Cordless Lift Shades on Special for November 2012

Adding a cordless lift mechanism to your fabric Roman shades and natural woven shades creates a clean line and added safety.

Bedeckers recommends cordless controls for all shades that are easily reached. For the entire month of November 2012, we will add the cordless option at no charge to all our fabric and natural woven material shades ordered. This is a savings of $99 retail per shade.


Don’t miss out. Give us a call today to schedule your consultation and view all the wonderful fabrics and styles available. 804.744.7645

Don’t live close enough for an in-home consultation, no worries – virtual design is available. All you need is Internet access. Give us a try.

Creating Space for Yourself

When you plan a space in your home as your personal refuge, first consider exactly what it is that you need.
~Are you a people-person who needs a space for entertaining friends?

~Are you a foodie who needs a kitchen with ample space to explore the culinary arts?

~Are you an avid reader who needs comfortable supportive seating and good task lighting?

~Do you prefer the garden and need a pretty outdoor room?

~Do you like to lounge in bed with luxurious bedding and pillows?

~Are movies your thing? Do you need a media room?
Once you decide what space to focus on, here are some items to consider including.

Cozy Seating... Think about how the furniture will be used. Do you need comfort and plush cushioning for lounging or a more structured seat for reading or watching movies or entertaining friends.

Collections... Surround yourself with things that are meaningful to you. Remember, collections are best displayed in groups and not scattered about. Smaller items can be framed and hung on the wall.

Favorite Colors... Colors should be carefully selected to convey the feeling you desire for your space. Soft blues and greens provide a spa-like feel while reds and oranges are more punchy and create excitement. Yellow is welcoming and friendly. If you love a color, use it in your favorite space. It will make you happy.

Bedding, Blankets, and Pillows... Indulge in quality fabrics. High thread count sheets, soft chenille, and down pillows and blankets all offer a feeling of luxuriousness.

Books... Even though there are lots of options for digital reading with Kindle, Nook and iPads, hardcover books with real paper pages make rooms feel warm and inviting. Bookcases filled with classics and beautiful large coffee table books are always in style. Surround yourself with stories you love.

Television & Movies... Media rooms can be set up with perfect sound systems and large screens and even velvet curtains to achieve a theater feel in your home.

Food & Wine... Stocking your kitchen with the basics is essential for cooking. Having space for more than one chef can be a great way to be with friends and family creating meals together. Wine tasting rooms and cellars can also provide a retreat for entertaining. Allow space outside the climate controlled wine room for your friends. Pub tables and bar stools are perfect. Too many warm bodies will affect the stored wine's temperature.

Plants & Flowers... Don't forget the importance of pots and planters when creating outdoor rooms. Seasonal flowers are easily maintained in pots and can add bursts of color to your garden. Look for containers that are just as beautiful as the plants they hold. Found objects can become planters; consider bicycles, tool boxes, rubber boots, baskets, old wooden chairs, iron gates and more.

Thoughtful consideration to include your favorite things makes all the difference in creating space for yourself.

Polka Dots

Loving this collection of polka dots from Fabricut. There are great colors available in this wallpaper called Sixpence. Of course, they are all available through Bedeckers Interiors. Just call me to order your favorite 804-744-7645.

Kristine Gregory's Watercolors On Sale

Three original watercolors by Kristine Gregory are currently in a show and for sale in Richmond Virginia. Frame Nation at 11 South 15th Street, 23219 is displaying a collection of art from members of N.E.W. (The Network of Enterprising Women) through the end of October.

Come out and see a wonderful display of art from thirteen very talented artists including the three watercolors pictured below. 15% of the sale of these watercolors goes back to N.E.W. for its future entrepreneur scholarship program for high school girls

The gallery at Frame Nation is open Monday through Friday 10am - 6pm, and on Saturday from 10am - 4pm. Free parking is available in the lot directly behind the shop.

It's Greek to Me

Greek Key is a very popular motif currently in design. Thought you'd enjoy this lovely banding in all the "hot" 2013 colors. I picked them up yesterday at the Design Center. Wouldn't this banding be great to jazz up the leading edge of drapery panels or trim a pillow or edge the bottom of a sofa skirt.

