boho style: behind the screens

Way back in June my dear friend (and fairygodmother) Fifi O'Neill, asked if I'd be interested in creating a project for a new magazine she was developing called Boho Style. Of course! Fifi envisioned a portable multi-patterned backdrop that could be used to create a cozy space indoors or out.

I decided to use sturdy plywood and roped the hubs into helping.

I looked through my own stash of fabric and found some lively prints from Annette Tatum and Amy Butler that I thought would work well.

I also discovered a cool shop in Providence specializing in Boho called Restored by Design. The shop features A WALL of trimming and notions by color (which I knew in an instant must be from Nifty Thrifty Dry Goods, a seller I had remembered from a visit to Brimfield years ago)! I picked up some ball fringe, appliques and ribbons in a palette of dusty mulberry.

The uber-talented Matthew Mead signed-on to be the stylist and photographer. I decided the Cape Cod Lavender Farm would make a stunning backdrop. Turns out by the time our calendars allowed for the shoot, most of the lavender had been harvested but the grounds still made for a rich location.

Even in the shade, I swear it felt like 100 degrees shooting on that July afternoon on Cape Cod. I have to admit that I wilt in the heat but Matthew was so nice to work with. For the indoor part of the shoot, Matthew and I decided that he would bring "the prop" back to his studio in New Hampshire. I will never forget Matthew passing me on the highway and seeing the fabric-covered screens perched on the back of his pick-up truck, the silk flowers and ribbon flapping in the breeze. Makes me chuckle.

And now here it is -- all pretty in a two-page spread in January on pages 144-145 in the first-ever issue of Boho Style! Find the other page and the complete tutorial in the magazine.

SIDE PROJECT
If you look closely, you'll notice lime green lace draped over the screen: it's a MYRTEN lace curtain from Ikea. The best method (I found) for coloring these polyester panels is to soak them in a mixture of water and acrylic paint. Once there is even coverage, gently wring-out and hang outside to dry, then finish in the dryer alone.

Also look for my article Paint Magic about artist Debbie Dion Hayes of My Patch of Blue Sky, on pages 8-17!

Find Boho Style on newsstands (any minute now) or visit this link for ordering information. Find updates and additional peeks at the magazine on Facebook at BOHO STYLE, the Magazine by Fifi O'Neill.

Thanks for reading!

xo
elyse