decor, Furniture, gifts, Home, Uncategorized

Stayin’ Alive

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Stayin’ Alive

The Whistling Elk celebrated 33 years of “Stayin’ Alive” on May 1st, 2023 having opened the doors in May of 1990!!!

Yeah, I look at it as “STAYIN’ ALIVE” hahaha 33 years – who knew?

It seems incredible to me that so much time has passed, so many things have changed over the years, so many businesses have come and gone, so many economic ups and downs, so many technology changes…remember no computers? remember Y2K, etc. I have so few pictures of the shop back in the beginning because there was no snapping a picture on your phone. Crazy, huh?

I have never deviated from The Whistling Elk’s original business plan which was to provide Home Decor & Accessories, Interior Design and Gifts based on Old World Elegance and Traditions. That’s right, I’ve seen the trends and the fads come and go and stayed away. Why? Because Old World Elegance, Sophistication and Tradition will never go out of style! Nope. It will be STAYIN’ ALIVE forever.

I can’t say I might not have been tempted a time or two….but nah….

Thirty-Three Years…Amazing!! I can’t even count how many happy customers I have had or how many clients I have provided Interior Design Services to — but of course it is all because of THEM and their love of Tradition, Elegance, European Old World Style, and the love of Color and Warmth in their homes.

The Whistling Elk has been recognized not once but twice as one of the 50 Best Home Furnishings Shops in the USA. I am still so very honored by this fact! I have designed rooms at 5 or 6 Designer Show Houses over the years…the most strenuous and challenging of those the Montclair Jr. Leaque Showhouse “Brookwood”.

I totally enjoyed traveling to SHOP High Point, North Carolina and Atlanta, Georgia (twice a year for over 30 years) and of course Paris, France. How much fun was that! So many adventures and stories!

I have seen so many business come and go and who knew that “STAYIN’ ALIVE” meant I would become one of the “oldest” businesses on Main Street? I am so Grateful to my loyal customers for this HONOR.

This year for the Anniversary Sale I am going to do something I have never done before! Thank you for Everything!

THREE DAY 50% OFF SALE

JUNE 2nd, 3rd and 4th

Don’t miss it – Get something Special!

decor, DIY, Furniture, gifts, Home

It’s Finally Here!

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2 days only Saturday, June 3rd and Sunday, June 4th

Our 32nd Anniversary Sale is Finally Here!!!

Hurrah!

This is the best one yet – Don’t Miss It!

Discounts from 20% to 75% off….WOW

Furniture, gifts, Home, Uncategorized

Perhaps the Best Anniversary Sale We’ve Ever Had!!

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Don’t Forget!!!

Monday, May 2nd thru Friday, May 6th – 10 AM to 5 PM

Sale prices from 20% to 75% off

We are stocked with home accessories and gifts!

Come take advantage of this once-a-year event!!

Just a few photos but there is so much more!

Furniture, gifts, Home, Uncategorized

Anniversary Celebration ** Thirty-Two Years!

by elegantparisLeave a Comment on Anniversary Celebration ** Thirty-Two Years!

We are celebrating our 32nd year in business!

We are planning a Special Sales Promotion for our Anniversary which will be held on two different occasions for our customers’ convenience.

SAVE THESE DATES

Monday May 2nd thru Friday May 6th

This will be a week long Celebration for the convenience of our customers who shop during the week.

Saturday June 4th and Sunday June 5th

Our weekend shoppers will enjoy this two-day shopping event!

(of course all of our wonderful customers are invited to both events!!)

There will be lots of in store discounts….and we will be stocked to the ceiling with the elegant, beautiful and stylish home furnishings, accessories and gifts that you have come to expect from us. 

We hope you will join in our Celebration of 32 Fabulous Years and take advantage of these limited Special Sales Promotions!  We only do this once a year!  So mark your calendars and plan to do some serious shopping!

Furniture, gifts, Home, Uncategorized

The Changing Winds of Home Decor

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The Changing Winds of Home Decor

There is really nothing more beautiful to me than the elegance of a room design incorporating  glorious colour and the changing winds of home decor are bringing colour back! 

Warm. Cozy. Timeless

I can’t imagine anything better than that.

home decor, home goods, colour, design
Lovely Florida home by G.P. Schafer featured in Luxe Magazine.

Designers who create rooms incorporating traditional looks with a few clean  contemporary accents or some wonderful vintage or antique pieces take my breath away and make my heart beat.  Beautiful design can always do that to me.

