There is really nothing more beautiful to me than the elegance of a room design incorporating glorious colour and the changing winds of home decor are bringing colour back!
Warm. Cozy. Timeless
I can’t imagine anything better than that.
Lovely Florida home by G.P. Schafer featured in Luxe Magazine.
Designers who create rooms incorporating traditional looks with a few clean contemporary accents or some wonderful vintage or antique pieces take my breath away and make my heart beat. Beautiful design can always do that to me.
Obviously colour is a major factor in the design of all beautiful rooms. Although I enjoyed the grey/whites and accompanying pale palette that was trending...it is cold…Brrrh! I think that everyone staying home during the covid pandemic spent a lot of time looking around and deciding to make some changes in their homes especially related to reintoducing colour…putting the colour revolution on the fast track!
What do you think? Are you ready to move on to some great color and tradition? or will you holding on to the cooler palettes?
Change on the wholesale level is already in full swing so you are going to find less of the outgoing trends and colours.
Have you ever looked for home decor and accents in colors that have recently passed out of favor? Then you know how hard it can be to find them. When the market starts to transition it is always wise to finish a room before home accents become scarce.
Personally, I am wholeheartedly embracing the return of color!
Magnificent beach house foyer by interior designer Jack Philips. Photo by Brantley Photo
I love the way Janelle of Janelle’s Designs made this vanity stand out by incorporating Gold!
A touch of gold on gray makes this vanity stand out! Photographed and Painted by Janells Designs. You can find Janell on instagram @janellsdesigns
There is really nothing like a beautiful Traditional
room design.
Warm. Cozy. Timeless.
I can’t imagine anything better than that.
Amazing family room by Alexa Hampton Inc. Love the use of Color!!
Designers who create rooms incorporating Traditional looks with a few clean modern accents or maybe some wonderful vintage or antique pieces take my breath away and make my heart beat. Beautiful design can always do that to me.
Obviously color is a major factor in the design of the warm, cozy Traditional room. Although I enjoyed the greys and accompanying pale palette that has been trending...it is cold…Brrrh! So I am not so sad to see it trending down and away.
What do you think? Are you ready to move on to some great color and tradition? or will you be trying to hold on to the cooler palettes?
Once change starts on the wholesale level you will start finding less and less of the outgoing trends and colors. It takes a little time to transition and longer still for the retail customer to embrace the next trend.
Often customers will look for decorative accessories and accents in colors that have recently passed out of favor and they become extremely hard to find…sadly I’m sure that on occasion you have experienced this.
When the market starts to transition it is always wise to finish a room before accents become more scarce.
Taken from designer Michael Smith’s book “The Curated House: Creating Style, Beauty and Balance”.
Personally, I am wholeheartedly embracing the return of color!
One of our favorite products at The Whistling Elk is Maison Berger. Did you know that we have been selling this fabulous line for almost 20 years and that we have the largest selection of Maison Berger products in New Jersey?
Lampe Berger Paris
Maison Berger is an air purifier and it works! It will eliminate bacteria in the air and perfume your home like no other product. It’s easy to use and the results will impress you!
Maison Berger has many new lampes this year and many new scents. One of my favorites is the new Pure White Tea. It’s delicious!
Maison Berger “Pure White Tea” one of the newest scents!
The new “Eclipse” lampe comes in 2 colors and both are packed as gift sets so you get a 180 ml of free scent with the lampe!
Maison Berger at The Whistling Elk in Chester NJ
Maison Berger has also introduced Car Diffusers! They are sleek and attractive, fit to the vents in your car and purify the air!
Wishing you a Happy New Year!…and reminding you that The Whistling Elk is
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK…for your shopping convenience.
Mondays from 10:00 am til 4 pm
Tuesday thru Sunday from 10:00 am til 5:30 pm
Mondays are especially good days to shop us – you can beat the weekend crowd and jazz up a dreary Monday by coming in for casually elegant home furnishings and accessories!
