A Successful Ending...and, a little sad!

The 2009 Bucks County Designer House came to an end today. It is always a little bittersweet when the house closes. So many hours has gone into the design and presentation, then we staff the room and "live in it" for a month. It's easy to become attached and feel a true ownership of the room. This one felt particularly warm and calm. The response was overwhelmingly good . All in all, it was a great experience and being only a few miles from home helped as well!

I lingered and took these final stills of some of my favorite areas. (Feel free to skip over, as you will see, I had a lot of favorites!) These shots are also for permanent documentation of a project I put my heart into. I really love this room.

One of my favorite bookcase vignettes, featuring vintage books, favorite framed spectacles w/button and tiny round bulls eye mirror.

Another favorite bookshelf featuring vintage books, clocks and a very fond old framed hound.



Poor lighting didn't help this shoot! More books, buttons (in abundance throughout my room, and I simply adore these old pigeon trophies. The art, a framed card of buttons from a Paris flea market.



One of the other bookshelves framing the mantle. I painted all the entire bookcase/mantle wall my favorite black-Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black. Look at these hand carved fish, more old books, an old trophy soldered, and sent by my father for one of my birthdays, and an old Polish document as framed art. These bookshelves remind me of this quote,"Sorry to appear insistent, but I must have my trinkets"!



Hanging on one of the adjacent walls to the bookcase, another collage of vintage buttons and a ladies watch face. Love this frame!


Making the bookcases complete, the mantle! Black urns, carved doves (coveted by all who visited the room!), old maps rolled up, feathery ferns, Paris books,ceramic finials, and a beautiful serene photograph that could be the Bucks County countryside. I could definitely live with this.

A cropped close-up of the carved doves on the mantle.

I had to take this photo of the firewood that I used as sculpture! Sneelock cut it from the fallen trees on the grounds with precise cuts just the right size.


Favorite painted chest of drawers (don't forget to use them in hallways, foyers and bathrooms....not just for bedrooms!

Wall of plates, mostly vintage cream ware with my assorted framed buttons and keys coll aged in amongst them. This wall was a favorite for most guests.

Closeup of the dove wall sconce plucked from my guest room as an afterthought. I sold these in my store about 10 years ago, and could have made a killing if I would have had 30 or so to sell.

The small original letters with dates in the mid 1800's from Paris that I found in some of my old books became art for the wall. Ahhhhhh. I love old documents! Beautiful colored inks and the most fabulous penmanship.

Bring me your cherished correspondence and I'll help you frame them!

Fabulous Black-eyed Susan ferns, lush and full! No water, please!




A shot of the entrance into our room from the foyer. The ferns were the perfect drama to flank the entrance into the living room. Also noted, the three iron mirrors over the front door. This is a favorite space of mine to accent.

Giant birds nest fern. I love this plant, I suppose it's the cost that others don't love. This could be one of those inventory items that I would never be sorry to end up owning!

Linen chair with monogrammed french flea market linen resting on it. Hmmm...wonder where that "T" will end up! (Don't worry, I have more in the store.)


That all too favorite silk pillow collection with pompom embellishments. There could not have been a finer compliment to the room!



That pop of color to an overall calm room--pumpkin and taupey-grey silk throws. Wow.



I used this square bolster on the floor with an old open book on it just for a bit of whimsy. WAY cute pillow!! And, not a bad shot of that extraordinary $48,000.00 rug!



Goodbye beautiful mid century rug.



There were several favorites by those who visited the room. One was this vintage frame tied into the window with a chocolate french ribbon. It served as the backdrop for books tied with raffia and a sophisticated painted dove sculpture.

The swing-arm drapery rods, linen banded panels, and sheer linen embroidered dot shades were another noted favorite. I love them as well!

A good shot of the poised swing-arm rods with the linen painted lampshade which marries the linen furniture and the wall color, in the foreground.



This dramatic and loved chandelier took center stage. I called it, "Bucks County meets New York"!

I staffed the room the second half of closing day and when the final notes played on my jazz CD, the lights were turned off for the final time and I took one last look at the room, it was with a tiny twinge of sadness!

Deep windowsills make my heart sing. Featured in this one, an urn filled with fantail pussy willows, collected globes, and framed seashells. Would you think to put those items together?! Sometimes, it all about color and scale. It works. Still loving those swing-arms!!


A really good closeup and I promise, that last shot of the swing-arm drapery rods!



One last self portrait of me in the room . The lights are off now. Goodbye Color of Calm.

Me and my trims.........

What is it about editing, cleaning, and reviewing ones "stuff" that is so exhilarating? In the process of getting ready to establish my design studio in the retail store, I have been spending week after week sorting, tossing, reading, reviewing, filing, and, in general, being perfectly objective about the large mass of resources that I have amassed in my current design studio.

A lot like that long sentence, my nights have been a bit overwhelming! When the lights go down and the design staff leaves for the evening, I choose another area to begin culling. I have found it quite rewarding, although exhausting! (Sneelock might agree, as he is the one hauling box after box to the dumpster and returning the empties to me for another fill).

Tonight, after reading, checking for current dates and prices, and sorting the furniture and lamp library, I had a very private dinner in my office, and then dug in to the trim books! I had been dreading this particular part of my resource library, as I love passementeries of any kind, and thoroughly anticipated having an extremely difficult time sending any of them to the dumpster.

