What does it mean to "UPDATE"??

This summer we worked on "updating" a beautiful home.  Of course we all have first impressions when we walk into a home for the first time, and our impression was "what a lovely home".  We could immediately tell this customer had custom made drapery and loved traditionally styled furniture.

BEFORE

BEFORE

The formal living room (piano room) has some beautiful antique pieces, which are always a plus if you like a timeless, traditional interior.  Nothing was "wrong" with this house, but if the request was to "update", then that's the look we needed to concentrate on.

BEFORE

The foyer was papered in a more solid, navy wallpaper.  Nothing wrong but not too exciting as far as the client was concerned.  

Her first task was to find new light fixtures, our first task was to find wallpaper and fabric we liked.  The second thing we all needed to decide on was the drapery hardware.  You notice I said SECOND.  Drapery hardware is ordered as a custom finish, so we were just waiting to see what we needed to match---that seemed to be the easier direction to go.

 Peacock Garden

The choice for wallpaper was Thibaut's Peacock Garden.  Our goal was to add more blues, but the addition of the tan color in the design was a great way to introduce a slightly darker color to the dining room and living room. A fresh coat of Antique White paint was the answer for those rooms, and that was just enough color to make the crown molding stand out and make the rooms seem just a little warmer.

RM CoCo Dorset/Porcelain

Unfortunately, the photo of the drapery fabric doesn't show off the textured embroidery that made it so interesting in the first place.  The clean, geometric fabric was the first thing we found that said "UPDATED".  The floral drapery and covered rods just seemed to date the room more than the anything else, and the fresh, more simple design of the "Dorset" fabric was going to be easy to work around.

After

After

The foyer light fixture actually had gold and a bit of dark bronze to it, and the dining room fixture had a goldish-silver tone, sometimes called "Champagne".  We loved the mix, it didn't feel so contrived and the two designs were very compatible.  Now that we all were swooning over the new lights, we needed to find just the right hardware choice to look elegant, but not overpower these beauties.

We knew to go to our friends at Helser Brothers Hardware.  We have ordered our custom iron hardware from them for years, and their great selection of colors provided us with our two-toned hardware decision.  The "goldish" color of the rod and the silver rings were the combo we chose to pull in the new colors of the light fixtures.  

If you notice how nice the patterned worked out on the panels, that's because it was intentional.  Pleating can be done randomly on geometric patterns, but it can cause the final look to be busy.  We specify that they are pleated-to-the-pattern.  You should be given that option when ordering custom window treatments.

Another part of updating window treatments includes the height of the rod.  We did raise the hardware to open up the space, and although they could go higher, we like to keep in mind that going too tall can make a "disconnect" between the window treatment and the window.  That is our thoughts, and our suggestion to our clients.  Finding that happy medium can be the difference in making something look too trendy.  We want this UPDATED dining room and living room to last another 15-20 years!

The next Chapter is......

2217 South Main Street, Joplin, MO

If you follow us on Facebook, stop in regularly, or heard from the news from your friends, you probably know we are moving to the middle of town.  This move will be official by April 3rd, however, with the phone transfer not going so quickly, don't give up if you try to call!

Why are we leaving our large location?

Many people have immediately asked "where are you going" when they hear we are relocating.  If we've seemed hesitant to blurt out the address it's because we don't want to mislead people into thinking the new location will operate like a retail establishment.  A big part of moving to the 32nd street location was to carry more inventory.  However, you need a lot of traffic to move a lot of inventory, and sadly, the customer base hasn't increased enough to validate the larger overhead.

What will you have at the new location?

All of our fabric samples, furniture lines, wallpaper companies, window covering vendors, or any custom orders will be making the move with us.  Also, for those of you who love Trapp Candles and Beatriz Ball metal ware, you'll still be able to stop in and purchase those items along with a few decorative pieces you see in the windows!!  If you see the "OPEN" sign, come on it.  If you don't, please give us a call and we'll let you know when we will be there!  

Why not just keep regular hours?

This is the biggest advantage to our clients---making appointments easier for you!  By not posting "hours" we will not have the worry of standing behind a counter all day, but instead be more available to make appointments to meet in our client's homes or at the shop.  We love the one-on-one working relationships we have with our customers, and whether it's choosing wallpaper, paint colors, drapery, blinds, shutters, sofa or chairs, being more accessible has become even more important over the past 10 years.  We think our service counts for a lot---especially in these times of so much "internet buying".  Sometimes you just need some expert advice and fresh ideas!  That's basically been our tagline since we started business.

Won't you miss your big store?

Yes and no.......

We always felt a great deal of pride in making our shop (either large or small) look great for every season and after every market buying trip.  The work and time involved in doing this can at times be overwhelming, and very time consuming.   We will also miss seeing the variety of people who came by and gave us an insight into their lives, some of you are so inspiring!  Our hope is you'll find us at 2217 S. Main Street with our "OPEN" sign turned out, or call to say "hey, I'm coming by tomorrow afternoon, will you be there?".  We sure don't want to lose touch, then we would be sad!