Dishing About Eddie Ross ~ Dining Delight!

First, I have to shout out . . . Wow!  Wonderful!  - and - Whoopee!

These simple words come to mind as I think of how I’ll be stalking following Eddie Ross and his partner, Jaithan, around our local, (Charlotte, NC), Metrolina Antique’s Show, on Friday afternoon, November 5th, (sold out).  Eddie is the king of making the process of styling look simple, yet planned.  Whether it’s a room or a table setting, he can scour any shop or flea market for overlooked treasures, add his magic touch, and . . . voila! . . . a masterpiece of design has been created!  I found out about his show schedule, relatively late, but was so excited to get squeezed in for what I’m sure will be a delightful afternoon.  (Thank you, Jaithan!) 

Eddie Ross during a recent treasure hunt.

A lovely setting, by Eddie, featured in “Southern Living” Magazine.  Love his use of vintage milk glass!

A recent feature about Eddie, in “Lonny” Magazine. 

I have a feeling I might find a kindred spirit,in Eddie, as I tend to have a weakness for beautiful tableware!  With only two of us at home; however, I tend to forget to bring out some of my seasonal pieces, unless it’s time for holiday entertaining.  Reading Eddie’s blogposts has inspired me to make as many of our meals a bit more special.  After all, what good does it do for it to be tucked away in cabinets?

Today, I decided to put a few flowers together, light some votives, pop in a few pumpkins, and bring out my Johnson Brothers’ pattern.

Mixing it up with old and new.

A layer of my transferware, creamware, and a charger.

A little bit of gilt goes a long way!

Pulling in some of the colors from my transferware, via flowers and pumpkins.

I love how the texture of the blue pumpkin compliments the mercury glass style vase!

The Johnson Brothers’ pattern is called “Frozen Up” and it’s resting in Lenox’s “Butler’s Pantry”.

I kind of have a thing for oak leaves and acorns.  Notice the border pattern and the votive!

As an interior designer, I do love to try placing things on angles, as in the napkins.  It adds a little extra zip! 

Because I have a “few” table patterns, the French vasselier stays dressed in a simple stoneware backdrop.

While it may seem a bit early for Thanksgiving-inspired table settings, I know there is a small window of time when I can use these dishes, so a few practice runs won’t hurt! 

I’ll be sure to do a follow-up post about my adventures with Eddie and Jaithan, as well as to record any found treasures.  I have a feeling another collection could be in the works!

All my best! ~ Wanda

PS - Contest Alert!  I’ll be giving away an autographed copy of Vicente Wolf’s “Lifting the Curtain On Design”!  All you have to do to enter is to leave a comment on any two of my posts, beginning with this one and by November 30, 2010.

 

I’ll announce the winner the first week of December 2010.  I hope you’ll enjoy a festive month!

Home Design Garden by Tham & Architects Videgård

This park is home design. Tham and Videgard, Swedish Architecture Firm has successfully completed a project called House Garden. This house was built on an area 180 meters square in Viksberg, Sweden.

The owner wants a beautiful garden as part of their home, and the reason why they decided to move from their duplex apartment in central Stockholm to the rural location in the lake Mälaren. To meet customer needs, we propose a house conceived as an integrated vertical additions to the garden, where indoor and outdoor space gradually mingle and interact.
Triangular foot print is the result of a steep slope diagonally across the site. With one of the long facade facing south, we also managed to eliminate the pure north façade. This further helps the idea of climbing plants on trellises oversized high that covered most of the windows so that by the time they will be hidden in the greenery.
A double height winter garden also serves as a natural pre-heating fresh air. Roof terrace offers views of a very long above the nearby hills over the lake Mälaren. Construction is all wood, both structure and finish.
[Via]

2010 High Point Market Finds – Post 1

A first glimpse of behind the scenes:

(I took a window wall, in a current client’s home, and created a concept board for how it might appear if I translated this design direction to her space.  We could emulate an English library, with the hand-painted plaid chest being the focal point, instead of a fireplace.)

