STORE TOUR: CRATE & BARREL

More known for being clean and contemporary, Crate & Barrel has added a few new pieces to their assortment (without over doing it or losing their identity): On Trend Rustic Rehabs and Replicas. One of my faves spotted at the Shops of Gulfstream Village (Crate & Barrel) was a table / desk made from old telephone poles. Another great piece was a table, that could be used for a dining or office space called "District". This C&B location was also selling off some of their floor samples and marking down summer accessories & table linens. If you're in the market for some new furnishings, stop by and check them out. Here's some of what I spotted this past weekend...

On Trend x's2:

A flat weave rug in B&W stripes!

A collected style mix...

The beautiful Willow Sofa...

Paired with a texture cane wing back chair...

Amazing rustic Rehab:

The Telephone Pole Table

The Pheonix Worktable

Steal of a sofa deal:

Floor sample only $799

Fun table to add texture...

(just not storage)

The DISTRICT Table comes in two heights: pub or dining.

Either could work great as a workshop table or desk in a studio...

GORGEOUS!!

Distressed & studded DYLAN Leather Chair in CHARCOAL - LOVE IT!

Especially paired with the mercury glass accent table...

Beautiful upholstered headboards for a dreamy bedroom retreat...

Great storage solution for a small space: use a 3 drawer chest as an end table in a living space.

More stripes...

Great height and scale for a side table.

The lamp light is above you making it easier to read an old fashion newspaper =)

Small space? no problem - they've got you covered!

The above piece could actually become a great inspiration for the DIYer...

Great scale & score for a rustic coffee table to merge with a modern interior...

Even though this is on the floor, it's still a neat & organized sale presentation.

Cloth textiles from summer replaced with refreshing rich textures

to trim your table for Fall...

London Hurricanes

And here's a cool little factoid I loved learning about them from their site...

"With no money left for displays, they stacked the shipping crates as shelves and filled the overseas barrels with fun merchandise. So out of necessity came the unique Crate & Barrel style - and name."

I also LOVE their use of light...

Where many stores flood faux light with fluorescent,

C&B creates a natural ambiance to make you feel like your at home.

CRATE & BARREL

The Village at Gulfstream Park

600 Silks Run

Hallandale, FL 33009

954.458.2222 *** 954.458.2222



EVERYONE NEEDS AN OUTLET

For some, their outlet is swingin' a golf club... for others, their outlet may be a trip to DSW to stock-up on a new seasons trend, or being outdoors lounging poolside or gardening... One of my favorite outlets is touring stores, especially lifestyle home stores - to view the latest color combinations, texture mixing, and seasonal statements they've set. As inspiring as a catalog, a magazine, or the Internet may be, nothing beats seeing these looks, trends and styles pulled together in a pleasing environment. You can really only get this from walking through a brick-and-mortar store.

Crate & Barrel

Over the weekend, my husband and I ventured out to go explore a revived area near us: The Village at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale. In an effort to diversify and revive this otherwise aging horse race track (previously just known as Gulfstream), the developers incorporated rich landscapes and European-styled shops & restaurants. Although some of the spaces are still vacant, they've done a wonderful job utilizing super graphics, set outside of storefront, shouting out the facilities mix: Food - Fashion - Mojo, with its verbiage set in the silhouette of a horse.

Delicious restaurants

Widescreen TV's set outdoors and a grandstand area set within the courtyard for spectators & visitors

MANHATTAN FOX placed third in the second race

Beach-side lounge area along the racetrack

Three of my favorite lifestyle home stores were recently opened there so we wandered around the village to have some lunch, had drinks at a beach-side lounge along the race track, and discovered these beautiful lifestyle presentations featured at Crate & Barrel, West Elm and Pottery Barn...

Crate & Barrel

Crate & Barrel

Crate & Barrel

Crate & Barrel

West Elm

West Elm

Pottery Barn

Pottery Barn

I use to tour stores and relate the feedback of my findings to my store manager... We'd discuss how we might incorporate some of these findings into our store environment, keep our store 'on trend' with competition (in the Aventura location) and help increase sales for a division. Ironically, we ran into my old boss, Tracy Jones. Seeing all these displays and him reminded me of some of the vignettes he allowed me the freedom to create (because they were above and beyond corporate direction)...

