Kim Parker Art + Textiles

If your home is in need of a jolt of color and vitality, then consider bringing in some of Kim Parker's creations. A painter whose work has attracted attention from heavy-hitting retailers like Bloomingdale's and licensing deals with companies like Spode and the Rug Company, Kim Parker has built a little empire with her art. Not only can you purchase KP's original works and prints for your walls, you can also buy her pillows, rugs, fabric, bedding, accessories, and stationery.

Not surprisingly, I really like her bold, quirky textiles. Pillows, rugs, and fabrics are produced under her own label,  and can be purchased directly through her online store. These hand-embroidered 100% New Zealand wool pillows are super fresh and fun:

Kim Parker Home® Designer Pillow Collection

KP's Jeweled Garden fabric is available by the yard in silk shantung, linen, and velvet. I love this for draperies in a girls room:

Jeweled Garden from the Kim Parker Home® Fabric Collection

Now produced by hand in India (she talks about this on her blog), Kim Parker Home® rugs are packed with the same exuberant, colorful original designs as the other textiles in the collection. Add one of these to a bland space and trust that it will no longer be boring to the eye. As you can imagine, many of the styles are floral but I'm more partial to the geometric and abstract ones:

"Cantaloupe Stripe" Throw Rug

Kim Parker Home® "Samba" Plush Designer Rug, © Kim Parker 2009. All rights reserved.

I loved this one that the Rug Company produced when KP was collaborating with them:

Blue Rink rug, © Kim Parker 2009. All rights reserved.

Kim Parker Home® produces lots of bedding. The "Anil's Garden" design is available in a Kantha pillow and quilt set. I love its funky boho vibe:

Kim Parker Home® Kantha Quilt "Anil's Garden"

And to wrap up, we have to go back to the brand's foundation, Kim's artwork. I'm a fan of Kim Parker's paintings, which can be viewed on her online gallery. She is a brilliant colorist and has a knack for creating movement, life, and texture. Her floral pieces area really beautiful...here's one of my favorites (it's for sale):

"Morea Garden" ©Kim Parker 2010. 20'' x 26"; acrylic on canvas.

And I was immediately drawn to many of her abstract works...most of the ones on my wish list are from her Urban Essay series. I'd love to have a set of them hanging in my house. Although I insist that you go look at the whole lot, here are a few examples:

"Urban Essay No. 1" 22'' X 30'' ; Acrylic on paper ©Kim Parker 2012. All rights reserved.

"Urban Essay No. 24" 22'' X 30'' ; Acrylic on paper ©Kim Parker 2012. All rights reserved.

"Urban Essay No. 3" 22'' X 30'' ; Acrylic on paper ©Kim Parker 2012. All rights reserved.

What do you think of the Kim Parker Home set? I can't help but love all of the color and flowers. And it's so great to see an artist's work used in so many different iterations. It must be pretty wild to see your art on everything from plates to pillows! 

I also applaud her for progressing beyond the licensing deals with the larger companies. With her own brand, she decides how her products are manufactured and distributed which puts her closer to the artisans who produce everything. That freedom and control helps ensure that her vision is executed and I'm sure it will keep the brand from becoming overexposed and generic.

Oh How I Want to Go to Howe London

Because of the amazing, eclectic offering of antique and bespoke furniture - and the Jack Russell mascot Dotty - I desperately want to go to London and shop at Howe. After pouring through the entire website, I am bitter that Howe is across the Atlantic. Selfishly, I would love to have it as a more accessible resource...and I desperately want to befriend the proprietor Christopher Howe.

Howe is an extraordinary showroom in Pimlico that is owned by the aforementioned antiques dealer/restorer Christopher Howe. CH obviously has a keen eye for spotting great antique and vintage pieces. He's also quite adept at designing new furniture and lighting as evidenced by his bespoke collection, which is handmade in England. With a background in sculpting, CH has a reverence for form and texture. He believes in pure, timeless design and his furniture and lighting collections certainly reflect that ethos. And with all of his passion for and knowledge of antiques, there's no doubt that Howe's custom pieces are created with the highest level of craftsmanship and artistry.

The assortment of furniture, lighting, textiles, and accessories offered at Howe is wonderfully diverse. You could furnish an entire house with pieces from Howe and no one would ever guess that they all came from the same place/maker...to me, that's the best kind of shop. Homogeny is lazy and boring, don't you think?

Anyhow, let's get on to the goods. Here are some product shots from the Howe website and Facebook page (including some cameos of his darling dog Dotty):

Mahogany and Marble Topped Gueridons

Salon Chair

This fabric, Irish Beetled Linen, is GORGEOUS!!

 I'm normally not a fan of leather furniture, but this Lion Barrel Back chair is just stunning in black leather...

Twin Pillar Desk Lamp

Day Bed

Archetypal Windsor chairs

Brass Tiered Table with Goatskin + Seguso Glass Lamps

Geo III Barrel Back

Michelin Stool

One of six Danish Teak Dining Chairs designed by Niels Møller and modeled by Dotty

Suzani-covered Ottoman

Swedish 1940s Segmented Mirror

 Palette Coffee Table

Pierced Ladderback Chair

D0 P Light

Hope Chair

Beetled Linen Bobbin-Leg Stool

Bassett Sofa - I love the brass-tiped legs.

As you can see, Howe mixes all sorts of styles and time periods together. I absolutely love the sophisticated, yet motley assortment. But again, to me, there's nothing less interesting than a house (or store) full of the same style of furnishings. Another thing that I love about Howe is that it's a bit difficult to tell what is new versus what is old. 

Your thoughts? Have you ever been to Howe? I haven't yet, but it's on my list!

