Sunday, June 3, 2012

A Visit to Maison Decor!!!!!

Before I get to the story about Amy's shop.....
Let me first give a shout out to
RESTORATION HARDWARE!!!!!!

source
As much as Target treats their customers like @#$...
Restoration Hardware stands behind their product and treats their shoppers like valued friends.

source unkown
I have had a problem with a drawer not opening all the way on my father's bathroom vanity.
I let them know about it late last summer. 

Since I go away for the winter, by the time they sent me a new slide, it was too late to schedule a service call back.
Now this was a vanity I purchased for my folks 4 years ago.....
So when I first let Restoration Hardware know there was a problem, it had been three years since I had bought the cabinet. 

I explained that my Dad had lived with it for a while, and had not thought to tell me about it.
(I confided in them what his age is)

source

This spring, when I came back up to Massachusetts, I called the service department.
I got 
NO ATTITUDE ABOUT THE DELAY!!!!!
They understood that I had been gone for the winter.
They sent their service person, Kelly right back out.
AND TODAY IT IS ALL FIXED!!!!!!!


Now compare that attitude to the one at Target, and that is why I 
LOVE TO SHOP AT RESTORATION HARDWARE!!!!!
AND WILL NEVER 
SHOP AT TARGET AGAIN!!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now....
back to my story.....
My buddy Amy Chalmers (fabulous blogger of Maison Decor), seemed a little overwhelmed with her new entrepreneurial escapade. 
She's opened a store at
 50 Summer Street, Malden, MA.
Maison Decor Annie Sloan Retailer Info
Sometimes, you just need a design buddy to bounce ideas 
off your frozen noggin.....
She felt the store looked junky....
Wanted it to have an Anthropology vibe.....

SOOOOOO.......
I dug into my clothing closet and found my 
SUPER DECORATOR CAPE!!!!!
(hmmmm.....which one to wear?????)
and flew over to her shop with my sidekick (and bidness partner) Kris!!!!
When I first arrived, I spent some time just walking around the store, and absorbing all the stuff.
There was a lot of stuff.
some was over here.....
some was over there.....
But it wasn't playing together nicely.

When arranging stuff for merchandising.....
I like to do it by similar groupings.

First I attacked the Annie Sloane paint....
Amy had this cute wooden tray sitting on the floor
 under her church pew bench.
I pulled it out to use to corral the paint chip samples.
I cleared off the dresser, and arranged a shrine
 to the goddess of chalk paint.
Amy had these great containers for her brushes. 
I don't know where she had them hidden.....
but now everything is easy to see
 (and hopefully buy!!!!!)
The dresser is between two of her Mora clocks, so they work as wonderful examples of what can be done with the paint......
Then I moved over to the church pew.....
She had some of these pillows on it, some of that stuff on it.....
I wanted a more cohesive look.
She sells great grain sack fabric pillows, so I said!!!!!
"Let's put them all here!!!!"
Then we grouped some of the wonderful wire containers around the area and jumped around in joy.....
Next I moved over to her little glass doored bookcase.
She had china and silver and who knows what else in it.....
So I says, says I.....
"Let's only have silver in heah!!!"
Then I mixed in a little of her rustic stuff (which I love, love, love...)
Stood back to check how it looked.....
was liking it.....


I just may buy that wire obelisk on the top of the bookcase, but I don't know where I would have the room to squeeze it in.....


So then I moved on to her chest of drawers that she had set up with perfume bottles and perfume stoppers and other @#$.
It wasn't bad, it just didn't grab your eye....
So I grabbed a plate stand she had sitting on the floor, and set it on the dresser.....
Put some pretty vintage linen napkins in it.....
hummmmm.....
not bad.....
What else can I cram on top of it?????
I know!!!!!
how about some crowns??!!
Amy informed me that these were table top decorations.....
I didn't know!!!
So, we're getting there....
what else can go here?????
Kris suggested the stoppers in a silver tray.....
And we hung the sign from the mirror....
(Amy is also selling these chalk board signs, I love it. I love it. I love it.)


So.....
Now it's lookin' jamin'!!!


ON TO THE CHINA!!!!!!
I pulled all her "vintage" linens out of an armoire.
We made the decision, only pristine fabrics would be sold.
Lovely old napkins....
bedspreads.....
table cloths.....
But it wouldn't be a priority.
We needed the display space for other stuff.
LIKE CHINA!!!!!
I just realized that I didn't take a picture.....
OOPS!!!


