Shopping Atlanta

One thing Atlanta is known for is furniture shopping. No trip to Atlanta is complete without visiting some of their numerous home stores. I think antique shopping is the local past time!

One of my first stops after a fun lunch with noted blogger The Blue Remembered Hills was to ADAC (the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center).

One of my favorite shops was definitely Ainsworth Noah which carries a selection of antiques along with new furniture and art.

 Loved this little side table made by Dessin Fournir, one of many brands they represent.

Every part of this showroom you want as a little vignette back in your own home! 

Another great shop was Holland & Co which has this lovely antique doorway leading into the showroom.

 And what better place to get an architectural accent such as an antique door and surround than at my favorite shop in the world, Architectural Accents (which I've blogged about previously HERE).

In addition to architectural salvaged pieces from Europe they also carry lots of new hardware lines -a one stop shop!

 Loved this stained glass chinoiserie scene - would be great in a bathroom for some privacy.

There is no shortage of antique (and reproduction) mantels and overmantels, each more beautiful than the last.

 This overmantel had a lovely golden chinoiserie scene above an antique French marble mantel.

My favorite was this 18th century limestone mantel from a house in France.  I would take this home in a heartbeat if I could!! Maybe after I win the lottery....

 This lovely oak mantel and overmantel would look great in a home library.

And there is no shortage of antique doors to take home to add a touch of France to your own maison. 

Probably the most anticipated part of my trip was a visit to Scotts, the monthly antique show where dealers from around the world come to sell AND shop.

 So many lovely things I wish I had room for!!

 Have you ever seen a chandelier built of antique French firemen helmets? Only at Scotts....

 This interesting beaux-arts clock appears right out of a hotel or palatial gilded age mansion.

 I couldn't decide whether these bronze urns were more funereal or just plain fabulous.

I was able to take home a souvenir however, this antique French dresser eventually found it's way back home to me from a dealer based in Texas. Scotts makes it easy with numerous shippers available at the front desk.  Atlanta is to antique shopping what Chicago is to pizza; HOME!

Cool new product -Covered Components

I wanted to share with you a cool new product that  recently came onto the market. No, this is not an advertisement; don't close this screen!!! Rather it's a product I had a brief presentation of in my dayjob / real world and was so impressed I wanted to share.

The product was developed locally and just a month ago went into production (made in nearby Charlottesville, VA). The concept is HIDDEN OUTLETS people.  Don't we all hate staring at them? By code they're required in places you would never use them -well now you can have your cake and eat it too aka not see them.

These images are from their website showing 'before' and 'afters'.  Above you can see 2 typical outlets flanking a fireplace mantel. These would never be used, right?

Here is the 'after' - the outlets are hidden!  Basically the outlet sits in a little box with a paintable plastic cover that can even have your wallpaper applied to it.

Another spot outlets are required and rarely if ever used are in powder rooms. Above you can see the unsightly GFI outlet.

 And here it is with Covered Components - the cover is painted to blend in with the wall.

Here are some pictures I took of a sample board shown in the presentation -on the left is a typical outlet and on the right, the covered Component - practically invisible.  For $13 each this is a real find and I expect to be seeing a lot of these! Now in all fairness, I can't imagine using this in high-use spots.  The large transformers that are on many low-voltage lights and chargers for our laptops won't easily fit within these recessed boxes (although you could use an adapter). I also can't imagine them in a kitchen honestly because you would constantly be opening and closing the cover.   I think these are great for hallways, powder rooms, low-use spots, etc and you can't beat the price!

So what do you think of covered components? They are available for sale on their website HERE.
As stated, I received no compensation for this post, I just wanted to share a cool new product!

Hubert de Givenchy - Fashion at the Thyssen-Bornemisza

On a note different from what I normally feature on this blog, I thought I would share some images from the recent exhibition on Hubert Givenchy at one of my favorite museums, El Museo de arte Thyssen-Bornemisza, in Madrid which my penpal kindly sent me.

Givenchy will forever be known for his relationship with celebrities, primary amongst them Audrey Hepburn, but also Jackie Kennedy Onassis, the Duchess of Windsor, and the list goes on.

I think these clothes appeal to me not only for the obvious reason, their beauty, but their architectural qualities and attention to detailing are astounding.

 The use of vivid color and black together also is architecturally appealing.

 Recognize Audrey Hepburn from Breakfast at Tiffany's above?

 Or Wallis Simpson, aka the Duchess of Windsor, in mourning here.

Or the Duchess again here in a striped gown. These clothes are iconic and a part of our culture; instantly recognizable.

Seeing some of these famous gowns in color, such as Jackie Kennedy's gown from the Paris opera, is a delightful surprise; cream and soft colors.

 Bridal beyond boring white....

 The details of this non-white wedding dress (emphasis on NO BORING WHITE) are amazing.

 I don't even know how one makes something such as this!

 Clothes make the woman or so one would believe based on the models below in the room entitled elegance and simplicity.

 Who needs jewelry with clothes as beautiful as these?

While many of these gowns are surely dated would 'Fashion Police' mock them on the red carpet I wonder? Does style such as this date?  Maybe the jackets.....

 but what jackets they are!

Givenchy is a master of color - unusual colors - and pairings that give life to one another.

 I'm sure the yellow/orange dress is difficult to wear but on the right woman....amazing.

 And don't forget the hats!

Thanks to Neil for sharing his images with us all. See more on the exhibit at the museum website HERE, which includes the program and an interactive video walk-through of the exhibition.