I don't know if you all noticed that Brocade Home, a subsidiary of Restoration Hardware, is no longer taking orders. Perhaps it is because of the launch of this site: Restoration Hardware Baby & Child.

I was looking for a Dining Table and noticed the new logo at the top of RH's website, so decided to check it out. There are quite a few nice things here (like the sweet personalized crown piece above).

The furniture, I would suspect, is the same high quality you would expect from the parent site. This four poster is a really timeless design I think. And the bedding hosts a hive of little bees fit for a little Josephine.

The lamps are great looking and quite a good price. This gourd lamp is $119, plus the shade at $25.

Cute lamp reminiscent of Jaime Young. Painted ceramic, comes in a bunch of colors (as does the gourd lamp), and different shade choices. $69! Plus a shade at $25. This is not a tiny little lamp either. It stands 22" high. (Sometimes with a price like this I double check the size to make sure it is not a mini lamp.)

And there are area rugs and window coverings as well. I thought this woven rug (comes in other colors also) was very nice!

I was very impressed overall. Restoration Hardware has great things that blend in with many different decors, so I was very pleased to discover this site. Hope you will be too. Worth a visit for sure.

If you are in the Chicago area and/or are a design/innovation/tech junkie, the WIRED NextFest event in Chicago’s Millennium Park may be right up your alley. From what I have seen the event has a lot of groundbreaking design work that could potentially foreshadow what we’ll be seeing and using in the not so distant future. Some of the highlights include “advances in sustainable design, next generation healthcare, interactive art and games, and humanoid robotics.”

A few pieces to wet your whistle:

“Don’t just sit - Hoverit”…

“Don’t just sit - Hoverit” is the slogan of a two-person British design team who proclaim this chair to be “the first in a series of magnetic hover furniture.” The design visually reminds me of a mix between the hover board scene from Back to the Future and a dental chair, but the Hoverit team says the experience is “more like floating than sitting.” Hmmm. I would hope so since the plastic doesn’t look too inviting. If the plastic scares you away, the designers say the magnetic forces beneath the persons body weight makes for a different feel than what we find in normal “earth-bound” rigid plastic chairs. I’ll believe it when I hover it (hahaha).

Then there is the HumanCar:

We go from Back to the Future (dental style) to The Flintstones. The “HumanCar” is touted as being an eco-loving carpooler’s dream come true. Four seats and a roof provide a measure of comfort, and four rowing handles (for human-powered battery charging) provide the power. I guess this is better than Fred’s foot powered car, yeah?

The WIRED NextFest event begins September 27th and ends October 12th. For all the details go to www.wirednextfest.com

The editors considered all items in the "art of making" which include architecture, interior décor, home furnishings and gadgets.

Nichols & Stone, the only sizable furniture manufacturer still operating in the "chair city" of Gardner, is poised to quit making products from scratch.

Nichols & Stone is a premier manufacturer of furniture and the only sizable furniture manufacturer still operating in the "chair city" of Gardner, Massachusetts.

Back in January 2006, we wrote a post entitled Eight Questions to Ask Before Hiring an Interior Designer. The eight questions were part of an article in Home magazine and we linked to the magazine.

We like to link to an article and highlight several questions in our post, rather
than list all the questions. That way people go to the linked site and we both benefit from the traffic. One of our frustrations looking back at some of our posts is that not all articles are archived. If you click on the link above, you land on the magazine’s website, but it’s the June 2008 issue and the “Eight Questions…are gone!

It’s been awhile, so, because of inflation, we’ve come up with our own eleven questions:

1. Do I like the designer? Can I spend a lot of time with him/her? Good communication is a must. Working with an interior designer involves some give and take. You will share ideas, and the designer will contribute insights and advice based on his or her talents, knowledge and experience. Depending on the scope of the project, you could be working with your designer a couple of weeks to many, many months.

2. Do I get that he/she is trying to understand me by asking a lot of questions? The key to success is really getting to know you in the early stages and how you and your family use your home and your interests.

