Scalamandre Says "HAPPY HOLIDAYS!"

I LOVE THIS 

2011 

HOLIDAY CARD 

FROM 

SCALAMANDRE!

DENISE

IKAT Fabrics For Fall-!!

Hi Girlfriends, First, I hit a remarkable milestone for my website in August. Since I began in 2007, I have received 1,000,000 visitors with requests. I was....and still am...very excited-!! Economy crunch or what, serious homeowners still know that "To the trade" designer fabrics do make a difference in making their house a home. Thanks for all your past support and may we both grow together in the future.

Second, Whenever I get lots of request for one kind of fabric or color, I know "something" is in the wind with fashion. Nothing is more truer than IKAT fabrics. Now, even I am dreaming of this timeless fabric pattern with the possibility of doing a small love seat in my family room in ikat too.

IKAT (e - kot) means "to bind." It is a very ancient way of creating designs in fabric by resist-dyeing the threads before the fabric is woven. Villagers in Thailand, take the weft (crosswise filling threads) and tie tiny bits of plastic onto the treads. The tightly tied areas of thread, when put into the dye pot, resist the color and create a pattern, once the plastic ties are removed. Traditional ikat cottons are often indigo-dyed in lively and engaging motifs representing the village life and beliefs of the people. Modern ikats come in cotton, linen and silks which are brightly colored with good imported chemicals or natural dyes.

What makes ikat fabric differ from other fabrics is in the woven by hand on narrow looms in a labor - intensive process. Easy to identify because there patterns look the same on both sides of the fabrics..........in other words, no right or wrong side of the cloth.

A hint: Dry Cleaning HIGHLY recommended.

Ikat endless possibilities from runways to accessorities to upholstering to bedding to draperies to even carpet:



runwaydaily.com, blog.hgtv.com, lotushaus.typedpad.com, elledecor.com

Look what ABC has to offer in carpet-!!




Kravet knows....................ikat fabrics with over 208 fabrics from their designers collections.


Sorry, I lost the info on these two beautiful ikat fabrics. '-'


Always count on Scalamandre to show ikat with stunning matching companions.




Sami ikat / 26737 and companion Uppsola / 26738

Think about including this wonderful fabric in your Fall project. REMEMBER.........although very expensive, due to labor intensity, contacting me for a low, low price.

A la prochaine,
Denise

What Makes This Room Work?

With a refreshing color palette and sharp dressmaker details ( a good workroom), you can transform your bedroom into a cool, comfortable retreat with a fabric that is AFFORDABLE.

WHAT MAKES THIS ROOM WORK

A "to the trade" fabric of chinoiserie toile. The color pops to feel new and right for this room.

Bold scale. A smaller-scale toile would look country, while this looks more sophisticated and dramatic.

The settee. It reiterates the main fabric and also serves as a bench for pillows, blankets, clothes, etc.

Plenty of white. On the walls, headboard, linens, lamps, mirror, and even prints framed with wide white mats in simple white frames, it lessens the intensity of the intricate toile pattern.

A sea grass carpet. It adds neutral texture.

BEDROOM BASICS: Avoid clutter where ever you can. One way is to invest in a good nightstand to store some of the smaller items, like a kleenex box.

T.Keller Donovan, designer.
Scalamandre fabric: 11111-006, silk
other colors: Beige, yellow, coral, fern, aqua, black

This fabric does come in linen too, but with only 4 colors: beige, green, coral and blue.

Please contact me if you are interested in this fabric......or any fabric.........for a great price-!

A la prochaine,
Denise

Happy Mother's Day 2010-!!

If my mother had one weakness in her life, it was hats. Mother passed after 10 children and 96 years later. A day doesn't go by that I don't think about her...........and remember her love for hats.

Happy Mother's Day to all Mothers...........present and past.



Love to all Mothers today,

Denise

Re-upholster Dining Chairs

If you are thinking of re-upholstering dining chairs, now is the time to do it. Workrooms are slowing down and the wait isn't so long.

I believe in solid color fabrics for dining room chairs. If the right color is choosen, they will "pop" in the room and seem less complicated with your walls, paintings, rug, china, floral arrangements and food presentations. If it's a photo opt time, you will be delighted with the end result, with your guest, sitting on solid color fabric.



Remember for a fantastic "to the trade" pricing for your next project, email me.


A la prochaine,

Denise

Scalamandre Online Selling and Buying

I get many a request for a Scalamandre quote on a fabric. At some point, when I have not heard back, I will follow up to see if my webclient is still interested. Not. The most common feedback is: "I bought from someone else below wholesale price."

Impossible.

These webclients have purchased from either eBay sellers or online "stores" that have warehouses. I am not a store, a warehouse, nor, am I selling you counterfeit fabrics. I buy only through our showroom accounts. It is the showrooms who send you cuttings and the fabrics. Never me.

Example: If it's a high end look you are seeking......because you have good taste............ you already will know how Scalamandre pillows are going to be complimenting the rest of your project compared to a flawed Calico Corners pillows.

