5. For those of us who went completely clean and serene with neutrals, you may want to add a little spike back to the punch with color. Hot colors like fuschia, citrine, aquamarine, persimmon, and purple brought in with accents are adding freshness to these calm spaces.

A quiet bedroom is awakened with a punch of bright accents.

4.  Lucky for Memphis, a traditionally Traditional market, style is reflecting a lot of classics this year. We’re seeing the Chesterfield sofa popular again and flanked by its old friends the Wing Back chairs.  Newness is added to these pieces with modernized lines, less likely lighter fabrics and uses in more casual spaces.

The Chesterfield sofa lightened with cream fabric and used in a casual sunroom.

3.  Man up.  Menswear, particularly English, is on the rise and it fits right in with Traditional design. Loads of new patterns are available in houndstooth, plaids, pinstripes, and tweeds.  Available in all colorways, including feminine colors too!, heavier textures are adding extra interest to these classics in wool, flannel, suedes and embossed leathers.

2. Escape to somewhere exotic. Global patterns such as ikats and suzani prints were all over Fall Market included in Traditional settings as well.  We enjoyed the spice these unconventional patterns and colors brought to the table.

1. Our favorite trend is nothing new and is here to stay.  However, it’s lately fresh on all our minds. American Made is the best way to buy great quality.  Most of our highest quality vendors manufacture casegoods and upholstery right here in the United States. We enjoy passing along to you not only fine hand-craftsmanship at affordable prices, but customer service that can only be provided with direct relationships with manufacturers we have come to know personally. Come see what’s Made in America for Chestnut Hall!

Mahogany Four Poster Bed with Satinwood Cross-banding made by Councill in Denton, North Carolina.

Happy New Year!

Lana

Like most people, our family’s Christmas tree is our most important Christmas decoration, the place where we gather on the holiday. Ours is adorned with frosted colored bulbs and ornaments that evoke family memories while we make new ones each Christmas. It sets the tone for the Christmas mood in the house. And I also love it because it involves decorating. Here are some fun facts about the history of the Christmas tree and its ornaments, which help to explain why we started doing this in the first place!

The tradition of the Christmas tree as we know it is thought to have begun in Germany in the 8^th century. Legend has it the monk Saint Boniface presented a fir tree to decorate for the season because the tree’s triangular shape represented the Holy Trinity. Martin Luther has been credited with being the first to light his Christmas tree with candle light to further explain the story of Christmas to his children. The candles represented the Heavens and stars.

An illustration of Martin Luther explaining the Christmas story with the first lighted Christmas tree.

The first indoor, decorated tree is said to have been in Strasbourg, France in 1605. Early ornaments were paper roses, lighted candles, wafers, nuts, and sweets.  As the tradition evolved, advanced homemade ornaments included painted egg shells, cookies, replicas of food made of paper, glass beads, and hand-sewn snowflakes. Tinsel was introduced in 1610 and was made of pure silver!

Queen Victoria had much to do with widespread popularity of celebrating the season and many of the traditions that we know and love. In 1860, an illustration of the queen and Prince Albert around the Christmas tree in their home was published in Godey’s Lady’s Book and inspired British as well as American Christmas trees in the home.  Other Christmas traditions she spread were singing carols, charitable giving during the holiday season, and hearty family feasts of roast beef, goose or turkey and plum pudding for desert. Like Martha Stewart of the 19th Century, many of Queen Victoria’s ornaments were handcrafted, and instructions for creating them were included in popular magazines. One example was a hot air balloon made with an early light bulb and net.

Queen Victoria, Prince Albert around their tree as published in Godey's Lady's Book

Victorian Santa Claus ornament collection

Cookies were key players in early homemade ornaments, baked into the shapes of bells, stars, hearts and other symbols of the season. German manufacturers took this concept to the next level during the Industrial Age and began making ornaments out of glass molds.  The shapes were infinite and included animals, saints, famous people, and children, and their popularity had a global impact.

Ornaments made of cookies, such as these by Martha Stewart Living, were popular homemade ornaments in the early days of the Christmas tree.

Blown glass ornaments like these were made in Lauscha, Germany.

The history of the ornament industry is rich and has influenced the way we value ornaments as collections. Every charm imaginable was created, from Santas, angels and other symbols of Christmas, to souvenirs of vacation spots, icons of popular culture and milestone markers. A tree rich in ornaments reflected the lives and interests of the owners and became monuments to families and time capsules to reopen each year and add even more meaning. By 1890 F.W. Woolworth reportedly had sold $25 million worth of German glass ornaments in the United States. During and after the World Wars, there was a backlash against items made in Germany.  In the 1930s, German ornament manufacturer Max Eckhardt, sensing his business was going to go under, partnered with Woolworth and approached Corning Company to start manufacturing American-made glass ornaments. They repurposed a machine that made ribbon glass light bulbs to produce Christmas ornaments! Eckhardt later founded popular American silvered ornament company Shiny Brite. Ornament entrepreneur Christopher Radko now reproduces both the 19th and 20th Century German ornaments as well as Shiny Brite classics from the mid-20th Century.

