Elle Decor November 2012 Trend Alert: Tapestry

A big thank you to Parker Bowie, Market Editor at Elle Decor Magazine. Last Summer she contacted me about a Trend Alert: Tapestry article she was working on for the November 2012 issue. She asked for pictures of all my handcrafted decoupage tapestry-inspired creations.

      After viewing a number of different products of mine,
 she chose the French Lovers Plate.

And here is the plate on page 86 of Elle Decor November 2012.

I was so excited when I opened the magazine. ( I still am!)

The Trend Alert: Tapestry was a perfect fit for me. I have always loved tapestries and you can tell by how many are hanging throughout my home as well as a few other tapestry-inspired accents I have collected.

This tapestry was in my father's house as a child and then in my childhood home. I loved it then and still love it today.

I love mixing hard and soft elements in my home. That's why I have this heavy stone antique bust in front of the tapestry in my living room.

This tapestry is in my family room and is almost six feet long. I added a matching pair of vintage cast iron sconces on each side.

Once again, mixing hard and soft elements. I love the contrast.

When my husband and I were newly married, we drove to Vail, CO for the day.( At the time we could not afford to spend the night.) In an adorable store I found this pillow and 2 other coordinating tapestry pillows. Although, we could not afford even one of them the time, I bought all three. Twenty years later, they are still great pillows and my husband has forgiven me. (I think)

This tapestry panel was purchased in France. I like how the blue in the pillow compliments the vintage blue and white ticking curtains behind the yellow chair. My grandmother ( Nana) made these curtains years ago and had them hanging in the last home she lived in before moving to assisted living. I remember how she told me that Sister Parish used ticking a lot in her decorating. Nana would also say that ticking fabric is very French and will never go out of style. She was right.

I wish I could say that the tapestry, desk and urns were in my home too, but I can't. This tapestry hangs at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City. Simply beautiful and I love the desk.

Unfortunately this tapestry chair is not in my home but is on display at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts. Just beautiful.

As you can see, I really do love tapestries.

Below are a few of my handcrafted decoupage tapestry-inspired products.

I hope you enjoy.

Lamb Tapestry Tray available two sizes.

 Lamb Tapestry Plate



Lady with Dog Plaque

Here's a link to many of my tapestry inspired products:

http://www.robinkingdesigns.com/category_58/Tapestry-Inspired-Creations.htm



All the best,
-Robin



Beautiful Scenes of Summer

For various reasons, my family has done a lot of traveling in the last two months and I have been taking a lot of pictures.  Here are some favorites from my yard and beyond. I hope you enjoy.

Oh, I have been working in my studio a lot and have many new items that I will be sharing with you soon. But for now, it's all about beautiful scenes of Summer.

Young Robin in a pot of petunias in my front garden.

Strawberries in my garden.

Coming out of a rain storm on a road trip back from Nebraska.

This is a picture of a baby bunny in my back yard.

 You can see just how little he is next to the small yellow leaf. For a few weeks I

kept a watchful eye out for him and chased off our neighbor's cats each time they came in the yard. I am happy to say, he or she is almost full grown and doing fine.

Daisies against a stone wall in Beaver Creek, Colorado.

Each day this spider spins a new web on my front porch. 

View of Salt Lake City from their Botanic Gardens.

I could not resist this picture while in Boise. The dog's name is Wilson.

Flamingo at the Aivary in Liberty Park, Salt Lake City.

This cow looked at me just as I took her picture.

We were both enjoying a beautiful Summer evening in Boise.

This is a Sunflower that my son grew from seed.

 It's so tall I just had to hold my camera as high as I could and hope for the best.

I hope you've enjoyed some of my scenes from the Summer.

Take time to look for the beautiful things. They are all around us.

Summer is almost here because...

I just designed a Garden Scene Oval Plaque. 

                                 My roses are ready for bouquets.

This wild rabbit has returned to our backyard for her third Summer.

My dining room table always has a vase of flowers.

Fish Creek Falls in Steamboat Springs has thawed.

 

I want to eat strawberries with every meal.

Summer is almost here, so do make sure to enjoy the sun and maybe even blow a few dandelion seeds around.

