The Mad Hatter

I'm home from whirlwind trip to Hickory and very productive meeting at our factory.  To put it simply, the people at the factory are A-mazing:  Quick, intelligent, fun, and seriously "with it."  And...  the Pure Style upholstery collection is on its way!!  I am so excited. 

It's a mix of very basic, classic pieces (for example, English arm sofas) that work in a variety of settings and some new pieces that I've done.  They will be sold on my online store this coming Spring  (The online store is set to open before then...  I'll be honest and tell you that the only hold up is me taking photos of the items and loading them onto the beautiful website Emily created.)  and in the Loudon Design Center, which is to-the-trade.  It's been a crazy few months with a lot of plates spinning (isn't it always though?!! ;) and I am thrilled to have an end date in sight!!!!

I thought I'd share one of my designs...  You might remember this Victorian wing chair I found a while back.  I mentioned I had plans for it:

...Well, it was a piece that I wanted to try to rework.  It's really difficult when you have trouble drawing...  I  took the photo above and played around with it on the computer to convey what I wanted to do with it, which was arc the top a bit more, remove the wood frame around the edges, straighten the legs and front, removing the carving, and recline it a bit further. 

I love classic pieces and nice proportions but there are times when I like to inject a little something else into a room.  Something a bit playful and confident.  And it would be with a chair or 2 like this.  This chair reminds me the something you'd see at the Mad Hatter's tea party:

{Alice sitting in the Mad Hatter's Chair}

Here's one of the original illustrations and you see Alice in a beautiful tufted chair...  loooooove:

I knew right away that the chair we're creating would be the "Mad Hatter" Wing Chair.  The images & memories from my childhood are so ingrained in me that I figured, why fight it? and why not just go with it?  So, every piece in the collection is named for what strikes me when I think of it.  (And not all make sense, which is why I'll be sure to explain ;)   Here's a sideview sketch I did of the Mad Hatter:

I'll be sharing sketches and pics of the pieces as the Spring nears.  All of our pieces will be available online in a selection of standard linen and velvets (in a large variety of colors) and if you are working with a designer or if you are a designer, we offer COM.  I honestly have no idea how the line will do or what the future will bring, but I'm excited to see where this goes.  In this industry, there are so many interesting off-shoots, options and ways to expand your philosophies.  I see this as hopefully one of the many ways I'll get to explore design.  Have a great rest-of-the-weekend!!

If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.