I have been awaiting this particular art shipment for over two weeks. It was on the road for almost a month….which is very scary…But it is all perfect!
So very happy it’s here!
Right now it is leaning just about everywhere in the shop!
There is so much beauty here…landscapes, geometrics, bath prints, amazing fleur de lis wall sculptures, florals, still lifes and more.
florals and damask patterned printsgorgeous chandelier printart at the whistling elkstilllife/landscapefleur de lis
A Flying Pig even came along with this order….he has an amazing Swarovski crystal crown too!
He is nestled in behind the embellished candlestick below…
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…
lots of great bath pieces!
Last week my fall clothing line arrived and it is spectacular! Lots of great fabrics and styles and lots more leggings this year!
Lots of fabrics! Scarves, ponchos, sweaters, vests, tunics, and lots and lots of leggings!
Our Lampe Berger is STOCKED…and there are many new gift sets at great values and some beautiful new lampes!
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!
Our newest “Lady” – beautiful…but we have the Lady in Black too…Gorgeous Giglee at The Whistling Elk, Chester NJGiclee Still Life (part of a set of 4)Wall Art Arrivals at The Whistling Elk (these frames are distressed gold)Floral with Swarovski crystalsWine Labels – Set of 4Eiffel Tower with Swarovski crystalsTuscan Scene – this is a canvass wrapTea Anyone? Love this one!
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!
This pretty piece of art makes me smile in its simple beauty – its a giclee so there is no glare of glass and I think that makes it easier to appreciate!
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!
This pretty print is embedded with jewels that sparkle and add to the beauty of the print – there is a companion print “madame”Love the Colorful aspect of these bath prints! There are 4 in the collection – all beautifulThis chandelier print has a companion print that showcases a different chandelier. Together in a Dining Room they would be spectacular.
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.
This wall has some many pretty pictures on it – all very different and yet all working together to form a lovely picture. The one in the middle is actually a mirror distressed and detailed with reverse painting on glass so it is reflecting the other side of the shop!A pair of pictures that work in the kitchen, butlers pantry or breakfast room…they each have a mate (not shown here)There are four of these pretty ballerina prints….all different poses studded with jewels.I love these – they are so elegant and look very old…I like to think some ancestor of mine lived in one of these castles. There are 3 different castle prints – all beauties.There is some diversity on the wall but it works in that all is beautiful!
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.
It’s hard to believe that 25 years ago just about this time I was collecting merchandise in my garage in preparation to taking possession of my first shop location in Chester on May 1st, 1990. It has been a wonderful 25 years and I have hundreds of photos taken of the shop over the years. So take a walk with me down M.E.M.O.R.Y. L.A.N.E…
The first home of The Whistling Elk was at 9 Main Street, Chester. I hung a lace ceiling in this shop…it had a really ugly ceiling and the lace really improved it but I still had to cut holes in the lace for the air conditioning vent… It was a small shop just three rooms in 800 square feet. In those early days I remember that we sold a huge amount of silk flowers and vines.
A Customer and I standing in the front room of the shop at 9 Main Street, Chester NJ in the early 90s.
Sadly, I don’t have a lot of pictures of the 9 Main Street Shop – this was before cell phone cameras…gosh I didn’t even have a computer then!! This location had two entire walls of windows…no where to hang anything…hmmm that must have been tough for me!
Here’s a few more shots of The Whistling Elk at 9 Main Street.
Looking out toward Main Street in the first Whistling Elk location at 9 Main StreetThe Whistling Elk 25 years ago
Below is a shot taken at a Showhouse that we were invited to participate in – early 90’s. We painted Adirondack chairs for the pool area which was surrounded by a beautiful garden of rhododedrons…the chairs were painted a light blue to reflect the blue of the pool and had beautiful purple rhododendrons painted across the backs. It was a pretty effect!
Showhouse in Clinton – Pair of Adirondack Chairs Painted for the Pool Area
Two years after I opened The Whistling Elk 44 Main Street became available and I was able to secure that wonderful location. 44 Main Street was about double the size of the 9 Main Street shop. This move entailed moving about 60 feet from the end of Main Street closer to the center of town.
