We often round off a finished interior or home staging with a touch of floral beauty.
We have discovered a special place that is home to such beauties in our town. And I would like to take you all there today.
Every season has its own characteristics, its own particular aesthetics. And it often happens that we want to bring a part of that home with us. Now we journey into the stillness of November, the yearning for some melancholy that lies dormant inside all of us and draws us to a mystical and mysterious place.
It starts with the pleasant memory of a walk hand in hand with the person you love. Into the neighboring forest, the morning fog gradually creeping up along the trees and faint rays of sunlight making their way through the branches, holding the promise of more light. The air is completely still, with the exception of the occasional crack of branches and the rustling leaves under our feet. The humid air, the scent of wet foliage and soil envelops us. Take a deep breath in... and out. In this steamy air.
Memories of days past. The laugh of a loved one who may not be with us anymore. But also the privilege of special encounters in the here and now. It’s a humbling experience. Especially now that people like to retreat and may want to hide from reality at times. A reality that with its rules and laws is taking away our joy in things that we once used to partake in free from case numbers and hand sanitizer. Enjoying life without a safety distance. Just being human.
As trees give way to cobble stone, we keep walking through the historic alleys of our beloved old town whose origins go all the way back to medieval times.
Fire, flooding and shore erosion have tested it time and again, but its industrious citizens rebuilt the town from the ruins every single time.
We enter the former Bourgeois residence on Kolinplatz.
It was built in 1665 by the apothecary Damian Müller from Lauried. Today, it’s under the second-generation leadership of Barbara and Jürgen Birchler, who, with the help of their team, put all their talent and passion into keeping pace with the changing seasons. A true treasure trove! Between lush bouquets of market-fresh and dried flowers, you can also find bewitchingly colorful butterflies and art prints of exotic insects. Pumpkins and other fall-themed ornamental vegetables of various shapes and colors. Imaginative vases and candles add their own poetic touch.
Open metal display cases hold large glass spheres that may hold the future for those with the special talent to see it. Rock crystal and other treasures complement the display.
The fascinating beauty of butterflies and beetles was preserved for eternity. Alone or in swarms, very life-like, framed behind glass or captured under glass bells. An inordinately large photograph of blossoms in razor-sharp definition adorns a deep blue wall. It plays with our feeling for proportions. All this was created with patience by artist Jürgen Birchler.
The Birchlers carefully designed the interior of this historical room to match the elements considered historic monuments.
Silver-painted ceilings and metal elements reflect the structures, colors and lights of their products.
If you take your time, you will discover many unique details. And if you’d like to witness the miracle of blossoms in the fall, just look at the multi-faceted chrysanthemum. In winter, we encounter the surprising range of colors of the regal Amaryllis or the exotic Protea. But also Magnolia grandiflora and holly with its bright red berries can invigorate your home in an elevated way.
It seems as though we have come to a magical place that lets us forget the outside world for just a moment. And the beauty of it is: you can take a piece of that magic home with you!
Be it for an art trove, a country house or a puristic interior: here we’ll find the perfect way to round off any space.
For wizards, dreamers, wiccans or bankers.
Nous sommes arrivés à la maison Bellefleur!
My heartfelt thanks to Barbara and Jürgen Birchler for their time and for letting me photograph many beautiful treasures.
