Tag: paris boudoir

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It’s Snuggle Time at The Whistling Elk

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Chester NJ
The Whistling Elk, Chester NJ for Beautiful and well priced bedding!

It’s getting to be that time of year when you want to snuggle in your bed!

I don’t know about you but there is something about this beautiful bedding that makes a bedroom soothing and peaceful…just what you want where you are going to sleep!

Bedding is an essential design element for the perfect bedroom.  In the Paris Boudoir at The Whistling Elk we have created that peaceful yet elegant look with our bedding.

Our cotton organdy embroidered drapes in the background add another dimension to the whole picture!  And of course a pretty crystal chandelier completes the picture!

bedding at the whistling elk
Just added another duvet to the bed…the ivory with the ruffle – one of my personal favorites…so pretty

When I snapped the first picture I was thinking the bed was finished…but decided to add another duvet…the ivory  with the ruffles at the foot of the bed…

Come in to The Whistling Elk and design your own bed.  The bedding is very well priced and you can create your own luxurious haven of comfort by layering the looks that work for you!

Our new bedding is so pretty….don’t you just want to jump into the middle and have a little nap?

So Lovely!

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There Are Two Sides To Every Door! Duh!

by elegantparis2 Comments on There Are Two Sides To Every Door! Duh!

I have a door in the shop that leads to a little foyer and the back door.

paint couture at the whistling elk
Before I got my hands on this door…it looked like this!

The door is in my little “Paris Boudoir” so you can see that it just wasn’t making it in its “silly brown” color…

Chester NJ
Paris Boudoir at The Whistling Elk

I like to show my customers what they can do with Paint Couture!™ but I keep selling the pieces that I paint so I decided to paint the door…my landlord would not like it if I sold his door so I figured it was safe to paint it with Paint Couture!™ in order to have a ready sample at all times!!!  P.E.R.F.E.C.T.

So the door got a very light uneven coat of Italian Ivory with Dream in the area around the raised panels of the door and Pale Gold on the moldings around the raised panels.

  Remember the movie Romancing the Stone when the smuggler says he’s going to get his “li’l mule” and smiles…well I feel that way about my li’l hand sander.  So yup I got it out and beat up that door!  I did get a little carried away on the “back side” of the door.

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Paint Couture on the Paris Boudoir Door at The Whistling Elk, Chester, NJ

Yesterday I stenciled the front side of the door with Pale Gold…but I couldn’t decide if I was really done…that happens a lot when I paint.

Sometimes when I am not sure about how I feel about something – I go home and sleep on it – it never fails that when I wake up I have the answer…actually it came to me before I even got to sleep…A Door Has Two Sides…who said they have to be the same?

This morning when I came in I glazed the back side of the door with Light Brown Sugar on the raised panels…lightly rubbed in.  Then I glazed everything but the raised panels in Champagne.  Ha! I used some different stencil designs so it looks completely different than the front side.

The Whistling Elk, Chester, NJ
Paris Boudoir Door Front
paint workshops in chester, nj
Back of Door with light brown sugar on the raised panels and champagne glaze on the frame.

So now I am having one of those moments where I am thinking, Yah, you can  have your cake and eat it too!!!!

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Gotta love that little hand sander!

by elegantparis4 Comments on Gotta love that little hand sander!
Gotta love that little hand sander!

You may remember that I wrote a post on November 12, 2013 called “Mantel Madness with Paint Couture”.   I had a lot of fun painting that mantel and it was beautiful…but I always knew that it would take on a new personality yet again some day…well that day has arrived!  Here it is after I finished it the first time…

Mantel Painted with Abundance Paint Couture!™, Brilliant White and Verde Glaze Couture!™
Mantel Painted with Abundance Paint Couture!™, Brilliant White and Verde Glaze Couture!™

I watered down some Paint Couture!™ Italian Ivory  and brushed a thin coat all over the mantel…effectively whitewashing it.  After it dried I got out my hand sander and beat the whole thing up!  Gotta love that little hand sander.

Mantel after whitewashing with Paint Couture!™ Italian Ivory and distressing with my hand sander.
Mantel after whitewashing with Paint Couture!™ Italian Ivory and distressing with my hand sander.

So now I have a “new” mantel…again!  The Paris Boudoir is looking verrrrry nice!

Mantel refinished again with Paint Couture Products!
Mantel refinished again with Paint Couture Products!
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‘Bringin the Bling’!

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The Whistling Elk' Mantel decorated for Christmas
Paint Couture!™

Working on ‘bringing the bling’ to the newly painted mantel at The Whistling Elk…loving the sparkle stems and the red cardinals!

This is just the beginning – by the end of today this mantel will be stuffed with sparkle!

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Mantel in Paris Boudoir at The Whistling Elk
Christmas decorations
Red Cardinal Spray at The Whistling Elk

I just knew that Paint Couture’s Brilliant White would bring just the right amount of bling to the mantel…what a great backdrop for Christmas sparkle!

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Mantel Madness with Paint Couture!™

by elegantparis2 Comments on Mantel Madness with Paint Couture!™

I was in love with a sample that I painted while I was in North Carolina at the Paint Couture!™ workshop last month.  I guess I still am…cause its been sitting on my desk ever since.

