What a wonderful year!

The Brushed Bureau wishes you a very Merry Christmas and Happy 2011. I have met some of the sweetest customers this year. Thanks to all of you that made 2010 a very special year. The best part of owning a retail business is meeting people and making new friends. May 2011 be a wonderful year for you all!

Keaton style

Every now and then, I will do a post of a house that makes an impression on me. This one happens to belong to Diane Keaton (actress, Father of the Bride). I found this Spanish Revival mansion featured in an old issue of Architectural Digest and thought it was a gem!

Come all ye Collectors!

For all you Christopher Radko collectors, Blacklion will host a Radko signing this Friday, December 10. Mario Tare', Christopher Radko's founding designer, will be present in the store from 1-4 pm, signing ornaments and answering questions about the famous Radko line. Mario developed the popular vintage themed Shiny-Brite™ collection along with various other pieces of the Radko Collection. This will be the only Radko appearance in Charlotte and one of the few in the Carolinas. So, bundle up and come on out to experience a rare "meet and greet" with one of the original Radko artists!



http://christopherradkoinperson.com/

Decking the halls

I have been decking the halls in the store since October and I am actually starting to receive Valentines decor...can you believe how fast this holiday season is flying by? The store has been packed with customers getting into the spirit of the season! So, for the next couple of weeks, I will slowly start to mark things down to make room for new merchandise. Blacklion's bi-annual Red Tag Sale will begin after Christmas and some merchants will mark items down the week before. So, if you are looking for fabulous holiday decor, shop the aisles in Blacklion and deck your halls. Below are a couple of items that I currently have in stock:

Wendy Addison Santo Angels (large and small sizes)

An assortment of Angels

vintage-inspired art work

handmade holiday floral in metal wall planter

Wendy Addison glass glitter bird in nest ornament

New arrivals

Just wanted to do a quick post on some new furniture additions. They are currently for sale in the store in spaces 360 and 370.

Les Baux De Palm Springs

I got a request to do another post on this gorgeous French inspired estate home in Palm Springs. It belongs to Suzanne Somers and is currently on the market. Somer's decorating style is charming French country which includes velvet sofas, giant chandeliers, marble floors and more than one zebra skin rug! The elegant interior extends to the beautifully landscaped exterior which also includes a pool, outside dining and various gardens. I usually do not post so many photos but since this house is "tres fabulous", I just could not resist!

Attitude of gratitude

Check out this gratitude wreath featured in this month's issue of Woman's Day Magazine. Created by designer Eddie Ross, this wreath is made from paper, wheat and gold beads. You can even tuck gratitude messages in the cones for Thanksgiving. A perfect way to greet your guests and set the mood of thankfulness. For more info, go to: http://www.eddieross.com/eddie_ross/2010/11/center-of-attention-.html

http://www.womansday.com/Articles/Crafts/Thanksgiving-Craft-Paper-Cone-Gratitude-Wreath.html

Culinary Chic

While browsing for a table setting, I found a couple of unique pieces (from dinnerware to place cards) that would be perfect for a beautiful Thanksgiving table.



http://www.etsy.com/listing/61305511/thanksgiving-prayer-handmade-vintage




http://www.etsy.com/listing/48554231/autumn-woodland-birch-leaf-platter-tray

http://www.etsy.com/listing/58396639/sale-handmade-ceramic-platter-price

http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/index.jsp

http://www.etsy.com/listing/59032813/thanksgiving-table-cards

Holiday Open House

Blacklion is having a Holiday Open House this weekend! There will be giveaways, refreshments, Santa and our snowy holiday wonderland opens for the season! We merchants have been busy decorating our spaces so there will be tons of beautiful holiday decor! Hope you will join us...fun for kids of ALL ages!!

Oldies but Goodies

It has been soooo long since my last post. I have been a busy bee putting holiday merchandise out in the store- I can't believe Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away which means the store will be buzzing with shoppers soon! Today, it was buzzing with merchants getting ready for Blacklion's Holiday Open House this weekend. Since it has been a few weeks since my last update, I wanted to post a few furniture pics. Both pieces are vintage, over 60 years old, and have original hardware. They are oldies but goodies!

Happy Haunting

Things have been busy, busy, busy around here which explains my lack of posts. However, I did want to take the time to post some pics of new Halloween merchandise in my booth. Blacklion has some of the most festive fall decor from pumpkins to halloween treat bags. Stop by and check us out!

Trash to Treasure

Annie Brahler's home in Jacksonville, Illinois is the perfect place to showcase her french interior design style. Annie owns an import company called Euro Trash (http://euro-trash.hostasaurus.com/ ) where she finds these wonderful unique home furnishings and gives them a little TLC. She has mastered the art of finding European forgotten treasures and then working her magic on them. Check out these pics of her beautiful home which is actually a landmark called the William Howard Thompson House.

New Blue

I am posting pics of a recent addition to the store. This dresser is from the early 1900's. I found it at a local antique auction and fell in love with it. It needed a little TLC so I painted it pale blue (Sherwin Williams, Breaktime) and replaced the old hardware with these adorable glass knobs.

Looking for shade?

During these hot summer days, I've been looking for shade. That is, shades for table lamps. Here are some of my interesting finds.

anthropologie

potterybarn

anthropologie

A vanity love affair

I purchased this vanity from an individual instead of the usual antique auction so I was thankful when the seller knew the "history" of this piece. The seller informed me that this vanity was special because it had survived three generations in her family. It was a wedding gift from her grandfather to her grandmother back in the early 1930s right before the Depression. They had very little money back then but her grandfather saved up and surprised her grandmother on their wedding day. As I was cleaning the inside of this piece, I noticed some faint cursive writing in pencil. It read "Elizabeth + Clinton" on the inside of the drawer. I have a feeling that Elizabeth and Clinton had a wonderful life together. And, true love does lasts forever.

Absolutely beautiful

Absolutely Beautiful Things is the name of Anna Spiro's blog and the name fits. Her vintage modern style IS absolutely beautiful. Anna is the talented designer/owner of Black and Spiro, an interior design firm located in Brisbane, Australia. She has the rare talent of mixing bright colors and patterns without making a room busy. Anna's style is fresh, young and vibrant. She's a trend-setter and definitely one to watch! Thanks, Anna, for being such an inspiration.
http://absolutelybeautifulthings.blogspot.com/

Under, on and throughout

Our largest clearance sale of the year starts this Thursday.... The BIG Tent Sale! Items will be under the tent outside, on the tables located inside the store and throughout individual booth spaces. Just look for the bright yellow tags! If you are looking for furniture pieces, now is the time to buy cheap. I saw many beautiful pieces in Blacklion's inventory marked down. Merchants were also scrambling to mark down their accessories displayed on the tables inside the store. Sale starts this Thursday, July 22 thru Monday, July 26. Happy Shopping!

The Brushed Bureau's clearance items (located in space 360)