High Point 2017 Highlights

We had a whirlwind trip to spring market in High Point, NC.  It is always a whirlwind, because no matter the number of days we stay, one cannot see it all.  It is both exhilarating and exhausting.  The inspiration is plentiful, and we have so much fun meeting up with our design friends from around the country.  

The highlights of this years market are almost too numerous to summarize.  One of the most pronounced occurrences was the used of mixed metals in everything from accessories to furniture. This doesn't evoke an industrial vibe like it has in years past, but a focus on a marriage of old and new materials.  I loved the mix of metals and raw woods, and natural stones like quartz and even semi precious minerals.

• Mixed metals, in all finishes, less shiny, more antiqued
• Clean sleek furniture lines: simplicity and elegance
• Mixed wood tones, in many raw and natural finishes
• Geometric shapes in wall paper patterns and textiles
• Oversized 'statement' hardware on furnishings
• Bold color, grays are warmer, neutrals have hints of warm color in them
• Earthy tones, tawny browns- not your 70's earth tones
• Lucite and glass 

• Texture in everything including artwork, lighting, rugs-all across the board
• Natural fibers; raffia, wicker, rattan, leather
• Mid century modern style
• 1970's shapes and forms- a bit retro
• Global influences from India, Africa, Spain, Morocco, Cuba, etc.- gathering cultural vibes
• Hand block printed textiles and small authentically crafted prints
• Artisanal creations in all lines
• Large art and textiles framed as art
• Found objects and antique finds for accessorizing

This is just a small hint of all that was going on at market. 

                                                                                                                                  

We came back with tons of inspiration and fuel for client projects!

Check out #highpointmarket and #hpmarket2107 on Instagram for more fun snapshots. 

Next post I'll describe the process of the art by the amazing Tracy Hiner of Black Crow Studios. 

Happy Spring!

Currently loving

Bethany has a necklace from this fabulous Etsy designer BBOLD that we are loving.  The mix of wood with resin is stunning, especially this aqua color.

Then I happen upon Greg Klassen's furniture and bam, it's like the two inspirations connected.

This glass and live edge furniture and art by Greg Klassen is gorgeous!  He's from the Pacific Northwest and has a lovely story and a true artisan/maker.

 {How about a waterfall kitchen countertop like this?}

This River Triptych is insanely beautiful:

I hope you have an inspiring weekend! 

New for Spring

Wisteria is killing it lately with gorgeous new products

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and so is Anthropologie.

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Love these striped dining chairs:

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How about this sweet settee from Ballard?

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Have a wonderful weekend and stay safe and warm!

The Statement Chair

  Do you own a "statement chair'?

One King's Lane launched a new a Decor Resource Center where you can learn about the history of different types of chairs.  They have compiled a timeline describing which chairs were popular at different times.  My personal favorite chair, The Falcon Chair, was not listed on the timeline but is too good not to mention.

The Falcon Chair rose to popularity in the 1970s during the Scandinavian Modern movement. I acquired mine when I got married in 1975 and still love it today!  The Falcon chair was designed by Sigurd Ressell and manufactured by Vatne Mobler Norway.

 My husband and I loved Scandanavian Modern when we got married; since we were both raised in homes with antiques, this was our attempt at breaking away from our roots and developing our own style.  Some of our early acquisitions are no longer with us, but this chair and several other teak mid-century modern case goods are mixed into the 'transitional' style decor in my home.  Here is the Falcon Chair in our master bedroom today.

Bookmark the One King's Lane Decor Resource Guide for your design files today! Hopefully the Falcon Chair will be added to their guide!

Do you have a 'statement' chair?

Restoring Teak Furniture

My mother bought alot of Scandinavian teak furniture in the 70's and I have inherited many pieces that I love.  Unfortunately 40 years of grime and wax buildup have taken its toll so I tackled the layers in efforts to restore the finish.   I know you're only supposed to use teak oil on teak, but my mom, god love her, used alot of "Pledge" on this table.

