write on

Who could have guessed, after the introduction of marker boards and smart boards, that the chalkboard would make such a unique and original comeback? I've eyed chalkboard paint for quite some time now and used it on several small craft projects and am officially ready to experiment with using it as a finish for an allora.signature chair. I have a very appropriate one in mind but am already looking past that and thinking there will have to be a collection! Be on the lookout for the first chair in a week or two...

happy colors

I am so happy that Taco Boy is downtown these days. Where else can one get delicious flights of tequila and a healthy dose of fun color all in the same place? If that doesn't spell out a remedy for recession, I'm not sure what does. In addition to good food and good friends, Taco Boy deserves a shout out for their creative bathroom decor--I love a good surprise when I walk into a bathroom! These contained little spaces are very often mundane, so anyone that gives them a little attention gets an A in my book. Most of you have probably noticed the uber cool Mexican maps in the main restrooms, but have you ventured to the ones outside? If there is an award for the most creative use of marmoleum, these people should get it. The walls are covered in brightly colored tiles made of this earth-friendly material. I might not recommend it for your home, but its definitely worth a trip to take in the fun colors! Lucky me, I'll be there tonight!

tutty fruity

Fall is in the air, but that doesn't mean your favorite bright colors and patterns are on hold until spring rolls back around again. I recently discovered a new fabric store near North Charleston (exciting!) and while perusing their bolts, I discovered a variety of interesting and very diverse textiles. These two are very definitely some of my favorites. With their bright tones, these two are the equivalent of resort wear: a fresh breath of the tropics in the midst of November! Each fabric has a wonderful texture, one is a heavy, embroidered canvas, while the other is varying piles of velour. Delightful!

did you know?

Yesterday, my friend, Jennifer, passed along an exciting do-it-yourself redecorating website called Homage. It is filled with wonderful ideas that are not only attainable for the masses, but actually doable in the DIY sense--perfect! One of my favorite stories featured on Homage happens to be about one of my favorite textiles, burlap. The warp and weft of this distinct material is just so... honest. I love it! There is something very natural and basic that is beautiful in burlap, and I'm fascinated by all the fresh ways to use it as suggested by Homage. Among their many exciting ideas, this set of chairs upholstered in screenprinted burlap are at the top of my list! I must say, however, that I've never considered using burlap as a seat material for one reason: comfort. I can't help but think to myself "OUCH" when I look at those ridiculously cool chairs. I have been using burlap all along though... on the bottom of the seats of every allora.custom and signature chair! I love a good surprise, so what could be more fun than discovering a delightful and bright color hiding on the other side of your seat? Can you guess which chairs go with these swatches from my burlap scrap drawer?

warning: graphic nature

I've come across several new and exciting fabrics lately, but these most recent graphic prints have truly caught my eye. Stylized, simplified, bright and 2-d, these patterns are bold and playful, fresh and contemporary. Dandelions seem to be the favorite amongst textile designers, who have provided us with a plethora of different interpretations from which to choose. I love the mini green sunbursts of the bottom right hand print, and I'm dying to make the oversized, golden yellow dandelion head into a fabulous pillow or abstract cushion finish! Graphic nature at its best--have a great weekend!

ode to the holy city

For my birthday, I requested and happily received Pat Conroy's new novel South of Broad, in which I have been immersed (when possible) for the past two weeks. I love Conroy's Prince of Tides for many reasons, but it struck a particular chord in me as a South Carolinian reading with familiarity as a transplant to New York. Reading this most recent ode to the Holy City while actually being here has been quite a juxtaposition, if not more of a palimpsest, and though I find the same familiarity when reading, it has become somewhat of a distraction. The penultimate master of name-dropping, Conroy made this book for blue-blooded Charlestonians who will recognize, appreciate, and best him in the category. With this undisguised social and physical context, I feel like I could be reading about people I know and thus am currently having quite the heightened experience of this city.

Add to that the general Charleston-y weekend that I had, and I'm sure you will all understand the complete and eerie confusion that I am experiencing between the fictional and the real. Friday marked the first French Quarter Art Walk of the season; the weather was perfect, the wine was good, and we had a wonderful time! I awoke early on Saturday with the french doors to my screen porch wide open and headed off on my bike to the Farmer's Market in Marion Square. I managed to fit in a little more reading time before making my way to the first of two weddings downtown, which were appropriately located S.O.B. and/or sufficiently near by. I found myself moving between St. Michael's, St. Philip's, Society Hall, and Hibernian Hall all in the space of a night. I'm not sure if I would call it irony, but I was definitely feeling something like it, while imagining characters with names like Worth Rutledge circulating around the cheese table with me.

