The seasons are changing…time for cozy details at home

It’s that time of year when having a throw blanket to curl up with is really important.

I love piling up a group of  throws in soft, natural colors with some of our custom pillows –

It’s hard to resist going by this chair without stroking the throws which do not disappoint!

They are soft & luxurious – so cozy!

kennebunk weavers throws

The iron canopy bed in our Bonne Nuit colored bedroom is virtually packed with custom made pillows…

Textillery throw blankets are piled here…they are acrylic chenille and just exquisite.

I have several at home and can’t bear to actually use them – I just love to drape them everywhere – ooh la la!

custom pillows, bedding and draperies

Below a gorgeous purple silk drapery embroidered with sprigs of leaves shimmers with a reddish tinge when you move it…

a fabulous multi-colored bullion adorns it as it hangs over the entrance doorway to this bedroom.

I love the way the ready made 100% cotton organdy embroidered floral drapes hang on the other side of the doorway

creating a multi-layered elegance and depth – very pleasing to the eye (mine anyway).

ready made drapes

Both The Whistling Elk and Little Paris are ready for season change…are you?

Say hello to my latest Annie Sloan Chalk Paint project

Say hellooooo to my latest painting project…

painting with annie sloan chalk paint

This little wine cabinet is my paint project for the next couple of days.

It’s really cute but i am going to make it even cuter!

Stay tuned for the results….

Purple Just Feels Like Bling

Lampe Berger is one of our favorite things…

Lampe Berger at The Whistling Elk

and what could be prettier than purple?

Not only do we love the scents but they add to any room design….

Feels like bling – I want one!

The Beginnings of our Christmas Bling

Little by little the Christmas Bling is creeping into the shop!

Whistling Elk christmas

It begins by  mingling with our home accessories..

christmas decorations at the whistling elk

this will continue for the month of October!

Gifts and Decorative Accessories Interview with The Whistling Elk

The Whistling Elk

We  just got written up in Gifts & Accessories Magazine….

Check it out!

here’s the link  http://www.giftsanddec.com/article/555546-The_Gifted_Retailer_The_Whistling_Elk.php?intref=sr

Chester, NJ Craft Show!

christmas goodies
christmas preview

Getting ready for the Craft Show in Chester, NJ this weekend.

At The Whistling Elk – we always put a little Christmas out….a preview of what’s to come.

Christmas
The Whistling Elk in Chester NJ

Of course we are stocked full of design ideas, home decor.  Little Paris is all decked out too.

clock

We have a large selection of great clocks right now…

craft show goodies

Bobeches, candlesticks, little fleur de lis ornaments and golden crowns….

so many little treasures!

fleur de lis and tassels
clocks

Here’s our clock wall!

this is my 22nd craft show weekend….wow!

clocks

I love glittery trees and jeweled frames…so we have plenty!

But we still have a lots of italian frames, little books and pretty flowers…something for everyone.

italian frames

A beautiful new ottoman just showed up this morning…the trucker brought it in the pouring rain.  That was fun!

It’s so cute with little french legs – ooh la la!

schnadig ottoman
Schnadig Beau Banc Ottoman

L O V E !!!

Love at first sight

I fell in love with this little table while out searching for antiques….

Its not old – just cute with great character!  It’s oval about 16 x 12 and was already painted with Annie Sloan Paris Grey.  It also has a marble top – black with a little pink and grey.

As soon as i saw it i knew i was going to paint and gild it!  It was just a matter of what color…

annie sloan chalk paint
oval table detailed with annie sloan chalk paint

So naturally i did paint it – it wasnt even in the shop for 24 hours before it got a makeover!

So here “she” is wearing some Annie Sloan Henrietta over Paris Grey….and then rubbed with some silver gilding wax and some kings gold gilding wax.

Voila, so Little Paris!

annie sloan paint
oval table with annie sloan paint

Here’s some detail shots…who said you cant mix silver and gold accents????

gilding wax
oval table rubbed with silver and kings gold gilding wax
oval table
oval table paris grey and henrietta

It’s important to remember that you dont have to paint perfectly – when you are distressing it gives you a certain lattitude to be a little free…

I am so enjoying painting!  I had forgotten how much fun it is and what a great creative outlet is can be.

Attention to D-E-T-A-I-L

Still playing with the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint….

or maybe i should say still having fun with….

