Archive for the ‘Painted Furniture’ Category
Friday, May 10th, 2013
Gang:
Greetings from very rainy New Orleans! John and I have crisscrossed the country, traveling from High Point, NC where we broke down our room at the Junior League of Greensboro/Traditional Home showhouse to Little Rock, Arkansas to speak at Tobi Fairley’s Design Camp A to Z… And now we are doing a bit of consignment shopping paired with a few Bloody Marys (natch!) in Nola before we jump back in the trusty Subaru en route to North Carolina to collect Jasper and Weenie at Camp Bow Wow. Whew!
One of the discussions at Tobi Fairley’s camp was how to hang artwork, so I decided to run some images of a client’s wall that we restyled a few years back. This was not a full-on client situation but rather a “come over for a Sunday afternoon consultation and have a glass of Champagne or three and let’s tackle a project or two.” The challenge was to take our client’s artwork and hang it in a way that would give a drab wall new life.
See how artwork (both “good” and “bad”) can take a wall and really give it some oomph.
Here's our client's dull wall, albeit a wall anchored with drop-dead vintage Espana chests by Dorothy Draper for Kindel Furniture. It was our job to make the wall as marvelous as the furnishings...
Here I am hanging up the focal point of the arrangement, a lovely vintage portrait of a woman in a scarlet-hued dress paired with a jaunty flower in her hair.
John hangs more artwork. Be sure to break out of the grid, and have fun with how you hang your art. Take art high up to the ceiling to add dramatic scale to a room, and mix-and-match frames and mattings.
And here's the finished wall with the artwork all in place. A dramatic transformation, n'est-ce pas? DO try this at home.
Tags: Hanging artwork, Jason Oliver Nixon, John Loecke, Kindel Furniture, Madcap Cottage, Tobi Fairley, traditional home
Posted in Antiques, Before and After, Color, Demystifying Design, Design, Design Guru, DIY, Framing, Hanging artwork, New York Interior Designer, Painted Furniture, Weekend warrior | No Comments »
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 »
Wednesday, February 13th, 2013
Better Homes and Gardens magazine asked the Madcap Cottage gents to come up with a color palette to inspire their readers, and here's what we selected... Ethnic elan! Bold, bright hues. Comfortable furnishings. And loads of patterns. Click on the image, above, to read the entire story.
Gang:
I hope your week is going swimmingly…
Hello?! Has anyone tackled their lampshade re-do yet?
John and I are currently in London and savoring ever drib and drab. London is so damn inspirational! We leave for Moscow on Friday morning, so get ready for lots of updates from the steppes.
On another note, Better Homes and Gardens magazine asked us–along with several other wonderful designers such as Elaine Griffin and Lauren McGrath–to come up with fun color palettes to inspire their readers. Of course, John and I did not do anything that was remotely beige. Instead, we turned to Morocco as our driving force and culled gorgeous wallpapers and fabrics from the likes of Thibaut and furnishings from C.R. Laine.
Take a look, and let us know what you think of our selects.
Tags: Better Homes and Gardens magazine, Color palette, DIY, Ethnic, Jason Oliver Nixon, John Loecke, Madcap Cottage, Morocco, Pink
Posted in Before and After, Color, Decoupage, Demystifying Design, Design Guru, Design Lessons, DIY, Fabrics, Interior Design, Morocco, New York Interior Designer, Paint, Painted Furniture, Tips for Design Small Spaces | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, January 22nd, 2013
Enjoy these images of a spring-kissed sun room that John and I designed for a show house in Montclair, New Jersey a few years back. We used lots of green to create a cool, soothing environment embellished with pops of yellow and pink. We eventually sold the two armchairs on One Kings Lane. The tole flowers on the mantel now sit above our fireplace at Chester Court in Brooklyn.
Gang:
It’s a cold and blustery day in New York City, so I decided to post some images of a spring-like sun room that John and I designed for a show house in Montclair, New Jersey a few years back. The space was a boring white box, so John and I pumped the room full of color to maximize the impact. We used gobs of green and oodles of pink, and I think the results are refreshing and simply delicious.
Tell us what you think!