Casual Elegance at The Whistling Elk in Chester NJ
At the Whistling Elk you will find all the finishing touches that make a house Your Home at affordable prices…accent furniture, lighting, artwork and mirrors!
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!
So if you love a European style that is casually elegant you will love the shop.
So come by any day….and don’t forget MONDAYS! Start your week off right with a visit to THE WHISTLING ELK.
We are in our 28th Year in Chester of bringing your style, beauty and affordability!
As 2017 draws to a close, I would just like to say how grateful I am for all the wonderful customers who frequent my shop!
It has been another wonderful year! And I am enthusiastically awaiting the beginning of my 28th year here in beautiful Chester NJ…in another couple of weeks I will be heading to Atlanta to shop for merchandise for 2018!
I will be forever grateful that I chose Chester to be the home for my collection of casually elegant home furnishings and accessories….
Wishing you and your family a wonderful holiday season!
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 prints
gorgeous chandelier print
art at the whistling elk
stilllife/landscape
fleur 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…
…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.
Living Room
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!
1890’s mantel
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.
Another Favorite Room
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.
Master Bath
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…
Dining Room
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!
They were mostly smaller boxes so it wasn’t as scary as it could have been…
But inside were t.r.e.a.s.u.r.e.s. Oh my!
The Whistling Elk has lots of home accessories and gifts
Lots of pretty mercury glass…boxes, urns, tealight holders and frames. The little flag is from my new French company…
And wonderful little jeweled clocks…they are very sweet.
Clocks, Frames and Mercury Glass
There is a very elegant small tray under the clock with the pink crystals. This tray is a champagne silver and has fabulous gold etching on the glass…the perfect piece for a dressing table or on the bathroom counter.
Hydrangea and Roses…two prints that reflect SPRING !!
Of course we have more new artwork. This pretty piece has a mate…hidden behind it! You will have to come in to see how beautiful they are. The frame is exquisite!
Off to the right is another set of prints…gates with jewels and a unique ivy border.
Don’t forget to stop by and take advantage of the Mother’s Day Special from Lampe Berger. With the purchase of any lamp you will receive a free 500 ml fragrance!
We are fully stocked for the cold weather with beautiful, colorful and luxurious throw blankets….it’s time!!! Next week will be cold here in New Jersey (or so they say).
Throw blankets at The Whistling Elk
I love to have these around all the time just because they look beautiful draped on furniture and add a touch of elegance to a room design.
So many colorful throw blankets to choose from at The Whistling Elk
They make great gifts for the holidays or just for you!
The Whistling Elk Home Furnishings stocks beautiful throws
Just painted some pretty little tables…they are great accents for any room where you require a little table to put a glass or book on but don’t have a lot of space.
These two will go anywhere!
Pretty painted tables make great accent pieces. These are painted and crackled with Paint Couture!
I have always loved little accent tables like this – adding them to a room design is like putting on gorgeous earrings – with your pretty dress…a finishing touch!
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!
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?
Mirrors make such beautiful design statements…now take this one for example….the top is just breathtaking.
And the finish is wonderful because its a champagne metallic….a little gold…a little silver.. and just the tiniest bit of black.
You can put it almost anywhere (that it will fit – it is tall at 63″) and it will blend into almost any color scheme. It will add an architectural element to your room. Of course the “old world elegance” makes it look like you carried it back from les puces de saint-ouen. Mmmm let’s go back!
Beautiful Iron Scrollwork makes this mirror extra special 63″h x 43″ w
There little ovals are perfect for powder rooms….at 31″ L x 25″ w but they will make for a pretty collage too mixed in with some great artwork.
Pretty Oval – simple clean lines with just the right touch of embossed decoration
Oval Mirror in black with a little gold accent
This last mirror is one I have blogged about before. It is so elegant and versatile. You can lean this 73″high mirror or hang it. You can hang it vertical or horizontal – design your room around it! Simple.Beautiful.Elegant. Perfect!
