Many of you know that I am a die hard antiques marketer. I will change the route of a trip in order to stop by a good antiques store. I love the fun of the hunt for treasures and unusual items which truely make a room personal. So much more interesting than new I think.
In June I had the pleasure of going to one of the south’s best known markets, Scott’s, with Eddie Ross of Bravo’s Top Design. He offered a tour of Scott’s where he guided us through looking for the potential in many of the categories of booths and vintage items.

There were rows of furniture like this chaise that would take on a completely new look with new upholstery. He pointed out the benefits of older frames–many are made of solid hardwood. Imagine this horrid old velvet gone and a beautiful new damask. OR how about a fun and fresh contemporary print for a reading area in your home office? This is when redecorating is adventuresome and so much fun! Not to mention green–we are keeping pieces out of the landfills! We have a ton of great upholstery fabrics in our resource room that would absolutely transform this tired piece into a show stopper.

One of our first stops was in the fabric department, which you all know is dear to my heart. Crewel fabrics are back in fashion and are emerging in all colors and designs. Here Eddie talks about this beautiful gold crewel on a cream linen. His recommendation was to use this fabric for pillows and accents in the room to allow for a flexible design scheme. I, of course, would make some fabulous drapery panels draped on some hand finished poles, finals, and hardware. More is better, right?

This booth was filled with furniture and lighting straight off the boat from France. I travelled to France in June this year and saw first hand the trend of painted furniture in the grey and taupe hues like the chest in this picture. Crystal lighting on metal frames is still strong and creates a soft ambient light in a room.
Fashion is big in France too–don’t you love these jeans she is wearing?

We looked at old prints like this monogram out of an old book. Framing old items that were not originally intended for framing is fun and can create a very personal statement. There were several vendors there with huge selections of prints and old book pages.

A great day–very inspiring. I returned home and rearranged several things. Nothing like a new perspective on what you have to ignite creative energy!

If you are looking for a new perspective, ask about our in home design services to help you make the most of what you have. We will make suggestions for reupholstering your furniture and updating your accessories and adding fabric and drapery to give you a fresh look with a manageable investment.  Use what you have and add window treatments to get a refreshed look!