Mantel Magic

*Set your fireplace for spring with rustic accents, including distressed flowerpots, antique metal containers and weathered garden edging, layered along the mantel.

* Make a bold statement in front of the hearth with a big galvanized boiler filled with fragrant blossoms.

* Crown a towering pillar with a decorative birdhouse to draw attention to a formerly empty corner.

This room was featured in the March 2005 issue of Country Sampler Magazine.

Party Favor

* When having a springtime dinner party or afternoon tea with the girls, give away fresh lavender or violets in lightly whitewashed terra-cotta pots.

* Attach a personalized tag or garden stake to turn the party-favor pot into a place card.

* Add another dimension to your place settings with wicker chargers that bring texture and natural flair into your tablescape.

This room was featured in the March 2007 issue of Country Sampler Magazine.

Flower Bed

* Invite garden style indoors by installing a valance made from a length of garden edging that looks like a picket fence.

* Top off the same window with a shelf loaded with watering cans, birdhouses and a galvanized bucket filled with dried hydrangeas.

* Install small trellises above decorative shelves to add dimension and texture behind your favorite garden-themed treasures.

This room was featured in the May 2006 issue of Country Sampler Magazine.

Seeing Clearly

* Join together two salvaged windows and fit them with a simple board to create a unique wall shelf to hang in any spot that needs some outdoorsy flavor.

* Display other garden accents, such as bird’s nests, bee skeps and worn terra-cotta pots, to enhance the irresistibly weathered charm of the shelf.

This room was featured in the March 2005 issue of Country Sampler Magazine.

Sitting Pretty

* When repurposed as a coffee table, a white wicker trunk evokes outdoor flair in a living room.

* Top off your trunk-turned-table with a rustic birdcage, an antique hand rake and a wood box filled with blooming bulbs.

* Dot your decor with dried herbs arranged in heart-shaped wreaths, sprouting from miniature pots and bundled in a bouquet on the coffee table.

This room was featured in the May 2006 issue of Country Sampler Magazine.

For the Birds

* Make the most of a sunny windowsill by arranging on it a terrarium holding a pretty violet and an adorable ceramic bird figurine.

* Display another bird to the side of the terrarium to create a sense of flow for your vignette.

* Give a trailing ivy in a bright-colored pot a boost by placing it on an upside-down basket.

This room was featured in the May 2006 issue of Country Sampler Magazine.