Reynolda Gardens and The Wake Forest University Campus

I live on an old parcel of Kate Reynolds' "Reynolda" estate. I have been fascinated by the American Country House Movement, Arts and Crafts, and Pre Raphaelite aesthetics rising from the prosperity of the industrial revolution. Fueled with fresh cash and ironically reacting to mechanization, this romantic movement celebrated sweeter, more bucolic times. I walk through the estate nearly every day, and often attend exhibits and events at Reynolda House Museum of American Art. The generosity and vision of the Reynolds family has had a profound impact on Winston-Salem. Wake Forest University was transferred and expanded to the estate by the Reynolds family, and since then most of the Reynolda property has been absorbed by the University.

The long, low slung "Bungalow" with deep eaves, is too large to capture in a single frame. Charles Barton Keen (1868-19310), of Philadelphia, was commissioned to site and design the main house, farm buildings, church and other dependencies on the assemblage of farms that Kate's husband, Richard Joshua Reynolds purchased for her, in her name--remarkable in 1917.

Charles Barton Keen's signature use of white stucco and green Ludowici roof tiles, makes his craftsman  style easy to spot throughout North Carolina. The craftsman bungalow aesthetic is marked by: emphasis on natural materials, numerous windows and doors to exterior porches or verandas,  a substantial roof overhang supported by columns.

Additionally, open floor plans with the front entry opening directly into the living room, inglenooks and large fireplaces created a toned down, yet grand country house. The open floor plan with natural air  circulation reflects the era's preoccupation with health. Like Biltmore, and many of the other estates in the American Country House Movement, Reynolda was designed to be self sufficient. Kate Reynolds was extremely detail oriented and handled every aspect of this complicated agrarian, social and personal project. John Wanamaker, of Philadelphia provided the furnishings.

The farm has been converted into "Reynolda Village" and is full of shops, restaurants studios and open space.

All Through the House is my friends' fabulous shop. Agnes has superb taste and it is full of her eclectic treasures. If you are in Winston-Salem during market--stop in.

A partial aerial view of the estate shows the farm and gardens at the bottom. The main house is at two o'clock. The wilderness above the lake is the current location of Wake Forest University. Noted architect and graduate of Harvard's first landscape architecture class, Thomas Sears (1880-1966), was recommended by Keen to do the gardens.  Vigilance on the part of the Reynolds family has kept the gardens and greenhouses intact. I wander through the estate regularly, and the beauty keeps me sane. I'm sending you a slide show. I photograph it all year. Kate Reynolds dream and the family's preservation and persistence has brought visitors and students many a pastoral pause in our hectic lives.

Espaliered apple trees define the perimeters of vegetables and flowers, and is very much like Jefferson's Monticello.  

Nancy and Mary Reynolds' playhouse at the end of the garden has a roof pitched and curved to resemble thatch. It's a scene straight out of Beatrix Potter.

Wake Forest University does a meticulous job of landscaping and maintaining the estate and village.  J. McLaughlin, in the background is a fabulous clothing line that is a go-to spot for smart-casual attire. Blogger friend, Patricia van Essche, of PVE has painted many of the J. McLaughlin shops. I contacted her when I started blogging, and she was very generous with ideas and tips. We love her loose energetic style. Jay likes to place his stores in historic districts and charming pedestrian villages. Here is our local store and a fun Montage Patricia did of the J. McLauglin shops.

The grand Lord and Burnham conservatory greets us at the entrance and is filled with lush tropical plants that would have been highly prized in an era when it was difficult to transport specimens from exotic lands. Below is the garden side view.

When you come to High Point, consider staying in Winston-Salem, which is only 30 minutes away from the IHFC, and visiting our charming historic Reynolda corridor. You can stay across the street at the fabulous Graylyn Estate. That's another post. It is the second largest house in North Carolina, after Biltmore.

Built by RJR CEO, Bowman Gray and his wife Natalie Lyons Gray, Graylyn is also now owned by Wake Forest University.  I can tell you, it is the most spectacular campus in the world. Below, we have the Graylyn gardens from the back of the property.

 I can recommend a few good books on the Reynolds family. Because of their great wealth, it is a complex and interesting story.

Kid Carolina

R.J. Reynolds J.R. 

A Tobacco Fortune and the Mysterious Death of a Southern Icon

by: Heidi Schnakenberg

A World of Her Own Making

Katherine Smith Reynolds and the Landscape of Reynolda

by: Catherine Howett

Winston-Salem were still smokin! 

If you are searching for furniture don't forget our online store.

 Please call if you are looking for an item that is not 

on the website, with over 900 items online, we still have access to other wonderful pieces.

