Dome of delight

Perhaps I watched too much Beauty and the Beast as a child (you know the scenes with the rose inside the glass dome), but there is something quite magical about an object placed within a glass dome. For some reason, whatever you place inside the confines of glass becomes much more beautiful than it was before.

Holly Marder for Love, Thomas

Perhaps the beauty comes from the glass protecting the treasure inside. Or the fact that the dome gives the item inside a kind of stage to be presented on, where one can admire the item in it’s entirety without the interruption of surrounding objects. Or perhaps the glass created a soft view of the object inside. Whatever it is, a glass dome creates a delightful little world that encapsulates the beauty of the object inside.

I fell in love with the idea while photographing a gorgeous home in the Netherlands for Houzz (see the feature about the house here). I loved the way the home owner, Tessa from Delft-based interior design company Nu Interieur|Ontwerp, creates a harmonious composition using simple objects, such as plants.  Her domes have a Scandinavian charm about them too, which I also love.

Holly Marder for Houzz

Holly Marder for Houzz

Holly Marder for Houzz

A glass dome looks fabulous as a decorative item, particularly on a bookshelf or mantelpiece. What is so lovely about this decorative detail, is that you can switch the item inside any time to suit your changing surroundings.

Left: Little Bird Vintage; Right: Style Spook

Place a few small treasures underneath, such as a spool of string, a feather and a few buttons, and you will have a delightful vintage-esque display. Trust me. Whatever you choose to encapsulate in your glass dome, it will look far more beautiful than ever before. It’s almost magical!

Left: Little Shop of Horrors; Right: West Elm

Place fresh flowers inside a glass dome for a beautiful, simple table decoration. This is a fabulous idea for a wedding table arrangement!

Happy Friday!

Love, Holly