Velvet & Linen

my friend visual vamp

I've always heard that opposites attract, and that has never been more true than my friendship with Valorie Hart. Perhaps that is why I am so intrigued by her. For those of you who have yet to discover the blog Visual Vamp, Valorie is the writer and  wonderfully artistic woman who now lives in New Orleans with the love of her life/tango partner Alberto.  

Julie, Julie Neil, Valorie, and (the very sweaty) Me at Porch in New Orleans last April. 

Why do I think we are opposites? Valorie tells it like it is. I am a people pleaser at heart. Valorie is all colors. I am all neutrals. Valorie has learned to live her life unabashedly. I'm still learning this! I am so thankful to have Valorie in my life, so when I saw that she entered a room in the Apartment Therapy Room for Color Contest I couldn't wait to see it.  Her room  was so Valorie! It was daring, beautiful, and unexpected. I immediately voted for her room. 

I wasn't surprised to find out that Valorie's room made it to the next round! 

Not only do I love this room because it exemplifies Valorie's style, but it also perfectly reflects the beautiful spicy colors of New Orleans, the city that Valorie loves.

I don't know anyone other than Valorie that would hang these vintage educational skeleton posters in their breakfast room! I love that the one on the left is sporting a cool Mardi Gras mask.

This is Valorie's office. I haven't had the pleasure of actually being in this space, but I can only imagine how wonderful it would be to be fully surrounded in the Place Late Tomato color  on the walls and ceiling. So dramatic, just like Valorie.

If you are as impressed with Valorie's talent to create such a beautiful, fully realized and daring room a I am  then vote for Valorie!

The voting process is a bit confusing, but Valorie has made it a bit easier. Here is the advice that Valorie gave to me to pass on to you:

It's a bit of pain the way Apartment Therapy has set up their Room For Color contest.
You have to register to vote.
And now you have to vote again for those who have made it to the next round!
My room has made it to the next round.
I have lived in New Orleans for ten years now, and I bring my New York roots to my love for my adopted city of New Orleans.
The room you are looking at is my office. 
You peek through an original archway into my office, which is flanked by the pair of vintage skeleton charts. One of them sports a Mardi Gras mask.
The color palette is Late Creole Tomato (a coral based red), Vibrant Turquoise, and Sophisticated Chartreuse.
Generous  built in shelves house my collection of design books. A white cowhide rug makes the space cozy. A pair of pale aqua lamps with couture lampshades from Paris grace my desk, an antique table from France. Nestled into a corner is a Gris-Gris altar, filled with mementos found and given to her over the years. During Katrina, the home was spared, and many credit the power of this altar for saving it!
So please vote! A vote for this room is a vote for New Orleans, as well as for The Visual Vamp!
But please vote right away! You only get 24 hours to cast your vote in this round. If you pull me through to the next round, you'll be ready to make me a winner!

Go HERE to vote NOW! Look for the skeletons in the thumbnail photo.
It's a little confusing, so try to vote HERE too - but remember you can only vote in this round on Wednesday October 21.

xo

Brooke

tritter feefer at giannetti home

As many of you know, several months ago my friend Things that Inspire recommended that I  look at a new furniture line called Tritter Feefer. She had recently purchased a desk through them and was really impressed by their reasonable prices and the incredible quality of their finishes. Since Things that Inspire has impeccable taste, I checked out the Tritter Feefer website immediately and was not disappointed.  

The first piece that drew my eye was the Natalie Writing Desk. I was looking for a desk for my new office, and originally thought I would only be happy with an antique. The Natalie had the curvy feminine lines I was looking for without being too ornate. Hmmm.... maybe I didn't need to find an antique!

 

When the finish samples arrived, I fell in love with the light wood color of the Venice finish option. So I placed my order!

 

A couple weeks later I went to Atlanta. During our visit to America's Mart, we went into this fantastic showroom. The furniture pieces were beautiful... and familiar! Yes, we were in the Tritter Feefer showroom. I introduced myself to the lovely man and woman who were in the showroom and started gushing about how well designed of the furniture pieces were. It turned out that the man and woman were Mary Louise Littlefield (ML) and Bill Aultman,  the owner's of Tritter Feefer. 