Shiny Brite silvered ornaments, reproduced by Christopher Radko.

A Shiny Brite tree topper reproduction by Christopher Radko.

One thing that’s remained consistent is that no matter the time in Christmas tree history, homemade ornaments have created one of a kind Christmas trees and added personal touches that in my opinion, glass ornaments just can’t reproduce.  When home for Christmas at my parents’ house, 20-something year old sticky, glittery paper ornaments my brothers and I made at school resurface every year attached to memories, and the felt Santas and Snowmen my mom made when we were kids will find prominent spots on the tree no mattered how tattered they appear when their boxes are reopened this year. Among newer ornaments, these are still our favorites and make our tree uniquely ours.  Click HERE for instructions on how to make Mr. and Mrs. Clause shown at the top of the blog post!  And for more fun facts and a more thorough history of the Christmas tree and its ornaments, visit The Ornament Shop!

Merry Christmas!

Lana

Lillian August's version of the Chesterfield shows the softer side of the robust sofa, upholstered in oatmeal linen.

Chesterfield sofas in dark leathers may conjure images of sophisticated, masculine salons where men in suits talk politics through foggy, swirling cigar smoke…. dark woods, damask and houndstooth, leather bound books and hunting scenes on the walls…. This may be nostalgic and romantic, but we’ve got news for you….Put your cigar out, the Chesterfield has left the library!

The Chesterfield is a robust, tufted sofa with roll arms the same height as the back. Comfortable and luxurious, it moves with ease to the family room in linen or velvet. Getting more creative, a Chesterfield settee could make a great banquette in the breakfast area or a cozy place to lounge at the foot of a bed.  Last Market, nearly every upholstery showroom had a version, most often given new life covered in fabric or colored leather instead of traditional dark leather. Designers have also modified the frame.

The "Englishness" of a Chesterfield settee in the Pearson showroom, Spring Market 2011, is set off by Union Jack ottomans!

The Chesterfield has seen waves of popularity over its time but is so classic it never goes out of style, having passed trend status into the tenure of the Classics the same way Chippendale or Louis XVI chairs are never retired. The origin is debatable. Some believe the sofa was named after the English town of Chesterfield, while others believe it was named after the 4th Earl of Chesterfield, Philippe Stanhope, a writer, politician and trendsetter, who possibly commissioned the sofa.

We couldn’t resist. Our first Chesterfield has arrived, upholstered in cream linen, bringing softness to a traditionally masculine style. Come try it out, we don’t expect it to stay long. Check out some of our favorite versions and variations below.

Yours,

Lana

Chestnut Hall's Chesterfield!

Wesley Hall's Hollywood glam version of the Chesterfield.

Lillian August's Chesterfield chair

The Cowboy's Chesterfield by Hancock & Moore

The Chesterfield goes to the Jersey Shore....!

Covered in velvet, the Chesterfield takes on a different personality, soft but sophisticated.

The furniture world's conjoined twins! The Chesterfield double sofa by Old Hickory Tannery is a dramatic statement when floating in a large room.

In addition to great local restaurants, unique shops and creative culture, a major perk of being a Midtowner is living among so much beautiful architecture. A walk or run around Central Gardens or the Evergreen Historic District provides endless eye candy for anyone who loves history and design.  So many styles neighbor each other on the same streets, such as Arts & Crafts, Colonial, Tudor, Victorian, and the occasional Mid-Century surprise.  But mostly, we’re just witnessing the front facades, so when there’s a chance to step inside, I happily oblige and in some cases, I don’t even mind waiting in line….

Which I did at the Central Gardens Association Home and Garden Tour with my friend and co-Midtowner Jessica Jackson.  We were both inspired by the architecture, which included Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, Arts & Crafts, an English-style cottage, and a strange Prairie Style-Neoclassical hybrid, each built in the first quarter of the 20^th Century.  The interiors of most of the homes were very well-preserved, well-decorated and personal.  What I enjoyed the most was unexpected – most of these homeowners had incredible art collections. We viewed beautiful historic family portraits, Asian tapestries, contemporary works by noted Memphis artists such as Paul Edelstein and Jared Small, notable 20^th Century pieces by Burton Callicott and works on paper by Le Corbusier himself!  And that’s just to name a few.

Click through the gallery below to see some of the highlights of the tour. I hope you are inspired as well!

