Thibaut Wallcovering – Marcia Philipp's Blog

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High Point Furniture Market Design Trends and More

November 11, 2017/in Uncategorized /by Marcia Philipp

Making the drive to Furniture and Accessory Market in High Point, NC is always an exciting time. I’m very lucky as my husband, Rick, makes the journey with me. Stopping over in Virginia to see our dear friend Lenora, we witnessed the beauty of the fall leaves turning. With paved walks gracing the entire development where Lenora lives, Rick and I took an early morning walk along the reservoir as the cool fall air danced upon our face. Enjoying a beautiful evening dining at The Boathouse at Sunday Park Restaurant, I captured the most beautiful sunset over the reservoir.

Upon arriving at the Furniture market later the next day, my senses were on overload with new and creative ideas overflowing. Having traveled there for the past 25 years, you get into an exciting but hectic routine. Walking through the doors of the IHFC Building (International Home Furnishings Center) one building out of hundred’s, not only enlightens your senses but, also renews my excitement of why I do what I do for a living. On the main floor called InterHall, some of the showrooms stage their entrances while others entice you in by the beauty created by lighting, props and their products.

Located in the lower level of the International Home Furnishings Center, this unique entrance to Imagine Home draws you into their showroom.

The Michael Lamb Interiors & Antiques showroom located in the Somerset Bay/Modern History Furniture building is full of glorious antiques. The owner’s dog, George, had apparently had a full day at market and did what we all wish we could do!

George had apparently had enough of market for one day.

So trending now, the hues of blue are artfully displayed in the MT Companies showroom. I’ve represented this upholstery line for over 20 years and their attention to detail, craftsmanship and representation are impeccable. From unique ottomans to trim details on the sofas and chairs there’s so much you can do to make each piece uniquely yours.

I almost thought I would write a blog on, “The dogs of Market.” Charlie, a Labradoodle and a star at modeling for a photo shoot, poses upon command on a super comfy chair in the MT showroom.

Located in Market Square, a wonderful complex listed on the National Historic Places was formally a manufacturing complex and has since been transformed into showrooms; some with the original beautiful planked floors. One of the showrooms, Thibaut Wallcoverings and Fine Furnishings does an incredible job with “staging.” Grass wallpaper in a stripe is displayed in this room below. The mirror, top of the end tables and the doors of the console are all embellished with a wallpaper inset.

Thibaut Wallcovering and Fine Furnishings showroom makes you want to redo your living room with this wonderfully cozy feel.

Still on an upward trend is the casual but classic modern. It captivates a clean, elegant minimalistic styling. So simple but so softly elegant as displayed in the Lexington Home Brands showroom located in a wonderful building 15 minutes from downtown.

Lexington Home Brands Sligh office furniture line casts a wonderful simple but elegant contemporary style.

Lexington Home Brands showroom featuring the Shadow Play line.

Trends I saw a lot of: Mixing metals, such as dark bronze with nickel, brass with bronze, polished and brushed nickel; Brass is making a huge comeback; although white walls have their place, seems the jewel tones are very strong. I saw a lot of white furniture and decor mixed with vibrant hues of orange, indigo and blue; Velvet fabrics making a comeback on sofas; Wallpaper in the living spaces – Geometric patterns are very big in wallpaper and fabrics; Still going strong is the Industrial Style – mixing of wood, metal and stone. A sort of NYC loft feel with an inviting edge.

The Uttermost/Revelation showroom featured an industrial feel in this dining area. Notice the unique chandelier.

The definition of Trend is a general direction in which something is developing or changing. You may feel you like the modern design and appreciate it but that doesn’t necessarily mean you can live with it. If you like something from “the trend” such as a large geometric print, you can add that to your existing style as long as the colors flow well and the new fabric compliments the patterns in the existing room. Following the trends is not all that matters, it’s feeling comfortable with your style. Mixing your style with a trend edge creates a warm personal style and keeps you feeling fresh and new…I love my yellow floral chintz chair in my living room from the MT Companies with a velvet leopard print pillow on it. Remi does too…

Remi catches a few rays coming in from the skylight on the yellow floral chair in the Living Room.

