Company Spotlight!

There are so many wonderful designers and gorgeous collections out right now. One of my new favorites is Osborne & Little . Osborne & Little was begun by two brothers-in-law who had much creative ability and a knack for business.



In 1968, they opened a showroom in London's Chelsea District, and the rest, as they say, is history! Their designs began as hand-printed wallcovering but in the past 40 years, their designs have taken shape in fabrics, trims, wallcovering, furniture and decorative home accessories.

Through the years, Osborne & Little have forged partnerships with many of the top names in design, including Nina Campbell, Lorca, Liberty Furnishing and, most recently, Michael Reeves.


Osborne & Little is deservedly held in high esteem in the design/decorative world. For more information on Osborne & Little products, contact us!
(all photos, copyright, O&L )

Wow - after 2 snow days in one week, I think things may be getting back to normal!


So what are some of the hot colors this season? Now that winter is (for the most part) over, it's time to focus on lighter and brighter! I've seen several colors that have made their way to the "it" list for this season - lavender, coral, sea-green, pale blues - so pretty! (fabric photos from Kravet )


Furniture, paint, accessories - there is so much you can do to change your room just by making a simple color change. Accents in these colors, such as vases, pillows, wall art, framed photos and the like all add a personal touch to your space.




Tip of the Day!!
Have a stubborn ring around the bowl? Use a pumice stone to gently scrub it away without using harsh cleaning agents!

Meet the Staff: Crystal

This week on Meet the Staff I am introducing you to Crystal. She's the other fantastic girl in our purchasing department. She helps get all your orders placed on time and correctly as well as gets you your shipping information. We had a nice little pow wow the other day to get to know Crystal. Here is what she said:

Carrie: How long have you been working for Interior Mall?
Crystal: 3 years this month! Yeah!

Carrie: What do you enjoy most about your job?
Crystal: I love that everyday brings something new. Never boring here at Interior Mall.

Carrie: What is your favorite thing about interior design?
Crystal: So many options.

Carrie: How would you describe your interior design taste?
Crystal: My motto is: 'Simple is sweet.'

Carrie: When not working, how do you spend your time?
Crystal: My family is #1! Other than that I am a HUGE NASCAR fan and always cheering on my Arkansas Razorbacks! GO HOGS!

Carrie: One random question: Who is one person in the world you want to meet and why?
Crystal: Choices? Choices? I would have to say Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88. He is one person who has dealt with a lot of things in his life and he continued to strive above all criticism. Once a fan always a fan!

Thanks Crystal!

Next week on Meet the Staff.......Tracy!

Outdoor Fabric 101

Spring is looming. We go through a time change this weekend, have Easter in just a couple of weeks, and before you know it, it will be time for Memorial Day. With all these events taking place that means it will be time to start thinking about how you will dress up that patio or sun room for the warmer weather.
It has come to my attention that while people get the concept of outdoor fabric and what it is used for, there are still a lot of things that remain confusing...even to us!
I have compiled a list of things to consider when choosing your next outdoor fabric.


#1: Water Resistant vs. Water Repellent. We get phone calls all the time about what the difference is. Well, I am here to clarify! Water resistant means the fabric resists water. Water will not penetrate the fabric. Water repellent means that is resists fabric but given enough time and water it will penetrate the fabric. Most outdoor fabrics are water repellent, not resistant.

#2: Choose a fabric that is stain resistant. Most of the time, if the fabric is stain resistant it will also repel the growth of mold and mildew.

#3: Light Fastness. This is another topic that even I personally have had a lot of questions about. Certain dyes are more prone to fading than others. There are finishes you can place on your fabric to help slow the process of fading but nothing will completely stop the process. Any outdoor fabric will have this process already done to it. On many outdoor fabrics they will list the minimum number of hours a fabric can be exposed to light before showing signs of fading. You might see fabric anywhere from 200 hours to 2200 hours.

#4: If you are using the fabric on an outdoor patio, you are most likely placing the fabric in an area where a grill, or fire pit, or candles will be used. For this reason, it is good to also consider a fabrics flammability rating. There are three main flammability ratings used in the US:
1. UFAC Class 1
2. Cal. 117
3. NFPA 260
These three are used on the majority of contract and some residential fabrics used.

#5: The last thing you might consider is the cleaning code. How easy will it be to clean? You might see Cleaning Code: S, WS, W, whatever the cleaning code visit our page of cleaning code definitions to understand exactly what it means. Cleaning Codes.

Hopefully this shed a little more light on what all the technical information means and don't forget to check out our section of Outdoor Fabrics!

It's Friday! It's Friday!

I ran across this blog post today and thought it was a great way to end the week :)

11 Ways the internet can make you happy.

Not a bad read at all! There are some great sites listed. Gretchen Rubin is a great, inspirational read!

Today, the weather is 70 degrees, partly cloudy - feels like spring! I wonder how long it will last! Ha Ha Hopefully long enough to get the sickies out of the house!

Have a wonderful weekend :)

Tip of the Day: Down comforters should only be washed ever year or so to keep them in prime condition. When you do wash it, dry in a commercial-grade dryer on medium heat. While it may take forever, it will keep your comforter unscorched and wrinkle-free :)

Meet the Staff: Melissa

Last week on Meet the Staff I introduced all of you to Shanna. This week I am proud to present Melissa!
Melissa has been working for Interior Mall for a little over 1 year and we couldn't be happier with her. We used to joke for a long time that she was the office "Go getter".......in early, out late. She is one of the hard working girls in the Purchasing Department that gets all your orders placed with the manufacturers.
Yesterday, we sat down and had a chit chat to get to know Melissa a little better.