Obviously colour is a major factor in the design of all beautiful rooms.  Although I enjoyed the grey/whites and accompanying pale palette that was trending...it is cold…Brrrh!  I think that everyone staying home during the covid pandemic spent a lot of time looking around and deciding to make some changes in their homes especially related to reintoducing colour…putting the colour revolution on the fast track!

What do you think?  Are you ready to move on to some great color and tradition?  or will you holding on to the cooler palettes?

Change on the wholesale level is already in full swing so you are going to find less of the outgoing trends and colours.  

Have you ever looked for home decor and accents in colors that have recently passed out of favor?  Then you know how hard it can be to find them.  When the market starts to transition it is always wise to finish a room before home accents become  scarce.

 Personally, I am wholeheartedly embracing the return of color!

home decor, home goods, colour
Magnificent beach house foyer by interior designer Jack Philips. Photo by Brantley Photo

I love the way Janelle of Janelle’s Designs made this vanity stand out by incorporating Gold!

home decor, colour, design
A touch of gold on gray makes this vanity stand out! Photographed and Painted by Janells Designs.  You can find Janell on instagram @janellsdesigns

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We Have A Lot To Celebrate So Christmas Came Early

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We Have A Lot To Celebrate So Christmas Came Early

Need Some Joy? We’ve got it stocked up to the ceilings at The Whistling Elk for our official Elegant Christmas Pop-Up Experience. We’re celebrating our recent acknowledgement by the Home Decor Industry as one of 50 best retail shops in the country of 2020 in addition to our 30th Anniversary! Since it feels like Christmas for us, we decided to make it feel that way for our customers, too. No matter what holiday our customers celebrate, we are celebrating you and invite you to join us!

At The Whistling Elk, we have gone crazy over Christmas and decided to celebrate early, and yes, there’s Christmas music to listen to while you shop this week! The entire shop has been transformed into a glistening winter Wonderland… it’s beautiful. Garlands dripping in crystals, oversized ornaments, red cardinals, Mark Roberts Christmas fairies, stocking stuffers, seasonal florals, gifts, and mountains of decor line the shop from front to back. Christmas is a joyful time of year and we decided to tap into that and BRING ON THE JOY NOW!  While we have been working to glam up the shop, customers have been coming in and exclaiming “It’s Christmas – I love it!”.

Come and enjoy the shop and do your Christmas shopping now to gracefully avoid the crowds later in the year! Additionally, we have a special gift for you in recognition of our recent achievements… come soon to get it while supplies last and enjoy The Whistling Elk shopping experience.  See you soon!

coronavirus, DIY, Furniture, gifts, Home, Paint, Uncategorized

2020 Retail Stars Home Accents Today

by elegantparis2 Comments on 2020 Retail Stars Home Accents Today

I am so excited and honored to have received this award for 2020

and for the 2nd time no less!

Read about the 2020 Retail Stars chosen by Home Accents Today 

 

The article gives some background on the list of  50 finalists and some brief descriptions of each business. 

 

The finalists come from across the United States…

although the only one from New Jersey is The Whistling Elk!

 

I am on cloud nine right now! 

 

coronavirus, DIY, Furniture, gifts, Home, Paint, Uncategorized

The Whistling Elk – A 2020 Retail Star!

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The Whistling Elk – A 2020 Retail Star!

Home Accents Today

The Whistling Elk has been named one of the 50 best

home furnishings retailers in the country for 2020!!! 

This is such a wonderful honor especially in the current business environment!

coronavirus, DIY, Furniture, gifts, Home, Paint, Uncategorized

Find a Way to Enjoy The Moment (Staying Home)

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Find a Way to Enjoy The Moment (Staying Home)

Right now I m sitting in the sun which is streaming in through my slider…I have never done this before shockingly !!

The Corona Virus, horrible and beastly as it is, has forced me to stop working 24/7 and slow down and take a little downtime.

I have worked my whole life.  Even when switching jobs I didn’t take time in between.  Since opening my own shop 30 years ago I have worked  the whole time between 6 and 7 days a week.  Sure, I took some amazing ski vacations over the years (at Vail my favorite) but even then I fretted about being away from my business.

Now don’t get me wrong, this virus is a terrible, terrible, terrible thing and I am distressed that people are sick and dying.  They are in my thoughts and prayers every day.

But this “stay at home” order is in some ways a gift that I never asked for and never would ask for.  However, now that I’ve got it I am wholeheartedly enjoying it for  the gift that it is and for what it is worth.  I would never have taken time for myself.

