Born in 1888, and with an interior design career spanning three decades, Frances Adler Elkins has been called “the first great California decorator.” Her interior design styles ranged from (and combined) art deco to country French, chinoiserie to modern. Even though she wasn’t especially known for including small or large planters in her designs, she was fond of carnations and often staged clients’ homes with them.

Tapered planters were originally designed to take advantage of the way plants grow, and to save water. These days, the elegant design of a gently tapered planter doubles as a classic piece of modern décor.

All designers know that the proper assessment of a home involves large- and small-scale planning. A home’s aesthetic, aside from its fundamental construction, is based largely on the proper selection of primary furniture items as well as the proper placement of those items.