Chester NJ Retailer of furniture, home accessories, interior design – Maison Berger and Paint Couture!™
Well, last week the Mark Roberts Fairies arrived on the scene! As always they are adorable. We have a selection out now for your viewing pleasure!
This year Mark has introduced some new elves and they are beautiful! They have weighted feet so they can stand alone anywhere which makes them even more fun. Lots of great detail!
There are a couple of girl fairies again this year…this is Joyous Christmas and she has the most amazing skirt!
They are out now! Come and see and choose yours!
Wow, another year has come and gone at The Whistling Elk.
We have just entered our 29th year in business!!
So very soon now we will be celebrating our 28th Anniversary. Watch for our posts letting you know what our special plans are…coming soon!
I still love what I do after all these years!
You will also find thoughtful gifts! In addition to Lampe Berger Paris there is Bedford Cottage Throws, exquisite French Jewelry, Sloane Fine Teas and much more! And don’t forget we sell Paint Couture…a fantastic choice for creating amazing furniture and cabinet finishes.
I have just returned from shopping for 2018…
There are lots of great new gift items, accent furniture, artwork, rugs and more! It was so much fun finding great pieces for you!
We are in our 28th Year in Chester of bringing your style, beauty and affordability!
There is so much beauty here…landscapes, geometrics, bath prints, amazing fleur de lis wall sculptures, florals, still lifes and more.
Wow, I guess moving really did affect me! I just realized that I have not posted to the blog in over 5 months! Oh My! But life at The Whistling Elk continues…
The Fall and Christmas season has passed…I made my annual January trip to Atlanta to buy goods for 2017…and have already received several shipments from those orders placed in January…
As always it is so exciting to receive new goods. Always a fresh start and a new perspective! And this year will not disappoint. So, come and visit The Whistling Elk soon because we are already showing new pretty stuff!!
Here’s a little preview:
Well, I sold my home and moved to a new one. That is a pretty short sentence but it says a lot and the whole process put me in a funk….so much work! I feel like I fell asleep in March and woke up in August…sigh…
But I am done with that…The Moving Funk is over NOW!
I love my new home, it’s relatively “put together”…at least as much as I plan to do until I live there a little and see what is what. Meanwhile the shop waits for no man….and fall is coming! That means that lots of trucks are rolling in with all kinds of great merchandise and the shop is brimming with wonderful pieces.
Art arrived yesterday, lots of it! Here’s a little sneak peak…
Last week my fall clothing line arrived and it is spectacular! Lots of great fabrics and styles and lots more leggings this year!
Our Lampe Berger is STOCKED…and there are many new gift sets at great values and some beautiful new lampes!
…They ask this when they are standing in my shop amidst the furniture and home accessories that are displayed in The Whistling Elk.
I usually just shrug off this question because I have never really thought much about it – until recently…you see I just sold my home. A short few words but a lot of meaning!
Taking stock and packing I realized just how consistent I really am…there is a resemblance in that I really love to be surrounded by beauty. I guess if I am one thing…that is…Consistent !!
I have lived in my home for 28 years…it feels like a part of me. It always felt good just to be there. Over the years I have brought home pieces that I loved and integrated them into the mix. Some things came and went while others I cannot imagine parting with ever.
My list of belongings reads like a list of the companies that I have done business with over the years in the shop.
I have a J.M. Paquet sofa…they are out of business now being one of the ones to go early in 2008. but the sofa lives on and when the time comes I will have it reslipcovered yet again. Its so comfortable and I still love it so it will go with me to my new home.
My Habersham buffet is another piece that I love. It makes me happy every time I just look at it. It houses my grandmothers dishes which will be going to my niece for safekeeping. The buffet though goes with me. The savonnerie carpet is from Feizy…and it was chosen because…well, I just fell in love with it.
I love this room and have spent many, many hours here! The mantel I bought when a 1890’s home in New Brunswick was demolished. It was a wreck all chipping and dirty. I took my hand sander and sanded all the dirt and loose paint off and then had it attached to the wall.
Since I have always wanted to live in an old fieldstone house I mimicked that with the faux painted fieldstone wall on which that mantel is mounted. I loved this look and am sorry to leave it behind. I guess I will have to paint a new wall!
Another favorite room is the Master Bedroom…and Master Bath off of it…
I purchased a really crummy pair of shutters and nailed them to the wall on either side of a large window and it created just the right look to go with the Dutch Caribbean bed. I cannot remember the name of the company that this bed came from but it is solid hand carved mahogany.
