Arte Italica - The Art of Setting a Table

Arte Italica honors the vision of its founder, Ann Skidmore, by offering the very best in quality and creative home decor design. Ann formed Arte Italica in 1997, as a response to her love of Italian history, culture, art and especially vintage pewter. Finding it difficult to acquire in the United States, she began importing this fine Italian pewter. Soon, she was designing and importing handcrafted ceramics, glass and bronze.

It's no secret that we love creating beautiful table settings. Give us any excuse to take out the fancy dishes and glassware and we are all for it. And pitchers! We love pitchers! They make such a great focal point on any table. One of our new favorites is the Tuscan Pitcher. This classic pitcher can be used for any holiday or special occasion. 

Tuscan Pitcher

Cocktail anyone? Imagine serving your favorite cocktail in the Sofia Cocktail Glass? We can! 

Sofia Cocktail Glasses

Shop the entire Arte Italica Collection 

Grandmillennial Style

Grandmillennial Style is old school design, traditional and classic in style, but with a fresh twist of youth. Instead of it looking like your grandmother would live there, it’s a youthful refresh on an old style that’s been around for centuries. It’s a look back at the best of Traditional design and giving it a fresh new twist and we love it! Shop our collection of Grandmillenial fabrics, wallpaper, bedding, lighting and decor. 

Grandmillenial Lighting at its best with the new Madcap Cottage Collection

We love bar carts and trays. So versatile and so much fun! Shop the collection. 

Best Galentine's Day and Valentine's Day Gift Ideas for 2022 (Plus, Our Favorite Galentine's Day Party Ideas)

 Valentine's Day is upon us! The bridge holiday that breaks up the winter doldrums, when it's too late for Christmas decor but too early to pull out our springtime decorations - thank goodness for Valentine's Day! In the past few years, Galentine's Day has become a new trend - it's a fun, informal way to celebrate your besties this time of year. 

Best Galentine's Day Party Ideas:

If you're getting together with your friends this year around Valentine's Day, here are some of our favorite party ideas. 

Make it a pajama party - everyone can wear their prettiest pjs! There's nothing like a fun pajama party, and this is a great way to recapture the feeling of slumber parties of years past. Shop pretty pajamas here. 

Give thoughtful favors. Everyone loves a party favor - our Seda France mini pagoda candles or Pre de Provence mini heart soaps are the perfect favors for a Galentine's Day party. 

Serve tasty snacks. Charcuterie spreads and finger foods are an easy way to feed your guests. Try our Country Home Slate Cheese Board for a rustic look. 

Serve a signature cocktail or mocktail. Our Pomegranate Cosmo mixer makes it easy - just add vodka and lime to garnish (or cherries if you're feeling extra fancy). Even better? You can have club soda on the side for guests to make a mocktail, too. 

Best Valentine's Day Gift Ideas for Her

We've compiled a curated Valentine's Day gift section with something for every lady on your list. 

Need inspiration?

For the decor lover: Get her a beautiful art piece or throw pillow from our Sugarboo collection. 

For the fashion lover: You can't go wrong with jewelry - we have plenty of affordable options. 

For your significant other: Our pajama section is a Valentine's Day best seller every year. 

For the spa lover: Check out our bath and body section for luxurious bath salts and scrubs. 

What Rug Is Right for You? How to Choose a Rug? | Our Ultimate Guide to Rug Types and Materials

 At Lavender Fields, we offer so many different types of rugs in a range of materials and styles: wool, cotton, indoor/outdoor, sisal/jute, and more. The biggest question we get from our customers is what type of rug is right for their unique space - what's cleanable, comfy, durable, and attractive for their home? 

We've put together this ultimate rug guide to answer all your questions. You can shop our rug collection online here, and if you'd like our help with interior design services, you can get in touch with us here. 

Wool Rugs - Durability, Comfort, and Beauty

Wool rugs are the ne plus ultra when it comes to quality, durability, and luxury in your home. They're made of natural materials, highly durable, have superior insulating properties and will last you for years and years. Their softness and beauty add that luxurious, high-end touch to your home. Wool rugs also hold dye well, allowing for rich colors. 