As expected, as I inspected and reviewed each trim book (could it be I have at least 100)?, I found myself reminiscing over past projects, ooo-ing and ahhh-ing over colors, textures and lush designs. I must admit that in the first half hour, I feared there would be none leaving the fray.

Luckily, my camera was close at hand. I'll share with you some of the beautiful trims that tugged at my heartstrings as I tried my best to edit and discard. When all was said and done, about 3 hours later, I did make some progress. I think I've kept the best of the best! Soon, you can review them for yourself!

A birds-eye view of the task ahead.......trim books stuffed in any available space, in any available angle. Oh my, where to start?


I thought it appropriate to begin the documentation with one of the classic standards of fine design--the Scalamandre label. Scalamandre is one of the finest high end trim and fabric houses in the industry. I recall one time that I was elated after finding the absolute perfect trim for a project I was working on, only to find out that the net cost was about $10,000.00 PER YARD (!) It had been created and woven for The Whitehouse! I went on to select another trim

One by one, I began opening each binder. As I tried to be objective, I started to see a small stack of "discards" begin to pile up. Others went in to a stack of "to be reviewed one more time", and still others went directly to the floor, my dumpster of sorts for the night.

This table has been my workspace for years. It is 12' long and almost 50" wide! It is an antique library table (as in NY Library) with fabulous horseshoe shaped stretchers. Note the drawers along the side! This table has served me well and held the most inspiring collections of fabrics, trims, furniture frames and drapery designs from my work. Several days ago, Connie and I cleared it to a state of emptiness. I'm not sure why I didn't document that, as I don't know when I have seen it in that state in the last 5 years! I had a current client in to review a selection, and just had to comment on the clean state of the infamously overwhelming normal look. I was quite proud of the lack of product, but she said, "Oh, I quite like clutter! It's a kind of like a state of creative genius". I like that thinking!

As I continued the sorting, these are some of the beautiful passementeries that stole my heart.


100% silk tassels in lovely hues of blue and gray/green---so delicate and soothing.



Double-sided pleated velvet trim and this densely woven chenille and silk fringe. Oooooh!



Silk pom pom fringe in every color combination! Alternating values of the same color....soft, soft, soft! (Not so soft on the wallet, but worth every penny)!

Occasionally, I came across a book containing memories of a past project---like this one with a sticky note and price penciled in at $95.00 yd! This is a personal favorite and one that I have used for many projects. Yum.


Sometimes, it's just a beautiful color combination that speaks to me. This happy bright pink and green in assorted styles made the cut. (I admit to having a sentimental love for this one, these are the colors of my darling granddaughter, Bella's room.


This assortment combines fabulous color (subtle olivey greens) with multiple styles of interest. Look at the organdy ribbon fringe! Delightful on pillows and shams. The eyelash fringe (so named for it's delicate and short fibers) is one I love as well. Then there is the assorted ribbon, chenille and bead trim! And you must realize that each of these beauties come in 6 or 8 colorways!

Thank heavens, occasionally there was one that I could quickly put aside as a discard. Like this one. The flat braided trim was sequin encrusted and I couldn't think of a design that I would wish I had an elephant motif! Off to the discard pile, quickly!

This one didn't make the cut either. I've never been a fan of the greek key motif. Away!

SO thrilled when I found two of the same book! An easy discard for additional space!

I thought I could live without this one.......until I read the color description "graphite". Oh, I do love the color graphite. Look for this color to show up in my designer room for the Bucks County Designer House! Yes, graphite always has a home.

Any book with the Kravet Couture label is worth a second look in my book! And look at the graphics they add to entice you! Kravet Couture speaks the language of style.

Do you love this sheer petal pink pleated organdy trim?! And check out the sweet beaded accompaniment. I could just imagine my sister, Denise, finding a use for this one on a gown. She once took one of my favorite silk drapery fabrics and made a prom dress for her daughter, Emily. Oh my! To die for.....the dress, and Emily!

The color is faded on this shot, but I wanted you to see the square beads and plaid flat braid trim. And what about this flat braid with tiny pom pom tassels. Lastly, the color combination is to die for!

I just love the detail in this tassel. The contrast in color and accent is fabulous too.

Yet another fine all silk tassel trim with the most sophisticated subtle pallet of butter and celedon. That Scalamandre has the touch.

I am sad that this one is so dark. The trim on the bottom is really cool rayon ribbon and the one at the top is panne velvet. Yes!

Not only pleated velvet, but what about these colors!! Is there no end to beauty?

This book brought back the fondest memories of the whole house project we designed for a darling client in Charleston, SC on the island of Sullivans Island. Many assorted wonderful trims were used on that project. A real keeper and fun to rethink.

These colors and the style combined just make me happy!

I couldn't possibly delete this giant rick-rack trim, or the beaded picot edge/rayon ribbon trim! And certainly not the frizzee fringe. Ah, the wonders of passementeries.

This collection feels as if it is begging to be in Michelle's scrap booking studio! So many ribbons and braids.

I just love the look of a new collection of trim books standing at attention and ready for the next big project! This set definitely made the cut.

This stack, on the other hand, did not! Bye bye!

So there you have it, a complete documentation of my editing and a peek at the final cast. I think I've saved the best and invite you to come browse for yourself and enjoy the true magic of passementeries! Come help yourself in a few weeks when I'm ready for company.

One more thought....I guess you can see why I haven't had many posts of late. That's the problem, I'm always home too late! This whole cleaning and moving thing is exhausting. I'm not promising things will get much better until the end of March, but I'll do m best.