Welcome, Otis: A Candice Olson design from Norwalk Furniture

We are definitely fans of Candice Olson, so it's a sure bet we're going to love her designs. There's just something different, whether it's her rugs, fabrics, or furniture designs, that makes us appreciate her input into each of them. You might look at some of the pieces and think your home isn't the place, but keep looking and you will soon find something that might just add that fresh, new look to your space you've been needing.

Our newest piece from Norwalk is the "Otis" chair. We chose a floral fabric, but don't wince when you read "floral". This one is an updated version of something similar to mums along with some swirls here and there. The colors are red, tan, taupe, and a deeper coffee color that looks great with the wood furniture we have in the shop.



Here's the side view. We still have the legs covered, but they have a very interesting curve to them you'll see in the website photo below. The back is low which makes it easy to place in an open room or a room where furniture won't be placed against a wall.



Every edge is corded, and the button detail in the middle of the cushion is a detail we don't see very often. If you look in the photo below, you'll notice the back cushion was designed to have four triangles sewn together for even more interest. We love this look, but after deciding on a patterned fabric, we chose to have it done as one solid piece. The idea of "chopping up" the pattern would not be the same as embellishing a solid fabric with the topstitching detail. That's another thing that's great about Norwalk: it's made to your specifications!


Here's the picture from the Norwalk website. You can really see the shape of the front legs. If you go to their "Interactive Catalog", you can look at "Otis" in the fabric of your choice, along with any other furniture pieces. Along with fabric choices, you'll find the dimensions listed with each piece. Otis has a width of 32", a height of 34", and a nice depth of 34". Now, if you are under 5'8", you might find you're most comfortable curled up into the generous seat cushion. But, if you're that height or over (as is the person typing), you'll appreciate having the support under your legs, all the way to your knees!

Remember, we have Norwalk's collection of fabrics, including Candice's designs, in the store.

Red Dining Room: Europleated drapes & iron hardware

Remember the two drapery ideas for the red dining room a few weeks ago? We now have the real thing to show off.


The client chose this cotton print from RM CoCo. The fabric with the dark background really looked the best on the red wall, and this particular fabric had enough bright colors throughout that it really gave a cheerful look to the room. The additional colors leave a lot of opportunity to add accents in almost any color. But a word of warning if you are about to fall in love with this fabric too: you might not be able to find it. It has ended up on the discontinued list and is no longer being manufactured. Boo Hoo!


Here's the closeup showing the europleated panels and the beautiful finials from Helser Brothers. This was the first time we were able to use this particular finial and it really complimented the design in the fabric.



Here's the way the panels will look most of the time. We did also install lucite batons behind the second pleat on each panel so the drapes can be closed during family dinners. The napped sateen lining added enough body to the panels to keep the pleats looking full and provide privacy and will filter the sunlight.

Just to remind you of the before: if your dining room still looks like this you need to see us.

Beautiful wall art and other spring arrivals

It's time to redo the shop and bring out our new spring decor. We have new topiaries and matching candle rings to freshen up your home. You surely feel ready to do just that after the great weekend we just had!

Believe it or not, we were able to hang all the new art. However, not all of it is shown on the blog, so you'll have to come by to see the rest.


We were loving all the outdoor scenes we saw in the Ashton Company showroom. This one has a beautiful frame, and luckily it looks much heavier than it really is, so hanging it won't be a problem!


My picture taking skills definitely need to improve if we want to show-off more of these pictures! There is a mate to this "vertical" piece if your wall is large, but it would be great alone on a more narrow wall space.
The sail on this boat just seems to glow with the sun coming through it! Anyone with fond memories of boating on the lake will love this one!



Well, we didn't hang every new picture, one of them found the easel, and thank goodness we had it. Here is a pastoral scene, complete with sheep grazing by a pond. There are some beautiful greens and golds in the brushstrokes of this one.

We've done a lot of rearranging this weekend to make room for all the new inventory. Don't wait too long to come in and see it for yourself---some of it may be leaving the shop by the time you read this. We will definitely be reordering from this company!