Windows Dressing (Up)

For years interior designers have acknowledged the connection between home fashion and clothing.  Bustles, pleats and ruffles on women's clothing of the Victorian era translated to the swags, cascades and jabots of the same period's window treatments.  The slinky, bias cut gowns of the '30's were echoed in the soft, puddling draperies of the time.  And during World War II  short skirts and tailored jackets translated into the streamlined furniture and short, flirty curtains that glamorized rationing.
When drapery designers get together we often talk about dressmaker details on our treatments or soft furnishings.  We know that linings and interlinings improve the drape of a window treatment.  We often hand stitch hems, especially in silks and delicate fabrics. We seek out the special pleat or tuck to create a window treatment that's exactly right for our client.  Just as the couture fashion designer creates a unique look for her custom client by manipulating fabrics, so do professional drapery designers create unique treatments for our custom client's home using the same couture skills.
Professional drapery designers have developed specific technical skills that permit them to work their magic.  But one skill that anyone can improve is observation.  One designer I know calls it "research"  every time she visits Anthropologie.  She's looking for a pleat, a trimming, a special fabric embellishment that she can add to  draperies, valances and furnishings.  I was recently delighted when I found several embellishments in the catalog from usually-quite-conservative Talbots.  Fabric roses, ruffles in wool, even pleats on leather ballet slippers could all be transfered to use in home dec.-

Can't you envision these soft chiffon roses strewn across a throw?  They could be lined up in rows on a square pillow or sewn at random to the face of a silk or sheer drapery.

And what about this girlie treat - a silk charmeuse collar.  This would be a perfect drapery tieback in a boudoir. (Sorry fellas, even my he-man hubby might take exception to all this frou-frou in the master bedroom!)  And with the growing idea of woman caves - we really need a better name for these rooms! - how about decidedly old-fashioned criss-crossed priscilla curtains on the window with a collection of roses trimming the leading edge.
Next time you're out do some research of your own to discover the interconnectivity of fashion, fabrics and home dec.  Happy looking!

How to Make Ribbon Bracelets

I love ribbon.  And this little video shows you how to make an attractive bracelet using 1/4" ribbons and a technique we all learned at summer camp.  Elaine Schmidt demonstrates over 100 ribbon projects in her book, "The Complete Photo Guide to Ribbon Craft".  This is a fun project for the kids.  Or braid a few bracelets in school colors, team colors, or for wedding favors.  The bracelets can even be used as candle rings on pillar candles.  Spend a lazy afternoon crafting.

Custom Mini-Motors Provide Mega Satisfaction

We recently met with a client who had 1/2" mini blinds in  her skylights.  The motors and battery wands had died over the years and she needed us to replace the motors. A bit of detective work showed that the only company making motors for mini blinds had gone out of business, and our favorite window covering motorization company - Somfy - created motors for 2" and larger blinds.

The client was happy with her micro-minis. They just needed to be motorized again!

Juan, my husband and the Rodriguez half of the business, pondered the question for a while and came up with a truly custom solution.  He retrofit the 18 skylight blinds with radio controlled robotics technology and they are again providing the client with appropriate shading for her room.

This is another example of the Three C's in application.  They are Curiosity, Creativity, and Customization.  When Ecclesiastes says there is nothing new under the sun, he may well be right.  But there are all sorts of combinations and recombinations of what's already here  - and that's part of the joy of custom work!

Little Washington's bicentennial

Last night was a perfect summer night - we attended this outdoor concert to kick off the bicentennial celebration of Washington, PA.  Washington, PA has been affectionately known as "Little Washington", almost from its inception, to distinguish it from that sprawling giant on the Potomac that shares its name.  Our Washington is the county seat of Washington County and is home to a domed courthouse with exquisitely restored Tiffany stained glass panel in the dome, the LeMoyne house, and the Washington Symphony Orchestra - which you hear on this clip.
Last night's program included crowd-pleasers like "Washington Post March", "The Cowboys", "Ashokan Farewell", made popular by Ken Burns' PBS series "Civil War", "Star Wars", and "Stars and Stripes Forever".  The program also featured a new work, "Journey into Wissamaking" composed by W&J's Kyle Simpson for the WSO.  
The rain even held off until the last of the music stands and chairs were taken down and packed away!

Creating a Custom Daybed

When we created a sunroom off the back of the house, we extended the room over the exterior steps to the basement.  So that those steps remained functional, Juan created  a "box" in the sunroom. The box was open underneath the sunroom to provide headroom.  We insulated it so as not to lose heat in the room, then we turned it into a daybed!   

   

Here's the box in the sunroom.  We sealed around the edge of the box and the wall with duct tape to further keep out drafts.  Then the first layer of padding was applied to the box.  After the felt padding is attached then a layer of dacron batting is applied to cover any seams in the padding and offer a smooth surface for the decorator fabric.

