Atlanta Market and Scott's Antiques January 2014

"Nothing comes cheap though the educated eye

 will always spot very nice things for the least money."

                                             Albert Hadley

The Atlanta Market for me always begins with a trip to one of my favorite antique sources-- Scott's Antique Markets on the South side of the city near the airport. It is the perfect destination for loading up on furniture, paintings and other accessories. The best time to attend is during the Atlanta Furniture Market downtown at America'sMart in January and July, as more dealers participate to accommodate the design congregation.  It is a huge and I would allow time for shopping Thursday before market. It opens to the public at 1:00p.m.

This bucket made my list. I was looking for an attractive container for firewood for my family room as I am converting my fireplace back to its original old school function.  For under $100.00, it was a no brainer.

O.K. so shoot me now. I saw this map in a booth and was quite taken with it. My picture is terrible so I uploaded this image for you. It was unbelievably fascinating as it maps the largest engineering project of  17th Century Europe. The Canal Languedoc Royal which connected the Mediterranean to the Atlantic provided safe inland passage for cargo that was endangered by rampant piracy on the high seas--yes maties, the Barbary Pirates.  The cross sections along the perimeter depict the numerous locks, aqueducts, tunnels and dams. The circular emblems flanking the center medallion illustrate the heraldic crests of the families contributing to this massive project. The royal landed houses of the region had compelling reasons to finance and provide labor for the endeavor. Le Midi is dry and their crops and other commodities were precarious at best. Other than navigation, irrigation was possible by managing the water assets that could be moved at will, or stored in reservoirs.

People think shopping and collecting is a flibbity-gibbet activity. The price for the map was $1,800.00 at Scott's. I am not making a purchase from Sotheby's or an established dealer. While the price is low for a potentially fabulous possession the question is: Is it worth the gamble? Do I want a fake print in a bad frame? Not one article or auction resource described the underlying material. It was not hand made paper and it looked like velum to me, but I couldn't quite confirm. So, I walked. I regret it and should have trusted my eye. One finally sprung up for sale on Monday for $10,500 so I am a tad ill. I saw that one sold recently at auction for $2.300; a fairly wide spread in price. So much for the drama of collectibles. I know a great deal more because of my agony than I knew yesterday. The highly vertical AmericasMart is on the docket for the next day. While horizontal High Point Market is my metier, I am braving AmericasMart for the third time by scheduling design events.

Annie Selke image via Pinecone Hill/Haskell Harris image via CalderClark 

I could not resist the Annie Selke, textile genius founder of Pine Cone Hill  and Dash and Albert, interview with Haskell Harris, contributing editor to  Garden and Gun and author of the blog Magpie by Haskell Harris. Who can resist a discussion titled: "Great In Bed?" I met Annie at The Design Bloggers Conference a couple of years ago and she is hilarious and brilliant company. Annie is one of those authentic people whose taste and style goes repetitively viral. I honestly think her secret is that she lives fearlessly with enthusiasm, has personality and is always delighted by seemingly random passions. For example: visit Annie's YouTube video's  documenting her new love for tractors, chainsaws and other heavy equipment.  Haskell, I have known since she was an adorable toddler--legacy to a delightful, eccentric Southern family. The interview could only be symbiotic and entertaining--birds of a feather and all of that!

The Atlanta Market launch for Bunny Williams new rug collection for Annie's Dash and Albert line is a marriage made in heaven. The quality of Dash and Albert combined with Bunny's exceptional taste and livable elegance will make this line hopefully eternal. It was riveting to hear about the photo shoot at Bunny's beautiful home in the Dominican Republic and her incredible hospitality--hint: anticipate guests every need! Visit Annie's blog to see more tropical eye candy from B.W.'s gorgeous get-away.

I also attended the Steven Stolman/Scalamandre event sponsored by their Port 68 collaborators. Steve has been the president of Scalamandre since July 2011 and has written an iconic history of this eponymous fabric house. Scalamandre Haute Couture is a must-have book for your design library. I will say Port 68 is greatly enhanced by the iconic fabric patterns. I need those tiger ottoman/cocktail tables.

On Saturday, I wandered around Building 2 to view the beautiful table top options. I started on the ground floor of the gift building to taste all the food, which surprisingly gets old rather quickly. As I ascended through garden and outdoor, I found myself delightedly in the D. Gaber and Associates showroom and had the great good fortune to meet the renown equestrian artist, Julie Wear, as I admired her beautiful china. I have seen a great deal of sporting art over the years, and Julie's work defines the apotheosis of this genre in our time.

Photo by John Nation

 Julie Wear's painting for Queen Elizabeth II of her beloved Stallion

The Broodmares of Woodford County

Since I seem to have gotten on to an animal riff, the Lacefield Designs dog beds are the best--ever. 

They are not quite up on the website yet, but call us if you want them!! 

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liz@dovecotedecor.com

High Point Furniture Market Top Designer Showrooms April 2012

Halo Styles showroom on 212 N. Main Street is chockfull of Timothy Oulton's vintage reproductions. Repurpose is the operative word here.

