New Design For My Dining Room

I have been dying to do a new design for my dining room, I looked at rugs on Amazon.
I saw some that I thought were pretty at Home Goods, but I came across this 8' x 10' rug
at Ross Stores at only $100 and said let's do it. It's time to lighten up this room.

The old rug was a dated pastel 9' x 12' rug that I found at an antique store a couple of
years ago in other house, see my old posts from when I lived on Fayette St.. It was dirty
and was impossible to keep clean.

 The new is a Dragos rug made in Turkey and had Grey and multi tones, it shoes more
floor and is not as thick as the last rug. It gives the room a lighter look with a more updated
look.

The old curtains were made for my living room many moons ago. They are a
light green silk stripe and were dark and dated.

The new curtains are from Ballard Design and are a cotton twill with a decorative border and
are called Embroidered Square Trim Panels in Gray. I love the light they let into the room,
I do miss the look of silk but these do bring a new look to the room.

My next design decision will be replacing the chair fabric, above are a few contenders,
Duralee has come out with a few new patterns that I love.. Will post a finished look soon.
Still working on this room.

New Design Project

This is a project hat I started last year in November. The client's guest room has bedding in
the colors of coral and yellows, she asked me to find her a silk in these warm colors and
we picked this Duralee Fabric which came from a company called James Hare from the UK
and just arrived months after we ordered it. I drew up a flat roman for the windows and she
asked me to pick a trim for the bottom of the shade, I went with the Kravet Smart ball fringe
in Dune to go with the Orissa Silk in Hibiscus. I know these drapes will be stunning in the room.

Drapery Install Day

This morning I did a drapery install that has been in the works for almost a year. We had to
wait for the renovations to be done. This is the last doctors house at the old Western State
Hospital that is now called The Villages. The panels were made for the living room and the
dining room. My client loves florals and bright colors. We chose this print from Duralee fabrics
called Kingsmill in Colonial. The drapes transformed these large windows adding color and
warmth to the rooms. More to come on this project.

Reupholstering Old Chairs with New Bright Fabrics

I bought these pretty Victorian chairs at an Antique store in Verona for nothing.

I took four Duralee discontinued fabric samples in four different colorways and covered
each seat in one color.

They have already sold to a friends sister for a new look at her kitchen table.

 Beautiful, a great way to save a fabric from extinction and give an old chair a fresh look.
I sell these disc. samples in my booth for a $1.

Toby Fairley for Duralee Fabrics

I just received my fabric samples for my client,
they are Toby Fairley's new fabric design for Duralee
Fabrics. This is just the blue version of some of the
patterns she designed.....

Left to right Isabella, Pearl and a favorite, Rivers with a velvet faux bois or water look.

Hudson Stripe in Wedgewood.

Kathryn in Cobalt is a new favorite with a big pattern.

This one called Langdon has cute animals with a strange hairy man pulling the Camel.

Go to Duralees website for more colors and patterns,  www.duralee.com.

My Camel Back Duralee Paisley Sofa's Ransom Is Paid

Back in Januaury, right around the time I was closing
the store down and moving up the street, I got a phone
call. My upholster called to tell me my sofa was ready.
I explained to him that I was moving my store, down sizing
and had no where to put it. He said ok, but I hope it doesn't
get dirty. Shit and a few other words went around in my head.
So he has been holding it ransom until I had the room and the
money to pay him. Oh, and his shop is not the cleanest place
in the world.

So, here she is. What a beauty! The sofa was a freebie to me from my
mover. I found this lovely Duralee Fabric, designed by John Rabshaw,
online at a fraction of what it would have cost me wholesale.

She was held hostage for a few months, but she arrived clean and in great shape.
I proudly placed her in the window so she can be seen in all her glory.

I love the big bold Pink Paisley on the Cream background. A classic sofa
with a fabric take on a more modern traditional look. As I said, the fabric is
from Duralee Fabrics and was a John Rabshaw design called Blossom. It is
now a B.Berger print for Duralee. That tells you how long ago I bought it and
how long it took to have it done. It is in the window at Queen City Marketplace,
on Ebay and my Etsy shops.

Cold Rainy Monday

What a wet dreary day, and it's Monday.
I got an email from my Dad with pictures
taken at the Hampden-Sydney Homecoming.

Pictured are my Dad, my daughter Ellie, my son Edmund, my brother LH, and
his son Rob. My Dad went to Hampden-Sydney, my grandfather went there and
my ex also attended the college. Ellie dates a graduate from HSC and my son Edmund
and my nephew Rob both got early acceptation letters. Pretty neat,not sure if they will
go there, but still pretty neat.

Love this bunch!
My cornices arrived from The Virginia Quilting company today for my client.
They look great.

I love this company, they are fast, reasonable and they make great cornices.
The fabric and trim are from Robert Allen, the plaid is for the study and the florals
will go in the living room and dining room.
I also ordered drapery hardware, fabrics and trim for a French Country looking
dining room I am doing for a client.

 The red pebble Duralee fabric is for the chair seats. the Robert Allen floral and
trim are for the drapery panels and the fun artichoke finial is for the drapery
hardware. And lastly, I sold the beautiful Chinese folding screen that I loved to
us in my store pictures, my dreary day just got a little brighter.

Weekend Hapenings

I started of my weekend with a visit to Habitat
Restore. Ed, another merchant came in my store
Friday morning, and in our conversation about what
was going on in our lives, I asked him if he had seen a
partners desk around. Yes, get in the truck with me and
we headed of to Habitat. The desk was huge, oriental in
style and a good price. I took pictures and sent them to my
client. Still waiting to here if it will work in her husbands study.
I did find something for myself/ store, you never know were
they will end up..........

  $75.00 - 15% what a steel. I bought this exact bench in white years
ago in Richmond for $300. So, I am painting is black, will put a blue and
white embroidered Robert Allen fabric on the seat and bolsters. I will post
before and after later.

 Sunday morning I made a Carrot Cake Smoothie that I found on the internet.

This was soo good, easy to make and way to good to be that healthy. Four chopped up
carrots, one banana, 3/4 cup of vanilla soy milk, a dash of cinnamon , a hand full of oats and
a swirl of agave nectar, blend.

This treat keep me full till the afternoon!
I went by The Dollar Store for some 4th of July decorations, slim pickings,
but I found what I wanted and then some.

And Sunday, I picked a variety of green foliage from the yard for a
different centerpiece in my hallway.

Lambs Ear, wild onions, some kind of striped grass and a mossy green shrub.
On one of my walks, I ran into my neighbors who showed me a Mulberry tree,
full of berries. Last night Elfie and I walked down with a container and picked a few
mulberries to freeze for topping ice cream, put in my yogurt or plop in a glass of champagne.
On the way back, I picked a beautiful bloom from a saucer Magnolia and a brunch of
red climbing roses from the side of the house across the street that is empty  right now.
Shhh, don't tell any one!

I love the intense color of the magnolia and the velvety red of the roses, very pretty.
Last but not least, I finally found a fabric for the freebie camel back sofa that came in months
ago.

 The fabric is a Duralee woven paisley called Isla in blossom, this will give
the sofa a more modern feel with a Far East twist. Will post before and afters
later.