3. Does the scale of my project really warrant an interior designer? Even if you think you could accomplish the redesign, do you have the time and inclination? You need to be realistic about how much money you are willing to spend. Include in this estimate the cost of all raw materials, new furniture, labor for installations, and possibly a designer.

4. How do you charge for your time? Designers may charge by the hour, which can be anywhere from $35 to $300, and these costs can quickly mount up. Others may offer a free first consultation, and then quote you a flat fee on the basis of your discussions. Some may charge for the first meeting in advance and then a fee for the whole project based on the estimated hours. Some may bill you for hours used each month. Some may bill each month a level amount. Some may get a designer discount and pass some or all the savings on to you. Whatever the basis on which your interior decorator is paid, make sure you both agree on the budget.

5. Can we accomplish the redesign and stay within my budget?

6. I can’t decide if I like the design. Do I still have to pay for it? “Yes! When you decide to hire an interior design firm, you have decided to trust the design recommendations of that firm.�

7. Are you available for conversation about changes and fine tuning? A good designer knowing you may present you with several options and give you the choice of one or the other. ASID recommends: “Minimize changes to your plan. Each part of the design will affect the whole. Changes or special requests can require any number of adjustments that will add time and expenses to your project.

8. My friend doesn’t like your ideas. Why shouldn’t I listen to her/him? If you have to ask this question you should probably have hired your friend.

9. Can I go to the local Design Center? With or without you? Of course, just let them know that you are working with a designer and his/her name.

10. What if a piece of furniture comes damaged? The furniture store should inspect the furniture when it arrives. The designer should also inspect the furniture before it goes to the client. If something is missed or it breaks when it is used, the designer and the furniture store will work together with the vendor to resolve any problem.

11. How long does it take to receive things, once they are ordered? Here’s a guideline (though individual vendors may vary):
Upholstered Furniture: 10-16 weeks depending on vendor.
Casegoods – Chests, bookcases, tables, hutches, etc.: 8-12 weeks depending on vendor.
Window Treatments: 6-8 weeks depending on size of job
Accessories, Lamps, Art Prints, Silk Flowers/Plants: 4-6 weeks or less.
Rugs: If machine made, 2-4 weeks. If hand knotted, 3-4 months
Wallpaper/Fabrics: 3-5 days.

Several websites contributed to this list of questions and their answers:

Apartment Therapy LA Good Questions: Hiring an Interior Designer
ASID Working with a Designer
Nancy Werneken Interior Design Frequently Asked Questions
Lynle Ellis Designs Before You Hire an Interior Designer
NWSID Why Hire an Interior Designer?
CCIDC Frequently Asked Questions About Certified Interior Designers
Directory M articles Interior Decorator

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Clients include women escaping domestic violence, individuals and families who have been homeless, elderly persons on limited incomes, people with mental and physical disabilities, refugee families from all over the world, youth and adults recovering from substance abuse, and the working poor.

Visiting Jennifer and Justin Leonard’s garden in Portland yesterday, it occurred to me that this renovated garden is so inviting partly because it offers so many delightful places to sit.

Susan Dickenson writing for Home Accents Today reported that the President and CEO of Martha Stewart Living, Susan Lyne, resigned and Mike followed up with some wall street takes on the resignation.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Chic cushion
Woven of natural abaca, the Aqua Bead Circle pillow from Palecek showcases an embroidered bead design ($138).

GOBLET-SHAPED VASE
with Brushed Silver Trumpet-Style Base and Turquoise, Beige and Chocolate Finish, 5.5"D x 11.25"H, For Decorative Purposes Only, Glass, Brass, BB, Cs pk/4, ©2008, CBK Exclusive SUG. RETAIL $60.00.

WAVE-SHAPED TRAYS
with Light Blue and Light Green Reactive Glaze Finish, Set of 2, Lg: 20.75"L x 4.75"W x 4"H, Sm: 12"L x 3"W x 3"H, Ceramic, BB, Cs pk/4 sets, ©2008, CBK Exclusive SUG. RETAIL $34.50/ea. tray.

