Coming Soon

For all my style-watchers, it won't be long before our great finds start coming through the back door...(sorry, Connie!).

Graphic rugs
watches
Shag rugs
Ceramic vases
orchids
succulents
Bamboo vases
Orchids
Succulents
Colored glass vases
Orchids
Succulents
Ceramic vases
Orchids
Succulents
Exotic foliages
Scarves
Art, art, art-new resources
Bird themed anything
Mirrors
Jewelry
Lanterns
Trays
Mosses
Tablecloths
Bedding
Monogrammed door art
Stones
Cloches
Deer heads
Wreaths
Door baskets
End tables
Clocks
Cocktail tables
Chests
Hydrangeas
Myrtle topiaries
Necklaces
Earlings
Taupe dishes
Burlap anything
Baby hats
Spheres
Lamps
Braclets
Roses
Texting gloves
Belts
Branches
Did I mention orchids and succulents?

Come in soon to see the goods. Wow. You're going to love it.

Dark circles, humid hair days, lifeless smiles and worn out feet pre-empted any possibility of a self-portrait. You may want to check my Pinterest boards for some previews....

Atlanta Market Report...winding down.

About this time in our Market work, everything has lost it's appeal. We wander into showrooms that early in the trek would excite...now they just seem "ok".  I can always tell when we've seen enough and the offerings are not keeping our interest. Generally these last few days are spent filling in the blanks and doing the last minute sources for special projects and retail operation.

On a positive note, the halls are filled only with the die-hards. The elevators are easily called and you aren't touching elbows with the masses. Sadly,the showrooms are no longer offering lunch or snacks. It's time to go. One more day.

Most of my followers know of my love for plates as art. Even with the trend towards modernism, I love my plates! Today I found these warm stone colored plates that will allow to add a wall of plates as art into some of my current design plans. I can't wait! (Of course, they can be used for dining as well...).

I'm skipping to something else....blogger is totally not cooperating tonight. Ugh. I ordered these bamboo containers in three colors...orange, peacock and chartreuse!!! I have the warm stone ones in the store right now. They are fabulously light and very affordable. All good.

 

The same cool Canadian firm had these metal retro stools in grey, white and orange high gloss enamel. The shorter ones are sooooo comfy for me! They were rather expensive and I considered them an indulgence as an office expense, so I passed but still drooled over them.

Back to my plates and platter...check out this cool shape to go along with the dinner and salad plates. These will make the perfect wall of art with some of the upholstered furniture I have in currently. Or....maybe they'll end up at my home in the new look! (You can have them too....just let me know!)

...closeup to show correct color. Yes. I'm loving these.

 I ordered these burlap place mat it printed patterns! They're very inexpensive and when treated they will last for several events. Of course, the perfect colors of warm stone and natural burlap. Watch for these to be coming in soon. About $6.00 each.

 On our list of needs was bedding for a 15 year old young man. Now that's a difficult assignment! Nothing too metro, nothing sweet, nothing too young...there are many restrictions. When we found this ensemble, (or parts of it...no fleur de lys or Ikat for this boy), we felt like we struck oil! Chevron pattern in ivory and charcoal. We intend to add orange into the mix for some great accent pillows. The room is also painted charcoal.

Hope you like it, Blake!

 If you recall the Bucks County Designer Room I designed, this pillow fabric was my draperies for the room. What do you think of these striking drapery panels in horizontal stripes? Love. Them. I'm thinking something like this for my new family room look...perhaps.

 Our last stop was to select tissue for the summer and Holiday season for the retail packaging. We followed the trend and added these dusty aqua's, metallic teal and silver dots for Holiday 2012.

 For summer, this stylish aqua hounds tooth and coordinating raffia ribbon. Who wouldn't want to receive a gift like that?!

 We added this orange dot for the summer as well. I neglected to get a photo of the two of us today, but you would have appreciated the color coordination...Linda in a coral voile blouse and black/white

 50's inspired full skirt with coral platforms...me in a grey and orange chevron maxi skirt and charcoal cardi. It was a sweet color story!

Tomorrow will be a short day. We have a few showrooms to hit and then we plan to leave a bit early to stop at a wholesale/retail favorite for pillows and current fabrics. Time permitting, we'll most likely make a stop at the Atlanta H&M for some personal style!

Till tomorrow. See you on Pinterest!

Day 5 Style Picks

I love my blog! Blogging lets me share inspirations and express the joys of creativity. 

 We had a busy day today indeed. 61 photos later, I have edited the pool and will share the inspirations of the day.

 SO many inspirations today! 

There are always market trends in color. I know I've said that we are almost always ahead of the curve...but really, I painted my Buckingham location SW Yam (a great orange) almost 30 months ago! Recently, Pantone named their color of the year as a particular orange, and this market two colors predominated...

 ORANGE!  What's not to love?!  Check out these high style ottomans.

Orange, taupe (always a significant neutral) and white. Contrast, strong drama... style. That orange chair is calling my name as well. I'll get to the other significant color a bit later.