• If you have kids and pets and are concerned about keeping your rug clean, go with a lower-pile wool rug. 
• Wool rugs have good stain and water repellency. 
• Wool rugs may shed when they first arrive - you will need to vacuum them when they're first installed.

Where to use wool rugs: 

Wool rugs are a good option for anywhere you want a luxurious, cozy, and warm look. We like to use them in dining rooms, living rooms, and master bedrooms.

Shop the Dash and Albert Kota Indigo Rug online here

Shop the Dash and Albert Odyssey Blue Rug online here

Cotton Rugs: Casual, Lightweight, and Colorful

Cotton rugs are lightweight, easy to clean, and come in a range of fun colors and weaves. There's something for every style, from modern farmhouse stripes to bright and beachy colors to eclectic hooked styles. 

• Cotton rugs offer a lot of look at a reasonable price
• They're lightweight and casual, giving the warmth of a rug with a more lived-in feel

Where to use cotton rugs:

We love using cotton rugs in kitchens, whether under your kitchen table or a 2x3' in front of your sink. Many of our customers buy inexpensive 2x3' rugs to switch out in front of their sinks, laundry rooms, and bathrooms throughout the year! 

Cotton rugs are also a great look in a more casual beachy or farmhouse living room or bedroom, and make a fantastic runner up the stairs or down the hallway. 

Shop Dash and Albert Herringbone Dove Gray Woven Cotton Rug online

Shop Dash and Albert Olive Branch Cotton Rug online

Jute and Sisal Rugs: Natural, Durable, and Stylish

Jute and sisal rugs are wildly popular: they're stylish, durable, and work well across a range of styles. You can use them in a more traditional home to add a touch of modernity, place them in a farmhouse living room to add warmth without adding too much color, or choose a cool patterned one for an interesting statement piece. 

Jute and sisal rugs are also made of natural materials, making them an eco-friendly option. Sisal rugs are made from the agave plant, and jute rugs are made from the leaves of the Corchorus plant. Sisal rugs generally tend to be a bit coarser, whereas jute rugs are a bit softer. 

• Jute and sisal rugs are highly durable and are great in high-traffic areas
• They work well in every style of home.

Where to use jute and sisal rugs:

These rugs can be used anywhere: the answer really depends on your own personal style. Some people prefer an elegant wool rug in their formal dining room, but others might like a cool jute rug in an interesting color or pattern instead. Jute and sisal rugs tend to be a little more informal than a wool rug, but also come in many weaves, patterns, and colors - so have fun with it! 

 Buy Dash and Albert Hexile Hand Knotted Jute Rug online

Buy the Dash and Albert Jute Woven Seaglass Rug online

Indoor/Outdoor Rugs: Washable, Lightfast, and Pet-Friendly

Indoor/outdoor rugs have come a long way in the past few years. They used to be stiff and unattractive - something you'd be okay with having on the patio but never bring into your home. Today's indoor/outdoor rugs come in endless colors, textures, and styles, and you'd never know that many of them are even bleach-cleanable and virtually indestructible!

Many of our indoor/outdoor rugs are made of a material called polypropelene, which is bleach-cleanable. Indoor/outdoor rugs are also lightfast, which means you can place them in a sunny spot and the bright colors won't fade. 

P.E.T. indoor/outdoor rugs are similar to wool - they're very soft and durable underfoot. 

Where to use indoor/outdoor rugs:

These rugs can be used in many spaces besides your outdoor living areas. They're great for homes with kids or pets, where you want high style and high durability/cleanability. 

We love them in kids rooms, living rooms, dining rooms, and kitchens. 

Buy Dash and Albert Bowline Fuchsia Indoor/Outdoor Rug Online

Buy Dash and Albert Zhara Stripe Ivory Indoor/Outdoor online

Buy Dash and Albert Herringbone Linen/White Indoor/Outdoor Rug online

Do You Need a Rug Pad?

