Tag Archives: Shopping

Why the Room Works- (Feb/Mar 2013)

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We asked Lynn-Anne Bruns of lakbdesign and Home With Heart in Charlotte to give us the rundown on one of her favorite client spaces.

Here, she explains how the project came together and some of the key design elements she used to design it.

“Every designer knows that it’s much easier to create a lovely living room from scratch, choosing each separate piece with a careful eye, rather than crafting a room already filled with much-loved family pieces coupled with new, designer choices. It’s easier, but the spirit of the family and a little of the room’s soul is lost when a room is filled with everything new. That’s why I enjoy using family pieces, when possible, in furnishing a living room.

This living room of an Eastover family works cleverly in several ways. First, it’s a welcoming, cozy place for the family to curl up, reading, talking, and playing. Second, it’s a charming place to entertain, with prized pieces by prominent glassmaker Duncan McLellan and potter Ben Owen, among others. At the core of the room is the hearth, which features a 1965 oil painting done by the homeowner’s father; a striking piece which incorporates deep blue green, earthy tones of cream, gray, brick red, sandy brown and a delicious, Mediterranean orange. These tones pull together the otherwise disparate color elements of the room, including the sandy brown sofa and its homemade red quilt, the beautifully faded childhood trunk from my client (now serving as a coffee table), the blues and greens of a rustic ‘cloud’ garden stool and the gray sheepskin in the spaniel’s basket by the fireplace.

The antique carpet and drapes reinforce the warmth and welcome in the room, while the silvery cigar table and the mercury glass and hammered silver lamps provide a cool, modern counterpoint. At every turn, there’s a reminder of family – the father’s bronzed baby shoes are perched on top of a small stack of the mother’s Beatrix Potter books, reminding children that parents were small once too. A stash of legos is found in pottery bowls stacked in a family wagon from long ago, which now serves handily as a side table.

Easily repeating elements, I brought in a weathered gray mirror from Vagabond Vintage to echo the color of the 1940s marble of the fireplace and reinforce the circle elements found in the drapery and vibrant McClellan bowl. Built-in shelves, original to the house, give each piece its own space. It’s truly special to capture and celebrate the family’s spirit using evocative things next to new, and providing a warm and welcoming living room for the family that lives there.”

To view this article visit www.urbanhomemagazine.com or click here.

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The Furniture Connector – Charlotte, NC (UHM Feb/March 2013)

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It’s all about expansion for North Carolina native Rodney Hines. In addition to their original store, The Furniture Connector, Rodney and his business partner have added two more stores in Charlotte.

High Cotton Home Co. and Southend Trading Company showcase different design styles and merchandise, providing a complete selection of home goods and interior design services covering all customer tastes.

Looking for the opinion of an interior designer on how to complete the look of your bedroom? Need one special piece of furniture as a focal point in the room? Does the family room need a complete overhaul? Visit one of the three stores to complete the specific look that suits your home and consult an onsite designer for advice. Check out the unique offerings at all three stores:

The Furniture Connector – Still incredibly popular, The Furniture Connector is the first store Rodney and his business partner opened and carries an array of eclectic pieces in a fun and flirty environment. You can discover how to mix styles – a rustic chair combined with a crystal chandelier, for example – and the power of decorating with “opposite” materials to complete a room’s design. 2905 Griffith Street, Charlotte.

High Cotton Home Co. – This store showcases tailored, high style furniture collections with a refined, modern look. The 8,000-squarefoot warehouse is classically decorated thanks to overhead crystal chandeliers hanging from metal piping and rafters. Modern furniture completes the high-end aesthetic. TFC’s excellence in customer service spills over into this store – designers are on site to help you choose the right furnishings for the look you want and will even come to your house to offer advice. Customers say they love the quality furnishings and the hospitality. 2137 South Boulevard, Charlotte.

Southend Trading Company – The fun continues at the newest addition to this family of stores with Southend Trading Company. “This store is a diamond in the rough,” says Hines. “You can find one-of-a-kind pieces, repurposed furniture, antiques with new upholsteryand gifts for others.” Hines says it resembles a Paris flea market with yesterday’s antiques mingle with handmade items, dressed up for modern use. Wondering how to incorporate Pantone’s 2013 Color of the Year, emerald, into your décor? An in-store interior designer can lead you to the answer. 2935 Griffith Street, Charlotte.

Visit all three stores often to see the wide range of merchandise, which is sold off the floor as one-of-a-kind finds. The room vignettes change weekly as pieces are sold and new shipments arrive at the warehouse door. If you’re in the market for new furnishings and accessories, sign up for the stores’ catchy e-newsletter, which lists upcoming sales and provides sneak peek photos of new arrivals each week.