For the first time in my life I have no income stream…none in the forseeable future and can’t even imagine how this will all end…but right now the sun is warm, I have nowhere to go, nothing pressing me, and I feel as though God has given me time to rejuvenate, to plan, to rest, to rethink everything, to enjoy the moment!  I will  trust that he has plan and meanwhile I will not allow this gift to go to waste.

coronavirus, DIY, Furniture, gifts, Home, Paint, Uncategorized

Plus and Minus

by elegantparis1 Comment on Plus and Minus
Plus and Minus

I put together a list this morning of projects that need doing.

I filled an entire sheet.

I posted it and every time I walk by it I think of something else to add.  There are some plusses to being stuck at home. 

Some of the things on the list have been on the back burner for months and perhaps years!

I have decided to make sure that I pick something on that list to complete every day…with that in mind I literally could stay home for a quite a while.

Well, that will take care of some of the time I have on my hands…

I have already discovered this morning that my mind is still creative and fertile…teeming with ideas…mostly how to improve and take my business to the next level…new things I want to do, plans I want to put into action.

It’s almost scary.  Maybe, just maybe, that is why when this is over our economy is going to go nuts….we will all have this pent up creativity and desire to go full steam ahead.

Some things with regard to my business I have already implemented in this new free time I have found myself blessed with.

Minuses, of course, we all know.  We miss each other, we’re a little scared and we can’t wait for it to be behind us.  And, it’s hard stop from eating! 😉

Stay safe, my friends.

Barbara Collins, The Whistling Elk

Barbara

DIY, Furniture, gifts, Home, Paint, Uncategorized

In Times of Stress It’s Good to Have Something You Enjoy Doing

by elegantparis2 Comments on In Times of Stress It’s Good to Have Something You Enjoy Doing

It’s a stressful world right now.

I am always glad that there are certain activities that

keep me busy when stress is in the air…

Wall painting
Faux Painted Wall at The Whistling Elk

pretty black table
Little Black Table at The Whistling Elk

Painting is one such enjoyable and therapeutic activity.

What is Yours?

coronavirus, DIY, Furniture, gifts, Home, Paint, Uncategorized

2020 Retail Stars Home Accents Today

by elegantparis2 Comments on 2020 Retail Stars Home Accents Today

I am so excited and honored to have received this award for 2020

and for the 2nd time no less!

Read about the 2020 Retail Stars chosen by Home Accents Today 

 

The article gives some background on the list of  50 finalists and some brief descriptions of each business. 

 

The finalists come from across the United States…

although the only one from New Jersey is The Whistling Elk!

 

I am on cloud nine right now! 

 

DIY, Furniture, gifts, Home, Paint, Uncategorized

Mark Robert’s 2019 Santas, Fairies and Elves at The Whistling Elk

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Enjoy our little Mark Roberts Video!!

Mark Roberts 2019 Collection of Santas, Fairies and Elves are adorable and available now at The Whistling Elk.

They are a top gift on our 2019 Holiday Gift Guide…Get Yours Today!!

DIY, Furniture, gifts, Home, Paint, Uncategorized

THE WHISTLING ELK 2019 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

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THE WHISTLING ELK 2019 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

Our 2019 Holiday Gift Guide

Throw Blankets

Beautiful, soft, cozy, colorful, elegant and a fashion statement for your home.  You must have at least one!  Ours come in almost every color imaginable.  Wrap yourself up in one!  And give one to all your friends and family!  You will be a hero.

Maison Berger (Lampe Berger)

A big favorite.  An air purifier that perfumes the air you live in!  Beautiful and a real workhorse too!  You will love it…no open flame…and scent all thru your home.

Made in France with that special oohlala elegant scents that only the French can do!  There are also candles, reed diffusers and mist diffusers–you can have it all!!

Sorrelli Jewelry

A family owned company that is all about sparkle!  An extensive collection is available at the shop and we constantly run specials…come see what the latest deal is!  And a hint to all you men out there…this is a winner!

La Vie Parisenne Jewelry

Gorgeous jewelry by French Designer Catherine Popesco.  Antique molds are used to create this line of 14k gold plated and swarovski studded collection!  A must have or a must give!

Mark Roberts 2019 Christmas Fairies and Elves

If you don’t have one you will want one.  The 2019 Collection is beautiful as usual and well appointed as ever.  They will make you smile (or else).  For 26 years a special Christmas offering from The Whistling Elk.

