April 8th, 2013
annie sloan and her teams on both sides of the atlantic do not mess around when it comes to training, support, and showing their stockists the love. along with “key personnel” kim and jessica, i spent a fantastic week in new orleans soaking up enormous heaps of great information on creativity, painting and the business thereof. during the couple of short breaks that we had, we made mad dashes through the french quarter, the bywater, lakeview, and the university district uptown, literally snapping photos on the fly…jessica, our native guide, knew all the shortcuts. here are some of my favorite color combinations sported by the fearless new orleanians…
but in their fierce climate, the colors don’t stay vibrant without occasional upkeep:
as you know, new orleans is a complete sensory feast…so much to see, smell, taste. hearing music is a big part of the experience there as well…
the annie sloan unfolded gang created a treasure hunt through the shops and galleries on royal street for us one evening, ending with a private party at the presbytere (and crawfish etoufee and bread pudding. divine.) my favorite (non-food-related) stop of the night was at bevolo, where we chatted up a fedora-clad artisan making copper lanterns.
before leaving, we were able to squeeze in a visit with nadine & simon blake (completely lovely mutual friends of thomas jayne’s) whose wonderful shop on royal street is full of goodies for the home. we knew right away that we loved them…how can you not have a crush on someone whose command center includes a pink rotary phone, and carries the cutest canine-related things?
i hope that spying these god’s eyes will bring us luck, and another trip back soon.
By stephanie | Posted in: Inspiration | 1 Comment
April 1st, 2013
way better than anything that would have fit into mrs. jones’s easter basket was a weekend visit by thomas jayne. (frequent readers already know of my unabashed admiration for him…detailed here, here and here.) thomas generously took time away from his family to greet his memphis friends and fans and sign copies of his gorgeous new book, american decoration. it’s no small feat to fit his 6-foot 6-inch frame (and even larger personality) into our little coop, but we did, and it was a wonderful afternoon.
after signing dozens of books, thomas was kind enough to speak for a few minutes on decoration in our region, and, more specifically, on the use of painted furniture (ahem!) as a potentially key bespoke element in a room’s scheme. entertaining questions in his typically thoughtful/insightful/cheeky way, he did happen to also point out that mrs. jones is not a painted lady, but a painting lady. (so there, those who think that we are teaching zumba lessons at the studio!) (he also left a note on my board to that effect. right next to a clipping about himself. as i said: cheeky.)
once we’d plied him with just a teensy bit of champagne, thomas also gave up the key to his fabulous pied-a-terre in the french quarter, where we were (coincidentally…or not?) headed the day after next. though we did not impose upon his hospitality with a prolonged stay, we were very tempted to push the limits of squatters’ rights…every inch is de-lish…an unforgettable and completely inspiring space! another post will follow soon with some of my favorite new orlean-ian color combos, but for now here is a little taste of the most perfect apartment on the planet:
many thanks to all of you who came to enjoy the afternoon with us.
By stephanie | Posted in: Family & Friends, In The Studio, Inspiration | 1 Comment
March 12th, 2013
we’re on spring break out west this week (more details coming) but here are a couple of process shots of one of a pair of armoires i’ll be finishing as soon as i get home…beautifully custom built for my lovely client with the guidance of jill sartelle street, they will house all of her family’s entertainment gadgetry. the finish is in old ochre chalk paint® with a layer of clear wax and then another coat of wax tinted just a little. gilt wax highlights the details. full “afters” coming soon, along with beautiful hardware and gilded metal stands.
By stephanie | Posted in: In The Studio | 2 Comments
February 26th, 2013
here is a quick glimpse at a mirror frame done this week for a lovely client who has just finished a bathroom remodeling project. she loves her mirror for the shape, size and scale (and mrs. jones does too) but the existing finish no longer suited the renewed space.
a quick coat of chalk paint® in paris grey was first. the color was exactly right, and the adhesion qualities of annie sloan’s amazing medium made it just the ticket for a first coat. a spotty resist layer of vaseline and paste wax followed, applied with a chip brush, just to the higher areas on the frame. then, miss mustard seed’s milk paint in typewriter, lightened up with a dash of ironstone. the hoped-for crackling and peeling happened overnight as the paint dried, encouraged along with a piece of coarse steel wool this morning.
topped with raw-umber-tinted glaze to seal and mellow the finish out a bit, it’s ready to go home again. (onsite photos have been promised.)
By stephanie | Posted in: In The Studio, Tips & Tutorials | No Comments
February 7th, 2013
someone out there (thank you!) kindly nominated my journal for a homie award at apartment therapy in the home project & diy category. so, if you would like to, hop over and cast a vote. (note: you’ll have to scroll pretty far down the page!)
(this concludes my shameless self-promotional plug for the day. you may now return to your regularly scheduled web-surfing.)
By stephanie | Posted in: Please Note | 1 Comment
