Office Update

If you follow me on Instagram, you might've have already caught wind of the fact that I've been giving my office a much-needed facelift. It's the room that I spend the most time in and it desperately needed to function better. For too many moons there was no effective storage in the space. After listing out my wants and needs, I tinkered with unit design. And finally after working on the project for months (in the start-stop fashion that I do everything at Chez Knight these days),  I had a cabinet unit installed at the end of May. Shortly thereafter it was lacquered and Thibaut's Etosha wallpaper went up. The lacquer was color-matched to the wallpaper so I don't have a formula name/code to provide. Here's a look at the current state:

This shot shows a bit of my organized chaos...

Also, I got my battered old Eames Time Life chair recovered in a Quadrille design that was printed on Perennials indoor/outdoor fabric...

I'm also having a massive custom desk built (that will be over 7' long) and I can't wait to get that into the room. My current desk is a hand-me-down from my parents and it just doesn't offer enough desktop space. I need to be able to spread out the samples, plans, and paperwork that consistently litter my world. SO excited to get my desk...hopefully it will be ready next week.

Other factors that I'm still figuring out are the hardware, artwork, rug and lighting. I'll drill down on those things in another post though so this one doesn't drag on and on.

So, that's where I am with my half-baked office! What do you think so far?

Highlights from High Point Round 2

As I mentioned last week, I had a very productive trip to High Point Market and found TONS of great things! I went non-stop and hit dozens of vendor booths and showrooms. I took about 1,100 photos (no joke) so you won't be able to see everything, but between a few posts, I'll share a sampling of my top picks. So here we go...

The Bernhardt showroom is a doozy and it's organized by collection, which is fantastic because it's easier to focus on individual pieces. Here's a small taste of the goodness...

Perfect lacquered vanity/desk and oversized mirror...

And I'm a sucker for bone inlay pieces and there were lots of those in the mix, including this dining table...

This bench with rolling storage baskets was a clever design...

Another glam desk/vanity...this one had faux shagreen drawer fronts and a brass base. I was obsessed with the chair too (which you might've seen already on my Instagram)...

Classy little hexagonal side table + chair...

There were numerous dressers and chests that I fell for including these pretties...

Finally, a pair of zebra striped cocktail cube tables constructed with bone...

Festoni goodies included lighting, mirrors, upholstery, case pieces, and objets like these...

Amongst a sea of worthless giclées, I was pleased to spot some stunning original art at Charles Harold Company....

Mixed media by Carol Hu

I liked the nail trim on this little stool by Kim Salmela...

I was thrilled to finally see the Thibaut furniture line! I loved it all (and everything was amazing to sit on) but this ottoman and the chairs below were amongst my favorites...

SUPER comfy little slipper chairs...

I stumbled across Orientalist Home which turned out to be a great source for pillows, flat weaves, and dyed rugs. This style looks amazingly similar to a design that Madeline Weinrib sells...

I was so glad to find small manufacturers like Rogue Wood, a group that produces all of their furniture in Oregon. This was a nice little chest of drawers...

Whew...you probably won't believe me but that's a majorly edited set of picks from each vendor! 

Any favorites? 

Hooray for Thibaut Fine Furniture!

Wallpaper and fabric purveyor, Thibaut, has launched a lovely line of American-made furniture. I'm excited about it because the entire line has a classic, timeless aesthetic and from what I've read about the construction, the quality is top-notch. I also like that each piece can be customized in countless ways, so the sky is the limit in terms of style direction and color palette. Finally, Thibaut promises fast delivery. It's rare to see a 3-4 week lead time with custom furniture, so that's definitely a plus.

Thibaut Fine Furniture's offering includes headboards  and a wide variety of seating options. I love pretty much every ottoman/bench that they make, including this little stunner, called Preston (it's also available in a bench size):

And their collection of chairs is chock full of iconic styles. Here are some of my favorites:

And finally, I LOVE every single Thibaut dining chair...here they are in all their glory:

They also have some beautiful sofa options. The Kendall style is my top pick:

I'm pretty thrilled to have Thibaut as a source for furniture now. Despite the higher cost, it's always best to buy furniture that will last a lifetime and these goods seem to fall into that category. Thibaut wallpaper and fabric is represented at the Hickory Chair showroom here in Dallas and I'm so hoping that they will stock Thibaut's furniture so that I can see it. Will keep you posted on that!

New Thibaut Wallpaper Crushes

Thibaut just released a new collection of wallpapers called Geometric Resource and I'm really loving it. Of course, there are a few that standout to me and they are Etosha, Medina, and Merrill. The neutral colorways are my favorites (especially greys and whites) because the geometric patterns balance well with those. The look is understated, but still stylish and fun. Take a look...

Etosha in Grey

Black - Pearl

Medina

Pearl - White - Powder 

Merrill

Silver - Grey - Aqua

What do you of the Geometric Resource collection? Did you like any of the ones above? I'm pretty obsessed with Etosha, the dramatic zebra one, and I adore Medina in the white colorway.

Are you on board with the wallpaper mania that's been going on over the past few years? I love wallpaper, but it's definitely expensive and more of a commitment than paint is. Despite those factors, it can totally be worth it!

