Upcoming at the Paradise City Arts Festival

I just received my show catalogue for the Paradise City Fall Festivals. Boy, are there some amazing artists out there! Here are a couple that really caught my eye:



Based in western Massachusetts, Vitek Kruta's list of clients for his 3-dimensional trompe l'oeil paintings range from director Milos Forman and writer William Styron to the Los Angeles Center for the Performing Arts. It appears there is nothing he can't do really well - from painting to furniture making to teaching.


Fashion afficionados love Mary Lynn O'Shea's clothing. She has now teamed up with her husband, Steve Smith, to create a line of cozy furniture upholstered in her signature fabrics.

A musical note

A couple of weeks ago, I had the extreme privilege to be able to perform at the famed Hatch Shell on Boston's Esplanade, home of the Boston Pops 4th of July concerts. I sat in with a community orchestra. I have to say, it was a thrill. Here are a couple of photos I took that evening.

Chameleons all over the place!!!

I often get click-throughs to my website from people looking for chameleon related topics. Some are probably actually for the lizards themselves, their homes and what to feed them. But, many are for home design products. I thought it would be fun to showcase some of these changeable products.


Jensen-Lewis in NYC offers a very versatile Chameleon Sofa. All of the sides and backs can be removed to have it lay flat, or you can put the backs on the sides to make an elegant chaise you can lay across. All of the pieces are fully interchangable.


CB2, a Crate and Barrel Company, also offers a Chameleon Sofa. This very simple piece can be paired to create a sectional, or used alone.


Elite Bath offers a Chameleon Farm Sink. These sinks come with interchangeable apron front designs.


I think one of the coolest chameleon products I've seen isn't actually yet a product. From Philips, the lightbulb folks, based in the Netherlands. "Chameleon is a prototype lamp shade that changes to match any colour you ’show’ it… A traditional bulb at the centre of the lamp provides white light above and below the lamp, while an LED ring around this light projects a selected colour into the shade, while at the same time preventing the white light from diluting the colour being projected."


The Chameleon Chair company offers "a remarkably versatile stacking chair designed to meet the ever-changing demands of the party and special events market. It is ergonomically engineered for comfort and style. The Chameleon Chair has been designed with interchangeable backs. The Company offers three different metal backs that can be used as designed or underneath a wide variety of cloth backs." There was no available photo of these chairs, but if interested, just click through above.

My Etsy shop!

I have set up my own shop on Etsy, the home for those selling handmade items. It's a great site and I'm thrilled to have found a place to market my handmade pillows. All are made from designer fabrics and trims. Images of many of the pillows I've made over time appear here on my website. Pillows that are currently available can be found here.

recently seen at Maison et Objet in France

Lisaura in Paris is producing the coolest line of furniture. The concept is derived from Louis XV and Louis XVI styles, revisited in a modern light: soldi beech wood furniture twinned to crystal acrylic panels with a wide variety of decorative inclusions and colours (real leaves, feathers, various fabrics, lace, gold or silver leaf, ...).

At the crossroads of traditional craftwork and design, LISAURA creations invent new combinations of styles, whimsical or timeless, mixing genres, periods and trends in the purest traditions of well-made old or contemporary french furniture. Ooh la la!

Dawn R. Hutchins - textile artist

Dawn Hutchins’ design inspirations come from the everyday exotic – everything from striking architectural details to the rich fabrics of ancient cultures, and from Native American motifs to stunning Balenciaga couture gowns. It is this juxtaposition of creativity which makes Dawn’s work intriguing to the country’s top interior designers and art enthusiasts. Read more about Dawn's techniques here.

At present, Dawn sells direct to Interior Designers and works with designers to "customize" her designs to the specific project, ie changing the colorway, fabrication or scale of the piece to fit the room. Lucky customers! Keep an eye out on her website for future design releases and her plans to sell direct to the public.

"Colorstrology"

OK, this is pretty fun! Pantone offers an online version of Colorstrology" by Michele Bernhardt. Her book "creates a personal color for every day of the year that embodies certain characteristics and qualities that help you to understand yourself and navigate the world that surrounds you." Pantone even offers a dashboard Widget (a cool MAC desktop tool) that gives the current day color and the links to Pantone's online e-card tool. Send someone a gift of color today! Check them out!

Pantone: "2007 color trends for the home"

color intensifies as ‘Enticement’ in housewares product success


"Color has always been a key factor in the success of housewares products, but it has intensified as consumers become more knowledgeable and sophisticated, according to Lee Eiseman, internationally renowned color and design expert." read on...

"The Myth of White Walls"

check out this article from Pantone, the worldwide aurthority on color and color trends.

Festive Fibers = Fantastic Fibers

On Project Runway Season 3, Uli gets a lot of attention for her mixing of patterns. Nicole Chazaud Telaar of Festive Fibers is definately a worthy interiors rival to fashionista Uli. They use hand felted wool, dyed in amazing colors, to create these truly one-of-a-kind rugs, wall art and furnishings.

Sink or swim

I was at the Paradise City Arts festival in Northhampton, MA a couple of years ago and met the folks from Westcote Bell Pottery. I fell in love with their fabulous vessel sinks. Styles ranged from folk art to a more contemporary flare. All are custom made to order.

Past is Present

The Old House Parts Company in Kennebunk, Maine is a definately "go-to" place to find everything from door knobs to lighting to stained glass for the old house lover. Even if you're in a newer home, you can make it feel more vintage with the use of original materials. As the saying goes, they don't make 'em like they used to! Their inventory is ever changing, so it's worth checking in with them frequently.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall...

The folks at Friedman Brothers in Florida faxed me their information today and I was reminded just how much I love mirrors. They carry a wide selection of styles, from contemporary to historic - such as reproductions from Colonial Williamsburg or Charleston, SC. Just beautiful. And, a beautiful mirror is sure to make us look more beautiful! Isn't that how it works???

I was going through my files...

I attend a lot of craftshows and receive a lot of mail from craftsman and artisans. It can pile up and I was using this Labor Day weekend to cull through the piles of postcards and brochures.

I was going through these when I ran across information from three different handmade furniture companies, all of whom do really beautiful work. The Van Meter Table Company is based on Cape Cod. They create everything from cutting board to chess boards to beautiful contemporary furniture with a classic feel.

Also in Massachusetts is Joel Liebman Furniture Designs. "Designs" is the operative word. You won't find designs like this in many present day shops. The Art Deco era is alive and well and still an inspiration, clearly.

And finally, there is Rick Moran of Moran Woodworks, also based on Cape Cod. His contemporary takes on traditional Shaker designs are just glorious. His website photos don't do justice to what this furniture is like in person.