Renovation Inspirations from Pros

Hi Girlfriends,

Did you know that both designers and architects seek websites for renovation inspirations for information, specs and shopping?

Cheryl Katz, designer

"I love hivemodern.com, which is a great siter classical modern, and I use eboniste.com for lighting.  Generally, I use the Web to order things from lines I have already seen in person, so there's no question about quality."

_____________________

Eric Cohler, designer

"1stdibs.com is the one resource that links us to almost every reputable antiques dealer in the trade.  We can do our research online and see the piece right there, and we can send the link to our clients, so that they can view the piece as well."

___________________________

John O'Connor, architect

"Inhabitat.com is about forward-thinking, sustainable design.  It promotes the substance behind the stylistic aspects of modern design."

_______________________________________

Darryl Carter, designer

" Rejunvenation.com is a fantastic website.  They carry antique lighting as well as reproductions, and on theor website, you can pick a fixture and move a different globe or shade or hurrican onto it, so you are basically designing your own fixture.  I also rely on homeannex.com.  they sell everything under the sun from plumbing fixtures and fittings to door hardware,.  Because a website can show you how something looks but not how it feels.  I often order just one faucet or fixture as a sample when I'm shopping online--especially if there is a reshelving fee on returns."

________________________________________

Jamie Drake, designer

"One of my favorite sites now is flavorleague.com, site of Flavor wallpaper company, which has the pop-psychedelic papers we love to use, with custom capability and the whole swinging '70's vibe."

______________________________

Denise: Eve Robins, designer finds "one-stop shopping" at waterworks.com for bathroom renovation and erbutler.com for amazing hardware and door handles.

Gwen:  If you are planning a kitchen, Jordan Goldstein uses ikea.com.  Just drag and drop the different units into your layouts.  The really great feature is you can see things in 3-D-!!"

Denise: Here's another fabulous site the David Jameson, architect, speaks highly about if you are interested in "how materials that have been designed for one use can be rethought for other uses.  Materialconnection.com. shows products that were designed for the space shuttle......that can be used in home building and renovation." 

Gwen:  Finally, I would like to include a site Lisa Piper Gilbert, architect relies on......for all those into the field of green building, buildinggreen.com.

____________________________

 Information taken from Met Home September 2006

Talk again,

Denise & Gwen

Updating on Confessions of A CF Husband

Adorable Gwyneth at home.

  

Nate and Tricia are a timeless lovestory that I have been following for several months.  This is what he has to say on his blog:

"My name is Nathan.  My wife, Tricia has Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and had been preparing for a double lung transplant until we discovered we were pregnant.

Tricia is the most incredible person I've ever met.  She keeps me humble and in love.

Gwyneth is our beautiful, new baby girl, born 15+ weeks early. 

Tricia is now breathing with the help of donated lungs, and Gwyneth is on her way out of th NICU and into our hearts." 

Talk again,

Denise

ELEGANT HOMES Window Treatments #2

Hi Girlfriends,  

This is a test..........for it is my first attempt to try Adobe Elements in scanning a magazine photo, instead of scanning to Printmaster and uploading from there.  I am on a MAC and learning all the time.  

One EXTREMELY  helpful websites for 101 learning to blog, has been All Things Bright And Beautiful.  I highly recommend this website for learning the in's and out's from this A+ mentorship blogging.  If I feel this 'test' is what I am seeking, expect all my photos to be clearer in the future.

Elegant Homes

Fall/Winter 2008

Designers Jean Turcotte and Louis Pepin

Montreal

"Hospitality begins at the entry, where red Italian marble flooring glistens in the sunshine and red, pink, and gold striped silk-and-velvet draperies puddle theatrically a the base of golden pedestals with red antique vases."

Talk again,

Denise 

ELEGANT HOMES Window Treatments

Hi Girlfriends,

WE're baaaaaaaaack-!!  Vacations are wonderful distractions from day to day life of home, but.......there's no place like home.  Settling back into a routine is even welcoming.  One pleasure is pouring through all the newly arrived decorator magazines.  

This August edition of Elegant Homes,  I am excited about some creative methods on saving cost on rods, brackets and finials, but still have beautiful window treatments.  All three window treatments featured have the same concept from  the prestigious Pink Ribbon show house (built to raises money for breast cancer awareness and research at the Baylor College of Medicine) Houston, TX.  to Lexington, MA.  

