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Do you get Transported?

March 31, 2018/in Uncategorized /by Marcia Philipp

A mesmerizing picture as fall leaves showed their colors in the ice as others below lay upon the grass in a “lake” created by so much rain.

Do you ever get transported?  By that I mean do you zone out? I do……Some instances when I get transported is when I’m picking paint colors, when I’m visualizing something in a room, when I walk or when I listen to music.  I was transported one evening when I had the wonderful opportunity to listen to my friend Dr. Paul’s son sing one night.  Michael Amante, a nationally recognized singer, whose resume includes a PBS special, singing for countless dignitaries and Presidents and has appeared on numerous national television shows. He sang at the Resort Lifestyle Communities at Towne Center in their theatre for the residents and those of us lucky enough to get invited. His voice, I liken to those of Josh Groban, Pavarotti and Andrea Bocelli transported me.  He sang two of my favorite songs, the Hallelujah song and the song from Les Miserable’s, “Bring Him Home.”  I met my new friend, Dr Paul, who recently moved into the retirement resort when I helped him determine what furniture to bring with him from his large home he was selling. So lucky am I that I gained a new friend whose soul is ever so gentle and kind.

On one of my walks in the fall,  I was transported as the air became crisp and the leaves crunched beneath my sneakers.  With all the rain we had last fall, the Links Golf Course had “lakes” where they weren’t suppose to be.  Clouds mirrored in these “lakes” as brightly colored leaves floated above leaves lying upon the green grass below. It created a mesmerizing picture as you can see above.

A goose watches over her goslings off my deck. I wish I could have put a red bow around her neck, she would have made a beautiful holiday card!

As I walked up the hill to the Green Lakes Golf clubhouse early one morning; I found the need to use the restroom there.  Inside the stall, the most beautiful view from the window was bestowed upon me.  The photograph ended up looking like a series of paintings hung on a wall as you can see below.  You never know where your next photograph might be!

The photograph was taken from inside the ladies room at the Green lakes clubhouse, the photograph looks like a series of paintings on a wall which is actually the window overlooking the beautiful hills of Green Lakes.

Taking photographs of landscapes and animals/insects always transports me as well. Did you ever see so many butterflies as you saw last summer?  It was the most incredible summer for them.  While playing golf, I snapped a photo of a Painted Lady Butterfly on the Green Lakes Golf Course (my husband was teeing off so he wasn’t TOO annoyed with me!), my girlfriend in Colorado was also snapping a picture of one enjoying her zinnias in full bloom on her deck.

A beautiful Painted Lady Butterfly on the Green Lakes golf course.

I was blessed to capture a photograph of a beautiful Tiger Swallowtail butterfly feeding upon my lantana in my window box.

A Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly feasts upon my lantana last summer.

In plenty supply last summer was the beautiful monarch butterfly that enjoyed my hydrangea bush in full bloom.  I captured a picture of an allusive hummingbird moth feeding upon my spectacular phlox. They are hard to photograph as they are very shy and fast. When I first noticed one, I thought it was a baby hummingbird but realized it was something else.  If you have never seen one, keep your eyes peeled.  They love butterfly bushes and phlox.

A monarch butterfly passes through and feasts on my hydrangea bush.

A Hummingbird Moth feeds upon phlox in my garden. They are hard to photograph as they are very shy and quick.

I photographed this “drunk” bee in the early morning feeding upon the nectar of the flower. Bees can actually forget how to get back to their hive when drunk, dying as a result.

I can’t wait to get my deck set up for the summer.

Flowers mixed with greenery from your garden can be very interesting as you can see below. I used ferns, hosta leaves, euonymus bush (fortunei) and grasses mixed with the flowers.

A bouquet of flowers from my garden made a beautiful centerpiece for a luncheon I had.

Looking forward to the awakening soon to come….I already have bulbs blooming in my garden.  My hellebores (Christmas Rose) have beautiful flowers on them that were blanketed under the snow. Sami and Remi can’t wait for the screen room to go up where they’ll spend the summer watching the birds, sleeping and dreaming of catching a chipmunk! In the meantime, Sami sleeps on the heat vent on our heated bathroom floor.

Sami sleeps on the heat vent to keep warm while waiting to feel the warmth of the sun.

I leave you with a saying by Barbara Winkler from the book, “Time Began in a Garden” by Emilie Barnes.  “Every gardener knows that under the cloak of winter lies a miracle…”  “A seed waiting to sprout, a bulb opening to the light, a bud straining to unfurl and the anticipation nurtures our dream…”

Happy Spring and Happy Dreaming!

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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.

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Finding Time and More….

June 16, 2017/in Uncategorized /by Marcia Philipp

Most people can’t seem to find enough time in the day… I know I’m guilty. I’ve been trying to find time to write my blog and download photographs on Houzz of a new home I recently completed. I worked on so many wonderful projects last winter that continued into spring.  A personal project of mine included my husband, Rick, painting my workroom.  I decided to pick a new soft white tone.  Sherwin Williams SW9119 Dirty Martini….I promise I didn’t pick it for the name although it sure could have persuaded me.  It’s a soft beige/green. You can see on the photo below the old color on the left wall and the new color on the back wall where the door is. The next photo shows the newly painted walls and the room rearranged from the way it was originally.

