Archive for the ‘Fabrics’ Category

Custom Lamp Shades, Venetian Style

Thursday, May 20th, 2010
Angela with me in her fantastic shop

Angela with me in her fantastic shop

    

On our first day in Venice, we visited the studio of Angela R. Greco on the Ponte Delle Ostreghe, near San Marco.  Angela and her sister have been in this same location for years, and make the most beautiful Venetian style lamp shades I have found anywhere on the planet.  Each shade is made by hand, and you can see their love for their craft in every piece.  Angela’s typical shade is made from Fortuny fabric, and stretched over a wire frame.  I love these shades because they have an exuberance of style not found in most American lighting.  They have the fantastic shape of the Venetian shield style shade, plus color and pattern brought by the fantastic fabric.  A stunning combination.  We chose this trip a small pair of shades in blue and silver for a pair of lamps in a bedroom. 

 

Angela hand sewing the lining of a shade while her sister looks on

Angela hand sewing the lining of a shade while her sister looks on

Besides being a fantastic place to find the fabulous, Angela’s shop is warm and friendly.  She loves to see people enjoy her work, and welcomes photography.  It is fun to see Angela and her sister again on this trip….in their matching smocks and pearls.

Lamps in the shop of Angela Greco

Lamps in the shop of Angela Greco

Bobby and I outside the shop

Bobby and I outside the shop

A carved wooden lamp base with a fantastic Fortuny shade

A carved wooden lamp base with a fantastic Fortuny shade

Quick Room Change With Pillows

Tuesday, December 8th, 2009

 

Sofa after new pillows

Sofa after new pillows

An easy way to really freshen a room is to update a few decorative pillows.  I always encourage investing in quality pieces of furniture that will stand the test of time.  When it comes to upholstery, I want to use materials that will be durable as well as beautiful.  Our den sofa was custom built for us about 17 years ago.  It is a classic English arm sofa with small turned legs on the front edge, and upholstered in black suede.  Through the years….with daily use….the suede has softened into a buttery leather with suedey areas still visible.  It has a great patina, and is still in perfect condition.  The decorative pillows were not so well for the wear.  We added a new rug to the den a couple of years ago, and never updated the pillows.  The ones we had worked, but they weren’t great.  We had a pair of pillows made from an old Turkish rug, and a pair of pillows in a Kirk Brummel velvet plaid with tassel trim.  The colors were dark on the black sofa, and it really needed brightening up.  My solution, Christopher Hyland’s silk tiger velvet on two giant pillows and a pair of kidney pillows in Brunschwig and Fils Savonnerie Velvet fabric with a Lee Jofa tassel fringe.  We did a simple construction on the pillows so they didn’t get too fancy.  Just pleated corners and no trim on the tiger velvet; and the same pleated corner detail on the others, combined with the simple gold tassel fringe.  The gold of the tiger velvet pops the gold in the Oushak carpet right out.  This was a great update to the room, gave a fresh look, and was quick and easy to do. 

 

Sofa before new pillows

Sofa before new pillows

Outdoor living spaces

Thursday, May 21st, 2009

Spring is a great time to start planning your outdoor living spaces. I can help you pull together the perfect look for your own unique setting by mixing and matching just the right elements for your home and garden.

There are more styles of outdoor fabrics and furniture than ever before. Outdoor fabrics have greatly improved even in the past couple of years. Although not completely maintenance free, they are fade and mildew resistant. Each group of products below contains a variety of furniture pieces to round out your collection with sofas, dining sets, lounge chairs, and more. Due to volume buying, I have access to great pricing structure with all my vendors and pass that savings along to my customers.

To get an idea of what is available, visit links to my vendors.

chairs

Window treatment fabrics

Monday, May 18th, 2009

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