October Newsletter: A little glamour anyone?

Dear Friend,

Fall is really here! I've got my scarves back out and today the leaves really seem to be turning. Plus we've been having those crazy clear, bright blue skies you only see this time of year. So many of you have mentioned that you've done apple-picking or picked out your pumpkins from a local patch somewhere. Kudos! I love doing seasonal activities, though I haven't gotten round to it yet as we've all been sick for a few weeks in my home. Take your vitamins and don't land in my boat!

I'm glad I'm feeling better just in time for our Fall art opening, entitled "Rock and Water: Intimate Observations of Nature" featuring the photography of local artist Joy Yagid. Read about the details below. I'm so excited by how the presence of photography has transformed the environment in the Furbish showroom. You've got to check it out THIS Thursday at the opening from 5 pm to 8 pm!

We have great new pieces of furniture, art, and accessories on the floor now too, with new things arriving every few days. Each piece is a possibility to add a bit of allure to your home environment, which brings me to my headline topic for this month: going a little bit glam. You know you want to! Read on for tips on how you can do that without sacrificing a relaxed home environment.

Be well!

Uma Stewart

in this issue

Rock and Water Opens This Thursday at Furbish!
feature: what happened to formal decor anyway?
5 ways to GO GLAM at home
what Uma loves right now
you can still have your new sofa for the holidays!

quick links

Rock and Water Opens This Thursday at Furbish!

Joy Yagid just delivered all of her riveting, beautiful, and totally cool photos to the store and we have started the process of installing the exhibit for Thursday's opening. The images are a variety of takes on the theme of Rock and Water. They range from close ups of stones on the beach and abstract shots of water, to more panoramic and moody shots with a couple shots of stone architecture to keep it interesting. The photos have transformed the store and offer us windows into the palettes and forms of nature.

You are going to love this show and how accessible all the pieces are. Come take a peek, drink some wine, and enjoy some food between 5 pm and 8 pm THIS Thursday, October 15. I look forward to seeing you and introducing you to Joy Yagid.

feature: what happened to formal decor anyway?

Interiors in everyday homes have changed over the past few decades, drastically, and in many ways for the better. I just do not miss floral chintz in peach and seafoam green : ). But what about the whole trend towards less formality in decorating? I may risk colliding with some of you on this, but I just don’t think the trend towards casual is all good. Interiors have changed to accommodate the way we live, but we also have the task of shaping our interiors to represent our ideal lifestyles as well, and don’t we want just a little bit of glam?

Let’s speak for a moment about casual lifestyles so we know what we are dealing with here. A good place to start is with the open floor plans that proliferated through the 1960’s and into today. These open plans with “Great Rooms” allow for kitchen, living, and dining spaces to open into one another so that various members of the family or guests could all commune while doing different activities. The move to open floor plans epitomizes the shifts in the way we live. Television and media are centerpoints. Cooking is more of a social activity. Entertaining includes children. Another basic trend we have seen is the increased importance of home offices and media rooms over the past two decades. These changes do reflect real changes in how we live, but can you get a sense of how function has perhaps been overriding form for awhile now?

There is another trend I’d like to throw into the mix, that I call the “barrel and barn-ing” of interiors, or mass produced, mid-end, fairly style-conscious furniture. Ok. Someone did need to do something about the floral chintz and simplify our forms on a mass scale, but hasn’t this come at the expense of unique personality and charm in many of the houses we see today? Sometimes when I do the whole Sunday open house thing, I feel like I’m witnessing the un-decorating of America. People hardly have any furniture because they are trying too hard to be uncluttered, or everything in the home has a generic, seen this before kind of feeling.

In the meantime quality has surely suffered. We are furnishing our homes in the most ecologically unsound ways imaginable. We buy furniture we know will only last a few years and then contribute it to the landfills. We opt for quick fixes instead of taking the time to really know and express ourselves in our homes.