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!™
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.
So now I have a “new” mantel…again! The Paris Boudoir is looking verrrrry nice!
Mantel refinished again with Paint Couture Products!
Good Lighting makes a huge contribution to the beauty and functionality of a home. And the addition of beautiful fixtures – chandeliers and lamps – creates delightful design elements in any room. Whenever someone tells me they have recessed lighting and don’t need any lamps the designer in me just cringes at their lost opportunity.
Having just received some new lamps in the shop got me to contemplating lighting and thinking about my own home so I thought I would share some lighting information with you.
Beautiful Lamps at The Whistling Elk (The red damask shade is opaque and you can see that the light shines down)
10 Lighting Tips
A truly beautiful room will tend to have soft pools of light that come from a variety of sources – Use lighting with different wattages and and place light sources at various heights.
Picture found on Geisen Designs website – shows well balance lighting all around the room and at various heights.
Position lighting all around a room to dispel dark corners.
Table Lamps are excellent decorating tools…use them even if they do nothing! They are not actually doing “nothing” because they are creating great verticals which enhance the beauty of any room filled with horizontal lines.
In a lamp that has double bulb sockets use two different wattage bulbs and you will create a medium and low setting!
Lamp shades that are opaque will create a more dramatic atmosphere as they throw light up and down and emit little side light.
Fabric shades will create the warmest most glamorous light.
Picture from Homedit.com shows the warmth of light emited by fabric shades
Paint your outlets to match the walls to minimize the distraction of cords and outlets. Have lamps wired with clear or fabric cords.
When placing a reading lamp the height is lower than seems intuitive: it should be below eye level so it lights your page, not your head.
Albert Hadley said “I personally try to avoid all ceiling lights because i think that overhead light is a tragedy.” Well I agree with that in reference to recessed lighting…but as to chandeliers – What could be more beautiful? A general rule of thumb for a dining room chandelier is 30″ above the tabletop. Bulbs should not be bright…lower wattage is better for creating ambience around table gatherings.
Dimmer switches go where you want to be able to create ambience.
The bottom line is that lighting needs to be functional but it can take a room to another level if you think in terms of ambience and beauty. It’s an essential design detail!
At The Whistling Elk we can provide you with beautiful custom window treatments BUT if you just don’t want to make what is sometimes a huge investment…Ready-Made Drapes can be a real life saver
Linen Drapes on Sale at The Whistling Elk in Chester NJ
Currently two different styles of 100% Linen Ready-Made Drapes are on Sale so take 20% off the below listed prices!
Style No. 1 is an unlined 100% linen drape which presents as a gauzy/sheer texture…like air. They drape beautifully and will frame out a window nicely at minimum expense:
$75 per each 96″ panel
$99 per each 108″ panel
The Whistling Elk has beautiful draperies!
The colors are soft and earthy: Ivory, Natural, Light Brown, Wheat, Antique Gold
Style No. 2 is a lined 100% linen drape which drapes beautifully and is a heavier linen drape that offers more privacy.
$135 per each 96″ panel
$149 per 108″ panel
100% Linen Drapes at The Whistling Elk
The colors are Ivory, Natural, Wheat, Brick, Blue (light/icey), Antique Gold, Light Brown, Chocolate, Almond
All drapes have 4″ rod pocket, 2″ header and back tabs.
We have color swatches at the shop so come in and shop for the colors that work in your room! Drapes do make an incredible design statement in a room and you will love the look you can achieve for very little investment!
Ok, I admit right upfront that I am prejudiced because as a painter this is my paint of choice but for all the reasons I list…you just gotta love this Paint! Here’s why:
Top 10 reasons why Paint Couture!™ is the best Furniture/Cabinet Paint Available
1. Paint Couture!™ is a low VOC, self-priming acrylic paint available in 50 colors (and counting)
2. Paint Couture!™ has great adhesion capabilities over existing painted or varnished surfaces (which means usually no sanding or priming is necessary) and paints on smooth and flat with little or no brushmarks.
