You all remember the Nemrow’s right?  The amazing kitchen transformation we featured on our blog a couple years ago?  Well, you can imagine my excitement when Anjerie called and said they were finishing their basement and needed help with the plans, specifically the long anticipated theatre!  It is so gratifying to design for a completely trusting client and that is exactly what Anjerie and Scott are.  As a designer, having this freedom allows you to flex a different muscle and the spaces always end up spot on.  It’s Magic!!!

When scheming on the look and feel of the space, I wanted it to be clean, style-forward, and sophisticated; I pictured large art, strong contrasts, and plenty of seating for the Nemrow’s and their posse. We treated the walls with an applied board rhythm and painted it a deep ink color.  We had a great opportunity to create a soffit and highlight the center of the room with an absolutely insane wallpaper!  It looks like a silver-leafed lunar surface with dollops of gold and patina thrown in the mix- completely hypnotic!

When it came to the kitchenette, Scott had a lot of appliance requests. It’s was a slim space, but we managed to pull off a small miracle and got it all to fit perfectly. Why? Because that’s what we do!

Dr Pitt!  It’s like the largest party barge you’ve ever seen!  It’s perfect for a theatre or any space where you need a whole lot of comfort (and even more cuddling!).  We wrapped it in a charcoal velvet and upholstered the ottomans in a vinyl that looks like shark skin!

The theatre recliners were upholstered in a bone colored leather and my favorite Michael Weiss barstools were done in funky teal leather.

The art was and lighting is always my favorite layer. Until this is up, your room will never feel complete.  In this space, I didn’t want to propose knick knacks and small prints; instead, I chose large art that made an impact. We started with Albert Einstein’s “Moon Study” which is just sooo brilliant, and added two vertical stripe prints (which reminded me of TV static) and the most beautiful mirror in the whole world!

This mirror has massive Swarovski crystals embedded into the frame….its bonkers and deserves an award.

What makes the project is the people you get to work with and we loved combining forces with Scott Dent at RC Dent Construction.  And to Anjerie and Scott, we adore you and are so grateful to know you and your darling family.  Thank you!  Mwaw!

- Suzanne

[photos by Meikel Reece]

Have you seen the latest issue of House Beautiful? Thom Filicia’s lake house was featured. A gathering place for friends and family with rustic, yet sophisticated decor. We love that he has used some of his own furniture and artwork in the home. One of our favorite pieces, Warm Memories, from a photograph that Thom took on the beach. The colors are bright and happy.

We happen to have this piece in the store right now measuring at 55.5″w x 55.5″h, this piece is a substantial showstopper.
$2,041.50

We have worked with this local family before on their front porch, and now it was time to bring things inside. For years they used their front room as an office before finally deciding to turn it in to a formal living room.

We started by lightening the room up with a silver-leafed cork wallpaper applied above their decorative paneling, along with a light fixture that was more to scale with the room size.

The room was very small and we wanted to maximize the seating, so we positioned a full sofa under their tall, shuttered windows as an anchor to the room; we then used a sofette along the other wall and placed a sculptural chair in the corner to not only create a great conversation area, but also provide additional seating as needed. We grounded the space with a fantastic rug that brought both color and movement to the room, and above the sofette we hung a series of blue screen printed ferns in silver leafed frames that play well against the cork wallpaper.

In addition to the living room, we wanted to make the entry a functional zone for the family as well.

We selected a new light fixture and a large woven rug to fill the space as you walk in, and placed a 78” long console and  large starburst mirror along the wall next to the front door. It was very important to keep the scale of the pieces appropriate with the size of the space so that nothing felt dwarfed or undone. Along the stairs we placed a bench with a large print hung above, bringing some of the color from the living room into the entry. At the end of the entry we repurposed a smaller console, tuckedd it into her niche, and filled it with a splash of green Pellegrino bottles. We topped off the space by placing some faux aspen branches atop the console. I love to use flowers or greenery in a space- they can really  bring life into a room!

We will be finishing up the install of the formal living room at the end of the year, but here is a sneak peak. Stay tuned for images of the final install.

