Fit for a Queen or at least a Really Spoiled Princess

Every girl wants to feel like a princess at some time in their life even if they love modern design and hate foo foo and ruffles.

For those stylish city girls of sophisticated tastes ( and for foo foo lovers as well ) the one of a kind seating from Chair Couture will do the trick. Feminine yet Funky, each piece is finished and upholstered to bring out it's own unique character.


Exquisite detailing and finish work is highlighted by the choice of fresh, current fabrics guaranteed to command attention.


Striking contrast between frame and fabric creates an almost electric feel.


Margaret, the creative and "perky as her chairs" mind behind the line describes her concept. " My idea for Chair Couture is to "re-dress" the vintage French and Italian pieces I love so much in bold modern fabrics ( and sometimes paints) making every bergere, fauteuil, settee, and boudoir bench a striking one-of-a-kind art piece. These chairs are designed to not only fit in, but actually stand out and become a focal point in the most contemporary environments.


I love the harmony that she achieves between the traditional styling of the frames and the contemporary fabrics. It takes a keen eye to be able to pull this off so well. I know, I've tried and failed!!! It's wonderful to have a resource that specializes in this genre to help designers and homeowners achieve this look successfully.




Ingenuity in design is a rare thing and I commend her for her forward thinking. I am looking forward to seeing her expand her line.

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Good For You Miss Martha

On Mondays edition of "The Martha Stewart Show" Miss Martha dedicated the entire show to sewing. She even had help from our favorite fashionista Tim Gunn!! The entire audience was comprised of home sewers who either brought with them or wore, their own original creations.



I am very passionate about the subject of home decor and home fashion sewing. My grandmother and my mother were avid sewers and I learned to sew when I was 6. It is a very big part of the person that I have become and was of course instrumental in my career choice as well as the subject matter of my books.

Back in the day most families had at least one member who knew their way around a sewing machine. How many of us played with our grandmothers old Singer foot pedal sewing machine? This is certainly not the case today. We now live in a country where school districts have all but eliminated home economics and art instruction. Most young people are two generations removed from anyone in their immediate circle who possessed sewing skills. They do not have mentors at home or at school to expose them to the joy of sewing or to teach them basic skills.

This has lead to a critical shortage of skilled seamstresses working in soft treatment workrooms. Labor is outsourced to other countries or as is the case on the west coast, done primarily by illegal immigrants from Mexico. I am leaving on Wednesday to attend the Custom Home Furnishing's Conference in Philadelphia and I know that the shortage of skilled workers will be a topic of much conversation and debate.

I was very pleased to see Martha Stewart addressing these issues and encouraging her audience to take up sewing and expand their sewing skills. I hope she continues on this path. I think it is very important for all of us to encourage our schools to bring back home economics and art instruction.

Thanks Martha!

( By the way- check out that photo - the girl is looking good! You have to go to her my space page. She shows old photos of her modeling days . Who knew she was such a babe? )

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It's Friday, Get Your Vegas On!!

Most of you don't know this but my super talented husband is the creative mind behind the very successful advertising campaign for Las Vegas. "What Happens Here Stays Here ". They have launched a new interactive website for their new ads! It's a ton of fun. Check it out

Since it's Friday and I 'm sure you are wanting to get your party started so you can fly your freak flag proudly. I thought I would provide you with some inspiration by giving you a close up view of two of my home towns hottest night spots.

First, we have the hangout of the perpetually wasted, extension sporting, no underwear wearing, queen of trailer trash, Britney Spears. PURE in Caesars Palace.



The rooftop bar overlooking the strip is the place to be on a Friday night. The view is fantastic and unlike the interior rooms there is plenty of oxygen for those of you who like to breath. For a couple of hundred bucks you can bribe your way up the elevator to this lofty perch and be seated in your own private cabana where you can then shell out many more hundreds for bottle service and all the slutty hostesses you could possibly want to mix your drinks. Luckily when I have gone there it's always been for private parties and it's an open bar - I can't afford simple luxuries like bottle service!

The infamous "Red Room"shown at the top right, is reserved for only the most elite of celebrity partiers. I am positive that Britney's naked butt cheeks have graced that sofa.


The interior is well done with lots of sexy drapery and loungable furnishings (aka make out beds). Colored lights set the mood. These pictures are a bit misleading because when you are there in person it is filled with Tara Reid and Paris Hilton wanna be's and you can't really see much of the interior.


The private booths with filmy fabric walls are premium seating - again this will cost you.



For the slightly more sophisticated, the place to be is TAO. The Asian masterpiece at The Venetian. Tao actually offers delicious food and good service especially upstairs in the private lounge
Giant Buddha's and barrel shaped booths create a surreal, spicy environment that oozes trendy. Young beautiful things sip martinis and pack the dance floor gyrating to techno music.


Red venetian glass chandeliers remind patrons that they are still in The Venetian while they drink the night away into the wee wee hours.

Celebrity sightings here tend to be more along the lines of Tommy Lee and Pam Anderson with the occasional Justin Timberlake.

So wherever you are and whatever you're doing this weekend - Party like a rock star would if they were at TAO or PURE with no underwear on. Go Vegas!!

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Hvae yuo sene tihs

Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can.



i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!


Cazry!!!

