TheDesignFile

Nate Berkus launches fabric line at Calico

I love when two of my favorite things come together and that’s what happened today when designer Nate Berkus launched a new line of fabrics at Calico stores.

The new collection includes lots of browns, golds and grays with some great patterns that seem ready to be soft neutrals in any room. It includes 24 styles and – with all the colors – more than 100 different options.

Berkus says that fabric is the first thing his firm’s designers reach for when they begin a project.

"It adds depth and texture in a way that no other medium can. It's critical to the way we build a space."

The Nate Berkus collection starts at an affordable $14.99 a yard – although you’ll find choices that top $80 too.

Calico plans to carry the line in all of its 75 stores across the country. 

The company describes the collection like this: “Beautiful constructions with metallic embellishment and rough-hewn linen burlap marry with ethnic inspired jacquards and menswear herringbone for upholstery.”

Berkus says he wants home decorators to “see how diverse fabric can be.”

"I've covered walls, created headboards, transformed lampshades, all with fabric,” he says.

“People should feel empowered by the fact that whether it's one yard or ten, they get to decide the impact it will make in their room. That's what makes fabric so great."

I went to the Calico website to get some addition looks at the collection. And here are some of my favorites:

 

Julie Morris, the vice president of Calico merchandising, said the launch comes at a time when consumers are showing a renewed interest in better quality home design projects.

"Younger shoppers are showing more interest in custom product," she said. "Their tastes tend to represent a convergence of classic and modern styling, and Nate is a master at striking that perfect balance."

Try some upholstery with a simple project

Have you been looking for a way to sample some upholstery without a long term commitment?

Then my upholstery guru – Shelly Leer at ModHomeEc Studio – has the perfect option for you.

Shelly has added a one-day, button-tufted ottoman class on Jan. 26.

She calls it a “light, one day workshop.” You bring a yard of fabric and a 3-inch piece of foam. You leave with a fully upholstered ottoman that is 17 inches by 22 inches wide and has four wooden legs.

”This one day workshop will provide you with the knowledge, skills and techniques  you’ll need to design and create ottomans, benches and footstools forever,” Shelly says. “These make fabulous wedding,  house warming, baby nursery, holiday or birthday gifts. Knowledge is power.”

Get more info and sign up at the ModHomeEc website.

Great art available for $100 this Friday

If you’re like me, you love original art but can’t always afford to buy it.

For those of you in Central Indiana, I’ve got a great solution.

The Indiana Downtown Artists and Dealers Association will have its First in Line exhibition and sale on Dec. 7 at the Stutz Art Space.

All works will be priced at $100 and sold on a first-come, first-served basis.

IDADA members can attend a reception from 5-6 p.m. to preview the work and the general public can join in the fun at 6 p.m.

That’s when the art sale begins.

These are the kinds of events I love – and I really hope that I can make it

And, I’m recommending it to friends who have been looking for original art.

That means there will be competition – so get there early.

You just can’t beat $100, whether it’s for a large canvas or a smaller piece.

So go on Friday night and see what you can find. And try buying a gift or two while you’re there!

Q&A: The making of an heirloom dresser

I’m a day late posting the Q&A with my father-in-law that I promised after showing you the incredible dresser and jewelry chest he created.

I wanted to give Joe the opportunity to describe his process a bit and to talk about the materials he used. And I’ve mixed in a few photos I took of the project in process. The photos – including the one of Joe posing with the dresser’s frame early in the process – were shot in Joe’s woodshop.

Here’s what he had to say:

Question: How did you come up with the design for these amazing pieces?

Joe: I sat down with pencil and paper and started playing with shapes. I knew I wanted to make a dresser and jewelry chest but had no specifics in mind.

The dresser's shape came easily and was quickly approved by Barb (his wife and my mother-in-law) as the direction to follow. The jewelry box changed dramatically after the dresser was almost completed (as you can see in the photo at right).

The "boxy" model just did not match and I wanted to add a "crown" to the dresser. Even during the construction I had no plan for the backstop. One day it just popped in my head and I created it.

Reese Kitchens to open at Indiana Design Center

Reese Kitchens – one of the top names in Indianapolis homes décor – will open a 5,000 square foot showroom on the second floor of the Indiana Design Center.

The Reese Kitchen, Bath & Lighting Gallery is set to open in early 2013. It will showcase national custom cabinet brands, including MasterBrand cabinets and Mouser Custom Cabinetry, among others.

Reese – which was purchased Ferguson Company, a national wholesaler of residential plumbing supplies – also has locations in Broad Ripple, Greenwood and Zionsville.

The new showroom means the design center is now 98 percent leased, leaving only one 1,200 square foot space remaining to be claimed.

“The Reese Kitchens name has an excellent reputation in the state of Indiana and we are
proud to have the showroom join the Indiana Design Center,” said Melissa Averitt, vice president and director of marketing and sales for Pedcor Companies, which manages the center.

The new showroom will be located on the floor above the popular Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery and will be open to the public.

“We are very excited to expand on the product and services the Indiana Design Center offers the community,” said Clark Cutshaw, Ferguson’s residential sales manager for Central Indiana. “It is truly a one stop-shop for homeowners, builders and designers.”

Find authentic industrial decor at IndySWAG

If you’re into the industrial chic look – and I know a lot of you are – you’ve got to check out a new salvage location in Indianapolis.