Meanwhile we have been decorating like mad at The Whistling Elk…getting ready for the Christmas season…and I kept looking at our mantel and thinking hmmmm i’m gonna paint that and then decorate it for the holidays!   So…I just finished it….here’s a tease!

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The Whistling Elk and Paint Couture!™

It would have been beautiful in Little Paris but it now sits in the Paris Boudoir bedroom with all the Pine Cone Hill bedding and Kennebunk Weavers throw blankets.  The colors in this room are soft and inviting.  You feel relaxed just standing in the room!

I didn’t go with the sample colors from the workshop…just deviated a little using  Paint Couture!™ Abundance and then dry brushing on Brilliant White (gotta love that stuff).  When it was dry I glazed it with Glaze Couture! Verde Green!  It looks marvelous and I can’t wait to bling it up (as if it needed it)!!!

One of the Door Prizes at our 6th Annual Charity Event on Dec. 5th is a Gift Basket of Paint Couture!™ products.  Some lucky person is going to be painting!

Our Charity Event benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society again and we are looking forward to a wonderful day/evening of discounted shopping on December 5th….so mark your calendar.

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The Whistling Elk Redesigns the Paris Boudoir

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Pine Cone Hill Bedding and Bedford Cottage Throws
The Whistling Elk Paris Boudoir

Just rearranged our Paris Boudoir at The Whistling Elk. I changed the floorplan so that I had more room to showcase all the great merchandise that we are showcasing in this room…including our Pine Cone Hill Bedding and our Bedford Cottage Throw Blankets. This is something you should think about at home…changing the floorplan in a room can make the difference between hohum and spectacular. Everything in its right place!!!!

I also made a little more wall space available for our artwork. Loving this new set up!

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Pine Cone Hill Bedding

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While it was raining yesterday i worked in the Paris Boudoir…arranging the beautiful Pine Cone Hill Bedding…

I love this bedding because it is both beautiful and affordable.
It’s perfect for our Paris Boudoir here at The Whistling Elk

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Gotta Love Those Good Bones

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Today i started working on this round table. It has what i call “good bones” – that is architecture that sings! (to me anyway).
it was completely black with an oak grain to it. I covered the whole table with Old Oche Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. When it dries, i am going to hit it again with another coat.
I want to make sure i cover the black with a good solid coat of paint!
Tomorrow i am going to give it yet another coat…but of pure white. The Whistling Elk is turning into my own private paint workshop where it seems every day now something is being newly designed…
I just found a great ceiling medallion stencil that i am going to tailor to fit the top of this table. Ooh la la! This table is going to go in our Paris Boudoir when complete and will feel so soft and elegant that it will be unrecognizable. Can’t wait til the next step tomorrow!
Do you feel like painting yet?

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Taking Freight in the Pouring Rain

by elegantparis2 Comments on Taking Freight in the Pouring Rain

I have been in the new shop location now for one month and yesterday i received my first large freight order…in the pouring rain with nowhere to conveniently take delivery. I must say you can get pretty innovative when you have too. But i do miss the basement at my old location. Sigh…

The arched mirror above is one of the large mirrors that came yesterday…its very shabby chic and looks great in the Paris Boudoir.

This one i had stashed away but since we sold a piece of art…it got a chance to hang on the wall. What a crime that i didnt hang it sooner…

Here’s another one that is now unpacked and leaning on top of a beautiful habersham console. It’s one of my favorite mirrors.

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Fashion is the name of the game in our new shabby chic bedroom

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Our new Paris Boudoir at The Whistling Elk is showing off our new Pine Cone Hill bedding line. The bedding in the bottom left of the picture is Bella Blue which is draped over our pretty Caracole french ottoman and the queen bed is wearing a combo outfit Madeline Cafe au lait quilt and a Louisa Ivory duvet. I am in love with the Louisa ivory duvet! This room is painted in Benjamin Moore Stonington Gray and when the morning sun shines in it is beautiful!

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Painting Fleur de Lis Stencils for a Romantic Room Design

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wall design
Fleur de lis stencil for the wall design

Here on my desk is my lastest project for a client.  We are going to paint fleur de lis designs randomly on her office walls.  I cut this Fleur de lis stencil when i painted the Paris Boudoir in Little Paris shop.

In order to give my client some choices for how the fleur de lis will look i first painted some copy paper with the wall color (2 coats)…

wall design fleur de lis stencil
fleur de lis stencil with modern masters 14k gold metallic paint

Then i stenciled the fleur le lis design over the paint three different ways.   The first (above) is stenciled with just full strength modern masters 14k metallic gold paint.

For the 2nd sample of the wall design i mxed the 14k metallic gold with glaze to make it more transparent.

wall design painting
fleur de lis stencil with modern masters 14k mettallic gold mixed with glaze for a room wall design

Lastly, I added some paint crystals to the 14kgold/glaze mixture (below).  This gives the fleur de lis a glittery effect.