If you have difficulty seeing how resourceful these interior designers were, please, pick up Elegant Homes the next time you are at your local Borders

Interior Designer, Tricia Dobson, decided upon "panels hung simply on iron backets.....thus, preventing a heavy look."  Still, it oozes all the charm and elegance of a traditional living room.

Interior Designer, Edwina Alexis, used decorative drapery tacks to hold flowing silk draperies...... which gives a hint of drama to this small intimate library area.  By using ivory fabric for this treatment,  the room remains quiet for reading, sipping wine or a game of chess.

The kitchen curtain, by designer Betsy Speert, was hung with decorative black ceiling hooks which can be purchased at any hardware store like a ma & pa, Home Depot or Lowes.  I really like this idea for its light and airy effect and without the hassle of cumbersome hardware in such a small area.

Talk again,

Denise & Gwen

discountdesignerfabricsonline.com

Window Treatements

Schumacher Wallpaper Book 1995

Hi Girlfriends,

Now is the time to begin thinking of indoors for window treatments. 

 Right now, the workrooms are slow (many take vacations in August for this very reason ).  

By the time one begins to think of entertaining during the holidays

 you have wisely gotten a most important project completed.

One of our greatest resources of window treatments

comes from o discontinued wallpaper books.  

Most places that sell wallpaper

 have stacks of discontinued books 

in their back.

By asking they are thrilled to get rid of them.

So, don't be shy when asking.........

  

This particular window treatment we have repeated over and over.  

WARNING

 you will need a really good workroom to execute this design for it is all in the mechanism of the construction. 

 Once up 

the design compliments any room.  

GWEN: "For us, using this design in dining rooms have been most successful."  

The secret to any attractive Window Treatment is "Trade-only" fabrics.  

Remember

 "You get what you pay for."

  

Denise: "Ooooooooh so true.  

Pick a room

spoil yourself

use Trade Only designer fabrics

and

gradually

in stages

 spoil yourself

again, again and again

 on your remaining rooms.

By the time you have completed

your stages........why

the first room fabrics

are still 

wonderful."

Gwen and Denise: 

"Yes, it's all about quality."

Talk again,

Denise and Gwen

Remember, you can buy designer fabrics at fabulously pricing through us

discountdesignerfabricsonline.com

A CLASSIC TRASH TREASURE

Simplicity Sewing Book, 1957

Hi Girlfriends,

A client asked me to drive by a house she and family had just put a bid on............What luck-!!  There on the parkway was the current owners "Trash".  

When I spotted this "Simplicity Sewing Book" 1957, I had to have it.........and hoped no one knew me--as I went into my "Trash Picking" mode.

This cover speaks volumns of a classic look:  

From the hair style, to the circle pin, to the gold charm bracelet, 

big gold earrings and painted nails.  

So, what's new?

Talk again,

Denise and Gwen

Jackie O's Dining Room

Hi Girlfriends,

The following is what both Caroline and John Kennedy wrote in the Sotheby's, " The Estate of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis" catalog, April 1996.

"In deciding what to do with our mother's possessions, we were guided first and foremost by her deep knowledge and love of history.  She was proud to have played a part in the history of our country, and in accordance with her wishes, we have given objects and documents which help chronicle the Kennedy Administration and her role as First Lady to the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation which will make them available to the public.

Beyond that, our mother believed in individuals more than in institutions.  She was able to evoke the lives and people of other times and places, describing to us the ancient pharaohs, court society at Versailles, or life on a Nantucket whaling ship so vividly that we felt we had visited these wondrous places.  For our mother, history came alive through objects and paintings, as well as books.  Because the things she collected link her with history, and because she cared about them, they represent more than just a record of her life and travels.  As they go out into the world, we hope that they bring with them not only their own beauty and spirit, but some of hers as well."

"Caroline Kennedy                                                                                                         John Kennedy"

The Dining Room of

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis'

New York City Apartment

Item # 332

"A Set of Four Louis XVI Style 

- Grey and Blue -

Painted

Fauteuils en Cabriolet

"Each with a molded oval upholstered

backrest, the padded armrests, raised

on voluted supports, the bow-fronted

seat raised on circular tapered, fluted legs."

 The Red Room 

and one of four state reception rooms 

in the White House

 Jackie restored this room and loaned her own 

pair of French obelisks.