Can't wait to use them.

Fabricut Trims - Athens Key (clockwise from top left: color 10, 13, 24,26, & 22)

Pantone Color Forecast for Spring / Summer 2013

I love the new Spring 2013 colors introduced by Pantone. There are dynamic brights mixed with lovely neutrals. The blue and turquoise are very soothing and the palette, as a whole, is very vibrant and exciting.

Here is a bit about the colors from Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of Pantone Institute.

You Need To Meet Kristine Gregory

May 7, 2012 Jacob Geiger

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Tell us the basics: Who are you, what’s your company’s name and how long have you been at this company?
I’m Kristine Gregory, interior designer and color maven. This is my 20th year in the interior design world. Bedeckers Interiors opened in 1995. My business focuses on decorating my client’s homes with an emphasis on color and how it flows throughout the space. I work on small offices as well.

How has your business changed in the past few years, especially when the real estate bubble burst? It certainly became more interesting.
The economy’s struggles have affected most small businesses. Some of my distributors closed their doors. It was a challenge to find new sources for some of the products I sell. Fortunately, I have a good client base. I develop strong relationships with my clients that last years. There is always someone calling with a project. I don’t turn down even the smallest undertaking.

I notice you give talks about the psychology of color. How’d you get interested in this topic?
I have always been an artist. Painting, especially in watercolor, is something I love. Color matching and blending is an innate talent. Talking about color meanings and their effect on people is an interesting way to share my love of color. I speak regularly at organizations and women’s groups. It’s a great way to meet new people.

What’s a lesson you’ve learned during the recession?
I love beautiful things and very nice things. It’s worth waiting until you can afford higher quality. You end up spending more money if you buy the cheap stuff. It always needs to be replaced. Wisely spend money on quality and on the things you love and they will last a lifetime.

Is there a secret to your personal success? Perhaps a piece of advice you’ve always remembered?
Be gracious. It’s important not to take people for granted. Let people know you appreciate them and are grateful for the things they do for you. It’s important to take the time. That’s what the world is about.

What’s coming up in the next year for you and your organization? What about in the next five years?
Personally, I plan to travel more. I have my sights on Florence and Paris. That’s in the five-year plan. Over the next year, I will be marketing my watercolors. I sold one last year and hand-delivered it. It was a thrill to see my painting in someone else’s home.
For Bedeckers, I am promoting my custom furniture line by choosing fabrics to create an exclusive collection. There are several seminars in the works. Decorating Fiascos Solved is the newest. I am still undecided whether to present online as a webinar or at a local venue. Maybe, I’ll do both. In five years, I see having more clients outside of Virginia. The Internet is a great tool for communication. It makes the world a more intimate place.

What, at your business, is the most effective way to connect with customers?
I send out postcards and I write a monthly e-newsletter that touches on different design ideas and trends. Blogging and contributing articles to other companies' newsletters and websites also keeps me in front of potential customers. I am involved in several local networking groups, The Network of Enterprising Women (N.E.W.) and Richmond Women’s Network are two I attend regularly. I have made some wonderful new friends who have been great resources for things I have needed and many have become my clients as well.

What’s the part of your job you dread the most?
Installations. After 20 years, the big reveal still makes me nervous. I lose sleep worrying the sofa won’t fit though the front door or the drapery panels will be made the wrong length. I want things to be perfect for my clients.

What’s the part of your job that excites you the most, the thing that makes you want to hurry to work?
Making people happy. Most of my clients are really busy and what they appreciate most about me is I make the interior design process easy for them. My job is fun. I get to spend my days selecting pretty things. Being able to create beautiful, livable spaces that my clients enjoy and are proud of keeps me coming back.




Click here to link back to the original article in WorkItRichmond

Pantone's Fall Colors 2012

Pantone's Fall color palette is rich with punchy brights like Pink Flambé (fuschia) and Tangerine Tango (a fun orange.) There are also rich warm colors, French Roast (a deep chocolate brown) Honey Gold to balance the brights.

