I will blog more often.

So sorry dear friends for my lack of blogging – lots going on here at the studio and it took longer to move the blog over to the website than planned.  As my life of mom to a 6 and 8 year old, owner of a small design firm, and wife to Mr Wonderful keep my life a little schizo, I am sure you can relate.

For now, here is my latest inspiration from my own back yard and hope that my New Years Resolution of blogging once a week (at least) will be renewed, just like my own little slice of heaven has been – check out the beautiful wisteria.

Hope your Easter was a blessed one….

As a result of many hours spent inside this month, many of my clients have decided it’s “out with the old and in the with the new” when it comes to the upholstered pieces in their family rooms.

We often have questions about how to buy these pieces, so here are a few of my favorite tips and furniture styles.  We are offering 10% off through the end of January on select pieces, so if you’re looking to purchase, now is the time.

Style:  Timeless is the key here.  Look for a classic style that will fit you and your family for years to come.  This is an investment, so spend wisely.  Go trendy on pillows, not on the entire sofa.  Think neutral for the base and add pop with the accents.  Below are a few of my favorites from Pearson Furniture.

Fill and Frame:  I recommend that you don’t go with 100% down fill - too much fluffing and not much satisfaction in the end.  I prefer a foam core with a down wrap.  This gives you the comfort and the form you need to keep that piece looking fab through the years.  We sell 8-way hand tied frames and always will recommend quality over price.

Trust your salesperson:  If you aren’t asked your seating preferences or height of family members, this person doesn’t know what they’re selling.  If the seat is too deep, you will feel like Alice in Wonderland.  If it’s too short, your husbands’ knees will be up around his ears…..buy from an experienced firm when purchasing your investments.

Dating 101:  When you are pairing sofas and chairs, it’s important that they can live together comfortably.  Style, back height, arms and legs are all important.  An experienced designer will combine skirted pieces with legs and coordinating finishes.  The same goes for the accessory pieces such as lamps, tables and ottomans.  A well coordinated room “sings” – you know it when you see it.  I love these pieces from Barclay Butera, Hickory White and Visual Comfort as companions.

When to buy:  Often January – March is one of the best times to buy upholstery.  Manufacturers are preparing to launch their new fabrics and styles for Spring and there are deals to be had.  It will also allow you to have a fresh new look come spring and give you that update that is well deserved.

Give us a call to answer any other upholstery questions you might have.  I would LOVE to assist you in breathing fresh life into your rooms.

We installed 2 homes with new furnishings, drapery and art just before the holidays.  I am also excited to show you our latest project which should install in February.  I will send a few sneak-peek shots once we complete the accessories on both jobs.  

I am most excited about the multiple requests we have received this week for updated furnishings.  I have said it before, but its worth repeating – OLD WORLD IS DEAD.  In our market, we often see a trend that wears out it’s welcome in the suburbs and I would say Old World is it.  By that I mean:  Brown everything – drapes, leather sofas, hardwood floors and then adding more dark details and fake floral arrangements.  Stop it!!  You know who you are. 

What we see clients wanting is a lighter, fresher look and we have included some of our new favorites when it comes to changing your look for 2010. 

Paxton Sofa- Clean lines and great hardware detailing

Pair this Bel Air Ottoman in front of a sofa or at the foot of a bed

This great King Size upholstered bed bridges the gap between clean lines and aged finishes - love it!

Try this nightstand next to your bed for a little light and lots of storage

A little traditional tufting and clean lines bring the chaise into NOW. This would be great next to the fire or in your master sitting area.

I love this light airy direction we are headed in for 2010.  These are our new favorites and they would look amazing in your space.  Stay tuned for more new favorites in fabrics and upholstery.  We have lots of new vintage finds to share with you. 

We have also begun our holiday design push.  This means lots of consultations with new and existing clients on how they can create a stunning holiday decor to entertain friends and family….there are also those who have waited to the last minute to replace that sofa and we are updating family rooms, too.

I will post more of our High Point trip next week, but wanted to leave you with this feature in the local LIVING magazine that many of you receive in your local newspaper.  This is a room we did for Dallas Market Center’s “Home for The Holidays”.  This is a fun take on festive and shows that you don’t have to use traditional red and green when designing for the holidays.  Get inspired and begin planning now….time is running short.