Strong contrast was abundant throughout most color stories. This season is not for the faint of heart in regards to color. Lime and eggplant. A most traditional print ( chinoisery toile) is shown in modern colors with a graphic print. Now that's a way to spin traditionalism with a modern twist.

 I love this settee shown in grey linen with nail head accents. The fan back shape and slight curve of the seat in simply engaging. I think this would be so fabulous in the curve of a large foyer staircase instead of the expected round table. Hmmmm. Who will do it?!

 How about this French inspired coffee table, combining a rather rustic cabriole leg with a reclaimed top? The size was what really gives it personality---about 6 feet long and 24" wide. This is a perfect fit to marry transitionalism with modernism. (Note the teal sofa in the background). Oops! There it is, the other significant color-Peacock. 

 

 Here is a great view of the juxtaposition of these styles. The color didn't translate very well from my photo, but peacock is an apt description of the true color. Over one year ago, I had a great project in Yardley, Pa. using this strong contrast color in a truly exciting design project for a visionary client. It was a bit outside the box then, but oh so current now. Love. It.

 Once again, chartreuse enters stage right. I have a client in a wonderful historic farm house who is looking for a piece of furniture for a large stone foyer (a room in itself). This may just be it!

 These beauties are coming in soon! I've had them before,but as previously stated, the trend wasn't fully embraced. Now, yes. Watch for them to appear in my windows soon! (I may take my pick first before offering them to my following).

 Several shapes and sizes...great color. No fail formula.

 I wanted to show this grande drum chandelier (check out the rope "chain") with this 10 foot table in order to show the scale. Burlap shade! Oh, that organic feel. Another style not to be ignored.

Could I possibly replace one of my vintage crystal chandeliers with such a statement?! Perhaps.

 At the end of the day, we met with a favorite resource for style! These large format photos framed in rustic reclaimed wood just stole my heart- all personal family photos taken by the owner of the firm and coll aged to make a real statement-a great statement!

This design would be perfect for a large foyer or rear hall, two story great room...perhaps the master hall or sitting room. If you have the perfect place for these, give me a call. I can't wait!

 I reordered these creative tea towels. You may have seen them previously in my merchandise mix. Watch for them to come back again, along with several new offerings from this cute designer. 

 The organic look is yet another trend that has made its mark. Look at these storage boxes made from reclaimed wood. I would have loved to have that mud room box in the day of my young motherhood life. *sigh*

But you can still have them! Give me a call.

Lastly, at the end of the day, I found this covetous item. That's me standing next to the stallion just to show you the size. It's a bit difficult to tell, but it is entirely coated in charcoal glitter...a good example of glitter gone wrong. 

You too, can own this for a mere $9000.00. I'll be waiting for your call.

Tomorrow, day 6. More style searching.

Style Report Day 4-All About Color!

Our goal today was to cover four full floors of our favorite showrooms. Lofty.

As we were heading towards the elevators, we took a look at some display windows spotlighting new products. We were drawn to this interesting lamp...

 (closeup of shade)

 How many should I order?!

 

 We always come prepared to source special needs for clients. I found this spectacular over sized lidded urn in the most fabulous sea salt color...so breathtaking. I can picture it in her dramatic foyer on either side of the front door. (Hope she likes it as much as I!)

 I placed an order for these cream-ware oval compotes. The modern design brings them into the here and now. Can you just picture these filled with mosses and succulents? Yes, please.

 As I stated, color reigned the day. Those of you who know me well, know that I wasn't disappointed in this bevy of beauties. Chartreuse soldiers of drama. Aaah.

 In the world of design, wall coverings are making a big come back in a very graphic way. I could really live with this one. Slate gray, modern, dramatic. Love. This.

We came across these modular cube tables. Exciting colors! Taupe, orange, grey. They are marketed to mix and match...you purchase multiple tables in one solid color and then re-stack-thus, the mix and match!  The high lacquer finish was perfect! A bit price-y, but definitely a consideration . High style.

 Last market, the trend of sculptural art like this was just beginning to emerge. We saw more of it today and I quite like it! I have had several porcelain flowers at Black-eyed Susan since I used them in the Bucks County Designer House in May. (See earlier post.) I've reordered them multiple times. Watch to see these soon at my store. It's a great alternative to framed wall art. (For more ideas on "My Idea of Art" check out my Pinterest board with this title).

 How would you like this glamorous leaded glass as a centerpiece?! It was filled only with a number of heart shaped exotic leaves in graduating lengths. (There's a little distraction behind it with the orange...but what better color to distract?!)

 There is still a large influence of French inspired furniture. The mix of this classic style punctuated with modern accents is so stylish! I took notes on this great cupboard with French wire doors for a project I'm just beginning in Bucks County. Pale grey blue, slightly distressed and with dramatic height. It's perfect.

 Towards the end of the day, we stopped in another rug showroom and landed on this taupe and citron Ikat design rug! Kristy, this could be you! Great sizes and prices-good combination. I love a good deal as much as the next person. Success.

Here's another example of the power of color. You've heard me say before that "paint is my magic wand"...look at this! Persimmon accents. I'll also tell you that any stag, deer, or moose with horns is an important motif currently. We saw loads in all colors and sizes. I just finished a dining room project for a favorite client . We hung a wall full of assorted white ceramic safari mounts. Pretty cool! I'll post some photos of that soon.

