Lamps and Pillows and Art. Oh My!

I love sharing cool products with you and I recently found an e-retailer that carries a fabulous collection of home decor for those with a modern aesthetic. Its Design Public, www.designpublic.com, based in San Francisco. They offer a broad selection of merchandise from furniture and accessories, to bedding, lighting, art, and spectacular pillows. You’ll also love their selection of personal accessories. Ladies, check out the handbags and totes – so cool.

Some of you will recognize the manufacturers and designers, but all of the products Design Public offers are well-designed and well-crafted while being approachable and affordable.

If you ever visit San Francisco, sign up for their weekly “outlet deals.” There are some really good bargains, but the hitch is you have to pick them up in S.F. – no shipping on outlet purchases.

Enjoy!

Gray is the new white…or is it?

There’s a lot of talk out there about gray being the new wall color – replacing white as the neutral. Well, there are grays and there are grays. Where you live – the landscape and climate – will determine what gray – warm or cool; light, medium or dark will work in your home. For example if you live in a climate that has cold winters, or predominately gray skies you’ll want to choose a warmer tone. If you live in a sunny climate or a coastal area, a cool gray might be a better choice. 

Whatever gray you choose, the idea is that walls with color, in most cases, are better than white. White actually creates some pretty harsh contrasts. This is great if you are going for that look, but most rooms benefit for a bit of color. Color adds warmth and depth. Where mix and match furniture can look fractured in a white room, a soft wall color can suddenly pull it all together. So be brave and experiment. It’s only paint.

Norwalk Furniture set to rise again

Many of us were disheartened by the apparent demise of Norwalk – The Furniture Idea. They had been a dependable furniture resource and fixture downtown for the past several years. Well rest easy, after months of the “Liquidation Sale”, Norwalk is set to reopen as Luxe Home Furnishings. Many of the Norwalk retailers have banded together with a restructured and reorganized group of stores. You will see many of the name brands you rely on and a mush improved fabric selection. The Bend store is set to close tonight and reopen on January 28th. I’ll keep you updated with their progress.