Windsor Smith is a designer whose career is on fire. In addition to her interior design work, she just debuted a fabric collection, a furniture collection, and a rug line as well (whew!). I recently had the opportunity to speak with Windsor and it was quite a treat. Her personality is as warm and sparkling as her interiors.

To borrow the tagline from the National Enquirer, "Inquiring minds want to know", and that's the way I feel about design. So I decided to get Windsor's thoughts on anything and everything design related.


On Her New Fabric Line:
Windsor's new fabric line for Kravet has received rave reviews, and it's not hard to see why. The fabrics that caught my eye were her bold and graphic prints. But don't think that these are "in your face" prints. Windsor likes the snap and pop of strong pattern, but she chose to render them in soft colors like celadon and clove. And she wisely chose to use no more than two colors per print. The result? Prints that are classic and easy to live with. (Fabric available through Kravet showrooms and through her website.)

"Insignia" in Seafoam


"Continuum" in Chestnut

On Mixing Prints...With Style:
One question that I am asked often is how best to mix prints. I'll be the first to tell you that I'm not completely comfortable with doing this myself. Fortunately, Windsor shared some tips. First, mixing florals can be difficult, so you might want to stick with just one. Also, stripes, especially tone on tone, can work with a variety of prints. And if you're mixing multi-color prints, proceed with caution! Windsor advises using no more than two. Interestingly enough, Windsor gives the green light to mixing vintage fabrics, saying "anything goes". Her rationale? Vintage textiles become found objects and art and should be displayed almost like a collection. In her mind, Lynn von Kersting's work is a great example of this kind of mix.

See how well this gray and white striped fabric works with the pink and white paisley print? Windsor obviously practices what she preaches!


And look at the smashing combo of the green tonal stripes with the punchy pink print.

On White... and Blue:
It seems that every designer has one color which they add to every room. For Albert Hadley, it's red. For many others, it's black. For Windsor? White! As she says "the absence of color makes other colors sing!" That said, she also admits that she has a weakness for blue.


Blue and white in an East Coast Traditional home à la Windsor Smith.

On the Stars of her Collection:
So unless you've been hiding under a rock, you know that Windsor recently introduced her new furniture collection. And just what are her picks for the stand out pieces?


Brittany Secretary. Works as a TV cabinet, desk, or in bathrooms to hold makeup and towels.


Slim Chaise. Looks especially good nestled at the foot of a bed.


Entry Round Settee. Looks very "Grand Hotel" to me!

On Her Dream Clients:




(Jane Birkin- in case you're wondering)




Legendary style icon Slim Keith

On Her Current Favorite Design and Architecture Books:


An Affair with a House


Vogue Living: Houses, Gardens, People

On the Details that Make a House a Beautiful Home:

1) Art and found objects that reflect the personality of the homeowner
2) Large bundles of the same type flower in a casual vase
3) Lighting that makes a room come alive day and night
4) Floor plugs




Windsor has some wonderful Found Objects for sale on her website, including this Early Chippendale Table and the Antique French Fireplace Canopy

On the Future:
So what's next for Ms. Smith? Plenty. She's working on some amazing projects including a late 1940's equestrian estate. And, big things are in the works for her website. In addition to her online shop, there will be decorating advice, newsletters, and video. I'd say Windsor is in need of a vacation.

Well, not quite yet, but it's big news nonetheless. I just found out that Emily Eerdmans, design historian and author of Classic English Design and Antiques and the upcoming release Regency Redux, has inked a deal with Rizzoli to write a monograph of that rather mysterious and iconoclastic decorator Madeleine Castaing. Are you as excited as I am??

"The World of Madeleine Castaing" is scheduled to be released sometime around Fall 2010, and Jacques Grange has agreed to write the foreword. All I can say is that it's about time.

Let's get ourselves in the mood for the book by looking at images of Castaing's Paris apartment. As Emily notes, visitors to her homes felt as though they were stepping into a Balzac novel. I can certainly see why.

