Archive for the ‘Flooring’ Category
Tuesday, April 30th, 2013
Here we are with the absolutely delicious and innovative Lisa Hanly, the wonderful vice president of communications at Furniture Brands International, the parent company of Thomasville.
Gang:
John and I are just back from an amazing two weeks in North Carolina for the High Point Furniture Market… We launched our fabulous new Madcap Cottage pillow line (available on our website for now, Madcap Cottage, and coming soon to a very chic retailer near you) and crafted a room for the Junior League of Greensboro/Traditional Home magazine showhouse. We also met many amazing folks, including the terrific Lisa Kahn-Allen and her spot-on husband, Phillip Allen; gorgeous and fun Lisa Mende; Southern spitfire Anita Phipps; antiques guru Todd Nabors; and so many other wonderful folks. Lots more to tell on that front.
A highlight of our visit to furniture market was the tour of the stunning and really exciting Thomasville showroom. John and I used to drive out to the Thomasville factory-cum-showroom in tiny Thomasville, NC during Furniture Market, and the experience wasn’t very illuminating… The Thomasville brand was a bit tired and needed a big kick in the butt. The best thing about our visit to Thomasville was the giant Duncan Phyfe chair sculpture downtown (John and I would scamper about the enormous chair and pose provocatively, natch).
Well, that was then, and this is now.
Fast forward a few years, and Thomasville now occupies a high-style showroom in the High Point nexus, the IHFC tower. And it is headed up by two dynamos: Lisa Hanly is the head of corporate communications for Furniture Brands International, the parent company of Thomasville, and she really gets “it.” Lisa is a dynamo, capital “D.” And Greg Heller is Thomasville’s vice president of retail, and he has brought his beautifully trained eye to the furniture company.
And, folks, the results are stunning.
Thomasville is back, and in a big, bold way. And not just for Heller’s gorgeous furnishings, but also for bed linens and all sort of other delectable home goods.
Here are a few of our favorite Thomasville introductions…
And just to come clean, Thomasville did “host” my hotel room for three nights at High Point in their role as a blog sponsor, but I wouldn’t write about the brand if I wasn’t goo-goo, ga-ga for it. A stay at a Sheraton can only go so far, n’est-ce pas?
Greg Heller, the creative force behind the "new" Thomasville, gives the Madcap Cottage gents a tour. And, wow-ee!, we were smitten.
The gold-flecked good looks of the Rhombus Accent Table had us wanting to sip cocktails so that we could perch them just-so upon this libidinous looker.
Wow, the Tang Etagere left me reeling. Chic, and an amazing price point, to boot!
John and I fell in love with the arresting Broome Tray Table, and we want two of these for our home upstate. Faux bamboo and a deep red, delicious.
Tags: Furniture Brands International, Greg Heller, Jason Oliver Nixon, John Loecke, Lisa Hanly, Madcap Cottage, Thomasville
Posted in Bar Cart, Color, Demystifying Design, Design, Design Guru, Entertaining, Flooring, Lighting, Lucite, Mirror, New York Interior Designer, News Flash, Painted Furniture, Tastemaker, Tips for Design Small Spaces, upholstery | No Comments »
Thursday, April 18th, 2013
Jasper and Weenie loll about the front yard at Adamsleigh, the site of the 2013 Junior League of Greensboro showhouse. The 14-acre estate was built by High Point textile magnate "Hamp" Adams and boasts amazing details and stunning architecture. Jasper and Weenie approve.
Gang:
Morning!
John and I have been down in the High Point, North Carolina area for the past week preparing our room for the Junior League of Greensboro showhouse. We have designed the breakfast nook in the amazing, circa-1930 Adamsleigh estate, and we have been hanging curtains, steaming, scrubbing, and propping.
John and I are thrilled to be working with our dear pals at Thibaut, and we employed their fabulous fabrics, wallpapers, and upholstery in the room. Plus, we added loads of vintage case goods and “props” to add a layer of dimensionality to our room and take it from looking like a showroom.The showhouse opens tomorrow night with a Gatsby-themed gala, and we are so excited to show off our wares.
Here are a few photos from our room in progress.
