Zebra Carpets

Everywhere I look lately, everything is coming up Zebra. Animal prints are very much in Vogue right now, but especially the classic and stately Zebra. I have heard it said that no two Zebras have the same stripes. I was fortunate to go on a Safari in Africa and to see herds of these beautiful animals. An amazing sight, indeed. They have tufts of fur that stand up along their spine. I remember them being quite sturdy, like a Pinto Pony. Almost all of the zebra carpets that we are seeing now are stripes simulated on cow hides or wool area carpets, which I am in favour of. As you will see in the following pictures zebra carpets can be laid on a bare floor or layered over carpets. Just make sure your carpet has a short pile. So without further ado, I will honor these wonderful carpets inspired from the stately Zebra, as seen in some of the chicest abodes.........

Design by fellow Blogger Vanessa of Turquoise LA

Above 2 pictures Todd Romano

Shelly Riehl David

Above 2 pictures Schuyler Samperton's own living room

Above 2 pictures Ruthie Sommers In Style Home Spring 2007

John Gruen Photography

Miles Redd

Above 2 pictures Michael Taylor

Above 3 pictures Mary McDonald zebra carpets in living areas and an entry foyer.

Jan Showers

Dominio

Entry way luxe

Entry way luxe 2

Above 3 pictures showing Zebra Carpets used in Enty Foyers and under a desk Burnhamn Design

There is even a classic zebra inspired fabric that Brunschwig and Fils has done for years called "Le Zebre"

And what about a zebra striped ceramic stool?

O Magazine Sept 2007 spotted at Fresh Pallette

From Vintage book: Billy Baldwin Decorates, Billy Baldwin uses this zebra carpet with such panache via Style Court

Above 3 pictures Zebra Carpets Anne Coyle Interiors

Notice the black backing.

Zebra Rug from a furrier in Canada

Pieced together these make a stunning large zebra area carpet, complete with straight edges. I love the orange sofa & ceiling, and the wall of shiny black bookcases.

Interior Design Wallace Bryan,photography Erica George Dines via Fresh Pallette

Postscript December 31 2007
I have to tell you that I am not a proponent for using real zebra carpets. I have learnt that they are indeed an endangered species. Let's leave them where they belong....in the wild. There are many good imitations that can be used, unless you are lucky enough to own a Vintage Zebra hide.

Amazing Juggling

Just to let you all know that I am still here and that I appreciate all your comments and support in my last "Moving Day" post. I am moved in but my life is daily an amazing juggling act. I wish I could do it with the panache of this Video. I shoud be back posting very soon. Enjoy this video.

Moving Day

It's moving day...finally. I have been working on the renovation of my new townhouse in downtown Vancouver for the past 12 months. The most difficult job I have ever done in my career is my own place. It is finally ready to move into. I want to thank all the wonderful and talented people that have helped me bring this "Labour of Love" to fruition:

Contractor and Foremen - Mark, Ken

Design and Back-up - Linda,Ann

CAD Technician - Carole

Framing & Millwork - Ken, Eamann, Grant

Painters - Eddie, Eugene

Plumbers - Dave Sr. and Dave Jr.

Plumbing Fixture Supply - Sony, Brandon, Michael

Electricians - Keith, Tad, Kevin, Paul

Lighting fixture Supply - Matt, Jamie, Dal, Amber

Drywallers - Tim & Crew

Andy- Sprinklers

Security - Rebecca, Juanita

Dan - Gas Fitter

Metal Handrail Fabrication - Ken & Crew

Cabinets - Lindsay, Kelly, Rob, Joe

Countertop Installation - Willy & Quinn

Countertop Supply - Scott

Appliances - Sylvia, Rod, Marina

Appliance Installation - Roger

Appliance Delivery - Alex , Marty

Sanding, Clean-up, Details, Details - Annetta, Ken, Eamann

Tile Supply - Paul, Sara, Haley, Maria

Tile Installation - Doug & Crew

Floor Levelling - Paul

Hardwood Floor Installation - Steve, Karen, Clay

Mirror & Glass - Bob, John

Shutters - Thomas, Mel

Window Coverings - John

Carpet Supply - Norm

Carpet Install - Tony

Audio Visual - Don

Packing & Cleaning - Irene

Help on Moving Day - Ann, Gary, John, Linda,Wilbur,Jeanette

Movers - Sal,Kev

Thanks - I could not have done it without all of you!!!!

Brunschwig & Fils

I just got my Brunschwig & Fils Fall Advertising package in the mail today and it is, as always, gorgeously illustrated. I was quite interested to see 3 themes running through the images:
1. Birds
2. Fashion
3. Dogs

Take you pick and tell me what your favourite is. Scroll to the end to see my favourite.
PS The fabrics are beautiful too.

The Winner!!

Elica Hood Fans

One of my pet peeves is ugly hood fans. They are such a large element in a kitchen and if not handled properly can distract from the design of the kitchen, especially more so in contemporary kitchen design, as I am tending to not use overhead cabinets. The cooktop and back wall then becomes the focal point. So when I saw these innovative new designs from Elica I was pleasantly surprised. They are designed to look like a beautiful pendant handing over the cooktop and include ventilation, filters, lighting and controls. Click on the photo to enlarge.

