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| Pinks Are In! - Vicky Salazar, Salazar Redesign, and Me |
My staging buddy Vicky Salazar of Salazar Redesign in Lawrenceville, NJ, and I just returned from a four-day trip to America’s Mart in Atlanta, Georgia. Talk about being a kid in a candy shop! It was our very own "Alice in Wonderland" furniture shopping experience. While there, not only did we take a very informative two-day training session on shopping the Mart called DECOpalooza, conducted by The Decorating and Staging Academy, but we also had an opportunity to shop this fantastic furniture and apparel market open to the trade.  |
| I've Been Framed! |
Vicky and I are always searching for new and interesting decorating and staging ideas to keep our designs fresh. We were mesmerized by what we saw at the Mart. Yes, we did see lots of Honeysuckle, the new reddish pink color for 2011, as well as the mixing of old with new. Vintage is definitely in as was evidenced by what we saw. Damask and toile fabrics; clocks, clocks, and more clocks; old restored wood with stainless steel and bronze metals; and unusual light fixtures were just a few of the many trends we saw.
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| Silhouettes Are Definitely Popular |
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Vicky Relives the 60's Relaxing on This "Mod-inspired" Upholstered Couch With an Acrylic Base and Legs
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| Country French and Shabby Chic Are Bigger Than Ever |
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| A Colorful Display of Plates and Bugs Adorn This Wall |
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| "Piggy-backing" a Painted Dresser and Chest |
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| Polyester Textured Rugs - Is That Honeysuckle in the Middle? |
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| Some Vintage Hats Adorn This Table |
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| Clock Layered Upon Clock |
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| A Nautical Chandelier |
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| Contemporary Lines of the Chair Mix with the Vintage-styled Lamp and Table |
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| A Wall of Mirrors Brightens This Room by Reflecting Light |
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| The Turqoise Accents Pop This "Chain-linked" Table |
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| Restored Wood, Tile and a Metal Base Emphasize the Old/New Look |
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| Vintage Book Covers and an Old Stack of Writings Proclaim A Vintage Look |
Vicky and I so enjoyed this experience that we are already making plans to return. We found a great place to purchase accessories for our staging and decorating clients. As part of our DECOpalooza training, we learned what window treatments are in for 2011 and some easy floral arrangements to make. We were also approached by a reporter/editor for a national magazine called Home Accents Today. She was excited to talk to two home stagers who also do redesign and paint color consultations. We are featured in the January issue.
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| Does Anyone Have the Time? |
Although we had a great time, met a lot of friendly experienced MART shoppers, and learned a lot, getting to Atlanta during this last snow storm wasn't fun. My flight was cancelled and I had to rebook it. My friend Vicky was so dedicated that she drove twelve hours from New Jersey to Atlanta after three of her flights were cancelled. She hit a lot of ice once she hit Atlanta which was not prepared for this storm. However, her love of design and passion for decorating and staging encouraged her to make the journey. If any of you live in the central New Jersey area and need home staging, paint color consultations, or redesign and want to deal with a true professional, give Vicky a call at 609-213-5963. Any of you living near Jacksonville, Florida, may contact me for some new decorating options. Is there anyone out there interested in the "framed chair"?!?! How about some left-over cotton candy?
