fabric

designer visions

By Amy Bleier Long

The proliferation of the Internet, social media, apps, and online collaboration has prompted a handful of interior designers to offer their expertise online at discounted rates, the caveat being that you do the measuring and the shopping. But that means you can set the budget and timeline, and have a little fun!

So far I haven’t come across a service that is as much of a bargain as Designer at Home. And if you haven’t yet used an interior designer—or are on a budget—this might be for you.

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bon anniversaire!

By Amy Bleier Long

This week, Sabine and I visited Pierre Frey for a presentation honoring the family-owned company’s 75th anniversary.

“Exhibition 1935-1955: Inspiration & Realism of Fabrics” celebrates the whimsy of Pierre Frey’s early years and brings to New York a curated collection of textiles, drawings, and paintings usually held in their Parisian archives. The beautiful patterns are lively, and feel as fresh now as ever.

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Shopping at The Green Plum—Sweet

By Candace Manroe

Sub-zero temps and knee-high snow in Iowa, which only vanished within the last two weeks and promise to return this weekend, got me dreaming…not of that secluded sunny beach in the Caribbean, but of skiing. Downhill. Swish.

If you’re thinking my way, Colorado’s the place to be. And if you’re REALLY thinking my way, no trip—ski or otherwise—is complete without a shopping component. I can’t wait to get to the Rockies to visit my friend and colleague’s boutique furniture shop in Salida, Colorado. Owner Susan Fox is a contributing editor for TRAD HOME, and she’s a peach. Her shop’s The Green Plum—“green” meaning antiques and gently used pieces (what’s easier on the planet than that?), and “plum” as in great hand-picked new products. (Think cherry-picked.)

Salida is a historic town in Central Colorado’s upper Arkansas Valley, and it’s a sight in itself.  In fact, it has the largest historic downtown district in the state, and Susan’s shop is smack in the center. The swift-running, trout-rising Arkansas River runs right through the heart of downtown. I don’t know about you, but for me, shopping cool boutiques in a pristine natural setting instead of a congested mall surrounded by acres of concrete is worth a trip in itself.

The Green Plum is packed—make that beautifully and cozily filled—with antiques like a French trestle table and chairs still in their original leather. As a traveler, you may want something more portable. Antique botanical prints stylishly reframed by Susan are the best.

One item I plan to fill my carry-on with are her scented soybean candles—the fragrance is just the right balance of scent and unobtrusiveness. But the ultimate dose of delicious comes later. After the candle has burned a while, blow out the flame, and dip your fingers into the melted wax. It’s the ultimate pampering (and it’s the manufacturer’s intent, lest you fear this is some hair-brain idea I’ve invented during down time). Trust me, you’ll like it.

If you can’t make it to Salida this spring, no worries. Its white-water rafting, trout-fishing, and hiking make it a multi-seasonal destination. For the full story and pics, visit

http://www.traditionalhome.com/design_decorating/marketplace/rockymountain-shopping_ss1.html.

SPRING FORWARD: MAYA ROMANOFF at BERGDORF GOODMAN

By Sabine Rothman

Speaking of psychedelic—we were, weren’t we?—you just have about a week left to visit Amy Lau’s installation for Maya Romanoff on the 7^th floor of Bergdorf Goodman, a venerable NYC department store that often delivers avant-garde goods—and the best venue for lunching ladies.

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A Few Favorites

By Candace Manroe

It’s March 1 and I’m still raving about what I saw in Paris in late January. Favorite patterns debuted at Maison include the following from Pierre Frey:

A wide striped effect results from “Dauphine’s” embroidered rows of branch coral motifs alternating with leopard spot patterns on a neutral linen ground. The color is on trend, while  the combo of animal and botanical motifs merges two of the most popular trends of the last several seasons.

Both of the above are cotton prints—my personal faves because of the clarity and whimsey of their design.

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How Color-Confident Are You?—Lessons from the Old World

By Candace Manroe

I’ve always admired the Europeans for their bold confidence with color. (Eighteenth-century English country houses equal sunshine-yellow walls, right?) Fast forward to today’s offerings of raspberry, fuchsia, acid green—nothing meek about these hues, yet  Europeans love them. And not the way we do in America. For example, the French, English, Italians, and Spanish don’t confine these fresh-to-brazen palettes to their teens’ rooms or to modern-only spaces. Or even to a single space in need for a swift kick of coomph, as we Americans tend to do.

That’s what so great about how the Old World embraces color. They have no problem upholstering an 18th-century French settee in an up-to-the-minute fuchsia or grape.

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smoking-hot hues

By Candace Manroe

If you’ve been following my blogs on trends I observed at Paris’s Maison show, you may be afraid that vivid color has vanished from the homescape. No worries.  The warm-gray trend I blogged about earlier is only part of the palette story….the neutral part.

Color is, indeed, alive and well in the fabrics and furnishings introduced last month. And, it’s smokin’ hot.

Warm colors—especially my personal favorite, orange—are spicing up spaces as pumpkins, paprikas and all shades in between make sizzling style statements in the upscale market.

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THE NEW GRAY

By Candace Manroe

The new catch phrase for color at Maison de Objet this January was “warm gray.” Nobilis’s shop on Rue Bonaparte, along with fabric houses Osborne & Little, Dedar, Jim Thompson, and more, are  touting this warmed up hue. TRAD HOME’s sumptuous March cover was spot-on trend with its gray walls and rug—warm interpretations of the hue that work beautifully with gold silk drapery panels.

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Paris Window Shopping

By Candace Manroe

Just returned last week from the big French furniture and fabrics market, Maison de Objet, in Paris, overwhelmed by so many gorgeous products I think you’ll love. I’ll be posting in multiples, with pics…way too much to share in a single blog.

First, I want to show you the coolest thing I saw OUTSIDE the showrooms. It’s art displayed in the window of an antiquarian book shop in the St. Germaine area, near our hotel.

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Will I Still Love It When I’m 64?

By Jenny Bradley

I’m admitting it here for the first time. I’ve become completely preoccupied with the 1960’s. The decade’s influence on music (and design, of course) in particular. Although I was born in the 70’s, I’ve always been intrigued by the Swinging Sixties. Flower power. Lunar landings. Woodstock. Camelot. Pop art.