The one role in your professional life that you may not have been prepared to take on is that of movie producer, but those skills are important now as we navigate new norms that have us opening up a virtual window into the private sanctity of our homes.
Read moreHow To Stay Put During A Renovation - If You Must
I have had more than a few clients who wanted to stay put during a big renovation and in every case, there was a minimum of ever-growing frustrations and, in one memorable instance, a complete meltdown that was damaging to the working relationship between the homeowner and contractor. I’ve never had a client say they were glad they stayed put, but I’ve heard many say they would never do it again.
Read moreThe Magic Of Beautiful Rooms? Pull Up A Chair.
Beginning in March, I was spending a lot more time at home. Zoom meetings with clients, colleagues, and collaborators helped normalize the new strangeness of working from home. It began to really sink in for me that another hard worker in my home was the upholstery I had invested in almost twenty years ago - as well as a few beloved pieces that had been in my husband’s family. The solidly built frames were more than able to serve us for decades to come, but the fabrics needed a change. My taste have shifted over the years, rugs have come and gone, and our art collection has only become more dense, offering new inspirations for texture, color, and pattern. Recovering just a few pieces this summer breathed new life into my home - and reminded me that a question client’s often have is about whether or not to reupholster their own pieces.
Read moreWhat Our Upholstery Is All About
Upholstery is the most hard working furniture in the home, providing enduring comfort and establishing the personality of the room through its stylings and fabric. No one wants to regret this choice either on delivery day because the fabric doesn't compliment the room or a couple of years down the line because the sofa hasn't held up to wear and tear.
Read moreDesign Solutions: Warming Up Office Spaces
Much like business dress, the design in an office suite should elicit confidence from clients. This makes the typical default one that in the world of fashion is the equivalent of a two piece grey suit: a classic choice, but one that needs a little help from a necktie, jewelry, or a great pair of shoes.
Read moreCelebrating American Artisans
Cradled in the rugged, wind-swept mountains of Boone, North Carolina, the facility provides jobs that have not been available in many American towns for decades. We took some time to watch and learn from the master craftspeople.
Read more6 Ways To Steer Clear of Trend Dead Ends
Over two decades of working in the design industry, I've learned a few lessons to better navigate the rise and fall of trends.
Read moreThe Next Chapter Is Green
By the time we left Market Square, we had not only found an exciting new furniture source, we had sat in on an impromptu lesson on craft and passion. The maker is John Strauss, who we had researched before coming to High Point for the spring market. We spent over an hour learning about the collections. John showed us a curious little doodle the French use to line up wood cuts for drawer fronts. It was no accident that we were spending this much quality time with one furniture maker.
Our goal is to kickstart an initiative to make our entire furniture offering both sustainable and American made. We found out about John's company while doing our research. Going into market with these standards in place was transformative. While we spent time with new resources - most of them artisans who chose to come to market in person to represent their lines - the rest of the attendees buzzed past with an air of confusion and agitation. They seemed shell-shocked by the vast quantities of vendors and they reminded me of myself in past years: hit with a sugar rush of goods rather than nourished by a quality experience.
We discovered so much of value in our research this market, as well as forging relationships with passionate craftspeople. The American furniture makers of today are maintaining our treasury of hardwoods through responsible harvesting. And our small-batch makers comply with the kind of workplace safety guidelines that are simply not present in most overseas markets. Most seductive to a designer's mind is the fact that our artisan resources thrive on customization, which allows us to offer more design options to our clients.
In recent decades there has been much talk about globalization. In the sense that we knit nations together through robust trade and that we find common humanity through shared resources and knowledge, the concept of globalization is very attractive. Yet we are deeply satisfied to opt out of doing trade with makers who are not sensitive to the needs of workers and the environment.
When I was younger, I was a fierce environmentalist. Then I drifted, seduced by an industry that seemed careless to the matter. When the determination to make changes in my company asserted itself, I knew the time had come to commit to the progressive values in business that I cherish personally. Looking inward has helped me to discover seeds waiting to sprout and so the next chapter is green.
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