Pillows from Art

SOOOO EXCITED about these new pillows!!! A wonderful company from Kashmir took the images of my paintings and produced these pillow covers! I think they did a FABULOUS job! These are hand stitched, made of wool on a cotton ground. 

 I have been grateful for the numbers of people who would have liked to buy these paintings, however they are not for sale, but the pillows are!!  They are $75. a piece w/o inserts.

                                                        

                                               

Finally, our drapes are installed!!

The whole "cobblers kids have no shoes" saga is over and we have window covering in our upstairs remodel!!   Those sheets were driving me nuts.

Now I have the daily pleasure of opening and closing our various window treatments. (And some privacy!)

 My favorite of all...the sheers in the closet/dressing room, they blow gently in the breeze and bring a lovely calm to the room.  It is remarkable how much coverage they provide. (with the right lighting).  I now think everyone should employ this window treatment.  I think not finding the right double brackets have held me back...but now that I have found them, we're all about the double rods here at The Whole 9 Yards!

So I have finally faced my, how shall we say, "focus" on hardware and am very happy with my selection of drapery rods. I found the perfect double bracket- no easy task, if you ever tried you know what I mean. The rings for this group have several styles. I used two different ones here. The more decorative, for the "leading" edge, the simpler for the body of the curtains. I was concerned it would be too much to do them all in the more decorative style- but isn't the detail of them FAB?!

The Roman shades above the window seat are perfect for the area. We needed something that would allow different levels of opening, depending on how full the trees are...this has worked out perfectly. I spend most every morning on the window seat with a great cup of french press (what a brat!).

(I really should have gotten a close up on the pillow on the chaise, also the pillows I have on the bed- Alice out did herself...next blog...Pillows!)

This is the Roman shade that is at the top of the stairs. We can see out this window from the shower. Because of the size of this shade, and the challenge of reaching it, I wanted it to be tailored and had the rods throughout the body of the shade.

So, in closing...get those window treatments done!  You will be glad you did...it took us long enough!!

The Further Adventures of the Amy and Jamie Remodel

Our  remodel is getting close to finishing. Contractor Ben (971-506-7415)  has done all his part, now I just have to get to the fun stuff....drapery etc.

This is a shot of the dressing room/closet in construction...

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This is the case of " the cobblers kids have no shoes".  In all this time I have not gotten around to selecting fabric and making the curtains.  To be clear- I will not be making them!  You want me for fabric selection- not sewing!


This is a shot of the closet finished!  Looks too good to mess up with clothes!  (Detail of the hanging light fixture below)  Notice the "His and Hers wall paper...I love it!

Yummy light fixture from Rejuvenation House Parts salvage section.  This has a twin and may still be over there! 

The shower in process...

Shower finished!!!  We have been using it and everything works great. Porcelain on the floor and wall, slate on the shower walls 2/3rds up the wall, white penny tile on the shower floor.

It is kind of hard to understand this shot, but it is in the shower looking out the glass wall and then out the stairway window.  There is strategic measurements for the glass- for privacy sake!

french doors to dressing room

Door knobs, how I love thee...

Nice soaker tub.

 

plenty of room for a cup of tea and a good magazine!

                  

window seat...site of future cat naps.

That's all for now.  Next group of shots should have fabric in place!!

From Inspiration to Reality...

Hey all Victoria  here!  

For those of you who haven't been into the store in awhile, I'm the new girl.... or well... I was new - about two years ago (my how time flies!).  The lovely ladies here at the Whole 9 Yards hired me straight out of design school (the Art Institute of Portland, where I majored in Interior Design), and can I just say how much I LOVE my job!  I am surrounded by some incredibly talented and interesting folks, and I get to play with gorgeous fabrics all day!

So on that note - here is a little something I have put together just for you!  (And definitely keep watching this space, I think we are going to make this a regular thing!)

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When was the last time you fell in love with a picture of a room in a magazine?   Did you stop and stare longingly at the beautiful colors, the patterns, the accessories, wishing you could move right in?   Unfortunately for most of us “design junkies” it happens on a pretty regular basis.   Just today in fact I was flipping through the November 2010 issue of Elle Décor, and saw this amazing living room designed by Miles Redd.   This gorgeous room, full of rich color and layered textures actually made me a little weak in the knees, and I had to sit for a minute while I took it all in!  (hint: click on the picture to make it larger - its definitely worth seeing up close!)