The decorator fabric is then wrapped around the padded box.  We railroaded the fabric around the sides and face so there were no seams.  We folded the decorator fabric up onto the top of the box about 8" all around to create a deck.  The decorator fabric was attached with staples in a "snail trail" along the sides and bottom of the box.  We created a custom cushion to sit on top of the box and then whipped up a variety of fun pillows, bolsters and shams to provide lounging comfort.  

To keep the bolsters from falling off, and provide a bit of support, we designed and attached arms to the sides. 

  The finished daybed provides a comfy place to read and daydream.  And we can still get into the basement without bumping our heads!

The Stuff that Dreams Are Made On

I recently had a "Citizen Kane" moment.  (No, I didn't force my spouse to sing opera despite his reluctance and inability to do so!)  We've been doing a great deal of home remodeling and building for the past several years and much of my "stuff" has been wrapped up and stored in extra rooms, attic, basement, etc.    We are now at the point where I can begin to bring out some of that "stuff" and make our house a home once more.  And so, my Charles Foster Kane experience.
While I found no iconic "Rosebud" in my collection of oddly-wrapped packages, and my treasures are hardly of the scope of Kane's vast archives, I so enjoyed reconnecting with these items from my past and the memories they held.  Here are a few of my memory-joggers.  Perhaps you have some of your own.

This collection of "Roosters and Roses" began with the cream and sugar on the left middle shelf.  I purchased them in Xenia, OH in 1974, at a relief auction held after a tornado ripped through Xenia and other towns and cities along the Ohio River as far south as Louisville. I've since bought pieces in this pattern in nearly every state I've lived or visited.  The rest of the collection is still in storage.

These Weller candlesticks belonged to my beloved godmother.  They always reminded me of the aggressive apple trees in The Wizard of Oz;  the ones that throw apples at Dorothy and her friends.  Soon after receiving these candlesticks I took my newborn son on his first flea market outing.  I tucked the candle sticks into the diaper bag, hoping to get an informal appraisal and additional information.
I came away with the matching flower vase, below.  PS. Newborn son just turned 19!

The rather musical looking art tile on the left  is a modern offering from Motawi Tile.  It is based on an architectural carving of Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright's mentor and designer of the delightfully ornate grillwork on the facade of the now defunct CarsonPirieScott department store in the Chicago Loop.

The pitcher and bowl are vintage Aesthetic.  I love the points and gothic tracery both inside and out.  Our house was built in 1852 so this piece really belongs.  

How can you not smile when you look at this pot?  The dainty brush strokes on the face are delicate and whimsical.  Then there's the almost capodimonte-like fruit,vines, and leaves that ring the top of the pot.  I think the 2 purple things in the front are supposed to be plums but they look to me like clams.  Regardless, the piece just shouted at me when I saw it in a local antique shop, and I had to own it!  All I know of it is that it is Italian pottery and I like it.

         

These items are my treasures because they all remind me of special times or places or people in my life.  In that respect I am rich.  You are probably rich, too.  

What items make you smile when you see them in your house?  Maybe they've been in the same place for so long that you don't even notice them.  It's not necessary to put everything in storage or embark on a major renovation to re-appreciate these items.  Pick a time to clean out closets, cabinets, etc and put all your "stuff" on the dining table.  Collect the items that are already sitting out in your various rooms and add them to the items on the table.  Cull through the collection, putting aside any item that you do not find meaningful or beautiful. Send them off to Goodwill or eBay to make memories for someone else. For those items that made the cut, clean or wash them gently.  Then place them in your home where they will most delight you.  You may not live in Zanadu, but you will be richer by far than Citizen Kane ever was!

Drapery Design Books for a Lazy Day

The laws of physics may require that window treatments hang down, and not fly off at odd angles to the walls.  And because of that, some might think that all window treatments are essentially large pieces of fabric hanging on the window.  These books show that the physics of window treatments are more like quarks.  We see their flavors -up, down, and mostly charmed, - in unique and highly artistic designs.

Brian Coleman is editor-at-large at Arts&Crafts Homes magazine.  He is also a licensed, practicing psychologist.  And he has written a whole bookshelf full of books on window treatments, gardens, Aesthetic art tiles, and great homes of the British Isles.  Three are suggested here.

Window Dressings is full of close-up shots of draperies and soft furnishings in homes around the country. Drapery fabricators and drapery designers especially love this book as our talents are displayed on every page.

The Scalamandre family has been fabricating silks and  hand-crafting extraordinary trims for over a century.  Their fabrics have been used in the US Capitol, the White House, the Hearst Castle in San Simeon, CA, as well as numerous governors' mansions and prestigious homes.  Coleman offers a peek into the history of the family-owned company - and lavish photos of Scalamadre fabrics and trims gracing the interiors of some very fortunate homes.  Scalamandre is a visual feast!






Coleman's third book on my personal hit parade features the work of a favorite designer - Barry Dixon.  Dixon's designs are restrained, warm, and incredibly personalized.  This book features several homes he has designed and each is unique.