A Parisian retreat at Poppyseeds

This is an after shot...but let's begin at the beginning, shall we?!

This morning, we inherited this sweet little room at the front of the Poppyseeds store. Excited to be moving in but not so thrilled about those lower walls, we took a few rolls of old player piano sheet music and stapled it up all over the place. It was fast and easy - just the way we like it! Take a look at the 'after' shots:

In this shot you can see the very cool pointed ends and lables that identify each song. LOVE the aged colors of this paper! We also took some bits & pieces and create a few 'collages' on two of the walls:

This wall is just as you enter, so we made it our 'logo' wall. Included are the signs that identify this season's theme (Rue de Paris Flea Market) and a bit of info about retreat - our purpose, our mission, our concept. (Pretty much says what you read over there in our sidebar....)

Then we made a 'valance' out of more of the pointed ends, to hang over the little window opening in our room's wall:

I foofed it all up with vintage paper bells everywhere. While we were working we met SO many Stanwood & Camano locals!!! It seemed that everyone was coming in to check out what exactly we were doin' in there! SUCH fun. Finally, we loaded in the STUFF. Lots of Frenchy, foofy, shabby stuff. Vintage stuff. Handmade, one-of-a-kind artwork stuff. Holiday stuff. Stuff you just gotta' go in and see!

(I gotta' say, I don't really like these photos with flash on. However, they just turn out toooo yellow without it) The reality of the space is much warmer and cozier than these photos show... so I guess you are all just going to have to make a trip to Stanwood to Poppyseeds, and visit to see it in person!

Poppyseeds

26915 98th Drive NW

Stanwood, Wa. 98292

360.629.seed (7333)

Monday - Saturday 10:30am - 5:30pm

Sunday 12:30pm - 4pm

Closed Thanksgiving Day

A BIG Announcement!

now has a second retail location!!

You'll soon be seeing our products at
, a wonderful vintage home decor boutique near our new home. Poppyseeds is owned by Marybeth and Julie, and is a sweet little cottage filled with delightful, colorful, and unique things...from books by a local author to jewelry from local artisans to upcycled & restyled furnishings & home decor, it's an absolute treasure trove. We will be installing our merchandise & displays on Wednesday - just in time for holiday shopping!

Poppyseeds
26915 98th Drive NW @ Hwy 532 (next to John L. Scott Realty)
Stanwood, Washington 98292
360.629.SEED (7333)

Monday - Saturday 10:30am - 5:30pm
Sunday 12:30pm - 4pm

To get here: Take I-5 North from Seattle or South from Mt. Vernon, to exit #212 'Camano Island / Stanwood'. Head West on Hwy. 532 four miles, and you'll be in the heart of Stanwood. Just past the John L. Scott Realty building on the right, (after Starbucks!) you'll see Poppyseeds. Turn right onto 98th Drive and into the parking lot!

How wonderful is it? Take a peek!


Marybeth and Julie, thank you so much for this special opportunity! We are thrilled to be a part of our new community, and to be supporting your store and other local women entrepreneurs.

BaBaBaBing and HoHoHo!

Ho Ho Ho Hollywood!
Christmas gets the red carpet treatment in our new booth display, which we call 'Hollywood Holiday'. Think Bing, Frank, Rosemary (the other Clooney!), and peppermint martinis. A Swanky, Sparkly, and Stylish celebration of the Season...

Black and white get the sparkle of silver and the pop of red to lend a happy holiday mood. (Suffice it to say that this is the only space at Faded Elegance that is not white & pastel) We go for the drama. And a theme. Oh yeah, it's alllllll about a fabulous retreat somewhere!

Some detail shots:


A great selection of vintage ornaments awaits...from complete boxed sets to fun bags filled with assortments.

Vintage 50's/60's Nagel German silver candlesticks & accessories interchange and connect to create FABulously swanky tabletop decor

A vase? A lamp base? A giant ornament, perhaps??!!

You'll have to go to the store to read the letter to Santa from various celebs!

This 1950's aluminum tree is in excellent condition, and originally came form the Seattle Fredericks & Nelson store.The revolving color wheel works perfectly and really makes for a colorful tree.(You can't put lights on aluminum trees, so this is the way to get a great effect).

It's been an adventure creating this theme while in the midst of moving our home & business to our new FINAL location (BIG sigh of relief here!). Boxes are everywhere,and we spent a good deal of time searching for product that had been waylaid by helping hands. It is entirely possible that we will find more in the next few weeks, so keep an eye on the booth for new merchandise!!!

Don't miss the Faded Elegance Holiday Open House on Friday, Saturday and Sunday Nov 20 to December 1!

Great Kitchen Design

Here is a great design idea I just had to post - this is such a wonderful, ingenious design. I am anxious to use it in my next project. The first view is entering the kitchen. Notice the raised island area where the the stools are placed.