There is so much to tell about my recent visit to the High Point Market!  There were so many beautiful showrooms, new market introductions, and amazing events – chock full of fabulous interior designers and trade vendors in attendance!  I’ll be sure to sprinkle some of that in, as I continue to post.  I know what you’ve been waiting for; however, and that’s the visual experience.  I’ll do my best to let the pictures do the talking, while I share short tidbits of some of the trends and the concepts behind them.  So without further adieu . . . .

The Thrill of The Hunt!

Hunt scenes, herringbone wovens, tattersall plaids, dog motifs, updated paisleys, and many gentrified appointments will be prominent in home design.  The classics have never gone away – they’re just being revamped!  There will be a return to some of the jeweled tones - not the heavy ones of yesteryear, but softened and more sophisticated.  Look for Jacobean florals and large graphic adaptations of traditional patterns, such as the deer horn trophy fabric, shown in the CR Laine showroom, above. 

(Horn covered accents are the perfect way to tie this look together.  These were made from naturally shed horns.)

(This tooled, leather table not only compliments an equestrian flair, it also brings in an important color on the rise – caramel.  Look for it to be trending into 2012.  The antique brass finish shows off a metallic touch, of which we’ll be seeing more.)

(Notice how the jeweled tones, in this crewel paisley fabric, are a bit brighter and fresher.  This textile could be very “happy” in a bohemian chic room, too.  A little touch of caramel makes it absolutely delicious!)

(Oh, if I only had a place to put these beautifully carved and painted panels!  They were in the new Antiques & Design Center.  These lovely ponies once graced the back of a bar.)

I’ve shared just a smattering of this classic style.  If the idea of the “hunt” is not your cup of tea, there are definitely some elements which can be paired with other design details, to add in the depth of history, character, charm, and the accumulated feeling of this interior’s focus.  Believe it or not, you can create a bit of “Ralph Lauren meets punk”, if you desire!  An interior designer has the ability to provide the artistic license to create the most unique spaces.

Have questions about anything you have seen or need some guidance?  Please feel free to ask!  This look is perfect for the Charlotte, NC area I serve!

For now, I’m trotting off!  Have a lovely day! ~ Wanda

Coming next . . . Vintage/Cottage Style.

Elysium 154 House Design is Minimalist by BVN Architecture

This is the Elysium 154 House project undertaken by BVN architecture in 2009. It is located in Noosa, Queensland, Australia. A minimalist design was chosen for this project, but even in a minimalist design, this house still looks luxurious and glamorous. See details of this house 154 Elysium of the photos below:

Minimalist Home Designs
Elysium exterior 154 Minimalist House Design is by BVN Architecture


Home Interior Design
Staircase design
Kitchen design

Project Description:
The Elysium 154, Noosa project is the development of housing for the last sub-division in a very desirable zip code Noosa Heads. Large sites consisting of 189 home rations, public facilities (tennis courts, health spa, water facilities), parks and nature reserves are located inland from the coastline adjacent to Lake Weyba Noosa. wavy, beautiful views of the site maintains extensive pockets of existing vegetation and given a distant view to the Sunshine Coast hinterland beyond.

This home site enjoys a truly beautiful, which slopes gently from the road south toward a small park and open space to the north. A gentle, sweeping, curved walls and forms that identify this house is produced by an intuitive response to reach both the north-east aspect and views over the park area north. Finished textured external wall folding back into the residential interior along the walls and ceilings where the edge of carefully detailed and smooth transition with the internal wall allows the threshold between inside and out had been distorted. Drawing an external garden and pool room into a luxury building has reinforced a sense of subtropics. [Via]

Birthdays, Pumpkins, and the High Point Furniture Market

I’ll be the first to admit, some of my blogposts may seem like an exercise in free word association.  I remember as a small child, I was told I had the “gift of gab”, and I’m sure for the most part, it was meant in the “nicest sort of way”.  (If you knew my father, you would understand how I dove headfirst into that gene pool!)  I always promise to get to the point . . . eventually, via “a long story short”!

