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.