Jean-Loup Daraux

We are continuing our celebrating of the color white by featuring interiors by Jean-Loup Daraux.

Jason Wu

Jason Wu is fashion designer, located in Manhattan, who has gained more and more attention in the fashion world of late. He was born in Taiwan, and moved to Vancouver, Canada when he was nine. He went to schools in Massachusetts and Connecticut, where he learned how to sew by designing and sewing for dolls. During his last year of high school, he decided to become a fashion designer and studied at the Parson The New School for Design, and later interned with Narciso Rodriquez.

Wu launched his first full collection of his ready-to-wear line of clothes in 2006 and won the Fashion Group International’s Rising Star award in 2008. Wu received more recognition in 2008 when Michelle Obama bought and wore four of his dresses for several important occasions. Wu will debut a women's clothing and accessories collection at Target between February 5 - March 6, 2012.

Chinese New Year

Happy Chinese New Year!

The Chinese year 4710 began this week and is the Year of the Dragon, which symbolizes breathing fire into the year and is good luck. In celebration of the New Year, we have upholstered our Donald Side Chairs in this fabulous Schumacher Chiang Mai Dragon Aquamarine fabric.

Three interesting traditions of the New Year….
1 – They clean their houses thoroughly on New Year’s Eve to “sweep out” the bad luck and bring in the good luck.
2 – They have a reunion dinner including items such as dumplings, which symbolize wealth as well as duck, pork and fish.
3 – Children wish their parents and elders good luck and a happy year, and in return children are given a red envelope with money.

Charleston White

Charleston is a place like no other in the South. Continuing our celebration of the color white through January, we thought these images were worth sharing. Each image below sets a historic tone only Charleston can sing.

And, we could not resist again sharing a few interesting facts about the color white.
- A white flag is the universal symbol for truce.
- The word "white" comes from the Indo-European root kweit meaning "to shine".
- The ancient Greeks wore white to bed to ensure pleasant dreams.
- It's considered good luck to be married in a white garment.
- "White lightning" is slang for moonshine, a homebrewed alcohol.

Elizabeth Taylor

Elizabeth Taylor was born outside of London and had dual citizenship between the United States and the United Kingdom, as her parents were originally from Kansas. Her personal life was always publicized and included eight marriages to seven husbands. Liz Taylor had a passion for jewelry and designed her own line and created three perfumes. She stated, “Success is a great deodorant. It takes away all your past smells.”

Liz Taylor lived in several estates and describes her interiors in a couple of quotes below.

Elizabeth once described her home as “such a cozy, sweet place with bits and pieces around - bits and pieces of Renoir - and, you know, things that make it homey.”

On her Beverly Hills estate: Elizabeth also recalled that “You really couldn’t distinguish between the outside and inside. And all the colors I loved - off white, white, natural woods, stone, beigy marble. The pool was so beautiful. There were palm trees and rock formations – It looked like a natural pool, with trees growing out of it. It was the most beautiful house I’ve ever seen.”

The Moccasin

Moccasins are slippers made of leather and consist of a sole and sides made of one piece of leather and stitched together at the top. The Plains Indians wore hardsole moccasins, because their territory was mostly rock and cacti. The eastern Indians wore softsole moccasins, because they walked on leafy ground through the forests. The pattern and design of beads sewn into the front of a moccasin indicated one's tribe.

Moccasins are typically all brown. They became popular in the 1940s when Americans began to stop along roadside at Native American stalls or shops near reservations. They truly are works of art and highly collectable now. For modern day moccasins, see below for some ideas. And, if you are interested in learning more about Native American people, there is no better place to start than with any image from Thomas Curtis life long work.

Darryl Carter

In keeping with our theme of white, meaning a fresh start, for the month of January, we wanted to share some of Darryl Carter’s white interiors as seen in his book, The New Traditional. Darryl Carter is based in Washington, D.C., and he has a knack for pairing contemporary objects with antiques. He uses a particular color palette, along with wood patina, aged textures, and symmetrical design. In 2001, he launched his first furniture collection for Neiman Marcus Home. In his book, he shares his own philosophy on design, so others can use his advice to design their own home in their own style with certainty.

Hugh Acheson

Hugh Acheson is the Chef and Partner of Five and Ten and The National in Athens, as well as Empire State South here in Atlanta. Hugh is a five-time James Beard nominee for Best Chef Southeast and was named Best Chef by Food & Wine. He was born and raised in Ottawa, Canada and began cooking at a very young age. He started working in restaurants at age 15, and decided to make it his career.

Hugh’s cooking incorporates flavors of the South along with a European flare. His new cookbook is called A New Turn In The South: Southern Flavors Reinvented For Your Kitchen, and offers great recipes for seasonal vegetables, soups, salads, fish and meats, as well as libations. Hugh will be signing his new cookbook in our showroom next Thursday January 19th starting at 11:30. Please join us!

Gloria Vanderbilt

If you grew up in the 80's, then you too had a pair of Gloria Vanderbilt jeans. This icon is much more than the name behind the jeans. She is an artist, author, actress, heiress, mother, businesswoman, and fashion designer. Gloria Laura Vanderbilt is a member of the prominent Vanderbilt family of New York and is the mother of Anderson Cooper on CNN. Anderson Cooper's father is famed writer and screenwriter, Wyatt Emory Cooper. Here are some of Gloria Vanderbilt’s most famous photographs courtesy of the November 2010 issue of Town & Country.

Thomas O'Brien

We love his use of white and layered items, small and large. Enjoy the power of white. No one layers better than this man and he keeps interiors timeless for years to come.

New Julian Chichester Furniture

We love how Julian Chichester keeps everything fresh and new! If you were lucky enough to see them at High Point in November, then you know about their new pieces. Stop by our Atlanta showroom soon to see Julian's new arrivals.

Chinese New Year

The Chinese year 4710, begins on January 23, 2012 and is the Year of the Dragon, which symbolizes breathing fire into the year. The Chinese New Year is one of the most important celebrations in the Chinese calendar, and festivities usually start on January 1st and continue until the 15th, when the moon is the brightest. Chinese months are calculated by the lunar calendar, with each month beginning on the darkest day. In China, people may take several weeks off from work to prepare for and celebrate the New Year.

Legend has it that in ancient times, Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on Chinese New Year. Twelve animals met him so Buddha named a year after each one. He said that the people born in each animal's year would have some of that animal's personality. Are you a monkey or a rat, clink the link below to find out....
http://www.chinesefortunecalendar.com/2012.htm