Your Source for Vintage Textiles

The finishing touches of a room can truly bring it to life. One of the best ways to add these touches is with textiles. Whether you create a custom pillow cover or drape a throw over the arm of a chair, these soft accents create a finished look.

To be truly unique, use vintage textiles imported from Europe. One of the best sources for this is www.Textiletrunk.com. Search hundreds of samples online.

So venture out side of the "Bloomington box". Order vintage fabric and have a local craftsman transform it into the perfect accent for your home.

The Tudor Project is complete

The Tudor Project was a recent job for Bloomington Staging & Design. This home is located in Hyde Park and has great curb appeal. But when left unfurnished, it did not show its best. After being on the market for a while, the owners decided to have the home professionally staged. It was an interesting project because the style of the home, including true Tudor exterior, a large and imposing front door and mass amounts of stained oak. To furnish this home in an old English/Tudor style would have made the home more unapproachable to many buyers.

Since this four bedroom home has all bedrooms on the second floor, chances are that the buyers will be a younger couple. So we furnished this home with fresh and contemporary furniture that had classic lines. We wanted to make this home appealing to the most number of buyers and make this home look as updated as possible.

The photos above are of the family room, which opens into the kitchen. The room has very high ceilings and a tall brick fireplace. Since this was the 'family room', we used furnishings that would appeal to the entire family. It is now kid friendly and at the same time, elegant enough for entertaining friends and co-workers.

Bloomington Staging & Design will be holding a publicity event at this home in the near future. If you are not already on our emailing list for invitations, please let us know by contacting Matthew Cole at matthew@bloomingtonstating.com.

Setting the Table Part II

The art of still life. This photo, taken a the Macy's Flower Show in New York this year, is an amazing example of creating the beauty of a still life oil painting on your dining room table for buffet. Using gorgeous arrangements of fresh fruit, crystal, china and silver, the outcome is stunning.

This particular table setting was designed for a buffet event. A silver champagne bucket was used to hold fresh baguettes (partially shown in the back ground of this photo). Over sized wooded candle sticks were used to embellish the olde world setting. Simply and elegantly beautiful.

Setting the Table

One of the most simple ways to add beauty to your home is setting the table. Whether you are having a dinner party for ten, or a simple dinner for yourself, correctly setting a table can add elegance and style to your home. And the best part is that it is not permanent. A day or two later, you can change the entire setting.

The best set tables incorporate a blend of textiles, china and stemware. The color and design options are endless. The table in the photo to the right has a formal attitude. Place mats, instead of a table cloth, add a more modern look to antique china.

And never underestimate the use of stemware. Each place setting should have both wine glasses and water goblets. Serving two wines with dinner? Then make put out both red and white wine glasses for each guest.

The center piece then ties everything together. The center piece of this table, a photo taken on a trip to San Fransisco, uses candles, a wine bottle and serving pieces to create a still life of sorts. The center piece does not always have to be flowers.

Most importantly, let your creativity come through. If it doesn't seem that it looks right, keep playing with it. After a few adjustments, it will all come together...for the next couple of days.

BTW, Martha always says to set the table a day ahead. Not only does it free up time on the evening of your dinner, but you get to enjoy what you have created a little longer.

New York Window Staging

Taken late night on a recent trip to Manhattan, this photo is of designers putting together the window display for the new Diane von Furstenberg store in the meat packing district in the city. And window staging is much like home staging.

For a mystical and memorable scene in this window, these designers have used color, shape and lighting to create a lasting reaction. And that is exactly what one wants to do when staging a home.

Keeping in mind that clouds and bright colors are not the staples of home staging, the idea is to create a space that will be memorable. Simple designs and great lighting will make any home look special. The key is to find the correct mood for the home. By looking at the home's architecture and layout, one can find exactly what direction to head in.

The key is to create a scene that makes a home buyer say "wow, this is where I want to live, this is the decor that speaks to me". And for the window display designer, they work to make the consumer say "wow, this is where I want to shop...this is the image that speaks to me".

My Bloomington Kitchen Remodel...page 15

Kitchen Before

Kitchen After

Kitchen Before

Kitchen After

Range View During

Range View After (stainless back splash is on the way)

Refrigerator Wall During

Refrigerator Wall After

We are 99% done with this project! The counter tops are being swapped out for a more tasteful version of what we have. Silestone is a wonderful product, sans the sparkles. Other than that, we are waiting for the stainless back splash above the range and we are home free.

Above are some before & after photos of the project.

My Bloomington Kitchen Remodel...page 14

Day 24. Mariah Carey wins. Yes, the counter tops are still lighting up the sky, even after they worked for two days to remove the sparkles. Next stop...new counter tops. Our builder, Brent Thompson, has come to the rescue and is negotiating the replacement of the counter tops. Within two weeks we should have respectable surfaces in place sans the glitter.

The range is to be delivered tomorrow. New photos of the 'nearly completed project' will be up by the end of the day once the range is in place.