Between the comatose houseplants, the blinding entryway light  meant to discourage bad guys from wandering up to my vestibule from the nearby freeway but more suitable for interrogating prisoners than welcoming guests, the stack of catalogs on (where else?) the dining room table, the furniture pushed up against the wall like redneck mothers, the faint and to me, a dog lover, not necessarily unpleasant whiff of canine I don’t always remember to temper with a candle scented with what a chemist for Walmart thinks orange blossoms smell like, I saw myself on almost every page.

The books is full of fun color illustrations, like this dowager’s beringed hand in desperate search for a coaster on which to lay her ‘tini.

Swan writes, “Often to be pitied is the guest who approaches, sweaty glass in hand, clearly intending to perch on a pouf and join in the riotous conversation. Perching complete, she looks for that small but monumentally important 3 1/2 inch shield with which she can honor her host and aid in protecting the costly table top on which her dripping drink wants to be placed….It’s fair trade, in my opinion if the French polish on that walnut-marquetry candlestand becomes ghosted and ringed with water spots.”

He also rails against too-high piles of pillows that become kitty jungle gyms. (Um, do they still call them “jungle gyms?” That is my phrase, not the author’s).

The book would make a fun gift for a friend who wants to improve the look of his or her home (and isn’t so thin-skinned they’ll take it as a hint instead of a present.) Or you might want to get it for yourself — Swan’s commonsensical advice tells you what you already know but tend to forget as the detitrus of life piles up around you and the force of habit makes you blind to your own surroundings. I, for one, am going to do something about my graveyard for dead appliances. Order the book ((HCI) for about $13 from amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Things-About-House-Room-Room/dp/0757315674

You also might want to check out the book’s quirky Facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/pages/James-Swan-and-101-Things-I-Hate-About-Your-House/374081828267

Her initial inspirations were fall, but not pumpkins and hay bales, and the outdoors. Her love of France led her to ideas of eating outside and vineyards. A little bit of Johnny Depp in Alice in Wonderland and the vision was complete.

photograph: (c) 2010 Dwight B. Tobin

A canvas floor cloth is painted to look like the sky, and the stairs are a rushing waterfall, both by Faux Time Design. Ceramic mushrooms and butterflies dot the faux rock formations. An extra bit of whimsy is the French-inspired taffeta hot air balloon.

Tilt your head 90 degrees to the right and take in the “blue stone patio” with table fabricated by Window 25 and Pierre Deux wheat-back chairs, Kravet fabric (as the tablecloth) with Samuel & Sons trim, as well as the birch canopy. There are so many sweet details, such as the burlap seat cushions also from Window 25; I love the tiny one on the child’s chair. It took a lot of effort and finger-crossing to pull off this wall-mounted scene.

Of course, the light fixtures are the real stars. Hung or mounted at different heights is a mix of new, custom, and vintage indoor and outdoor pieces in varying scale. A favorite fixture was the Vaseline glass-and-iron pendant from 1925. You can see its milky-colored sphere in the center of the above image.

Felicia’s installation could have fit perfectly in our October Enchanted Forest story, don’t you think? It’s a totally fun way to show off the beautiful range of products at Lampworks, and it should be up until late winter, if you get the chance to stop by. Lampworks owner Bebe Regnier says that this sort of display is exactly what draws her to Felicia’s work: “Everything has precise detail. It’s its own little world, like she’s created a movie set.”

The Lampworks showroom is located at 231 East 58th Street, between 2nd and 3rd Avenues.

Sweater

Creative Director Maegan Fee has always been inspired by textiles and knitted constructions so she wanted to create a collection that looked like a knit but is actually woven natural wool. In the Sweater line, there are two woven patterns and one tufted.  I’m a huge fan of things that look like sweaters or cable knit; I think it’s psychological since I’m allergic to wool. But, don’t they look cozy?

 
Veledo

Perhaps their most revolutionary collection, Veledo is made of recycled leather. It’s the company’s first hard-surface flooring and the leather comes from sources such as shoe heels and briefcases from Italian factories. There are four embossed styles, including Croco and Angus, which come in a variety of colors.

 
Pure

Pure is the most outwardly environmentally-friendly, though all their products are. Pure is made from undyed wools and organic jute backing. Available in five colors, it’s 100% biodegradable and compostable, and contains no VOCs.

 
Merida also relaunched Broadway—their first product—a 100% sisal diamond pattern woven on a Jacquard loom.

