Sunday, November 13, 2011

In Search of Annie Sloan Paints - Scott's Antique Market

Near Entrance to North Building - Scott's Antique Market

This is the third in what is turning out to be a series about my attempts to buy Annie Sloan Chalk Paint website. During my last adventure, I had traveled to Senoia, Georgia, to visit one of about three locations in the entire state of Georgia that carries this British product. Annie Sloan Chalk Paints are heralded by all as THE product to buy to easily achieve French style finishes - something I am really interested in doing. The shop owner in the "Color Me French" section of the downtown Senoia shop was out of a key component of the process - the waxes. She told me she would be at the next scheduled Scott's Antique Market with her products (held in South Atlanta once a month on the second weekend of the month). Despite my interest (nee passion) for this type of thing and my almost 25 years in the Atlanta area, I had never been to this market although others had suggested it for years. Before making the trip, I verified that the famous waxes had arrived and would be available. SO, naively, I dragged my great husband on a pleasant, fall Saturday afternoon to the market. Even though I had visited the website (Scott's Antique Market) and found it was marketed as the "World's Largest " and covered 33,000 square feet, I figured we would just arrive and glance around and find the paints easily. We parked in a huge lot and found vendor after vendor both inside and out of several permanent and semi-permanent structures. I was easily and frequently distracted by the great items on display - not at all the decrepit antiques and odds-and-ends I was expecting.

Scott's Antique Market - Vendors Near North Building

After some aimless wandering, we finally approached the customer service desk and, luckily, one of the ladies knew about Annie Sloan paints and the person selling them in the South Building - across the highway in another part of the market all together! We took a shuttle bus (normal-size Greyhound-like bus which quickly filled up) and traveled to the equally large parking lot and vendor space on the southern location of the market. The space and vendors were even more interesting on this side - seemed to be more home furnishing oriented and better quality.

Vendors in South Building

Despite these major distractions, we did eventually find a fabric seller (YES) who knew of the Annie Sloan paints seller but woefully told us that an emergency of some sort had caused her to close up early and she was gone. SO ... I am still without my paints and more determined than ever to buy some.

We did conclude (well, actually me more than my husband), that this was a very interesting visit and one I would (probably solo) repeat in the future - particularly after finding that the fabric seller had some great prices on North Carolina fabrics and most were sold on day one or two of the sale. So, next month, expect to hear of my further exploits at Scott's Antique Market - probably on Thursday of the December sale.

In the meanwhile, I may just order these paints on-line and forget the need to actually see and discuss the product face-to-face. This is getting too hard!!

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Annual Chair Donation - Benefiting Habitat for Humanity

Dunwoody United Methodist Holiday Festival Displays

We have some great friends who are very active in a local church, Dunwoody United Methodist, and have leadership roles in the Church's Habitat for Humanity program. The church has an annual Holiday Festival which includes all sorts of artisans, casserole bake sale (I contributed two), book and treasures from the attic sales and a silent auction.

This is the second year I contributed some of my refurbished chairs to the silent auction. The church make enough money from this well attended event that they were able to build two houses last year - a wonderful accomplishment.

My daughter and I spent the morning checking out the sales and buying quite a few holiday gifts. This is a premier event in our neighborhood and a wonderful example of people working together for a common cause. It was a lot of fun too - and, before leaving, I noted that several of my chairs had bids on them ... so, I am happy to contribute!

My chairs at the Silent Auction

Thursday, November 10, 2011

The Happiness Factor in Decorating!

Great Entryway with Lavender (see principles below)!

I was intrigued by this article in House Beautiful entitled “10 Ways to Make Your Home Happier”. website Happiness is an important element in our daily lives and if there are ways to enhance it, I’m all for it. I know for me, the way I decorate and what I choose to place in my immediate environment does make me smile and feel somewhat smug – important happiness factors. This list of ten is derived from different stylists, decorators and others – I thought the list was worth sharing even though there are some principles I am not as sure about as others – a sense of happiness is such an individual thing!

1. Mix it Up - "The most interesting rooms mix cultures and periods," says real estate broker Royce Pinkwater. "I like to juxtapose high and low. It makes it more casual and homey."

2. Choose Colors That Flatter You – Some colors just make you look better - lavender is supposed to be very kind to skin-tones.

