Meeting Great Designers at High Point October 2013 Market

High Point has more crackle when Rizzoli brings in their stable of top talent interior designers. It's a thrill actually to run into them at multiple showrooms and chat them up during the slower moments. Interior Design celebs have a great deal in common 99% of the time. What I enjoy the most is their active mental engagement. A common first sentence is: "I've been thinking more about xyz this year and how......" Lillian August was thinking about iconic women designers. Alexa Hampton was teaching younger women how to sizzle up intergenerational possessions and my new favorite fellow is the esteemed William Yeoward designs for the Jonathan Charles collection.

I always thought of William Yeoward as a crystal designer, and since--sorry WY I'm not a big one for crystal--I sort of missed the big picture. Silly me!! Like my friend, Hutton Wilkinson, William is encyclopedic in his knowledge of interior decoration at all levels. Drawing on this vast visual storehouse of history, Yeoward created his furniture line aligned to his design mantra: "When you buy something for your home, it is essential that the piece will give you continued pleasure, not just immediate gratification followed by years of disappointment." Believe him, like the slow-food movement, slow design makes for a better outcome. The Ataross console is classic gothic architecture kicked up to the millennium with a gray finish to break up all the mahogany finishes, although it comes in a classic brown Oak finish if you've overdone the griege.

While I am in "sitting pose," aching as I take this photo, I am as T.S. Eliot would describe: "In a still point of the turning world." There is so much grace, proportion and history flying at me I feel that I am being scrubbed clean from the horrors of tract mansions of the 80's and early 90's and the flour sack, burlap onslaught. Note his signature polka dot motif smartly dressing the sides and backs of his upholstered dining chairs.

Architectural and balanced, the Alnwick Bureau sports a flirty exaggerated cornice mixing a bit of muscle with pretty tones of cream and blue. Witness strength and beauty--an olympian on the cover of the furniture consumer's fantasy cereal box.  William Yeoward reminded us: "Beautiful things are always beautiful, it's perception that changes." He is so articulate and funny I recommend his book.

I know...I know...I know this is a quirky piece that requires some daring but..... I keep coming back to it as I review my market photos. All of us carry within us the image and memory of a beloved house, and Yeoward's  Daphne Cupboard is reproduced from a distant relative's possession. It evokes an Auntie Mame dramatic moment. Somebody grabbed a garden folly and brought it inside. You have got to love the Brits for their hubris and aristocratic confidence.

I love the detail of the hand carved traditional English fox on Yeoward's Godwyn console. The signature gray polkadot lining will be an identifying marker for generations to come. My other new design crush was Timothy Corrigan. He was delightful to chat with and honestly his restoration of the 18th century Chateau du Grand-Luce is the epic restoration of the century. It is the only chateau in France to escape the ravages of the French Revolution due to the loyalty of the towns people for the Baroness who housed and rebuilt the village after being burned. We will have more later on the vast topic of the 45,000 square foot chateau, but I will say Timothy Corrigan is as relaxed and elegant as his decorating style. Thanks Currey and company for having TC in the showroom! We always enjoy the Currey family hospitality!

And.....

We share a love of Belgian Shoes!

Timothy gets the men's sans the bows FYI
This book is a must!!

More Later.....

If you see any furniture in our blog or online store
that you would like to purchase or discuss

please give us a call at 

336-705-1316

or send us an e-mail

liz@dovecotedecor.com

If you are a local reader join us Friday November 15th from 4-6pm
and Saturday, November 16th from 9-6pm at the Benton Convention
at the Junior League of Winston Salem
Boutique
We have lots of beautiful gifts!!

High Point Furniture Market October 2013 Highlights

 Roaming through The High Point Furniture Market  over the last 30 years, we often find markets with no direction or articulation of vision. On the other hand, there are markets that are "tight--markets," where  a distinct palette and style emerge defining an era. Color has been nudging its way back and is in full fearless force again. We are seeing wonderful plums, turquoises, oranges, pinks, emerald greens mixed with abandon. Defining nail head patterns and contrast piping accentuate silhouettes as the designers showrooms illustrate how to mix mid-century, traditional, graphic patterns with English Chintzes for a millennial take. You could almost call it Sibyl Colfax goes to Hollywood. Alexa Hampton outdid herself at Hickory Chair this market. She was the epicenter of market chatter.

Traditional English Chintz cozies up with Indian boho designs and bold graphic mid-century patterns for a look that defines the fresh traditional aesthetic. Alexa's style lesson video is coming soon, once I edit myself out of it!

Mixing up patterns the dining room chairs creates a delightful motion within this dining area. Anchored by Alexa's stunning Gustav table, the lightness of the upholstery serves to balance the composition.  Across the street at Hickory White, Lillian August brilliantly interpreted her take on modern traditional, demonstrating how you can skew the look towards the more modern. In fact she named her 2013 market experience The New Era of Traditional Design. Below she mixes three different chair styles and fabric patterns, defining understated casual elegance. We are seeing so much of this in fashion right now.

