This little holiday pillow went to market….

Hope everyone had a fun filled, family focused Thanksgiving. Ours certainly was and now I am trying to get my ducks in a row for Christmas, decorating, baking and shopping….

Before I dig in though I thought I would share another bit of pillow love and a gift idea.

I am so proud of my CSIL and her Therese Marie Designs pillows!

She created a couple of original designs for the holiday and has hit a home run with 

her Michigan mitten pillow cover.  

Between selling them from her etsy shop, her Facebook page and 

in the great local Kalamazoo shop, Urban Cottage  

she has had to amp up production (think teen boys cutting fabric and snipping thread while watching football) to meet demand! 

The beauty of this pillow cover is that the hometown star is customizable for any location in Michigan.

No worries if you are not a Michigander, this holiday design is darling too, simple in it's black and natural coloration with just a pop of color.

Such great gifts don't you think? But better hurry before they are all gone!

How great do they look displayed at Urban Cottage? 

(photo creds to Urban Cottage)

To purchase for someone on your list  go 

here 

or shop local in Kalamazoo at Urban Cottage.

There just might be some special folks on my list who get one of these great pillow covers….!

--------------Cathy--------------

Facebook    Pinterest    Instagram    Twitter

Does your room need a “prescription” for a change of decor, function or design?  I would love to work with you to help your room "feel better."  

Contact me for more information about my design services.

How to style a sofa with custom pillows & a pillow giveaway

Pillows are the icing on the cake, the statement necklace to an outfit, the centerpiece to a well dressed table. Owning original and unique pillows makes a space more interesting and invites a second look.

Now that my CSIL has opened her etsy shop, Therese Marie Designs, and is offering her one of a kind custom pillows, I thought I would share my thoughts and ideas on how to use several of them in styling a sofa.

My pillow styling tips:

1) Start with a color story
2) Mix up the fabric pattern sizes; use some larger scale, some smaller scale, not all of the same
3) Give the eye a place to rest by using a solid or a small scale pattern that is not too busy
4) Mix up the sizes; use lumbars and squares together or different sized squares
5) Include pillows with interesting details; special trims, contrast cording, appliqué or embroidery
6) Use a common theme; all geometric, all striped, or all with the same visual element like a feather
7) More often than not it works best to use an odd number of pillows

Want to see what I am talking about? 

Great pillows look good on a sofa of any style,  modern or more classic, it doesn't matter. 

Starting with a bunch of Therese Marie Designs pillows and using the tips above,

 voila….. pillow happiness!

Crate & Barrel Aidan sofa | Crate & Barrel Essex sofa
 Find each of the pillows pictured above here

And now since you know how to style your sofa with custom pillows, the best part…
a give away!

Therese is offering not just one but two of her custom pillows to one lucky reader.
Your choice of anything in her shop, value of up to $150.
Keep one and give one as a gift, or maybe keep two or give two.
Which pillows you choose and what to do with them, it's totally up to you!

Follow the directions below for entering and good luck! The more entries the better your chances.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Which look is your favorite?
Is there one pillow that strikes your fancy?
Do tell…..

A big thanks to Therese for sharing her talents with this give away, I can't wait for the winner to see her work!

--------------Cathy--------------

Facebook    Pinterest    Instagram    Twitter

Does your room need a “prescription” for a change of decor, function or design?  I would love to work with you to help your room "feel better."  

Contact me for more information about my design services.

Now open! Therese Marie Designs: a sewing studio

I feel like we’ve already been introduced. I'm Therese.

I’m the one who found a kindred spirit in Cathy Wall when my brother had the good sense to marry someone with my same interests.  You know me as CSIL, and I’ve found it quite diverting to be featured here on Room RX since the blog’s inception.  Cathy says I am not one to let my DIY rock gather any moss because I finish my home improvement projects quickly.  

But if your designer SIL said, "How you coming on those dining room cornices? I need a blog post for Wednesday…" well, you’d get crackin’, too.

Now I’m hanging out my Etsy shingle. 

 I make expertly constructed, finely detailed pillow covers through my new business, 

Therese Marie Designs. 

I used to sew clothing for other people.  Just word of mouth stuff I fit in between teaching piano lessons and performing my duties as mom. 

I am from the era when home economics classes were the real deal: I actually sewed a pantsuit in my junior high sewing class.  Learning to sew was one of those things my mom, and my generation, thought was important.  

My grandmother made my mother fabulous party dresses for high school and college dances on Chicago’s south side, but my mother tended to think more in terms of utility in her own sewing.  With four boys and no cheap rough n’ tumble clothing available at Target, and no Target, for that matter, Mom got good at churning out things like these solid colored t's that 2 of my 4 brothers are wearing...

(That's my oldest brother, Cathy's husband,  in the Budweiser shirt and no, Mom did not make that one!)