Sloane Fine Tea Merchants

Did you know there was something known as a Tea Sommelier?  Well there is and this line of fine teas was created in Toronto by a Tea Sommelier who is also a trained Perfumist (is that a word?)  Delicious and amazing to both your scent and taste!  You need to try the Heavenly Cream…it’s divine!!! (hahaha really)

A Girl With A Pearl

These are the real thing.  Need a really special Gift…this is it.  Baroque Cultured Freshwater Pearls…beautiful.  Different styles and price points.  A must have for the woman in your life!  Hint, Hint.

Club Bags

The best little bags ever.  They hold your phone (quite comfortably) and have a zippered pocket for your valuable stuff….like lipstick, money $$$, etc.  And did i mention that they are good looking?  Well they are quite fashionable!

Michel Designworks

Going Somewhere?  This company makes Great Hostess Gifts…beautiful, festive and beautifully packaged.  Great price points.  Foaming handsoaps are the best!  But there is more…so much more.

The Whistling Elk is loaded with great gift ideas and decorations for your home.  Your Go-To  shopping  place…Stop and See for Yourself! This little list is just the tip of the iceberg 😉  Trust Me.

 

DIY, Furniture, gifts, Home, Paint, Uncategorized

New Introductions at The Whistling Elk This Summer

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It’s August!  Oh No!

I need to squeeze every bit of summer left out of August!!!

It’s been a good summer though with lots of things happening at The Whistling Elk.

Beautiful Twos Company lanterns
Colorful Lanterns at The Whistling Elk in Chester NJ

We have brought in a lot of new products and there are more coming this Fall.

New and in stock right now…

MICHEL DESIGN WORKS

A beautifully packaged line of everyday fragranced products that are  fabulous for hostess gifts!  The Foaming Hand Soaps are probably my favorite but there are quite a few other items to choose from.

Michel Design Works

The bar soaps are large and the packaging tempts you want to keep them wrapped.  The Soy Candles come in beautiful boxes that you will want to save for keepsakes and everything smells amazing...there are many many scents!

The Hand and Body Lotion contains, of course, Shea Butter and there is also luxurious Shower Gel.

These products are all priced from $11 to $17 so they are perfect for small token gifts or  dare i say…stocking stuffers.

But that is not where Design Works stops….they also have gorgeous kitchen aprons, potholders and tea towels…pillows and scatter rugs!  And, a complete line of melamine platters, plates, bowls and other serving pieces that are colorful, lightweight and,of course, unbreakable!

You will love this line and we are stocked now with more coming for the holidays!

MAISON BERGER

Maison Berger
Maison Berger…new lampes and Diffusers!

Maison Berger is introducing about 80 new products this Fall.   They are expanding the AROMA Collection and introducing new Diffusers and Soy Candles.

Maison Berger Lampes new for the fall
Maison Berger USA at The Whistling Elk in Chester NJ

I LOVE the Aroma Collection…

the scents are complex yet pure – so nice!

There are New Scents and New Lampes and Gift Sets just in time for the holidays.  We are the largest retailer of Maison Berger in New Jersey so you will always find a huge selection of fragrances and lampes every day.  Maison Berger makes such a great gift for everyone, the gift sets are so reasonably priced and now Maison Berger has included a new larger free sample of scent with each gift set….We love Maison Berger!

Of course  we still have all the beautiful, classic home furnishings and accessories that you expect from us!  Come see us soon!

DIY, Furniture, gifts, Home, Paint, Uncategorized

29th Anniversary Party at The Whistling Elk June 1st at High Noon!

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Well, it’s that time of year again when we celebrate

The Whistling Elk Anniversary.  Our 29th!!!

Chester is a wonderful place to be in business and I love all my customers…some of whom have been shopping with me for the entire 29 years!!!!  Amazing and humbling!

We are having a big party on June 1st from noon til 7 pm.

There will be lots of specials, and even some really, really spectacular specials…so save the date and don’t miss it.

Bring a friend.  We have a free gift for our first 50 customers.

The big event of the day is our SORRELLI TRUNK SHOW.

This is a gorgeous new line of jewelry that we just started to carry at The Whistling Elk.

Sorrelli Jewelry
Sorrelli Jewelry

It partners beautifully with our La Vie Parisienne so you can layer everything!  There will be a fantastic discounts on both lines.  Come prepared to be “sparkling” upon leaving!!!!

La Vie Parisienne Jewelry
La Vie Parisienne Jewelry

There will be champagne, and some goodies to eat from Maria’s Coffee Shop….and something special from The Sweet Spot Bake Shoppe….be the first of 50 customers to find out…

 Feel Lucky?  You will get the chance to draw for our many prizes.