In my day to day design work with clients, you will often hear me urging a broader mix of patterns, a stronger embrace of color, and always a little splash of something animal!   I believe that our rooms should cocoon us, should make us feel cozy, comfortable, and there should definitely be elements that make us smile!  

This room has it all!  Jewel tones that flatter the skin, layered textures that invite cozy afternoons, a playful mix of patterns, and of course- the fantastic tiger pillow (which just so happens to be the same amber as the glass hurricanes. )   

In my humble opinion, Miles Redd is a genius (and his clients are rich… and I do mean rich).  The walls are upholstered in designer silk.  The rug is Persian, from 1880.  The furniture is all antique.  Another view of the room shows that there is a matching fireplace on the opposite wall, with an entire second sitting area.  

So how do we, mere mortals, living here in our cozy Portland homes create this same feeling of luxury without breaking the bank?  

Enter The Whole 9 Yards.  Are you familiar with our store?  We currently have over 1000 gorgeous fabrics in stock, and thousands more available for special order.  Our staff is an amazing and eclectic group of artists and designers, and we LOVE to give our opinions!  We also have a workroom that can sew up pretty much anything you can imagine.  All in all it’s a pretty awesome place to spend a few hours!  

Armed with my inspiration room, I took a quick perusal around the store, and came up with this richly layered and ultra luxurious combination.  Watch out Mr Redd, there is a new genius in town! 

 The first element in the inspiration room that really grabbed my attention was the sofa.  (You thought I was going to say rug weren’t you??  More on that later!) 

 I LOVE the gorgeous green velvet - it looks like a great place to snuggle up and read a book (oh – who am I kidding I mean watch Project Runway!), and the color is to die for.

Lucky for us, The Whole 9 Yards has an amazing velvet in stock.  So plush it could almost be mohair, in the perfect color for only $16.99 a yard!  Sold!

The second important element, in my mind, is the traditional floral print on the armless chair.  I love that it has so much great color (there is that amber again), and an all over pattern that is visually interesting but yet still feels light.

I have been a longtime fan of this gorgeous linen (romantically named Vienna Flower, $29.99 a yard), and when paired with the green sofa, my heart starts to beat a little faster! The flowers are just lovely, the birds are whimsical, and the colors are just the right balance of warm and cool tones.  Of course my pictures and your computer screen do not do this fabric justice – you definitely need to stop by and see this in person!

Now let’s talk about the rug.  Did you know that the Whole 9 Yards carries rugs?   Well, we do.  And they are fantastic!  Handmade using 100% wool these gorgeous rugs are so thick and comfy underfoot.  And they are ethically produced as well!

The inspiration room’s rug is fantastic for a few reasons.  The scale of the pattern is nice and large (and that is why it works so well with the smaller scaled pattern on the armchair), it has colors that speak to other elements in the room (hello couch, hello curtains, hello lovely navy-fireplace mantle), and it is large enough to really embrace the entire room.  Can you picture it about then times smaller, just hanging out in front of the sofa -  It would seem silly and out of place wouldn’t it?

I chose this Tapestry rug because I really like how the large scale dense floral plays off of the smaller scale of the Vienna Flower.  I love that it has so many rich colors (again, your computer screen is not doing this piece justice.  Come in and take a look in person.  I also really like that it is has a slightly contemporary look.  Notice how there is no border, and the pattern just seems to run right off of the edges.  (This is a great trick for making a smaller space feel larger!)

And the best part?  A 10’x14’ will only set you back $2965.

For the drapes I chose this really lovely Fortuny-esque screened silk in the most gorgeous shade of blue (that not only speaks to those charming birds, but also to the flower centers in the rug).  This is another one that is an absolute must see in person - this silk has so much life to it when gathered up into softly folded drapes.  At $39.99 a yard you can have floor to ceiling drapes (hang them “high and wide”) that only look like they cost a fortune!

I love how the luster of the silk really bounces light around the room, and definitely helps achieve that luxurious and grand feeling that our inspiration room had.  I also love how the pattern helps to balance the slightly more contemporary feel of the rug, and just feels sort of unexpected.  

 Remember how I said every room needs a little animal?  Did that scare you?  Well let me put your mind at ease.  We aren’t talking full on cheetah everywhere (although cheetah definitely has its place), it really can be as subtle as this oh so yummy mink ($44.99).

Toss a couple of pillows on the sofa if you are not so sure, or a full on throw draped over the back if you want to really amp it up!