Yes, you really should get a rug pad (especially if you're investing in a more expensive rug). 

• Rug pads help with slippage - this is especially essential for cotton and jute rugs
• Rug pads can help prevent the underside of the rug from scratching your floor - this is especially essential for scratchier sisal rugs
• Rug pads help your rug feel cozier underfoot
• Rug pads also protect your floor from dirt and moisture, especially in high-traffic areas. If your kiddos or pets are running through the house a lot, they'll be pounding the carpet pretty hard - and that dirt (and sometimes moisture, in the case of wet shoes or paws) can pass through the rug to the floor. The rug pad helps absorb this dirt and moisture. 

Get in touch for interior design help and rug questions

Get in touch for help selecting your rug for your home here! 

Eight Ways to Refresh Your Home for the New Year

 Once the new year begins, it's always nice to give your home a deep clean and a decor refresh (especially once you take all the holiday decorations down and it looks a little sad and empty). We like to do a few January home refreshes every year to keep our home and our clients homes bright and fresh in the new year. Some of them are easy and inexpensive to do every year, and some can be done every few years when things like rugs and towels start to get a little worn out. 

Here's our list of new year home refreshes for every home style and a range of budgets: 

Toss any old, mostly-burned candles and replace them with new ones. 

We made this mistake a few years ago - we had a few "regular" candles that were pretty much almost worn out, but we didn't want to waste them. We switched them out for our seasonal holiday candles, and in January when we pulled out the sad, almost completely burned out candle jars that we'd packed away in November... well, it was pretty depressing. Our new rule was to finish burning all the regular candles before the holiday season so we could start fresh in the new year. 

Here are some of our favorite fresh scents for January:

Roote Baltic Candle: wintery, but not Christmasy

Farm + Sea Cozy Harbor Candle: smells clean and coastal

Milk Bottle Candles: Come in 12 scents, we like "Welcome Home" or "Clothesline Linen" for the new year

Treat yourself to new towels if your old ones have seen better days. 

If your bath towels have been looking a little sad and ratty, treat yourself to new ones for the new year. Experts usually recommend replacing towels every 2-3 years, or when you start seeing the threads fraying or pulling apart. 

Pro tip: don't use fabric softener on your towels! It affects the absorbency. We all wash our towels a lot, and if you're adding fabric softener each time, it will continue to coat the fabric and make your towels less and less absorbent over time. Wash your towels separately from other linens and clothing and skip the fabric softener in the towel load to maintain their absorbency. 

The towels we sell at Lavender Fields are high quality and should last longer than less expensive brands that you find at big box stores, if well cared-for over their lifespan. 

Pine Cone Hill's Signature White Collection is a best-seller. 

On a budget? Just replace your washcloths instead. 

Even our highest-quality washcloths start at just $10 each - you can replace those and get yourself a fresh stack of new washcloths for the new year for the price of one towel!

Pine Cone Hill's Adobe collection is ultra-absorbent. 

Check the hand soaps in your bathroom - do they need a refill or a replacement? 

What's the hand soap situation in your bathrooms? A fresh new soap can brighten the mood during the cold, dreary winter months.  If you're on a budget, we like to do a fancy soap in the powder room, even if you do a more utilitarian option in the other bathrooms in your home (even our fanciest soaps are under $15, so they won't break the bank). 

We have plenty of beautiful artisanal bar soap options - don't forget the soap dish! 

This generously sized foaming hand soap will last you well into the summer. 

Add a lavender bouquet or lavender bunch to your home for a natural, fresh scent. 

We have gorgeous dried lavender bouquets that will add an organically natural, fresh lavender scent to any space in your home. They're especially fragrant in small spaces like bathrooms, mud rooms, and entryways. You can get one for just $14. 

Place it in a basket on a shelf and let it fill your room with its fragrance. 

Treat yourself to crisp new sheets or bedding.

New bedding can be as budget-conscious as you'd like - we carry a range of bedding lines for many customers and price points, including Sferra, Pine Cone Hill, Designer's Guild, Matteo, Pom Pom at Home, Taylor Linens, Traditions Linens, and Peacock Alley.