See you on June 1st from Noon til 7 pm!

 

Furniture, gifts, Home, Uncategorized

The Changing Winds of Design

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There is really nothing like a beautiful Traditional

room design.

 Warm. Cozy. Timeless.

I can’t imagine anything better than that.

Amazing family room by Alexa Hampton Inc. Love the use of Color!!

Designers who create rooms incorporating Traditional looks with a few clean modern accents or maybe some wonderful vintage or antique pieces take my breath away and make my heart beat.  Beautiful design can always do that to me.

Obviously color is a major factor in the design of the warm, cozy Traditional room.  Although I enjoyed the greys and accompanying pale palette that has been trending...it is cold…Brrrh!  So I am not so sad to see it trending down and away.

What do you think?  Are you ready to move on to some great color and tradition?  or will you be trying to hold on to the cooler palettes?

Once change starts on the wholesale level you will start finding less and less of the outgoing trends and colors.  It takes a little time to transition and longer still for the retail customer to embrace the next trend.

Often customers will look for decorative accessories and accents in colors that have recently passed  out of favor and they become extremely hard to find…sadly I’m sure that on occasion you have experienced this.

When the market starts to transition it is always wise to finish a room before accents become more scarce.

Taken from designer Michael Smith’s book “The Curated House: Creating Style, Beauty and Balance”.

 Personally, I am wholeheartedly embracing the return of color!

 

gifts, Home, Uncategorized

Maison Berger New Introductions at TheWhistling Elk

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One of our favorite products at The Whistling Elk is Maison Berger.  Did you know that we have been selling this fabulous line for almost 20 years and that we have the largest selection of Maison Berger products in New Jersey?

home decor
Lampe Berger Paris

Maison Berger is an air purifier and it works!  It will eliminate bacteria in the air and perfume your home like no other product.  It’s easy to use and the results will impress you!

Maison Berger has many new lampes this year and many new scents.  One of my favorites is the new Pure White Tea.  It’s delicious!

The Whistling Elk Chester NJ
Maison Berger “Pure White Tea” one of the newest scents!

The new “Eclipse” lampe comes in 2 colors and both are packed as gift sets so you get a 180 ml of free scent with the lampe!

air purifier
Maison Berger at The Whistling Elk in Chester NJ

Maison Berger has also introduced Car Diffusers!  They are sleek and attractive, fit to the vents in your car and purify the air!

Many scents are available!

Scent diffuser for the car
Maison Berger for your Car!

You will find these at The Whistling Elk also!

DIY, Furniture, gifts, Home, Paint, Uncategorized

The Doldrums of Winter

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Yup, it’s the doldrums of winter yet again.  Everything feels slower in January but that is really not true.  During and just after Christmas in the shop you are already planning like crazy for the coming year.

In January I always make the trek to Atlanta to shop for Christmas 2019….and for Spring goods that I may have missed when buying in the Summer/Fall for the Spring….confusing but you must do things ahead if you want the best for your customers!  Market is always an amazing whirlwind.

This year my take away from the Market is that COLOR IS BACK!  and Vibrant Color at that!  This is wonderful from a design standpoint.  It will, however, take some time for this to transfer in a big way to the retail market.  Design trends always occur on a curve….slowly up – then strong for awhile – then slowly down and out…..so expect the grey hues to start drying up.

My other reaction to Market this January is that the manufacturers are feeling positive about the economy so they are stepping out of the comfort zone and bringing in more exciting designs…this has been missing from Market for the last several years – and the change is more than welcome!!!  You will love the new fresh variety!

Color in the market was strong in tabletop goods, paintings and artwork, and fabrics!  It made my heart beat!

The Whistling Elk Home Furnishings
A beautiful vibrant change purse – so lovely and happy!

So now that I have made buying decisions for Spring, some Summer/Fall and Winter 2019 I am eagerly awaiting orders to ship in…this is the exiting part.  Selling off the old merchandise (translating to some great deals for my customers), taking in the new purchases and reorganizing the shop to showcase the new looks.

The Whistling Elk Home Furnishings
Lovely Artwork peaceful yet colorful at the same time!

So, long story short, the Winter is really a busy and fun time in the shop!

The Whistling Elk Home Furnishings
a lovely pillow with a Paris theme…of course what else at The Whistling Elk!

The Whistling Elk Home Furnishings
Stilllife – lots of color here!