Saturday, May 28, 2011

Summer Decorating in Red, White and Blue


Happy Memorial Day! Is there any holiday more refreshing and full of anticipation of great things to come?? Winter is finally over, and the lazy, hazy (and currently rainy?!?) days of summer are definitely here.....beach days, picnics, gardening, and lounging on the deck or patio. Although I've never been the owner of a summer/lake home, if I was, I'd definitely want to keep it fresh and "cottage-y". Nothing says summer better than red, white and blue. Bridging all three patriotic holidays ---Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day ----summer is definitely the time to decorate with our country's colors. Here are some of my favorite pictures decorating with the colors of the flag!




Love these twig beds!


Notice that almost all of these rooms use simple stripes. Here they combine a vertical one on the sofa with a horizontal stripe on the chair. Fun!


Very "Ralph Lauren-y"!!







A special Memorial Day sale for all of you blog-readers ----next week (May 31 - June 4): All jewelry and watches 50% off!! One week only!

Hope you all are having a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. See you soon!

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Totally Toile

I have never met a toile I didn't like!! Oh, there are some that I like better than others, like the many that feature farm animals or charming Provencal people... but overall I think any toile can be the starting point for a fabulous room. And although toiles can be used in any room, with their monochromatic color scheme and repetitive designs, they are particularly calming for the bedroom. Here are several pictures of lovely bedrooms decorated with toiles, each one prettier than the last!

The room above with its dark coffee walls uses toile only in the bedding, and dilutes the dark wall color with lots of filmy white. Simple, but very striking!


Using picture frame molding and a "crown" to highlight the bed wall, this room also uses toile primarily on the bedding, mixed with a matelasse coverlet, and checks and stripes for contrasting pillows.


I love bedrooms that use white on the top of the bed, and accent it with a toile. Even though the toile is used only on the dust ruffle and headboard, the room is interesting, but crisp, clean and tailored.


Here a combination of toiles is used ---- a busier one for the drapes and wallcovering, and an open toile for the top of the bed. Once again, mixing a check with a toile is a fool-proof combination! Contrast this room with the one above --- also done in black and white ---but this one is accented in bright and cheerful coral. Love the upholstered headboard and back curtain with canopy behind the bed, as well as the monogrammed shams!!


This room mixes several toiles together to create a charming, cozy bedroom. Using two different toiles, but reversing the background color, is also a formula that almost always works to create more interest. Note the great tri-fold mirror used as the headboard!


What a simple, clean look for a summer lake house! The wide stripes on the walls keep it neutral, but interesting, and accenting with sky blue gives it pizzazz! Think how easy it would be to change the accent color with a new throw, slipcovers on the two benches, and changing a couple of accessories.


An iron daybed, matelasse spread, and mixing checks and dots with the toile makes this room very French indeed! A great guest room that anyone would enjoy sleeping in!


Once again, the unbeatable combination of toile and checks, white on the top of the bed, and a bright accent color makes this bedroom fresh and welcoming.


Note the bamboo blinds with toile side panels on a bamboo rod. Folding a blanket across the foot of the bed always breaks up the long expanse of bedspread, and gives you a place for an accent pattern. Did you notice that every one of these beds has 5-7 pillow shams or accent pillows, which makes the bed look luxurious and inviting? Also, I love having a chandelier in the bedroom as this one does.


The classic of all bedroom combinations ---- blue and white toile with snow white bedding! Check out the sisal rug and fur throw at the foot of the bed --- both adding texture around the otherwise solid white bed.


And last of all, my own bedroom-----done in blue and white toile, combined with mustard walls, and a mustard, blue and white toile as an accent. If you look closely, you will find 8 distinct patterns in my bedroom --- two toiles, two checks, a plaid, a damask like design, the diamond carpeting, and a diamond/dot on the desk chair. No one ever accused me of being a minimalist!! I love pattern, color, and accessories, and tend to use lots in every room in my own home.





Don't forget that we are having Girls' Night Out this coming Thursday evening (May 12), from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Join us for peach bellinis and snacks featuring our Stonewall Kitchen products. Door prizes will be given away every hour, and of course, everything (excluding antiques and clearance items) will be 20% off!! Come party with us!

Hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day!!

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Mother's Day Gift Ideas


Mother's Day is fast approaching----just a week from Sunday (May 8). If you're still trying to think of the perfect gift, consider these! Above are charming melamine dishes decked out in French garden motif, and great for your summer entertaining.



The third volume of the gorgeous cookbook The Gathering of Friends -- Celebrations has recently been released, and for anyone who enjoys cooking with simple recipes, inspired by beautiful pictures, this might be the perfect gift!



Just today we received a new selection of pretty Spring scarves and jewelry ---colorful and perfect accessories to accent any outfit.



Along with the scarves in stripes, solids, and prints, new in the store are these darling clutch pursettes--a cross between a real purse and a wallet. With enough room for several credit cards, your change and bills, and maybe a liptstick, these are great to carry when making a quick trip to the grocery store, or for a dressy evening out. (Available in green, black, hot pink and royal blue.)



Also new this week are these cute French pots, filled here with some faux lily of the valley.......accented with a matching pottery bird!



A cute vintage book for any man to bestow upon his wife entitled He Fell in Love with His Wife! What wife could resist this charming gift?!?



These tiny little blackboards framed in silver would make great placecards on your dinner table, or work also as a tiny little slate on which to leave reminders to yourself next to a phone!



This French memo board would also be a great place to leave reminders, invitations. and a favorite photo or two. The little old-fashioned bicycle makes a whimsical statement tucked in a bookshelf or on top of a stack of books on your coffee table.



Need a screen for your sun-room or garden room? Wouldn't this picket fence four-panel screen make a darling room divider or background in any garden-y setting?



And wouldn't this cherubic garden statue look just precious in front of the picket fence screen?

Of course, you could select what always makes the perfect gift --- a gift card to Interiors Etc. Let Mom choose her own gift, and she'll get just what she always wanted!

Special Note: We are going to keep the antiques from Paris Flea Market for an additional week (through May 6), and beginning tomorrow until May 6 ALL antiques in the shop will be 10% off. We rarely discount our antiques, so take this opportunity to find a special treasure for Mom or yourself.

We're thrilled to tell you that our floral designer, Joy Newman, will be back from her winter in Florida beginning the week of May 9th. If you've been waiting to have a new custom arrangement made, or have an old one refreshed, call Joy ----she's the best! Welcome back, Joy!

Hope to see you all soon!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

More Paris Flea Market



Here are some additional photos taken around the shop during our recent Paris Flea Market:














We've received several new shipments in this week, including one of mostly "French" items ---late for our big event, but still fun! Included are wooden trays with a picture of the Eiffel tower, strings of small lantern lights with French writing on the paper shades, and more of the melamine dishes that look like burlap overlaid with French writing ---- great for your outdoor summer entertaining. There are still lots of great antiques available, and a few new additions to those as well!

Hope you have a chance to stop in soon. And may you all have a blessed and Happy Easter!

Monday, April 11, 2011

Paris Flea Market 2011

Last Saturday was a great day at the shop ---- our annual Paris Flea Market. We were blessed with wonderful spring-like weather, a spectacular crowd, and great buys --- vintage and new ---- for all! As my favorite event of the year, it more than met all expectations. Hope you were able to join us, but if not, here are pictures from a fun day.


The front room decked out for "Le Jardin"










The silver and crystal corner of the Paris Flea Market antiques


Garden items from our great dealers


China and ironstone suitable for any cottage


An interesting assortment of smalls


Jan Frieden's artistic and colorful collection of art and antiques


A corner in the "beach" room




"Camp Plaid"







A group of early-bird shoppers





Some of the 700 tiny gourmet cupcakes that our resident baker, Carol Van Bruaene, baked for the event!


One of the Cupcake Trees designed and manufactured by Niles resident, Judy Truesdell


The baker herself!


Jan Frieden and Denise Graves


Ruth Meilstrup and Jane Nagy


Gwen Oldfield (on right) and me!

The Paris Flea Market antiques will be in the shop through the end of this month, so if you missed Saturday, you still have a chance to stop in and find some special treasures. See you then!