I used to be one of those people who would tend to ignore any hoopla around my birthday, as I thought passing a certain landmark, without any acknowledgement, might somehow create a magic age reversal.  Now, I embrace how the wisdom of gaining a few extra years and experience, should be a full-on celebration! 

(The early years:  Here I am on my Grandpa Blackwelder’s lap.  As to why we both look so solemn, I have no idea!  In grade school, I always loved cupcakes instead of having a birthday cake.  I think it was because everyone could have their own pumpkin candy decoration, too.)

Because my birthday is in October, I’ve always been partial to everything related to the vivid fall season.  I love the colors, the crisp crunch of leaves, and the cooler breezes.  As a child, I always had to tune into Charlie Brown’s “Great Pumpkin”, as I knew it meant my birthday and Halloween wouldn’t be too far away.  And . . . yes, I do love pumpkins!  The shape, the color, the flavor . . .  Well, they are nature’s equivalent to being a fat, jolly elf, in my eyes.

 

(Need inspiration for some fabulous pumpkin carving designs?  Look no further than the pages of Country Living Magazine!  These are just a sampling of how far your imagination can take you.)

(Just a hint about a wonderful color palette, seen at the High Point Market, and shown in this lovely design by Stephen Shubel.  Call it Persimmon, Caramel, L’orange – or – Pumpkin!  I even think the ribbing in the bench fabric refers back to the texture of that glorious gourd!  Future market posts to come!)

(I updated a traditional dining room, with deep persimmon walls, and had the glaze combed for added texture.)

By now you are probably agreeing with the first comments about my posts being a free association of words!  How on earth does this tie into the world of the High Point Furniture Market?  If you haven’t guessed, my birthday is this week and being at this beautiful event has been like a full-blown celebration!  I’ve seen so many friends, both old and new.  (You see, I love Twitter and Facebook and have found both to be a hugely supportive and connective community.)  I’ve attended so many functions, where I’ve met some of my favorite designers, caught up on everyone’s lives and business happenings, been inspired to be more and do more, and it has been a real design love fest. 

I’ve felt like Cinderella in the midst of a wonderful ball!  Even if my coach turned into this:

. . . I would be just fine!

Have a happy day!  Wanda

PS – I’ve got one more day of market so stay-tuned for future, fab blogposts as I share my design updates.

Easing Into Green Design

As a consumer, if you aren’t familiar with the Sustainable Furnishings Council, let me take a brief moment to introduce you to them and why this connection will be a valuable tool as you make your next furniture buying decisions.  I do promise to be brief as I’m working fast and furious so that I’ll be ready to get to all of the showrooms during my upcoming trip to the High Point Furniture Market.  I’ll also give you great links so that you can further explore some of the details! 

(A composite of manufacturers who belong to the Sustainable Furnishings Council.)

As a Charlotte, NC area interior designer, I know the jury may still be out, regarding green or sustainable design practices, mostly due to concerns about this being a “trend” or just some type of marketing tool, as well as the expectation it will create higher costs.  I do find; however, when I have a client who is getting ready to plan a nursery or a small child’s room, there is great attention paid to the sourcing of the furnishings, the bedding, and how we treat surfaces, such as the floor, walls, and ceiling, so as to keeping the environment as non-toxic as possible.  It’s certainly understandable that any parent would desire to provide their children with the best possible place to be nurtured, not only by them, but by their home.  Here’s the catch . . . What’s happening in the rest of the house?  Living goes on outside of the nursery and/or the playroom doors.  And, shouldn’t the rest of the family members and visitors receive the best of which any interior environment can offer? 

  

(Great examples of “pretty”, green design from SFC members.  Click on a photo to visit their websites!) 