John and I slip-covered a Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams sofa in a jaunty lattice pattern and floral print, both from Schumacher. The plants on the stand in the window hail from Ikea, and the rug came from West Elm. Good design (not to sound not humble, natch) doesn't have to be expensive.
John and I embellished the lampshades of these gourd-shaped table lamps with grosgrain ribbon. Did you ever read John's book "John Loecke's Grosgrain Style?" We unearthed the chinoiserie-style chandelier at a flea market in Miami, and the stools are from Baker Furniture.
The fabulous Bamboo Lattice wallpaper from Thibaut's Spring Lake Collection took the ceiling of the sun room from boring to brilliant. The fabric on the green, white, and yellow window treatments came from Schumacher.
Tags: DIY, Jason Oliver Nixon, John Loecke, Madcap Cottage, Montclair, One Kings Lane, Schumacher, Spring Lake Collection, Thibaut, West Elm
Posted in Before and After, Color, Demystifying Design, Design, Design book, Design Guru, Design Lessons, DIY, Fabrics, How to Slipcover Furniture, Interior Design, Lighting, New York Interior Designer, One Kings Lane, Painted Furniture, Tastemaker, Tips for Design Small Spaces, Weekend warrior | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 16th, 2013
The La-Z-Boy truck arrives at Chester Court in Brooklyn. The delivery men were so lovely and nice and accommodating... They must not be from New York.
Gang:
Morning!
As I mentioned on Facebook yesterday, John and I were invited to design our own La-Z-Boy chair when we were in High Point, North Carolina in the fall for the twice-annual furniture market. And we were thrilled to create something fresh and fun, with a dash of the Madcap Cottage flair.
Frankly, John and I were surprised by the range of La-Z-Boy products… I had always thought of La-Z-Boy as being stuffy recliners that maybe my grandparents owned and that sat in front of their honker-sized stereo-cabinet television set in Sarasota, Florida. Actually, this is an exact portrait of my grandparents in Florida, ha!
Well, La-Z-Boy has come a long way. John and I chose a lovely spindle chair and selected fabrics from the La-Z-Boy range. Sadly, we couldn’t add different weltings or tweak other elements of our chair, but we are still deliciously happy with the results. We had hoped to customize the lumbar pillow on the chair to match the ottoman fabric, but that wasn’t possible… We should do a pop-up collection for La-Z-Boy, n’est-ce pas? It’s all about the details, folks.
The chair? The Caroline Stationary Occasional Chair.
The ottoman? The Caroline Ottoman.
The fabrics?
Chair upholstery: Bronze Q959148
Ottoman: Raja Q974107 Zamira
What do you think of the results? Chic, comfortable, and a great price point!
The La-Z-Boy delivery gents carry our new chair and ottoman into our basement office on Chester Court. We couldn't wait to see our creation.
The very nice delivery man from La-Z-Boy unwraps the Caroline chair and ottoman. Note the photo of me and John with design editor Tori Mellott in the background.
Here's our brand-new La-Z-Boy chair with the Madcap Cottage "tweaks." Apparently, John and I are the first people ever to create a La-Z-Boy product where the chair fabric and ottoman fabric don't match. Go figure! The black finish on the frame provides a bold, but works-anywhere neutral tone.
Tags: furniture market, high point, Jason Oliver Nixon, John Loecke, La-Z-Boy, Madcap Cottage
Posted in Before and After, Color, Curb appeal, Demystifying Design, Design, Design Guru, DIY, Fabrics, Interior Design, New York Interior Designer, News Flash, Painted Furniture, upholstery | 1 Comment »
Sunday, January 6th, 2013
Gang:
How’s your early New Year coming along? Are you sticking to those resolutions? My diet is going swimmingly, and I have already lost 5 pounds. 15 more pounds to go!
As you think about possibly purchasing new furnishings in the year ahead, why not look over our BRAND-NEW SHOPPING SECTION on our Madcap Cottage website.
We offer loads of bespoke pillows and private-label furnishings in wonderful paint treatments. And the price points are really terrific!
Click here to browse our Madcap Cottage wares!
The Let's Go to Grey Gardens chair, a stunning and comfortable bobbin chair crafted by the Madcap Cottage gents with lots of love. Foam cushion wrapped in down.