Item # 323

"A Pair of Louis XVI Ormolu Mounted 

Black and White Marble Obelisks

last Quarter 18th Century"

History note:

Surprisingly, or maybe not, at the time of Jackie "O's" estate sell, Sotheby's did not have a ".com" account in 1996-!!  Think of it, 12 years ago..............no internet for many, many, many.

Talk again,

Denise and Gwen

L.A. Bloggers

Dear L.A. Bloggers,

Know we are thinking of you

and

 please

after calling your love ones

report...in due time 

to all of your favorite sites,
so we can
link and link and link
to know you are
all safe.

Denise & Gwen

Designing Window Treatments With Shades

Blinds and Shades, Southern Accents, by Garrett Lane
Photography by Tria Giovan

Hi Girlfriends,

Our motto:

A room is never complete without window treatments.


IN THIS PHOTO, windows are decorated in yards of beautiful olive-brown chenille created by Stanley Ellis, Atlanta, and finished off with more yards of tassels. Alone, this treatment makes a statement in any bay window. But, when it comes to privacy, the added blinds give this look preference and practicality. Why? Because they provide light control, helps with the room proportions and screens out unwanted views.

Two of the best companies to keep in mind when you decide to buy shades made out of natural green materials; reeds, bamboo, rattan and grasses are:
high-end, high-end, high-end
Conrad Shades
and
more affordable
Hunter Douglas
Provenance line.

Architectural Digest

I love the light and graceful window treatment done for this room.
I am sure hidden under is a shade for privacy.

Talk again,
Denise and Gwen

A+ Roster

Hi Girlfriends,

We are not quiet two months old (meaning our blog) and know we still have "growing pains." Both of us have much to share and far to go in our presenting to you.........and, we have been learning about blogging from so many sites...... Now, seems like a good time to begin our link list. This list will continue to grow and grow, but, for starters, we would like to take the time to thank a few and begin our "A+ Roster List" today.

Early on, we 'saw' how short and catchy titles hold an interest. Thus, we changed our name to "Decor etc." Then, looking into our "History," we realized we visited certain sites over and over and over. As we gathered notes from each one........We know we still have some out there for our A+ Roster, but, our notes are a M-E-S-S-!! But, know this, you all are A+ bloggers; young, bright, gifted and beautiful in both appearances and style. We can't get enough of you.......(sigh)

We want to give special thanks to two unique blogs: First to Alkemie for her aggressive investigation "behind the scenes" and then having the confidence in our website and listing us in her upholstery section. Next, we can't say enough from All Things Bright and Beautiful and her generous wealth of information on Blogging Tips. These tips keep us going back time and time again. From these two sites, we have clicked links to learn about......more blogging information, new artists, new designers, shopping, salvitating still for Lauduree macarons and clicking the links they all suggest into an infinity of blogs in cyberspace. Sometimes it takes us two days to get back to Alkemie and All Things Bright and Beautiful. In a day, the wealth of talent shared from our ventures into new links, we know we could never have discovered them otherwise....in such a short amount of time without the help of these two sites. Girlfriends, what we have "seen" is not only energy and love for discovering and sharing new products, etc. on the market, but how much fun they are all having in their careers, married lives, nesting, or raising a young family too. It's all soooooo wonderful-!!

Please note we are impressed with each blog we have visited. One silly question that pops up for us is: "Does Cote De Texas ever sleep?" Her talent and time is incredible too-!! From Texas French decorating to writing her own blog. But, she really rocks as an Interior Designer activist fighting a very worthy cause against ASID. Added to all this is her boundless comments she leaves on all the blogs she visits.....we-ll she deserves the "Energized Bunny Award" from us-!! Remarkable gal.........and she maintains a good sense of humor, especially noted when another blogsite commented on her being an older blogger (LOL, Cote De Texas is just 37-!!)

Lastly, our love and prays is still for Nate as he writes his blog, " The Confessions Of A CF Husband." We recommend every girlfriend visit this site and soon you will realize how small your problems are.....................amen.

Thank You one and all
and
as we add to our
A+
we will be commenting
on what makes your blog
so special
to us.

Have a nice Sunday.

Oooh, the whimsical big yellow bow drapery treatment by Dorothy Draper for The Greenbrier Resort suggests
perhaps a good Mint Julep
was had
just before this design was conceived.