Now I have three boys of my own whom I’ve outfitted cheaply through the years at the mall or chain stores.  And since I wasn’t sewing for them, I sewed for myself and for my home, developing not only my skills, but my efficiency at creating a quality product. 

All aspects of making pillows gratify me.  I like pairing luxe fabrics and trims, and I like knowing I can complete a cover in a few hours or less and then move on.

As you may know, my husband and I recently downsized.  This allowed me to leave my job as a public school music teacher.  A recent weekend visit to Chicago with Cathy was spent formulating a sewing business plan.  This plan is still evolving (Kalamazoo-area marketing is next on the to-do list), 

but ThereseMarieDesigns.etsy.com is a good place to start. 

It allows me to make my presence known as a seamstress and maker of unusual accent pillows.

Let me show you what I do...

A couple of things make my pillow covers unique, one is my stitched logo.



It's like getting two pillows for the price of one.

(all product photos above by Mike Lanka )

Another is the appliqué technique I have used in my sewing for years which lends itself beautifully for my pillow art.

There is so much more I'd love to tell you about my pillows, but the best way is for you to come and see the whole line of pillows at my shop.

Therese Marie Designs

When you visit you will see that I have made it easy for you to find colors that work for you by sharing the Benjamin Moore colors that most closely match those in the pillow. Fool proof!

Don't see exactly what you want or need? Let's talk! I have a large palette of fabrics to work from, AND I know I can create the perfect look for your one of a kind pillow. 

I can also work from your fabrics -- just say the word.

 

There will be new pillows added regularly, so don't miss out, 

make sure you follow me on

Facebook

and

Instagram 

Thanks so much for allowing me to share my exciting news today. I look forward to meeting and working with you as you add original Therese Marie Designs pillows to your home or design project.

Therese

&

--------------Cathy--------------

Facebook    Pinterest    Instagram    Twitter

Does your room need a “prescription” for a change of decor, function or design?  I would love to work with you to help your room "feel better."  

Contact me for more information about my design services.

Get your pillow fix…..

Therese Marie
a sewing studio
launches Monday!

Check out these fabulous designs and be prepared to be amazed with the other offerings in the shop.

Be sure to come back on Monday there may just be an opportunity you don't want to miss…..

Thanks for all who visited and commented on my ORC reveal yesterday, you all make my day with your words of encouragement!

 Even though it is not my forte, Linda sure helps me get my DIY groove on. I feel inspired to move on to the next project….good thing I have until April, it may take me that long to get things done.

Have a wonderful week-end my friends!

--------------Cathy--------------

Facebook    Pinterest    Instagram    Twitter

Does your room need a “prescription” for a change of decor, function or design?  I would love to work with you to help your room "feel better."  

Contact me for more information about my design services.

Color of the Moment: indigo

While visiting Maine a couple of week-ends ago for my cousin's wedding I visited a little gallery in Waldoboro and came upon a fabulous work by local artist, Anne Dolores Wooster. 

I picked up her card, so of course upon returning home, I checked out her website and immediately fell for her monotypes. Something about the blue colorway in the two pieces pictured below really spoke to me and I imagined them as the inspiration for a room.

Today, when I was fortunate enough to see the new products in the Designer's Guild
Autumn Collection, I knew that the tie dyed rug would pair perfectly with the botanical monotypes.

The indigo blue inspired me to resurrect  Color of the Moment, at least for today!

monotypes / rug / pillow

If you are not familiar with the Designers Guild Lifestyle Gallery, you should take a minute to check it out. If you are a fan of Tricia Guild and her bold use of color and pattern, her glorious fabrics and wallpapers, you will love these products. 

I wrote about them previously, here and you can see the full collection here. 

What is your favorite piece in the Lifestyle offering?

What color is inspiring you lately? 

Let me know and I can create a Color of the Moment post about it.

Linking up to Jennifer's blue & white party at The Pink Pagoda

--------------Cathy--------------

Facebook    Pinterest    Instagram    Twitter

Does your room need a “prescription” for a change of decor, function or design?  I would love to work with you to help your room "feel better."  

Contact me for more information about my design services.

Fresh Fabrics Friday: Global Modern Luxe by Dwell Studio for Robert Allen

Happy Friday one and all, time for another installment of Fresh Fabrics!  Since I received notice of Robert Allen's introduction of the new Dwell Studio Line I have been meaning to take a look.
Global Modern Luxe does not disappoint and I predict these fabrics will become as wildly popular as those from the Eclectic Modern collection. This collection incorporates interesting color, fresh takes on classic patterns such as Ikat and Suzani as well as statement graphics and lovely textures.  The designs have a modern, hip feel but many would be equally at home in an updated traditional setting.