This picture is mid process.  I had alot of rings and stains on the table so I started washing it with vinegar and scrubbing the grime layers off with a sponge. I used fine steel wool also, but it quickly got full of wax buildup.  In researching the process I came across alot of good sites and tips here and here , but I want to short cut that for you, in case you're trying to restore one of these 'beauts'.

Apparently the secret sauce is Watco Teak Oil, which I got at Home Depot.  I have always had this in my house and it's magic.

After scrubbing, steel wool and 220 grit sanding:

Two coats of oil, one more to go.

• Clean the wood with water and a little vinegar.
• Scrub the surface as evenly as possible to remove wax buildup. Natural variations in the wood will have grabbed some oil deeper than other areas and it is hard to get it even.
• Use steel wool evenly ALWAYS WITH THE GRAIN over the entire surface.
• If you want to attempt to use a light hand and sand with 220 grit sandpaper be very careful since the veneer layer on most teak is on 1/11" so you must be gentle!
• Apply a liberal layer of teak oil and wait 30 mins.
• Wipe off
• Apply another coat of teak oil and wait 15 mins.
• Wipe off
• Let dry overnight and do not use for 10-12 hours.  You may have to reapply oil in the driest areas.
• Depending on how much oil you put on it, it may take several days to dry. Mine did!

                      TIP: How do you tell if a piece is solid wood or veneer?

Look at the grain on the edge of the table.  If it is going the opposite way of the grain on the top of the table then it is veneer.  Here is a close up of a solid teak table where the grain on top of the table is going in the same direction on the sides.

 Here are two examples of teak veneer:

Teak is popular on Craigslist, yardsales and antique stores, so you can restore it- to a point. Don't be shy, it just takes time and 'elbow grease!'

Here's my finished breakfast room:

Before you go, be sure to check out Bethany's post about ch ch ch changes over at our lovely friend Beth's blog, Design POST Interiors!

DIY Tortoise

I bought a bamboo chippendale chair at the Habitat Restore for $12.00 a few months back. Finally there was the perfect day to spray paint so with some inspirational pictures as guidelines  I sprayed away.  My goal was a faux tortoiseshell look.  Here is my dreamy inspiration:


                                            (These 70's horn chairs cost thousands of dollars.)

 I took black and brown spray paint and began to cover the chair, front and back using the black at the rattan "knots" and the brown between the knots.

I liked working "wet" where I would use both cans darkening the black then hitting the light areas again with the brown and blending them.

Not having any other spray can colors on hand, I took to my acrylic paints.

I love a fat "makeup" brush to brush on color, but fingers worked best. I added gold, orange and a chestnut color between the knots, smearing it all together with my fingers.

Possible finished product....I'm 'marinating' on it for a day or two. The seat cushion is not working for me.

Before I design a new cushion, I need to # 1 have a plan as to wear I'll put the chair, #2 pick out a fabric #3 make or have a pro make a cushion cover. I'll post pictures when that is done.  Not sure if I want to go more "colorful" with higher and lower highlights, so I'm going to live with it a bit til I declare it's "done"!

Update:
I had several sessions adding more color since it was so deceptive bringing it indoors where it looked so dark. Here it is now with more highlights added:

How to frequently redecorate

I know most of you are addicted to re-doing rooms over and over like we are, but in case you have had your furniture in the same spot for a long while, or yearn for a new look to go along with a new season, here are some things we do at Powell Brower.

1. CHANGE YOUR ART AROUND

I  often take all art down off a wall in a room or two and create new wall groupings.  Sometimes just moving pictures around will give the room just a fresh new look!

2. REARRANGE YOUR FURNITURE

Did you know that lining the walls with furniture (and hanging rugs on the wall) was actually a medieval practice of keeping out the drafts between the stones on the castle walls?  I remember my grandfathers house in Oregon had furniture lining the walls with barely room for one more thing. Even when I was little I thought that was so odd.  Maybe that's where my love for rearranging began!

Look at all how Robert Passal "floats" all the furniture in the room:

3. PAINT

This is the least expensive remodel you can do that yields the largest reward.  So you spend $20-60.00 on a can of paint to give your room a whole new look...just do it!