Gracie Studio Wallpaper - Style Statement Profile

Gracie Studio
Interview with Mike Gracie, President

I understand that Gracie was established in New York in 1898 by Charles R. Gracie, and is still a family run business. Could you tell us a little about the legacy of your family business and how you came to be the current President?

Charles R. Gracie was my great-grandfather. His atelier performed custom carving and gilding for New York’s carriage trade. To build his staff, he traveled to Italy, recruiting highly skilled workers. His clients included Rockefellers, Vanderbilts, Astors, and Diamond Jim Brady. My great-grandfather was a true salesman and energetic entrepreneur. His particular interest was Asian art, and he became a noteworthy collector of antique Chinese blue and white porcelain miniatures, an interest he shared and discussed with Herbert Hoover.

His sons, James and Douglas (my grandfather) joined the company after serving in World War II. They diversified and expanded the company, opening a full-fledged art studio in Manhattan. My father, Brian, succeeded them in the 1970’s and brought the company into yet another successful area by focusing on fine Asian antiques.

I have been with the company for about 12 years and my dad promoted me to President last year. He remains with the company full time as Chairman and we work together and travel together regularly.

"Old Pop Gracie", Charles Gracie is in the middle with the hat

You are known for your exquisite hand painted wallpapers. Are they still manufactured in Mainland China?

Yes, our wallpapers are still handpainted in mainland China. This goes all the way back to my great-grandfather’s era. He sourced a lot of antiques, fabrics and accessories through agents in Beijing, and around 1927 he was contacted by a Beijing handpainted wallpaper studio. He established a relationship with that studio, and continued working with them until the communist revolution in 1949. After that, the studio relocated to Taiwan, and then Hong Kong. Finally in the mid-80’s the studio returned to mainland China. At a time when the quality of Chinese goods is in question, I’m proud that Gracie’s China studio provides a great example of luxurious, handmade products created by artists who have handed down the craft for generations. You have quite an impressive list of Interior Designers that have used your products over the decades and some are what I would call “Interior Design Icons” - Rose Cummings, Dorothy Draper, Elsie de Wolfe, Billy Baldwin, William Haines, and Michael Taylor. Are there any stories about these Icons that you could share with us? Yes, we actually still work with Dorothy Draper’s firm which is still in existence. McMillen, which was established in 1923, is another long-standing firm which Gracie still works with.

Elsie de Wolfe invoice (left) from 1938, McMillen invoice (right) from 1939 Click on image to enlarge

William Haines had a Gracie paper which he ordered regularly for his Hollywood clients, and we have recently re-introduced it. It’s a stunning handpainted design with ivory-colored flowers and birds on a handmade silver leaf background [SY-234]

You shared with me that you restored an antique wallpaper for a design project for Michael S. Smith. What is involved in the restoration process of your antique wallpapers?

It depends on the level of work required. Some areas may require touch-up or adhering sections of design which have lifted off the backing. However, in the case of many antique papers, a complete remounting is required. This involves meticulously soaking the wallpaper and removing just the top layer of design before re-applying it to a modern acid-free backing paper.

We usually also produce additions to antique wallpapers so that they can fit into the client’s space. Our artists are very talented at reproducing the style, coloration and level of antiquing to match the originals.

What is your most popular wallpaper design?

Generally speaking, our wallpapers on antiqued silver backgrounds are currently the best sellers. These papers provide a real impact with the silver ground, but the design tones are subtle and antiqued so that they appeal to a modern sense of color.

Interior Design by Greg Jordan

Are there any new wallpaper designs in the planning process?

We are actually re-designing much of our line of handpainted papers. This is a work in progress so I can’t be too specific. However, over the years, the quality of the work done by our studio has steadily improved. At the same time, we have kept many designs in existence for decades without alteration. Our intention is to take many of those designs and enhance them by applying the current high level of artistic talent and detail.

Another exciting development is our new line of metallic and silk papers. The metallics are made of hand-applied metal leaf, and I don’t know of any product like it. We are also producing the silk papers in our studio. We were having trouble sourcing good quality silk papers, and we also wanted to be able to offer them in custom colors. We worked closely with our China studio for a year or so and came up with a product that I’m really happy with.

Do you see a renewed popularity in the use of your papers by Interior Designers?

Although the taste for wallpaper in general seems to ebb and flow a bit, I think there’s always been a good market for our exclusive, handpainted products. Although particular designs may fall out of favor, Gracie has done a good job of keeping up with trends in color and style.

I have recently done a post on the linking of your wallpaper with the Fashion Industry. What
are your views on this?

Yes, we were all excited to see that! We have been actively interested in working with the fashion industry for several years and the fashion industry has reciprocated. As you know, our papers have been used as backgrounds on several fashion shoots. We have also produced handpainted wallpaper and custom furniture for the homes of a number of fashion designers and models. Also, for a current project we are handpainting fabrics to be used as the material for women’s couture.

Vision

This is a picture that I took on the drive back from Whistler to Vancouver on the Labour Day Weekend. My dear friends, Mary and Dennis were visiting from Tennessee and the drive to Whistler is definitely on the tourist must see list. The way the sun was streaming through the big dramatic clouds was a sight of awesome beauty. I was reading the following bit of inspiration this morning and it made me think of the feelings I had when I took this picture.

"Vision is one of the most profound feelings in the whole world. To see something that is grand and makes a difference in the world, to have a dream that fills your heart, a passion that inspires your day is the mark of true genius."

Posted from Perfect Customer