Decor Arts Now

My trip to the New York International Gift Fair (NYIGF) on Monday was especially interesting this time around.

Why?  Because I went with someone who was actually buying items for her store.  I blogged about my friend Lisa and her vintage and antiques store , Reposed NY, before.  Lisa plans to add some new home accessories to her mix.

She has a great eye and it was quite interesting to see what items she thought she could actually sell.  Trend spotting deep from the trenches, so to speak. 

We both adored Michele Varian’s booth shown above.  A good pillow always sells and Michelle’s are great. Plus her display was fab.  We loved her new wallpaper shown in the background.  And those vintage plates used as portrait frames –uber clever.  I am hoping  Lisa orders this pillow, so I can buy it for my front parlor! 

If it is shaped like a horse, Lisa says it gallops out her door.

And sea life swims fast.  :-) 

Foo dogs, apparently, also  are so not over. 

When it comes to sunburst mirrors, they can be  a strong seller,  but they  have to be “good” ones.  Lisa liked this particular example quite a lot.  And although she doesn’t sell new furniture, we both loved the pellet, bed and dresser.

She didn’t see a nailhead she didn’t love. 

Lisa finds the most aMAHzing vintage lamps, but she says she can’t find them fast enough!  They fly out of her place.  As a result, she is considering adding new lamps to the mix.  We weren’ t at all surprised that the lamps from Vivify won an ASID award.  

Lisa uses baskets for display, and being able to sell them as well is an added bonus.  Baskets will always be a part of home decor for their texture and practicality, but you really need to be sure that you haven’t got something flimsy.  These examples had unique forms and were extra sturdy.    

When it came down to color, my store owner friend is still feeling turquoise and pink.

With a business at the forefront of our minds, it was a GREAT way to experience the NYIGF!

Photos by Lynn Byrne for Decor Arts Now.

Queen Elizabeth

By Lynn Byrne.  The whole equestrian thing has caught my attention.  What with reading the fascinating book, Elizabeth the Queen, by Sally Bedell Smith (the Queen is an accomplished rider and breeder), and obsessively watching Downton Abbey, I am ready to learn to ride, preferably on someone’s large country estate.  With staff.  And black tie dinners.  I would be a lovely, witty house guest, promise.

Seems I am not alone in my day dreams.

Fabric company Duralee’s Highland Court division just introduced a new “lifestyle” trimmings line, called Sarasota Spring, designed to evoke the “country life.”  The images they sent along in an email fit my mood perfectly.

So if you want to capture some of that “landed gentry” feel in your own estate, you know just where to turn.  Seriously, it is not always easy to find a “masculine” trim, and these fit the bill.  They would look great in a library, gentleman’s bedroom, or office.

Fox hunting anyone?

Mary from Downton Abbey

The Queen riding sidesaddle, circa 1963

Photo credits:  1. Elizabeth, the Queen  2.-5. Duralee  6. Downton Abbey  7. Daily Mail  8. via Design Chic  9. Clarks’ ad  10. unknown