- Natalie

Several shipments of new pillows just came in! Everything from casual to sophisticated, preppy to glam in beautiful linens, sequins, and embroidery. If you are looking to give your sofa a facelift before the holidays or want to replace the pillows on your bed to get it ready with velvets and tweed for the cooler, winter months – bring a photo by of your space and have one of our designers pick the perfect pillows for you!

From left to right:

Top Row                                                             Bottom Row
1. 25″ x 25″ | $237.50                                    1. 24″ x 24″ | $337
2. 12″ x 18″ | $275                                           2. 24″ x 14″ | $350
3. 21″ x 21″ | $300                                         3. 12″ x 18″ | $250
4. 25″ x 25″ | $387.50                                   4. 21″ x 21″ | $225

We just returned from Market, excited to share what we found with all of you. We saw so many beautiful things, and met the style makers behind the designs.

I like to ask questions about where they get their inspiration for their new introductions. What’s the store? The answers almost always come from something in their past.

History is a great inspiration for the future. I heard everything from an airplane, like this club chair from Thom Filicia to a Mississippi train station, where Barry Dixon got his inspiration for this screen.

We are seeing a lot of looks that were hot in the 50′s and 60′s, thanks to today’s television hits, Mad Men and The Good Wife. There are whole furniture collections based on what you are seeing their set decorators use. Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams has created a collection that is based on pieces actually used on the sets of The Good Wife. These silhouettes are available now.

Vanguard was giving a nod to the past, also. Check out this sofa and entertainment unit! They’re better built, cleaned-up versions of your parents or grandparents furniture. So those of you that can’t remember this time and place, can discover it for yourselves – the new classics.

Jewel tones were all the rage this Market – just like what you’re seeing in your favorite catalogs and clothing stores.

You have to admit, all this saturated color makes you feel something! Everyone is using it in the accents. Occasional chairs, pillows, art – the sofas are almost always still a neutral.

Another not to the past came in the art. The Conde Nast images have been made available to one of our vendors. They narrowed their search for this Market to Vogue magazines from 1920-1940. I can hardly wait to share them with you!

This business is all about living and expressing yourself in a way we believe should seem effortless as opposed to uptight and formal. That is what my search is always for when I shop the marketplace. Comfortable, inspiring looks that will shape your lifestyle. That’s right! Lifestyle – you have one! You determine how you live and what it looks like. Live well!

- Jessica

This is the final week for our MGBW Special Order Plus Event! 20% off all MGBW upholstery and casegoods! For upholstery, pick the fabric and finish!

These are just a few pieces we’ve used in our clients’ homes or around the showroom to get you inspired.

Blakely Lounge Chairs

Tobi Leather Arm Chair & Rocco Tufted Ottoman

Marlena Lounge Chair

London Chaise in a luxurious steel blue velvet

Graham Dining Chairs in a charming green ticking

Dr. Pitt

Celina Bed in a gray linen

[photos by Meikel Reece]

An adorable young couple came to us with the request to design their theater room.  They love to entertain, play games, watch movies, and spend time together as a family.  They loved the idea of creating a warm, cozy environment with a modern turn, and so did we; we knew the push-pull dynamic between the cozy and modern aesthetic was destined to create an interesting design.

Thom Filicia’s Niagara rug was the perfect beginning to our story.  The lines are clean and modern, but its wool content keeps it cozy for the kids to snuggle when playing games or watching their favorite movie.  We needed to seat loads of family and friends comfortably – we immediately thought of the simply tailored Keaton sectional.  Once their guests sink into this little piece of down-filled heaven – they just may never want to leave! We hugged the sectional with a modern low console that doubles as a bookshelf – functional and so chic! We then generously sprinkled the room with lamps – the soft, moody lighting gives the room a warm and welcoming feeling.

What’s more fun and modern than a barrel swivel chair?!  We knew it would surely become a favorite spot for the kids and just had to sneak one in the room! In order to keep the room from feeling too stiff, we loosened it up with art.  We loved the simple, natural, grounded feeling of the black and white horses. It’s this dynamic, the pairing of modern and ease, that adds depth and dimension to the design – making it both interesting and fresh.

This style setting theater is bound inspire countless evenings at home, filled with family and friends, playing games, watching movies, and just enjoying one another.  We hope it inspires you, too, so start popping the popcorn!

- Christy