OK, then let's go onto the 
NAPOLEON table!!!
This table had a lot of different @#$ on it.
I organized it to have black and gold royal type stuff.
And I took the gold candles out of the gold and crystal candle sticks.
I was trained to only use white or cream candle sticks.
I'm sorry.
I know I preach not to blindly follow decorating rules.....
But GOLD CANDLESTICKS SUCK!!!!!


Let me end with the funkiest thing we attempted accomplished!
Amy had an angel floor lamp.
I wanted it to be tongue-in-cheek....
so she whipped out a great lamp shade that was only made out of wire.
Amy sells these wonderful rolls of wired viney ribbony stuff,


 and she had the
ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT IDEA
of covering the wire lampshade with the vine ribbon.....
THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF NOT BEING ABLE TO PHOTOGRAPH SOMETHING!!!!!
It looks pretty good in real life.
It looks like@#$ in the picture.....
BUT I HAD TO SHOW IT TO YOU 'CUZ IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!!!!


Anyway,
We aren't done yet, so I'm going back over tomorrow
 to help her finish.
I am so tired, I'm surprised I could type this blog.
BUT I AM A TROUPER!!!!!!


Latah, Gatah
Photobucket

21 comments:

Amy Chalmers said...

You did put on your cape and fly to my rescue!! I had one of my regular customers come in yesterday and he loved how it looked! Even Colin says he loves walking around the store now!! Junky town in gone~its defintely got the chic feel I was looking for and I cannot wait for you to come Monday morning! I am enlisting all helpers today to lug down the HUGE country cabinet hutch to the shop so we will have another wonderful display piece for you to work da magic on!! Then lets plan a lunch break and go across the street for STEAK TIPS and SALAD!!! You da bestest Betsy!!

Kim @ Savvy Southern Style said...

Just fabulous! So glad Amy could call on you to help her out.

Debra@CommonGround said...

...now if you could only do that to my HOUSE!!

Fairfield House said...

Betsy,

What a colossal collection of eye candy and creativity! It's all in presentation. I could get lost exploring for treasures in Amy's shop.

Deborah

Lori said...

Looks so great. What a great help and friend you are.

Cindy said...

Cool! I'm in love the the lampshade, even if the photo doesn't do it justice... i can tell it's totally cool. You're the bomb for coming to Amy's rescue. And I get to learn something in the process... I think i'll go move and group some stuff around in my house now!

Cindy

susan said...

quite honestly if amy hadn't been so tired she probably wouldn't need anyones help but i guess you are kinda nice to help her since she walked you thru every detail of starting your blog, lol but it is refreshing to see you be kind

Anne said...

Betsy,
It all looks great.Love how you grouped everything together.Can't wait to see the rest.So can you fly out here and help me with my booth set up LOL
(((Hugs)))
Anne

miss flibbertigibbet said...

It looks wonderful...styling can make ALL the difference ANYWHERE! Great job!
Blessings, Lorraine

Linda Leyble said...

Yes Betsy - I need help too! How come Amy gets all the attention!

Kidding - it looks great. Can't wait to see what else you do with her store. Wonderful ideas!!

Linda

Brenda Pruitt said...

She's lucky to have friends like you. You did a great job! I'm so happy for her to have the new store.
Brenda

Janet said...

Looks like I need to plan a trip to Malden...who knew?

Shirley@Housepitality Designs said...

What a wonderful friend you are.....The display vignettes you created are amazing. Cannot wait to see what you have "in store" for us for Monday's re-styling....So there will be 2 "Wonder Womans" in the shop on Monday!

Unknown said...

Excellant job to the rescue! shit, have to put my gold candle sticks away!lol. jk

Nita Stacy said...

Very nice! Yes, groupings of things is always best. So glad you are helping her out. I am off on Target too. I used to love the stuff there but since I worked there for a few months....I hate it. They really don't care about customer service....they just want people in and out fast. Everyone that works there is unhappy. I don't want to shop there any more. It just ruined it for me.

Sixty-Fifth Avenue said...

you are too funny! Love what you did in Amy's shop! can you stop by with one of your capes? I can use a fresh eye.

Olivia said...

Wow, what a difference styling makes~! Great job ladies~!

Wendy@Once upon a rose haven said...

Wow! I love the way Amy's shop is looking! Just beautiful!
Your newest follower,
~Wendy

Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions said...

Great job, Betsy! I think you gave Amy just what she needed. I'm sure it was getting a little overwhelming.

Anonymous said...

Styling is everthing!

Anonymous said...

everything! I type too fast.

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