IndySWAG is the brainchild of sisters Sandra and Shelly Jarvis, who started the business after purchasing a huge lot of GM plant furnishings at an auction.

Since then, they’ve been buying up lots from medical facilities and other manufacturing plants and filling a warehouse on the southeast side of Indianapolis.

The warehouse is something to see – although a shopping experience is currently available only by appointment.

You can get a preview by going to Reclaimed! in the Fletcher Place neighborhood (across the street from a fantastic Mexican restaurant called Tortas). Click here to see a post I did about Reclaimed! earlier this year.

Soon, the sisters plan to open up their own retail location at Washington and Shelby streets on the east side of downtown. It will offer some of the IndySWAG inventory but much of it will remain at the warehouse and be rotated in and out.

I visited the warehouse as part of a group led by Shelly Leer, my upholstery teacher at the ModHomeEc studio. She wrote a great piece about IndySWAG in The Indianapolis Star. You can see the story online here.

As I mentioned at the start, most of the items here are industrial – or are office items used in industrial settings – or come from medical facilities. There are stools, chairs, desks and cabinets, many of them metal.

West Elm & its stylish collection headed to Indy

I was so excited to learn this week that Indianapolis will finally be getting a West Elm store.

The modern furniture retailer is one of my favorite places to browse for inspiration online and I’m thrilled that I’ll now be able to check out the furniture and accessories in person.

The store will be located at the newly renovated Fashion Mall on Indy’s north side. That’s where Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware and other home décor retailers are located.

The news inspired me to do a little browsing at West Elm online and I thought I’d show you some of my favorite finds.

I started with some of the store’s “new arrivals,” which include some snazzy textiles. I adore the Hand-Blocked Silk Terrain Tile pillow cover – shown above – which costs $39. It’s 18-inches square.

I also like the neutral tones in the textiles below:

From left: Frayed-edge quilt and shams, $29-$189; sweater knit pillow cover, $39; and faux fur throw in ombre, $119.

Upholstery project: I went with pink and green!

A couple weeks ago, I told you about the green Salvation Army chair that will be my next upholstery project. I also showed you some of the fabrics I might use.

Today, I finally pulled the trigger. My final choice is below. I love it!

I found the fabric Calico Corners – which is having a 20 percent off sale – after struggling to pick among so many great options.

Unfortunately, many of my favorite fabrics were pricey – most between $35 and $75 per yard. And when you consider that most had a huge pattern repeat and some large medallion or other design that would have to be carefully placed on the chair’s front and back, I knew I needed a lot of yardage – and I needed something more affordable.

Eventually I found the fabric pictured at right. The bolt was labeled a “second,” which means it had some flaws. But the great salesperson I worked with at Calico Corners looked through the bolt with me and we decided it would work just fine.

The “seconds” label also made it a great price – $13.99 per yard! Also, I received the 20 percent off.

I bought seven yards plus two more yards of a coral fabric to use for cording.

What do you think?

Below is my chair and some of the fabrics I considered today at Calico Corners but eventually passed over:

A great salvage store in Fletcher Place

This weekend after a great lunch at a little Indianapolis spot called Tortas, my husband and I made our first stop at Reclaimed!, which is located in the city’s Fletcher Place neighborhood.

First, I have to tell you that this is one of my favorite little buildings in Indy. I had silly dreams of opening a little shop there or a photo studio or something when it was vacant a couple years ago.

Then a cute vintage shop rented the space. But one day, when I was driving by, it became clear that it had a new occupant – Reclaimed!

Saturday marked our first trip there and it was a delight. Packed into this tiny space were dozens of gorgeous stained glass windows, hundreds of pieces of vintage hardware, and all kinds of oddball furnishings, including a fun 1960s era dryer chair from a salon.

This is one of those places where you have to pay real attention to see everything.

There are items above, below and all around you.

Some the stuff is true architectural salvage. If you own an older home or a business in a historic building, you can probably find something to help restore your space in this store.

But it’s also a great place to find an architectural piece you can use to add a little character to an otherwise boring place.

Sunday roundup: Great things for sale

For just a little while, I’m going to change my Sunday roundup from one about other posts around the blogosphere to one rounding up interesting buys on Craig’s List, eBay, online stores some local Indy retailers.

I just thought it might be a fun change, not only for me but also for you.

And I’m hoping to incorporate more links to other blogs in my everyday posts. I want to encourage readers to find great ideas in other places and don’t want to wait until Sunday to round those up.

So I’m starting today with a fun find on Craig’s List here in Central Indiana: It’s this fun pink, aluminum Samantha chair from Home Decorators Collection.

A Noblesville homeowner has it for sale for $50, new in the box. That’s less than half the retail price.

Here’s the link to the post. It’s really adorable.

I love modern chairs and I found this great set at Overstock – you know, that site that is trying to change its name to O.Co – and the pair is just $152! I love them.

This dark purple glass vase is at the Goodwill of Central Indiana auction website.

The bids on this item close on March 4. When last I checked, the highest bid was $5. What a bargain for this pretty vase!

Here are a couple sales worth checking out:

• Target is having a bed and bath sale. Comforter and sham sets that had been about $90 or on sale for $75.
• JoAnn Fabric & Craft stores have some 54” home décor prints and solids on sale for 40 percent off. That’ a sale I’ll check out in preparation for my upcoming upholstery class.