Wednesday, April 16, 2014

A New Look in Avalon!

Who would have thought that a lightweight turtleneck and leather vest would be the perfect wear for a day at the beautiful Jersey shoreline of Avalon mid April?!! The highway was snow covered much of the way. Good grief!

Cold winds and blustery weather did not deter the delivery of two room of furniture for the complete makeover of our long time clients, Pat and Kathy Beach. Both Pat and Kathy were excellent assistants and Kelly, the Black-eyed Susan retail manager was my right hand today. The day was rewarding and the end result delightful!

The project began months ago with a new plan with included an entire change of pallet for the main floor. We selected the wall colors, new fabrics and patterns-an entire new look! Walt got busy transforming the rooms with deep navy and orange walls and ceilings last fall. Since then, the rooms have been waiting this day of delivery and we were not disappointed at the end of the day!

Cutest rug ever! Global Views, a wow vendor with plenty of style! We re purposed the coffee table and smaller accent tables with a favorite paint color. Chevron patterned chairs and this oh so Susan chevron navy and white vessel just make me smile!

Now this is what I call a stylish recliner. Orange. Oh. Yes. Comfort. Oh. Yes.

Coffee table magic. Succulents, tiny wood cuts, moss...what more could one want?!

Take a close look at these coolest ever chairs! Delish. And they are super comfortable too!
The plan all along was to replace this navy Corian countertop, but after the addition of pure joy (orange vases!) and these framed navy sea beauties, we are all on the fence. It all seems to make sense now!

Those of you who are followers know that I always admonish painted ceilings. Here is proof positive of painted walls and ceilings in semi gloss, no less! Again, that rug is just fabulous! (Take note of the pillows with fish motif!) Orange pillow accents to come...

A broad view of our cute room! Can I just say that recliner is the perfect union of style and comfort?! It's a keeper.

Now let's turn to Pat's office. Reverse the colors for the family room...now, orange walls, navy rug! This graphic flat weave grounds the room with punctuated pattern. And look at this art! Oh. My. This room would draw anyone in to sit down to pay a few bills!

In case you are ready for a comfortable place to read or a long chat with a friend, here are a pair of delightful zebra linen chairs! Warm Stone adds that bit of warmth to the room and just look at the perfectly colored wall clock! (Although I was a bit surprised at the time of day!)  


Definitely a room to love. Who wouldn't want to go to work here everyday?!



We took this existing display cabinet and painted it our impact color with the warm stone interior. I had this manzanita branches delivered yesterday from my wholesale florist and Patti (queen of the Black-eyed Susan stockroom) cheerfully painted them white for me! I had the vision of mostly white objects to fill the interior. The manzanita branches really made for the perfect look! White vases, succulents and miniature frames complete the look. Great re-purpose! I recommend it!



This is the top of the display cabinet. I really didn't relish selling this favorite mirror...somehow, I always imagined it at my house! Our covered books, more white vessels and Kathy's shore bird + a small white globe make an interesting vingette. I. Love. This.

Step into the house in this foyer. Kathy had the tennis rack vessel painted orange (!) and I suggested painting the treads and banister in a high gloss black! So perfect.This collection of tennis rackets are Kathy's since she was a young girl! How perfect.  The homeowner, Pat, stepped in to be my painter's assistant and he did this himself!   As long as I have known Pat, he can't resist getting his hands in the work. He is a man of industry and don't try to hold him back!      


The day was a complete success. Color, pattern, style. New Look. Good friends. Good help. What more could a designer ask for? Perfect day. Perfect client. Thanks, Kathy and Pat.


Tuesday, April 8, 2014

End of Market report!

I'm not sure what happened....late nights, early mornings and little time in between, I suppose. I always look forward to my market reports, as you do!

We had a particularly busy schedule and design load with current projects. Torrential rain hindered our progress one day, keeping us in one building for the most part of the day. Pink, coral in all shades, navy, white...all current trends and everywhere. Modernism still dominates design, but with fine taste and style.

As I travel home with a very late night arrival, I will post one photo that sums up the color of the market. And really, trust me when I say I have a blogging goal of more regular posts! I have so much to catch up on...weddings, parties, projects, design ideas and more! Have faith.


Coral, coral, coral...it's all about coral.



Sunday, April 6, 2014

High Point Furniture Market April 2014 Trend Report


 
April High Point spring market is always an anticipated trend show! In addition, the promise of a southern spring certainly is enticing, having had one of the worst winters in history for Pennsylvania!

to appease my followers, I'll just start out by saying that collectively, Linda and I are sharing about 20 pair of shoes for our four day trip. Well, what can I say? It's hard to know what the weather will encourage and back-ups are necessary!

Our first full day was spent catching glimpses of favorite showrooms, shuttling from one end of the town to the other. The wind was not our friend when it came to blowing skirts and hair, but the temperature was balmy enough to encourage endurance of such annoyances.

So, for days one and two, here are a few of our favorite trends...


Vanguard had their own version of coral...tradition meets hip! I'll take that.

Another Black-eyed Susan favorite pallet...lime, chartreuse and charcoal. So cool!

Another view! Yes.

Loving!



Teal and turquoise make heaven. Branches, definitely!

Fresh pallets were singing!



CRLaine sported lots of color, as usual. For those of you who know me, I'm all about color! Coral continues to be a strong influence. Look at this cool pattern. We just happen to be presenting this fabric in several ongoing projects at home!   hohome!