Culinary inspiration throughout the five Asian cultures – After her hard working days at Design Lines, Laurie indulges in the Spicy Chicken Salad at the local Pei Wei. “I don’t eat out much as I love to cook. On my days off, it’s a treat for me to go to Pei Wei for lunch with my niece and nephew. They like to show off their chop stick skills!” You can dine in a relaxing yet dynamic and stylish setting or carry out with just as much ease at Pei Wei.
Come experience New York in North Carolina – Laurie and her husband savor the authentic Italian menu at Mulberry on Main in Downtown Clayton. Her favorite dish is lasagna! Mulberry on Main serves classic italian dishes ranging from steaming hot plates of Penne Bolognese to one of their many Chicken or Veal entrees, as well as offering catering services.
images: 1. New Times Blog 2. Mulberry on Main
Current Projects: A Fresh Blue & White Master Bedroom
When this retired schoolteacher came to me for help, she felt overwhelmed by her master bedroom. Since retiring, she now spends much more time at home, and the dark and dreary space wasn’t the cheerful room she was longing for. She collected many special pieces over the years and inherited quality furniture that she wanted to use. With a little editing and design, the room came together beautifully!
The floor plan on the left shows the arrangement we began with. By removing several pieces (and changing the wall color), we really opened up the space! Take a look at where we started:
The color scheme was set – blue and green are her favorite colors. Because of the lack of natural light in the space, the tan background of the previous window treatments just looked dingy. We needed something light and bright! Fabrics from Kravet, Stroheim, and Schumacher were the perfect solution.
Sherwin Williams #6141 Softer Tan was the right neutral for the walls.
An antique tobacco chair and her collection of Seagrove pottery are among some of her most cherished posessions. The large taupe piece is actually a chicken feeder!
Classic furniture paired well with traditional fabrics like the plaid sofa, striped shams, floral window treatments, and small scale leaf fabric on the bed skirt. While these types of patterns have been around for ages, the fresh color palette helped make the space very current.
From where we started, this room came so far, and I was thrilled to see the client so happy with the results! I hope you enjoyed them too!
– Lauren
An All-Star Weekend in Raleigh
If you’re a hockey fan then you’ll know, Raleigh hosted the NHL All-Star Game this past weekend. For three days Raleigh rolled out the red carpet and welcomed all the fans and players of the NHL. Avid hockey fans, Judy and Hilaire take in some of the excitement at the Fan Fair. Who says designers can’t be hockey fans!
Lets go Canes!
Out, Darned Spot! A Few Tips on Cleaning Area Rugs & Carpet
We laugh around the studio as it is inevitably the clients I work with that end up with spills on their upholstery or rugs. (I think that’s because they know how to throw the best parties!) Today we’ll share a few Design Lines tips on cleaning up those rugs.
1- Firstly, consider “insurance” on your purchases. It’s worth it to have rugs and upholstered goods treated by a Fiber services company – some manufacturers even provide this service before the item is shipped to you.
2- Do it Yourself
Wool: Blot spills immediately with a white cloth. Do not scrub the wool carpet, as that can be damaging to the weave. For stubborn spills you may use this homemade cleaning solution that is safe: Add a teaspoon of mild detergent and a teaspoon of pure white vinegar to two quarts of warm water.
Sisal: For cleaning a sisal rug- look to Molly’s tried & true recipe. I have to say first that Molly has 3 fun kids & a dog.
- Mix a solution of 1/4th part Vinegar & 3/4th part water and put into a spray bottle.
- Spray the mixture onto the stain generously. Allow it to soak into the carpet for a few seconds.
- Press a paper towel stack against the stain and blot so that the staining ingredient will lift onto the paper towels.
- Continue spraying the carpet with the vinegar solution and blotting carpet until no stain remains. To ease handling, you may choose to spray the paper towels with the solution before blotting as long as you continue to spray the carpet, too.
- Allow the carpet to dry. The scent of vinegar should fade away while it evaporates. It may take a few days for it to dry thoroughly
Residential carpet (mostly nylon products): Our jaws dropped when we found this I-phone app from Shaw floors– The Mobile Stain Center is impressive: “This app contains stain removal procedures for some of the most common household spills. These stain removal and cleaning procedures have been carefully developed for use on Shaw Floors’ carpet made with Shaw Floors’ carpet fibers and may not be appropriate for use on other types of carpet. The stain removal procedures are provided to assist in maintaining your Shaw Floors’ carpet and reflect the best information available.”