The glitter will catch the light and sparkle – its a faint effect so you actually wonder if you are really seeing it!  Love it!

wall design
fleur de lis with paint crystals

Voila !  Beautiful effect -so easy to do and painted randomly around the room makes a completely original wall design!

 PS….I have little sparkles all over me (from the paint crystals)….its like fairy dust maybe it will bring me luck today at The Whistling Elk.

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

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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!

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Today is the LITTLE PARIS Grand Opening Party

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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!

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Little Paris Opens Quietly Today!!

by elegantparis2 Comments on Little Paris Opens Quietly Today!!

Well, today was the day!

We opened Little Paris to the public – we still have a few kinks to work out but we decided to go ahead and softly greet the world!

Here’s a little virtual tour….its better to click on each picture to see everything – I didnt want to shrink them too much!

Have fun!   Here’s the entrance foyer/staircase.

Going up the regal staircase…

Looking up the staircase into the French Country Estate Room. 

The Paris Boudoir

Remember this Vanity that we purchased in June, I think…

There are two of these prints in Little Paris….so amazing! 

venice window pictures


This next series of pictures is from our Paris Apartment Room

We are calling this last room the French Country Estate Room…

as it just kinda took on its own easy going relaxed  feeling.

Well, that’s it….I will finish up the details and have the Grand Opening in Early September!!

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I want to move into my little Paris Apartment…

by elegantparisLeave a Comment on I want to move into my little Paris Apartment…

The bedroom portion of the Paris Apartment room is almost complete.  I finished the window treatments last night. 

 The cornice box is made of cardboard and painted with a white texture paint.  I love the light feeling of this room!

These pastel vases are so pretty!

  I would love to put them on my vanity.

Compassion….

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Dreams of posie bouquets

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Our little dream shelf in the Paris Boudoir is taking shape….

We have some Relax Lollia, and some pretty vintage paper and a little posie….

You dont have to spend a lot of money to make a shelf look pretty….just collect your favorite things and group them!  Add a posie!  Little Paris is full of little posie bouquets.

love the color of these hydrangeas!

even though they are silk….still pretty.

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Little Paris Boudoir nearing completion!

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the window treatments for the Paris Boudoir windows are almost complete…i have a few touches to add to the cornice boxes…but that is a surprise!

Last night I hung  readymade (!!) sheers which i trimmed with a 5″ bullion fringe and the drapes which are a beautiful striped silk  trimmed with a ball tassel beaded fringe…i must have fiddled with them for an hour  to get a look i liked…i got in these pretty little crown buckles and they look fabulous on the cord that i used to hold the drapes back…in the picture i have them scotch taped on (sorry bout that) – after i decided i liked it i attached them better!!!

My mom sewed all the pillow cases for the bedding…she does a beautiful job!  These are all Fabricut fabrics and the pillows are all filled with a 90/10 down fill – very nice and squishy! The beaded tassel fring is Robert Allen and the bullion fringe is from Brimar.  The little tassel at the top right corner is Trimland.

Under our beautiful casual swag (also made by my mom, Pat) I hung an shaped mirror that has a very vintage feeling.  

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excuses, excuses

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OK, I have been hibernating…at least that is my excuse for not keeping you uptodate…

I have been working on Little Paris a minute here and a minute there

…painting, organizing, moving things (that i shouldn’t be), planning etc.  Task by task i am getting there….

heres a few pictures -first  my ceiling medalion in the Paris Boudoir

 
 
K now for excuse #2 – my camera is on the blink…so the picture quality is not going to be pristine….sigh.

Here’s some images of the staircase that i have been adding to daily!

I freehand painted this railing using a stencil for the little gold details – my yardstick and

tiny little paintbrush were my best friends! I added the swirl on top of the railing yesterday – i really love it!

This swag will hang at the head of the bed with side draperies…

and finally, i am ready to hang these cornice boxes over the windows….

they are made of cardboard with wood trim and a little texture paint.  

There is a crown for the top middle but i havent attached it as yet.

Stay cool!

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The devil in the details!

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I’m still painting!

Yes, the devil is in the details…but if you want perfection – ya gotta go for it!

Had my mom cut me a few stencils from architectural pictures i collected…then used parts of them randomly.

Here’s the beginning of the faux iron staircase railings!

Just finished drawing this in today and will start painting on it tomorrow!

Happy Fourth!

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Paris boudoir gets a fresh coat of paint

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So i just finished priming the walls of the Paris Boudoir!  

This brings Little Paris a step closer to opening day.   Painting is great therapy…

you can think about anything you want and get the job done at the same time

with very satisfying results.

Now I have the final coat of ADAGIO on – if I was in love with this color before NOW i am over the top!

It’s beautiful, soft, inviting, soothing and the perfect backdrop for the furnishings

set to go into the Paris Boudoir.

The mantel too is ready for gilding and for the appliques that will be strategically placed on it.  Tomorrow.

Dont you just love the little red cup…I guess painting is thirsty work!

Benjamin Moore’s Adagio is greyer when well lit by daylight and bluer in the evening when the sun sets.  A very

adapatable color.  Enjoy your Sunday – I’ll be painting later after closing…