The new inverted flower bucket pendants are clever and I'm looking forward to seeing how clients will start using them. Our interns gather at the end of term, to start loading new product, I cannot wait.

This is also a great spot for snagging one of a kind accessories from exotic places, at great prices. Their reclaimed teak tables fly out our doors. From Halo Styles, we generally walk over to the Hamilton district and hit Hickory Chair. You know we are raving fans, and how many CEO's comment on blog posts--pronto? Jay Reardon left an instant, thoughtful comment! Alexa Hampton is the nicest design luminary in the business. She is funny and wickedly intelligent--everybody loves her.

The Alexa Hampton Christianson dining table is still the best dining table you can buy. Other than the fact that it is a stunning repro from her personal antique collection, it can grow to infinity and beyond. Hickory Chair does a terrific job showing versatile dining schemes that work well in apartments and large room settings.

Notice how Alexa works with different shades of blue and creates a rhythm and balance throughout the room. We have also discussed arranging art. Your house should not look like a hotel. Homes should be organic. What I mean by that, is your home should reflect the process of collecting. There should be some unexpected moments. There is a tension and a pause in a space that is waiting for the new great piece. The art over the sofa brings personality into the room, not pure symmetry. Too much symmetry is boring. 

Thomas O'Brien assembled this ultra chic space in muted velvets with up to date mid-century references. Its a pad, and those nail head trim bookshelves still win the prize. We have seen incarnations of them in linen and suede and they are always knock out.  This is a guy that loves legs--everywhere.

This is one of my favorite beds. About three markets ago Thomas O'Brien showed it in a buttery caramel leather with the same nail head pattern and it was amazing. Hickory Chair is a custom operation so seeing the pieces done differently from market to market trains your eye. 

Stacey Bewkes of Quintessence Blog gave this sexy sectional a test drive. Wesley Hall is a multi-generational family owned business who never get stuck in the old rut. Trust me, some folks do. 

Many of the top tier showrooms create architectural interest in a room by adding window casements with mirrors. If you have a little box of a room that needs more light, you can buy big leaner mirrors and place them strategically. This room had a great mix of graphics and color. Bunny Williams Beeline Home is done by Wesley Hall, and we know Bunny does her homework. Stacey Bewkes from  Quintessence blog has some great pictures of her line, so hop over. After Wesley Hall we went over to see what  Phoebe Howard was doing at the Sherrill Furniture showroom. 

Phoebe Howard does quiet, elegant and pretty rooms. Note the well executed faux chinoiserie painting on the wall. Click through to her website, her work is exquisite. 

detail

Again, the wall detailing is a smart leather strip with nail head trim. We are seeing quite a bit more texture on walls these days. This room is a nice mix of masculine and feminine, traditional and contemporary. 

 

This soft wall color showcases Tommy Mitchell's tole flowers to perfection. I raved about them at the New York Gift Show post. Note how Phoebe mixes them with simple white plates. So, for those of you who don't follow me on FaceBook and Twitter, this is what I actually bought at market. It takes me years to pull the trigger, because I always think I will find something better. I have been designing my courtyard in my head, from my thoughtful spot for over a decade. I am s-l-o-w with my own house. 

I'm really glad I waited for these. There hasn't been anything like this at market--ever. I feel like I just plucked this grouping from a chic little spot on the cote d'azur. We've got it if you want it, so call me if you have to have it. Now, I finally have my courtyard dinner party vision. My roses were budding like popcorn, so I had to set the table. 

Dining alfresco is my favorite summer time activity. The reclaimed teak chamberlain table is finally mine and I look forward to many wonderful evenings with friends and family. Its not just furniture, its...living. 

More Later!

Liz Morten

Christine Storch

More La Cienega Design District stops

Yes, we are still covering the California trip. It was so beautiful and there was so much to see. The girls and I decided to tuck into Harbinger, brain child of by Joe Lucas and Parrish Chilcoat. The design bloggers were arriving at a reception later, but we wanted to photograph the experience before the room filled up. Below is Bunny's Williams' BeeLine Homes display. 

Bunny gives us a lesson in getting plenty of design bang out of a small space. Floating a pair of neutral well scaled sofas around a focal point creates a functional and welcoming conversation area. You really can pack it in. The ethnic print on the walls will never go out of style for me, and a large scale print actually can make a small area feel larger.  Try painting an old coffee table in a bright high gloss color and adding some hardware. Space expanding large mirrors opposite windows or doorways, cleverly bring the outside in. 

A narrow console along the back of each sofa provides light and height balancing this small space. Note that the wood finishes do not have to match. Client's call me all the time about this and I have trouble persuading them that it is desirable. If Bunny can do it, you can do it! 

The traffic moves along the perimeter. Chic, eclectic little drinks tables add interest and sophistication to a scheme, and I am a big fan of hanging lanterns over the center of a seating area. If you have worn tired upholstery, it can easily be repaired and altered for a new look. Tuck a diminutive bench under your sofa table, and it does double duty as a desk. 