There is certainly a lot going on design-wise in California right now. So much so that it's becoming difficult to stay on top of things out there. First off in Los Angeles, those gurus of fabulous furniture David Serrano and Robert Willson of Downtown have started a new venture- Outside Downtown. The shop's aesthetic is warmer and a bit more casual- perfect for beach or country houses. Think lighter finishes and stain resistant fabrics. This is definitely my idea of relaxed glamour (All images at top are shots from Outside Downtown.)

And further up north in San Francisco is designer Kendall Wilkinson. I always make sure to stop by her shop on my twice yearly trips to San Fran. Wilkinson is set to launch her Home collection which will include a bright blue leather tufted chair (which I believe is similar to those she featured in her show house room a few years ago) and a glass and lucite table- very glam. Wilkinson also has a wallpaper and fabric line in the works. I'd say she is definitely a designer to watch.

So... have you booked your trip to California yet?


A vignette of Wilkinson's shop


The soon to be famous blue leather tufted chair, inspired by one designed by Albert Hadley


Another shop vignette


Part of Wilkinson's new Home collection- a glass top table with a lucite base.

...to establish an elegant alternative for urban dwellers. Made up of 23 luxurious town homes and flats, the development has the familiar feeling of tradition with modern-day conveniences.

(The) magazine called on renowned Atlanta interior designer Dan Carithers to oversee the home's interiors. A walk through the home is a visual feast of design finery, with everything from floors to ceiling provided by vendors like Stone Age Designs and Hickory Chair. Carithers' own furniture line by Sherrill Furniture is on display throughout the home

• Fabric, fabric, fabric: Carithers uses repetition of fabrics on linens, upholstery and walls.
• Seats for all sizes: Little ones like luxury, too. Throughout the home, child-size chairs were sprinkled among traditionally sized pieces.
• Button-tuft this: Carithers' use of button-tufted pieces gives the home an instant dose of comfort and glamour.

1. invest in the best
Instead of filling a room quickly with things you can afford, enjoy the process and slowly add pieces you absolutely love.
2. borrow your own clothes
If you love the hue of a blouse (or anything smooth-textured), bring it to a paint store to be scanned and reproduced.
3. lighten up
Reflective, sparkly fabrics and wallpapers draw light into any space.
4. work with what you've got
Play up a room's assets. If it has high ceilings, put up really tall curtains. If it's a dark box, don't try to alter it—painting it bright white will only make it seem dingy; instead, go for cozy.
5. lights!
Even in small rooms, aim for at least three light sources—ideally a floor lamp and matching table lamps—to banish gloomy corners.
6. go antique-chic
Invest in one fabulous antique per room, to set the tone for the entire space.
7. think outside the welcome mat
Don't neglect your entryway! Think of it as an appetizer for what comes next. It should reflect your home's overall style but also contain something special, so guests want to see more.
8. collect more
Collect something that speaks to you. No matter what it is, there's impact in numbers.
9. skirt the issue
Skirted tables in offices or entryways can hide all manner of ills: shoes, kids' backpacks, mail—even filing cabinets.
10. beyond wallpaper
Upholstering, rather than papering, walls yields a layer of softness and luxury for about the same price.

When a residence or business is blocked by clutter, emotional residue, incompletion, or actual furniture placement, a less than excellent quality of life is experienced.

• Keep a small overnight bag packed for you and your family and place it in your car’s trunk. If an unplanned getaway or you get an overnight invitation for your kids (or an emergency arises), you will have all essentials already in the car and ready to go.

• Let the light into your home. Put up sheer curtains or pleated shades that can be opened from the top or bottom so you can maximize the sunlight and immediately feel re-energized.

• Hang beautiful chimes from your deck, trees or house gutters for a melodious sound to relax and calm you. Always have a book on hand that you’ve always wanted to read and didn’t have time. The sound of the chimes will de-stress you and you will be learning from or enjoying a good book at the same time.