                                          (Bethany's bold brown ceiling for  her ORC)

                                                        (my kitchen)

I see people labor over paint decisions and I just want them to jump in. " It's just PAINT" I always say, not a major investment.

4. CHANGE YOUR ACCESSORIES

Often you have all you need for a new look around your  own home.  Don't know where to start or you need to unblock your 'decorator's block'? Take everything out of a room, put it all on the kitchen counter and reassign things to different rooms.  Better yet, if you have a friend ( or daughter) whose 'eye' you value, have them work with you, since two heads are literally better than one....

5. GET NEW PILLOWS

You can really change out your pillow covers for a minimal outlay of funds. Shops on Etsy offer tons of pillow choices as do your local or online home stores.  Or trying sewing some; there are plenty of DIY's out there.

The most important thing is to make your house your own with personal items and things you love; experiment and have fun in the process and get help if you get stuck or need a new plan. Decorators can help you formulate a plan and save you from making costly mistakes! 

Nancy


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If you are looking for help with your home, we'd love to work with you! Contact us for a listing of our services and prices. Nancy and Bethany

the holy trinity

Have you ever heard someone talking about something they want to do to their home and you cringe?  I often think my friends think I'm off my rocker when I talk about the outlandish things I want to do to my home.  But if you are a risk-taker, then just go for it and go all the way.  If you aren't, stick to your safe-ground and don't push the envelope. Half-assing it ('scuse my French) will always show.  Do what makes you feel good, and is within your comfort zone.  But if you are looking to make your mark, put all your chips in!

Where people get into trouble is taking some risks in an otherwise low-risk environment. The lack of confidence in their risk will always show through.  The wrong piece of stylized furniture in an otherwise Pottery Barn house.  Or a bad paint color with really classic or traditional furniture. 

There are some rules of thumb to keep in mind when looking to make an impact in your home.  Remember Mom's post on the BRAGG theory?  There are some elements that make or break a room.  We call them the Holy Trinity.  I know, I know… it's just decorating.  But these things can really make you say 'oh my GOD' when done right.

First up - LIGHTING.

This is true of all of these categories, but lighting is especially worthy of spending a bit more money to get just what you want.  Even if it means making sacrifices in the budget for other areas, lighting is supremely important.  Lighting is one of those things that can be extremely costly,  especially if you have a lot of fixtures to replace.  But choosing impactful lighting will increase the allure of your space arguably more than any other element of decor.

Jan Showers is famous for her murano lamps and fabulous lighting in her interiors

Numero dos - RUGS.

So many crazes out there like over-dyed or the Beni Oushak trend.  But whatever you are into, spend a little bit more to get a quality rug.  It will make all the difference in the way it 'wears' and how much impact it has in a space.  Poor quality rugs shed and pill and show wear much easier than ones designed to weather the test of time. And one of the biggest mistakes I see people make with rugs is SRS.  Small Rug Syndrome.  We all make this mistake at some point.  And after a while, it nags at you that none of the corners meet the furniture or the walls and eventually you bite the bullet and upgrade to the bigger rug.  There are far too many 5 x7 and 6 x9 rugs in large lofty living rooms. And maybe that's a function of the number of those size rugs being sold in the big-box stores.  The pocketbook takes a huge hit on a custom or large room rug, but just make sure your rug grounds your room and fills the space its meant for. 

                   Lastly, CHAIRS.

Occasional chairs and dining chairs are some of the most sat in when company calls.  They are also the most noticeable.  And there's nothing worse than an uncomfortable chair.  Saving your pennies for a few more months will be well worth it in the long run when you avoid the Ikea chairs and splurge on the real hardwood framed chairs.  I regret my Ikea Parsons-esque dining chairs every night while we eat dinner.  They always creak and shift and the legs often loosen. Oddly though, the Lucite Ikea chairs I have intermixed are not as bad as the cheap softwood Henriksdal chairs we also have.  A chair is all about sitting.  Sitting should be comfortable.  Not rickety or unstable.  

And when you have all three elements together… BLAM.  There's your impact!

Do you have purchases that you regret not spending a little more on? 

-Bethany