Okay, this is possibly the most glorious bed of all time, decked out in sumptuous Holland and Sherry fabrics and richly embroidered trims. Let the pinning begin. Attention to detail is paramount in this studio.  We lingered over this framed image of the House Beautiful American Design Heritage, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal. Its great fun.  I used a better online image, and you can download it and frame it for yourself and hang it in your office.

We had to slip into Peter Dunham's Hollywood at Home. He had some wonderful vignettes to inspire even the thriftiest shopper.

The blown up geometric floor makes the room. I have always encouraged young girls to use outdoor furniture in their first apartments, because they move all the time and they are light. We often use outdoor dining chairs in the kitchen, because they can be taken outdoors and hosed off.

These teak chairs and casual upholstery pieces give this living room an outdoorsy, porch feel. I love the idea. Using maps over the sofa is an inexpensive way to cover a large space. They can be cut up into smaller pieces and framed as a collection, as well. I favor the antique reproductions of urban cities over the school room maps, but they're fun. We sauntered over to Mecox Gardens, who have always done a terrific job showing us how to use garden elements in the home.

My hands down favorite lamp du jour is this Mary McDonald lamp for Robert Abbey.

We are all remembering and honoring the great Gentleman of decorating Albert Hadley. 

Bruce Weber gave a perfect account of Hadley's life 

in the New York Times.

May your heaven be as beautiful as the world you created and

shared with so many people. 

"Life is all about manners. Nothing else matters."

Albert Hadley, House Beautiful

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Design Bloggers Conference L.A. 2012

Design bloggers had their academy awards last week at the Biltmore Millenium in downtown L.A. Design Sherpa sponsored the Design Bloggers Conference which debuted last year to educate and recognize top design bloggers. Martyn Lawrence-Bullard kicked off the first morning, regaling us with stories of his magical career. His designs look effortless, and inviting. Rooms appear to have grown organically over time.

 Hand stenciled walls stained with coffee and tea

Color Lesson: You have permission to mix your blues.

 Bold pattern combinations

Flair apparent!

Moroccan themes and antique textiles

Bunny Williams regaled us with anecdotes of her long career. She was actually both funny and concise. Like Martyn Lawrence-Bullard, she emphasizes comfort, but she does grand interiors. Making grand comfortable is accomplished through artful furniture placement, parsing the space into inviting conversation areas punctuated with multi-tasking functional pieces. The room below is a James O'Connor playhouse that Bunny designed with Sister Parish in the early days of her career. 

 This wide living room overlooking the indoor tennis courts is divided by a large round book table that can double as a server for drinks and nibbles. 

 On the opposite side of the room a cozy seating area is defined with bright pink lampshades, inviting guests for conversation. This English country house room is still fresh. 

Desks are a smart functional alternative to the obvious console. 

To see our exclusive post on this James O'Conner gem, 

click HERE.

 Hand painted trellis wall paper by Gracie, Gustavian shell back chairs by John Rosselli, garden urn by Trelliage

 A 19th century French garden table converted to a spectacular sink--genius from Trelliage! The wall covering is by Peter Fasano

Note to self: There is no excuse for a bare house-- go out and clip a few branches for a serene bonsai effect. 

 Again, a wide space is divided into intimate gathering spots. 

 Library dining does double duty

 The oversized lamps on the dining table are purely original. 

Macala Wright of Fashionably Marketing me, aka; FMM, was the most informative speaker at the conference. I was previously unaware of this dynamo social media guru, but I am now a devoted follower. Most exciting for the bloggers was meeting each other and celebrating those who won the awards. 

Best New Design Blog: 

Sashay

Meredith Heron

Best Writing on Design

Peak of Chic

Jennifer Boles

Best Graphics and Photography

Coco+Kelley

Best Over All Blog: 

Tobi Fairley

Traditional Home Magazine online, Trad Home/Lonny held a contest for hot new designs:

The New Trads Design Winners are: 

Melanie Turner

via Atlanta Homes

Nominated by Patty Day of Patty's Epiphanies blog

Mona Ross Berman

Nominated by Naomi Stein of Design Manifest blog

Gideon Mendelson

Nominated by Nicole Gibbons of So Haute Style blog

Tammy Connor

Nominated by Rhonda Carmen of All The Best blog

Allison Hennessey

Nominated by Stacey Bewkes of Quintessence Blog

Palmer Weiss: 

Nominated by Marni Elyse Katz of Style Carrot

Christina Murphy

Nominated by Marissa Marcantonio of Style Beat

Nick Olsen

via Domino

Nominated by Anne Maxwell Foster and Suysel dePedro Cunningham


Grant K. Gibson

Nominated by Crystal Gentilello of Plush Palette 

Tamara Kaye-Honey 

via Rue
Nominated by Cassandra LaValle of Coco+Kelley

Congratulations to all the winners!
Dovecote Decor entered the talented Eddie Lee
Lets try again next year!

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More Later!