January 2014 Trip to Atlanta....Better Late than Never

Well, as usual this post is long over due.  I have had a jam packed schedule this year and am behind in all things, once again!  The last I blabbed/you read  I was headed to Atlanta for the Gift Show.  The Robin's Nest was in search of hand-crafted products to add to the shop. Another goal of heading down to "Market", as it's known in the biz is see what's trending in the decor world.  I think myself a trend spotter, you see. (hehehehe) Seriously though, even though I focus on vintage in my shop, I want to make sure that my displays and products align with current trends. (Bustin' out some of my marketing garble for you!) So I'll share some of what I saw down in Atlanta.
P.S. Gotta give a shout out to one of my besties, Kelly, from Madison & Mabel. Drop by her site and take a look at her custom furniture...amazing!

Color is still king.....

Lots of color to be seen all throughout the showrooms in Atlanta.  The bold hues that we saw last year are still going strong.  Of course, I am drawn to the aqua and robin's egg blues that I saw.  uh duh!

Taxidermy lives on........

One of my favorite trends!  Let's just say.....if it has a head it was mounted on a wall.  Whimsical, realistic, colorful everywhere I looked in Atlanta I saw a mounted head.  Long gown are the days of just deer and moose.  Hedgehogs, rams, raccoons, gerbils......check in the box.

Unconventional Materials and Style.....

Creative use of materials and style continues to dominate the market.  Either a "knock-off" found in a department store or the real vintage "deal" out of the box design is strong.  Since this arena is my first love, it was a lot of fun seeing what small companies were showing.  I'm not a huge fan of the knock-offs.

Ethnic Style and Texture....

Again....loving this trend.  Although you might not want to build a room around this trend. It's fun to pick a few elements to add to your existing style.  I believe style is simply surrounding yourself with things that make you happy.  Don't be afraid to color outside the lines.

A few pics that made me smile.....

I hope you enjoyed this little snippet from my time in Atlanta, GA during the Jan. 2014 Home and Gift Show.  Make sure to keep your eyes peeled this year as you shop to see if you spot the trends that I found.

Have a good one,

Robin

Chair Love...Refresh an oldie, but a goody! Part 4

Sorry for the delay, guys!! Here's the long overdue final post from my chair series.

Look how far we've come! I've talked you into sniffing, wiggling and sitting into every chair you see. Seriously though, it's important to check out the chair before you invest time and money into its transformation. You've considered whether or not to paint it and how much to spend on fabric. But.........Speaking of transformation, that's the final topic that I want to talk about in this series

Changing the style of a chair through paint and fabric choice.

Let's say you find a sturdy, comfortable, "un-stinky" chair. BUT....it's not really your style. Doesn't mean you have to keep on walking to find the next potential candidate. If there is even one special detail about a chair, then I focus on that and know that the right paint and fabric can totally change the "look". Best to show this by example. Time for the before and after pictures I promised.

Looking at this cane chair, it's got traditional written all over it. In fact, you could go safe and paint, distress and do the "frenchy" thing and it would turn out wonderfully. However, since I'm on a modern kick these days, I know gloss paint would transport this beauty into the 21th century. Add a geometric print from...let me say it... MOOD in NYC (yup!! went into a fabric coma there!) and voila...MODERN CHIC!

Traditional and Predictable

 

MODERN SOPHISTICATION

 

Outdated Style

 

HOLLYWOOD GLAMOUR

 

It's amazing what a little paint and fabric can do...huh???  Just stop and dream a little. Imagine your perfect chair, then go out an find an ugly duckling. The possibilities are endless.

 

Have a good one,

Robin