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Sprucette Stories
My own style is a bit of a moving target, but the one thing that continues to ring true for me is to MIX IT UP! Whether I am telling myself to mix it up in life (train for a sprint triathlon when I really haven’t exercised in eons, okay!) or with my own home, it almost always turns out for the better. A great way we encourage people to mix it up at Spruce is with texture! To create a layered look in your home often calls for different scales, different colors, and different textures. One item that I can’t seem to not want to throw in is leather! It is so many things…rich, homey, luxurious, comfortable, tailored, LOVELY! Leather can be appropriate in just about any design aesthetic. Mixed in with other textiles it will greatly enhance the “vibe” you are looking to put off. Check out a few knockout integrations of leather into a space.
Here are a few of some of the leather pieces I have been drooling over!
Check out these unconventional uses of leather. Don’t let the boundaries of convention stop you!
We all know that leather can be overdone, but a little bit here and there can’t hurt. Leather can be a pricey option, but have no fear! There are hundreds of faux leathers out there that are supple and look glorious. This is a great choice for those who for personal reasons would be against the use of leather as well. If you are having a design block and can’t figure out your next step, consider leather. It may be just what you need!
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Last month we tackled the first half of wall upholstery. Now learn how to finish it up! Click HERE to see the full Design*Sponge post!
I bring to you another round of stunning, amazing, fresh before and afters!
Our first makeover had awesome and singular bones to start with. A pair of Mid-Century/Danish wing chairs with some awesome shapes were dated with an 80s floral woven fabric throughout. See below:
And look at them now!
Updated and referential to their place in time. Done up in a multi-color floral jacquard supplied by our customer, and the outsides adorned with a lofty wide-wale pistachio corduroy. Outstanding!
We had a round of blue velvet this month. Here’s a before with huge potential.
A two-piece sectional in need. And then the reveal!
This sectional is fit for a party! Miles of style in a slick shiny Kravet blue velvet. And another blue dream happened next! Here’s the before:
A near match after! Same color, different texture in a Duralee velvety-chenille. Cool in the pool! This is about the longest, heaviest, most stylish sleeper sofa I’ve ever met. Witness its glory!
Last in blue velvet was a from-scratch fabrication. A blue velvet headboard with bright white velvet piping. The client had a bedskirt made to match! Awesome! (Velvets are Duralee.)
We re-upholstered an Eames style lounger and ottoman that was in sorry shape.
The customer chose a cool green leather for the redesign.
Finally a neat update for an aged traditional camel back sofa. There she is below:
This piece got a new lease on life with a gray and white print from Maxwell (“Interchange” in color Pearl.)
I was so intrigued by the above image of a pix-elated sofa that I could not help but to do a little investigating on the brain behind this design. The owner of these designs is a man by the name of Cristian Zuzunaga and I felt that he was worthy of a blog entry all of his own. Mr. Zuzunaga is a Barcelona born graphic and print designer. His more recent creations are a result of the inspiration he gets from modern architecture. The pix elated fabric comes from magnified images of modern buildings and cityscapes. The outcome provides such a large repeat that each piece is truly unique.
I was pleasantly surprised when I learned that he takes this pixel print beyond furniture. In fact, as you will see, he uses several different mediums to feature the oversized pixels.
I really just can’t get enough of this. I love the big chunks of random color living together in harmony. If you want to take a peek at his website you can see his most recent collaboration with Danskina. Their best-selling rug, Bravoure, now has four new fantastic color ways brimming with texture and contrast.
I bet you will never look at a photo the same again.
1 CommentFor a few weeks now, we have had some new faces at Spruce. Each are filling different roles where we need some fresh new help! Now that they are here, it’s about time we introduce them!
We have added a new Spruceter to the workshop. His name is Brian Barnhouse, and he has taken over as head stripper around here! This face has been familiar to us for some time now since Brian is actually Frank’s son! We have gotten to know Brian since Frank joined Spruce over a year ago and thought he would make the perfect Spruceter. Father and son share similar features (check out their same smiles!), but are uniquely different in many ways. Check out some fun facts about Brian:
- Born in San Francisco
- Has four lizards, three cats, and one dog that he loves to take care of!
- Favorite movies: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Big Lebowski, Casino
- Favorite TV shows: The Sopranos, La Casa de al Lado (Spanish Soap!)
- Favorite artists: Deftones, NIN, Goldfrapp
- Overall design style: Minimalist, loves dark rich colors
- Things Brian enjoys: Taking care of his pets, photo/video editing, and he can’t pass up a good ghost story!
- Something you wouldn’t know about Brian: He loves to write! Screenplays, novels, or shorts. I pressed for his favorite character, and he said he wasn’t quite ready to share him/her. Can’t wait to wriggle that out of him!
We are jazzed to have Brian as our newest Spruceter!
Next, we have had an addition to the front of the shop in the form of my newest intern! We got connected through one of our fantastic customers, and I am seriously glad we did. Her name is Gabrielle Stein, and she couldn’t be more fantastic! For the last few weeks Gabrielle has helped us overhaul our fabric section. She is quick as a whip and super friendly, just what we love in a Sprucette! Check out a few things to know about Gabrielle:
- Grew up in Dallas
- Got her degree in Studio Art, specifically painting and print-making
- When she is not helping us at the shop, you can find her at the new, delicious eatery, Elizabeth Street Cafe.
- Favorite music: Indie Rock, Old school Honky-Tonk (we were destined to like each other because of this one!)
- Overall design style: She is still developing what that is, but her home would be described as eclectic. She has a prized possession from her grandmother of a lime green tweed sofa, love it! She loves to collect vintage pieces with personality and build around those items.
- Has spent some time creating beautiful copper plates for print-making, and is excited to possibly be joining a print makers co-op in Austin!
- Has a biz of painting pet portraits! Check out her site here.
- Something you wouldn’t know about Gabrielle: She loves to boot scoot, a true kindred spirit! She can’t get enough of the local dance halls (Don’s Depot, the Spoke) and two-stepping. I am sure she can dance circles around most folks with her background in dance, as well!
Our little family is getting bigger, and we couldn’t be happier about it. Next time you are in the shop, be sure to say hello to the newbies. I know they will appreciate it!
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