 Since i was not busy today and had some Gilding Wax I decided to play a little

so i used it on this small table as an accent color

and it turned out just lovely….

occasional table with gold accents
Gilding Wax kings gold on table

First i made a plan by looking the table over and deciding which architectural design details I wanted to call attention to.

Then I just worked in the gilding wax with a little stiff brush.

It was actually a very simple way to enhance the design of this table.

table with gilding wax edges

the table was already painted an antique white and distressed so all it needed was the gilding wax

to make it complete!

Then of course, once you start painting and you have the paint open it just naturally follows that you look around for something else to paint

So with wax open and a little sample of the Louis Gold Annie Sloan Chalk Paint i

decided to paint two little frames that had nice architectural details but were kind of boring in that they were both just a flat grey.

gilding wax on frame
frame with gilding wax brushed on edges

So i just brushed some gilding wax on it using a dry brush technique.  The gold just accentuated all the detail!

Gilding wax on frame
Frame painted with Annie Sloan Louis Gold Chalk Paint and Gilding Wax Kings Gold Accents

I decided to paint the inside area of this frame with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint – Louis Blue.

Then i dry brushed the edges with the Kings Gold Gilding Wax.

This one is my favorite – it looks so soft and elegant!

Frames
Frames painted with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and Gilding Wax

A little paint, attention to detail and elbow grease (very little in this case) and these frames have a whole new look!

Antique Table with refractory leaves has beautiful surface grain

this is the beautiful table that i was using for a cash wrap prior to the kitchen island showing up yesterday…

it is probably a crime that i was using this amazing piece for my desk.

it was always loaded with paper and catalogs and being used to wrap gifts….

i certainly did not do it justice.  it needs to sit majestically somewhere….a treasured piece of home decor!

quarter sawn oak top table
refractory table antique circa 1880

Now it will have a new life…

I have cleaned it off and placed it on the sales floor with its very own chair…i Brie waxed the top so it gleams.

the top grain is so beautiful and though it may be old it still looks amazing.

The legs make a  spectacular architectural statement too.

the table opens from 57″ to 110″  – its refractory leaves pull out of each side with a gentle tug

 it’s really just too pretty!

just the kind of piece an interior designer could build a room around!

Its the kind of once in a lifetime piece that i really wish i could just take home!

antique refractory table

it is an antique circa 1880 and i bought it for the shop because i thought the graining of the wood top

was the prettiest i’d seen…and i still love it!

antique table circa 1880

Nobody is allowed to put anything more on it!  (i think that means me).

  I just want to admire it while its still here!

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint – the marathon continues

This little table had a dark wood top…it really had style with those cute legs so I decided to just paint the top with some Annie Sloan Pure White.

I left the legs the way they were – so here is the table with the Pure White on it.

Chaulk Paint
Table with Annie Sloan Pure White top

I waxed it with the clear wax and then applied a little dark wax then distressed it.

Last i hit it with some of the gilding wax then distressed it some more…

Now it has a whole new life!

Love it!

Small Painted Table – Annie Sloan Chaulk Paint

I also worked on this standing mirror…it had a lot of “design” potential!

chaulk paint

One of the reasons i selected this piece to paint was because of the beautiful wood carved crown at the top…

and the way this mirror resembled a “boiserie” panel…

The way i envisioned painting this piece i knew that its architecture would  be greatly enhanced by using two colors to create a contrast.

I knew that using an alternate color on the crown and on the inset panel would work beautifully

and that connecting them by hitting part of the molding with the contrast color would be very pleasing to the eye.

So, i decided to use Paris Grey and Pure White.

Here’s the crown with a little Paris Grey which i purposely slapped on so it didnt cover all the dark wood.

Later i put some Pure White sloppily over the Paris Grey – i didnt care about covering since i knew i would distress it heavily later.

Crown Top of Standing Mirror with Paris Grey coat of Annie Sloan Paint

Originally it was also part of my plan to highlight this piece with some gold wax accents.

  However, a customer came into the shop

while i was working on it and asked me not to put the gold on until she saw it finished with just the white and grey…

she thought it might work for her  just that way…so i will have to wait until tomorrow when she comes in to see whether it will go home with her sans gold wax..

Here it is BEFORE distressing…

Annie Sloan Chaulk Paint
Standing Mirror in Paris Grey and Pure White before distressing

I painted the body of the piece all Pure White then applied the Paris Grey over only the molding and on the inset.

I did that because i knew when i distressed it i would get the dark brown and the white thru the grey.