Here are all the colors...

Here is a room with highlighting Charlotte Moss's fabric collection from Fabricut. You will see many of Pantone's Fall colors here. There is Pink Flambé in the pillows. The front pillow is trimmed in Oslo - Watermelon, the middle pillow is Aphra - Peony trimmed in Oslo - Grass. The fun white graphic printed draperies are done up in Charlotte - Grass. The sofa hints at Bright Chartreuse in a great basket graphic, Caroline - Grass. Bits of Olympian Blue and Tangerine Tango (the "it" color for 2012) can be found in the rug.

Charlotte Moss for Fabricut

Red Rooms

Red is mature, authoritative, regal and hot. It's fascinating and demands attention. Red is impulsive and arousing. It's impossible to ignore. Sexy!

Red in the home can be sensational and dynamic. Red in kitchens and dining rooms can be dramatic; but be careful. Red increases the appetite. Not a great color choice if you are on a diet.

Dark reds are good for bedrooms, dens, studies and living rooms.

Avoid bright reds in bedrooms. It over-stimulates and can disrupt sleep. A red front door is cheery and welcoming.

What do you think of these red lacquered walls? This Manhattan dining room from Elle Decor is designed by Brian McCarthy; Photographer: William Waldron. Click the picture to link back to the original article in Elle Decor.

A Throne Fit For A Queen

This is one of my latest projects. This chair had been tucked away in the garage for many years. The cushion had seen better days, a cat had peed there. The seat webbing was torn and broken out. The fabric was ripped, worn and faded.

But aren't the bones just wonderful! Here is the fabric I found to use in the transformation. It's a mohair from Beacon Hill. The aqua is so fresh and current.

And drumroll, please...........

Here is the brand new chair! All fixed up with new padding and a new cushion and the stunning mohair. Isn't it gorgeous.

Is there a chair hiding in your garage or attic that needs some magic? Give me a call.
~Kristine Gregory

Elephants in the House

Elephants were everywhere at the Spring / Summer fabric trunk shows. Here are a couple of my new favorites. John Robshaw has a new fabric line for Duralee. His signature elephant logo has been made into a fun "trunk to tail" elephant upholstery fabric called Rambagh. I love the lemongrass, umber and aqua colorways and can just see it on a little club chair... just for fun.

Schumacher's whimsical children's collection includes Jungle Jubilee. This embroidered cotton/viscose is covered with all sorts of fanciful animals. There is a winking owl, a leopard, a giraffe, all sort of birds and polka dotted elephants.

Parade, also from Schumacher, offers up more fun elephants in bright crayon-box colors. Everyone needs a little elephant in the room!

Palazzo Wovens by Schumacher

On the design board in Bedeckers' studio today, a new collection of wovens from Schumacher fabrics. Aren't they gorgeous. I love Chinoiserie.

Charlotte Moss at the DC Design Center

I am a big fan interior designer and fellow Richmonder, Charlotte Moss. I love her work. Therefore, it was a real treat to meet her a couple weeks ago when she came to the Washington DC Design Center. She prepared a wonderful presentation of her own work and that of some of her personal design inspirations.

When asked how she got her big break, she quoted Mikhail Baryshnikov... "wvork, wvork, wvork!" Don't we all know that so well.

Charlotte Moss has partnered with Fabricut to design a fantastic line of fabrics. I look forward to using them in my own projects.

I was impressed by her professionalism as well as her zest for life. She left us with a final statement, "Break the Rules, Why The Heck Not!"

Love it!

Charlotte Moss signing copies of her book, 'Charlotte Moss Decorates"

maybe not the best angle for us both!

Silhouettes on the Shade

Silhouettes have been showing up often in printed fabrics lately. I love this new design from F. Schumacher & Co. The coral is so refreshing and bright. It's called Chenonceau from their new 2012 Spring Prints Collection. Check out all the colors click here.