• Have your home and deck power washed. Then you can seal your deck for many hours of fun without damaging it.

It's as simple as soap and water. It's all you need for most outdoor furniture. You may want to ...pick up a power washer.

• Acrylic Cushions
• Resin Furniture - Resin furniture is easy to clean. Spray off dirt and grime and let dry. If there are scuff marks, use a gentle abrasive to remove. To remove mildew, follow the instructions above.
• Wicker -You can use a hose or pressure washer.
• Wrought Iron, Steel Frames & Aluminum -Use mild soap and water to clean.
• Fabric
• Umbrellas
• Wooden Furniture

The only maintenance we recommend for your teak furniture is occasional cleaning. This should be done with a mild soap (such as gentle hand cleaning soap) and warm water to preserve its natural elements.

Chat tables are new this year, says Jan Booth of Patioworld in Fresno. These tabletops are higher than coffee tables but lower than dining tables. "It's high enough that you can put a cup there, but it's not like sitting at a dining table," she says.

Mesh on metal or wood pieces: Patio pieces that have mesh-type material over metal or wood frames also are popular.

"You can lay a towel on it or go without a towel, and you can lie on it. You don't stick to (the mesh), and it's very comfortable. You don't lie there and get sweat on your back and tush."

Successful designers have systems
What do you do when a call comes in? When you measure a room? When you hire a contractor? Do you have specific steps to follow for every part of your business? Or do you wing it? I used to! But I learned that "winging it" leads to chaos and confusion, and you certainly can't grow from there. Successful designers handle each part of their business the same way every time. They follow a system for everything. Systems lead to consistency, organization, and effectiveness.

Successful designers study marketing
Unfortunately, being a terrific designer doesn't necessarily make you successful. In order to succeed in business, we need to be super marketers. Successful designers are either great at marketing, or they hire people who are. The most lucrative design firms actually spend more time and energy on marketing than they do on studying design.

Successful designers are detail- oriented
This may seem obvious, but are you doing it? Successful designers take care with every detail of the business - from all aspects of office work to each element of design projects. This doesn't mean they do it all themselves (in fact, profitable design companies delegate a lot of the details.), but they always make sure that every part of their business - down to the smallest details - supports their exceptional image.

Unfortunately, he says, the execution of the design was not very good. Take the relationship -- or lack of it -- between the living room and adjoining TV/office space, which was accessed from a hall around the corner from the living room.

I consider myself fortunate to have so many close friends. These three women have been my close friends since the eighties (Gail on the left), since the seventies (Sandy on the right), and Marsha in the middle since first grade. That's me in the yellow coat.

The four of us have been in a book club for too many years and recently, Gail moved to Boise. Do we replace her? We decided no, we will just all fly to Boise once a quarter and have our meeting there.

It's not all work. Here, we visited a winery and posed in the sun.

The book club has been wonderful. We've each read books we might not ever picked up, both fiction and non-fiction, our friendship has deepened, and we are the richer for it.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Trish Beaudet - Owner and Designer of Finishing Touches Interiors by Design, Inc.

D. Paul DeRouen - Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Profession: Architectural Designer

Matt Locke - Bachelor's degree in history from Princeton. Current Job: Designer

Michael Stribling - Interior design major from Wade College. Current Job: Interior Designer/Business Owner

Jennifer Bertrand - Bachelor of Arts in education with an emphasis in ceramics; master's degree in teaching and leadership from University of Kansas. Current Job: Interior Decorator/Owner of Bertrand Designs

Tracee Dore - Bachelor of Arts in interior design from the University of Kentucky. Current Job: Residential and Commercial Interior Designer and Builder/Renovator, Tracee Dore and Company

Jerome Scottie Miller - Master of Science in civil engineering from North Carolina A&T State University. Current Job: Regional Property Manager at Charlotte/Mecklenburg County Schools.

Mikey Verdugo - High school diploma from Hialeah High School. Current Job: Police Officer

Photos by Marv Bondarowicz THE OREGONIAN
Moving to the Pearl Design Center allowed Bev Landfair to more than double the space for her store, Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery.

