Plants and Blooms Reimagined - Carved Rosette Decorative Door Panel (architectural detail)
Inspiration Description:
The exquisite floral carvings, signature artwork of the six decorative double door panels incorporated into the mansion’s second floor, was uniquely inspiring because 1) with florals, the carving gives life to, makes beautiful, and elevates what is perceived to be a very mundane and solely serviceable aspects of our lives -- the door -- to its true level of importance as one of the more powerful symbols throughout time; and 2) in alignment with the philosophy and practice of Plants and Blooms ReImagined, the carved florals, with the intentionality of permanence, will be reimagined as a new and extended expression of beauty and giving!
The wood itself inspired what would be the design’s dominant expression of the color green, as wood -- one of the five elements in Chinese culture – is denoted by the color green, symbolizing growth, expansion, vitality, health, and prosperity. The mission and work of Plants and Blooms ReImagined is in large part a wood experience!
Lastly, the encircled nature of the floral carvings was one additional source of inspiration, in that the integration of the circle may have been the artist’s ultimate embedded message – one of universality, sacredness, eternity, wholeness, unity, inclusivity and so much more! Thus, the circular composition of the design, inclusive of florals and plants, reflective of the significance of each in the work of Plants and Blooms ReImagined.
Art Description:
Description: Decorative door panel
Artist/Creator: Little and Browne, Architects
Date of Creation: 1905
Location: second floor Olmsted Gallery
This handsome hand-carved panel is the carved centerpiece from one of six sets of matching wooden double doors on the second floor of Anderson House.
Plants and Blooms Reimagined, Kaifa Anderson-Hall, Founder and CEO:
Plants and Blooms ReImagined believes that the beauty, joy, inspiration and healing power of nature’s gifts of indoor plants and cut-flowers should be experiences shared by all. As a 501c3 nonprofit, Plants and Blooms ReImagined was envisioned to be the source of these gifts of nature for those DC area residents who too often go without and the benefits derived from nature connections. Its mission is to increase personal enjoyment and enhanced well-being for under-resourced and other marginalized groups in the DC region through the gifting and therapeutic application of repurposed (reimagined) cut-flowers and donated indoor plants.
Plants and Blooms ReImagined maintains sustainable relationships with businesses and individuals committed to socially conscious and environmentally responsible end-of-use practices. It works in partnership with a wide array of public and private service providers and community organizations to ensure maximum giving, as well as to grow awareness and adaptation of plant-based activities and programs to enhance the overall well-being of those they serve.
As a result of public and private relocations and downsizing, many are choosing to donate indoor plants to a worthy cause. Plants and Blooms ReImagined receives such donations and similarly repurposes them – donating them to social service agencies and other community organizations, as well as employing them as part of its therapeutic work.
Website: https://www.plantsandbloomsreimagined.org/p/home.html
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bloomin318/