See you at High Point Market!
Here's the exterior of the breakfast nook... The fabulous leaded-glass windows let in loads of light and make the breakfast nook airy and delicious.
The breakfast nook at Adamsleigh “before”… I can’t wait for you to see the “after” shots.
Here's the fabulous jute rug that we picked up at a World Market in Florida and drove up to the showhouse. There's a World Market just down the street from the showhouse, but it did not have the rug that we needed. Happily, we were in Florida, so it was easy for us to swing by the WM outpost near Orlando. John and I just love World Market!
Our workroom in Iowa crafts a stunning valance in Thibaut fabrics...
So what does our room look like now? Come to the Junior League of Greensboro showhouse, and pay us a visit. The showhouse opens this Saturday... See you there!
Tags: Adamsleigh, High Point Market, Jason Oliver Nixon, John Loecke, Junior League of Greensboro, Madcap Cottage, Thibaut
Posted in Antiques, Before and After, Carpets, Color, Curb appeal, Demystifying Design, Design, Design Lessons, DIY, Fabrics, Flooring, Hanging artwork, Interior Design, New York Interior Designer, News Flash, Paint, Renovations, Road Trip, Tastemaker, upholstery, Wallpaper, Weekend warrior | No Comments »
Tuesday, December 25th, 2012
Gang:
Merry Christmas!
John and I are happily ensconced in Des Moines, Iowa, and it’s a wonderfully snowy holiday…
As you start to think about your 2013 resolutions, why not consider giving some oomph to your kitchen. The fabulous folks at Kohler asked me and John to visit our local big box store to offer up some cheap and chic ideas to take your kitchen from tired to tip, top terrific.
Refresh, refresh, refresh!
Click on the image, below, to read about our kitchen transformation…
Enjoy!
Click on the image, above, to read about our adventures in kitchen design at our local Lowe's in Oneonta, New York.
Tags: DIY, Jason Oliver Nixon, John Loecke, Kitchen renovation, Lowes, Madcap Cottage, Refresh
Posted in Before and After, Color, Demystifying Design, Design, DIY, Entertaining, Flooring, Interior Design, New York Interior Designer, Paint, Tips for Design Small Spaces | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 19th, 2012
Gang:
Happy holidays!
As you might know, John and I have just unveiled a retail space at 1st Dibs @ NYDC, situated on the 10th floor of the New York Design Center on Lexington Avenue in Manhattan. The floor is a treasure trove of 1st Dibs dealers, and there is something for every taste and sensibility. Best of all, the floor is open to the public AND is open on Saturdays.
If you are looking for glorious holiday gifts, the Madcap Cottage space at 1st Dibs @ NYDC offers loads of colorful and bespoke options.
Here are some shots of us pulling together the vest pocket-sized space.
Come pay us a visit!
Here's our tiny "booth" at 1st Dibs @ NYDC. We painted the white walls a creamy hue and then set about giving the walls horizontal stripes in jaunty colors to make the space really magical!
After taping the walls with painter's tape, John and I painted the space in Madcap Cottage signature pink-and-orange stripes. We plan to change the booth monthly to give it a very fresh and editorial quality.
Here's our booth with the painter's tape removed. The stripes look amazing, n'est-ce pas? Why not stripe a room in your own home--it's easy!
John installs a groovy rug from Urban Outfitters that perfectly matches our sensibility. The mirror on the wall is for sale and is truly a stunner.
Our Madcap Cottage goodies are in place. All that is missing is our logo upon the wall.
John installs our Madcap Cottage logo upon the walls of our booth at 1st Dibs @ NYDC, and we are open for business! The two vintage Venetian-style chairs are from Baker Furniture, and note all of the beautifully priced objects upon the whimsical side table.
Tags: 1st Dibs@NYDC, Baker Furniture, Jason Oliver Nixon, John Loecke, Madcap Cottage, New York Design Center
Posted in 1st Dibs, Antiques, Before and After, Color, Demystifying Design, Design, Design Lessons, DIY, Flooring, Hanging artwork, Interior Design, New York Design Center, New York Interior Designer, Painted Furniture, Renovations, Tastemaker, upholstery, Weekend warrior | No Comments »
Sunday, December 2nd, 2012
Here's a "before" image of a project that John and I tackled on Long Island a few years back. The iVillage website has featured this project as part of their "before" and "after" series. Click on the image, above, to see the "after" image of our design and to view the projects of some of our peers...