ML and I chatting about the pretty Venice finish on the Paris Side Table. 

ML and I hit it off right away. She loved all of the things I love. She included these wonderfully patina-ed architectural fragments  paired with old sea shells in the showroom displays. What could be better?
 

This unique piece caught my eye.
 

It was such a treat getting to spend time with ML and Bill. They explained that their company was named after the nicknames of their two grandchildren, Tristan and Faith. How sweet is that?

The finishes were even more beautiful in person. Bill told me that Tritter Feefer is a very environmentally conscious company and all of their finishes are water based. Also, all of their pieces are made here in the United States. 

After seeing the finishes in person I began questioning my original finish choice. They were all so gorgeous. How was I going to choose? After changing my mind at least 6 times I finally selected the chalky grey blue Sausalito finish.

I also picked out the smaller Elizabeth Writing Desk for my client. We chose the creamy Toulouse finish.

Not only were we thrilled with the quality of the pieces, working with Tritter Feefer was a pleasure. All of the employees were always helpful and nothing was ever a bother (even my crazy finish changes!). It was such a wonderful experience that we decided to sell the Tritter Feefer line through our store. 

Here are some of my favorite pieces...

The Gabrielle Chest has clean lines reminiscent of the Swedish pieces that I love. It retails for $1,650.

The Gussie Demi-Lunes are another of my favorites that are inspired by simple Swedish design. They retail for $850.00 each.

My client's Elizabeth Writing Desk is the perfect little French inspired piece. It  retails for $1,250.

My beautiful Natalie desk is only $1,450!

Tritter Feefer also makes a more rustic styled Trestle Dining Table. It's available in 6', 7', and 8'. Prices range from $1,350 to $1,650.

 

The Directoire Dining Table is another cleaned up classic. I love its slim tapered legs. It's also available in 6', 7', and 8'. It retails for $1,650 to $1,850.

If you need a round dining table, their well proportioned Baluster Dining Table is a fantastic option. Available in sizes 42" through 72". Prices range from $1,350 to $3,200.

I adore the Candace Headboard because it's not big and bulky.  It comes in King, Queen and Twin and retails for $1,650/$1,450/$1,250.

The classic design of the Gabby Mirror makes it another of my favorites. I could imagine it in many of Tritter Feefer's beautiful finishes. It retails for $1,450.

Most of their pieces can also be made in custom sizes!

If you would like help ordering any of the Tritter Feefer pieces, Gina and I would be happy to help you. Feel free to e-mail Gina: [email protected]

We can also help you pick out one of the many beautiful finishes for your piece. Oh, and of course V&L friends get 10% off! 

xo

Brooke

bloggers that i love and a linen binder update....

Every now and then I feel the need to share what my fellow bloggers are up to...

As those of you who follow Cote de Texas, know our friend Jackie Von Tobel has written a new book called The Design Directory of Bedding.

 Oh if only Jackie had written this book before I had to make this bed I wouldn't have been suicidal trying to figure out the proportions for this bed corona! 

Usually I tear apart my books and scan the images to include in my posts, but this book is too good to tear apart. You will have to trust that it is filled with Jackie's beautiful drawings that depict every bedding option every imagined. Like Jackie's book The Design Directory of Window Treatments, her new bedding book is a wonderful resource for any interior designer.  

Her directory of window treatments helped me to explain the difference between this flat roman shade...

and this soft pleated shade in a home that we are working on right now. 

Jackie's drawings are quite convincing! You can order The Design Directory of Bedding  here. To order The Design Directory of Window Treatments click here.

Onto another amazing blogger....

A few months ago I discovered Kelley's blog, The Polished Pebble. What she is creating is my dream property... a home in Ojai, California with its own sustainable garden.

Her recent post on her gravel driveway provided so much inspiration for my own gravel project. 

How charming is Kelley's drive shaded by those stunning Oaks (oh, gosh, I think they are Oaks, Kelley?). Kelley is such a generous blogger friend. We have been e-mailing back and forth about the how to's of gravel driveways. 