Thibaut's New Jubilee Collection

Thibaut just released images of Jubilee, their new collection of fabrics and wallpapers. It's a pretty lively set and I'm excited to see the full spectrum of colorways. The lineup won't get to showrooms until October so we'll all have to wait patiently until then! Here's a sneak preview though...

I really like this Guadeloupe wallpaper because it's bright and exuberant...and there are little monkeys climbing around all over it :)

Guadeloupe wallpaper

Guadeloupe wallpaper and Tidewater Velvet on tufted stool

Here pillows were created with the Cayman fabric. Apparently the pattern was derived from an antique crewel and translated into wallpaper, printed fabric and embroidered fabric. I have a thing for crewel so I  love the look but I'm hoping that the other colorways will be a bit bolder.

Sonoma wallpaper, Cayman fabric on pillows, Carter Woven fabric on Chatham sofa, Strathmore fabric on draperies

The Carter Woven fabric is a matelasse that was used to cover the sofa here (which is from Thibaut's furniture line). I think the fabric looks fantastic...I love a solid with a slight relief pattern to it. The pillows here were made with Starburst, which as you can see, will be available in a rainbow of colors.

Pillows in Starburst, Chatham sofa covered in Carter Woven

The Ingrid wallpaper shown here would be really cute in the back of a book case or cabinet unit.

Ingrid wallpaper, Cayman fabric on chair, Starburst Woven fabric on pillow

Thai Ikat wallpaper and indoor/outdoor fabric...I guess the ikat craze is here to stay!

Thai Ikat wallpaper and Thai Ikat indoor/outdoor fabric on chairs

I need it see it in person to be sure, but I think this Fiona wallpaper might be a new favorite of mine. It looks metallic gold here but maybe it's camel? I'll have to verify in October!

Fiona wallpaper and Gibraltar Embroidery fabric on draperies.

This Cheetah wallpaper is a throwback from the Thibaut archives and has been updated with metallics (though I can't see that here).

Cheetah wallpaper

What are your thoughts on the collection so far? I like the direction and will make a point to look at the whole thing at the showroom in a few weeks. I'm always ready to see the new collections that fall brings and after a summer full of 100 degree days, I'm really ready for the change of seasons this year!

Fabric Love: Thibaut's Marathon

One of my latest fabric obsessions is Thibaut's Marathon, which is a linen and cotton blend from their Avalon collection. It could be construed as an animal print or seen more as a Matisse collage-like pattern. Either way, I love it and think it's super versatile. Since the repeat isn't huge or rigid, Marathon would translate well on all kinds of upholstery and bed linens too. It comes in eight colorways and they are all great hues.

As you can see from Thibaut's images, it's a transitional print that works well in rooms that combine traditional and modern styles....

Here's an ad that shows all of the colorways...

What do you think of the fabric? Is one of the colorways jumping out at you? I love the navy, aqua, pink, and orange. I also think the black is really chic. So I pretty much like them all!

Ideas for the Guest Room

The turquoise lamp from HomeGoods that I mentioned yesterday got me thinking about how badly that guest room needs some color. For some time now, I've been wanting to use Schumacher's Chiang Mai Dragon fabric in there because it provides such a vibrant palette to work with. I am 100% aware that the fabric is overplayed, however, there really aren't other options that achieve the same effect. It's colorful, bold, and modern...plus it isn't just a floral which makes it more interesting (and younger looking too). Trust me, I sooo wish that a new print that checked all of those boxes would come out!

Anyhow, I originally thought of using the Chiang Mai Mocha colorway but after seeing it in the space, I prefer the Alabaster colorway. My plan would be to have an oversized 12 x 60" bolster made that would sit in front on the monogrammed king shams. I took some photos of the fabric sample ghetto-rigged as a pillow (and removed the normal black/white euro shams) so that you all can get the general idea...

I want to get a real bed and make some other changes with the furniture in the room. I've illustrated my rough plan in the board below. The bed I'm after is Z Gallerie's Rafael bed. I have loved this bed for years! I could also just have a headboard made and save some $$, but I really like the idea of having the full setup so the bedskirt can be omitted.

If I don't find a second gold campaign table, then a pair of nightstands will be needed (the bookcase next to the bed will be moved to the other wall once I sell the tall dresser that's in the room). I like the black striped Wycliff chest from Pier 1, especially since it's are well-priced. For lighting, I wouldn't change much but I'd have to buy a mate for the turquoise lamp that I wrote about yesterday or just get a different pair altogether.

As far as linens go, I would order custom euro shams in a bold color, maybe in turquoise and maybe with a fretwork appliqué pattern like the ones available here. I have a grayish brown jute rug in the room and I plan to attempt to paint it. Thinking of a herringbone pattern like the Calypso rug shown in the board...thoughts? The curtains also need to be lined and trimmed...perhaps with a Greek key tape.

There is a wing chair in the room that I'd like to swathe in Thibaut's Malay Ikat (if the blue works)...but I couldn't find a wing chair on the web for the board so you'll have to use your imagination. Finally, a set of Penguin Classics would add a punch of color to the bookcase in the room.

Here's the real room again, without all of the fab stuff....

And here's the bargain lamp that prompted me into action...

And finally, pretty roses just for the sake of being pretty :)

What do you think of the scheme? Be honest, are you totally over Chiang Mai? I still love it and can't find a decent substitute...it really adds a great does of color and vitality to a room. But if you are over it and know of comparable alternatives, please share!