 

My approach to the Industrial style home labeled by my clients as the “Dream Lodge” which, coincidentally coincides with the first initials of their last names, was to celebrate the home’s views and uniqueness.  Wrapped in charm and character, the home dons corrugated walls, wood ceilings, multiple paint colors in a room with contrasting trim, metal railings and so much more.  An antique kitchen table draws you in for conversation in the open space while the furniture in the family room from my upholstery company, The MT Companies, beckons you to enjoy the view, read a book, watch television or take a nap in front of the fireplace during the cold winter months. Please visit my site on Houzz.com to see the rest of the professionally taken photographs.  Another project I worked on was a new cottage style home in the Timberbanks development. Comfort and function were the key to this home.  My builder clients, who have been building beautiful homes for many years, decided it was time to downsize from a large home to a more manageable size home.

Windows and a door line three walls in the great room/kitchen area for wonderful views of the golf course. I angled the fireplace on the wall for interest and created a television/bookcase unit next to it. Ceilings are no less important than walls and their ceiling was no exception.  Created to add depth and dimension, the coffered ceiling shows what the builder’s trimmer can do. Adding to the senses of bringing the outdoors in, the walls and inside the coffered ceiling were painted Sherwin Williams, SW7696 Toasted Pine Nut, (not yet painted on the walls in the photograph below) which is a warm rich beige/yellow.

The builder’s trimmer puts the final touches on the coffered ceiling for my clients. An angled fireplace with bookcases next to it added a welcome bit of uniqueness to the usual fireplace planked with bookcases each side.

The topic of conversation always seems to be opened up by the weather……Ok, I am a bit sick of the rain too but, it’s BECAUSE of the rain, the wetlands next to us are filled with wildlife including  new born painted wood ducks that are an amazing array of colors…hence, the name painted wood duck, it’s BECAUSE of the rain, I’ve learned to take my walks in it and I never run into anyone else except for birds, turtles and deer, it’s BECAUSE of the rain we appreciate the warmth upon our face when the sun does come out and of course, it’s BECAUSE of the rain my garden is a watercolor painting waiting to come alive on canvas.  What is your “it’s BECAUSE of the rain” feel good thoughts?

A young great blue heron stands very still in the rain as he poses for me….Actually he found a great spot to fish and he didn’t want to move

Appropriately lined by size, these turtles cherished the sun one day to help digest their food.

A doe finds food aplenty with all the rain.

My Heartleaf Bergenia welcomes guests as they enter my garden. It never had so many flowers as it has this year from the rain.

My beloved garden pond was refurbished recently.  It’s been leaking for years and needed a little TLC.  “It looks better than ever,” my husband said. The frogs who have joined me this year think so too..

My newly refurbished pond creates the enchanting backdrop for my flower garden and pagoda I found at the Furniture and Accessory Market one year.

Sometimes stars just align. Overwhelmed and in the midst of work, Remi’s recovery and Chairing the Greater Manlius Chamber of Commerce’s 2017 Spring Dinner Auction, my friend, Patty stopped by with lunch for Rick and I on a Saturday morning with a picnic basket full of warm fresh bread she had made, homemade minestrone soup – best I’ve ever tasted even with the substitution of Turkey sausage (recipe below), the trimmings for the soup and yummy brownies. Enter aligning stars….I met Patty over 20 years ago when she walked into the design firm I was working at and needed decorating. We have cultivated a special friendship and share the same interests in gardening, cooking and so much more.

The best Minestrone Soup I’ve ever had even with the substitutions of turkey sausage and chicken broth.

Sami poses in my friend’s basket that she brought over filled with warm homemade bread, minestrone soup and cookies.

I leave you, as always, with pictures of Remi and Sami…..Abyssinians are known to have bad teeth and Remi was no exception.  In April, he had 16 of his 20 or so teeth pulled.  It was very painful I am sure and my heart ached for him.  We “lost” our boy for about six weeks.  He became very unsocial which, was the complete opposite of his personality.  Feeling so much better now that his infected teeth are gone, we’ve got our Remi boy back again. For those of you that know Remi, you know he loved to suck on his tail for comfort. Now not having any teeth to hang onto it in his mouth, he no longer sucks it.  He seems alright with it but every so often he grabs for his tail but then let’s it go when he realizes he can’t hang onto it. I loved it when he did it but, I suspect I will get over it as well.  I’m just glad to have my boy back again.

My aby boy recovering in the warmed sheets from dental surgery.

Remi recovering in warmed sheets from dental surgery.

Feeling left out, Sami poses in her warmed blanket.

Feeling left out, Sami poses in her warmed blanket.

Happy Spring

Marcia

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