Bedeckers Interior carries the entire line of fabrics and wallcoverings bedeckers.com

Chicago - my kind of town

Last week was the International Window Coverings Expo and the National Kitchen and Bath Show (KBIS) in Chicago. My four days were filled with education (lots and lots of seminars) and beating the pavement (well, the concrete of the trade floors.) I did a little pavement beating as well as I hiked up Michigan Avenue to see all the glamorous stores and galleries.

Tulips were the color scene in the windy city. There were flower boxes overflowing. I loved the color combinations. Hot pink and orange tulips planted together were so in vogue.

At the Intercontinental, we ate at Michael Jordan's restaurant. I thought it was all hype until I actually saw Michael and his family having dinner there too. The building is an old Masonic Lodge and the interior details are to die for.

Another evening, we dined at Carnivale at Fulton Market. What a treat for the senses. The interior decor is fun and fanciful. The food was equally as scrumptious. I enjoyed the salmon.

We stayed at the Congress Plaza Hotel and our room overlooked the water. I could see Navy Pier from my bed.

Here are some photos from my adventure. More from the trade floor to come...

Candice

in person

stunning tulip displays

lobby of the Congress Plaza

the Intercontinental

Navy Pier

sunrise from my hotel

Carnivale restaurant

the amazing decor at Carnivale

salmon with asparagus

waiting for the seminar

the fabulous Tobi Fairley

our group of designers

Bedding In Bloom

I love the new bedding that just came in to our studio. Do you love it too? The wall color is one of my favorites. Be sure to notice hints of Tangerine Tango, it's the "it" color for 2012.

“To Attract the New and Better, Purge the Old and Stagnant”

I had to share. This strategy always gets me unstuck. Thank you Ali for the great article on a topic that applies to us all. Hope you will make space for all the good stuff to come into your world. If you need some help and hand-holding clearing your clutter, give me call. Sometime you need nonjudgmental support. I will be there for you.

-Kristine
804-744-7645

“To Attract the New and Better, Purge the Old and Stagnant” by Ali Brown

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Ali Brown

Whenever I’m feeling stuck and want to attract new and better ideas or opportunities, I clean out my file cabinet.
Yes. That’s one big secret!
I clean out my file cabinet.
Can’t explain exactly how it works, but it does.
Just last week, I wanted to get back to working on my book, but was feeling totally resistant. It told myself at least I would pull out the file to work on later, so it would be in my face on my desk all day.