Gang:
I hope you had a splendiferous weekend! John and I are still in London and head back tomorrow… It’s been an amazing trip.
On another note, the iVillage site recently invited us to submit a “before” and after” project, and the project has just gone online. Take a look, and let me know what you think. This was a fun project because John and I tackled much of the fix-it work ourselves, including painting the beat-up wood floors and thinking up creative ways to mask the wonky walls.
We love to hear feedback!
Tags: Before and After, DIY, Jason Oliver Nixon, John Loecke, London, long island, Madcap Cottage, Painted floors
Posted in Before and After, Color, Demystifying Design, Design, Design Guru, Design Lessons, DIY, Flooring, Framing, Furniture Recovering, Hanging artwork, Interior Design, New York Interior Designer, Paint the floor, Painted Furniture, Tastemaker, upholstery, Weekend warrior | 3 Comments »
Monday, October 29th, 2012
Here's the former garage at Madcap Cottage in upstate New York when John and I purchased the property. The garage was a mess and was totally shrouded with out-of-control greenery. Our goal was to take this forlorn folly and make it fabulous. Hopefully, you can pluck ideas from our plan of attack to employ in your own home.
Gang:
John and I are hunkered down in Brooklyn as Sandy terrorizes the East Coast… We have wine and I made tacos, and I am cleaning out my closet and am still wearing my pajamas at 1:30pm so it’s not all bad… John is listening to Christmas carols on Pandora for some reason. Curious, n’est-ce pas? Weenie and Jasper are snoozing.
As the day is totally drab and dull, I thought I would offer some color, a Technicolor-hued punch…
Here’s a photo tour of our former garage at Madcap Cottage in upstate New York that John and I transformed from a tumbledown structure into a rainbow-hued screened-in porch.
I hope you enjoy the journey…
Stay dry, and stay safe!
New roofing, screened doors, and a cupola that John and I purchased online take the exterior of the garage and make it gorgeous. The cupola is vinyl-clad, so it will never need painting. I am not a fan of vinyl siding, but here it makes total sense.
John and I had the interior patched and a new cement floor poured. And we carved-out screened windows that look onto our backyard. A pale blue ceiling helps open up the space.
John and I found some beat-up old garden furniture and had it powder coated a bright lemon yellow. The results are perfectly sunny and delicious! Find garden furniture at a yard sale, and have it powder coated to give it new life.
John and I came up with a fun fabric scheme that mixes lots of easy-to-care-for indoor/outdoor fabrics in big, bold hues.
Jasper eyes the work in progress. Almost complete!
And here's the finished product... John and I were lucky enough to have the screened-in porch appear in the magazine DIY. Jasper makes himself right at home in the finished screened-in porch, now renamed The Little House. Floor paint transformed a cement floor into something fabulous. John crafted the window treatments from Ikea using a stamp that he picked up at a flea market with fabric paint.
Note the inexpensive Chinese lanterns that dangle overhead, an inexpensive way to add "punch" and "pizzazz" to any space. The cupola adds further "architecture" to a roofline that was sorely lacking interest.
Tags: Color, DIY, Jason Oliver Nixon, John Loecke, Little House, Madcap Cottage, renovation, Sandy, whimsy
Posted in Before and After, Color, Curb appeal, Demystifying Design, Design, Design Guru, DIY, Fabrics, Flooring, Gardens, Interior Design, Landscaping, Lighting, New York Interior Designer, Paint, Paint the floor, Painted Furniture, Pets, Powder coating, Renovations, Tastemaker, Tips for Design Small Spaces, Weekend warrior | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, October 16th, 2012
John explores terrific stacking bookshelves at the Baker Furniture showroom in High Point, NC. Bring these ideas home. Why not go to your local unfinished furniture store and purchase bookcases that you can paint at home and then stack. Paint the exterior of the shelf black and the interior a rich color for contrast. And note the curtain behind John that helps separate the room into two distinct sections. Genius! And simple.
