Showcase House at Adamsleigh Estate: Upstairs

There was so much to see at the Show House at the Adamsleigh Estate that I had to bring the second half to you today! So....on with the tour!

The Second Floor of the house seemed just as enormous as the first. And again, I had not the time to take pictures of every room. But I have the highlights for you!

First up is the Daughter's Bedroom. Lucky girl! (My first impression was that this daughter may be a boomerang kid back from college.) The designer, Jack Fhillips, created a very stylish and luxurious space all in black, white and red. All of the fabrics, wallcoverings and trims are from Scalamandre. He used the now famous "Zebras" print for pillows and for the windows in the dressing room....

So many wonderful details, like the hand mirror collection on the wall and the little cornice for the window treatment make this a fantastic one-of-a-kind space....

One of the many bedrooms, this one known as the Guest Room, was designed by Debby Gomulka Designs. Debbie focused her design around the beautiful art pieces she was able to find for the space. She used persimmon, ivory and turquoise for her palette to create a cozy retreat. You might end up with a guest turned permanent resident in this space!

Another Guest Room was designed by Megan Winters. She partnered with Thomas and Gray to create this dramatic bedroom. The beautiful chandelier serves as a focal point in this black, white and taupe room. Classic, fresh and fun, it is one of my favorite spaces!...

The Owner's Sitting Room was designed by Lisa Kahn-Allen form the Kahn Design Group. Lisa created a cool and serene space in pale blue and gold. I particularly liked the wallpaper...very Palm Beach! Lovely...

Not necessarily intentional, many of the designers ended up with black and white in their bedrooms. However, they all have a distinct flavor to them. I loved the "Her" Bedroom and Dressing Room by Robert Brown. Robert used an over scaled Clarence House print that makes the space. Graphic and sophisticated, this print was used in a way that was very modern. Robert used it not only for the bed....

but also for the windows and upholstery. Using one fabric really makes a statement in a very modern way. Robert combined traditional and modern furnishings in perfect balance....and I love the wall color!...

Unfortunately I missed photos for "His" Bedroom, which was very nicely done by from Thomas and Warren Interiors, but I did get a few photos of "His" Dressing Room by Lisa Mende Design and Traci Zeller Design. One of the high points for this space was the incredible wallpaper. It is an architectural toile created from the Adamsleigh Estate original elevations. Brilliant idea!

Again, there is lots of black and white which has been punctuated with green blue and orange...

I particularly liked the malachite dresser and the way the ladies outlined the room with green grosgrain ribbon...

That wraps up the Show House at Adamsleigh! I hope you enjoyed this look at such an iconic estate in the lovely state of North Carolina as much as I did....

Next up is something completely different! Sacramento held a tour of some mid-century modern atomic ranch homes last weekend....so stay tuned!

Showcase House at the Adamsleigh Estate with Traditional Home

First, thank you all for your very polite patience! It has taken me way too long to show you everything I have been up to lately! My trip to North Carolina was jam packed full of interior design inspiration, and one of the most inspiring bits was the gorgeous Show House at the Adamsleigh Estate benefiting the Junior League of Greensboro with the National Media Sponsor, Traditional Home.

There was a brilliant line-up of top designers involved with the Show House....some of my very favorites! Some of the main rooms were done in partnership with some of the largest furniture manufacturers from High Point. 

First up is the Living Room which was designed by Miles Redd in partnership with Century Furniture. Miles has said that every room needs "a little bit of blue", and in this space he has included a beautiful array of blues: turquoise, sky blue, denim blue, navy, royal blue and teal. Mixed with shots of chocolate and persimmon, the palette is decidedly appetizing! As always, I love his mix of traditional and modern, and Century Furniture provided plenty of options for the mix...... 

My favorite thing in this room has got to be the area rug! Enormous and just exquisite....

Another of my favorite designers is Eric Cohler. Eric worked with Pearson to produce a fresh and fun Sun Porch. Eric brought a lot of punch to this space with bold graphic pattern and unexpected details. One of the most fun details in the space was the striped border pattern on the ceiling topped off with the star burst light fixtures. What a great way to add instant architectural detail to the space! Also fun is the fabric covered screen, the grommeted drapery panels and the graphic area rug.