I remember selling an iron canopy bed because someone drove by as we were walking the headboard down the street to the new shop. We were selling a tremendous number of beautiful hand wrought iron beds at the time. The iron beds were probably among the first larger pieces of furniture sold at The Whistling Elk.
Here’s a shot of the front of the 44 Main Street shop. On this particular evening in 2009 we were hosting our Charity Evening.
We rolled out the red carpet for the 2009 Charity Eventour mantel at 44 main street decorated for Christmas 2009
I remained at 44 Main Street for 21 years – it changed sizes a couple of times over that period going from 1800 to 3000 square feet. During that time we sold oh-so-many furniture lines along with accessories, artwork and mirrors and lighting. Many lines we still sell today. Sadly, some important vendors were lost due to the recession over the last 6 years. We are always adding new lines though so things are never dull at The Whistling Elk!
We have participated in many showhouses over the years…here’s a Showhouse photo taken sometime in the 90’s at a showhouse in Chester. The room was a garden room..I think it was called “Holiday in Paradise”…as I recall the event was in December.
I used a mop and a bucket of watered down green paint to swab the walls of this room…I was going for a watered silk look. The walls had cracks all over and I didn’t want to repair them so I used a feather to enhance and make them look like cracked marble. This was my second showhouse but it was the first time I did a whole room.
I regret that I have no pictures of the beautiful showhouse that I did with Patty Fastook a few years later called Brookwood…in Montclair. It was a spectacular room but somehow I lost the disk that housed the photos…*sigh*
A Showhouse on Main Street in Chester….I remember this was a garden room with a lovely fireplace…it was cozy and very pretty.
Here are some shots of some of the beautiful merchandise that flowed through the shop over the last 25 years….
JM Paquet Sofa and Ottoman 2005 – Sadly this company went out of business in 2008…I carried them for many years and they made the most beautiful sofas!This was another JMPaquet sofa….used in a styling photo for advertising the Elk…We still carry many of the merchandise lines shown in this photo from the year 2000.This was one of several Showhouses that we have participated in over the last 25 years! This room was titled “My Sister’s Bedroom and the showhouse was in Lafayette, NJ.Vanity in “My Sister’s Bedroom” at the Lafayette Showhouse….one of several showhouses we participated in over the years.This is the bedroom at 44 Main Street…the walls were the most beautiful shade of purple called “Bonne Nuit” or Good Night….we always had gorgeous bedding at the shop and still do!
and by contrast here is the bedroom at 50 Main Street Today!
Below…our custom cabinetry model….a beautiful bookcase over cabinets with slider to hide the TV…we moved this piece from 44 Main Street and had it re-built into the 50 Main Street shop.
Hancock & Moore Sofa and in the background our custom built in bookcase over cabinets. We have built many custom pieces for customers over the years.
We had a lot of room at the 44 Main Street location so we had up to 9 sofas on the shop floor all the time…this is a beautiful Hancock and Moore sofa…and it looks beautiful in front the model of our custom cabinetry. We still carry Hancock and Moore and Caracole sofas today although it is definitely harder to display them! We are still creating beautiful custom bookcases and furniture for our customers today also.
Another gorgeous, made in America, sofa by hancock & moore…and a gorgeous Textillery throw…still carried today.A beautiful Habersham buffet and the carpet is Loloi….gorgeous.
Ah! and PARIS…who could forget our fabulous shopping trip to Paris and Les Puces de St. Ouen….we brought back so many beautiful pieces for the shop!
I still dream about all the beautiful items we had to leave behind at the Paris Flea Markets because there just wasn’t a container large enough (or a wallet for that matter) to bring them all back to the shop…
Early 19th Century Bronze Sconce – I brought back a pair of these from the Paris Flea Market
Then a little more than 2 years ago we moved again! This time the move was about 20 feet into the building right next to our old location at 44 Main Street.
I feel very blessed that I still see customers today at the 50 Main Street location who started shopping The Whistling Elk at the 9 Main Street store 25 years ago!!
Wow, that amazes me and I am so appreciative for the support of the community and also the whole state…and beyond! Customers come from all over New Jersey as well as from New York, Pennsylvania and as far as California & Europe! It even seems when people move they don’t forget you – they stop by and shop when they are back visiting…even when they have left the country!
Here are some shots of the 50 Main Street Location of The Whistling Elk…and I am not moving again!
