Design Dictionary
Posted on November 23, 2011 by jbutler in Design Dictionary
Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and we can’t stop thinking about some of our favorite things that start with the letter “P”: pumpkin pie, potatoes and a little pigskin (the Packers, anyone?). Speaking of the letter “P,” we’d like to introduce the two newest additions to our Design Dictionary series: Palladio and Parrot.
Palladio
Andrea Palladio, a famous Venetian architect of the 16th century, is widely known for his series of villas and urban palaces in Vincenza. He is also widely known for what we’ve come to describe as the Palladian arch. Though the arch was not invented by Palladio himself, he made it famous when he employed this characteristic in his design of the basilica in Vincenza.
Today, the Palladian arch is still around. Featuring a semi-circular top flanked with two flat-top openings, it’s featured in the designs of everything from architecture to furniture. The Mirror of Enlightenment, from our Philosophies collection, is a great example of this timeless element of classical design.
Parrot
While we can’t stop dreaming of a delicious turkey this Thanksgiving, we’ve got another bird on our minds for this next Design Dictionary term: the parrot (or parrot splat, to be exact). This bird-like feature is usually found on Queen Anne-style chairs (like our Queen Anne Side Chair) and is characterized by the rounded head and beak shape visible in the open space between the chair splat and backpost. Can you find the two “parrots” in this chair?
Penchant for Pattern
Posted on November 17, 2011 by jbutler in Fashion and Design
If you’ve read parts two and three of our mini-series, then you know that Denise and Carl, our creative team, love love love color. But let’s not forget color’s best friend: pattern. We’d like to take a moment to report on the behavior of pattern (often misbehaving!) during Denise and Carl’s recent NYC creative junket
Florals: Denise returned from NYC with a charming bouquet for the design team, announcing the comeback of lady-like florals. You can already see this trend taking root at Drexel Heritage retailers — sometimes in tea-stained accent pillows, sometimes in a larger ground cloth. “I’m going to keep an eye on this,” said Denise, “It’s a great print market right now, and I predict the bolder florals will make their presence known as this trend evolves.”
Zigzags: Bright and bold. Big and small. Zigzags have crossed the line from the fashion world into the home furnishings world. From high-end fashion house Missoni to the hooray-everyday ready-to-wear collections at Target, “this trend has not begun to peak yet,” said Denise. “Think of zigzag as yesterday’s herringbone with a modern twist.”
Color blocking: Denise loves color blocking (remember our blog post Bastille My Heart?). “Fashion is so fluid,” she said, “and color blocking is starting to break down.” It’s going ombre, where a single color traverses from A to Z, in all its glorious incarnations, in a single, unified piece of fabric yardage. “It’s both subtle and arresting,” Denise explained. As an example, a pale lavender runs the gambit to grape. It’s both a fashion and home décor statement.
Are you starting to see a pattern with patterns? Let us know! Zig where you should zag (there are no rules), and let us know what inspires you.
Blogger Spotlight: Erinn V
Posted on November 10, 2011 by jbutler in Blogger Spotlight
Meet design and style expert Erinn Valencich. Born and raised in Northern Califorina, she comes from a family of designers. Her grandfather was a fine cabinetmaker, her father studied with Frank Lloyd Wright, and Erinn grew up making doll furniture out of scrap wood. It was this natural talent and inherit passion for design that led her to launch, Erinn V Design Group, which specializes in residential and commercial design, remodeling and new construction.
Erinn has made quite a name for herself in the design world. Her reputation as a style expert has led to appearances on Extra!, The View and Access Hollywood. She’s hosted several specials on HGTV and is the resident decorating expert on eHow.com. She blogs for HGTV’s Design Happens , Decorati.com and her own blog, ErinnVSyle.
We were glad to catch up with Erinn as part of our Blogger Spotlight series. Here’s what she had to say:
How did you become interested in interior design?
I started my company, Erinn V Design Group , seven years ago, but prior to that I was COO of a media-based, lifestyle company for six years. I started doing TV makeovers and helped write and produce two design books with Simon & Schuster, as well as develop product lines for a retailer. My family is in construction, so it kind of made sense that I ended up doing interiors and building homes. After starting Erinn V Design Group, I am finally opening my first showroom, Erinn V Maison on Robertson Blvd. in Beverly Hills.
When you aren’t blogging, what do you do?
I work a ton! I am doing a hotel in Las Vegas, the Downtown Grand, and between that, the five other projects I’m doing in Los Angeles and opening the store, it leaves little time for much else. I am a big foodie, though, so my spare time is usually spent enjoying a great meal with friends.
What’s one of your favorite decorating ideas or tips?
A good tip is to always hang your drapery right under the crown molding or about 4 inches from the ceiling. It really changes the room and makes the space feel larger!
Thanks for inspiring us, Erinn, and congratulations on your many successes! If you haven’t already, be sure to check out her blog at http://erinnv.com/blog/!
Love from #hpmkt
Posted on November 3, 2011 by jbutler in Furniture Market
Even though High Point Market is officially over for the season, there’s still so much to do, like catch up with some of our favorite design bloggers. These past couple of weeks, we’ve really enjoyed reading about some of their favorite things from Market, and yes, we’re blushing – some of those things came straight from our showroom!
Designer and Under the Chandelier blogger Elaine Williamson (also one of High Point Market’s Style Spotters) took this photo of one of our upholstered headboards and loved it so much, she pinned it (on Pinterest, of course)!
She wrote, “Drexel Heritage you rocked our world with this bed and snuggle mirror.” Thanks, Elaine!
As for blogger Heather Clawson of Habitually Chic (and another Market Style Spotter), our showroom may have inspired her to redecorate her apartment! She was especially a fan of our Hexham Sofa.
We were thrilled that Erin of House of Turquoise found a room she loved. Let’s just say it involved many shades of blues.
And of course, color is king at Michele Ginnerty’s My Knotting Hill. It looks like our new upholstered tables were a big hit!
Thank you to everyone who stopped by our showroom. We can’t wait to read more!