Eric seems to have such a fine tuned instinct for putting fabrics, colors and textures together that are so unexpected and yet work so well. This is one of my favorite spaces in the home....just so bright, comfortable and interesting....

Next up is the Sun Room. Yes, that is right....this house is so large that it has a Sun Porch AND a Sun Room. (Honestly, I did end up inadvertently missing a couple of major rooms in the house before time ran out and we had to leave! Can you imagine missing the Kitchen and Dining Room?!) So...the Sun Room was designed by Bradshaw Orrell and Randy McManus. It is just the place for a rest on the divan, martini in hand. Cool turquoise washes the walls and white lattice recalls  a pretty garden....

Coral pops is way into the scheme here and there, and you can really see the beautiful sheen on the ceiling....

Suzanne Kasler partnered with Hickory Chair (more of Hickory Chair and their latest offerings to come!) to create a cozy sophisticated Den. Again, that graphic pattern keeps things lively in an otherwise serene and peaceful space...

The light fixture echoes the area rug motif perfectly! Suzanne is another design celeb, and another one of my favorites! It was great to be able to see top designers' work in person!

Next up is the Library, a space designed by Greensboro's own Ann Legette. Ann brightened up the wood paneled space with cheerful watercolored blues and greens and ivory upholstery. The curtains were a custom hand-dyed silk, and don't you love the tracery ceiling?.....

I was thoroughly charmed by the Front Foyer space designed by Jane Matteson. It was full of collected curiosities, vintage bird cages and bird nests, mechanical birds and butterfly and moth specimens. A naturalist's refuge.....

I loved the antique book art pieces that just enhance the fantasy of an era gone by.....

I had such fun meeting the Madcap Cottage duo, John Locke and Jason Oliver who were so charming in showing me the Breakfast Room space they designed.....

John and Oliver have a talent for mixing patterns and colors in such a fun "madcap" way. i would just love to stay in this space and have tea, and just gab an afternoon away with these two! I hope you all click on over HERE to visit Madcap Cottage and see all of the pillows they have designed! (Again...so much to share on these two fellows coming up!)

One of the things I loved most about this room was that John and Oliver kept the original flower motifs painted on the door above and worked them into their design. They have that appreciation of vintage treasures and how we can work them into our homes in a fresh way. Bravo!

You can see one their pillows in the chair below, which just happens to have their signature elephant on the front....

Our last stop today is what is being called the "Prohibition Room". My guess is that this is where the imbibing went on, and perhaps where the hooch was stored during those roaring 20's! It was located below decks...in the basement. Patrick Lewis and Cindy Smith of Circa Interiors worked with Lee Industries to transform the space into a cozy retreat....where perhaps one could imagine a seance being held...

Can you feel the free-wheeling ghosts of the Great Gatsby era congregating here for a cocktail?...

Honestly, this home was so large, I truly did not have time to finish the whole tour! I cannot believe I missed the Kitchen and Dining Room.....but that is what happened. I almost missed the shuttle for the trip back to High Point! However, I still have LOTS to show you in my next post. There is a whole second floor to go through, so I hope you are ready for more amazing design in the days to come!

OFr more information about the Showhouse, click on over HERE!

Have a beautiful day!

High Point Market: Pearson

For those of you who follow me on facebook, you already know I was in High Point Market, North Carolina a couple of weeks ago. This was my first trip to High Point Market, and honestly, even after doing my homework, I still was blown away by the sheer size of this Trade Show! After reading various blogs about how much walking is involved in coming to the largest Furniture Trade Show in the world  , (I did pack more than one pair of comfortable walking shoes!), I still had no idea of the magnitude(11 million sq. ft. of showroom space, 2000+ exhibitors!) not only of the number of showrooms (180!), but also of the amazing amount of coordination of transportation, food preparation, education seminars, etc. that was involved. It is truly a gargantuan undertaking that takes place twice a year where the local population increases from 6,000 to over 75,000 seemingly overnight. 

