Rita St. Clair, the Baltimore-based interior designer, has traveled around the world in search of furniture and decorative arts for the various restaurants, hotels and residences she helped create over the years.
Tag: furniture
The Rack: Calico Corners Opens New Fabric and Home Design Location In Lutherville
For more than 65 years, Calico Corners has had the enviable job of making homes across America more beautiful. Growing from a modest “designer seconds” fabric store in Bedford Village, N.Y., in 1948 to a national chain with more than 75 home decorating stores, Calico has established itself as a go-to retail source for decorative fabrics once only sold through designers. It’s also expanded to offer design services for home decorating, including window treatments, custom upholstery, furniture and more.
Here’s a Chance to Add Tom Clancy’s Stylings to Your Home
If Tom Clancy’s Inner Harbor penthouse was too high a price, now there’s a chance to own his reptilian coffee table.
Outgrown Ikea? Head For Arhaus in Harbor East
Welcome to our new column Shop Girl, a bi-weekly post that will review area stores.
Arhaus Furniture
Where:
660 Exeter Street, Baltimore 21202
410-244-6376
Hours: 10am-9pm Monday-Saturday, 11am-6pm Sunday
Of all the trendy shops in Harbor East, Arhaus Furniture is the largest, its 16,000 square feet occupying nearly half a city block. It’s a confident presence in a neighborhood of repurposed lofts and open-plan condos — full of young buyers looking for furniture that’s a cut above Ikea, but less serious than mom’s dining room table. Arhaus’s southern entrance, on Aliceanna Street, across from South Moon Under, lures shoppers with floor- to-ceiling windows and great-looking room displays. Next thing you know you’re inside, whether you were really looking for a distressed oak daybed or not.
The shop floor is light and bright, with furniture and accessories on the fashion-forward side of Restoration Hardware. Comparisons between the two are inevitable: quality and pricing is similar, both stores tend toward large scale pieces in solid hardwoods. Both favor neutral-toned fabrics in linen, leather and tweed. Arhaus’ strength is in a brighter and more varied fabric selection (because, really, shades of grey is not decorating) with more one-of-a kind items and a more fun aesthetic.
On the day I was there, customers ranged from fashionable young women, one with decorator in tow, clearly on a buying mission, to couples dreamily putting together a wish list, and even a few wistful-looking single guys. A pleasant and knowledgeable young man approached me immediately, letting me know about a weekend sale event, and guiding me towards the “statement” armchair I had spotted across the floor ($1,599 down from $2,199 with free fabric upgrade). He wandered off when I wanted to browse, but reappeared, with flawless timing, to answer questions.
Prices here are not cheap, but not outrageous by any means. Sales and promotions are frequent and varied. There’s a plain linen sofa marked at $809, down from $2700. Beautifully framed butterfly prints at $159 each, down from $349 (would anyone buy them at $349? Probably not.) A giant bed is piled with throw pillows in an pretty assortment of fake fur, bright silks and soft flannels, marked down from the $150 range to the $39 range.Some interesting India patterned cotton lamp shades from $39-$59.
A line of architectural salvage pieces add character. Accessories make use of organic materials — glass, stone and wood. There are interior specialists who will come to your house with highly rated (according to Yelp) advice on choosing colors, styles and mixing new stuff in with the old. They had a number of complaints about delivery and post-sale problem solving, (Yelp again) but so do other interiors stores.
Creativity: B+ good for what it is – a high-end mall store
Service: A+ staff is enthusiastic, relaxed and very informed
Price: $$$ for the level of quality, it’s on the money
Best find: Turquoise painted bombay chest, $599
Pigtown Design: Looking at the Latest in Furniture Design at High Point
After a long drive, which went by very quickly by listening to “Christmas Bliss” by Mary Kay Andrews on CD, I arrived in High Point on a cloudless beautiful day. And then immediately started meeting people, seeing gorgeous furniture, visiting amazing showrooms and having a ball!
First up was Jonathan Charles and William Yeoward’s wonderful new collection, called “… Collection”. I have some of his crystal, and it is one of the most beautiful things I own, so I was excited to see his new goods. William Yeoward is charming and funny and so interesting to chat with!
He’s taken old looks and given them a new twist – different woods and finishes, tweaking shapes and great accessories. Additionally, there were a lot of pieces of old china scattered around the showroom.
Some of the pieces reflect his childhood in England, like this adorable fox that graces several pieces.
Rare Baltimore Desk Fetches Over Half-Million Dollars at Christie’s
Courtesy Citybizlist – A rare Federal desk and bookcase, presumed to be Baltimore 1800 – 1810, was estimated to sell for $150,000 to $300,000 at Christie’s Important American Furniture sale on September 25th. In fact, the satinwood-inlaid, Verre Eglomise (reverse-painted glass) mahogany cylinder desk realized $567,750.
Pigtown Design: Favorite FInds at the Hunt Valley Antique Show
I had the chance to attend the Maryland Antiques Show at Hunt Valley last weekend, including a lecture by Bobby McAlpine. Everything was just so gorgeous, and I saw a number of things that I coveted.
This is a early 1900’s salesman’s sample board for children’s socks.
Pigtown Design: Niermann Weeks Sample Sale
I was reading the WSJ Weekend Section before the big storm hit and happened to notice an advert for a sample sale. Not just any old sample sale, but one at the incredible Niermann Weeks, right down the road from me in Millersville, Maryland!
Pigtown Design: High Point Highs
Our favorite local interior design blogger Meg Fielding of Pigtown Design headed to High Point earlier this week to cover the foremost American furniture show known as “Market” at High Point, North Carolina. Throughout the week she has written her diary of happenings at the show and documented her favorite trends. Read on to see what’s in store in 2013. -The Eds.
I am heading down to North Carolina for the High Point Market for the next few days.
As you can see, this Market’s focus is Fashion. I am going to a breakfast with Christian Siriano (who went to the Baltimore School for the Arts), Thom Filicia and Lela Rose.Also scheduled are cocktail parties, book signings, lectures and lots and lots of checking out gorgeous showrooms.
New and Improved Station North Flea Market Kicks-Off on Saturday
Courtesy of Bmore Media – You just might find that treasure you’ve been looking for this weekend at the opening of the Station North Flea Market.
The season opens Saturday, May and will run on the first Saturday of every month until October at the corner of Lafayette and Charles Streets in the Station North Arts and Entertainment District.
Previously the market was held on the unit block of East North Avenue, but the decision was made to relocate the market from a busy and loud location on North Avenue to an area better scaled for a flea market, says Ben Stone, executive director of the Station North Arts and Entertainment District.
One of the main goals of the market, Stone says, is to create a vibrant community event that engages locals, visitors, and artists alike. The market helps to build community for both older residents of Station North, as well as younger artists and students.
This year, the flea market will commission some small, affordable pieces of artwork. The goal was to create a way for people to get quality art rather inexpensively, Stone says.