 
While there I had a sneak peek at a collection from Barclay Butera Lifestyle. It just launched officially last week at High Point. The natural fiber woven rugs are inspired by men’s haberdashery and will be available in the colors for which Barclay’s best known – blues, chocolates, and neutrals.  Stay tuned for a future issue where there will be more on the collection.

I spent some time with Barclay and Merida creative director Maegan Fee. Can you tell which one of us didn’t spend much time outside this summer?

The new house marks the 38th year of the event and fundraiser, which garners about $1 million each year for the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club, and receives 20,000 visitors over a four-week period. The non-profit Boys & Girls Club serves more than 13,000 children by providing after-school and enrichment programs at 10 locations in the Bronx.

A recently-renovated 17-room mansion at 106 E. 71st St in Manhattan was selected and will feature the work of designers such as Vicente Wolf, Katie Ridder, and Sherrill Canet (a full list of designers is at the Show House’s website). I can’t wait to tour it and see each designer’s inspiring ideas and applications.

The house is open to the public starting October 14 and remains open until November 11. Tickets are $30 and include the journal and sourcebook.
 
Here are a few highlights from recent past Kips Bay houses:

For those of you who said you like mixing modern art into your decor, this room from Jed Johnson Home (2007, photo: John M. Hall Photography) is one of my all-time favorites.

A beautiful feminine bedroom from Charlotte Moss, 2008 (photo: Francis Smith)

In Philip Gorrivan‘s tailored bedroom, art doubles as a compelling headboard (2008)

Looking from the living room into the dining room, both designed by Stephen Miller Siegel (2008)

A dramatic chandelier captures attention in this 2006 room by Larry Laslo. (photo: Evan Joseph/Alex Barrymore)

Another example of Jamie Drake‘s phenomenal command of color (2007, photo: Nick Johnson).

We started where most things do: inspiration. We briefly discussed the colors, research, home and fashion trends, and qualities (strength, beauty, protection) that influenced the Shaw designers. Regional inspiration boards and displays showing national and regional sales of existing products by color were interesting to study.

The group was paired off to create our own inspiration boards. The Shaw team wanted to see what we were inspired by and what we were seeing in the market. I worked with the fabulous Carmen Natschke from The Decorating Diva. Here’s our board (including some pieces you may already recognize from past TH issues):

If you want to hear me discuss our board, here’s a video. More of what I’ve been seeing in the market will be in our pages soon!

 
While explaining his board during this exercise, environmental lifestyle expert Danny Seo gave great advice that you may have heard before, even from your own interior designer, but I wanted to reiterate:  If you aren’t sure how you want to decorate a room, use your closet as inspiration. Look at the colors and textures you’re drawn to. Chances are if you are always happy wearing it, you’ll always be happy living in it.
 
Following that exercise we toured Shaw’s pilot factory, which is a super-scaled down working version of their larger plants. Here they can innovate, experiment, and do quality control without interrupting the workflow at the factories making carpet for sale.

We saw the machines involved in tufting, which stitches yarn into the backing material either as loops or cut pile, with patterns, textures, and pile heights controlled by computers.

 
We also observed the dye range that continuously applies red, yellow, and blue in various formulations to create the colors in which the rugs are offered, and a gravimetric dye dispenser, which carefully measures the exact amounts needed for each color.

 
Tigressá carpet yarn is extruded (nylon pellets are melted down, then squeezed through triangle shaped holes, cooled, strengthened and stretched into fibers for yarn), tufted, and then dyed which allows for more color options than using pre-dyed yarn.

Even with their recycled Nylon 6, Shaw is able to achieve bright colors because they go all the way back to the raw materials. The other way of recycling carpets is to shear the fibers off and melt them down, often creating muddy colors.

Before we left research and development, we participated in the stain resistance experiments I mentioned previously. Another point illustrated by that demo: Because Tigressá carpet stays clean and dry, it’s more hypoallergenic, which is great news for allergy sufferers.

 
At the previously top-secret technical center we got to see the real science in action.

The editors and bloggers. Yes, I’m wearing my safety goggles.

There were several laboratories, each dedicated to a specific function or test of the product. Some highlights:

A humidity-controlled lab lets Shaw check how the carpet and backing fare in real applications in different environments. While we were there, a carpet that had been installed was curling so they were going to send it back for more work. A tip: a warm installation helps to avoid re-stretch problems.