High Point is smack in the middle of North Carolina. We flew into Greensboro, about a half hour outside of High Point via Chicago (a whole other story!), which took most of a Saturday (my day began at about 3:00 am....). We decided to go directly to High Point from the airport, check the luggage and start hoofing it to the showrooms straight away. I have sooooo much to share with you, including lots of photos from the Showcase House at the Adamsleigh Estate sponsored by Traditional Home Magazine. (Miles Redd designed the Living Room, so stay tuned!)

So, without making you wait another minute, on with the show!

First up is the Pearson Showroom. Pearson is a wonderful upholstery manufacturer and also produces great occasional furniture pieces. I had the privilege of touring the Showroom with Jennifer McConnell, Vice President of Design, and Anne Martin in PR and sales out of San Francisco. Jennifer was a fabulous wealth of information. She, herself, is responsible for all of the fabric selections, furniture designs and the design of the High Point Showroom. Thinking of it all strikes awe in to my heart. She is one lady with energy to spare!

As we entered the Showroom for our appointment, the first thing we saw turned out to be one of my favorite areas of the Showroom. Jennifer had selected this fantastic Asian inspired cloud/sky fabric in shades of blue for ottomans and pillows. Knocked my socks off! Paired with a beautiful linen print of a foo dog in indigo and orangey red on pillows and chairs, blue velvet sofas and a navy diamond patterned fabric on a pair of slipper chairs....loved it!

There was so much to see, I cannot remember what we saw next. I am just going to show you all of the things that caught my eye. Jennifer has a great talent for putting things together, and I sort of made a little gasp when I saw this vignette....

I have a thing for navy and indigo, so I was particularly smitten with the arm chair with this over scaled navy and ivory chevron pattern. I liked the combination of chair with the pale wood dresser and the Moroccan mirror with just a cop,e of accessories to set it off.

Next up, a room with what I think might be my favorite occasional table of the entire trip....

This space was decorated in black, fuchsia and white, and was so much fun! These brand new black and white Bunching Tables were so great. They added such a large dose of punch to the space. From a distance, one might assume these little gems were painted in stripes....but NO! The tables are actually veneered with Black Agate Stone and White Wax stone. Just an example of the quality Pearson adheres to! Loved the black and white chair and the fuchsia floral linen print on the chair in the back....great combination of things!

Another occasional table I liked was this Drinks Table. It is wrapped in a grey Italian Leather embossed with a Python pattern. Click on over HERE to see the entire table with its perfect little feet. I also thought the bench upholstered in the cut velvet was a very smart piece that could be used in a hall, or at a dining table. I do love multifunctional pieces of furniture.

So...many of the spaces were just full of great upholstery pieces....and since this is what Pearson is known for...one would expect no less. This space had such a great star shaped ottoman and the curved sofa was beautiful! Don't you love the persimmon velvet on the sofa?

Another space had these very cute hoofed stools (new this season) and another cool bunching table. I also thought the daybed was classic and very cool.

There were just a lot of fresh and pretty vignettes.....

Jennifer has a way with collecting antiques and accessories to compliment her Showroom!....

Loved these benches. I first thought the base was metal, but it is wood and available in any of Pearson's wood finishes. Sleek and sophisticated!

Here is a better look at that botanical fuchsia linen print! Love it.....and green velvet gets me every time.....

Another pretty vignette...and LOVE the sofa! Sort of a wing back style....

The bedroom vignette had pale lavender walls with this berry red printed linen....such a great and unexpected combination!....

This fresh take on a flame stitch pattern in bright white and navy was one of my favorite fabrics at High Point....

There was lots of navy, as I mentioned, so i was in a little bit of Indigo Heaven. I especially liked the combination of the wall color, a particularly nice shade of updated teal, with all of the navy .....

Cutest little bench with that pretty printed linen again, this time in blue and orange....

Pearson has a myriad of furniture finishes and over 1500 fabrics to choose from (as well as allowing for a customer's own fabric), as well as custom capabilities to truly create one-of-a-kind pieces. 

I am looking forward to working with Pearson to produce beautiful creations for my clients!

Many thanks to Jennifer McConnell and Anne Martin for such a wonderful introduction to the new Spring additions to the Pearson family of furniture!

Stay tuned for lots more about High Point Market 2013!!!