Wouldn’t it be nice to take some of the guesswork out of the process of making selections?  First, part of that responsibility falls on my shoulders, as your interior designer.  My charge is to be sure I learn as much as I can about the various sources, not only from the way they manufacture their products, but equally important would be how they travel to get to the consumer.  I also want to see if the vendor offers an aesthetic quality and comfort, which would be pleasing to my clients.  What makes the process much easier is knowing about the Sustainable Furnishings Council and the manufacturers who have been able to join as members.  Just being able to head to their website and browse the roster gives me a valuable tool to share with clients and the consumer public.  (An important note:  Some of the manufacturers, who are SFC members, may not have updated their websites, to acknowledge their memberships, and there are some manufacturers who do subscribe to green practices, who may not be members of the SFC.)  The benefit I can share, from my attendance at the High Point Furniture Market, will be seeing most of these sources, firsthand!

I’ll admit, I’m a discerning client, too.  I like to take my time to research and discover all of the details before I decide to make purchases, not only for my own home, but for my clients, as well.  I’m easing into the world of green design and thank you for allowing me to share my newfound knowledge with you!

Take a softer step to leave a smaller footprint.  All my best! ~ Wanda

Wordless Wednesday – May Your Wishes Come True!

 

 

For the “girls” ~ All my best! ~ Wanda

Orange Minimalist House Design By Archimania

Home design with the color orange. Archimania have designed this minimalist house in 2005 for the client company Pantik Home Builders. Orange House is the name of a house built in 2833 total SF. The concept of this project is to create a modern home that is conducive to urban family life, set in a New Urban community on the edge of Downtown Memphis.

The house is divided into three main sections based on each function part, each given to his own material. Front elevation consists of corrugated metal volume of orange-clad cantilevered above the lower level, wrapped in cement panels. Entry was made between primary and secondary mass of orange mass housing offices, are given in the redwoods.

Sourcing Interior Inspirations – Why I Go to High Point

“The next six days that matter.”

 

A most distinct privilege, as an interior designer, is to have entree to one of the best furniture shows in the world . . . in High Point, North Carolina.  Even though I’m able to take more frequent advantage of visits, as I live a short drive away, I never take for granted the special access I am able to have to such a huge variety of trade and industry-only showrooms!  With over 11.5 million square feet of showroom space, (yes, this isn’t a typo), I can’t even begin to cover every venue in the six days of this show.  Aside from examining and experiencing the many product lines, there are all sorts of events, seminars, and exchanges of new concepts in design.  While it can be quite a bit to process, I always come back energized from being immersed in the field I so love!

(Trend predictions?  We’ll see a continuation of:  classic, modern, new traditional, jeweled tones, mixed metals, painted finishes, Asian flair & bold graphics.  This room, bathed in purple and accented in gray, is indicative of the trends experienced in the European shows.)

Since the market is geared towards appealing to our visual sense, I’m going to step back and let you “stroll” the virtual halls and buildings with me, via a sneak preview.  I’ll unveil my market finds, in a follow-up post.  You’ll be in the “know”, even before some home design magazines hit the newsstands!

On the morning of October 17th, I’ll be having breakfast with Barry Dixon!  (Well, actually, he will be the guest speaker for the WITHIT Education Breakfast.)

As a WITHIT member, I’m excited to be able to hear this world renowned interior designer expound on his presentation, “Organically Inspired: Referencing the Natural World Beyond the Window in the Modern Interior”.  I’m a huge admirer of his work and can’t wait to see more!  (And for a 7:30 am breakfast, you know I have to be a BIG fan!)

Some of the vendors will be unveiling new showrooms.  Hickory Chair and Pearson are moving to the North Hamilton complex.  They will be in fine company with several other distinctive manufacturers.

Not only will Hickory Chair be in an exciting new showroom, they will be the location for several fabulous market events!  If you are in the industry, come meet up with your Twitter & Facebook Design friends on October 17th!