Debbie Madden, whose husband, Mark, is a principal in the development company Stark Group LLC, had spent an entire day crisscrossing the greater metropolitan area to look at fabrics and furnishings. After cruising nearly every county -- and enduring a car accident to boot -- she lamented Portland's lack of a design district where a person could see all these things at once -- hopefully without incident.

So, in classic Portland fashion, Stark Group bought a city block under the trusses of the Fremont Bridge and transformed buildings that once housed Quimby Welding into the Pearl Design Center.

Photos by Marv Bondarowicz THE OREGONIAN
Studios and storefronts now occupy the Pearl Design Center. The space used to be Quimby Welding.

Set between Northwest 14th and 15th avenues and Northwest Raleigh and Savier streets, the approximately 34,000-square-foot showroom and studio space opened last spring and is about 60 percent full, says Tami Wood of Stark Group.

Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery, a showroom of furniture, fabrics and accessories, is its largest tenant. A handful of other businesses -- Architectural Elegance, Quince Flowers & Events, Studio Olivine, Northwest Framing Commercial, Progress Construction, Intrinsic Design and WDC Properties (which manages Stark Group) -- are scattered about the complex.

I think Niecy Nash is hilarious. Thus, I find myself getting sucked into the show she hosts, Clean House, all the time. This week they featured a couple who wanted a green nursery for their baby. After some soul-searching, the mother-to-be finally gave in and sold the nursery furniture at the garage sale in exchange for green nursery furniture by Oeuf. In these days of green-washing, I wanted to let you know what makes Oeuf furniture green. I will use the Oeuf Classic Crib to show you the considerations a designer takes into account when manufacturing an eco-friendly piece of furniture:

First of all, the crib can be transformed into a toddler bed with an additional kit. It’s able to transform to meet lifestyle needs and changes, thus making it a product you can use longer and in different ways. Oeuf furniture is designed to be used after a nursery is no longer necessary:

Second, The birch used in the base is from certified sustainable forests.

Third, the sides, footboard and headboard are all cut from single sheets of wood panel which is eco-friendly MDF made of recovered wood fibers - to eliminate the hazard of loosening joints.

Fourth, the lacquer used on the finished products is, of course, lead-free, non-toxic, and completely inert.In addition to being eco-friendly, non-toxic lacquer is what you want to have if your youngster decides to try to chomp his/her way out of the crib bars!

To check out the entire Oeuf line, click here.

If you have completed an eco-friendly home project, please leave a comment and tell us about it!

top two photos from the style network

my parents just arrived from virginia beach so i’m off to indulge in some family fun and away-from-the-computer time. i hope you all have a fantastic weekend and i’ll see you on monday! until then, i wanted to leave you with a fantastic before & after from conn and john in hawaii (you might remember their gorgeous island sneak peek from june). conn and john found this old stainless steel medicine/dental tool cabinet years ago at the 26th street flea market in nyc. after picking it up for $35 it was stripped of its pale hospital green finish and kept a plain stainless steel. but as conn says “[when] we moved to maui the elements took over and my inspiration was to turn it into a rothko painting”. as luck would have it all three paints conn needed were on sale (2 for $4) so he sanded it down with steel wool, applied three coats of each color and voila! a $10 makeover. thanks to conn and john for sharing!

• anne’s regional roundup: brisbane and additional australian links and artists
• diy wednesdays: homegrown honey video
• new sneak peeks: spruce austin, jill malek, and uhuru design
• before & after: summer’s chair
• must see of the week: patterns from allan the gallant
• paper genius: zoe bradley’s paper sculptures at kate’s paperie
• furniture: new upholstered chairs at chairloom
• misc: new artwork (key prints) from dallas shaw, calling cards from avie designs, faux bois wingchair, zig zag towels, sculptural white lamps, new prints from good shape design
• new ceramics: ceramics from mudpuppy, ceramics from lisa bengtsson