Moroccan influences for Chris Madden line

ZEN look for Studio line

While setting presentations, many people would say, "I didn't know you had all this"... which is the purpose of creating visual statements: It lets customers know what you have and HOW to put it together to create a 'look'. I even recalled probably my first attempt at setting a cross-divisional display (way-back in '94 - so don't laught too hard), inspired at the time by Ralph Lauren's looks and merchandising...

I refinished old display furniture pieces I found around the store and I gathered all merchandise selection together to create a story, in an otherwise vacant elevator hallway.

So don't just flip through magazines or fiddle away on your computer... get out and about in and see what's new around you in your local shops for inspiration. Who knows who or what you will see... maybe this

could inspire your home to this...

styling & photo for above Mile Marker Memory 

by Lynda Quintero-Davids

What's your favorite outlet?

(ALL photos in this post by Lynda Quintero-Davids)

DIVE INTO TURQUOISE

Lately, I just can't seem to get enough TURQUOISE. This usually happens to me later in the year (like for Summer) but I'm seeing so many pieces and wonderful spaces using it, I just want to dive in now! The inspiration for turquoise usually first comes from turquoise jewelry. I love the to see the stone encased in silver. It's so refreshing and coastal. Then the hunt to try a new focal point begins...

British Homes & Gardens

 Macy's

Shell covered fireplace featured in Miami Herald

Coastal Living

Even if you have all white, just switch out panels for a print

as seen here in Coastal Living

I'm loving the combo Pottery Barn has done with it's sea-foam green paired with navy (and I think I've got enough stash to pull it off!) They're usually the retailer to jump the gun with the seasonal sets, and their new Farady Collection is beautiful... it reminded me of an old clipping from West Elm Summer when they were into Indigos...

Pottery Barn Faraday collection mixes seafoam & navy

Pottery Barn Faraday Collection

 

My stash of navy & coastal I could renew this year with turquoise

But then there is also the Moroccan look featured in the Australian decor magazine Belle. Colin Cowie posted inspirational photos from a recent trip while visiting a similar looking place... and I do have pierced tin lanterns to pull off this look too...

West Elm Summer 2007 did cornflower blue, periwinkle,

and popped with pale turq

British Homes & Gardens 2010

Macy's navy & turq

Photo from Colin Cowie

Photo of clippings & color chips

 

Photos of my turq jewelry with indigo pashmina

Love the look of West Elm Summer 2007 with the palm,

and I could see turquoise stemware being added.

British Homes & Gardens

British Homes & Gardens

But I've also seen some turquoise surprisingly laced with gold and pops of coral. Pier 1 featured their pillows in a similar combination. Although I don't have coral, I do have some orange, even for outdoors. And I probably could paint the planted to resemble the Crate & Barrel Bronze Tapered Planters, and paint some other pieces in the orange...

Pier1 was showing tuq with coral

 r

Macy's more organic turq jewelry with hint of coral

Photo from Colin Cowie

source unknown but love the color combination

VIVRE featuring turq, coral and GOLD

Crate & Barrel bronze planters with a hint of orange,

which would take the coral from inside out.

 

Macy's turq, coral and gold bracelet

Pier 1 rinceau detailed urn

 

Pier 1 grey-ish teal with apple green for outdoors

Pier 1 bright tropical turq with pops of apple, orange, and red

Keep turq more natural and earthy with brown & green like at Pier 1

RJI Photography found on flickr

 

Just add ONE powerful piece like shown a ELLE Decor

Four Seasons Spa Resort in Bali

I guess it all depends just which coast you want to be on and then create your look... in the meantime, keep flipping through magazines for that "ah-ha!" moment...

Australia

Miami

I know most people are just getting ready for Spring, but living in South Florida, I've been in Spring-Mode since January and I've got that itch to make a switch...

Coastal Living

What are some ways you like to bring in summertime?

Is it through pattern & pillows?

Do You add more white & blue? 

Looks like turquoise could be paired in a multiple combinations...

Pratt & Lambert  turq walls and pops of indigo

If you already have turquoise, you could just replace flowers with

shells and bamboo, to give your home the a renew...

Hope you're enjoying your day wherever you are...

Lynda