 

And finally, this little burgundy velvet ($32.99) repeats the reds in the rug and the birds, plays ever so nicely with the green sofa, and will POP if placed in front of those lovely blue drapes!

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Victoria is a wife, a designer, and a mother of two cats. She loves magazines, good pens, growing tomatoes, and people-watching.

Sheet Rock vs Us

It's us against the sheet rock dust!!! I have to hand it to the guys on this one...Contractor Ben is cleaning up each day, and Jamie has vacuumed almost every nite, ...but still, I think the score is Sheet Rock 3, Household, 1 ! 

 I have been Swiffering and it seems pretty pointless.  It is satisfying at the moment, but by the next day you'd never know I did it.  I can't believe I am blogging about cleaning...it has come to this!  Revise: Sheet Rock 5, Household 1!!

This is looking from the bedroom towards the stairs.



Bathroom:  The tub is hiding on the left.  There sure is a lot of work happening around that tub- makes me nervous!  The shower is straight ahead.  Next to the shower is a clear glass window- pretty excited about that!

Dressing Room: Can't you just imagine?!!! Really, you have to believe I have a vision here! Ben inserted our old dresser into the knee wall. It will be for storage, as clothes will hang in front of it. My goal is to get everything in the same space, instead of in various closets and boxes throughout the house.

Bedroom: There will be a window seat with shelves on either side.  In the summer the trees out this window make it feel like you are in a tree house.

                                                           

This is a pic of the stairs as Ben is adding insets to one wall. My idea is to put some art and objects in them. The stairway is narrow and I'm hoping this will give it a better feel.

I have been designing a lot around a particular wall paper.  Today I found out that it was discontinued.  The women who gave me the bad news was really grateful that I didn't flip out on her.  I explained that I have been in her shoes and I will find another pattern.  Good thing I know this is not brain surgery!

Amy and Jamie's Big Remodel

We have been wanting to remodel our upstairs since 1991. Running the business, and life in general, have kept us from getting it done.

We have been living with a tiny bedroom with a closet the size of a couple of Kleenex boxes. I'm not kidding! After all, back in the 1920's when the house was built a person had their "Sunday best" and some work clothes and called it good. Clearly not adaquete for these times. I'm no Imelda, but I've got a few things!

The magic really started to happen when we met Ben Meoak. Introduced to us by our friend Emily Standish, we knew as soon as we spoke with him that he was the guy for us.



Upstairs "before" pics

There is nothing quite as wonderful as knowing that you are working with The Best. To me, "the best" means:

• Expert craftsmanship
• Great communication skills
• Patience Patience Patience
• Fair pricing
• Someone who will see you first thing in the morning and is not frightened (and is not married to you).

I'm talking about our contractor, Ben Meoak. (That's Ben in the "before" bathroom picture.)

That I can speak so highly of Ben while we are mid-project speaks volumes of my respect for his work. Taking on a remodel of almost any size can be daunting. It takes buckets and buckets of money and load of energy. I am the designer on this project, so any problems with the designer only takes a look in the mirror to straighten out. ( More on that later......) Back to Ben:

A good contractor can make the difference in the success of the project, and also one's marriage surviving the process. So let's get into that first...

My husband and I have two very different ways of processing information. I'll remain diplomatic and not qualify our different styles, but suffice to say, Ben is able to flow with both of them. I'm still not sure how he does it, but he does it each day.

My husband and I both like that Ben will put his two cents in. When I come up with a design challenge, he understands my vision and knows how to make it happen. He always adds his technical advice, but he never steps on my design toes. He's Mr. Diplomacy.

It is also a reflection on Ben what kind of subcontractors have come into our home. We like all the guys who are working on the project. Ben knows that their work reflects on him, and at the same time, he will hold them to his standards.

So, if you have a project large or small I'd reccommend Ben. I love to see good people busy and the design karma that I'll get on this one should keep me golden for years to come!

To contact Ben Meoak call 971-506-7415 and tell'm Amy sent you!

p.s. Do you want to see more pics and "after shots"? If so, send me an email at info@w9yards.com

Fab Fabrics

SPRING? REALLY? It's not that we are not used to rain here in the Great Northwest, but COME ON...along with the chilly temps the rain just keeps coming!

On the UP side, we have wonderful places to visit and FAB FABRICS to keep us happy! These just came in from Morocco, made with Belgium looms...O La La! Enjoy!