Gang:
This past week has been a wonderful whirl… John and I arrived in High Point, North Carolina, and we have so enjoyed lapping up the trends and exploring the fabulous showrooms that dot the so-called furniture capital of the world.
John and I also love the styling that goes into creating amazing showrooms in High Point, and we always walk away with loads of inspiration and take-away ideas. And many of these ideas can be recreated at home without breaking the bank.
This evening John and I toured the wonderful Baker Furniture showroom–truly a High Point favorite–and we were totally inspired.
Pair books by color on your shelves. Or wrap your books in colorful paper to add some visual interest. Here, some clever ideas for storing books at Baker Furniture.
Layering is an important aspect of creating a wonderful, inviting room. Here, an eclectic mix of furniture in a Baker Furniture model room creates a unique look, especially when paired with vintage artwork, mismatched table lamps, and an oversized Chinese lantern that dangles overhead. And note the layered rugs...
A Barbara Barry twin bed at the Baker Furniture showroom sits in front of photo wallpaper of books in bold colors. What a fun way to create a high-impact wall covering that is totally bespoke and brilliant. Search online for a company like Casart that can create interesting, custom wallpapers.
Tags: Baker Furniture, high point, High Point Market, Jason Oliver Nixon, John Loecke, Madcap Cottage, north carolina
Posted in Carpets, Color, Demystifying Design, Design, Design Lessons, DIY, Fabrics, Flooring, Hanging artwork, Interior Design, Lighting, New York Interior Designer, News Flash, Painted Furniture, Road Trip, Tips for Design Small Spaces | No Comments »
Thursday, September 27th, 2012
The main entrance to Cosentino's stunning glass-and-marble-wrapped corporate headquarters in the Almeria region of southern Spain. John and I were invited as guests of Silestone to visit their factory and talk about trends, and we have so enjoyed our sojourn.
Gang:
John and I were lucky enough to have been invited by the fabulous Spanish natural stone surfaces company Cosentino to pay a visit as their guests to their sprawling factory and corporate campus in the arid climes of southern Spain.
And this past week has been a fabulous mix of meet and greets, tours, exploration of top-secret new products, and boozy dinners. John and I have had so much fun with our hosts Lorenzo Marquez of Cosentino and Jim Brodsky of Sharp Communications, not to mention our fellow travelers Kim Lewis and her husband, Brandon, and Mark Williams and his partner, Steve.
We are simply crazy for the Cosentino product line–including Silestone–and you should be, too! Here’s a peek into our adventures. Ole!
John gives off a very matinee idol attitude as he sets out to explore the region's dramatic marble quarries. Note the massive blocks of marble stacked in the background.
Here's our fellow trend spotter Kim Lewis, the production designer of Extreme Makeover Home Edition, striking a fetching pose in the region's famous marble quarries.
John road-tests one of Cosentino's stunning free-standing bathtubs. We want one!
John and I are crazy for the Cosentino range of products. Here, Silestone sinks in a rainbow array of hues. We were especially smitten with the bubble gum pink model.
Tags: Almeria, Cosentino, Jason Oliver Nixon, John Loecke, Kim Lewis, Madcap Cottage, Mark Williams, Silestone, Spain
Posted in Bathroom Design, Color, Demystifying Design, Design, Design Guru, Design Lessons, DIY, Flooring, Interior Design, New York Interior Designer, News Flash, Paint, Renovations, Tips for Design Small Spaces, Weekend warrior | No Comments »
Sunday, August 5th, 2012
Perched at the edge of the rocky coast in charming Gloucester, Massachusetts, the Beauport, Sleeper-McCann home is a gem for fans of whimsical decorative arts and glorious interiors. This home is an undiscovered gem, and I want to move in and never leave.
Gang:
This past week while John and I were bopping about Massachusetts and Maine, we had something of a life-changing moment. And, no, we didn’t win the lottery, but rather we paid a visit to the stunning Beauport, Sleeper-McCann House in Gloucester, Mass.