I've been known to get a little too involved with the books that I'm reading (I thought at one point in college that my life was The Odyssey), but I thought it was only appropriate, in light of the circumstances, that I reveal what has been consuming my mind as of late! I've also been thinking about an allora tribute to the Holy City, which is full of such rich, deep colors and textures that I can't help but want to translate into a chair. Be looking out for the Charleston signature collection; you heard it first here!

got ikat?

Alright, so I know that we are all familiar with the lovely textile that is ikat. It had quite a run of popularity in fashion last spring, and several of you probably even own a garment made from its distinct weave; have you, however, considered ikat for your home?

I must admit, until recently I thought of ikat as a great fabric for dresses and skirts, but I have quite suddenly been overwhelmed with requests and/or suggestions for allora chairs upholstered in it. Typically ikat comes in a melange of earth tones and muted hues, but there are also several bright patterns and bold, dichromatic versions available in broad ranges of color. If it is appropriate to refer to this ancient weave's aesthetic as pixelated, I am not sure, but the playful variance of focused and blurred patterns truly provides a visual treat and can be a classic, yet subtle way to add some oomph to your room! Have a great weekend!

roygbiv? somewhere in between?

I was recently inspired to take a color test when my friend Raven of Fat Beagle Studio posted her own color test results to her blog. We were in studio together at Auburn and in New York for a year together as well, and I've always admired her sense of style! Now she's making quilts and coasters and all sorts of wonderful things that can be purchased on Etsy--definitely worth checking out!

SO, back to the color tests. I'm not sure how valid they are, but it is kind of fun to try anyway--particularly on a rainy Monday morning. To take the test, click here. Here are my results, though I'm not sure that "shades of pale" is necessarily what suits me best... Have a great day!

allora.custom.KIAWAH fabrics

Many of you saw the blog post about wedding gift certificates, featuring Jimmy and Logan Fowles, and I am happy to report that their new chair is finally under way! I recently had the pleasure of seeing their precious first home on Kiawah Avenue in Columbia, SC, which is decorated in great, muted shades of blues, cremes, and browns. With Logan's great eye (and a little help from the old husband!), the fabric for allora.custom.KIAWAH was selected. Stay tuned to see which fabric they went with--the finished product should be ready soon!

red chair = fun fabrics

Recently my friend Sara expressed some interest in fixing up an old chair and painting it a bright shade of wonderful red; I've been dying to do a red chair for myself lately and last week, decided to see what types of fabrics I could find. Here are some good ones! I've got more coming later this week!

terrific textiles.

Finding the perfect fabric is one of the most exciting parts of the process for me; I've always loved perusing the bolts and, yes, touching the fabrics that I'm interested in. For as long as I've enjoyed doing this, my mother has enjoyed laughing about it, but this obsession with texture has now carried over into my professional life as well. I'm forever touching the tile and terazzo and glass finish samples that come into our office, trying to determine if the surface to which they're applied needs to be warm or cool, smooth or grainy, how it needs to catch the light and if it should be matte or shiny. With allora.signature and allora.custom chair fabrics, many of the same questions apply and are considered when selecting the perfect seat finish for a chair. I love these green and gold fabrics in wonderful raised, quilted, and embroidered textures. The fabrics in this collection can be seen on allora.signature.THACH, as well as allora.signature.ROSS and KATHWOOD, both of which will be featured on the blog soon. This afternoon I'm off to find some fabric samples for Logan & Jimmy and Sara, so I'll be sure to have some great new textiles to share next week! Have a wonderful weekend!

vintage comforter.

Its not a secret that I'm quite the junk store junkie, so it should come as a surprise to no one that a couple of weeks ago I managed to leave the Habitat for Humanity Restore with something other than what I was looking for... Though I was hoping to find an incredible deal on a beautiful chandelier, I ended up with this vibrant vibrant vintage afghan. The style of the knit appears to be from the late 1960s, and the color combination of bright gold, yellow, orange, red, forest green, grass green, and brown only seems to affirm this assumption. After a little trip to the dry-cleaners, these colors only popped more, and as always, I began to imagine chairs in this interesting palette. A set? A collection? What color and fabric as a liner? Only time will tell... but as the weather gets crisper, the fall colors of this comforter will be finding their way to an allora.signature.chair!

fabulous fabrics.

A small sampling of deep coral and brown fabrics used on allora.signature chairs. These bold textiles and animal prints add pizzazz to any room. Look for these fabrics on allora.signature chairs VINE, RUTLEDGE, BEAUFAIN, and E82ND, as well as on allora.signature.NELSON, coming soon! Happy Wednesday!