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I'm Seeing Things in Black & White

Black and White combinations are still commanding attention across the board in decorative accessories and design. Here are a few of my favorites. They remind me of old book plates printed in Intaglio.
The Washington Printmakers Gallery defines Intaglio as:
"Intaglio (from the Italian world to carve) might be considered the reverse of relief printing. In a relief print, the ink is rolled onto the surface and not into the lines; in an intaglio print, the ink is pushed into the lines and pits and wiped off the surface of the plate. "

Celeb designer and blogger extraordinaire Mark Cutler is expanding his line of "Tableaux Cloths." A collection of crisp corner pleated table linens printed with black and white images of classic furnishings. He will even provide the tables underneath if need be. What a great solution to covering a less than stellar table or just to give the client flexibility and variation in a space. The new line will include lighting and even a tent!!! Oooh La La. Sounds very romantic. I can't wait to see all of the items.



From online retailer UMA these classic glasses come in a set of four. The vintage goblets shown in silhouette are so much fun.


Intricately patterned diner plates from Rossana make a dramatic statement on the table or hanging on a wall. The Rosanna website is one you must check out. Her patterns are to die for and the packaging is almost as beautiful as the dinnerware! I'm tempted to buy something just to get the hat box like containers.



Lisa Bengtsson is a brilliant graphic designer who has a large selection of wallpaper based on her graphic images. I adore this one entitled Familjen - Foto ( I am language illiterate but I assume this means Family Photo - please correct me if I am wrong )


The Acrila Collection from Moco Loco has a real sense of humor. This innovative use of acrylic showcasing images of traditional furniture pieces in Intaglio is truly unique. My favorites are the upholstered chairs and barstools. They also come with brightly colored accents in the upholstery.

Finally from the ultra talented design team of Mathew White and Frank Webb, their Intaglio series of furnishings and accessories is a play on the classics. Intricately detailed prints of classic embellishment and encrustation are adhered to the flat surfaces of these basic pieces creating the illusion of shape and shadow.




This magnificent faux room done entirely in Intaglio is part of an exhibition "Eminent Domain" done by White & Webb for the Rice Gallery In Houston, Texas. Wouldn't you love to have a room like this in your home? I know I would.

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Domino we still love you!

I had no idea the kind of reaction my last post about Domino's online article about Barrie Benson would generate. I truly appreciate everyone's honesty and opennesses in commenting on this subject. It is obviously something that we are all very passionate about and it is a topic worth exploring. While I view my blog as a place where I can express my personal views I do feel an obligation to be responsible, fair and accurate when writing posts.

I originally saw the two photos of the canopied bedroom on the fabulous blog Style Court. Her coverage of the rooms prompted me to look deeper into the subject and post my comments. I then saw the Domino cover featured on another great design blog Habitually Chic . HC is a very talented young designer who has an incredible eye for detail. She has made a comment that I believe in the spirit of fairness should be addressed. She says,

"I have to clarify something for everyone, the photos you posted were from the online pictorial of Barrie Benson's work. They were not included in the magazine. The magazine article was a feature on her own mid-century home that she filled with family furniture and a mix of periods, not all mid-century furniture, which I happen to love. It's the way young people live these days."

The pictures and article including quotes taken from it that I used in my post are featured on Domino's website under the heading "house tour Barrie Benson".

My personal opinion is that it does not matter where or how the pictures and text of the interview are sourced the end result is still the same. I believe that this type of discussion and debate is a healthy and productive means of communication that is beneficial to the industry.

Thanks again to all of you,
Jackie

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Designer Homage or Blatant Rip Off ? - You Decide

I am a firm believer that there are no new ideas in design - only new unique interpretations of past designs colored by our current experiences and exposure. I believe that any talented designer or home decor enthusiast draws from their own personal well of inspiration that they have collected over their lifetime to produce one of a kind interpretations of things they love. That being said, I also think it is acceptable to draw inspiration directly from someone else's work and then mold into your own unique design.


Imagine my horror when reading the online cover story on this months Domino on Barrie Benson. This up and coming designer from North Carolina is featured front and center on the cover and shows a melange of her work inside. She practically boasts about "snaking" designs verbatim from other designers. Benson says, "We snaked the entire look from a house done by Tom Scheerer ...."

Check out the designs below. The first picture is Benson's Room - the second the original room done by very talented designer and "snakee", Tom Sheerer. I ask you to be the judge. Is Benson paying homage to the innovative and well designed room by Scheerer or is she just ripping him off. If I were Scheerer I would be more than a bit peeved to see this less than stellar duplication complete with over sized lampshade minimal wall decor and identical bedding. It seems that all she did was swap the colors of the walls and lampshade.



Below - Another picture from the photo spread in Domino - Look Familiar ??? Why yes, that is Kelly Wearstler's famous plate wall from the Viceroy. Again, as with the other room, we have the swapping of color from dark to light. Does the fact that these are Hermes plates make it good design? They aren't even hung straight.




The article quotes Benson describing the room below as follows:

"Mid-Century furniture in a Mid-Century house is so, well, last century! The mixing styles and using luxurious new fabrics with saturated colors makes it so fresh and new".

What is she talking about? I see a photo of my cousin's paneled basement with the old furniture that grandma was throwing out mixed with a worn out couch found on the street and some yard sale lamps and pillows. Where is the "saturated color"? Take a look at that sad blue velvet bergere and the cheap looking under filled pillows and tell me what's fresh and new.

Below- Find a superbly done room by the afore mention Tom Scheerer with a brilliant mix of period and modern furnishings. Benson should have ripped off - I mean - taken inspiration from this room.


So, as you can tell I have no opinion on this subject. But you decide, Homage - Rip Off - or - Just Bad Design? You be the Judge!


My opinion - Domino should be doing a cover with Tom Scheerer on it. !

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