Something fun: Aging is a GOOD thing?

Any opinions on the blog header? (sorry if you missed it, we're already trying out a new one). We are looking for a new banner/header, but in the meantime you might be seeing some fun, new pictures. One of our favorite blogs gave this link that will enable you to turn your photos into something that looks 100 years old.


Oh, remember the days when we had the old pottery and the little garden bench grandpa made . . . .

We could go on and on making up stories, but you're not going to believe them, anyway!

While you are visiting "How About Orange", make sure you look up some of the tutorials she has posted. What a talented person and so generous to share so many fun projects. You'll want to bookmark this one.

Let us know if you think aging can be a good thing.

Large windows: A look through the archives

Large windows are beautiful, but can require a lot of planning when it comes to dressing them. The idea that "the view will be hidden if I add drapes" is just not true. Another misconception about large is that is will be an overwhelming amount of fabric and lack the detail of a smaller treatment. We don't believe that myth, either. It's sometimes worthwhile to take a look back at some of the treatments we've designed to show clients what we're talking about. Here's a few pictures to get those ideas going:
This window is in a dining room with a 12 ft ceiling height. The subtle striped fabric is a faux silk, which has been interlined to add to the softness and fullness this look needed. You can barely see the ceiling, but notice it was painted to match the drapery color. The result was striking, as it emphasized the wonderful crown molding as well as warming up the room.

The closeup shows the custom forged iron hardware. The color was chosen to match the light fixture.

This wall of windows overlooked the patio and swimming pool. We definitely wanted to keep that view intact, but having drapes between every window would have overwhelmed the area so we chose to frame the wall with the valance. Other coordinating fabrics were chosen to cover the furniture, which is not shown in this photo.


Here's a closeup of the valance. Note the covered cording along the bottom of the valance. Each corner as well as the ends of the valance has a pleated "bell" with a covered button added to help define the feature.



You might notice the same wonderful crown molding in this living room as the dining room above are in the same house. This room looked into the backyard and had a huge bay area of windows. We used custom iron hardware, but without finials because of the lack of space. For decorative purposes, we had square "rosettes" welded to the outside brackets. The twisted iron rod has a dressier appearance than a plain rod and looks decorative even spanning above the large window all by itself!

Here's a closeup view of the details added to the living room drapes. The pennant style overlay was attached by covered buttons on the outside pleats of each drape. The embroidered silk front was a favorite, but the backside is fabricated in a paisley patterned fabric which makes this treatment reversible and provides two looks for the living room. Did you notice the amber colored beaded fringe on the pennants? Gives just a hint of sparkle.



Here's a breakfast room with a view! The swimming pool and patio is a wonderful oasis for these homeowners and the fabric was chosen to draw you eye towards the blooming flowers in the area just beyond the glass! Apologies for the steamer left on the counter---it could have been a magazine worthy shot without that!

Custom stainless steel posts were made by our installer so the homeowner could use the stainless turkish knot style drawer knobs for hanging these panels. The pleat style is a cartridge pleat--this gives a smooth vertical line to the fabric without the interruption of pleats and gathers. Each panel also features a very large gold and ruby glass trim on the leading edges. The sun catches the trim and adds that important sparkle. The fabric is actually similar to a flocked wallpaper---the floral and vine have a raised velvet feel to them.


Hope you've enjoyed the tour of "Large Windows". Many of these windows had a preliminary rendering done to show the client the intended look. We are able to provide that service to you if you need to "see" it first. Come by and talk with us and we can explain the choices you have.

New arrivals and more updates

Our dishes from CasaFina arrived this week and we've already displayed them in our hutch. They really look great on their own, but it'll be fun to mix them up with some seasonal decor.

Here's a closeup of the matching goblets. They have a good weight to them and could easily blend in with a variety of dishes. One customer suggested she needs to buy a few new pieces every couple of weeks---I think that's a great idea. Maybe the grocery stores were on to something when they used to offer a new dish each week! Anyone else remember that???


Oh yeah, in case you hadn't heard, the Trapp candles did arrive! We were asked if the candle on the hutch (the one on the bottom right) was the only one burning in the shop. The customer assumed we had lit several to get the wonderful smell she was smelling! The Trapp company's phrase "it's all about the fragrance" is absolutely right. They truly have figured out how to scent your home with one candle.

We did restock the cabinet yesterday for a photoshoot. What's this, you ask? A photoshoot? Yes, that's what we said. But we'll tell you more about that in upcoming posts! If you really want to know, stop by and we'll brag about it in person!

New Jewelry in the shop!

We are adding more to our jewelry inventory. The first to arrive features sterling silver, bronze, and copper all etched and cut into some very interesting shapes. The line is "Gardella Jewelry", and although we didn't find this one in the Philadelphia Market, it was there. We did find it, later, on the website that promotes this market, and after looking it over for a couple of days, decided it would be a good fit for the shop. Besides being handmade in the USA, it has a very detailed and crafted style that we found so much more interesting than most of the other metal jewelry.

We'll be adding more jewelry between now and the holidays, so keep checking in. The picture quality is not too great, so definitely visit the website and look through the catalog. You'll get a much better view of all of it. We are starting with a small sample, but we'd love to have a reason to bring in a larger selection.

Attention future brides and other dish lovers!

Madison Lane Interiors is branching out into the world of tabletop! We hunted down and studied every line of dishes we thought worthy at the Dallas Market, and in a few weeks you'll see them in the store. The featured set below is a Portuguese Stoneware. You'll be able to use it in the oven, freezer, microwave, and dishwasher. We'll have several colors for you to choose from or you can mix and match. We will feature one line in the shop, but the casa stone is available in several others, all unique in their varied shapes and styles.

Note to the soon-to-be-brides: we do bridal registry. We'll be happy to set-up your special place setting for your friends and family to view. If you already have chosen your tabletop, don't forget you can also register for any of our great home decor items.

Note to the other dish-lovers out there: you'll want to add Casafina to your collection. Come in and check-out the variety. You'll love the mix of shapes found in the bakeware.


We'll be carrying the coordinating glassware, too. All items due to arrive in time for the Holiday Open House, but we hope you'll stop in before then. Just ask us---we can't wait to tell you all about casa stone.