Sunday, September 26, 2010

Decorating a master bedroom to please both the husband and wife

 It's a common theme:  wife likes the fabric but husband doesn't.  Wife wants a window treatment, but husband just wants blinds.  Husband wants fewer pillows, but wife wants some pizzaz.  You get the point---or maybe you're living with the same argument.  Our latest bedroom makeover started as a very blank slate:


Does that look familiar?  Of course the bed will need to go in between the windows, and we'll need some bedside tables, some lighting, some color, and hoping to get a variety of textures.

The plan:  client loves red, so we decide the tone-on-tone room (paint and carpet are very close in color) can handle a large dose of it.  The fabric has a smooth feel, but has small squares pressed into the fabric.  It is then decided that the quilting needs to be straight lined, to compliment the fabric, therefore we chose a channel quilt style.  We also request a very thin batting so we would not have too much "poufiness" and to reduce the weight of the bedspread.  To add to the tailored look, we opted to have the corners made with a "gusset".  It really reduces bulk and in a smaller bedroom it's a great idea.




Here's a closeup of the fabric and the quilting design we chose.


There was room for a rectangle ottoman at the foot of the bed.  We chose a plush golden/brown with little bits of gold thread for the upholstered piece:



Unfortunately, we didn't get a decent picture of the ottoman!  It was purchased through Justice Furniture.   They have several sizes available, although they are not all pictured online.  

Next on the list  is finding a coordinating fabric for the euro shams (euros are generally 27" square pillows).  A king size bed can accommodate 3 euro shams, and we decided to use those to place in front of the sleeping pillows.  This makes most husbands happy that they don't have to remove their pillow!  We did need something patterned but not another geometric shape, some red and but not floral.  


We found the perfect mix of bronze, red and gold upholstery weight fabric from Kasmir Fabrics for our pillow shams.  We added a brush fringe with the same colors, and the bedding was complete.  

The client had requested an upholstered headboard, and we were able to have that made by a local upholstery shop to the exact size we needed.

We looked at several options for side tables, knowing we needed a specific height and width to fit under the windows.  The resources we have for case goods is not as large as we'd like, so we visited a local furniture store to find just the right tables.  Finding a lamp seemed easy after all the fabrics were chosen, and  the granite topped tables.  

Finally, it was time to add the window treatment.  They style was chosen early on because of the need to widen the windows, but yet avoid overcrowding the area with more fabric.  A nice tone-on-tone look was desired to serve as a background for the lamps and bedding.  Here's the final look:


One final accent pillow was added (made from the gold drapery fabric), and we were done.  We are happy to report that both the husband and wife were very pleased with the outcome.  I hope you get the idea of the total room, but the partial picture keeps the room a little more private!

P.S.  Thanks to the KC Showhouse for the inspiration for the window treatments! 


Saturday, September 18, 2010

MSSU Alumni Center Grand Opening

Ralph L. Gray Alumni Center
Opens to Public Sunday, Ribbon Cutting Set for Monday

MSSU Ralph L. Gray Alumni CenterThe public is invited to take its first look at the new Ralph L. Gray Alumni Center at Missouri Southern at two events this weekend and early next week.

The Ralph L. Gray Alumni Center, located in the renovated Mission Hills Mansion, will be open to the public for tours from 2 p.m.- 4 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 19.

Area Chambers of Commerce, including Joplin, Webb City, Carl Junction, Carthage, Monett and Neosho, have been invited to participate in a ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by tours of the facility at 10 a.m., Monday, Sept. 20.

The opening of the Ralph L. Gray Alumni Center is the culmination of a project underway since 2004. Mr. Gray, a graduate of Missouri Southern, is an investor in real estate.

The Mission Hills Mansion, built in the Spanish motif by Lucius P. "Buck" Buchanan in the early 1920s, is the oldest building on the MSSU campus. It will now be the permanent home of the MSSU Alumni Association, which raised approximately $1.8 million for renovation of the structure.

Patio bricks, purchased by more than 200 donors, are part of the Board of Governors' Patio at the main entrance to the Mansion.

"We at the Alumni Association know how important our alumni and friends are," says Lee Elliff Pound, Director of the Missouri Southern Alumni Association. "Missouri Southern will have a beautiful and historic location for alumni, friends, faculty, staff and students to call home," she adds.  (Taken from the MSSU Update Website).


Stay tuned for our "before" and "after" pictures of the Mansion and more detailed information of the interior decor, provided by Madison Lane Interiors!

The public is invited to view the new alumni center on Sunday afternoon.   Hope to see you there.


Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Fresh paint, a new display and beautiful French Laundry bedding

It sure feels good to have a fresh coat of paint in the shop--and it's especially good if we don't have to do it!  Thanks, Scott, you did a superb job once again.   Did you notice the subtle stripes?  That was Scott's  idea, and we thought it was a great way to add a little drama to the wall without taking away from the displays.  If you need a painter---give us a call, we'll set you up!

The shelves are new, too.  We found those from Uttermost, a company we opened an account with this past year and have found they have a great selection of small tables and mirrors.  You might be surprised how many tables and mirrors you need to look through to find just the right sizes!  So now we have access to those and many, many more home decor items.

 
If you look back on a post from this summer (this one), you'll see how excited we were to get our new bedding line in the store.  We've had French Laundry for a few weeks, but now we've moved the bed to the center of the shop just to show it off.  We have already received several calls about it, so if you're interested, please let us know.  We can direct ship the bedding to you, even if it's just the shams you need.  There are many fabrics to choose from, and great news:  most are washable.  Each piece is made to your exact specifications, so if your mattress is extra tall, French Laundry bedding will be made to fitStop in to see the fabric selections.

It's still warm outside, but it's time to add those Fall touches to your home.  Stop by to see the latest Fall decor throughout the store.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

We're so proud of our new blog header!!!



We can't thank Leslie nearly enough for the awesome blog header she drew for us.  It captures all the small details we love about our shop---just like we asked.  We sent a few photos, Leslie did some preliminary sketching, and as much as we liked all three, we had to choose one.  Please visit the blog "Everyday Artist" to see just how talented she really is! 

We "know" Leslie because of her beautiful window treatments and slipcovers.   Please visit her picturetrail website so you can enjoy the soft furnishings she designs and creates, too. 

To you bloggers out there:  don't hesitate to have a custom blog header designed for your blog, and we know just the person to do it!

http://www.lesliefehling.com/

LinkWithin

Blog Widget by LinkWithin