Spring Edition

Spring is a time for birth, renewal, freshness, and the amazing energy that comes from seeing bright green leaves unfurl and fragrant blossoms bursting with their tempting scents!  I have been so inspired lately by the lengthening and warming days - and it seems like there is a lot that's fresh and exciting on the design & fashion scene, too:

GR Home/University Village neighborhood

Brainchild of Graciela Rutkowski and overseen by the stellar Diana Paradis, this breathtakingly beautiful store is a necessary indulgence.

Not only does GR Home have gorgeous wares (found objects, the best furniture for all rooms in the home, unique accessories) but these women are obviously having fun. 

Shopping here is a mini party - but all business, of course.

Many of the lines we designers have come to know and love are found here: Lee, Hickory Chair, Rosanna, Arte Italica, and a bevy of stunning, one-of-a-kind pieces.

Gracious House to Home 

Near GR Home is Gracious House to Home - wonderful "almost antique"furniture, jewelry, vintage table wear - there's a lot to decide among here.  Tracy and Deirdre are knowledgeable and friendly - great stuff! Gracious House to Home, near U Village.

Altstadt Interiors

I've written before about this jam-packed consignment store and interior design firm, also near U Village (is there a trend here?) and their incredible finds.   But time to revisit!

I recently helped my son furnish his 100-year old studio apartment near downtown Seattle (more on that in a subsequent post) almost entirely from Altstadt Interiors:  this Deco bed frame, a vintage 9 x 12 Oriental rug (virtually wall-to-wall in his space), deco sofa, etc.  Budgets were spared and it was an adventure in shopping!

Inspiring Fashion

Not to rush things, since summer isn't even here yet, but I am head over heels in love with this look for fall 2012 from Dior:

....and this current "Street Chic" item spotted on the streets of Paris by Elle Decor...

Details

For those who love innovative design as well as traveling abroad, some of the most fun pages to peruse are found at MODULE-R .com.  Are these the most exuberant dual voltage adapters, or what?  And they'd be easy to find in luggage.....

Or, how about this Highland Court fabrics advertisement?  Stunning!

Books

I'm intrigued by a new design book called, "Be your own decorator", by Susanna Salk, published by Rizzoli.

My eye was initially caught by the cover because it's actually the same photo - of a Paris apartment, naturellement! - that I ripped from a magazine and pasted to my Vision Board a while back.

But this excerpt from Ms Salk drew me in:  "Unlike many artists in other mediums, interior designers never hoard their secrets.  They are a gloriously generous bunch, much more concerned with making the world a more beautiful and livable place than worrying about whose idea it was to put that vase over there."

Mais, oui!

Neighborhood Beat: Ravenna/U Village

One of the hidden gems of Seattle stretches from 26th Avenue Northeast to 30th Avenue Northeast, along NE 55th Street.  Cozy shops and eateries bracket Ravenna Volvo, an institution since the mid-20th century, but the charming block between 26th and 27th Ave NE features a vintage brick mixed-use building, containing shops worth journeying to.

At the 26th Avenue NE end of the block, Mannings and Sons Upholstery, has been assisting designers and the public create custom furniture and update tired but classic pieces for over 40 years.

Next door, Lauren Sloan of Lauren Sloan Designscan usually be found applying the finishing touches to one or another of her exquisite painted furniture designs or designing a fabulous trompe l'oeil  mural.  She also has some accessories in her small retail area and is warm and welcoming.

To Sloan's east, a new restaurant, Frank's Oyster House and Champagne Parlor, opened in 2009 and is owned by the same people who brought you Pair up the street.  Frank's serves gourmet comfort food like onion rings, french fries, individual Dungeness Crab Louie in shells of Bibb lettuce - you get the idea.  The drinks are great and the food delicious!

Standing at the corner of 27th Ave NE and NE 55th St is Altstadt Interiors, owned by Seattle interior designer, Tana Mattson.  Altstadt Interiors is half consignment shop, half interior design resource and lots of fun to explore.  There's almost always at least one of Ms. Mattson's three dogs in the shop waiting to greet visitors, tail wagging enthusiastically.  This store is a great place to find unique and well-priced gifts, furniture and lighting - as well as interior design help.  Check it out!