Mallory chair in Casablanca Geo

Sofa in Batavia Ikat - Citrine

Here are few fabrics that I think are the stars from this collection, each available in more than one colorway...

Freja - Amethyst

Veracruz - Citrine

Medallion Band - Toffee

Aravali - Blush

Ogee - Aquamarine

Ikat Blocks - Amethyst

Asha - Khol

 

What do you think?  Aren't they stunning? So many unique and original patterns with so many applications....The fabrics are quite affordable too, considering they are original, branded designs. They can be purchased through designers from Robert Allen or from the Dwell Studio website. For more about Christiane Lemieux and Dwell Studio, there is a great interview and article on the blog Design Gush.   Did you know the Christiane Lemieux and Dwell Studio have a blog, The Studio Blog?   

So much to read and check out, good thing it is Friday!  Enjoy your week-end, as always thanks for stopping by and I'll see you back here on Monday!

Does your room need a “prescription” for a change of decor, function or design? If so please contact me, I would love to help your room feel better with a Room Rx

Fresh Fabrics Friday: Lauren Leiss Textiles

Oh my goodness this is truly textile love for me, Lauren Leiss' new line of fabrics, LL Textiles, is absolutely breath taking, from graphic patterns to lovely hand drawn prints each fabric more delightful than the next.  Leiss, a designer and author of the delightful blog, Pure Style Home has been working for many months producing this line and it truly speaks from her heart.  Each pattern is introduced with a narrative describing her inspiration for the design.  The fabrics are created in beautiful colors and printed in an eco friendly process on 100% linen cloth giving them a soft hand and timeworn feel.

The fact that LL Textiles are linen prints makes them ideal for bedding, pillows, window treatments and light use upholstery.  Lauren even embraces the patina resulting from washing the fabrics and shows several this way on her site.

 Love this print on the back of the modern wing chair and the Ikat on the window.

This combination of colors and patterns speaks to me.

Earthy but modern, perfectly suited to interiors from traditional to contemporary.

Go to Pure Style Home to browse for yourself and read about each lovely design.  While you are at it Lauren wrote a terrific post on her blog yesterday about price points and fabrics which helped take the mystery out of why some fabrics are so costly.

Congratulations to Lauren on the launch of what I know will be a highly successful fabric line.  I can't wait to find the perfect project in which to use them.

Does your room need a “prescription” for a change of decor, function or design? 
If so please contact me, I would love to help your room feel better with a Design Concept Board or a complete Room Rx.

Ty Pennington for Howard Miller

Who knew?  I guess I must be a little late to the party, but today when I was helping a client select fabric for a sectional at our large local furniture store Steinhafels, I nearly tripped over a few really fun side tables and a chest with silver leafed drawers.  To my surprise they were part of a collection by Ty Pennington (of Extreme Home Makeover fame) for Howard Miller, the infamous clock company located in western Michigan.  Apparently this collection was first rolled out in 2009 with an additional grouping of smaller scaled pieces added in 2010.  I have watched the show a few times, (my kids love it and I love the concept but it is a little too much "Oh my God," crying and "move that bus" for me) and find that Ty is a creative force who regularly does a "secret project," a room that cleverly solves a problem or need the inhabitant may have, or showcases their personal style.

The products in this collection reflect that side of him in that they are unique to the mid range furniture market (in my opinion, and that's what this is about right?!) Ty has created a product line that works together with a few distinct color pallets, achieved through fabric, painted and stained wood finishes and styling. The room vignettes on the website are a little too "garanimals" for me, (that means matchy-matchy for those of you in the younger set) and I would never buy a set of anything, but the individual pieces are stylish and clean lined and would work in many decorating styles. I've rounded up a few items that appealed to me, but there are tons more on the website so go and see for yourself!

Works as an end table or nightstand and comes in painted finishes.

While the color might eventually feel dated, who cares, this is fun!  There is a stained version for the more cautious out there.

Love the cut out detail and again this is available in other finishes.

A nice classic piece and it includes a leaf to enlarge the seating capacity.

This is called a "hobby cart" and has a pullout work surface and lots of storage for craft supplies!

The leather top and storage below are a nice twist to the current "industrial" tables trend.

Yummy silver leaf table!

Wouldn't a pair of these make elegant bedside tables?

This product line seems to have mid range pricing, though I was not paying attention at the store and did not look too hard for prices in my internet searching.  Admittedly I did not really look at the quality of the pieces either, though with a name like Howard Miller behind them, I would assume that this is a well made group of furniture.  There is also a less expensive Ty Pennington furniture line at Sears and some of his products for Howard Miller area available from Grandin Road.  

What do you think, which pieces do you like?  What are your thoughts on some of the latest products from designers and "personalities?"  Did Ty hit the mark? 

Does your room need a “prescription” for a change of decor, function or design? If so please contact me,
I would love to help!