Talk again,
Denise and Gwen

Window Treatments by Dorothy Draper

Hi Girlfriends,

I am back with a few more of my own photos taken during one of our stays at 

The Greenbrier Resort, W. Va.

It was at The Greenbier that I first began taking photos of window treatments.  

Since then, I take photos of window treatments wherever I stay.

Dorothy Draper's talent extended beyond the raising of ceiling, large doorways and rococo scrolls.  Her drapery treatments are different in every room at The Greenbrier Resort.  This room is off the lawn croquet course and has had only one "add-on" since Draper designed it.

Draper just knew how to add the finish touches....discreetly.

This portrait needs no introduction.....grace always adorn this room......before this only

 added feature......when Princess Grace and her family visited the resort......

long after Draper did the room.

I feel like Dorothy Draper was thinking of Scarlet when she designed this window treatment.

The Greenbrier Resort

Dorothy Draper loved big scale.  Visually, nothing speaks more truth,  than my "GQ" husband, 6'3", posing in one of the resort's doorways.... leading off from an open porch (with his Davidoff cigar and Brandy........yes, a more recent photo taken while attending a Holland & Holland Sporting Clays Event).  Note how the window panes curve upwards to enhance the height even more.

Talk again,

Denise

discountdesignerfabricsonline.com

  

Where is Dorothy Draper?

Girlfriends,

Nothing speaks more of who Dorothy Draper was than 

The Greenbrier Resort, W. VA.  

Men may come here for

 golf, golf, golf, 

but, 

ladies get to experience 

the ambiance of

Dorothy Draper.......'

 interior designer whose ideas bloom like 

the true 

Southern hospitality

experience 

throughout one's stay.  

Forget Minimalism.  

Draper favored exuberant colors and bold patterns.  Even today (Schumacher has kept all of Draper's fabric designs specifically for The Greenbrier), with her eye-popping colors, oversize prints, and her touch for flamboyance still flourishes from draperies, walls, furnishings, floors and rococo scrollwork.  Draper defined The Greenbrier with sophistication.  Her designs also include slipcovers, house plants and black and white marble floors.

What is so adorable to watch are the little Greenbrier camp guests 

 following their camp leader 

who is telling them not to step on the huge 24 " x  24" white tiles.  

Oooooh, their little legs can't help

 but

 touch those huge white marble squares 

no matter how hard they try to avoid them.

These photos I took before the Internet was created-!!  Each time I return, I never need to take photos of these rooms, because nothing has change since 

Dorothy Draper decorating days.

I will feature more of Dorothy Draper at The Greenbrier, once I figure out from my 

unbeknown blog-mentor,

All Things Bright And Beautiful

how to move and place pictures where 

Denise want them to go. 

Talk again, 

Denise 

discountdesignerfabricsonline.com

                        

                                              

                      

Jackie O's Living Room

The Living Room of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

New York City apartment

Hi Girlfriends,

Back in '96, I bought a birthday present for myself in March.  Do you ever do that?  I called Sotheby's in New York and requested a catalog from "THE ESTATE OF JACQUELINE KENNEDY ONASSIS".  The auction sale was to take place on April 23 - 26 1996.  Upon opening the catalog, it gave me the opportunity to--instantly--feel like a "guest" in her New York City apartment. The above photo is one of my favorites.  Sorry for the poor quality of scanning, but, what I loved the most and have 'copied' every year, is the hydrangea arrangement to the right of her mantle.  

Right now, I have my white hydrangea in full bloom.  Once they begin to turn a tinge of green, I know it's time to cut.  I learned a trick along the way.  Forget turning them upside down and hanging them to dry.  If you do, you get the ones touching each other distorted in shape.  I simply cut them long, put dry oasis in the bottom of a vase and begin stuffing them while they are still fresh.  They keep their shape (most importantly) and as they begin to dry their coloring begins to look fabulous too.  At Thanksgiving time, I put pheasant feathers in the arrangement.......carefully.  At Christmas, I add glizzzzzzzzz to them out of Michael's craft store.