Soicher Marin had some great new items at incredible price points that were fun, inspiring and thoughtful.

Wendover showed great botanicals and abstracts again and these are a few of our favorites. 

We also saw these magazine cover shots – these would be great for a girls bedroom.

We LOVED everything at Natural Curiosities and these displays were amazing.  These would be great in a study, entry hall or even an office lobby – stunning to say the least.

As you can see, our walls will be full of beautiful art and you will see some of these items in upcoming projects.  If you are ready for a change, these are right up your alley and we were so happy to see that all of our art vendors have offered great pricing with new introductions.  There is something for every price point and I LOVE to give art as a gift.  These are wonderful additions to any collection. 

Stay tuned for the great furniture pieces in our next post.

Denise

Here are my thoughts:

1.  Clean lines and less fussy styles.  This means “less acanthus leaf and gilding and more simple details”.

2.  The basics are still the basics.  What I mean here is that the great sofa you bought 8 years ago will still work, we just need to recover or purchase another one like it with less fussy fabric and trims.

Great Form on Classic Pieces

3.  Re-color and re-style.  Take that great chair and finish it in a glossy lacquer and recover with mohair or suede in a bold color.

4.  Stay true to what works.  If you love seagrass, then it’s still “in” for you.  If wool is your style, then keep those antique rugs and revive the wall color instead. 

Finally, every one of us has our own style and if you work with a designer that recognizes it, you can be successful in creating the new “new” for you.  It will be different for each of us, but we all need a refresh before this holiday season is upon us.

We will be at High Point from Friday through Tuesday of next week and I will hold our posts until I can show you all the great items we will bring back for you.  Stay tuned for inspiration!!

Denise

Colors for fall often translate into the Holiday season and you can pair warm autumnal tones like mustard and spice with beautiful lime green and reds on tables and pillows.  New pillows can transform your space almost immediately and along with a few selected accessories, you can have a new look quickly.

I like to change out my seagrass rugs for wool and move lamps around in my home.  My amber-colored lamps with gold shades make their way back into our main living areas and the table arrangements have pumpkins and gourds as centerpieces again.

Think about changing out your duvet cover, adding that great cashmere throw and new throw pillows in the bedroom.

Begin planning for holiday functions again by setting up appointments with your design team to transform your home with fresh greenery, wreaths, table arrangements, and mantlepieces. 

This will transition you from Thanksgiving to Hanukkah or Christmas in style and you can leave the stresses to your team to manage.

Our studio will also be making it’s holiday debut soon, so look for beautiful new colors to transform our space and prepare all of you to be inspired to design.  

We are leaving next week for High Point Furniture Market and I hope to come back with lots of new ideas for all of you.  Stay tuned for inspiration.

Denise

I met so many great dealers, learned about “junking”, and had a great time with friends and family.

Lavender table linens with beautiful Lavender china – breathtaking.  These were at Clutter, a great shop with lots of small, unique items displayed with great flair.

They also had interesting groupings of product for every interest group.  Fifties modern furniture, botanical prints, large letter signs, dishes, etc.  Best of all they had a little Airstream Trailer outback serving yummy coffee drinks, gourmet sandwiches and teas.

We also met Pandora de Balthazar who had the most incredible linens shop.  Set up like most of the other vendors in a tent, this was elegance extraordinaire.  She had antique linens, fabulous headboards, lamps and furniture.

After linens and accessories, we found a great lunch spot …

Lunch Spot - looks like an oasis in the desert!

and began the walk through the furnishings  and rug area.  One of my favorites here was John Grafe Antiques from Jackson, MS.  Great finds at this stop and wonderful quality – it shows!

Look at this great Vintage Ice Bucket…

I was so sad to leave and we didn’t come close to seeing everything, as the show goes on all this week and Round Top will open Marburger Farms and The Red Barn later this week. 

This shot shows how I felt when I got home….tired, but happy with our new dining room rug.  This was a great show and we will definitely be attending in the Spring.  Who knows, we may even bring a few clients along if they can be focused and ready for fast decision making!!