Ask yourself this: Why would any seller purchase from Scalamandre at wholesale and sell it for less than wholesale? Where is the money in that?-!! The only explanation is: It is counterfeit textiles marketed under the Scalamandre label.

Counterfeit textiles is a big "knock off" market on the Internet today. Not only do you run the risk of not knowing the real nature of the fabric, but you could run into side effects too. The fabric may contain harmful dyes which may be allergenic or even carcinogenic. Some textiles require certain fire-retardant treatments whcih many not be utilized, or lesser quality treatments may be used. The general public may not be aware of the consequesces of purchasing and subsequently exposing themselves to these counterfeit textiles.

How savvy of a shopper are you? Are you seeking the various avenues online and "bricks and mortar" locations for Scalamandre?


"Unfortunately, these avenues aren't always honest. It doesn't matter if they are truly unaware, doing it on purpose, are naive or just don't care."

"eBay, as the biggest venue for selling, has a program called VeRO. This program allows for the protection of the owner of the property. This means the authentic owner, not the person selling the item. When an item is listed as being Scalamandre, the reporting tool they provides, lets Scalamandre immediately tell VeRO that there is something wrong with the listing. Normally, there are only tow reasons. One is that someone is selling an item that is a copy of one of Scalamandre products and the other is that they don't make the item at all. Scalamandre loves VeRO."

Of course, VeRO doesn't stop the Seller from selling to you. Have you been teased by the eBay name, "buyitbeforemyhusbandcomeshome" for a "must have" Scalamandre fabric? Best advise I can give is DELETE-!

The smart buyer will question any Scalamandre fabric being sold on eBay or online businesses who have their own warehouses filled with "purchased from the mills." Remember, it is you who has come to me. I have no inventory, so I have nothing to sell you until you ask. Then, I call my showroom account.

People....designers too........have begun to question Scalamandre lines being sold to them lately. Take the designers who have been walking into stores and making purchases of items marked as Scalamandre for their clients and later have gone into a Scalamandre showroom to try and purchase additional yardage. It is at this point, the designers find out they made a bad purchase.




My motto: You get what you paid for.

A la prochaine,
Denise
discountdesigerfabricsonline.com

Interior Designer Michael S. Smith and To-The-Trade Fabrics

Hi Everyone,

Michael Smith is one fantastique California interior designer. This household name first surfaced when First Lady, Michele Obama, hired him for their private living quarters in the White House. A talented designer who knows what looks best with decor. To-the-trade fabrics. The likes of Cowtan & Tout, Brunschwig & Fils, Designer Guild, Colfax & Fowler, Scalamandre, Summer Hill and all the other fine, fine vendors he taps into to make any abode a home.

As I work with clients in person or through my website, everyone knows one thing: Pricing is fabulous. Discounts on all my account vendors. Reason you contacted me in the first place, my word, "Discount." Now, if anyone were to call Michael Smith........well, forget any discounts. Yes, who would dare to bargin with Michael Smith? Therefore, if you have high-end taste, seek the best, know quality over quantity, then, be contented I saved you from 75 - 80% off "to-the-trade" fabrics. I really don't mind you want to save more money, but no vendor is going to lower their prices. And, I have to eat too.

I love designer fabrics and want to share them with you too. I want you to have the right look for your project(s). Why buy from a local discount outlet that sells inferior fabric from a mill when I am here for you with quality? The only reason a mill will sell to Calico Corners is because they are flawed. Sure they are marked "1st Quality" and "2nd Quality" but not by the mill. This is a gimmick sale pitch. Yes, it works too. But, not to your friends who know. By the 3rd year installed in your home, your "1st Quality" fabric begins to look "tired." Your friend who went through us, her installation will look good 15 years later. You see, "you-get-what-you-pay-for" everytime.

Take a look at a few of Michael Smith's interior work and tell me which fabric won't last for years and years? They all will.














I would put this Michael Smith design book on my holiday list:



A la prochaine,
Denise
discountdesignerfabricsonline.com
mydeared.wordpress.com

Sen.and Mrs. Ted Kennedy, 1999

Hi Girlfriends, Architectural Digest featured Sen. and Mrs. Ted Kennedy in their Georgetown home in 1999. The decor is timeless. Interior Designer, Josepha B. Faley said of this Washington, D.C, residence for Sen Kennedy and his wife, Victoria, " “My goal was to adapt a formal city house to comfortable family life for a private yet very public couple.”

Fabrics and trims used were Nobilis, Cowtan & Tout, Scalamandre, Brunschwig & Fils, Donghia, Beacon Hill, Lee Jofa, J. Robert Scott fringes, and Houles trims. Ooooh how we wished we could have sold these "to the trade" designer fabrics to them on discountdesignerfabricsonline.com.



I love this floral arrangement of roses and twigs. The painting on the wall was painted by Sen. Kennedy.






This is the backyard and the porch stretches the entire length of the house.

A la prochaine,
Denise et Gwen
discountdesignerfabricsonline.com
mydeared.wordpress.com