I also spent some time musing on ideas for my own home re-style. There's so much stimulating stylish options out there. I can't wait and I'm sure you'll enjoy the progress reports as I move forward.

Another successful day and a few more to come. Stay tuned for more pure style.

Annual July Birthday Celebration!

For the past 18 years, Linda and I have celebrated her birthday together while in Atlanta at the July Market! Only one year in all those was spent apart, and that was when she went to Italy with her husband...I was both sad and glad. 

She spends her day with me, working the day away...not with family. I always appreciate her sacrifice and try to plan some kind of a special day that makes a bit of a celebration while we continue the trek.

 

Today, we started our day with a good breakfast at our favorite Corner Bakery. Today was the opening of the Cash and Carry Jewelry Show. As I have mentioned in previous posts, it's a true frenzy. We hit our favorite vendors and tried to spec several new ones for variety. It's a full day of fighting the masses, standing in lines and overusing the debit card. Today, it resulted in a freeze on my debit card from the bank. I expect that suspected fowl play in an out of state location. Good and bad.

We found these "texting" gloves! Basically, fingerless gloves that keep you a little warm,but allow you to text with ease.

We came back with great finds and a heavy load we were anxious to set down. 

We turned in for the day a wee bit early and headed to Buckhead, a beautiful suburb of Atlanta, for a birthday celebration dinner.

Our choice was Bistro Niko. It was a recommendation from one of our sales reps. We were unaware that it was a French Restaurant! I took a few photos of the night to share.

 

Cute French bistro chairs to set the stage...

 

 This is the guest of honor! Happy Birthday, Linda. My dear friend of 25 years. Here's to 25 more.

 

 We loved the long aprons worn by all the waiters and serving staff!

We sat outside and enjoyed a very breezy dinner. It started to rain and it cooled down dramatically, but we were safe under the canvas awning.

 

Water was served in this ice cold carafe.No ice, typical French style.

 ,

I was thrilled that we were served butter on this tiny butter plate. (I guess it's safe to say you can see that we ate all of our butter...) How many WW points is that?...Those of you who know me well, know that I have a penchant for butter pats. This was not a fancy one, but a butter pat non the less! We left the fries in exchange for the butter on our baguette.

 

Linda chose a skirt steak and I choose flank steak. We had a dessert to share and called it a fun celebration!

Tomorrow is day 4. Lots to accomplish on our list. It will be all about accessories, art and finding things to inspire my Black-eyed Susan shoppers. 

Such friends are not common. Linda is a treasure and a icon of style in every way. I am blessed to spend each Birthday with her and I am happy for the eternal nature of our friendship.

The Power of Pattern

 Pattern is making such a statement in Interior Design! It's pretty exciting too. Today, we spent the day shopping and selecting rugs for my retail store, Black-eyed Susan (and a few for my new personal interior project at home!)

Like many of my clients, my house of 10 years really needs a face lift. There is nothing that doesn't match or isn't interesting...that being said, it's just not stylish anymore! Traditional patterns have given way to modern graphic patterns. The new neutral is greige instead of gold. Pops of color give interest in accents and bold wall coverings. Where a few years ago, it was just emerging and showing a "trend", today it is full blown style. I like style! I'm feeling like right now, there is nothing stylish about what I am living with, so I'm changing that. You can watch for more details about that.

My friend and sales rep, Barbara, helped me jump in today with a vast selection of graphic rugs, all sizes, colors and patterns. I purchased a great selection for the store as well, so my clients and followers can jump on board too!

In the intensity of the day, I left my camera tucked in my rolling cart...at the end of the day I flogged myself for such silliness.  I texted Barbara and she sent me a few photos. I hope you'll watch the retail floor as it changes seasons and incorporates a nice selection of new rugs-all styles and colors, something for everyone. Prices are great and selection will not be beat. We'll have a bevy of professionals to help you make selections and a fantastic catalog of additional choices for quick delivery and immediate gratification.

The second part of my day was spent oooohing and aaaahing over the most fabulously stylish and realistic succulents ever! Really. They just keep getting better. I had a difficult time resisting any of them and walked away with a great selection that will be exciting to incorporate with our 4th quarter mix.

Lastly, we came up with an alternative to our famous signature wreaths. About six months ago we stopped offering our custom designed signature wreaths. After repeated requests, and realizing that our customers were not very happy with that, I came up with the idea of creating showy door baskets that can be changed out with seasonal impact floral selections. I designed my offerings for fall, holiday and spring today! I'm excited to share the first design with you as soon as they arrive.

Here is a quick look at some of the pattern direction and color in rugs, indoor and out.

Tomorrow...Cash and Carry Jewelry! I'm coming home with a stash.

Got to get bed earlier tonight to be ready for the onslaught tomorrow.

    bold color and pattern...eggplant, orange and graphite

These rugs are outdoor rugs! Once a gain, bold pattern reigns.

And just to let  you know, we are not to be left out...take a look at our closet! Bold colors... and graphic design! It's all about style.