The beautiful painted lingerie chest fit just perfectly in the corner of the room…it’s shape is what makes it special. It’s rounded across the front. It came from RH Home…they were a California company which is also gone. Sadly.
The walls I faux painted to resemble my take on old crumbling Italian walls…and you can’t see it in the picture but on the wall at the foot of the bed is a huge 5 foot x 4 foot picture of a hotel on Lake Como Italy which I have to say I loved waking up and seeing every morning. Perfect way to start the day!
The Linen Press next to the bed is an antique piece from England circa 1880…my niece will be picking up this piece tonight and it will go to live in her bedroom. It came from a company called ARK Antiques which is also out of business…so many great companies over the years have come and gone. Sadly our economy is not good for small business these days.
I really got fanciful with my master bath. The Alma Slade draperies are chenille and were perfect with the colors in the Nourison carpet. But my favorite piece is the Danish Vanity from ARK Antiques…circa 1910. So pretty! And of course I just had to have a little vintage chandelier in there…Right? Absolutely!
I have a thing about old doors and I managed to get my fix with that too in the dining room where I leaned two heavy old French doors to flank a 3 panel screen…an oil from Andrew Kolb & Sons depicting a hillside village in Italy. That’s the only non-bling (Stone County Ironworks) chandelier I own over that table!!! I always meant to hang some crystals on it…
So I guess this is my tribute to my pretty little home that I am leaving behind. I will miss it. A little place always filled with light from all the large windows. But I am also so excited to start over and to what I am going to create next!
Over the years one tends to “adopt” great pieces…
This pretty antique vanity originated in Denmark and is circa 1910…
It’s been with me for 10-15 years and now it can be yours!
Yup, it’s in the shop and up for grabs…
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Shopping for the store is a lot of fun but I have to admit it is even more fun when the merchandise actually starts to flow in and you open everything up and feel like you are getting presents!
This week a bunch of cute little chandeliers arrived! They are small so are good for powder rooms or as pendants over a table or island….all sparkly and pretty!
A lot of vintage pieces showed up last week….I love the soft colors!
There is so much more! You have to come visit…and of course there is more coming!
He is waiting for you! Meet him inside The Whistling Elk….now!
I am so grateful that there was not torrential rain and only a little wind today…
I received a shipment of mirrors…mostly oversize…and of course had to unpack outside in the cold and drizzle…
Carrying mirrors this big in wind is like having a sail…haha! Not fun!
The mirrors are all beautiful though and they are all in one piece safe and sound now inside The Whistling Elk.
I am finally warming up! It took almost all day to unpack these and dispose of all the packing material. The mirrors are dispersed around the shop and now the wind can whip up all it likes!!
Each mirror has a gorgeous rich finish and will add elegance to any room you hang it in!
The latest shipment of artwork came yesterday. There were two boxes (one of them over 6′ high) on a big skid….it was a hot day to contemplate opening that much freight.
But as always when I started to take out all the different pieces of artwork I got excited because it was all beautiful and nothing was broken…that in itself was a miracle since this particular shipment was actually on the road for 20 days. So now there is lots of beautiful artwork again at The Whistling Elk!
Here’s a sampling of some of the pieces that arrived…come check them out…there’s more!
Walls are a big part of your home…and your home décor plan should include lots of beautiful artwork on the those walls.
We’re doing our part at The Whistling Elk! We have shipments of beautiful wall décor every other month! This month we brought in a double shipment so there are over 45 new pieces in the shop. Come check it out and spruce up your home décor!
A shipment of art just arrived late yesterday afternoon. After the initial flurry of activity required to take in the shipment, unpack it and examine it then price it….I got to thinking of how the walls of a room define the space within it and how decorating the walls brings the room to life and enhances and complements the other furnishings.
I began thinking about how certain pieces of art just make your heart beat…and how the enjoyment of looking at them directly contributes to your feeling of well being and enjoyment in your home!
So on that note I am excited to share a few pictures of some of the art that came in….its a diverse collection this time…mostly smaller pieces but all beautiful. Maybe one or two will touch your heart and will take its place in your home!
We have some elegant crowns right now too…couldn’t resist putting one in the vicinity of this print….they just seem to resonate! The Chandelier print is studded with little amber crystals.
