NR Designs = Gorgeous Drapery Hardware

Charleston Symphony Design House – Hardware by NR Designs

One of the happy benefits of traveling all over the US to speak to design professionals is having the opportunity to meet so many amazing and creative people.

Charleston Symphony Design House – Hardware by NR Designs

Last month I did a day long event in Atlanta and met a great gal who mentioned that she had a new line of drapery hardware. I promised to look her up after the event and we would talk about her products.

Of course I had good intentions but time got the best of me and I forgot to email her – lucky for me she tracked me down. To say that I was amazed with her products is a gross understatement – I was floored! The entire line was stunning, all based on organic elements and finished in beautiful custom colors. Inspired by nature it resembles realistic coral, bamboo, driftwood, twigs, palm leaves and more.

Each piece is first molded from clay and then cast in resin. What I truly love about the line is that it retains the hand molded details of the clay original.

Another important design element of the line is the use of ornate brackets in place of finials. Nancy explained that in Charleston where she works and lives there are many homes that don’t have enough clearance for traditional finials. She solved this problem by designing brackets that function as both with simple end caps at the end of the rod. I’d say it’s a design that works!

This bamboo bracket is stunning.

Palm leaves are arranged in a fan for this bracket. What a great choice for a beachfront residence.

Palm leaves up close

The driftwood collection is as realistic you would think it just washed up on shore. I love the barnacles!

These fish and waves pieces have a great whimsical touch.

Here’s a close up of the coral end bracket.

Nancy’s passion is working with designers to create custom designs to fit the specific needs of her clients. Her pieces are truly couture window hardware. By the way she is also a fabulous person and would surely be a joy to work with.

Please visit Nancy's website at: http://www.nrdesigns.org/

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The Second JVT- Studio Module is Here!

Here are just a few of the 250 designs now available in the second Jackie Von Tobel module for Minutes Matter Studio. Now available at www.minutesmatter.com

Thanks to all the great people at MM who have worked so hard to produce these modules. I think they look great and I am so proud to be a part of such a great organization.

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What a Great Idea! - Layered Roman Shade

Super talented fabric wiz, Liz Ware of Details Pattern Company has produced a pattern for this truly innovative layered roman shade. Each scalloped layer is pulled up behind one another as the shade is raised creating a a great stacked effect at the bottom.




Looks like you would have to be very careful with your fabric selection but otherwise it seems to be a simple design. Isn't it crazy how something can seem so obvious once someone has done the hard work to figure it out! Thanks Liz, I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of your design in the future.



Her pattern is available now on her website Details Pattern Company





Liz is most notable for her fine detailing and tailoring as seen in these designs. I've always loved these floral tiebacks and long to make some but I haven't had the time.




Loved this tacked back scalloped facing at the leading edge of this panel. Using buttons to hold the fabric in place is a great idea.




This very subtle and tailored version of the shirred cuff heading is wonderful.

Can't wait to see what you dream up next Liz, Keep it coming....

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WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Normally when I get an early morning phone call it's either a telemarketer or bad news so when the phone rang this morning at 7:30 am my first thought was oh lord what is the problem this morning. Imagine how surprised I was to find Grace McNamara, president and CEO of Grace McNamara Inc., on the line. I tried not to act like I had just woken up but I was a bit fuzzy. She was calling, she said, to congratulate me as I am going to be recognized as the 2009 "Industry Rising Star" at the WOW! awards at the International Window Coverings Expo in Atlanta on May 13.

I am so excited and honored to be receiving this award and it will make my trip to Atlanta all the more thrilling. I am so glad now that I had decided to bring my daughter along. Now she can really see her mom in action!

Thanks to Grace McNamara and everyone at Visions magazine for thinking of me and giving me such a nice pat on the back.. Believe me, when you work as I do now, alone in your own self imposed bubble, it can sometimes be hard to gauge if what you are trying to do is having any effect. It is so gratifying to have my hard work recognized so I can be sure I'm not just doing this for myself. I truly appreciate this honor and I can't wait to get my Gracie!

See you in Atlanta.......







In other blogging news, three fabulously funny, knowledgeable and entertaining bloggers have joined forces to bring you the "hot off the presses" news, and hopefully the down and dirty gossip and rumor that make up the pulse of the design world. Broadcasting via podcast you can now hear them as well as read their posts on their new joint venture blog The Skirted Roundtable.

For those of you were witness to the original skirted table scandal of 2008, you will understand the deep meaning of the blogs name. One can only hope that this new venue will generate that same kind of spirited debate!

Check out Joni Webb of Cote de Texas , Linda Merill of Surroundings and Meagan Arquette of Beach Bungalow 8 as they dish about subjects as diverse as; The Skirted Table - love it or hate it? and Snarkery?

I for one will be an avid listener.



In the Fabric World: New book deals seem to be popping up everywhere. I'm taking this as a fantastic sign of economic recovery. Two fabulously talented bloggers have been tapped by Wiley & Sons for what sounds like a very interesting new concept in book writing.


Mellisa Averinos of Yummy Goods, designer of a new fabric line Sugar Snap is writing a book that will be a companion to one being written at the same time by Sandi Henderson of Portabello Pixie.

They will apparently be writing on similar topics and the two books will be published at the same time. I can't wait to see the finished product.