Hutker Architects

Here is the view from the other side. It is the perfect space for storing dishes, bowls and mugs. Isn't that so very clever?

Hutker Architects

I think this design idea would work especially well in a vacation home. Guests getting up in the morning at all different times and they can simply find everything they need without feeling uncomfortable rummaging through the cabinets. What do you think? Like it or love it?

Playing in Tents!

With summer in full swing, I am reminded by my children the fun of spending the night in a tent. The billowy canvas sides create a secret retreat. Let's look at some more luxurious ways to spend the evening and ways to create this atmosphere in your own home. Hunter Hotels
This is a tented suite from Marataba Safari, part of the Hunter Hotel Group, in the magnificent Marakele National Park, north of Johannesburg in South Africa. This exotic tented suite is a beautiful mix of canvas and stone, furnished and decorated in an African style. I love the way the tent fabric billows above the bed, so luxurious. Notice the en-suite stone bathroom with copper tub. Each of the 12 suites each have their own private deck overlooking the sweeping plains.

Let's look at another opulent resort for inspiration.

Aman Resorts

Here are the lovely tented suites of Aman Resorts in Rajasthan, India. The 10 air-conditioned tents, have soaring six-metre canopies above draped cotton partitions.

They are designed and decorated in a clean modern style. The subtle hues of creamy canvas, swathes of airy-white cotton, khaki cushions on toffee coloured leathers contrast the soft elegance of the tented exteriors.

Here is another "bedroom" in the tented suites. Notice the dressing table, comfortable chairs and animal hide footstool. What luxury in a tent!

Amanresorts
Lovely at night and so romantic at sunrise.

The tented suites are enchanting and exotic ways to spend an evening, but lets look at some ways to bring this feeling into our everyday homes.

Marie Claire Maison
The simplest way of course, is to drape mosquito netting over the bed. Here it is done very romantically with the addition of the crystal chandelier above and crisp white linens on the bed .
Marie Claire Maison

Another bed is simply dressed with a gray silk - It becomes more dramatic by lowering the bed almost to the floor and adding romantic sconces.Marie Claire Maison

This room is draped in a simple airy-white cotton, but what makes this room so interesting is the draped, gathered fabric ceiling over the bed. A very traditional bed and side tables, but with the addition of the fabric overhead it becomes a more exotic retreat.

Marie Claire Maison
Here a beautiful canopy is built over the bed and draped with a lovely embroidered sari. I love the purple velvet duvet and the dressmakers' mannequin wrapped in a pretty shawl. The walls, painted cream above and gray below wraps the room in an interesting way.

Marie Claire Maison
White linen creatively hung above low to the floor twin beds. Bright linens cover the beds and a dark accent wall lends a more mysterious feel.

Marie Claire Maison
Here is a more middle eastern feeling room done in bright silks. I love the hanging lantern inside the canopy. Notice the silk screen used behind the bed as a headboard. Deep magenta walls and darker trim add to the luxurious atmosphere.

Marie Claire Maison
Here is a much more modern take on the canopy. I love the crisp, nautical feeling of this bed. The canopy is tied like a sail, bed linens are a soft sun-faded blue. This room is restful and fun at the same time.

Marie Claire Maison

This room also has a nautical feel. A simple way to include a canopy without a custom bed or structure is hang it above the bed with wire and a small rod. I love the bold, blue striped fabric canopy and matching headboard. I also love the bench at the end of the bed. The green stripe on the bench adds freshness

Marie Claire Maison

This attic room uses the angles of the room's windows and fabric to create a tented feeling. Soft quilts and comfy chair add to the cozy cottage feeling. Lying in this bed at night you could easily spend hours wishing on stars.

Marie Claire Maison

We end with a serene outdoor room. Crisp white linen bedding and pillows, airy-white cotton billowing on a deck that overlooks the ocean. Now this is an exciting tented retreat anyone, young or old, would enjoy!

Velvet and Linen

Please check out my new favorite blog - Velvet and Linen. It is written by Interior Designer, Brooke Giannetti. Brooke has some wonderful photos of her work and the work of other designers. She showcases some very inspirational rooms. Below are two photos from her recent posts. It's no surprise to me that Velvet and Linen was just selected as a "Must Click Blog" by the Washington Post!

To check out Velvet and Linen click on the link below under My Favorite Blogs!

Update

We are in the midst of moving our business and household to a new location...lots of work, but truly worth it. We'll be able to up our production of upcycled & redesigned furnishings & accessories for our store spaces and show booths - and we are really excited about that! Our new farm will enable us to do a lot of things that we have been dreaming about!

We are also preparing for our Holiday theme, which we will install in our Faded Elegance space as soon as the dust settles. (Definitely in time for the big Holiday Open House event on November 28th) The photo above is a bit of a hint as to our style this time... Can you hear ol' Bing crooning in the background?!