And what does all this come to mean for our lifestyle? I think we really might be losing out here! Many of us are not giving ourselves the space to host great parties, or space to live with a little bit of luxury, or space to express ourselves, or space to be just a little bit glamorous. I am not the queen of practicality, but if you wanted that you probably would not be reading my newsletter! I like my interiors just a little bit glam. I believe every room should have something that might seem impractically beautiful in it. It is my invitation to myself to aspire and know a little bit of transcendence.

In the end, I think all this is about wanting things in life to be a bit special. People do not use dining rooms very much anymore, but hardly anyone I know wants to repurpose the dining room or buy a house that doesn't have one. Why? Because dining rooms are about holidays, entertaining, enjoying family and friends, good food and wine, and pretty much all the best that life has to give.We don't want to let go of what the dining room symbolizes. And that is really very glamorous in my book.

I have put together my own personal rules of decorating that I use for all my projects..."The Furbish Rules." They represent a great step towards getting us just the right bit glam, while still leaving room for a more relaxed lifestyle. Keep an eye out for my email introducing them! In the meantime, check out my go GLAM tips below.

5 ways to GO GLAM at home

1. Add some wallpaper. I love my clients and I learn at least as much from them as they do from me. Several of them have asked for wallpaper in one or two of the rooms in their home. We've been doing gorgeous textured paper, like grasscloths and other weaves, and modern prints. Both totally glamorous. Wallpaper went on the decline because it felt dated and people wanted a cleaner look at home, but textural papers and the new designs out there keep things clean, fresh, and just a wee bit fancy.

2. Don't skip out or skimp on window treatments. Many of you are afraid to adorn your windows, feeling like drapes are too dressy and valences too fussy. The reality is that nothing adds polish and finish to a room the way a window treatment will. Here's the secret: do simple panels or roman shades in a simple fabric that has beautiful texture or color to it. Skip prints if you are not sure what feels current today. Another great option if you like really modern looks is solar shades or higher end roller shades. If you need help you can use our window treatment consultation.

3. Do something custom. It could be a sofa or a chair, your windows treatments, commissioned artwork, or some built-ins. Even custom ordered pillows. There is something SO luxurious about knowing you have ordered something that is unique and special just to your room. And it DOES make a difference. People will know and it will likely be the most talked about element in your room.

4. Dress up your casual spaces. I love rich velvety fabrics in family rooms. What better fabric to snuggle into? Beautiful little spot tables or stools in interesting shapes or materials are like jewelry for your room. Woodframe chairs to set off a comfy sofa will dress up a comfy space. And definitely do not skip accessories in your every day spaces. This is where you spend all your time. Great artwork, lovely lamps or mirrors, vases will all give you plenty to look at and enjoy while you live in your space.

5. Add some shine! This is one of my most valuable decorating tips. You need to break up wood and fabric surfaces with materials that are more shiny. A little crystal or porcelain in the lighting. Some mirrored surfaces, metal and glass. Even fabrics with a bit of sheen. You need to figure out where to get the shine from in each room in your house. This is the glimmer that keeps the eye entranced without it knowing why. True glamour.

what Uma loves right now

I adore this magnificently big stretch canvas art that arrived in the store recently. The colors are so beautiful and could fit with many decorating schemes. If you have a big wall calling for something, this could just be the piece that fixes your bare wall blues in one fell swoop.

Blossoming Petals. Grey green, orange, and brown. In store now for $697.

you can still have your new sofa for the holidays!

We are still doing consultations in the store and putting in orders for custom sofas and chairs scheduled to arrive in December. Don't wait another year! Have your home ready for the holidays THIS year. What better gift can there be for you and your family?

I am doing a limited number of one-on-one appointments where I will walk you through the entire process of selecting and ordering a custom piece of furniture. We'll pick frames that fit your space and style, select fabrics, decide on wood finish and details like contrast welt or nailheads. This is an opportunity to get FREE design input from me. We meet in the store and you bring in room measurements and any swatches we need to to take into consideration. Call us for available appointments at 973.761.0311. You can also email design@furbishhome.com . I look forward to working with you!

Click here to unsubscribe.