Lighting the fire

Most of my posts are strictly about interior design but this entry is going to be about exterior living areas. Since the weather has been gorgeous here for the past two weeks, I felt compelled to post about fireplaces and fire pits. They have become extremely popular during the past decade. Check out some of my favs below...

Tuscan style brick fireplace complete with deck overlooking marsh.

The fire pits at the Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage with an awesome view of Palm Springs.

Cozy beach pits at the Sandals Grande Antigua Resort & Spa

Rock formation fire pit at St. Regis Deer Valley in Park City.

Dorothy Draper meets Chairish for a drink!

Dorothy Draper was a famous style icon who was known for mixing bright colors with black and white patterns. If Draper were still alive today, I am positive that she would highly approve of Chairish, a website that features stylish vintage furniture and home accessories. Chairish asked me to design a style board featuring one of their many fabulous vintage bar carts. I chose this Hollywood Regency style cart with faux bamboo railing because it reminded me of one of my favorite designers, Dorothy Draper.

Chairish has so many great items to choose from....mirrors, rugs, vases, glassware, etc. that it was difficult to decide which items would make my board. After narrowing down the selection, I came up with the board below. I decided to design a bar area using pops of bright colored bar accessories complemented by the black/white pattern of the rug, lamp and vase...I think Dorothy would approve!

 From Draper's style to Mid-century Modern, Chairish has the best selection of vintage furniture, decor, jewelry and accessories. It's a wonderful site for on-line treasure hunting!

Fall at Blacklion...

Check out the new cool fall merchandise in Blacklion! Click here to watch WCNC link. 

(Sale)ing away

I have decided to close The Brushed Bureau by the end of this month. My lease expires on Oct. 31 so I have made the decision to move on to something new. It's been a great decade of learning all about the world of retail! I started this business in 2004 in Gastonia, NC at The Garibaldi House with 2 friends. Then decided to move out on my own, so I rented a space in Downtown Pineville, NC. Business was slow in Downtown so I went to Blacklion and became successful overnight. Thank goodness I was persistent and stuck it out! I eventually branched out to multiple spaces in Blacklion stores. Also, rented spaces in Flutterby Interiors, Shoppes at River's Edge and Young's Garden Center. My point is that I found a career that I loved and believed in myself until I became successful! However, after 11 years of painting furniture, buying and merchandising product, I am ready for a change. Not sure exactly what that change will be, but I'm looking for my next step. As far as the store goes, everything is on sale right now....lamps, chandeliers, accessories, etc. If you get a chance, please stop by and check us out before the end of the month! We will surely miss all of our wonderful customers...thank you for all your support!!