New and Inspired Fresh Summer Garden Colors

August 24, 2015/in Uncategorized /by Marcia Philipp

A glimpse into Benjamin Moore’s refreshing colors will inspire you to repaint. Their fresh pales awaken the senses. The light muted tones of grays, lavenders, blues, yellows and greens invigorate us all. Benjamin Moore’s 2015 color of the year is called Guilford Green which, has a hint of mint just in time to be inspired by the summer garden.

Benjamin Moore’s color of the year 2015

Dried flowers from my garden mimic the colors of Benjamin Moore’s Guilford Green.

With all the rain this summer, my small gardens live large with an abundance of flowers dancing in the breeze. Light colors of yellows, purples, whites, and a collage of greens intermix with deeper tones while the grass and sky seems to become their scenic backdrop.

My small front garden lives large this year with the abundance of rain.

The front garden flowers dance in the breeze while the grass and sky become it’s scenic backdrop.

My front porch invites people in with flowers cascading over a stone hedge hog meant to bring good luck within.

Not only do textures add interest to the garden, but in furniture and on the walls as well. Making a grand comeback are natural wallpapers such as: natural palms, bamboo, grasses and paper weaves.

Recently remodeled, our master bath, has a light colored textured paper weave by Thibaut Wallpaper. In contrast to that, I recently installed deep colored Java Grass on the walls in my client’s lower level media/bar room above the judges paneling. The Java Grass boasts deep rich colors of blues, grays and browns adding a rich color and texture to the contrast of the white trim, Benjamin Moore’s Acadia White OC-38. Natural wallpapers not only look great on the walls but also installed into the sections of coffered ceilings or on the walls behind a bookcase.

In the process of being built, I installed java grass wallpaper in tones of blues, grays and browns against the backdrop of white trim in my clients lower level media/bar room.

Our recently remodeled master bath has a light colored textured paper weave by Thibaut Wallpaper.

Textured furniture, when mixed in with non-textured not only adds interest but invites the senses to be alive. Lexington Home Brands, Ivory Key, is finished in a crisp white coloration with subtle parchment highlights. Drawer fronts and a headboard of woven raffia create a natural look and also create a wonderful room for a backdrop in a bold color such as Benjamin Moore’s, Carter Plum CW-355 or a beautiful rich beige tone such as Pale Oak OC-70.

Featured as a back drop against a graceful fern, Benjamin Moore’s color Carter Plum CW-355 would create a wonderful contrast against white or cream furniture.

Lexington Home Brands, Ivory Key adds texture to the nightstand and headboard.

If bold color is not to your liking, try an elegant airy gentle white color from Benjamin Moore such as powder sand OC-113. Lexington Industries new line, Oyster Bay, captures the style and feel of the new whites in a light oyster shell coloration. Lexington states in their catalog that, “Today’s casual transitional styling blends lighter wood tones, natural textures and relaxed shades of ivory, taupe and gray, with designs that embody a feeling of laid-back sophistication.”

Benjamin Moore’s gentle whites

Lexington Home Brands, Oyster Bay, ” Blends lighter wood tones with natural textures and relaxed shades of ivory, taupe and gray, with designs that embody a feeling of laid-back sophistication.”

Whether your desire is lighter walls with rich toned furniture, a more monochromatic feel or darker walls with a lighter natural feel in furniture, the combinations abound. This summer and fall, get inspired by the backdrop of the earth and sky mixed with the colors of a beautiful garden with textures from grasses, ferns and plants and colors naturally created from the earth, sky and flowers.

A blog just wouldn’t be the same without a picture of one of my abyssinians…..My star photogenic Aby, Sami, recently posed for me. In the heat of a 90 degree day, she was looking for relief on a cool glass top in our summer screen room……Loving my new camera….(visit my blog prior to this)

“I’VE COME TO REALIZE…”

April 4, 2015/in Uncategorized /by Marcia Philipp

My bird feeders overlooking the lake, before it froze, full of migrating geese covered in snow.