There are more beautiful pieces in the shop so stop by and see what catches your eye!
Our artwork is always elegant, always beautiful and always 20% off every day.
I love tea!
I love not only the taste of a delicious tea but the whole ritual!
In this crazy world there is nothing better than to brew some tea, wait while it steeps, and then pour it from a pretty teapot into a pretty cup! and of course you should do this while relaxing in your beautiful home!
I know you think you don’t have the time. Well, I say make the time – you will be the better for it. Sip it slowly and enjoy the whole ritual. I admit it took me a while to get the hang of it but now I look forward every morning and evening to my private little ritual that relaxes me and helps me to remember what life is really all about.
I did a lot of research on Tea as I was looking for a new line to sell in my shop…and what I found is outstanding! Sloane Fine Tea Merchants. It wasn’t easy as they are in Toronto and I am now actually their first customer in New Jersey. It’s a little tougher to import product…I haven’t done a lot of that in my shop – but if you give it a try you will agree – it is worth it!
Here’s what they say about their Tea :
“The tea in your cup is a result of a delicious journey. At Sloane Tea Company we traverse the world in search of only the finest teas that would delight even the most discerning of palates.
The Sloane story is about beauty. Beauty as told through the senses of taste, smell and sight. Beauty as experienced through the remarkable taste of our teas, as well as the beauty of the colour in your cup and the enticing fragrance of our perfumed teas. Sloane’s signature line of teas and tisanes (herbal teas) combine the finest loose leaf teas, exotic ingredients and artisanal techniques.
Each Sloane Tea is individually sourced. Chosen from hundreds of tea gardens, Sloane Teas are carefully processed using centuries old artisanal techniques. Our scented and blended teas are custom created by our own team of Certified Tea Sommeliers and culinary experts. As part of the development of our products, we have consulted with the Maître Nez (Head Nose) of one of France’s foremost perfumeries and trained at the Studio Des Fragrance in Grasse, France.”
The tea is absolutely delicious! My favorite right out of the gate was the Heavenly Crème – I am already addicted to it. It really is heavenly. And then I enjoyed it so much I already ran out!!!! So I decided to try the Jasmine Pink Lemonade and I have to say I love it also and for me that is saying a lot. As a general rule before sipping this tea I would have said “No Thanks…I just don’t like green teas” but I was wrong – this one is delicious! It’s blended white and green tea and one of Sloane’s “Signature” blends. It has the sweetness of fresh jasmine and an unforgettable pink grapefruit finish…and it is superb as an iced tea also! I have been drinking it both hot and cold and look forward to it almost as much as the Heavenly Cream….you simply must try these teas!
So now that I have found these delicious teas from Sloane, I am stocking them and found that I wanted to sell a delicious honey to use with them. So again I have done exhaustive research and found some sources of Raw honey which I will also be stocking. For the teas I love the Star Thistle Raw Honey the best because it has a very subtle flavor and doesn’t interfere with the flavor of the tea…but I have many varieties of raw honey available now:
Star Thistle, Orange Blossom, Wildflower, Bamboo, Buckwheat, and Clover….all Raw and delicious! And there will be more….
Ohh, and of course you must drink your tea from a beautiful cup…
At The Whistling Elk you will find not only home furnishings and accessories but also lots of other products to enhance the way you live your life! We believe your home should be your sanctuary…that is one reason why I love our Tea products! They will be in good company with our other home products like our Lampe Berger! Come in an see what is new! It’s our 25th anniversary this year! and we are celebrating!
La Maison Gray has joined our product mix at The Whistling Elk.
Linen Sprays are available in 6 fragrances and Soy Candles in the same fragrances help you layer scent in a room. I really like the way the candles come in simple jars with screw on caps…it keeps them clean and neat! Sometimes I just take the cap off and let the scent breathe…it’s a pleasure without even lighting it!
The candles are a wonderful size to travel with….you know for giving your hotel room a lovely scent…making you feel at home. So easy to throw in your luggage…
Linen Spray has always been one of my favorite things…such a simple pleasure. There is just nothing better than snuggling down into your comfy bed amidst lovely fragrance.
I like to spray down the bed when I make it up in the morning….so when I turn down the covers in the evening the lovely fragrance is soft and inviting!
The packaging on these products is beautiful and the prices are very reasonable – making this a great gift!
The Whistling Elk 
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