We enjoy our visits with Lillian each market, as she is always gracious and generous in her discussions  of how her current inspirations define each facet of the showroom. As a life-long student and master of interior decorating, this year Lillian selected The Legacy of the American Women of Design and created glamourous iconic combinations that function for today's lifestyle. She was especially kind to our two Wake Forest University interns. She recommended we all read The Great Lady Decorators: The Women Who Defined Interior Design 1870-1955 by Adam Lewis. It should be in my mailbox tomorrow!

I cannot wait!

This new market introduction "The Karl" is a capitalist's dream. Glamourous, with classic Greek Key detailing this piece can be lacquered in any Benjamin Moore color. The style lesson is like a great recipe--use fresh ingredients in a simple way. With a statement chest, over-sized ceramic urn and an iconic sunburst mirror, Lillian August achieves an enduring stylish vignette that is unforgettable. She shows it as a pair flanking a mantle piece and the look is pure fabulosity!

Nobody, but nobody does better mirrors at market than Lillian August. May I add that the price points are excellent! Another fresh traditional showroom at market is Chelsea House. They do a perfect job styling mid-century, chinoiserie hip and the prices are jaw droppingly terrific.

Chinoiserie is beautiful with all styles of design and the bold graphic trellis patterns lend themselves particularly well to add architectural integrity to a space. That is why we are seeing more of it throughout the showrooms; they are on-trend traditional. This buffet/console has the perfect yin-yang balance of strength and grace.

I can tell you exactly why blogger pal Lisa Mende "style spotted" this classic architect desk by Lisa Kahn for Chelsea House. It is a huge look for the price tag and is utterly transitional--meaning it goes with everything. Note to viewers: You are looking at two desks, one in nickel and one in gold back to back.

As I scroll and scroll through over 2,000 images of 6 days of shopping High Point, I can definitively conclude some of the binding ingredients of this market, what designers understand and why trend is moving in this direction.  There is a confluence of beautiful furniture and accessories flowing from Grandparents to children to grandchildren. The savvy high end designers light the path, illustrating how to kick traditional to contemporary. This market clearly accents transitional solutions for intergenerational design schemes.

More Later!!!

Many of these items are not yet in our 

online store, so if you see a scheme or a piece that you 

would like to purchase call or e-mail. 

liz@dovecotedecor.com

336-705-1316

High Point April 2012 Sneak Preview

We zipped over to High Point today to get the early bird peak at one-of-a-kinds. Savvy designers and buyers hit the antiques first, as they go quickly. We motored over to Historic Market Square, where the Antiques and Design Center is located. Our first quarry our antiques vendor, The Wind Rose. Sally Altizer, who is a brilliant designer out of High Point, styles their space and we are always anxious to see what she's done.

In addition to antiques, accessories, lighting and art, The Wind Rose (Market Square 246, 250) has their bespoke White furniture line, with lots of graphic punch and impeccable proportion.

 I'll be at Heirloom Estates booth(MS-G-39) in the Antiques and Design Center of Market Square, from 4-6,  so please come by and say hello to me. Lisa has some really unusual things, here's a glimpse. Her Clydesdale door stop is tempting me.

I have a blog crush on Bruce Barone,  whose celebrated photography is exhibited in Antiques and Design in 30b and c. He's a bit out of the way, so hunt him down. He is a fantastic cook, so he may have some goodies for you.

Acquisitions in Market Square Suites had this whimsical menagerie, not to mention the best Noah's Ark--ever. It even has a pair of spiders!

Then, we had to see Lillian August's incredibly styled showroom to see what she's got on that brilliant design mind of hers. I will admit to parking on the sidewalk, don't try that tomorrow. Just say orange and Greek Key.... My client has been circling the slipper chair in front of the fireplace, for two markets. I think it has our names on it.

My clients are going to flip over this table. I am constantly getting calls for metal topped tables, and they are hard to find for good value.

 

Saturated turquoises and acidic colors are still in the mix. This market Lillian shines them up for a bit of Hollywood glam. 

This is not your Mother's decor, unless you are Lillian August's sons, but her look is fresh, timeless yet still traditional. The most talented designers know how to mix disparate elements seamlessly, that is the secret to style, and really good cooking...wine...personality...fashion. It is harmonious complexity. 

I bought the black storage cabinet for a client's breakfast room last year. I am telling you, it goes everywhere, living room, dining room, hall, bedroom, den. It is a little black dress, chameleon, as it can look modern, traditional or transitional depending on the accessories. It is urban and sophisticated in this setting, but I can tell you it is sensational in a mountain house. 

This is just pretty. Women ask me all the time if they can do girly bedrooms. The Yin and Yang of it is the casual graphic punch in the rug--a touch of nail head trim. In the morning, lets face it, men like to wake up in a woman's room. They can have their man cave in the basement or their office. As I finish up after my long first day, I wish you could all come to visit me. We've had a glorious Spring with the most perfect weather. I kid you not, it only rains at night, is warm in the sun...cool in the shade. My flowers have never been so pretty, so I'm having you over for a minute. 

More Later!

