A couple of weeks ago the whole PDR team had the pleasure of visiting the Greenhouse Fabrics facility in High Point, NC.  We have worked with them for years, using their fabrics on countless projects.  Up until our visit, our relationships with most of the staff were purely through phone and email.  It was so nice to finally meet the whole crew in person, especially our fabric guru, Lisa! 

One of my favorite aspects of Greenhouse is that they are a family-run business.  Their story is captivating and one that resonates well with me.  Arnold Bjork started the business as a way to support his family, and now, the company is led by his great- granddaughter.  I appreciate the humble beginnings and the growth they have experienced as the company has evolved with the times.  In the office lounge (affectionately named the Bjork room and filled with comfy Love Sacs) hangs a history wall.  The wall holds framed photos of the original company office, a timeline showing the progression of the company name changes and CEOs, as well as memos on company letterhead.  The wall is such a poignant way of displaying this part of the family history.

As you can imagine, the whole office has gorgeous draperies hanging on all of the windows.  Company C rugs can be found throughout the building.  There is color everywhere, in the most inspiring way.  Given the bright, cheery environment, it’s no wonder everyone sounds so happy when you talk to them on the phone.

The showroom was out first stop when we entered the building, and it does not disappoint!  We could’ve spent hours in there thumbing through samples with beautiful prints, luxurious embroidery, and bold colors.  It certainly makes you excited to be there!

Next stop was the WOW Factory- this houses marketing and product development.  Here we had the awesome opportunity to see a sample book in its early stages.  We chatted with Emily to learn all about how she chooses what fabrics to include, how they are arranged within the book, and what the timeline is from start to finish to create a book.  For people who work in the sample books daily, it was really neat to see how “the sausage is made”.

Throughout our visit we noticed the personal touches they add to the customer experience.  We witnessed the warehouse guys cutting fabric yardage and packaging it to ship out.  Each shipment receives a tag with the handwritten name of the person who cut it for you.  We saw the section of the warehouse where all the samples are housed.  That process is as personal as the fabric cutting- someone receives the sample order and then hand pulls the samples for shipping. 

I geeked out majorly when we learned that Greenhouse is launching a new line in April called Anna Elisabeth.  Once again, the family heritage comes into play and the story behind the namesake will draw you in.  I won’t spill any secrets, but know that when the collection is launched, we will be carrying the fabrics from this designer line.

When planning our day, Greenhouse didn’t stop with just showing us behind the scenes in their facility.  They arranged a tour of Swaim furniture- a COM (customer’s own material) manufacturer, AND a tour of High Point University.  Swaim is another family-run business doing big things.  High Point U holds a special place for the folks at Greenhouse because many of their employees are either current students OR alumni.  The whole day they planned for us was educational and inspiring.

As a small business owner, I strive to treat my team as family.  Greenhouse has modeled a wonderful standard for this and I have definitely taken notice.  They win my business again and again by not only offering great products, but also by treating their customer so well.  They are proof that a little Southern hospitality can go a long way! 

Fall Colors - How to Use Shades of Brown in Decor

Paint Colors

blog.homedepot.com

Although gray and greige paint colors are still going strong, brown hues like taupe and beige are on their way back in! These colors are great to use as wall colors because of their rich, warm tones. These were mainstays for years and years before the popularity of grays came on. The great thing about using these colors is you don't have to worry about them going out of style because they are truly a classic choice.

themagicbrushinc.com

Fabrics

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

Another way to use shades of brown in your decor is by introducing it with fabrics. When you think about browns you may think dark and heavy but it doesn't have to be that way. The window treatments shown above have a bright creamy background with rich brown embroidery. This combination works so well because of the stark contrast. Keep this in mind when using shades of brown in your decor. 

wayfair.com

Furniture

dimplesandtangles.com

Finally, you can use shades of brown in the furniture in your home. Brown upholstery is VERY forgiving and can stand the test of time especially if you have kids or pets. Again, when using browns remember to balance that darker richer color with a lighter contrast. Try light tans and creams on the pillows for a balanced neutral look!

countryliving.com

The Colors of Spring - How to Decorate with Green

Spring has officially sprung! With the turn of the season comes beautiful, vibrant colors. One of the first colors that comes to mind when you think Spring is green. From the fresh grass to the new baby leaves and buds, green is everywhere you look. What better way to embrace this fresh color in nature than to bring it indoors in your decor?

Artwork

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

Green is a great color to incorporate in your decor through artwork. Art is such a personal choice that we recommend waiting until you fall in love with a piece before just buying on a whim. The great thing about green is it pairs well with so many other colors like blues, or as the pop of color against neutrals.  

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors 

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors 

Fabrics

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

Another place where green can be worked into your space is in fabrics like window treatments and throw pillows. These photos show three great examples of green in fabrics throughout the spaces. Something about adding green to your decor adds a burst of freshness as well as calm which is a winning combination!

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

Color Scheme

Every room has one.  A great space has a well-thought-out color scheme.  But where do we start?

The most logical place to being is by selecting an area rug you want for the space.  Because of size and budget restrictions, there are far less choices of rugs than there are of paint and fabric.  Building a room from the floor up is the easiest way to create a color scheme.

If you aren’t incorporating a rug, there are some choices for your starting point.  Many people use inspiration pieces to guide them.  An inspiration piece can be anything from a photo in a magazine to a fabric that you are dying to use in the room.  I’ve even seen people get inspired by nature- their personal garden, the colors of the Kansas plain, or their favorite vacation spot.  Most recently, one client used a family heirloom painting as her inspiration piece for the colors on the first floor of her home.  All have different color palettes that can be used to create a beautiful space.  

The color wheel is another helpful tool.  If you are clueless about colors that work well together, go back to your elementary school art class.  Remember what the teacher taught us:

-Complimentary colors- colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel (ie- blue & orange)

-Analogous colors- colors that appear side by side each other on the color wheel (ie-yellow-orange, yellow, and green)

-Monochromatic – using various shades of the same color (ie-plum, violet and lavender)

There are a variety of ways to create a color scheme for your space.  Which one will work best for you??

Houndstooth Heaven

Bear Bryant & Alabama got it right.  At least when it came to houndstooth!  A classic pattern that looks stunning in a simple black & white color scheme, or when jazzed up in brighter hues.  I am a huge fan of this design in home décor as well as fashion.  It’s a perfect accent for solid colors and shouldn’t be overdone.  I have seen more and more of it lately in furniture stores when out shopping.  Here are some of the coolest pieces I ran across:

Comfy side chair in stylish shades of green.

Chic ottoman in the tried & true black and white.

Throw pillows are also widely popular for this pattern.

Whatever your fancy, happy houndstoothing!

Create Your Own

When I’m in line at Qdoba, I can "craft" my own meal, at Panera I can pick and choose different items to create my lunch, too.  A cute little boutique down the road called Caught Ya Lookin let's me take any of their fabrics and they will create one of their bag styles for me.  Call me spoiled, but I love being able to customize things to better suit me.  That’s why I am absolutely in love with the option to create my own fabric design.  I read about it in a newsletter from a fabric vendor and it peaked my interest.  A few weeks later I saw an article about it in a Sherwin Williams publication.  That hooked me, I had to check out this Spoonflower site. 

You can upload your own photo and then play around with the layout to end up with a unique piece that no one else can duplicate.  After exploring the site and creating my own look, I held my breath when it came time for the price tag.  I was pleasantly surprised that the cost was under $40/yard.  You can be hard-pressed to find mass-produced fabrics at that price.  I see a flurry of fabric designing in my near future!  Hope you will try it, too!