Traditional Valance

Take a pretty blank canvas, add a traditional valance in a traditional print fabric and what do you get? Sounds boring, doesn't it? Keep reading.
My client has trusted me with her window treatments for so long, that now we count houses, not years. This is house #3, downsizing from house #2, which was huge and we worked on about 8 years ago. House #3 is not small at all, but feels that way in comparison.
My client has very traditional taste and a color palette that she chooses not to deviate from, due to so much of her "stuff" purchased within the palette.
We started with a dining room window that already had cafe shutters. She did not want long panels, just a valance. We decided on the valance style pretty quickly. Finding the right print was not so easy.

We finally chose this Duralee print because it had the colors we wanted, plus it coordinated with the fabric we had already used in the living room. You might remember that room from a previous post.
The print in that room was more of an updated traditional, with a younger vibe, that we found at Kravet.
So you see, you don't have to buy your fabrics from the same places for them to play well together.
The client had a rug in the dining room with quite a bit of blue, so to repeat that, we lined the side cascades in the same blue. It stands out quite nicely.
We were also lucky to find this beautiful tassel fringe in red and blue from Stout Brothers.

The whole thing looks soft and pretty and adds a lot of interest to the room, without blocking out more sunlight.

Flower Gift

Here is a Quick and Easy for all you DIY'ers out there.
My friend had some minor surgery and I wanted to take her some flowers. OK, I bought the arrangement at Costco. It was pretty but I am not one to leave well enough alone, so I dolled it up a little.
I liked the square vase. I wrapped it with a piece of burlap ribbon, then topped that with a pink satin ribbon, the color of one of the flowers in the arrangement.

New Furniture I Love

In my studio, we've just started carrying a line of furniture I adore. It is called Caracole. There are some pretty traditional pieces and a few crazy ones. While I love traditional furniture and rooms, I DO love a crazy piece thrown in there.
Here are a few creative pieces that would certainly give your tired rooms a lift!

This is a fun chair in an animal print, but the most important thing to note is that it is 47" tall! That's almost 4 feet tall! That's practically up to my chin!

This pretty sette is really not too far out there, and would fit in so many room styles. Love it's clean lines. While it has the look of a chaise, I wouldn't limit it to a bedroom.

I love this storage piece. There is a bit of a reference to a French piece with the metal "grill" over the doors. In fact, it reminds me of a wine/bookcase I saw in a French themed restaurant the other day:

Look behind both the woman in green and the woman in red. It is hard to see the grill but you get the idea.

Two New Ideas in Kitchen Design

It seems we are all concerned with the state of our kitchens. I am frequently asked questions like,"Are granite countertops still "in"? or "Do I have to replace my appliances with stainless steel?" Some of the questions are motivated by our desire to be on trend, and some are concerns about maintaining the value of one's home.

I LOVE kitchen design. I'm fascinated by all the different finishes, from custom cabinetry, to countertops and appliances. Since I like to cook, I fantasize about all those toys, um, utensils. I visualize a kitchen full of people enjoying good food.


Recently I was in a kitchen appliance showroom, ADU in Chantilly, VA. Here was a cool trend I learned about: glass over stainless! Think about it, stainless appliances have become the standard, but the one issue with them is the maintenance of the stainless front. With glass over stainless, you simply clean it like you would any piece of glass.

This wall oven is by Gaggenau. Inside there was another kitchen trend, that I was told that they have been expecting for awhile. A rotisserie for meat.
Look carefully at the rotisserie inside the bottom oven.
Now, my outdoor grill has a rotisserie and I love using it because you don't have to babysit it while it works. And it is kind of fun. Imagine coming home from a long day away and being able to put some main entree on the rotisserie and let it work while you change clothes and get the rest of the meal ready. What took those appliance people so long? To see a really quick video of the Gaggenau at work (and a sneak peek at the glass over stainless front) click here.
Now, I bet you suddenly have a craving to go buy a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store. While you are driving, think about how much longer you will keep your current oven before you replace it with this one!