Gigi New York All in One Bag Giveaway Winner!

As many of you know, I got to host an awesome giveaway courtesy of Gigi New York...the new style brand of Graphic Image. The loot is an oh-so-gorgeous and functional All in One Bag and Gigi was kind enough to send me one as well. It was tough to pick a color (they are all fab), but I decided on the fuchsia embossed python because I don't have a hot pink bag in my current lineup and that's just not right.

Well, I received my All in One, emblazoned with my initials, and I absolutely adore it! It is super chic and very well made, plus it holds just the right amount of stuff. My grab-and-go essentials - wallet, phone, gum, sunglasses, small tape measure, and lip gloss - fit perfectly inside and the thickness of the exterior leather and suede lining keep everything from bulging through. Also, it slides into my larger bags so it will go everywhere with me now, whether I'm carrying it as a clutch or sticking it in my work tote or gym bag. 


I'm so obsessed that I just had to have a photo shoot so you could see the quality, texture, and scale:

My essentials...

The inside is just as luxe as the outside...

Isn't it so cute?!? I'm obsessed...obviously. If you're dying to get your hands on one (and you should be), you have just a few days left to cash in on the 20% discount that Gigi New York has extended to all of your wonderful Knight Moves readers. For the rest of April, you can use the code KYLE to get 20% off Gigi New York and/or Graphic Image purchases. If you're not shopping for yourself, think Mother's Day, Graduation, and Father's Day gifts :)

And finally, without further ado, I'm pleased to announce that DixieBelle is the winner of the giveaway! Congrats!! Please contact me (email address is in the right-hand column) with your shipping information and color + monogram preference and Gigi New York will be sending a snazzy All in One Bag your way.

A big thanks goes to Gigi New York for giving me the opportunity to host such an amazing giveaway and discount promotion. A big thanks also goes to all of you who entered. I really appreciate everyone that participated...it's too bad there aren't more bags to go around, right? Hopefully, we'll partner up with Gigi on another giveaway soon. Until then, you can play their super fun Pin It to Win It Sweepstakes. You better hurry though because it closes on 4/20/12 at 11:59pm EST, so enter now!

And to show your appreciation to Gigi for all of these great promos, shop Gigi New York and/or Graphic Image...and don't forget to use the code KYLE for that 20% off!!

Going to the Greens

I've been really drawn to greens lately - specifically, a fresh mint green and its various iterations. If it's called jade, pistachio, celadon, sea foam, or spearmint...chances are, I'm interested as long as the hue is pretty saturated (i.e. doesn't venture into the sage realm).

It's been a hot color in fashion all spring and I'm starting to notice it some in decor as well. For interiors, I love it paired with grey and a vibrant poppy or blended in with blues to create an easy watery aura. Here are some things I've spotted lately in the happy hue:

Flap Jacks painting - Michelle Armas

Bookcase - Pin Dynasty

Celestial Cloud Stools (pair) - Clayton Gray Home

Pillow - Proud Mary
WaterColors in Leprechaun Lynch - Scotch Naturals

Shagreen Cardcase - Jayson Home

Chloé 'Madeleine Duffle - Net-a-Porter

Aquamarine Strand Empire Chandelier - Belvedere

Spotted Floral Wallpaper - Signature Prints
1910 Celestial Blue Antique Starmap - Etsy

Pair of High-back Slipper Chairs by Paul László - 1st Dibs
Dualit 2-Slice Toaster, Mint Green - Amazon

Glass Vessels - Etsy

Vintage Murano Lamps in Mint Green - Swank Lighting

Mint Green Hermes Typewriter - Etsy

Kevin O'Brien Baroque Pillow in Mint - ABC Home

Vintage Dental Cabinet - V&M

It's such a cute color, right? It's wonderfully springy/summery. Any favorite items? And are you wondering about the random typewriter? If so, I included it because I'm kind of obsessed with the idea of using a small vintage typewriter in lieu of a guest book (image a sheet of pretty stationery loaded up). I think it would make a fun and functional accessory for the entry table.

Tulu Textiles

Once again, the Co-Lab pin boards have me lusting after a new crop of textiles. This time, the objects of my affection are created by Tulu, a company based in Istanbul that is owned by American expat Elizabeth Hewitt. Tulu is a snazzy looking shop in Tukey and the company also produces beautiful fabrics. Those fabrics are used to make pillows, bedding, table linens, and accessories like scarves and handbags and my oh my, they are all lovely.

I'm so sick of seeing the same old patterns (i.e. chevron, ikat, etc.), so to me, Tulu's prints are a breath of fresh air. Not only are the designs unique, the color palettes are stunning. With rich, vibrant colors at work, these fabrics definitely have the power to perk up a room! Here's a peek into the world of Tulu:

Mimi

Hand-stitched quilts

Stella

Alvin pillows

Doti Sheeting

Alma

LOVE this fabric, called Melvin, for upholstery!!

More Melvin - notice the cool border

Noor

Orphan Blue

I am dying to get some of these Bixby napkins!

Dupatta Shawls

And now, swatches of my favorite fabrics -

Stella

Talullah

Alma Blue

Alvin Pink

 Bixby Black

 Isadora

 Lola Blue

Madame Farfalla

Mahmut Pink

Melvin

Whew, I need to get some samples of these bad boys. I've got too many ideas on how and where to use them. Aside from a normal setting, I can totally picture Tulu fabrics in a vacation home or in a kids room.

What do you think of Tulu's offering? Are you loving the prints and colors as much as I am? If so, check out the list of retailers and shop away! Or if you're in Istanbul, pop into the Tulu store...