William Yeoward

I have to say I am truly smitten. I had the pleasure of attending the debut of William Yeoward furnishings in the United States the other day. It was a lovely event held in the Edward Ferrell & Lewis Mittman Showroom at the Washington Design Center. William did a "dry run" of his presentation on his new fabric line with Osborne & Little. He was going to NYC for the formal bash ~ we were his "guinea pigs" as he put it. I was happy to be one. First I'll say what I love about William; then I will tell you what I love about his creations.

William was the most gracious host I have ever seen. He was rearranging furniture to ensure people would be comfortable; he was taking the guests empty plates away; he wore jeans. I would live in jeans if I could. William was self-depreciating and humble. I have met people with half of his talent and success with egos the size of Minnesota; who wouldn't look at you when they spoke. I assure you I will not use their product lines in my designs. But William was down right endearing AND he is incredibly talented. His new fabric line was inspired by where he grew up ~ Cornwall, England. He treated us to pictures of Cornwall and how the fabrics relate. His brother was also in the pictures, which, of course, made it all the more personal.

William has many product lines. Sometimes when designer get too diversified, the magic can be lost. Not so here. Here has upholstery, case goods, pillows, accessories, and crystal. Now that is a man after my own heart. You know I have an affinity for glass and crystal and William did not disappoint. I also love embroidered pillows. William's are gorgeous and all done by hand.

His fabrics are lush and real. The cottons and linens he introduced were amazing. They are robust and beautiful.


I fell in love with his Pila Chair. Here's an important point ~ I sat in many of his chairs. They are comfortable! The Pila Chair in particular was very much so. Here is another point I love ~ you can dress his upholstery up or pare in down to accommodate any room in your home. Take a look...

The Pila Chair on the left is currently displayed in the EF & LM showroom. That is a fabric for last year's collection (I love it!). This version is formal. Now look at the one on the right ~ this is casual done with his new earthy fabrics. Each equally lovely. Why? It's the shape of the chair. Graceful. The back wraps around you. Look at this detail picture...

I love the little touch of the solid fabric surrounded by the nail head. Beautiful!

William seems to often use two fabrics on his furniture. That is another detail that I enjoy. It makes the piece interesting and can provide a gentle pause to a highly patterned fabric.

William has wonderful books as well. Click on each to get them...

He is mindful and talented. I definitely will be using his lines.

He's just that good!

Fall High Point Market ~ Part I

Markets... what a wonderful concept. Bring together many beautiful furnishings in one location so people that crave and make a business out of them can see. Don't get me wrong, there were things there that I would likely never use, but I tend to put energy in to things that are lovely to me and just stare for a moment with a perplexed look at the rest.

There were definite trends at Fall High Point Market. Color was one....
There was a preponderance of showrooms that had several neutrals mixed together. Browns, tans, grays, off-whites, etc. This appears to be related to people purchasing with an eye less towards the trends, and more towards the classics. A 'trend' after my own heart! This has always made sense to me ~ place neutrals on larger pieces of classically shaped furnishings such that it is timeless. For example ~ on sofas, sectional, headboards, drapery, etc.... It will never go out of style. Consider these furnishings an investment and set your design budget accordingly if replacing items. Make sure they are comfortable, durable, and eco-friendly for your own welfare. Longevity is an aspect of green design; not needing to replace furnishings with the trends or simply reupholstering when the fabric finally gives way, repurposing to another room ~ if the bones are good, a piece can last many lifetimes. With that said, trend colors can still be in your home in the form of smaller items ~ pillows, accessories ~ that can easily be stored when the trend has passed for future use. Color trends tend to resurface so no need to dispose of trendy accessories.

Hickory Chair is a good example of this color trend.....

This color trend didn't stop at the large furnishings though. It made its way onto smaller or more trendy styles ~ the thing about trendy is its usually fun. These are good examples of that.....
Halo Style ~ how fun would these be in a teenagers room or a sun room for that matter...
Haute House (obviously)
Haute House ~ digital printing is all the rage. I do not think I would have it on a sofa unless my client absolutely adored it. However, I love it on pillows and these small ottomans.
Luna Bella
Luna Bella ~ how fun are these little fluff stools?!! This showroom also has fantastic lighting. I will cover that in another post.

This palette wasn't just for upholstery either. It has been making its way onto case goods (its been popular in Europe for some time now) and on more accessories.....
J. Douglas (Worlds Away and Lazy Susan)

Another color trend was gray and orange.....
This was very apparent in Global Views.....

And also in J. Douglas ~ Aidan Gray.....

Another color trend, lesser so than the others but still apparent was the blues. These shots are from Palecek. I could have shot more photos there as they had navy blue upholstery too. I think I was tired by then.....


There you have it. The color trends seen this Market. I am actually loving them! They are right up my alley. Are they good for you too or would you prefer to see other colors in vogue?

Stay tuned for more on Fall High Point Market including the shameless name dropping post :-)

Don't forget to VOTE for the E~Design Winner!

Shine Home

Have you ever walked into a showroom or retail store and think, "This stuff is cool!" That is the thought I have when visiting the Shine Home showroom. I'll see them again in a few weeks at the High Point Furniture Market. They have very interesting pieces that can fill a home or be used as accents. Let me show you what I mean. Susan Ortiz of Shine Home sent me these pictures. They are some of their newer pieces.....

Case goods first.....

Look at the detail on this console ~ beautiful!

This white piece made the cover of Metropolitan Home!

Wonderful color! There are many colors to choose from. Watch the video below to check them out.

Love the white oak.

Now let's see some upholstered goods.....

I adore this piece ~ classic with a fantastic spin on the legs that moves it into transitional. My fav!

These would be wonderful flanking a large fireplace. They have such a presence.

Now that looks like chair waiting just for me. I'll be there soon.

The nail head pattern is different ~ refreshing! The material on this piece is very durable so no worries about the kids.

I think I need this bed. It is one of those pieces that stays in the back of your mind waiting to be placed in the right room.


Wow, what a great shape.

I think I'm in love!

Let's tour their Las Vegas show room and see the colors many pieces can come in.....


For additional videos, check out their channel on You Tube.

All of their designs have great spins, that's what makes them unique. You can peruse more of their collection on their website. Look under 'Trade Only.' You won't see pricing but you can take a long leisurely look at their line..... and dream.

Sarreid Ltd.

Sarreid is a wonderful vendor that I use. They have their own pieces and represent several other lines ~ Chatham Crossing, Madison Club, Trip & Bicker, and incredible antiques with van Thiel & Co. I go to them when I am doing traditional or transitional designs. They have the most extensive library pieces I have found ~ all lovely ~ all high end quality with a moderate price point. Here are samples of their extensive lines.

I love this architect desk. It also comes with a wood base in several colors.

The hardware on this piece above is beautiful. You can see the antique brass extend from top to bottom. It is exquisite. Most of the case goods are made from solid oak.



I adore the library above. I placed this piece in a lower level library / piano room. It is stunning. In that application, it looks like a built-in bookcase because it almost touches the ceiling. The ladder is a lovely touch.


Gorgeous bed ~ wonderful detail!

They have a plethora of desks ~ large, solid, masculine desks.

van Thiel & Co. specializes in antiques and reproductions. They introduced fairly recently their map collection. I LOVE these..... in an office or den, a wood lined finished lower level..... The have maps of the USA, Europe, Greece, England, and more. Here are just a few......

Sarreid's incredible furnishings are available through The Beautiful Home Store.

Facebook and Twitter followers, Sarreid is your gem!