Chester NJ Retailer of furniture, home accessories, interior design – Maison Berger and Paint Couture!™
What a great week….sunshine & warmth, great food, beautiful sunsets…
A wonderful week cant wait to go back!
A friend was incredulous that i was starting a new business in these turbulent times. It got me thinking….and reminiscing. When i started my first business i really had absolutely no idea what i was getting into (i didnt actually know that at the time…it hit me later when i realized how lucky i was to still be in business). What i do know is that i did follow my heart….and i had a lot of luck!
It took a year of planning and a lot of courage to actually quit my job and head out into the unknown land of no paycheck…and it took an act of fate. That act of fate was a simple thing – a budget revision…but just one too many. I remember marching into the boss’ office and giving two weeks notice. It was a good decision.
At the time it was like opening a door…
A beautiful door to open…
That was 22 years ago and it occurs to me now that i have never looked back. The first business took a full year to plan – this new one took shape almost instantaneously. Oh, my! As to the economic climate….i look at this new business as a way forward, like hedging a bet. The current business will be the incubator but then they will work in conjunction with each other quite nicely.
Just got the new biz card…its so exciting!
Coming Soon!
So I am wrapped up in details as i posted recently but i know that in my mind they are already worked out.
But, i am ready to walk thru another beautiful door….
Source: http://apieceofthesky.tumblr.com
This whole process is an amazing gift. To be immersed in something new is a truly wonderful and rejuvenating experience.
Our “cupcake room” has received a spring update….enjoy!
Makes me want to go home and set the table!
I find myself thinking incessantly about all the details that i have to oversee to accomplish the opening of the new shop, and planning like crazy – writing orders, making timelines, overseeing each piece of the project so no detail gets lost in the shuffle…here are some favorite details of mine.
These two doors are attached to a great console cabinet.
This is a such a pretty stenciled door – i am trying to figure out how to remove it and put it in the new space.
Love the boiserie style molding on the walls!
Source: Veranda Magazine April 2011
Crowning detail on a 9′ bookcase.
Love the way this armoire is painted…completely makes it amazing.
Source: Joanna Innes The New Paint Magic
Love the lacey look of the orchids.
An old shutter nailed to the wall is a great backdrop for this corner.
This vanity is very pretty with a soft muted gold painted molding.
Oh just love this old chandelier and the beaded shades give it just the right touch.
The lionhead gives this old looking urn just a little something more.
Sweet tray of trinkets.
A simple stencil makes this lampshade more special.
This pretty beadingis attached to the most amazing lamp shade.
Hope you enjoyed these details as much as i do!
…the right one is amazing in a room – the crowning glory!
One of my favorite chandeliers…the Mayfair…when we have it in the shop we hang it low for impact. So pretty. The perfect balance of iron and crystal.
Beautiful chairs are a weakness of mine….along with about ten thousand other things. This hancock & moore chair makes me want to curl up with my cup of tea and snuggle with that soft throw.
I think the left side of my brain must look like this inside right now…it’s neatly organized into compartments – Everything looks lovely! But inside the right side…all my plans, ideas, the logistics of the actions required, the supplies etc are all stuffed to overflowing inside those neat little compartments…it must be a mess of chaos!
I am bursting at the seams with excitement about all the things that have to happen to get this new store open – the trick is to keep things on a neat schedule….i cant get ahead of myself. Chaos is good right?
Ok its true that almost every day i have a new favorite color….but right now i am totally in love with Adagio – here’s a brownstone just completed using this beautiful & soothing color and I cant get it out of my mind!
Adagio was perfect – kind of a bluish/gray smokey color! I am going to use it in the new paris boudoir along with harbor haze, pink lace and paper white. Definitely getting the itch to start painting. And, of course there will be lots of 14K gold and warm silver.
The little hancock & moore slipper chair in the foreground is amazing. They came up with this process of metallizing leather and then lazer cutting it. It you run your finger over the leather it shimmers!
Off to continue the planning process!
It’s raining and I am feeling lazy….how bout a quick paris daydream with me?
Ah, now i feel better!
Every design project starts with some kind of a floorplan. It’s like GPS – a guide to your final destination. I find drawing floorplans and elevations to be a relaxing and rewarding pastime and always enjoy the beginning of each new project.
You can draw your own with a few simple tools…a good tape measure (so you can measure your room and draw to scale), a couple of soft-leaded pencils, an eraser and some quarter inch block paper (each block equals 1 foot). Voila! You are ready to have some fun.
Yesterday I spent the afternoon drawing floorplans for the new shop. The one below is a combination floor/elevation plan. Convenient for seeing everything all in one place…sort of informal but succinct and to scale with a laundry list of items needed to complete the project.
If you like to paint its fun to paint these in the colors you will be using. Off to work now! The sun is out so it will be a busy day! Have fun.
Boiseries make my heart beat…I love looking at beautiful rooms with boiserie panels and intricate appliques and moldings.
These doors are amazing!
I can see that my cabinet maker is going to be busy making me some moldings for our Paris Boudoir….he does beautiful work – you can check it out by clicking the Facebook link on the sidebar. The album has about 30 pictures of work we’ve done. And soon it will contain pictures of the work he is doing for the Paris Boudoir!
Meanwhile more amazing fabrics showed up today in the mail….here’s my faves.
this last fabric is a sheer and is going to make some amazing shades!
Have a great evening!
I found so many beautiful fabrics for the Paris Boudoir that it is overwhelming. I decided that money was no object and so selected every fabric that made my heart beat! Most are silks…and the trims are just amazing.
I find that photographing fabrics never does them justice….but i tried…some of these fabrics will comprise the bedding, draperies, swags, skirts and pillows. Here’s some trims laid out on my antique danish oak desk. Some of these beauties will make it into the final mix!
Each day is one closer to the grand opening!
I think that sometimes adversity sharpens our creativity. Surprisingly this long, cold winter has actually been an inspiration for me. Maybe my present surroundings had something to do with it too….here’s a few rooms I love and that may have inspired me to take the steps I have planned…
This is a our “tea party” room in my shop – The Whistling Elk. I love the soft colors, the flowers and the pretty little tufted settee. Here’ s a few more of my favorites.
This fall I will be opening a new little shop…The long, cold winter was a kind of gift that provided me with the time to plan all the details for this vintage style furnishings shop.
It’s all on paper…so now the fun begins…selecting the actual colors, fabrics and trims, furniture and little trinkets to make it a reality. Yesterday I spent the day in New York selecting fabrics and trims! It’s all very exciting and makes the winter just a memory…
The Whistling Elk 
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