Yours,

Lana

Whimsical, theatrical Strawberry Hill during a recent renovation. In the Gothic Revival style, the quatrefoil and trefoil were major motifs. Photo by Andrew Urwin for The Guardian.

It might not be St. Patrick’s Day, but at Chestnut Hall we’re feeling lucky.  We’re noticing clover shapes surfacing in our furniture and accessories lines and they’re sprouting up on our showroom floor.  I’m taken back to Design History class, where a lovely and quirky English professor referred to herself as Auntie Lorella (pronounce that AHN-tee) and made every style spanning Medieval to Victorian seem romantic and world-changing. She taught us that contrary to our common association of clovers with the luck of the Irish, in decorative arts, they relate to the Gothic and Gothic Revival styles from all across Europe.

For word of the day purposes, Auntie Lorella explained these clover shapes are formally called quatrefoil and trefoil and translate to “four leaves” and “three leaves,” respectively. They were widely used in Gothic architecture, but their popularity peaked in the Gothic Revival period, which began in the mid-18th century. Gothic Revival was a whimsical era in decorative arts history, as the darkness was sucked out of Gothic design. Gothic symbols and principles were theatrically exploited, multiplied, and often painted white. Gothic ruins were treasured for their dark and romantic novelty. Horace Walpole was the trendsetter, a writer who built Strawberry Hill in London, a Gothic Revival “little plaything house,” or others might call it a palace, when everyone else was building in the Classical style.  He coined the term “gloomth” to express a joyful pleasure in the gloominess of Gothic design. He filled his home with art and treasures from ancient to then-modern times, hosted extravagant parties, and allowed tourists to visit his masterpiece.  Click here for a slideshow by The Guardian showing Strawberry Hill during its recent restoration and to learn more about the fantastic Horace Walpole. You’ll gain a lighter and brighter appreciation for Gothic style!

Here are some of our favorite pieces available at Chestnut Hall that include trefoils and quatrefoils.

Yours,

Lana

A trefoil shaped cocktail ottoman

Quatrefoil cut-out headboards are available in hundreds of fabrics.

Quatrefoil windows add functional interest to this long, shallow cabinet.

A low, trefoil end table.

Henredon's quatrefoil mirror

A handsome tray with quatrefoil pattern

Suzani-inspired accessories at Chestnut Hall

Busted…. I thought I was alone in the warehouse when unpacking our new pillows. I was startled by Chestnut Hall co-owner Michael Baty, “You look like a little girl on Christmas morning!”  Truth is, I was so giddy  he was probably right. And another truth is, I am going to have to take one or two home for myself.

Our embellished pillows and stools are inspired by Suzani designs from the late 18th and early 19th Centuries.  Suzani textiles, often blankets, originated in Central Asia in countries such as Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, and were commonly used for dowery. Bright colors, natural motifs and symbols of hope and happiness were often used, such as bold flowers and suns.

Vibrant, graphic Suzani-inspired pillows

While referencing a rich history, these Suzani-inspired pieces with their bright, graphic patterns can add a modern touch, as well as a bit of luxury and a colorful pop, to most any room. Rich colors are earthy, warm oranges, pinks, rusty reds, grassy greens, peacock and turquoise blues. The textures couldn’t be finer starting with the plush down inserts of the pillows, with  coverings made of linen and velvet with embroidery and the occasional sparkle.

We’ve dotted our showroom with these colorful gems. A few samples are below. Come by and see!

Yours,

Lana

Both ceiling and wall coverings in the Brooklyn home of decorators Jason Oliver Nixon and John Loecke are by Thibaut, one of our favorite wallpaper lines at Chestnut Hall.

About once a month, I curl up on the sofa with a glass of wine and go through my stack of New York Magazines. Arriving weekly, they accumulate quickly and live in a tray messily, but fittingly, commingled with my stack of Memphis Magazines. This little mess keeps me up to date with the happenings of my two favorite cities!

Looking at the Spring ’11 Home Design issue of New York Magazine, the featured interiors include an artist who knitted a sweater for every object in her home – even the toilet, a couple who decorated the walls, floor and ceiling of their kitchen with masking tape, Amy Sedaris’ kitschy apartment, designed as if she “owned a child,” and my favorite as a former Brooklynite – a charming Brooklyn townhouse turned “laboratory” for two decorators obsessed with color and pattern.  For Jason Oliver Nixon and John Loecke, pronounced “lucky,” bold and brave is best, and wallpaper installed on the ceiling is never off the wall after all. A closer look at their interiors revealed that many of the whimsical wall coverings used are by companies such as Thibaut and Cole & Son, whose gorgeous papers are available at Chestnut Hall, right here in the Memphis area.

