They kind where you ask if it is real. :o) However I do all my house cleaning so like to keep it to a minimum. :o) Thank you so much for having such a week! I needed this! :o)
Sincerely ~ Tricia Anne
eekkkk!! hate 'em
I have to say, I'm completely against fake flowers, although I can handle vintage silk or velvet roses, if they are incorporated into your decor in a believable way.
I think that fake plants are geting more and more realistic all the time - I think that there are definetly rules on how to use them (though what those rules are I'm not sure). I tend to like fake flower that aren't in the direct trafic pattern.
WOW! You really hit upon a controversial topic with fake vs real! I have a mix in my home. I have a real plant in every room where they will grow and thrive. I have a few fake flowers, but only the ones that look real. I have an orchid that you cannot tell is fake unless you touch it. I adore orchids, but have a brown thumb when it comes to the real ones.So, fakes are the best alternative there!
I think more people use a lot of fake and less real . I have a fall box full of fake I'll be getting out soon . I'll add little pumpkins later when I can get them . Your's is great . Mary
I combine fake and real flowers. I buy fake fillers and then buy one small bunch of real flowers. This time of year it's sunflowers. It's a good way to have real flowers without the expense.
You really can't tell the real from the fake in the arrangement.
~elaine~
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