336-705-1316

Inside Info: House Beautiful's 101 Designer Secrets May 2012 Issue-

You won't go to "Club Fed" for reading the House Beautiful  May 2012 round-up of 101 Designer Secrets, by Lisa Cregan. Inside information is what Dovecote Decor's clients are looking for, and I selected some interesting solutions for our demographic--younger families that educate themselves through design media and know how to search for product and ideas online. Here are the Cliff Notes directed towards our clientele with some super stylish design concepts, on a budget.

image and instructions via Lansdowne Life

Marshall Watson said: "To give rooms architectural detail when they don't have any, paint a 1/2" to 2"lining stripe around the ceiling and up the walls in the corners. It's a rich touch, a way to get a lot of look with just paint." This conveys brilliant style and detail on a dime. Paint and mirrors are a budget friendly way to add interest, architectural detail and light.

via apartment therapy

Barry Dixon recommends: "Slather a reflective, glossy glaze on any lower ceiling to create the illusion of height. Conversely, if a ceiling seems too high in a space us a matte-finish paint, preferably in a cola or darker tone, or cover the ceiling with raffia or a paper." Often times a high gloss paint shows imperfections in the ceiling or plaster. The ceiling above from the Kipps Bay Designer Showhouse in 2008 uses a vinyl stretchy product called Extenzo.

I love this look, and James Dolenc's simple solution to a common quandary will send you running to the nearest hardware store: "3M Command Strips are fantastic to use when hanging art over mirrors, millwork panels or vintage wallcovering."

Christopher Spitzmiller's House via NYSD

I have always lived in bright colorful spaces, so I agree wholeheartedly with Richard Keith Langham's dictum: "I get bored without color in a room. Interesting, strong, clear colors are easier to live with in the long run than pale colors. People always think it's the opposite, but in actuality soft colors get boring much quicker." Again a big mirror brightens and expands the room and makes the sofa look like it is floating in front of another space. 

I love my living room fabric so much, this photograph became my logo. Orange is my favorite color and it wanders throughout my house, so I loved Stan Topol's quote about how to use color to create flow in a house: "....I recently did an orange foyer. I chose a particular shade of orange because my client has brown hair, and brunettes look great in orange. Then I took that exact same orange--not just any orange, that exact shade--and ran it through the house. It keeps popping up in different ways. A color has got to move--it can't look like it's landed." 

Alexandra Angle suggests: "If a great art collection isn't in your budget, hang a framed cutting of a beautiful fabric or wall paper." 

via better decorating bible blog

Framed panels of vintage papers are less expensive than doing a whole room, and adds major bang for the buck. I enjoyed the video with designers Alexa Hampton, Miles Redd, Jeffrey Bilhuber, Mary McDonald, Nick Olsen and Lindsey Coral Harper. Click HERE for the link

More Later! 

Liz Morten

Visit Our Online Store or call us for items you liked at market. 

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

High Point Top Showrooms and Trends April 2012

Our favorite thing at High Point is to see how the top designers are putting their showrooms together. As usual, the design driven manufacturers are knocking it out of the park. We are simply blown away by HFI Brands, as I mentioned in the last post, Steve McKee and creative director Britt Albright stole the show. Here are some more great shots from the Lily Pulitzer Home and Barclay Butera collections.

 Exploded graphics and bold stripes anchor the lightness of the shiny lacquers and painted finishes. If you love color you can go off your meds, as the space is pure Florida sunshine.

This is the best new desk at market, with rolling file drawers beneath. You can take over the world with this elegant and sophisticated piece.

Poor Steve and Britt were treated to a chorus of S**T the blogger girls say: 

 You can mix bold patterns!

"Shut-up!"

The Navy lacquer cabinets behind that outrageous love seat are:

"Ridiculous!"

The new genius invention of market: The Shoe Pouf. Who Knew? My hands were shaking, so my picture is blurry, but the gold shoe cabinet is the Carrie Bradshaw wanna be new must-have accessory. Barclay Butera is now our go-to for a more traditional with a modern twist client. 

HFI has perfect proportions, clean rich finishes and we love the variety of style. It all really works together, and you could mix the Lilly Pulitzer beautifully with the Barclay Butera.

This wall storage piece is like the black and gold Lillian Vernon cabinet I showed you in the sneak preview post. Literally, you can use it in any design setting. HFI Brands specializes in sourcing, and it wins the focal point prize for value, quality and style. It is a tremendous value, and the best part of it is you can take it with you when you move.

This is the perfect man-bed, but zhush it up with the right linens and this space could go so Doris Day in a Que Sera minute.

 Console of the market! 

 Look carefully to see the stitching on the side. It also comes as a side and cocktail table. It is so Hermes cool! 

Our clients are constantly hunting for good looking etageres. This clean piece has the perfect dimensions that our clients request over and over. 

Hanging pictures and mirrors is often a challenge, so the showrooms are a great way to see how the pros do it. Here Barclay Butera centers the mirror and hangs artwork of different sizes to fill the space beyond the sofa. Clients ask me all the time if frames in groupings have to match, and this image clearly demonstrates that they do not. They should be related and of similar quality. This grouping looks more organic than "decorated." The sconces over the side tables are brilliant. The lighting is by Bradburn Lighting and the accessories are from Zodax Home. 

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Navigating High Point 2012 Update II

High Point April 2012 Sneak Preview

Cool Mood Boards at High Point April 2012

More Showrooms Later!

Liz Morten

Christine Storch