Carrie: What do you enjoy most about your job?
Melissa: The relaxed environment and I'm always learning something new.

Carrie: How would you describe your interior design taste?
Melissa: I tend to have more traditional taste when it comes to interior design.
Carrie: When not working, how do you spend your time?
Melissa: Spending time with son and husband usually watching a lot of baseball.

Carrie: One random question: Where is one place you would like to visit and why?
Melissa: Hawaii-beautiful scenery.

By the way....did you all know that Melissa is one heck of a dancer!

Button-Up Window Shade

I found a cute project today from Martha Stewart - Button-Up Window Shade. It is quite trendy to cover your windows with shades made of all kinds of things - from bamboo to fabric to traditional shade material. This article gives you step by step instructions for making a simple fabric window shade. Put it up with a tension rod and you have a custom window treatment that you can be proud of. Find everything you need to make this project at InteriorMall.com.

The Art of Artwork

Artwork is one of those decorating elements that if done correctly makes a room look amazing, however, done wrong it can REALLY make a room look cluttered and disorganized. Given that spring time is looming and many people will start thinking about changing up their homes I have compiled a list of Artwork Hanging To Dos. Just changing the artwork of a room can make a huge difference in the decor.

To Do #1: Make sure when hanging your artwork that the center point of the piece or grouping of pieces is eye level for the average person. It's not always possible but it is a good guideline to go by.

To Do #2: Art size should be related to wall size. You don't want a small piece for a large wall or a large piece for a small wall. Things need to be proportional.
Notice how in the photo the wall is more vertical than horizontal so they used a grouping of art pieces vertically to fill the space. A horizontal piece or grouping would not fill the height of the wall and make the space seem disproportional.

To Do #3: Check your colors. If you are wanting a room with calming qualities find artwork that has neutral tones and a serene picture. To add life to a room, use pieces that have bright colors and images. Typically an abstract does just the trick. Matting or framing the piece in a focal color of the room; for instance the color of a chair or window treatment really pulls all the elements of the room together.

To Do #4: Bigger is often better. One large painting keeps things simple and can also draw attention to a focal point of a room such as a fireplace or one large wall painted a specific color.

To Do #5: Art should fit furniture size. Generally speaking, art hanging over furniture should NOT be longer than the width of the furniture. Keep it to about 75% of the width of the furniture.

To Do #6: Hang your piece or pieces low. When hanging the artwork, the bottom of the frame or canvas (if the piece isn't framed) should sit within 4-8" of the top of the table. This is an especially good rule of thumb when hanging artwork in a children's room. You want to make the art eye level to the kids.

To Do #7: If your room is small and not very opened up, add a landscape to the area. It gives the impression of having a window which opens up the space. Horizontal lines also add width to a room and vertical lines add height. Just make sure not to use both horizontal lines and vertical lines in a room. You end up cluttering up the walls and making the room look just as small as BEFORE you hung anything!

To Do #8: Hang securely. Attach the pieces securely with picture hooks rated for the weight of the object. Keep in mind you want to make sure the artwork butts up snugly against the wall. If in doubt, ask the advice of your local hardware store.

Remember these easy tips when hanging your next art piece and your room should look amazing!

What was old is new again...

Seems to be a recurring them now-a-days, eh? It seems like everything is "vintage" or "retro" now - and that is so cool! I'm completely in love with so many of the "new" old styles.

One thing that has been surprising to me is the incredible amount of wallpaper that is being used today. In the not-so-distant past, it was all about painting and tearing off all the wallpaper in favor of textured (or faux-textured) paint on the wall.

One of my favorite wallpaper designers (I can't believe I just typed that!) is Carolyn Ray. I am absolutely in awe of her latest designs! So many current designers have given wall-covering so much more interest than the kind of vinyl, washable wallpaper you may have grown up with. Wallpaper seems to have evolved like the rest of us and is available in so many styles and patterns.

Wall-covering has also made great leaps in the patterns and styles available for the juvenile age group as well. No longer are you limited to pastel stripes, polka dots or rainbows - there are limitless options available! Disney wallpapers with all of your favorite characters - from Princesses to Lightning McQueen!

No longer is a strip of wallpaper the only way to decorate your walls. Wall appliques and decals are more popular than ever! They aren't just stickers, they are (typically) removable and re-positionable.


Whatever your design style, whatever your colors - there is a wallcovering out there that will work!


Monday's Tip of the Day!
Binder clips make GREAT organizers! I found this article at Unclutterer that talks about how a label-maker and a few large binder clips can help you organize your paperwork - both at home and at the office!

TGIF!!

Yeah!! It's Friday!!!

We've noticed through the day today that many of our northeast US vendors have been closed for inclement weather - I hope that everyone is safe and warm!

So, do you have any exciting plans for this weekend? It's too cold to do much of anything around here! I hope you are all inside where it is nice and toasty.

I found these quizzes online - test your interior design knowledge!

Tomorrow, I will post another video and a tip of the day. Have a GREAT weekend and stay warm!