 

 

For the past eleven years, I’ve considered Pearson as my “go-to” line, for some of the industry’s finest quality upholstery.  I think they offer wonderful construction, comfort and fabulous custom options!  In comparing their pricing with some of the well-known catalog companies, they bring a higher value story to my clients.  I love that they are a North Carolina manufacturer, about ten minutes from the center of the High Point Market.  The food concept of, “from farm to table”, is not too far-fetched, in parallel, when I’m able to provide the Pearson experience to my clients.  I can have it delivered directly from the plant to their home.  I not only consider how products are made, I also consider how far they have to travel to a destination.  Pearson allows me to bring clients to the showroom, between markets, for a hands-on shopping experience!

While at market, I’ll be on the prowl for some great accessories!  These are the “icing on the cake” items which can take a simple setting from dull to divine.  I zero in on great lamps as they can serve the multi-purpose of function and fashion.  If a room needs a new life, I’ll often scrutinize the lamps to see if they are up to par.  (No lighting pun intended!)

(Lamps are taking their cue from organic shapes, with the ever popular gourd lamp still holding its own.  Asian influences have been very strong, as the historic, clean lines work well with almost any style and period in design.  Drum shades, which once graced 50’s & 60’s retro decor, will probably be interpreted from simple to pleated, and I hope, with a few more edge details.  Of course, one can always add a bit of trim or braid, for a personal touch.)

A new exhibitor, for the upcoming market, will be Snug Furniture, a truly artistically inspired line of casegoods and upholstery. According to Snug’s Creative Director, Maybelline Te, “Snug Furniture explores shapes and forms that are both fresh and familiar. Each artistic design reflects the essence of the Snug Life---functional | beautiful | personal comfort that is truly at home now.”  I had the honor and privilege to feature the Cocoon Chairs, shown below, at a tabletop event in the Charlotte area.  I’m so excited for my dear friend, Maybelline, as she and her partner, Alex Hendricks, will share the Snug lifestyle in their Interhall Showroom!

 (Snug’s sculptural pieces can be appreciated in all types of interiors.)

A doyenne of interior style, Bunny Williams, will also be debuting her BeeLine Home collection, during the fall market.  She has written several books about the subject of interior design.  Her experience, at the famed Parish-Hadley design firm, as well as her accomplished career at her own firm, Bunny Williams, Inc., brings her talent full-circle with this lovely line!  Her collection will be found in the Wesley Hall Showroom, at 310 North Hamilton.

Looking for the true one-of-a-kind piece?  The Antique and Design Center will definitely be on my agenda for a visit.  This new venue will be opening with a preview on Friday evening, October 15th.  With over 50,000 square feet of treasures from all over the world, their website declares the showroom to be “swoon worthy”.  I can’t wait to see if that’s true.  (And hopefully there will be an early 20th century fainting couch to catch me!)

Meanwhile, a first, not only for the High Point Furniture Market but also for the home furnishings industry, will be the big reveal of the winner of Project U Design on October 20th!  (You can read all about it in my previous post.)  There are now three finalists . . . students from the Savannah College of Art and Design, who will be waiting with baited breath to see if their wing chair design will be selected to be produced by Century Furniture.  I can only imagine, when I was a student, what an impact this might have had on my career!  Be sure to cast your vote for your favorite chair.  Just click on the link, below. 

Yes, my dance card will be full, as I waltz down the side streets and aisles of a wonderful world, filled with design inspiration!  I’m reviewing my market books, my wish lists, and I’ll have my camera ready to take it all in.  One of the reasons folks hire an interior designer is to help them sort through all of the choices and to provide the best possible options for creating a surrounding that say’s, “Hello, I’m home.”  For that, I’ll put on my best walking shoes and hit the market trail! 

(In my humble opinion, comfy feet = happy market!)

Shouldn’t you experience the best about design?  I’m just a phone call away!

All my best!  Wanda

Some other great lines to see, while at market:

John Strauss Furniture and TLS by Design – Showplace

Eloquence – Interhall

Scott Thomas – 525 North Wrenn – Tomlinson Bldg - *New Location