The Whistliing Elk Chester NJ
You will still find lots and lots of amazing home accessories at the 50 Main Street shop!
A shot of 50 Main Street around Jan. 2013…
We still carry sofas….the Caracole line is one of our favorites with great quality and fair prices – although we don’t always have room on the shop floor for one. This was one that we did squeeze in!
Home Accessories at The Whistling ElkJan 2013 – Just moved into 50 Main Street…Lady in RedSpring flowers, Jewelry, Lovely ArtArtwork, Mirrors & Clocks
Over the years many merchandise lines have come and gone. There are some some products that we have carried for a very long time. Like Kennebunk Weavers (our famous throw blankets) – 25 years! and Mark Roberts Fairies – 20 years and Lampe Berger – 17 years! We still love them today!
The Whistling Elk Home Furnishings stocks beautiful throwsLampe Berger at The Whistling Elk in Chester NJMark Roberts Peace on Earth Fairy – I think he is my all time favorite!
Our Paint Couture!™ line of furniture and cabinet paints and glazes is new for us…and have been a wonderful addition to The Whistling Elk along with our Paint Workshops. Painted furniture though is something that has always graced the shop floor at The Whistling Elk…we were painting back in the 90’s when we opened!
Paint Couture Products at The Whistling Elk in Chester NJ
I am also humbled by the 2007 Award the shop received – “one of 50 Stellar Stores – Nationwide from Home Accents Today Magazine. That was an honor I never saw coming but it was sweet. Here’s the link 50 Stellar Stores Nationwide in 2007 – Here’s a little bit about that from the press release at the time…
“CHESTER SHOP NAMED ONE OF TOP 50 RETAIL STORES
Chester, New Jersey – The Whistling Elk has been named one of Home Accents Today’s “50 Retail Stars” by editors of the premier trade magazine for the home accents industry. The Retail Stars List recognizes enterprising home accents retailers who are experiencing success in their respective markets with innovative strategies and creative merchandising while maintaining a strong presence in their communities.”
Very cool for The Whistling Elk!! One of my prouder moments!!
One thing is for sure…you will always find casual elegance at The Whistling Elk – It is interesting to me that in all this time I have never really changed my focus which was to provide “…distinctively different home furnishings and accessories…with an elegant European flair.”
Well, today I received a much anticipated shipment of new art! I have been waiting for it to arrive for about 2 weeks (chewing my fingernails off actually). One of the pieces (the Lady in Black) is sold and I wanted it to show up for my customer who wanted it for Christmas…talk about cutting it close!
I am so relieved that it is here for her!
Below is a sampling of the artwork…the Lady in Red is a new giclee that I have not had before…she is beautiful and the red is vibrant!
Lady in Red
Here’s the Lady in Black….she is sooo beautiful…but say goodbye because she will be leaving tonight!
Lady in Black
The Lady in White in the photo below is another new girl…
She has the most beautiful crystals in her dress! Gorgeous!
Lady in White
Sorry about the reflection of legs in the photo…(heehee)….I took these in a hurry! The background is actually a very lovely brown/gold haze.
I still love the Tuscan art….so there is some of that too! This a a lovely earthy giclee that draws you right in to the alley…it’s quite large…35 by 47 long.
Tuscan Alley
A set of two beautiful French Gates….here’s one.
French Gate with Crystals
Quite a few smaller prints which are very elegant…
Collage of French SymbolsRecessed Print with Damask MatElegant Bath Scene with Tub and Chandelier
Enjoy! and come by to see it all in person…it’s much more beautiful than my quick photographs make it appear!
I love gorgeous artwork…the framed giclee in the background of this picture just arrived at The Whistling Elk.
I want to climb into the picture and sit at the table sipping wine…
Provencal Maison
Come see this piece in person – its 48″L x 38″h and will make a design statement wherever you hang it..you will love the way the light plays over the front of the maison…beautiful!
We have lots of other artwork as we just received a shipment last Friday…hurry though because it goes fast!
Here’s another teaser photo…these two are smaller giclee prints and feature lovely soft pale watercolors…
Even a little inconsequential corner at The Whistling Elk can be turned into a pretty niche with some art, lighting and home accessories! You can do the same in your home with the right home accents and some imagination!
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