3. Decorate With What You Love – Stylist Craig Schumacher’s decorating look is layered: "I bought things I knew I'd never tire of, and I've found out that if you love something, you'll find a place for it." His living room is furnished with antiques and vintage pieces, including a faux fireplace added for its architectural interest.

4. Remember the Power of White Paint - "White reflects light, so it sends off a wonderful energy, a prism of color that you aren't necessarily aware of," says designer Susan Noble Jones.

5. Choose Furniture With Curves - Round shapes, such as a living room's lamp drum shades and coffee table, make a space feel inviting. Upholstered furniture can be curvaceous as well!

6. Keep Seating Neutral - Stay away from large pieces upholstered in a bold color or busy pattern — it will make a room feel heavier. "When the sofa is white, it feels lighter, more conducive to conversation," says designer Pat Healing.

7. Make a Colorful Statement in the Entry - First impressions count. "I think you need to make a strong statement in entry halls — to give an indicator of what you'll see in the rest of the house."

8. Include Some Whimsy - "Little surprises keep a house from becoming too serious," says contributing editor Frances Schultz. "It's fun to put items in unexpected places.”

9. Go Bold in a Small Space - "The smaller the room, the more drama you need," designer David Netto says.

10. Create Beauty by Contrast - The juxtaposition of humble and fine materials creates intrigue and keeps a room feeling interesting and attractive.

Source Article: From a fresh coat of white paint to choosing comfortable, neutral furniture, decorating experts share their advice on how happiness starts at home.  BY JEN DEROSE

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Fabric Shopping Update - Fabric World

I have previously reported on Fabric World - an Atlanta metropolitan area fabric warehouse that has great everyday prices and occasionally phenomenal sales. I have become such a devotee that I am averaging a trip about once every ten days. I take photos of fabrics for clients looking for a particular color, pattern, or texture. I also buy two (or more) rolls to add to my collection and strategize its use on pieces that are not yet refurbished. Today was a very nice day for this trip - the autumn colors are nearing their end - but still breathtakingly beautiful.

Here are some today's purchases and one idea of what I might do with the bright green linen-textured fabric!

Heavy Woven Fabric with Greens, Cranberries and Golds on Cream

Linen Blend Bright Apple Green

Brandywine Chair that I am Considering for the Green Fabric!?

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Comparison Shopping - 1stdibs.com!

As I read the various decorating magazines and, specifically, the sources shared by well-known designers, I often see references to 1stdibs - the on-line source for 1000's of furnishings and other decorating items (http://www.1stdibs.com/)
A brief history:

Founded in 2001 by Michael Bruno after visiting Paris flea markets, today 1stdibs is the go to source for the world’s leading interior designers and in-the-know wealthy consumers to find antiques, design, estate jewelry, vintage fashion and art. With headquarters in New York City.

After seeing the advertising and references so often, I decided (today) to check it out. Although you can see photos of the wonderful items that can be bought through the site, you do need to register to see the prices - which was easy to do. The result, however, was a bit shocking - the prices are REALLY, REALLY, HIGH! I did some additional google research and found a lot of articles about the pricing structure and the term "1stdibs envy" was introduced - as in "When I want to dream about furnishing my house with impossible to find and buy items, I go to 1stdibs.com to see what they have available". In early 2011, they opened an actual bricks and mortar store in the New York Design Center in Midtown with 53 dealings occupying 33,000 square feet.

1stdibs store in New York

So, I guess I'm not feeling too threatened by this particular competitor. It is nice to dream, however, and now that I have found them, I will check the site out every now and then for inspiration and to see what the competition is doing!

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Neutrals with Color Accents - BHG Ideas

BHG Neutral Room with Color Accent - from website

I am increasingly impressed with the quality and quantity of ideas emanating from a magazine I never thought much of until recently for decorating ideas - Better Homes and Gardens link. Their magazine and website is FULL of great decorating photos and suggestions by category, by color, by style. Unlike so many repetitive commercial emails, I actually look forward to theirs and spent time checking it out - I am never disappointed. Today's link has some great fall decorating ideas one of which I plan to pursue once the sun comes up - going out to get some fall foliage and placing it in various vases around the house to liven things up.

The pieces I have refurbished in neutral colors seem to be the first to sell - they are easy to work with and customers even want the "white-white" colors that may seem daunting to some. The following are all sold but I have some more neutral pieces in the works and several traditional style wingbacks in my existing inventory on http://wydevendesigns.com