Wiley & Sons is the publisher of another blogger, artist and fabric designer, Anna Maria Horners new book, Seams to Me which is a great book for beginners.

It is an amazing world we live in, filled with the most talented and creative people! I'm just glad to be a part of it. Good luck on all of your new adventures girls and remember to enjoy the journey!

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Window Treatment of The Week

Design By: Kayla Wyatt

This gorgeous window treatment makes this vintage iron bed look like it is floating in the clouds. Master workroom professional Mary Ann Plumlee, of Plumlee Place Ltd. is the artisan behind the construction of these luscious balloon shades and panels. Check out her site, Workroom Intelligence, one of my favorites.

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Window Treatment of the Week

via BH&G

I've always loved this room, I've had this picture for ages and I always come back to it. It's a great example of how to treat windows differently in the same room while still maintaining balance and harmony in the design.

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Cascade Coil - New Age Drapery

Over the past few years I have seen many applications of , wire fabrics, chain mail or beaded string draperies or room dividers in stark modern interiors of restaurants or nightclubs. Recently I ran across these installations from Cascade Coil that use the product in an almost warm and cozy way.



The soft draping of these long panels surrounds each booth providing the hint of privacy and intimacy without isolation.




I love the way the product has been used in this residential application. Separate panels are juxtaposed to provide separation while maintaining an open feel to the loft space.


The creative mind never ceases to amaze me. Just when you think you have a particular product figured out someone will come up with a whole new way to use it.

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Better Homes & Gardens, meet Walmart

It seems that BH&G has climbed aboard the over sized Walmart bandwagon. I know many of you have very strong feelings (many justifiably so) about the retail mega-giant and it's policies here and abroad. I personally do not answer the "attention Walmart shoppers" call to arms (I'm a Target addict) but I am curious to know more about this seemingly odd pairing. Walmart has purchased the Hearst publications (BH&G's parent co) 30 Days of Home Magazine which it will use to promote it's new line of home furnishings, so the segue into branded furnishings seems a natural progression for the two. I just wonder how this partnership will affect the BH&G's brand. Even Martha Stewart couldn't make a profit on the sale of her products at K-Mart but raked in a mint due to the solid nature of her contract.


The tag line in their ads in House Beautiful is:
"Make my bedroom look like a picture in a magazine and not lose sleep over the price."


I must say that judging from the very few products that I could find on the Walmart website there is no clear brand signature to these items. I put together the combinations shown here - there is no cross product marketing that I could see. It seems to be a jumble of the same product style and quality that you would already find at Walmart and does not seem to have a strong brand image or increased quality that you would expect from a BH&G product.


I will have to take a closer look at how it is displayed in the store but I think they may have missed the boat on creating a "collection". Perhaps they should have taken some lessons from Martha Stewart - at least you could immediately tell which products were hers at Kmart.

Let me know if what you think about these products if you take a trip to the Big W anytime soon.....

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Window Treatments - A New Installation

I've shown many of my illustrations of window treatments to you all on this blog but I haven't posted many pictures of my designs. There are a couple of reasons for this. 1. I am a terrible photographer and all of my pictures come out dark, overexposed, or blurry. 2. I am a terrible stager and there is always something out of place in the photo. 3. I am so busy working that I forget to take good pictures until it's too late. Any of these sound familiar?

These photos are of a house that I am just finishing up. The draperies went in last week and they are still being tweaked. They are typical of many of my designs using layered construction and integrating unusual elements.


This treatment has an upholstered cornice base that has been embellished with a large ornate scroll made of resin and painted to match the interior of the room. This is part of a three piece wall decor arrangement by Uttermost. The matching piece is used on the other window and the center section is hung on the wall in the theater. I always try to impress on designers that they can look beyond the obvious for materials and hardware to make their designs stand out.


The raised side panels are hung over the top of the cornice at each side of the scroll work. I like to create interesting shapes in my designs that add architectural weight to the room as well as movement and variety. The key to elaborate designs like these is to create a harmonious balance that enhances the style of the room without becoming overbearing.




These treatments are in the great room and again are a typical example of my work. In this design scrolls and medallions are added to create an interesting shape to the bottom of the cornice. A large tassel hangs at the center to bring the eye into the middle of the window. Small medallions are mounted at the base of each pleat to balance the weight of the intricate scrolls below. A shirred border is placed at the top to emphasize the shape and to create a focal point at the top of the treatment.

On the other side of the great room this bay window is dressed with a more casual treatment that blends nicely with the formal cornices. This design repeats the same fabrics and elements; layered treatments, arched lines, and tassels at the center. By adding a decorative rod and rings the design is brought down a notch and it appears to be more relaxed.


Attention to detail when designing and specifying window treatments is the key to success. Small tassels wrapped around each pleat, a finished return, contrasting welting and trim - they all add up to a beautiful finished product.


Don't be afraid to try something new or unusual. Sticking to the basics can be a safe bet but sooooooo boring! Live a little!

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Window Jewelry

No, you can't pin it to your lapel or dangle it around your neck, it is jewelry for your window treatments!!! This spectacular drapery hardware line, The Saturday Decor, is producing Swarvoski encrusted jewels for those designers who are not afraid of opulence.

Tiebacks


Drapery Pins

Scarf Holders

They also have a line of very beautiful, non-encrusted hardware that would work in almost any setting for those of us who are not so fond of the glitz and glam of Austrian crystal!

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