3. A quart of Paint Couture!™ is $29.50 (wow) and it is available in gallons!
4. Using Glaze Couture!™ over the paint colors gives you the opportunity to increase the color possibilities to around 450 (and counting!) and creates either an antiqued or metallic finish – you get a beautiful protected finish with no waxing!!
Paint Couture!™
Paint and Glaze Couture are both available in half pints (giving you the opportunity to sample without spending a lot of money)
Paint Couture Accessory products like the metallics – Pale Gold, Rich Gold, Silver Star, Antique Silver and Brilliant White, Micki’s Magic and Little Black Dress offer even more possibilities for creativity!
Paint Couture Brilliant White Paint
Paint Couture Gilding Waxes give you the opportunity to accent your finishes! Really? Oh yes with 10 colors! – Black Velvet, Pink Cashmere, Gold Lame, Gunmetal Tulle, White Silk, Blue Organza, Green Moire, Copper Charm, Silver Taffeta and Bronze Brocade (oh my!)
Paint Couture Gilding Waxes
Lacquer Couture!™ is a clear and very durable topcoat which enables you to protect surfaces…with little or no odor – available in 4 sheens! It dries fast too!
I have been working madly to plan for the next four days….so much fun!
I leave tomorrow morning – so the shop will be closed for 4 days while I am gone…
Having just completed a major floor move in the shop — I am ready to fill in with new exciting merchandise.
The shopping words for this season are OPULENT and GLAMOROUS!
Oh so exciting!!!
Schnadig Sofa
The shop is set up with a completely different floorplan for 2014. This pretty Schnadig Sofa is taking center stage in the shop….Its so pretty and versatile. You can go in so many color directions with it…in fact you can change the colors for the seasons of the year by using pillows and throws in colors you choose. It’s so reasonable in price also!
The Whistling Elk – Wall art
Space is at a premium in the shop so every inch of wall space must be used to display the art work … here’s one of the collage walls (with a floor lamp shade showing in the foreground). The artwork at The Whistling Elk is always 20% off so its a good investment and as you know we all have lots of walls!
Paint Couture! embellished mantel
You may remember my post regarding the painting of this mantel…I used Paint Couture™! paints and glaze to make it so beautiful…but I think I am going to re paint it for the spring. That’s right! Another mantel facelift is on the way…I just have to settle on color. I am thinking of doing something with the Pantone Color of the Year 2014 – Radiant Orchid….that would be something with Brilliant White over top! WOW…just sayin.
Soon we will begin our Paint Workshops again – so keep posted and plan to attend to learn how to paint furniture!
Pine Cone Hill at The Whistling Elk
Our Paris Boudoir is still the room in the shop that everyone wants to move right into! The bed is layered with Pine Cone Hill products – why? because it is such a well priced bedding line…love it! Lots of soft soothing color combinations for the bedroom. I’ll be visiting Pine Cone Hill in Atlanta to see what is new for 2014. Meanwhile still loving this soft palette of color including Madeline Café au Lait, Louisa, and Candlewick designs.
Home Accessories at the Whistling Elk
Sometimes the things that really make a room are the little things…like a sweet arrangement of glasses on a tray, a cocktail table book strategically placed to accent some colorful flowers! The tray is actually my favorite thing right now…its antique silver with a mirrored base…which has been antiqued to look so old…just love it!
Well my head is swirling with all the things that I am going to be looking for at market…all the plans, colors, objects and vignettes to come. Can’t wait to translate it all to the shop floor so that you can share in the excitement for 2014.
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!
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.
There is so much beauty here…landscapes, geometrics, bath prints, amazing fleur de lis wall sculptures, florals, still lifes and more.
The Whistling Elk 
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