{La Vie en Rose} Beautiful Things in Rosy Tones

Celebrate Spring and live 'la vie en rose'...

This beautiful wood plaque features an antique French engraving of charming cherubs, garlands of roses, and a French coat of arms. Rendered in rosy Red and Pink tones on a pale blue background, it reflects the beauty of French Toile de Jouy fabric prints. My signature crackle finish provides the perfect antique look.

This lovely piece is perfect as a wall hanging, displayed on an easel, or added to a bookshelf (along with your vintage copies of Les Miserables and Marie Antoinette, perhaps?). Shown above paired with two antique candle sconces and floral saucers, simple arrangements like this will bring color and charm to your rooms this Spring...wouldn't this be a lovely entry hall arrangement to welcome you home each day?

{La Vien en Rose} means to live your life in shades of pink. If you would like to add a few shades of pink to your home this 'French Wooden Plaque' is a beautiful way to start.
 You may click here to order.

A beautiful companion piece is the 'Paris' wooden plaque in soft rose and cream...

also available on an aqua background.

The 5" by 6" wooden plaque comes ready to hang with gold sheer ribbon.

 Please click here to order.

As always, I thank you for your business and hope to inspire Everyday Beauty in your Homes...

Beautiful Things for Spring Decorating

A sweet bunny figure is the perfect 'mate' for my Rabbit platter displayed in an easel. Add in a cachepot of wheat grass or fresh flowers, and this vignette nearly shouts Spring is Here!

I recently attended a decorating seminar at a local retailer. They were talking about how it's 'out of style' to put plates on the wall and have a lot of figurines in your home. My first thought was “It's a good thing they did not come to my house!”

Really, though, who's to say what is 'in' or 'out' when it comes to decorating our own homes?
We are! The rooms we live in should tell our own life story, reflect our own tastes and interests, and be more about us than any arbitrary trends or 'rules' of decorating.

 

I personally think plates on the wall are a perfect way to display them, instead of having them stacked and hidden away in a cupboard. (Especially if they are very old or very beautiful!) It's also very easy to change them out for different seasons with a wall or easel display. Whether you hang them individually in a row, in a free-form cluster, or use a multiple plate display rack, plates are miniature works of art that can add wonderful detail to your rooms.

As you can see above, pairing this rabbit plate with a collection of majolica cabbage leaf plates & bowls is a charming combination for Spring. You can also use a large plate like this one as a charger in a Spring dinner table setting - just place a clear glass plate on top, so that the beautiful artwork shows through.

How do you use plates in your home decor?

Share your ideas in the comments below and on my Facebook Page!

 

Black Rabbit with Floral Wooden Tray

The design is a black rabbit surrounded by a floral border.

The wood tray is painted black with green and gold accents, and the entire front of the tray features my signature crackle finish.

Sizes available: 7.5 and 9 inch diameter

To Purchase this item, click HERE

Artwork, product, and images copyright Robin King Designs; All Rights Reserved. 

Beautiful Things {in Brown}

 The vintage images I collect and work with inspire me, and so do the words of wise and creative people. A friend and mentor, Bob Brown, shared a thought with me that has always served to define my artistic style:

"The secret to good design is knowing when to stop"

When I am creating each product, I always remember that guideline. And as I combine elements to create a vignette in my studio to photograph, or in my home to enjoy, I let that principle guide me, as well.

Combining Beautiful Things to create an interesting arrangement is attainable... if you keep it simple. A mix of large and small items in various materials and shapes will draw the eye, and make for a pleasing tabletop or mantel display.

Using a color theme is a perfect way to coordinate elements. In the vignette above, the unifying color is the warm, comforting tones of Brown in every element. Many of the images I use for products have similar sepia tones, making it easy to choose several items to combine together in a display.

Imagine this arrangement of Beautiful Things in your room on a cold winter day...

 Woman in Brown Dress Canvas Art

Round Wood Toile Tray

Brown Roses Tissue Box Cover

Brown Silhouette Pencil Holder

Many of my products have several uses.

This pencil holder would also make a perfect container for flowers - simply

 insert a small glass vase into it to hold them.

I would add fresh ivory roses to this soft vignette!