Featured Artist: Mark Chamberlain

It's been interesting to see the resurgence in popularity of faux finishes on walls and even painted floors. New York based Mark Chamberlain has been the focus on much buzz for his remarkable custom patterns and decorative painting skills. Chinoiserie, Neo-Classical, stripes or even hand painted birds can be hand painted upon your walls by the talented Mr. Chaimberlain. I particularly like his flame stitch patterns and his use of subtle metallic sheen on accent patterns.

It takes a steady hand and a love of fine details to pull of such masterful results. Clearly this is Mark's passion, as his work (and cult following) speaks for itself. While his artistic prowess is what he's famous for, he'll just as gladly paint your home a solid color like white. As long as his paint brush is in hand, he's happy! See all of his work here.

Luxe Area Rugs: David Easton

My love of deep, ebonized hardwood floors leaves me with a bit of an area rug addiction. I am always, always on the prowl for glamorous rugs to set the stage for the perfect room. Here in Dallas we enjoy the popularity of hand-scraped hardwoods. These textured floors are gorgeous and built to last for many, many years. Covering them with anything less than a high quality designer rug would be a sin.

Enter always reliable Safavieh that does a marvelous job of working with top interior designers to produce gorrgeous collections. My current crush is David Easton's Paro Grid pattern. I particularly love it in gold, but it also comes in a delicious aqua and even a light mink color. It love the geometry thats softenened by a raised metallic gridword and it's slightly irreglular checkerboard pattern. There's an organic element to the design. Apparenlty, the patten itself was inspired by the designer's travels to the Paro Valley in the Kingdom of Bhutan. There he saw mountainous terrain and clifflike peaks. Wondering where Bhutan is and what it looks like? It's in Asia between Nepal and Bangladesh, bordering the southwest edge of China. Take a peek at this majestic hotel nestled deep in the Himalayas in Bhutan. I imagine (or hope) that David treated himself to a stay at a marvelous spot like the Taj Tashi Thimphu for his journey.

This only bolsters my absolute belief that travel is the best source of inspiration in the world. There's nothing like visiting a distand land to unlock the creative stores in your brain. If setting aside time for a jaunt overseas isn't a possiblility, never underestimate a weekend out and about in your own city. What you see might just inspire better work for the next few months.

Designers We Love: Vicki Blakeman

We recently came across a post featuring a photo from our Personal Choice II program. The post centered around the topic of contrast, and using it to your advantage when creating a mood for a space.

What stopped us in our tracks, however, was the portfolio tied to this fabulous blog. Vicki Blakeman Interior Design is a luxury California design firm offering stunning interior design.

Keen intuition and years of experience guide Vicki's ability to deliver exactly what clients need. Associate Designer Jolana Knupp brings her European appreciation of architecture and design to round out this dynamic team's skills. Here are just a few samples of their amazing work. Ladies, thank you for featuring us in a post!

{Images above are all property of Vicki Blakeman Interior Design. Visit their site for more incredible portfolio samples.}

Early Registration... Already?

It's sweltering outside, and the last thing on anyone's mind is fall market. Well, that's not entirely true. If you're in the "biz" Market is always on your mind. New product launches, showroom tours, catching up with colleagues and friends, cocktail parties... these are just a few of the draws that bring us back to High Point twice a year.

This year, we'll be putting together an insider's guide of tips and "must see" stops that are usually kept hush hush as they are savoured by locals. Those of us who only visit for a scant few days are sure to miss these fabulous little cafes and treasure trove shops. So stay tuned for those posts coming up.

In the meantime, book your flights, secure your room and try to get your head around the idea of dressing for fall. It will cool off... won't it? Download the High Point Market Authority's 2011 Early Registration Guide here.

Pearson on Facebook

Swing by and "like" our new Pearson facebook page. We'll be using it a as a space to showcase custom pieces, upcoming products and other behind-the-scenes features. See you there! 

Super Saturday

Jimmy Choo, Donna Karan, Shoshanna, DVF, and... Pearson? Yes, we'll all bedonating goods for Super Saturday. A ridiculously amazing "super sale" for top fashion designers happening July 30th in New York. Why would Pearson be there? Those who buy tickets to this fab charitable shopping event will enjoy delighting in beautifully curated rooms designed by Tara Seawright and Chris Coleman.

Bring your checkbook, and your generous heart to the event. Details here. Do NOT miss your chance to attend. Kelly Ripa and Donna Karan are just two of the dynamic hosts who will be there. Proceeds benefit OCRF, the Ovarian Cancer Research Fun. Learn more.

Tilton Fenwick @ Hampton Designer Showhouse 2011

The amazingly talented design duo behind Tilton Fenwick interiors are presenting at the Hampton Designer Showhouse 2011. This is no small affair for interior designers. Designers this year included the ever-popular Tobi Fairley and my personal favorite... Ron Fiore, creative director of Hickory Chair.