You also can start small - perhaps you'd like to start with brand new pillowcases, or you just need a new mattress topper. 

Or, you can go all out and purchase an entire new bedding set. 

Some of our customers treat themselves to a new throw blanket every January, and put last year's in a guest bedroom or the living room. 

Throw pillows are another great way to jazz up your bedroom for the new year. 

Peacock Alley's monogrammed bedding is a perennial favorite - and it'll last you years and years.

A few pretty throw pillows are totally worth it. 

You can do a major splurge on a full set of Sferra's luxurious Italian bedding, or treat yourself to a gorgeous throw blanket. 

Nothing transforms a room like a new rug. 

If you want to do a little redecorating on a larger scale, think about a new rug - we have countless rugs available in endless styles. 

If you're on a budget, try a 2x3" rug in front of your kitchen sink or washing machine. Almost all of our Dash and Albert rugs come in this size. Many of our customers buy these inexpensive rugs to switch out for the seasons! 

Pro tip: don't skip the rug pad. It prevents slipping and will save your floors and your new rug. 

Try nontoxic cleaning supplies

We've searched far and wide to find nontoxic, pet-friendly, eco-friendly, vegan cleaning supplies that actually clean well and smell nice. Our collection of natural cleaning supplies will keep your home tidy and fresh smelling while avoiding harsh and dangerous chemicals that might trigger allergies or hurt your furry friends or little ones. 

Looking for more ideas to refresh your home? Shop our entire collection online here! 

An Interior Designer's Guide to Holiday Decorating for Every Style

It's the holiday season, and there are endless ways to decorate your space. Everyone has their own preferred holiday decor style - retro vintage, farmhouse, classic red and green. As designers, we recommend picking an aesthetic that you of course like, but also one that can be worked into your existing decor. 

This can be flexible, too - a modern farmhouse home can do a classic Christmas with tartan plaid blankets as easily as it can a white Christmas full of textures. When helping clients decorate their home for the holidays or stocking our shop with holiday decor, we always focus on a few different elements. For a cohesive look throughout your home this holiday season, try to keep most of these elements the same style. Don't be afraid to mix in personal heirlooms like Grandma's ornaments or your needlepoint stockings, even if they don't "match" - it's all about the mix. 

• Wreaths: The wreath is the first things guests see when they arrive, so you want to make sure it sets the tone for your decor. Our magnolia wreaths come in a range of styles. We like  Christmas traditions for a classic Christmas and Magnolia Elegance for a more neutral look.
• Throw pillows and blankets: This is the easiest way to switch up your holiday decor. For a rustic, cabin-like holiday feel, our Camp Christmas throw pillow is the perfect find. Add a throw blanket in a winter white or a deep cranberry red, or one in a wintery tartan, to warm up. the space even more.
• Holiday wall art: Our holiday wall tarps are fun ways to temporarily add a little festive cheer to your home. You can easily switch them out for your regular artwork when the holidays are over. 
• Holiday Tabletop: This is a great way to display your holiday style. You can go classic elegance with our Natale collection or try something bold and glamorous like our Blue Pheasant Valentina placemats. 
• Candles: Candles are an inexpensive and creative way to switch up your holiday decor. We carry candle lines that have gorgeous packaging, like the Seda France holiday toile candles that double as decor. 

Winter White Holiday Decor Ideas

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: velvet stockings | sferra fiore sham | arte italica merletto collection | pine cone hill parisienne velvet in dove white set | be my guest ruffled pillow | roland pine votive candle

Classic Christmas Holiday Decor Ideas

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Twas the night before christmas wall tarp | 6" boxwood wreath |  natale table runner | North Woods Shabby Chic Vintage Style Santa by Debi Coules | seda france holiday toile candle

Rustic and Cozy Holiday Decor Ideas

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: taylor linens aberdeen collection | english holiday estate magnolia wreath | parker boudoir pillow | camp christmas pillow | cedar lakes estate cabin candle