The Evening in Byzantium ottoman, a beautifully tailored ottoman or occasional table upholstered in a bold zigzag linen fabric. Bespoke brilliance courtesy of the boys at Madcap Cottage. Tight seat.
The Jewel in the Crown armchair. A gorgeous and beautifully proportioned chair custom-crafted by the Madcap Cottage gents with turned legs and rich detailing. Tight seat and back.
The Sunnyland Sojourn chair. A stunning turned-leg and uber-comfortable chair custom-crafted by the Madcap Cottage gents that can be painted in any Benjamin Moore color for extra-bespoke brilliance. Foam cushion wrapped in down.
Tags: Jason Oliver Nixon, John Loecke, Madcap Cottage, pillows, Private-label furniture, upholstery
Posted in Color, Demystifying Design, Design, Design Guru, Design Lessons, DIY, Fabrics, Furniture Recovering, Interior Design, New York Interior Designer, News Flash, Painted Furniture, Tips for Design Small Spaces, upholstery, Weekend warrior, Welting | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, January 1st, 2013
Here's an article in Chicago's Daily Herald in which I am quoted talking about my passion for all things gold and bronze. Click on the image, above, to read the whole story from divine writer Elaine Markoutsas.
Gang:
Happy New Year! Here’s to an amazing 2013…
What are your resolutions? I want to get into shape, spend more time at Madcap Cottage in upstate New York, throw more dinner parties, drink less, workout more, and get a product line going with Home Shopping Network.
Stay tuned!
As we move into the year ahead, I wanted to share my passion for all things gold…
Bow down, bronze goddess! Here are a few favorite golden “moments.”
Here's a custom striped silk and suzani pillow from the Madcap Cottage gents currently for sale on One Kings Lane right now. Click on the image, above, to look over this brassy confection.
The glittering and inexpensive Francois Table from the folks at Z Gallerie. A terrific deal at $249.
Here's the incredible Biomorphic Console from Baker's Tony Duquette Collection. The table is amazing, but wildly expensive... Use this if only for inspiration.
Tags: Baker Furniture, Bronze, Elaine Markoutsas, gold, Jason Oliver Nixon, John Loecke, Madcap Cottage, One Kings Lane, Tony Duquette, Z Gallerie
Posted in Antiques, Before and After, Color, Demystifying Design, Design, Design book, Design Guru, DIY, Furniture Recovering, Interior Design, One Kings Lane, Paint, Painted Furniture, Weekend warrior | 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 »
Friday, November 16th, 2012
One of the stars of our HGTV television shoot for the program "You Live in What?" was our brand-new Sofa.com Descartes two seat sofa in Cookie House linen-cotton. If you don't know British import Sofa.com, you should! Newly arrived in NYC, Sofa.com crafts the most gorgeous and bespoke sofas, chairs, and footstools in wonderful fabrics--and at a delicious price point.
Gang:
Happy weekend!
John and I were lucky enough to have HGTV film our home upstate last weekend for their fabulous show “You Live in What?.”
Madcap Cottage was once an 1840s-era schoolhouse, so the home perfectly fit the show’s concept. The day went swimmingly… Thanks to producer Toni Donaldson and her terrific team for making the shoot a lot of fun.
Apparently, Madcap Cottage will appear on HGTV in early 2013, so stay tuned!
Weenie snoozed during the entire HGTV shoot upon her custom Madcap Cottage dog bed while Jasper ran about and caused a bit of a ruckus. Did you know that John and I craft custom dog beds? Well, now you do!
Here's another view of our Sofa.com two-seat sofa that John and I adorned with custom Madcap Cottage pillows.
Tags: HGTV, Hobart, Jason Oliver Nixon, John Loecke, Madcap Cottage, NY, Sofa.com, You Live in What?
Posted in Antiques, Before and After, Color, Curb appeal, Demystifying Design, Design, Design Lessons, DIY, Fabrics, Interior Design, Landscaping, New York Interior Designer, News Flash, Paint a front door, Paint the ceiling, Painted Furniture, Renovations, Road Trip, Sustainable, Tastemaker, Television, Tips for Design Small Spaces, Weekend warrior | No Comments »
