We've Moved

I'm so excited to have launched our new website and tell you that we will no longer be posting on this blogger site as we've moved our blog and combined it with our website. The new blog is located at www.jenniferbishopdesign.com/blog. Please don't forget to re-subscribe to the new feed in order to continue to receive the current posts SUBSCRIBE TO NEW FEED.

Hope to see you over there!

A Culinary Feast For Your Eyes-Napa CA

A recent trip to Napa brought me to Tyler Florence's new shop. It's located in their newly re-vamped downtown area. Pretty cool if you want to feel like you've morphed to Europe.

My breathe was taken away when I walked in...such a perfect mix of rustic, modern and elegance....my favorite and I was in heaven! It was a feast for my eyes and there was so much to explore. I instantly grabbed my camera and snapped a shot of the amazing chandeliers hanging from halved wine barrels. Just as I did, I was reprimanded by a sales lady...no photos allowed. Awww geesh!!! How would I share the amazingness with my readers?

There are some photos of the Mill Valley's location on his website but the Napa location was a lot smaller and just had a slightly different look and feel to it. It also smelled SOOOO delicious and I eventually saw their little secret. A crock pot by the door all bubbly.

I made 3 rounds through the small store, each time, eyeing different little things I'd love to have. One of my favorite finds was their Lucite utensils and servers. I just cannot describe to you how cool these things were. I searched online trying to find an example to show you but fail short of a match.


So long gone are the days I can spend hours just browsing and inspecting every little item. I soon had a toddler who wanted out of her stroller and to get her pretty, little hands on all the breakables as well. That my friends was my time to RUN...not walk for the door. If you're ever in Napa...such a hop skip and a jump from the SF Bay Area, check it out.

Santana Row Project-San Francisco Shirt Company

The team at Franco Uomo brought me on board for their next endeavor The San Francisco Shirt Company. We got working fast and I was thrilled as the store is not only located on Santana Row but we all immediately clicked and they saw my vision right away. They are truly lovely people to work with and I had a great time in the process. SF Shirt Co. offers both men's and women's clothing and is available for custom pieces. I've seen them in action with their clientele and no doubt you will be happy with their impeccable service!

Now on to the design...

The look we were going for was definitely vintage but I kept stressing to them that it needed a modern take on it and we could not have their shop looking dowdy now could we?!?! I found this gorgeous black and gold metallic scrolled wallpaper that we based the entire design around. I used it solely as an accent in their alcoves to add drama to the small space and accentuate their tall ceilings.
The goal was really to make the clothing the focus so I used a simple companion wallpaper (see detail here) to bring texture and color onto the back and side walls without competing with the apparel. It is a small scaled stripe with a bit of a sparkle and I like how it hinted on a mans pin striped fabric. There was a lot of discussion of whether or not to paint all the display cubbies black as well as the mill work but after much deliberation, I went with just accents of black for the entryway cubbies and on the crown down the center of the store. I was SO happy with this decision as the areas just popped. It created such drama and contrast yet still kept the store feeling light.The back wall houses a display of vintage sewing machines (already part of the project when I was brought on). The detail on these machines is truly beautiful. The machines are cornered by a display of refreshments that will be offered to their clientele as they shop. If you're ever in the area, check out the store in person to see all of the design details and check out their beautiful clothing!

Photographed by GoodEye Photography + Design

Rustic Chic Interiors

A few months back I ran across this photo on the Calico Corners website. I just love the mix of the southwestern, velvet corduroy, plaid and animal print fabrics. It has such a masculine/rustic yet elegant feel to it. I swore if I ever owned a cabin...this would be what I would go for not, some themey ideal of what a cabin should look like.

CALICO CORNERS

Then checking out at Safeway last week, I spotted the DEC10/JAN11 issue of Elle Decor. A quick thumbing through just to pass the time lead me to one story in particular and I was sold. I had already known I wanted to share the Calico photo with my readers but I had wanted to pair it with some complimentary looks....and I just struck gold! It was an entire mountain home designed with a rustic chic look. A little more modern than the photo above...and I LOVED it.

I would ever think to place a purple velvet sofa in the same room as reclaimed wooden beams and a deer hanging over the fireplace! But, it adds just a pop of color in a mainly neutral room and the softness of the velvet against the the texture of the stone and weathered woods is just stunning! The geometric throw on the sofa back just absolutely hits it home for me.

Is that Lefroy Brooks tub amazing or what?

Ummm, can I be adopted because I want to stay in these...

Courtesy of M.Elle Design

Sofa Shopping-Room & Board

Recently we went to Room & Board to finalize fabrics and sofa selections with Jennifer Skog. And when I say "we", I mean my durability testing toddler & I. Nothing like a kid eating snacks and jumping on your cushions with shoes to really see how your purchase will perform!

Jen decided on the Dublin Sofa and Chaise Lounge with the Norah Ottoman in a grey houndstooth print. The wooden legs will be more of an espresso color. We played with some of R&B's pillow offerings but nothing struck us except for the Indigo Velvet Pillow. It is so lush and rich looking....the photo does it NO justice. I did love the citrine, indigo and turquoise all together though...I'll be pushing her towards that scheme! Our hunt will continue for pillows as we are trying to coordinate them with a custom upholstered cornice board I had made for her last year. Here is a bit of advice. DON'T buy anything permanent until you are ready to work on the ENTIRE room design. Although we still love the fabric it is making it tricky to have to work around that one set thing. Does my best friend listen to me...no...she's impatient. But aren't we all!

Looks guilty...doesn't she?

We're not using that printed pillow but you can see the indigo and the scale of the houndstooth a little better in this photo.While Jen was placing her order, I chased my toddler around the store but made time to stop and drool at the rug and pillow displays. The thought of a nap in them was just...so...tempting!

You Are Missed

My current living circumstances have all my Christmas decorations packed up and in storage. No decorations for me this year but I must say that it is less stressful being that The Bean, I'm sure, would just love to get her grubby little hands on them. Don't need that stress in my life right now thank you very much!

In honor of my boxed up decor...we will soon be re-united.

Are you ready for 2011?

We're about to ring in the New Year so why not treat yourself and your office to a new stylish calendar. Here are some of my front runners....

Papersource Wall Art Calendar

Susy Jack Desk Calendar

Chair Calendar

Stendig Calendar

If you want to see another way to use this calendar look HERE

Letterpress Calendar

And I LOVE the idea of framing the images from the calendars to use as artwork!