Talk again,

Denise 

SUNDAY FUNNIES

Hi Girlfriends,  From time to time we get request for pricing on our website and we just can't help..........like the two that came in this week:

name:  lowicbgx

email: exxhi@jhbmkz.com

vendor: AwUTcHDjrHsR

pattern: VwRfFtetHGxl

color: oQaMmunbiwb

yardage: BcBjQYkuRbjeGZQJz

talk: uVptMi  ,

[url=http://myszinuseiwu.com]myszinuseiwu[/url],

[link=http://nofgewfcpepg.com]nofgewfcpepg[/link],

http://etrioscmiwvo.com/

This request came the following day:

name:  stenlbrretw

email:  nqatmt@wkshyu.com

vendor: BhJWCiKKahZsX

pattern: IWWCNZPDAEq

color:  gSfcHxKnWvUJhw

yardage:  KPIZZmlmpVzAbQNJHT

talk:  6PTa1k  kcjkqeofmah,

[url=http://nfssvsbpbmko.com/]nfssvsbpbmko[/url],

[link=http://gnqpstrmlde.com/]gnjqpstrmide[/link], http://neqmxjrcvejc.com/

They both look like great potential orders, but, we just don't know how to read them.  Even our 'spell check' is confused-!!

Talk again

Denise & Gwen

discountdesignerfabricsonline.com

Prairie Style Oasis In The Sky

Hi Girlfriends,

Summertime
in
Chicago
is
escapable
with the lucky ones
sitting pretty......high above it all.....
on this 1/2 A. roof top garden.

This getaway
is
on the trendy
Chicago's
Magnificent Mile,
900 N. Michigan Ave.

A real winner-!!




Designed by Hoerr Schaudt Landscape Architects
Archetype chaise lounge chairs
Designed by Michael Vanderbyl for McGuire
CS Interiors by Thomas Connors
August 2008


TALK AGAIN,
Denise and Gwen
discountdesignerfabricsonline.com

Meauring For STACKBACK

Hi Girlfriends,

We received an email from one of our website buyer's wanting information on STACKBACK  for her rod.  

Denise:  "The width of the rod (D) is figured so that when the drapery is open, most of the drapery clears the window, admitting sufficient sunlight and taking advantage of the complete view."  

Gwen: "In Illustration D, it shows rod past window one each side.  For each width of drapery pulled to each side, the rod should be extended out from the window approximately 5" to 6".

Denise:  "Or......a rule of thumb is to add 1/3 of the window width to the window width to determine rod length.  The rod would then extend 1/6 of the width of the window on each side."

Gwen:  "To economize, or when the furniture is placed on limited wall space near the window, the drapery does not have to clear the window and can be figured closer."

Denise: " So true......and remember g.f.s, the measuring process should come up with two important facts:  1. The rod width and 2. The finish length "

Good luck-!!

Talk again,

Denise & Gwen

discountdesignerfabricsonline.com

Confessions Of A CF Husband

Confessions Of A CF Husband: Fast Track (Updated 7.4.08)

Hi Girlfriends,  

It's update time on this beautiful love story. A love story about a husband, his wife and their newborn daugher. In June, I wrote about finding this incredible blog, Confessions Of A CF Husband.  I still find it incredible.

Nate 27,  is still giving his 110% support as a devoted husband to his CF  wife, Tricia 27,  who is struggling for her life.  CF eventually affects the lungs and breathing becomes a problem.  They move from Nags Head, NC, to Durham, NC to be near Duke Medical Center Hospital.  Here Tricia waits out her time for two lung donations.  To their happiness, a first, and much wanted new life is beginning to grow in her.  She decides to keep this new life growing inside her.  At 24 weeks of gestation, the doctors decide an emergency C-cut must happen for the health of both. Behold an infant daughter, Gwyneth Rose.  

Next, comes the much awaited news, two lungs are available.  Today, Tricia is living on two borrowed lungs and recovering under the watchful eyes of her doctors and Nate's continued love and support.

By July 4th the family is together in a hotel room they have been calling "home" for close to a year.  Life is getting, somewhat, back to normal.  Gwyneth Rose  weighs in at 7 1/2lbs,  eats baby food and the Mommie has a new set of lungs.  One day, soon, they will all three be moving back to their home on Nags Head, NC.

Please visit this site and, always, keep a box of kleenex near you.

Photo taken from Nate's blogsite

Talk again.

Denise

discountdesignerfabricsonline.com

Update on this beautiful family......again-!!

July 17, 2008

Fantastic news from Nate:

The family of 3, have moved back to Nags Head, NC and GwynethRose  weighs 7 1/2 lbs-!!

Way to go Nate, Tricia and precious GwynethRose........keep healthy you three.

Love to you all, Denise