But back to this gorgeous pair seated before us. Their challenge was to design the lower level family lounge in this year's home. Clearly, these two share a passion for color and boldness. We love the pair of velvet tufted sofas in apple green. Delicious!

The image above is the original, bare space. Lovely bones.. but quite the challenge!
This is the illustrated concept draft of the finished space, as imagined by the talented team. Quite the transformation! But wait...

Talk about stunning. This, dear readers, is the finished room by Tilton Fenwick as previewed on Nest by Tamara. I am beyond words to describe. The use of color. The mix of patterns. It's an amazing transformation. Note the pretty bookcase with the circular grillwork on the doors? The one at the far left...that's one of ours. There's also a lovely shagreen greek key table hidden from sight in this shot. It is an honor to be featured in such a well designed space.

One of my favorite features is the pop of yellow from the magazines on the console at the right. It's like a ray of sunshine on a windowless wall. The dramatic light fixture and the use of not one.. not two... but four armless chesterfield loveseats covered in the yummiest plush fabric is what really wins me over. Bravo, ladies. Bravo.

Pop over to their blog and follow them on twitter for more incredible views of their work.

It's Magic

It's safe to say that number crunching and documentation are the bane of every creative individual's profession. While I can handle order paperwork, it's pesky things like measuring rooms that cause me pause. These are tasks that are crucial and must be done with great precision, so there's no room for error.

Enter a new app I'm playing with. Magic Plan from Sensopia. Using only youre iphone and the app, you create accurate and shockingly detailed floorplans of the space in question. I'll be frank, I'm not terribly easy to impress with apps. This one, however, has won a place in my "must have" tools.

There are some limitations. In order to save images without the watermark, you must pay a project fee. If you're a professional, this very low cost won't be an issue. Frankly, knowing I can output my results as a PDF, CAD or SketchUp file makes this a winner in my book from the start. Trust me, if I can do laborious tasks like this via my lovable little iPhone I'll get plenty of value from it.

Rather than bore you with how-to's I'll give you the link to download the app in iTunes and the demo video. I tried this with a bedroom I'm working on and the results were pretty amazing on my first try. Do be sure to watch the tutorial videos when you install the app. For up to date info, follow them on twitter. They are already causing quite a bit of buzz!

Gilty As Charged

We loved seeing our shimmering jacquard fabric featured in May's issue of Interior Design Magazine. This glamorous textile is as durable as it is gorgeous. We're thrilled they featured it alongside such chic products as Thibault's wall coverings and luxe fringe offered by Samuel & Sons.

As Seen In Sophisticated Living

Feast your eyes on this spectacular residential installation by Casey Anderson of Interiors by Casey LLC. The room showcases our 2529 sofa in this incredible 125 year old residence.

While at first glance the room may take on a museum-like quality, the finished design is actually child and dog friendly. Note to wainscoting along the lower half of the walls? It, as well as carefully chosen fabrics, provide a glamorous space prepared to handle the demands of an active family lifestyle.

Photo from Sophisticated Living's Louisville, KY issue.

Editor's Picks: One Kings Lane

There are some truly amazing Pearson pieces available on One Kings Lane today. You should know, Jennifer has QUITE the flair when it comes to choosing antiques and selecting fabrics & finishes for furniture. Regardless of what you choose, you'll be tickled pink when it arrives. I wanted to showcase some of my favorite pieces from the sale, some of which were being added to members's carts as I crafted the post. So if you're waiting... don't. The furniture still left is at a steep discount. It's the perfect opportunity to snag some Pearson for your home or for a client project at a greatly reduced rate. If you need an invite to join, here's mine. Happy shopping to all!

Pearson Flash Sale Tomorrow @ One King's Lane!

The Martyn Lawrence Bullard sale is almost completely sold out in only a few short hours on One Kings Lane. Amazing. Following on his stylish heels (dahhhling), Pearson's flash sale begins tomorrow. Be sure to log on and snag yourself a stunning Bergere chair or fabulous sofa. Log in early to see what's available. Sale begins 7/7/2011 at 8am CST/11am EST. Here's a link if you need an invite to OneKingsLane.com. Happy shopping!

Ottoman Empire

Few pieces of furniture alter the way you function in a room like a good cocktail ottoman.They are at once beautiful and functional. Whether you top yours with a glam srving tray or your Manolo'd feet, it is undeniably versatile. My favorite? The perfectionist in me prefers perfectly square, but other shapes are beginning to catch my eye. Notice the star shaped one up top with gorgeous silk upholstery? Yes, that's a winner. And don't deny the power of a leather ottoman with nailhead trim to anchor a room. Then wehave round. This shape is universally appealing and guarantees you'll never bump into an odd corner. Whatever form you choose, don't be shy when it comes to choosing your fabric. This is one piece you'll definitely want to make the center of attention.

Featured: Star of India Ottoman, Ottoman 119, shown in leather with studs, Round Ottoman 169