In the cleaning and maintenance lab we tested out Shaw’s patented R2X spot treatment product. You may remember this is also the formula that the carpet is produced with, but it’s also available as a stand-alone spot treatment. Another tip learned: agitate a stain lightly from the outside in, do not rub.

 
In the microscopy lab, college interns were observing Tigressá fibers. The strength and softness come from high-tensile denier filaments, which are thinner than human hair, and are shaped like distorted triangles or Ys.  Because they are so fine, they are soft and can be tightly packed together for added strength.

Can you see the fibers on the computer screen? The larger oval-shaped one is a human hair.

What that essentially means for you is that it takes a lot of stress before the filaments wear down, and because so many fibers can be twisted together, the pressure of daily wear is spread out (similar to how laying on a bed of nails doesn’t hurt because of the large surface area). So it will take an extremely long time before your Tigressá carpet ever looks worn.

Other grueling tests the carpet endures before it’s ready for you to purchase include: its backing being torn off to check yarn strength, a roll test to check for backing separation, a tumbler that simulates human foot traffic, and a chamber that approximates the exposure to light, heat, and ozone that a carpet experiences in its useful lifetime testing for color fastness and any degradation.

If you’re buying carpet, interested in more of the science, or want to find out about the health and environmental impact of carpets, check out the Carpet & Rug institute’s website. And if you’re interested in Tigressá carpet, don’t forget to Tweet to Save the Tigers!

]]> http://www.traditionalhome.com/blogs/companion/2010/06/10/shaw-tour/feed/ 16 http://www.traditionalhome.com/blogs/companion/2010/05/22/tigressa-softstyle/ http://www.traditionalhome.com/blogs/companion/2010/05/22/tigressa-softstyle/#comments Sat, 22 May 2010 22:19:44 +0000 Amy Bleier Long http://www.traditionalhome.com/blogs/companion/?p=1055
 
In the market for new carpet? I just got back from a slightly whirlwind trip to Dalton, GA, for a press event hosted by Shaw, the world’s largest carpet manufacturer, and CCA Global Partners, where I toured Shaw’s corporate headquarters and had an exclusive preview of their brand new line coming out this weekend.
 

Tigressá SoftStyle is an innovative line of nylon carpet, but it’s also the culmination of a lengthy development process, one I learned a great deal about over two days. Shaw let us (9 bloggers, 3 trade editors, and me!) see the evolution of Tigressá by literally opening their doors so we could examine each step in the production cycle.
 
 
The Tigressá name comes from the company’s consideration of the new fiber system to offer strength and softness, vibrant colors, and protection—much like the qualities of a tiger. And after seeing it, feeling it, and observing their manufacturing and testing processes, it’s hard not to be impressed.

The superfine super-strong Nylon 6 fibers, root-to-tip yarn dyes, and their patented stain-resistant R2X coating technology hold up under a number of grueling tests. (If you are interested in a more scientific explanation, I plan to go a bit more in-depth in my next post.)
 
Check out this demo illustrating Tigressá’s stain-repelling ability. (The link will take you to YouTube; please excuse my amateur videography skills.)

What this means for you is a carpet that will stay soft, clean, and beautiful for a long time regardless of what your family can throw at—or drop on—it.
 
 
Something else to love: Shaw’s process is cradle to cradle. Tigressá carpet, like all their new carpet, is made from recycled Nylon 6 fibers, and can be recycled back into the original raw material and turned into new carpet fibers. They take sustainability very seriously and have a network of around 50 carpet recycling partners plus their own revolutionary facility. Even the backing and adhesive are made with environmental consideration and sustainable materials where possible.

Tigressá comes in 31 styles and a multitude of colors. We even got a sneak peek at—and opportunity to weigh in on—the designs they’re considering for the next group of patterns to be produced.

Even if you’re not looking for wall-to-wall right now, any of their carpets can be cut and bound into area rugs of your desired size.

Tigressá is available exclusively through Carpet One Floor & Home and Flooring America retailers starting May 23^rd.
 

Between now and August 20^th, a portion of Tigressá carpet sale proceeds will go to the Save the Tiger Fund which works to protect the existing—but almost extinct—tiger population and its habitat.

And, if you’re feeling lucky, you can enter their sweepstakes: the grand prize is a trip to India to see some gorgeous tigers in person. If you tweet, you can also earn an additional entry to the sweepstakes through Tweet to Save the Tiger by logging into Twitter and tweeting a Tigressá/Save the Tiger Fund related message. Shaw is donating $1 for each tweet, up to $25,000. Check the site for official rules and instructions.
 
