Install of the Day !

Hey There !

Finished an install today, one of four we are trying to pull off before Christmas . . . today was fun, teenage boy in need of an updated space.  This wall paper was my jumping off point.  I loved it and now that all the other patterns and textures have entered the room I love it even more.

McCauley Ethridge needed most everything here, new bed, bedsides, lighting, desk, dresser.  I chose to do wood this time and this is a distressed platform style bed.  We mixed in to side tables with wood and metal and two great wall sconces.  All these rustic woods with the graphic patterns created the juxtaposition I was looking for.

Keith created this fab piece of large art for the space mixing all sorts of medium, caulk, ink, pencil and wax.  Love !

A vintage metal lamp, flea market refinished desk and great side chair.

Loved seeing it come to life !

photos by mekenzie france

One down, four more to go !  Stay tuned  . . . 

For the Love of the Over-dyed

Hi There . . 

I love over-dyed rugs, I love their worn appearance, their saturated colors.  They are the ultimate in re-purposing.  No one offers more than ABC Carpet & Home.  Their Color Reform Spectrum combines traditional with design innovation working hand in hand with local artisans in the remote mountains of the Pakistan region using centuries old techniques.  These rugs are laid to dry neutralizing their original color then individually over-dyed and washed.  Each rug is a canvas in which these artists create these color saturated beauties while retaining the essence of the original design.

On a rainy, grey day like today I could use a little color burst !

My love affair started about 3 years ago when I noticed several at market and purchased one for the showroom.  I have since offered up a few to clients who fell in love with them as well and both chose to use them in their entry foyer.  

I want to go on one of these magic carpet rides !

Time to Change It Up . . . Studio Re-Design for 2014

Hey There . . .

Yesterday a free day, I was in heaven.  The house was clean, the tree was up and decorated, the husband was off playing disc golf.  I got all my thoughts together on the re-design of the showroom at Lucy and Co.  Come early 2014 out goes the old colors and furniture and in comes the new.  A New Year, a New Look, (and a new website . . . it's looking so good).  Lot's of new projects on the horizon.

So, I  drew my inspiration from numerous avenues . . . from recent markets, from new fabrics I have been shown, from art I love, from designers I so admire, from magazines, from fashion, from my giant push pin board and even a little winning designs on Project Runway (one of my favs).   I pulled images from everywhere, took the feel of those images and translated them into a look I love.  Our showroom is there to give my clients inspiration, and most importantly the ability to touch and feel.

This year, I would describe the look as warm, vintage, saturated, cozy, distressed mixed with slick, and a crazy mix of styles and textures.  Take a look at where I drew my inspiration . .  all pulled off my big wall.

Eggplant and Saffron are the direction I want to head mixing in golds and silvers with the ever faithful black, grey and white.

Unique shapes, vintage chairs, over dye, Moroccan and a little mid-century. 

A touch of fuchsia or let's call it Radiant Orchid - Pantone's choice - I like the dirtier version.

Saturated, the look of hand painted, raw silks, shags and velvets.

 . . . and here's how I translated it all into our showroom design . . .

I cannot wait !!  It's all ordered and as soon as I get all my Christmas clients under control it's game on.    That nice little break between Christmas and New Years when all my vendors shut it down, we will be transforming.

Will be showcasing fabrics from Harlequin, Romo, Zoffany, Scion, Osborne and Little, Designer's Guild, Duralee, Highland Court, Clarke & Clarke, Villa Nova and C & C.  New introductions from my favorite rug and furniture vendors as well as custom art, lighting, flooring and tile vendors.  Mekenzie and Keith will be working on a joint show collaborating with mix media and a new custom furniture genius will show off his talents.

Stay tuned . . .

All about the Kids and Spending Time with Bella Tunno

Hi There . . .

I got to thinking about how I started when I was writing about Young House Love  in my earlier post.  Back in 1999 my main focus was kid's rooms and nurseries.  I was really lucky to have been "discovered" so to speak, by Better Homes and Garden's Kids' Rooms magazine.  They kindly published several rooms we designed in several different issues.   Take a look at the first magazine I was ever in back in 2004 - Lucy was only 4 and how cute was she !!

Kid's room and nurseries are the funnest, and while teen girls often give me a visit for help, I am installing several boy's spaces over the next month or so (and who's to say boys don't care about their space, I am here to say they do . . . Asher Eskind !)

Why the trip down memory lane?  Why the post on kid's spaces?  Because kid's are fun and recently at the Lucy and Company Studio, we had a guest  . . .  Michelle Tunno Buelow - creator of Bella Tunno, a baby and children's "necessories" line.  Her team photographed their new 2014 Catalog in our showroom.  Their long time photographer Leslie Hancock and our Mekenzie collaborated to capture inspiring, strong and print worthy looks to showcase their eye-catching designs and colors.

photo by mekenzie france

I so enjoyed meeting Michelle and her team.   Her product line and it's use of color and pattern has always appealed to me.  Bella Tunno is a brand with the perfect combination of sophistication and whimsy.  From their site . . . "We take the necessary child and baby accessories, drench them in function, and dress them in fashion . . " I couldn't have said it better !