 

Kelley also shares her interior design projects... Her Bamboo Daybed post is just 

wonderful, and we share a love of dried hydrangeas!

I know you will love the Polished Pebble as much as I do!

Okay, so now we come to the linen binder update.... I still haven't found the binders but I did find everything else covered in natural linen at Exposures. 

Their sailcloth linen is the perfect color. It's exactly what I was looking for, although I'm not sure why they didn't do a coordinating 3 ring binder!!!

I also LOVE the steel colored Margo storage collection. They are the perfect grey blue color.

I'm off to pass out on the couch with the kids, dogs and Steve before I read with Leila (our book group is reading one of my favorite childhood classics The Phantom Tollbooth). 

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

xo

Brooke

rose tarlow's new showroom on melrose ave.

As many of you already know I am a huge admirer of Rose Tarlow. This image of her own home pretty much explains why. Her neutral palette, combination of textures and addition of the unexpected make this room sing.

image via Veranda

Ms. Tarlow has an ability to create relaxed displays that feel collected over time. The rustic textures and aged patinas create the interest. 

image via Veranda

For the past year I have driven by the construction site of Rose Tarlow's new showroom on Melrose Avenue waiting for the construction barriers to come down. Given that the showroom was designed by Ms. Tarlow and architect Mark Appleton, I knew that it would be well worth the very difficult wait!

Finally, a couple of weeks ago the invitation for the official opening party came in the mail. I was so disappointed when I read the invitation and it said that the date of the party was during my trip to Texas! How could this be? 

Well today I finally had the chance to visit the showroom, and I wasn't disappointed. The exterior architecture is a modern clean interpretation of  traditional architecture. 

 

 

The open two story space is the perfect back drop for Ms. Tarlow's furniture line.
 

Before the showroom opened to the public, Ms. Tarlow created all the vignettes herself. No one was allowed into the showroom until she had it just the way she envisioned. Pictures were taken of the completed showroom so that all of the pieces would remain in the exact same places until Rose Tarlow decides to make a change.

 

Most of the upholstered pieces are covered in neutral textural fabrics. There are small punches of colors in pillows as well as in the foliage.

The Propeller table is one of my favorite new additions to Rose Tarlow's furniture line.

The combination of exquisite finishes and classic design makes all of the pieces in Ms. Tarlow's line feel like they are well loved antiques, even though they are new. 

The detailing of this Wallace Reading Table is exquisite. Are you sure it's not an antique? Nobody makes furniture like this anymore!

 

The pairing of the Vaucluse Cabinet with rustic pots and a gilded mirror is inspired.
 

The simplicity of the iron and wood Oppede Bed was dreamy.

A cozy blue throw is draped over a striped Louis XVI Jacob Armchair. The Paddington Sofa is upholstered in a neutral fabric and accented with pale blue pillows. The W Reeded Bois Coffee Table is new to line. 

 

The Chelsea Chair has a caned ottoman that can be stored underneath.
 

The legs of the ottoman have the shape as the back legs of the chair! The curved back makes this chair incredibly comfortable.

 

My friend, designer Courtney Hollander thought it was cozy!
 

Courtney was drawn to the pairing of the Shorter Library Chair (with a pretty green lumbar pillow) and the linen covered Picadilly Lounge Chair.

I was busy coveting this Sophia Chair. Isn't she pretty? So feminine.
 

This miniature leather chair was charmingly unexpected.

Look at the distressed finish of the Cashel Console. It looks like it's 100 years old (in a good way!)
 

Steve, we need a library so we can have one of these Dayton Hall Library Steps.
 

The finish on the iron rail is perfection too.
 

The multi-level Windsor Coffee Table is a Rose Tarlow classic.

I was exhausted by the time I got upstairs where all of the fabrics are beautifully displayed. You'll have to visit yourself to see them. Believe me, you're going to love the whole showroom. It's like Disneyland for interior design fanatics, like me. Truly the happiest place on earth :)

Thank you to Dawn for helping Courtney and me. If you stop by I know you will find Dawn to be incredibly helpful as well. She knows everything!

xo

Brooke