Talking Shop

(Quickly catch your breath after viewing the above photo....)

For those of you we haven't been harrassing via e-mail about our recent move, we are now open in our new location, the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle. Our grand opening was last week, after a month-long hiatus since closing our original Georgetown location.

We have so many gorgeous new (and new "old") pieces that I simply had to share a few photos with our friends who must have been trapped under something heavy since last Thursday and haven't yet been by the new shop. (Those of you outside the city are excused.)

I'll be working over the coming weeks on updating our Web site with our new inventory, new store images, and hopefully soon building our online interior design portfolio so you can see some of the fun projects we've completed. (Baby steps.... I am lucky to shower most days.)

Take a peek inside the new shop. And whether you're two blocks, neighborhoods, cities, or states away, come up and see us sometime. We'd love to see you!

Now, for the tour:

Can we briefly discuss how incredibly GORGEOUS this piece is? I bought it at an auction, back when it was a medium-oak finish. My gifted painter worked his magic, and how you see the new incarnation. Somewhere Dorothy Draper is patting herself on the back.

Also, I would like to touch on the striped wall, which I'm sure (like me) many of you have admired in the pages of Elle Decor (mostly in bathrooms, it seems, or with a slight twist of vertical stripes ala Alessandra Branca). I had about a week to move in and put my own finishing touches on the space after the painters and other folks completed their work, and do you know what I spent about 98% of that time doing? Yes. Stripes. I'm now seeing stripes in my dreams (nightmares?). But I am really happy with the finished product, particularly against the insane secretary and adorable sconces from a new line we're carrying at the store, Stray Dog Designs.

Back to the tour:

Another glimpse of the aforementioned stripes, along with one of a pair of vintage greek key-embellished mirrors. You know me and the greek keys....

Also new to the store: Rubie Green organic bedding, by the divine Michelle Adams. Paired with vintage table lamps, chandelier, and prints, along with a Jonathan Adler zebra needlepoint rug and some of our favorite accent pillows, it's a lovely little vignette. If nothing else, now I have a spot to nap during lulls at the shop.

Check out the ball pillow. I had it custom-made from the Rubie Green "Jackie" fabric. Why a ball pillow? I don't know. But I like it.

The unfortunate aspect of the bedding vignette? It conceals....yes, another greek key! The vintage headboard is festooned with a pair of them. Sigh.

This little arrangement makes me happy whenever I glance its way: navy blue, hot pink, yellow, and white. You may recognize the sofa from a stint in my living room; its now covered in bomber white vinyl that actually resists even ink stains. The chairs are vintage, as is the coffee table, now in a shade my painter calls "American Cheese." Not likely to make its way into the pantheon of paint names anytime soon.

I love the framed wallpaper panels peeking out at the sides; I snatched the paper up from Elements of Style's etsy shop. The colors and graphic quality are perfect.

Another angle.

Gorgeous black faux patent leather on 19th-century French dining chairs (now with white paint -- I know if legions of people were reading this, about three-quarters of them would be shrieking in horror.) Flanking the two lovelies are a set of redone Thonet chairs, with seats in white faux croc vinyl. Yes, I am single-handedly trying to keep the vinyl industry afloat.

Accessories shot: Jack + Lulu paper products (love), vintage barware with the motif whose name shall not be spoken, along with a Simon Doonan/Jonathan Adler shrine.

Also new to the shop: Kaarskoker candle sleeves and customizable candlesticks. A better hostess gift anywhere? We think not.

And it seems I have developed an addiction to changing out all my standard candlesleeves with those emblazoned with peacock print, herringbone, and fretwork. Who would have guessed?

Come see it all for yourself. Doesn't everything look better in person? Well, except models. And celebrities. And furniture from West Elm. Oh, nevermind.

WHAT? (or, Why I must go to L.A. July 24)

Exterior, Woodson & Rummerfield's L.A. shop

A friend and customer just forwarded me the following e-mail, bearing a headline that has become the mantra of so many retailers lately (ourselves included):

"It Is Time to Rediscover the Elegance of Basics"

And here's the text that follows, which has got me all in a tizzy:

"Dear valued W&R Patrons,

At the end of July, Woodson & Rummerfield’s showroom will be moving from La Cienega Blvd to ONLINE. http://www.wandrhome.com/

There will be new and interesting home good products online that will have you absolutely pining. This means our online retail site and design offices are continuing onward, full force with many exciting projects in the works!

So, pop by and bid the La Cienega shop farewell on Friday July 24th ~ there will be deep discounts on one of a kind items up to 75% off through out the rest of the month. 724 N. La Cienega Blvd, LA 90069, 310-659-3010."

Interior, W&R showroom

Those of you who know me or follow our blog know how much I love Woodson & Rummerfield, and one of the to-do's topping my list for the last few years has been a visit to their charming shop. Looks like I had better start making my travel plans...who's with me?

In the meantime, I have penned a letter of my own:

"Dear Economy,

You suck.

Sincerely,
Me."

Goodson and Yummerfield

Okay, those aren't really their names...but they should be. Los Angeles-based design duo Ron Woodson & Jaime Rummerfield have been style icons of mine for a number of years, but surprisingly they were never embraced by our late love Domino magazine in the manner of Ruthie Sommers, Windsor Smith, and others. Perhaps a correlation to the mag's recent folding? Just a thought.

A vignette at their (rumored to be--haven't yet been) fabulous L.A. showroom

What I like most about Woodson & Rummerfield? They go big. They take risks. But sometimes they don't. Based on the diversity of their portfolio, and their showroom vignettes, they have a definitive style of their own, but they seem to know when to reign it in and allow their clients' styles to dominate. Often times a designer's "signature style" is all you see, and it feels as if perhaps the client was buried under fabric samples somewhere along the way.

Not so with these two, perhaps just one of the reasons they were recently named among Traditional Homes' "Top 20" young designers to watch.... They've been our list for years! Just look at them, for crying out loud:

Here are some shots of less "Woodson & Rummerfield"-style interiors, no less lovely:




Did I mention that we also sell their wonderful book, High Style? Read more about it HERE.

And speaking of Traditional Home (a few paragraphs back--trust me), I would like to now go on record as saying that it is sort of filling my Domino void...when I throw in House Beautiful and a dose of Elle Decor, I'm kind of good.

As part of our ongoing in-store design center creation, I have been going through all my back issues of Domino (yes, I have each and every one of them ever printed), and I have slowly realized how much better it used to be. I feel like I'm betraying an old friend, putting that thought in print, but every other page in each of my old issues is dog-eared for an amazing find or a truly ingenious idea....the last few issues, not so much. In fact, I haven't heard too many other people say it, but the last issue? Something of a snoozefest.

In a way I was glad it didn't bowl me over, as my boredom did help to dull the pain of knowing it was the last new issue I'd ever hold, but I was inevitably more sorry to turn the last page with a feeling of disappointment rather than loss.

Lots of heavy talk for a magazine. But still. I know you understand.