Take a glimpse into Michelle's look . . .

I jumped on their instagram pages and grabbed a few images.  They are truly inspired by color and pattern and in their new catalog it's all about saturated color.

They have a fan following that includes many celebrities.  I love that their line was included in Oscar and Golden Globe gift baskets.  Their fans include Jennifer Garner, Gwen Stefani, Robert Downey Jr, Adam Sandler and Courtney Cox to name a few.  The buzz is also out nationally - Congrats !  Michelle and her daughter Riley were on Good Morning America and The Today Show recently. They were proud to share "A New Perspective For Moms." As a full time working mom with a very all consuming (24-7) business, this short video reminded me not to be too hard on myself and know in ways I am not even aware of, I am teaching my girls the value of hard work and following your dreams.

But what I love the most is that Bella Tunno proudly supports drug and alcohol-related education, prevention and rehabilitation programs.  They help single mothers and children through charitable efforts and their philanthropic works support the Matt Tunno Make a Difference Fund by donating a portion of every sale.  A few of the projects the funds have supported are . . .

Let's Make a Miracle Campaign

Charlotte Rescue Mission Dove's Nest Room Sponsorship

Lift up Ellie Fund

Samaritan's Feet

Posh with Purpose

Bella Tunno Believes Safe Journey Scholarship

To read more . . . 

Michelle, her husband Todd and their two daughters Kiley and Ella live in Charlotte and were introduced to me by longtime friend and client Jody Pannell. 

photo by Leslie Hancock

Can't wait to see the images they captured for their new catalog.  It was a baby filled morning at the studio!  Stay tuned, I'll give you a preview of their catalog and jump on their site for the perfect baby gift this holiday !

Spotlight: Young House Love

Morning . . .

I stopped by Paper Skyscraper yesterday, one of my business neighbors on East Boulevard.  Needed a brief break and wanted to parooz their vast and fab selection of books.  Talked to co-owner Ron for a bit about the market and how business was going . .  Not only does my Kate love wandering the aisles, I could spend some major time in there, great finds (voted "Best" by Creative Loafing, Charlotte Magazine and the Charlotte Observer).  Grabbed a few new books including John and Sherry Petersik's (Young House Love) recent book (get your copy here) .

It wasn't that long ago they ventured in my studio and we had the pleasure of meeting. (see their full post here.)  Thanks to them for the kind words . . 

 ". . . . “New we stopped at one of the most amazing and inspiring decor places I’ve ever stepped foot in.  And it just happened to be geared towards kids rooms and nurseries.  But there was nothing cheesy or unsophisticated about it.  Lucy & Co.  was founded by a woman named Beth who adopted her daughter (named Lucy) and was so inspired by children’s spaces that she decided to start her own little design boutique.

And let me tell you, the woman is a genius.  We actually got to hang out with her (and swoon over some photos of her daughter Lucy) and we just couldn’t believe how creative she is.  See the window treatment on the right in the photo on the left behind that amazing butterfly mobile”  It’s actually a simple wooden cornice box that Beth completely covered with rows and rows of white pom-pom trim (you know, the kind you can put on lamps or pillows?).  And she did it all by hand with a regular old glue gun.  Amazing, right?  And let’s turn our attention back to that yellow mobile with that we’re actually going to adapt it in our nursery (using thin floral wire and small blossoms) so stay tuned for that.

We also couldn’t deny that Beth’s bond fabric pairings and murals were pretty darn fantastic.  Check out this painted wall that she created after being inspired by some fabric that she found for that long pillow that rests on the foot of the bed.

And speaking of that long pillow, Beth confessed that she didn’t want to spend a ton of money on that fabric to create a real duvet that she could fold at the foot of the bed so she just made a long plush pillow to act as sort of a faux-duvet.  We actually love this “accident” because we can picture many a child loving that giant pillow (for sitting on the floor and reading, pillow fights, snuggling in bed, etc.)  She’s amazing I tall ya.  Head over to her site to check out more stunning spaces.”

We are also in the same issue of Southern Flourish together

I would love to invite this dynamic due back to the studio.  It has changed a lot.  I started my business focusing on upscale kid's spaces, it was an untapped market and I filled the entire space with color, fun and kid happy ideas.  While the studio has changed it's look, I still love to design kid's spaces.  I generally have the freedom to go a little nuts on color and fun pieces.  

I spend some time reading their book last night . . . I reminded me so much of growing up in a family that flipped houses, and the most crafty cousins ever.  Get your copy, the ideas are endless!