Paris Grey and Pure White
Annie Sloan Paint on Mirror before distressing

Here is the boiserie mirror after distressing…I am just dying to highlight it with gilding wax!

chaulk paint
Standing Mirror wearing Annie Sloan Chaulk Paint

Here’s some close ups of the details of the newly antique mirror!

Chaulk Paint
Standing Mirror Top Detail
Annie Sloan Paris Grey and Pure White

When i am painting i find myself working on a lot of projects at once…

if i have a can of paint open i generally use it on as many pieces as i can so i dont have to open/close the paint, clean the brush etc.

it may be that i am just lazy…. but i think its a good idea to use the paint on something else while the can is open…

so here’s a little mirror that i also worked on!

Chaulk Paint
Oval Mirror Before Annie Sloan Pure White

This distressed mirror was a brownish/cordovan kind of a color with some gold in the corners.

I just went ahead and coated the whole frame with Annie Sloan Pure White, Clear waxed it, distressed it and then

hit it with some of the gilding wax.

Annie Sloan Chaulk Paint
Oval Mirror Annie Sloan Pure White Chaulk Paint

Here it is all done and ready for me to put in Little Paris so perfect for my shabby chic shop!

The Annie Sloan Chaulk Paint has been a pleasure to work with and i am loving

all the new decor created…a very good product for interior design!

The Great Annie Sloan Paint Experiment

I decided to experiment with the Annie Sloan paints…

so i bought some Paris Grey and some Clear Wax and have been painting everything in sight for the last couple of days…

out in front of The Whistling Elk in the courtyard.

Painted furniture
Round Table Painted with Annie Sloan Paint

This is actually a before shot….

The bottom legs/skirt etc has  been coated with Annie Sloan “Paris Grey” while the top has an old coat of a beige tone benjamin moore paint on it.

Originally this table had a dark stain on it.  It has been hanging around for a while and was pretty beat up.

When i selected it to experiment with i thought it might be fun because when distressed it would show the dark stain thru the beige…and the Paris Grey.

Annie Sloan Paint

I also selected this table because it has nice detail for painting.  The top has a raised pattern to it around the edges which

is separated from the center by two circular grooves which i plan to gild. And, the little finial

at the bottom of the leg stretchers is screaming out for gold…

So with my design plan in my head and the brush in my hand, the Annie Sloan paint went on easily and covered well…waxing was easy too.

annie sloan paint
Painted Table with Fleur de Lis

After sanding the table and distressing it to the level i desired i painted a fleur de lis on top with some antique gold paint i had around

and also put the gold in the round grooves and on the outer edges of the table.

Then i waxed it again…

The next day I sanded it down again, distressing the gold paint and the fleur de lis.

I sanded some spots down to the very dark stain but decided i didnt like what i had so repainted/waxed some spots and re-distressed.

I actually really like the soft beige coming thru the Paris Grey.

I also decided not to distress to strongly overall as i liked the softness of the look.  So, when i was satisfied with what i had i  waxed it one last time.  The next day i buffed it out.

Annie Sloan Paint – Table and Chairs

I had these two upholstered chairs so i painted and distressed the chair legs to go with the table!

It was easy – paint, wax, sand/distress, wax….Voila!

So Very, Very Shabby Chic and perfect for  Little Paris!!

Painted Table and chairs

here’s what the chair legs looked like before…

Annie Sloan paint on chair legs

So the bottom line is that i am enjoying the whole process and having lots of fun with the Annie Sloan Paints!

Stay tuned because i hateto waste time so have been painting on other little projects which are coming along…

Desk ? Vanity ? Identity Crisis makes for elegant, sleek design

This amazing piece of furniture arrived on Friday. 

desk with french leg
Note to Self Desk...or Vanity

It came along with the sofa that i recently blogged about…you know the one i waited all day for…that was so late in arriving…

I was so excited about the sofa that I didn’t unpack the desk right away. 

 Yesterday we brought it up to the shop floor of  The Whistling Elk  and put it together.  It’s gorgeous. 

Desk with french leg
Vanity or Desk elegant and sleek

Top down…its a beautiful desk…

Raise the top and voila its an amazing vanity with a beveled mirror!

No real identity crisis here – just imaginative design. 

The legs are metal with a silver finish that looks fabulous – sleek and elegant satin finish French legs.  OOh la la!

The entire top is ivory with a patterned art finish in a soft gray which resembles wallpaper.