Built by interior designer Henry Davis Sleeper circa 1907, Beauport is a gorgeous, eclectic, and totally whimsical former summer cottage that is packed with ideas and gorgeous details. Stepping into the shingle-clad home from the verdant gardens is transfixing: John and I lapped up the ideas like we were Veruca Salt at Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory.
Oh, the Chinoiserie wallpaper!
The Federal details!
The sea foam green-painted dining room!
The double-height library!
The octagonal room that houses Sleeper’s collection of toleware!
Frankly, John and I had never heard of Beauport before, so visiting this home was even more revelatory than touring a spot that gets gobs of press such as The Breakers in Newport, Rhode Island or the Biltmore estate in North Carolina. We had only heard of Beauport because someone who toured our house in Brooklyn back at the recent Prospect Lefferts Gardens House & Garden Tour suggested that our pad reminded them of the Gloucester estate… So John and I added a visit to Beauport to our must-do list.
Interestingly, the guides at Beauport make a point to let guests know that Henry Davis Sleeper was a gay man, and that is totally refreshing: Usually, a gay man from the past would be referred to as a “bachelor” or something, so it was really kind of cool for that information to be put out there.
I see a total Beauport “moment” in our near future, so get ready.
Let’s take a tour.
The Strawberry Hill bedroom, named for the estate of Sir Henry Walpole situated just outside of London. Do you remember the post I wrote a few months back about our visit to the Strawberry Hill estate? This room boasted lacquered wallpaper and a dramatic chandelier. And I love the rich green door.
The Octagon Room was crafted to house Henry Davis Sleeper's collection of metal toleware. The room is perfection.
The Golden Step dining room with its sea foam green furnishings and long window overlooking the craggy coast. I am just crazy for a Fortnum & Mason-ish green, so this room is heaven.
The gorgeous, jewel-hued China Trade room with its hand-painted, antique Chinese wallpaper and arresting niches. I love the vaguely Indian balcony with its stunning wall coverings.
Tags: Beauport, Chinese wallpaper, Gloucester, Henry Davis Sleeper, Historic homes, Jason Oliver Nixon, John Loecke, Madcap Cottage, Sleeper-McCann House
Posted in Antiques, China, Color, Curb appeal, Demystifying Design, Design, Design Guru, Fabrics, Flooring, Framing, Hanging artwork, Interior Design, Landscaping, New York Interior Designer, Paint, Paint the ceiling, Painted Furniture, Road Trip, Tips for Design Small Spaces, upholstery, Wallpaper, Weekend warrior | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, July 24th, 2012
The summer issue of Do It Yourself magazine features John's renovation of his brother and sister-in-law's kitchen in Minneapolis. Scroll down to the "Kitchen Wisdom" link at the bottom of the installment to access the pdf of the story, packed with loads of ideas.
Gang:
As you probably know, John is a contributing editor at several of the Meredith Corporation’s various magazines, including Better Homes and Gardens. He also produces articles for the likes of Do It Yourself magazine, a terrific and color-filled publication that gives readers gobs of, natch, do-it-yourself options.
The summer issue of Do It Yourself features a fun and whimsical kitchen that John designed for his brother and sister-in-law in Minneapolis.
Here are some of his tips:
-Be bold with color.
-Top it with tin.
-Clean up your cabinets.
To read the whole story and to get some terrific ideas to bring into your home, click on the pdf, Kitchen Wisdom.
Enjoy!
P.S. We are so excited to follow our good pal and Meredith Corporation editor Lacey Howard’s upcoming trip to London and the Olympics on her blog, Howardgirlshopthepond. Check it out!
Tags: DIY, DIY ideas, Jason Oliver Nixon, John Loecke, Kitchen, Kitchen renovation, Madcap Cottage, Minneapolis, renovation, Weekend warrior
Posted in Color, Demystifying Design, Design, Design book, Design Guru, DIY, Entertaining, Flooring, Framing, Hanging artwork, Interior Design, New York Interior Designer, Paint, Paint the ceiling, Painted Furniture, Pets, Sustainable, Tastemaker, Tips for Design Small Spaces, upholstery, Wallpaper, Weekend warrior | No Comments »