What do you look for when you’re buying carpet?
 
Stay tuned: My next post will be the behind-the-scenes shots from my tour of Shaw including their mini-factory, color inspiration center, and top-secret testing facilities!

On a recent visit, we found a claw-foot bathtub transformed into a sofa; chandeliers made of wooden and plastic hangers; tables made of Scrabble letter tiles and paper cutters, and polished floors made of salvaged wood by Brooklyn-based designers Nightwood.

The design firm iCrave created the assemblage and the vibe is upscale downtown chic. And it’s happening all over the country, but my guess is that the recycle aesthetic was born in Brooklyn and other communities where young, creatives nest. Another look we love is by textile designer Lori Weitzner who created wallpaper from recycled newspaper woven together. Doesn’t Lori’s wallpaper look like grass cloth?  Bonus-you can still read some of the words.

Creating decorative arts from things others have discarded seems right now. Show us your best recycle design.

Scrabble letter-tile table at the Collective, a restaurant/bar 1 Little West 12th

license-plate bird sculpture at the Collective

Paper-cutter table at the Collective

Double-fun sofa at the Collective

Kid-friendly furniture at the Collective

Chandeliers made from recycled plastic and wooden hangers and super-sized cups

detail of plastic-hangers chandelier

detail of wooden-hangers chandelier

pill-bottle chandelier at the Collective

paper-cup chandelier at the new resturant, the Collective, in the Meatpacking district

Wallpaper for news hounds by textile designer Lori Weitzner

Funky floors by Brooklyn design team Nightwood at the Collective

The first is my new white-painted WoodHaven Laminate Ceiling Planks from Armstrong. My 1960 walk-out ranch still had its ugly, light-absorbing popcorn ceiling. In two days, start to finish, installers laid the Armstrong planks directly over my old ceiling. I would have been skeptical of such a major transformation occurring in such a short time had I not witnessed it firsthand.

The results are amazing. Now my ceiling reflects the light, instead of absorbing it. Now my living room sports charm and character, instead of looking like the ho-hum dated spec house that it is. Now I migrate to the living room instead of the family room or bedroom to snuggle up with a book; now I play the piano more, inspired by my environment; now the living room is my favorite venue for watching TV.  Who knew a ceiling could increase a room’s livability so much?

Besides the easy, quick installation, what I like best about this product is its price—$2.99 a square foot, versus the higher cost of real wood. But honestly, these painted planks look like real wood.  No one can tell that it’s laminate (and trust me; my friends are discerning).

Being a bit of a tree-hugger, I also I love the eco-friendly attributes of my WoodHaven ceiling. It consists of 98 percent recycled material as a fiber source, leaving trees in the ground where they (mainly) belong.

I  chose  the painted white finish to work with  my bookcase addition, but 17 finishes from bamboo to weathered are available. Each plank features a tongue-and-groove beveled edge and measures 5” x 84” x 3/8”. A beadboard style is available, too, but I decided streamlined planks worked better with my home’s linear and not truly vintage architecture.

So that was makeover product number one. With my ceiling looking so buff, my floors needed a lift. My home’s builder got things backwards nearly 50 years ago, laying hardwood floors in all the bedrooms, and carpeting the living room. I’ve replaced the carpet three times, but even my latest frieze was looking tired from the romps of a golden retriever, a yellow lab, and the late “Duster” kitty (who lived to be almost 22!).

My hardwood floors in the bedrooms show signs of abuse from kitty claws and doggy toenails, so I didn’t want to take that route. Armstrong again provided me with the solution: a Grand Illusions Laminate Flooring in pale Canadian maple. Installation, start to finish, including carpet tear-out, took just two days. Price excluding installation: about $2.32 per square foot.

Installation was easy with a “Lock & Fold” system that requires no glue and goes right over most existing floors. The floor doesn’t have the phony wood look I hate about most laminates, and it makes the room appear larger. It resists stains and is easy to clean up.  Like the ceiling, it reflects the light.

But that’s all I the time I have to share now. The work day’s done, and my character-laden living room is calling. Even if I didn’t do it myself.

For more information about an Armstrong ceiling, call an independent dealer or special order from Lowe’s, Menards, or The Home Depot. For flooring, visit Armstrong.com for the closest independent dealer.