I do love my Leagrave Bench 

In case you missed it, Dovecote Decor was credited on the TODAY Show with 

Our very cool Zebra Garden Stool

Thank you again Chassie Post from Gilt Groupe

Happy Market!

Liz

The Hampton Designer Showhouse 2011 Presented by Traditional Home

I want to share some of our favorite designers featured in the Hampton Designer Showhouse.  I have a special place in my heart for Southampton Hospital, since I was taken to their emergency room in the 60's and was diagnosed with starvation--that will never happen again. I was staying at the famous old Murray-McDonnell compound, containing scores of grandchildren. They often fed us en-mass, outside, while I was engrossed with Red-Light/Green-light or, Mother May I. All of those twirling umbrella steps finally took me down. I would toss my food in the bushes, to stay in the game. Cleaving to the era, I was revived with Frosted Flakes. Things have changed.

Offered at $6,500,000, the Hamptons showcase house is a many gabled affair, with strapping design talent generating sell-out audiences. The living room was orchestrated by Lillian August designers, Skye Kirby Wescott and Angela Camarda. The room is furnished in furniture and upholstery carried by all of the five Lillian August Stores (Greenwich, CT, 2 in Norwalk CT, New York City, Los Angeles) as well as vintage finds. 

 

I often find myself trailing behind the Lillian August buyers at High Point, and admire the abundant vintage swag that is plastered with destinations for her eponymous stores. I have been lucky enough to find some of her Hickory White pieces in  Hickory, N.C. for local clients. 

Showcase houses are a great place for designers to flex their creative muscles. Drama and "Wow" factor rarely translate to "normal life," but the Hamptons Designer Showhouse walks the line to perfection. The branch canopy over the living room, bringing the outside in, strikes just the right chord.

 Eddie Lee's guest suite below is hip, yet still manages to be pretty. Are they mutually exclusive terms? I think not.

Eddie Lee explains:

"I designed it to be a comfortable lounge for house-guests to relax and entertain. The sofa is deep enough to double as twin beds to sleep guests with children in tow. 

Decoratively, I schemed the room from the view of the pool, and the lush green foliage from the windows. The washed out versions of the colors adorn the upholstery, carpet and ceiling, with purple and gold/brass accents. I used a combination of painted French and Swedish antiques, a 1970's lucite coffee table, a 1970's Venini chandelier, mid century modern style upholstery, and contemporary art to make the space feel Hamptons appropriate, but still dynamic and youthful." If I was moving in to this house, I'd take the whole room! Fun ceilings were a motif, and Tobi Fairley's guest bedroom did not disappoint. 

 

A fearless mixture of pattern and color, combined with bold graphics is one of Tobi Fairley's signatures. I said: "One of." She displays an operatic virtuoso, design range. You couldn't have more fun in a bedroom! Speaking of fun, going down to the basement, between the movie theater, game room and the lounge, you'll find yourself in a hip, swanky bar space by Wilhel interiors. 

Auction House alums Lisa Hilderbrand and Jeanette Weldon, founders of Welhil Interiors are all about savvy shopping for their clients.  The space is handsome, and welcoming, slightly masculine, and suitably nautical.  The walls are covered in a reflective, lacquered paper by Farrow and Ball, and the stunning bar crystal is Saint-Louis. Dmitri and Co., created the custom banquette worthy of propping the stylish pair--Nick and Nora Charles, of The Thin Man.  The classic bar is a vintage find that makes me want to dance backwards, in very high-heels. Mid-century crystal chandeliers, shiny brass accents, a Lucite tub chair, and the circa 1940 molded consoles by Paola Buffa, enhance the invitation to linger in a normally neglected space. Always put the liquor in transitional spaces. Your guests will gleefully fill the voids. 

 Through the hall, this sunny basement space is a delightful surprise. 

Now famous, Anne Maxwell Foster and Suysel DePedro Cunnigham of Tilton Fenwick, pair luscious, mossy velvet, back to back sofas to anchor the space in a way that works surprisingly well. I imagine the grown-ups with feet propped, reading the old National Geographics, while the children run circles around them.  We covered the Justin Belmont "Not a Gallery" digital painting above the Hickory chair console HERE. Note the subtle texture of the Phillip Jeffries wall paper.

I became seriously engrossed in their fantastic blog, where they share some terrific "Before" shots and renderings of the space. 

 

With the stark vista of stone steps, this cozy space becomes a balancing counter point to the glaring light of high July in the Hamptons. 

You can see how the room is grounded by the large verdigris lantern. This is a large house so we'll try to cover a few more designer interviews for you next week. More Later!!

The 2011 Hampton Designer Showhouse
Presented by Traditional Home
To Benefit Southampton Hospital

This year’s Showhouse is located at
1224 Scuttle Hole Road
Bridgehampton, NY
[ map]

Open Daily Monday to Sunday
Sunday July 24 to September 4
11AM to 5PM
Admission is $30 and includes a Journal.
Tickets may be purchased at the door or may be purchased in advance (click here).
No admission 30 minutes before closing.
No strollers, infants, children under 6, or pets are admitted.
House built by All Seasons General Contracting
House Designed by James Theiss - Architect

The Thin Man