CUSTOMIZED TRESS

CUSTOMIZED TRESS
Considerations
Plan: Take along photographs and measurements to help designers create a tree that meets your needs.
Price: The more realistic and taller the tree, the higher the price. It's not unusual to pay more than $400 per tree.
Placement: Think about furniture. If the tree goes behind a chair, branches and leaves should not interfere with sitting areas.
Volume: Thick, full plants look best with traditional interiors. For modern decor, think lean and sparse.
Shape: Some want a tree to dramatically sway a certain way so it looks cool from their spot on the sofa or from outdoors if it is in front of a window.
Scale: Trees and tall plants should not touch the ceiling and should not be level with the furnishings.
Style: Choose containers and top dressings that complement colors and furnishings. A porcelain pot filled with bark fits in with traditional interiors. An iron urn filled with black rocks looks stylish in modern rooms.
Sources: Sue Reinertson, National Equipment Co.; Bryan Messmer, Stay Green Silk Plants; Mark Sudermann, Madden-McFarland Interiors