Click here to see the article Paper Planes by Ian Volner for New York Magazine,  and see several favorite images from the article above and below. All photos by Dean Kaufman for New York Magazine.

Yours,
Lana

Jason Oliver Nixon never forgot his trip to the Greenbrier Hotel as a child. This room shows Dorothy Draper never left him!

Wallpaper by Cole & Son, available at Chestnut Hall

Wallpaper by Thibaut. Who says you can't mix large scale patterns?

One of the perks of going to Market is the chance to meet some of our design heroes. We were thrilled to meet interior design icon Bunny Williams in her Beeline Home showroom, an environment full of eye candy for lovers of Traditional design. Bunny graciously welcomed us and talked to us about her inspirations.  Long before her furniture line, her aesthetic and take on Traditional design have always been right up our alley.  We love the way Bunny mixes furniture pieces from different time periods and styles, and we especially admire her fearless use of color. Bunny Williams discusses color with Karen Rice:

In our eyes, the elements in Bunny’s rooms are like members of an eclectic salon in a dynamic conversation….. A contemporary painting conversing with a Classical bust, a Mid-Century-inspired wing chair in dialog with an egg-and-dart console. Walls clad in rusty, corrugated tin and an astroturf rug become exquisite art elements, holding their own among marble and silk. Below enjoy some images of Bunny’s showroom!

Yours,

Lana

With Bunny Williams

There’s a reason Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the USA has been stuck in my head lately.  We’ve been celebrating all things American-made! We CH staffers have traveled to the factories of our American vendors along Thunder Road, oops I meant Tobacco Road, North Carolina, to explore the nuts and bolts of the fine furnishings we offer and to personally meet the talented craftsmen who build these products. These seasoned companies have been using time-tested methods and first-rate materials since the glory days of the furniture business in this area, and we couldn’t be prouder to present the wares of manufacturers such as Taylor King, Hancock & Moore, Pearson, Wesley Hall, Henkel Harris and many others. We’ve been beyond impressed with the high quality standards and human touch each piece receives in every stage of production. Just as we seek out restaurants with local fare and shop local foods and products at farmers markets to support local vendors and the local economy, buying American supports the American work force and the American economy, a worthy investment indeed.

This week we were privileged with the opportunity to share our support for American furniture manufacturers with all of the Mid South, with a feature in The Commercial Appeal Business Section!

Click here to view the article: Chestnut Hall Focuses on Quality Goods to Facilitate its Growth

And see a sampling of some of my favorite American-Made pieces currently in stock below. Are you singing Springsteen yet?

Yours,

Lana

Elegant dining chairs, hand-crafted and upholstered in Hickory, NC

Industrial cocktail table, built to last in Boone, North Carolina

Zuni Sunset loveseat, Made in Bedford, Virginia

This console with hidden wire management features corner finger joints and a subtle nod to the Ming Dynasty. Built with TLC in Denton, North Carolina

Skirted camelback sofa by Lillian August, tailored to perfection in Hickory, NC

This Henkel Harris chest is so fine, the dovetailing is hidden, built to last generations in Winchester, VA

Amish rocker handcrafted in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!  As many of you know, at Chestnut Hall we have been celebrating our products that are American-made. This Spring, we have gone on the road to see firsthand what Made in America really means, and we were blown away not only by the skill and craftsmanship, but the extra TLC put into handmade American upholstery and casegoods. We traveled through real, small town America, (and it was extra fitting that we actually visited Andy Griffith’s home town in this process!)  Viewing upholstery and casegoods in the making gave us the opportunity to see the furniture we stand behind from start to finish, to truly understand why they are quality products, and what the differences are between our various manufacturers’ methods.

Today I’ll share with you some insider knowledge about upholstery, observed on our factory tours.  Your mother told you “nice” sofas and chairs are eight-way hand tied.  Often our customers ask for this feature knowing it means superior and well-made, but don’t really know why, or that this bit of engineering must be carefully planned and put together entirely by hand.  Here’s the scoop.

Simply put, eight-way hand tied coil springs provide a web of support underneath the seat cushions of a sofa or chair. However, they do more than make sure you don’t fall through the bottom. Other spring systems exist, but only eight-way hand tied systems are tailored to each specific piece and adapt to the individual sitter’s weight and position.  The springs are secured sturdily in place by a web of hand-tied rope that crosses each spring eight times, but have enough give to move in different directions depending on the force of the sitter. This means that every person who sits in an eight-way hand tied chair or sofa experiences it in their very own way!  Eight-way hand tied sofas and chairs offer superior comfort and durability because of the range of movement beneath the cushions.

Here are some photos from our trip to the factories watching eight-way hand tying in action!

Yours,

Lana