Chinoiserie

Thank you to our friend, John Stevens for the mention in his article in Seattle Magazine. Here's a link so that you may read the entire article.

http://seattlemag.com/article/lifestyle/northwest-home/nw-home-lessons-asian-nouveau-smith-tower-s-chinese-room

Zeyno & Ghamarian Arrive

We are very excited in the showroom with the recent arrival of Zeyno & Ghamarian and their beautiful collection of Oriental rugs.
Especially striking are the Persian Gabbeh rugs. The rich, intense colors and thick, plush pile of these rugs are very sensual and evocative; especially as our gray winter lingers despite the furtive flowering plum and daffodils which are beginning to appear.
These rugs are traditionally woven by nomadic tribes of Southern Iran using locally sourced vegetable dyes and sheep wool.
The simple, graphic design of many of these rugs will translate in to almost any room where you desire beautiful color and elegance for your floors.
Remember that this is just a part of a whole new collection of Oriental rugs. We are showing small to room sized rugs which are antique to contemporary in design.
We are so fortunate that Zeyno has joined us in the showroom and added such a beautiful dimension.

La Cite Interdite

In honor of International Women’s Day, our post is of a Chinese ancestral reproduction that installs the matriarchs in the forefront.
The fabric on this antique chair is from a Pierre Frey collection from a few seasons past. It has been one of our favorites for the really exceptional design and production of this 100% linen fabric, designed in Paris and produced in Italy.
We hadn’t had much “action” on this fabric, “La Cite Interdite” Pierre Frey #F2721 until our associate, Kelly Gray had this chair upholstered for the showroom floor display.
The reaction has been remarkable. The orders have begun to flow in and we’re so grateful to see people respond to the product.

We are so lucky that from time to time we are paid a visit by a real "rock star" in our industry named for his grandfather and founder of Pierre Frey. Yes, young Pierre is part of a dynamic family and has been made responsible for marketing and sales for North America. He has big shoes to fill and he has done it well with style and growing confidence.
On this visit, he was out on calls for a full day with Esther presenting the fabulous new Spring Collections. He was then able to spend a few hours in the showroom giving a series of mini showings to three groups of designers before dashing off to the airport to catch a flight home.The new collection was designed and conceived entirely in Paris, but could have been a study of Northwest design and pallet. Amazing how perfect the "Zen" collection is for the tastes of our part of the country. This is not to say that color is missing per se, but the naturals are warm, beautiful and deep. The textures so interesting that you can't wait to find a way to use them.
If you haven't already, I encourage you to check it out.
Thanks for your visits Pierre and a big thank you for the wonderful fabrics!
See you soon!
Jane

We always expect winter to be cold, grey and a bit dull, but when you are suddenly invited to Mexico for the time between Christmas and New Years your world turns around completely! There was little hesitation to "yes" and taking the last possible seat bound for Cabo we didn't even wonder what necessities we might have left behind.
The first few days were spent on board a lovely vessel with friends that all converged the day after Christmas. It's easy to travel with favorite people and the voyage that took us to our little beach in Paradise.
The air was warm, but not too warm, the sky was blue, but not too blue and the pool was cool and simply refreshing. We were now living in full Technicolor with Dobie surround sound smiling and laughing constantly. The birds, surf, live music and lack of mechanical sounds all were lovely. The fragrance of real evergreen Christmas trees , salt air and delicious kitchen smells were a daily joy.
Each day was so pleasant, we simply did not want our vacation to end. It was easy to forget the poor economy and the world suffering, but this was about to change. Our host arranged for us all to meet a young couple that has begun to build homes and schools for the "indigenous" people of Mexico. These are the migrants that work the fields and have been completely forsaken by the Mexican government. They have nothing! They have no shelter, food, water, clothing, medical attention and no education. As we visited the fields where they work, the horrid camps where they live and then finally the school and homes that have just been built by private funding, we were struck once more by how fortunate we are in contrast. The sad faces of the children in the fields were replaced by happy and clean faces at the school. We have since been able to help in some small ways and this worthy project will go on and on and gain speed with time.
Each time I go anywhere in the world I am humbled and thrilled at the same time. For me, the world is getting larger rather than smaller and the more I learn, the more I realize how little I know. Meanwhile, I am back in the cool grey and quite content. If and when I ever go again, it will be time for a change of scenery and I will surely love it!
Happy New Year and Happy Trails!
Jane

In September I had the good fortune to be in Italy and it just plain made me feel good. We began in Milan for a few days and I was so impressed by the positive activity and commerce everywhere we walked. There were no "going out of business" signs, no sales, no "for let" spaces peppering each block and I have never seen so many shopping bags being carried about. Nearly everyone was dressed "to the nines" and looking employed, well fed and housed. Having just been in Ireland the week before, it was a pretty sharp contrast. The hotels and restaurants were all packed and finding a taxi was a bit of a wait. I checked if there was a big market in town, but it was just business as usual.
From Milan, we took the train to Florence and I expected that things would be less hectic there, but again, Firenze was nicely full and the merchants were all enjoying great business. My point in writing this is that it has been a while since we have seen or felt this kind of activity at home and it just felt good to see that it was happening somewhere. It gave me hope and allowed me to enjoy my trip completely.
Italy has such wonderful spirit, art, architecture, food and style. I am so lucky to be able to experience these exciting parts of the world from time to time and share my good fortune in stories and photos. Here are a few examples of the sights of Italy.

Well, it's been a while since we added to the blog, but now that the beautiful summer has passed and fall is flirting with colored leaves and frosty nights it's time to get back to work.
Our theme is "comfort" and so as you dig out your sweaters and overcoats and head to Georgetown in search of the perfect elements to create a cozy and comfortable environment for your clients, we invite you to stop by to shop, have a warm beverage and a freshly baked cookie. Of course this is first come, first serve, but we will have a morning batch and an afternoon batch going each day. We did our first taste test yesterday and it made us all very happy. We would love to share this happiness with you!
We will see you soon.
The Cookie Elves at JPR