Gray patterned vanity or desk
Vanity / Desk with slide out shelves on sides

 Originally I was thinking this piece would be placed somewhere in  Little Paris as it looks very French and very sophisticated

but it’s going to look amazing anywhere in the shop or in your home for that matter! 

When  I purchased this piece of furniture I must have been in  a hurry or something because i didn’t realize that the middle section of the top was hinged

 and raised upward to reveal a beveled mirror…creating a vanity.  I must be slipping…I did order it from a catalog picture — something that i RARELY do. 

 But all’s well when its a happy  and beautiful surprise.

Desk
Desk top seen from the back

The name of this desk/vanity is Note to Self….how appropriate!

Patterned Desk Top
Wallpaper Pattern on top of vanity

What a beautiful and clever design which will elevate the décor in any room.

Accessories on Desk Top
Note to Self Desk Vanity

 Shabby Chic Sofa is sheer elegance

sofa
off white shabby chic sofa

Friday we got a new sofa for The Whistling Elk shop floor!

 Its very beautiful and comfortable and has that shabby chic appeal which means it also works for Little Paris.

It’s sheer elegance for your home!!

The main fabric is an off white and the decorative pillows have  embroidered designs in icey blue.

shabby chic pillow
pillow with embroidered design shabby chic

It’s simple and elegant – just what i like for good interior design and will work in either a formal or informal room. Perfect!

I set it up in the back of the shop near the custom cabinetry and my favorite picture of an elegant lady – just love her.

sofa custom cabinetry and lady picture
shabby chic sofa and elegant lady print

The sofa is grouped with a gold chenille swivel chair from Hancock and Moore ….

shabby chic sofa with mirrored cocktail table
sofa, chair, cocktail table

I love the way the mirrored cocktail table reflects all the color around it.  It adds a special elegance to the whole setting.

The sofa was worth waiting for….It was supposed to arrive around noon and instead showed up after 7:30 pm….

Sometimes in retail you have to have a very open schedule and be very, very patient!

bling lovin girl

Whether its on a little fabric covered box like this or  on a chandelier ya gotta luv bling!

it makes a little jewlery pouch special…

or jazzes up a little perfume tester tray…

and pretty ribbons add feminine bling!

you can never have too much bling!

Conversation Chair makes for cozy talking

took a quick shot of this new conversation chair that just came in to The Whistling Elk…

I’s nice clean lines make it transitional….and the fabric, a nubby linen blend, is a soft off-white

 that will make this chair a star in many different settings.  The frame is a distressed black with nailhead trim.

Gotta love that detail!  It sits really nice and best of all the price is reasonable!

Two of these with a little table in between will improve the seating situation in any room!

Like this cute little table for instance…

It’s a distressed black but the center art is in gray tones.  It’s a great size for the chair.

the shop still looks pretty…we still have gifts for all!

It’s still christmas here at The Whistling Elk and Little Paris…things are still sparkling!

and vibrant and happy colours are everywhere….

The bedroom is all dressed for Christmas….so inviting!

pretty soon it will all be over again, sigh, i will miss it!

Today is the LITTLE PARIS Grand Opening Party

It may be cold and windy outside today

but it is warm and beautiful and cozy inside Little Paris….and today is the big day!

the GRAND OPENING PARTY!!

We put a pretty christmas tree in

our Paris B oudoir decorated in pinks, blues and silvery garlands!

We’ll be serving champage, madeleines and petite palmiers

tonight at the Party.  Ooh la la!

The Bling Bling Fairy from Mark Roberts 2010 Fairy Collection

 sits atop our tree clutching his handful of pearls and sparkly jewels!

Little iron details

Gee, the fall has really crept up on me! 

 Today I am sitting here (feeling too lazy to do much)  and  my toes are cold!  I should probably move some furniture….but no instead i am thinking about the last few months and planning for the next few…

 and I realized that Little Paris

has been open over a month now and I havent posted a blog since it opened!

We are starting to get in all the fall goodies and holiday merchandise…the other day i unwrapped this little gem

 

 

It really is the little things…this simple scrolly iron ornament is great over a doorway or a bed.

  And, I love putting them over pictures too! 

 I particularly  love this one because it is only $39 and it’s like a fashion accessory – it will jazz up anything

 you put it with.   I always order a lot of them because it is so popular and i hate to be without it!

I love to paint them too – the one above comes in a rust but it would be pretty gilded.

This next one comes in white….shabby chic white…but i got the gold fever and gilded it!

It’s only $36 and that is a bargain for all the good looks you get out of it!