When I opened my file drawer in my desk and started digging, it hit me. There were papers, records, and notes in there from abandoned projects, persons I no longer worked with, old clients, an unpleasant legal matter, and even a crazy ex-fiancé!
In order for me to mine for the gems, I had to trudge through all my old sh*t.
I had to WORK to find the good stuff. Hmmm.
Not good! Physically or energetically.
Time to shout “Clear the decks!” and line up the Hefty bags.
It was time to create space for exciting new projects, amazing new clients, and titillating new opportunities in my LIFE, so it was surely time to at least create them in my DRAWER!
To attract the new and better, you have to purge the old. From Aristotle and Einstein way back when, to physicists today, both scientists and philosophers agree that (at least here on Earth) nature abhors a vacuum.
Meaning, when you create space, the Universe will gladly fill it up for you, with what your intentions are set on.
The problem is if you don’t have space, nothing new can come in.
So, I don’t care how busy you are. If you are feeling a bit stuck, you’ve got to clear away some of that old energy and make ROOM for the new.
This principle applies to everything in your life—from files to relationships—but today let’s focus on your office and workspace.
Here are my BIG 3 areas I have clients attack right away:
1. Your Files — I bet most of the stuff in there you can honestly trash right now. If there are records you absolutely should keep, get them out of your workspace and into neatly organized boxes that are stored elsewhere. (I used to rent a small storage unit, and then I had nice cabinets installed in my garage.)
Then organize what you DO need and want on hand in beautiful colored file folders that are nicely labeled. (I’m a huge fan of the P-Touch labeler!) And here’s the BIG secret: Create files not only for the business you have now, but especially for the business you want to create! Have sections that draw attention to exciting new projects or opportunities or business. For example, if you dream of working with high-paying clientele, create a folder that says “$10,000 Clients”. Because I want to focus on my book, my book project is right up front in a beautiful file folder.
2. Books — Some guys in the industry I know brag about how big their home libraries are. I’m not a fan of keeping hundreds of books around to clutter my office and home. Blech. Very stagnant energy.
I suggest you only keep books on hand that you:
1. are currently reading
2. that you LOVE (not just like) and want to have around forever
3. refer to regularly.
Otherwise keep a bin in your office handy to toss books into as you are done with them. They are then passed on to a friend or client, or donated to a local library or school.
And guess what? If you ever miss a book you gave away or you need it again, you can get it. In all my years of purging, this has only been necessary about three times. Puts it in perspective.
3. Photos & Mementos — An old acquaintance of mine had dozens of shelves in her home that prominently featured her work with past clients. Problem was, I came to learn at least three of these clients either were suing her or had tried to sue her. (Why she was attracting this was another story.) What terrible energy to have photos, mementos, and work related to these toxic relationships in front of her every single day!
There was one point a few years ago I looked around my office and realized there were photos of people I didn’t associate with anymore. I had some great digital snapshots of my best friends and some recent amazing experiences on my computer, but they weren’t around me at my desk. So I just went into Walgreens one day and had the best ones printed and picked up some nice frames for them. Now as I look around my office, I’m surrounded by friends old and new who I love and make me happy to look at.
Warning: Be Ready for “Energy Eruptions”!
There was one particular purging day I remember from years ago. I was getting rid of so much stuff that represented the OLD me—there must have been at least 10 trash bags going out the door—and it brought up a lot of weird feelings. I was throwing out many mementos from my failed marriage and also early business ventures from when I was very unsure of myself, including some projects that had gone sour.
Later that day, I not only felt exhausted, but devastated, like I’d been knocked down by a truck! I cried for hours and felt a bit nauseous as well. (Almost as if I was going to chuck up some internal files of my own!)
Whether conscious or not, know that purging your environment physically will also bring up anything that needs to come up energetically. Be gentle on yourself and make sure you have some time to rest afterwards.
Just know that when you wake up the next day, you’ll feel amazing walking into your home office set up for the NEW you! And something magical will happen from it—I promise. I’ve had clients attract new opportunities, clients, or the exact idea they needed as soon as the very next day.
So schedule a PURGE this week or weekend. You’ll thank me later!
Would love to hear your comments and ideas below. Please contribute…
==========
© 2012 Ali International, LLC

“Entrepreneur mentor Ali Brown teaches women around the world how to start and grow a profitable business that make a positive impact. Get her FREE CD “Top 10 Secrets for Entrepreneurial Women” at www.AliBrown.com“

TV inside the Bed

This photo just showed up in my in-box. It's a bed made to accommodate a very thin TV. The television lift system is inside the bed's footboard. Saves space in the room and keeps the TV out of view when your are not watching. What do you think?

source: California House

High Tech Toilet

Even toilets are getting in on the technology rage. Are you ready for your own high tech toilet? Accolades go to Numi - High Tech Toilet. Kohler's high-tech toilet is being recognized by two of the most prominent global design award organizations – Good Design and iF.

“Numi convinced the judges – and consumers
worldwide – not only with its advanced technology
and amazing user experience, but also with its
beautiful, minimalist design...”

– David Kohler, President and COO of Kohler Co.

 Dimensions:

Height, closed	17"	|   45.4 cm
Height, open	36"	|   91.1 cm
Depth	25"	|   65.4 cm
Width	14"	|   36.8 cm
Rough-in	12"	|   30.5 cm

Water Usage:
Dual Flush: 1.28 GPF (4.8 LPF)
or 0.6 GPF (2.5 LPF)

WaterSense® labeled toilets use at least 20% less
water than standard 1.6-gallon toilets while still meeting
strict flushing performance guidelines.

Numi even comes with a customizable remote. You can have light, heated seat, music, a dryer and more. Settings can be personalized for up to six users. It is even self cleaning. What more could you want?!

For more information check out Kohler's Numi online guide http://www.kohler.com/numi/demo/numi_demo.html