Text “ilovefurniture” to 22828 to join the email list for all three stores and receive early sales and event information, along with photo previews. Visit all three stores in the Southend Furniture District to find the furniture, artwork, rugs and accessories that are right for you. Call 704-523-3163 to reach the stores.

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Contributing Editor- Beth Keim with Lucy & Company (UHM Feb/Mar 2013)

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Fit for a teen

My client, Maureen Baudhuin, presented me with a challenge: How can we add storage and style to her teenage daughter ‘s 12 x 12 room, who loves all-things fashion? Her daughter Kimmy had shoes, purses, clothes, make-up and jewelry to store, but a closet too small to hold it all. The room had plenty of space for storage up high but not at arms length, where she needed it. Plus, the twin bed had to go — I was determined to give this tall, 16-year old girl a queen-sized bed. So, where to start?

I love a “wow factor” focal point when you enter a room. A look that immediately grabs you and pulls you in. This room has a beautiful large picture window, so I wanted to place the bed in the center and work the new storage design around it. With the help of my carpenter Shaun, we created seven-foot-tall cabinets to flank the bed, with plenty of shelving and four new drawers below.

The cabinets connected across the top with a long wooden cornice. This creates that focal point I love and also allows space for the queen bed with room to move on all sides. I find a lot of time that window- walls are the last place in mind for storage or furniture – but when done well, it’s perfect!

Opposite the window-wall we then created two more tall but shallow wall cabinets for everything glamour! Jewelry, make-up and shoes stand at attention on 16 new shelves, all inside two wall mounted cabinets. A new desk and some artwork create another focal point.

With such a love of fashion, my color palette was clean black and white with a splash of color; a somewhat French-inspired look. The velvet headboard was stitched to resemble the classic Chanel bag and Christian LaCroix’s floral fabric filled the window for a pop of color. Artwork for this space was also important to me, so Mekenzie France photographed Kimmy and some of her favorite things for a sophisticated, personal grouping.

This space now offers tremendous style, but also multiple storage options for Kimmy. It’s a clean and put-together space with major glamour and a little wow factor. Think outside the box when designing a space for storage, and reconsider unconventional wall space for new storage possibilities!

Keim is the owner of Lucy and Company, a full-service interior design firm located at 1009 East Boulevard. For more information visit www.lucyandcompany.

com or call 704-342-665

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Roughing It- Beth Keim with Lucy & Company (Best of Guide, Charlotte, NC)

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Images courtesy of Mekenzie France

There is nothing I love more than a clean slate, an empty room – a room that doesn’t even exist, actually. When I work with a client in the beginning stages of a remodel or an addition, we don’t have any obstacles to deal with. We can really think about the function of the room and, with the help of an amazing contractor and carpenter, we can have everything on our wish list.

I recently worked with the Freemans on a new project, transforming their garage into a new family room and pool house bath. Pulling in The Salin’s Group for expertise, we sought out to create a functional, stylish space for a family of five. Style was very important. Something beautiful, chic and fun that echoed the feel of the wooded lot their secluded home occupied, yet more artistic and modern than the typical “cabin” look.

I chose bright birch tree wallpaper, with an almost hand-drawn feel, to cover the room. The clean and modern look of this paper set the tone of the room and became the focal point. It’s very eye catching and bright, and with the large retractable doors the trees seemed to drift into the wooded backyard in such a beautiful way.

T he next step was to filter in large and simple pieces of furniture in warmer tones. Since I was working with such a sharp, clean and modern paper, I chose natural wood accent furniture to warm it up. These amazing pieces, while rustic in material, all have the modern clean lines I needed to compliment the overall look. I believe they’re works of art on their own.

I then chose a large dark leather sectional couch. I love sectionals, especially tight back sectionals. The look is cleaner and over time, you aren’t dealing with the back cushions losing shape. This piece is large enough to be the main furniture in the room and accommodates their growing family.

This room was screaming for a Lucite bubble chair. It’s modern lines worked well with the
overall feel, but more importantly it doesn’t visually block the great wallpaper paper – plus, honestly – it was just fun!

Speaking of ways to avoid taking away from your key element, hidden built-in storage was a decision we all made early on. The entire wall opens up for ample storage, yet is designed and built in a way that doesn’t call attention.

T he finished product is clean, functional, and artistic, and a new room everyone wants to spend time in together just enjoying the “outdoors.”

Beth Keim is the owner of Lucy and Company, a full-service interior design firm located at 1009 East Boulevard. For more information visit www.lucyandcompany.com or call
704-342-6655.

To view more articles from Lucy & Company click here, or visit www.urbanhomemagazine.com

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