I’ve come to realize that no matter how long you’ve lived where there’s snow, you never quite get used to it. Every time you spoke with someone this winter, the topic of conversation was how cold and bad the winter was…..But now, we’re gearing up for everyone to hopefully start complaining about how hot and humid it is!!!

I had an abundance of male and female cardinals at the feeder this year. Every morning I feed them shelled peanuts, which all the birds and squirrels enjoyed.

I decided it was time to retire my beloved Nikon semi-automatic camera that I’ve had for many years. So, in the fall, I purchased a new digital camera. One thing I wanted to do was to hike into Green Lakes on a sunny, (good luck with that one) snowy day and take a picture of the snow against the forest of tree trunks for my dear friend, Lenora to paint. Then in December, as fate would have it, I broke my toe really bad. I missed a couple of steps into our garage while racing around getting ready to go to New York City for a little Christmas sight seeing trip. Laid up with an open toed shoe for months, I spent some time photographing the birds that visited my feeder daily. Out of this arose my New Year’s Resolution…..Mindfulness. I do things slower now and realize that things CAN wait.

My new master bath with heated floors, new vanities, tile and wallpaper from Thibaut.

Wall to wall carpet replaced with hardwood steps and a wall to wall carpet cut and bound into a runner from Masland Carpets.

Over the winter, I worked on a lot of exciting decorating projects. One project was remodeling my master bath and staircase. Another one was for a client which, should be completed by mid to late summer. I hope to get them both professionally photographed and into my profile at Houzz.com along with other projects I’ve been working on. My master bath project included heated floors, new vanities, tile, wallpaper and a walk-in shower with frameless doors. The staircase that leads to my office was originally wall to wall carpet. I had the carpet ripped up and new hardwood floors installed. The finishing touch, a beautiful wall to wall carpet cut and bound into a runner.

In January, I was voted by the Houzz.com professional staff as “Best of Houzz 2015 for Service.” If you visit their website and view my profile, you will see the emblem.

I had a “moment” of sheer excitement in January as well, when I received notification from the publisher of a National Kitchen Magazine called, The Art of Kitchen & Bath Design/Kitchens by Professional Designers, that a kitchen remodeling project I had submitted, was accepted and would be published in their March edition. I was awaiting a proof when I received an email from the publisher notifying me that “After 25 years of publication, the internet information age and its rapid expansion, has had a major effect on all print media retail sales making it prohibitive to continue printing.” My “moment” of sheer excitement flashed before my eyes…..I had been featured in the magazine in 2009 when a kitchen designer submitted photographs of a kitchen he designed and I had assisted the client with the kitchen selections and I had also created the custom window treatments. I’d been meaning to submit photographs since then and I finally did……and so it goes. I will keep trying with other magazines and will keep you posted.

The beach on Singer Island in the early morning light awaiting beach goers.

My husband and I, along with my sister and her husband, were able to get away for 10 days to Florida where we had 80 degrees and sunshine. After wearing an open toed shoe for three months, I could finally wear sneakers on my foot with the broken toe. I felt like a new woman but I also felt like I had to teach myself how to walk again! The doctor’s orders were to not walk without my sneakers on the sand. There’s nothing like the feel of that warm sand massaging your bare feet. Not wanting to regress, I begrudgingly heeded the doctor’s orders.

Freezing, Sami poses with blankets around her on the new Master Bedroom bed by Somerset Bay.

Finally able to walk again, I recently meandered along our lake path with just a trace of snow left. It’s almost metaphoric as I finally see a light at the end of the tunnel!

Sami poses again on the living room sofa for me as I try out my new digital camera.

Once again, I’m realizing that the winters don’t last forever although when you’re in the midst of it it certainly seems like it does. I am out enjoying my stress relieving walks again and taking photos with my new camera. The snow scene will have to wait until next year. Soon we will all be out enjoying the warmer weather. I will change the timers on my lights, clean the fireplace out and my husband, Rick and I will put up the much anticipated screen room for the cats and us…but mostly for the cats who will then realize as well that winters don’t last forever……