3- Call in a Pro
Remember, no carpet is stain proof – your home is not a museum. It’s where life happens. You can contact your designer for care instructions or recommendations for a carpet cleaning service.
Click here to check out today’s Apartment Therapy post on Household Cleaning Urban Myths- interesting methods!
-Brittany
Is Cupid Ready?
At Design Lines, we’re in love with hearts and any variety of reds including: pink, peaches, and raspberries. We thought we’d put a few Valentine’s day ideas out there for you Ladies & Gents- as now is the time to send those love letters!
Purchase an assortment of cards to send to multiple valentines.
Consider picking up this stamp & making your own.
Pick up some flowers a la Trader Joes and put together arrangements all around the house.
Get a fabulous tray & serve breakfast in bed.
A classic! Try making lovely envelopes from paper doilies.
Who wouldn’t want to receive this in the mail- gorgeous calligraphy!
Skip the chocolates and go for cupcakes! We adore the cupcake shop in Raleigh.
images: 1. 20×200 2. Rifle Paper Co. 3. Staples 4. Martha Stewart Online5. Esty-Laurel Valentine 6. Cupcakes Take the Cake Blog
Hot Off the Press: SavorNC Magazine and Life & Beauty Weekly
Hot off the press! SavorNC Magazine is a newly established lifestyle magazine covering everything from wine, food, travel, and home decor within state of North Carolina. When we got the call they were interested in featuring Design Lines, we immediately said yes! To view the complete feature, click here and turn to page 34 or better yet, subscribe to the magazine, or run by a newsstand and pick up a copy for yourself.
Also, Life & Beauty Weekly, an online women’s health and lifestyle website, interviewed Judy on her top 6 recommendations for sprucing up your bedroom decor. Click here to read the complete article.
images: 1. SavorNC Facebook page 2.Life & Beauty Weekly
Guest Blogger Series: Ginna from 27Ground
The Design Lines team first met Ginna; the Founder of 27Ground back in 2010. We immediately were drawn to Ginna’s beautiful rug collections and her enthusiastic entrepreneur business sense.
Ginna founded 27Ground in February 2010, after visiting rug factories in Nepal and India. It is through these trips and adventures of discovery that she realized rugs are truly pieces of artwork. Her collection ranges from eco-friendly to transitional rugs. These are some of our favorites from her collection.
While she is based out of Los Angeles she is not a stranger to the East Coast. Being a native to North Carolina, Ginna is extremely aware of the varying aesthetics apparent across the country. To her, business is about making strategic partnerships and creating connections with interior designers across the country. “When I saw the Design Lines website, I knew I had to work with you guys, I fell in love,” says Ginna. We couldn’t agree more!
With established partnerships like the Desousa Hughes Showroom in San Francisco and sales reps already in Texas and New Jersey, Ginna is definitely on her way to bringing 27Ground to the national level. Look into these national press mentions- gorgeous!
Yet, one thing that caught the team’s attention is that amidst all these rugs, Ginna has another passion; which is quickly visible on her website, her support for Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution.
Ginna has a strong belief in sustainability and providing children with the proper nutrient enriched foods. “If I can use my business as a vehicle to promote a cause like the Food Revolution then I know I am doing something good.” We couldn’t agree more.
We thoroughly have enjoyed getting to know Ginna and can’t wait for more opportunities to collaborate.
Design Lines Is Featured In Sherwin Williams Online Magazine – STIR
We are honored to be a part of the 2011 January edition of STIR – the online magazine for Sherwin Williams. The magazine highlighted our pro-bono work with Creedmoor Elementary School (CES). Thank you for sharing our story. We believe everyone should have a stimulating environment to live, work and play in, and CES is no exception. Click here to read the complete story.
January 2011 “Living the Mission” Award Goes to Hilaire
This morning at staff meeting Rob passed the “Living the Mission” award on to Hilaire. “Hilaire is always going the extra mile to make me feel at home as the newest employee of Design Lines. Her patience, professionalism, and thorough attention to detail makes her an indispensable resource for me and the other members of the team,” says Rob. To see previous staff winners click here.
Congrats Rob!
Rob immediately became a vital member of the DLL team. The Living the Mission award (aka the spirit stick), for December went out to Rob for his support role in completeing CAD drawings for Lauren and Judy. Lauren said, “He is really easy to work with and I appreciate his attention to detail.” Rob is a breath of fresh air, thanks Rob for all your hard work!