Great Things

In February I introduced you to, "Great Things", and the owner. As I mentioned in that article, it is always changing with new items arriving daily. While on a shopping trip I visited the shop to find it with a beautiful uplift arranged in an array of colors, each vignette seems to display one treasure after another and how clever to arrange it in the colors you are looking for, from clothing to furniture and home goods items. Their talents for designing also shows with a flair and manner appealing to..." what women want"... beautiful clothing and home decor items!!!! Not to mention the fantastic prices and quality!!! How fun is this, shopping for a great pair of shoes and to your surprise you find a great piece of art or chandelier!!!!

At Great Things Showplace you will find quality pre-owned furniture/home décor and beautiful designer clothing and accessories. Many items never or barely used. Best of all, nearly 98% of all items brought into the store sell, and quickly. Everyday new items arrive.” It always changes, which is why you need to shop regularly, so you don't miss a "Great Thing".

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Bright Idea

Designers are getting inventive with their use of old books. Not too long ago we saw Not Tom’s Book Bookshelf, which is actually made of unwanted books, both paperback and hardcover (Not Tom does Not discriminate). And designer David Karoff presented Book Chair, a chair constructed of repurposed paperbacks.
Now Ragip Erdem is using old hardcovers to make lamps. The transparently titled Book Lamp (and why not be obvious, since you want people to see the light?) uses one tome to create a unique lighting fixture.



Available as a table light or pendant light, Book Lamp uses all the parts of the book: pages, spine, and front and back covers. The idea behind the design is to emphasize the metaphorical beauty of the book, as well as to take advantage of the book as an object, which may be disappearing as it gets replaced by digitized versions. The romance of the book struck designer Erdem quite early: “When I was in high school just glancing at my books on the book shelves used to take me to the exotic worlds.” His Book Lamp attempts to harness “that lost mysterious feeling.”



But Book Lamp works on a literal level as well, celebrating books as objects, turning them “into sculpturesque icons.” As such, Book Lamp is steeped in the atmospheric and the symbolic. The light it emanates works to set a mood; it is not meant to be used as a task light. Designer Ragip Erdem will custom make any order based on your literary tastes. Art and coffee table books lend themselves quite well to the creation of Book Lamp, which leaves open a world of possibilities. While he has completed Book Lamps around titles such as Maui and Chocolate, the possibilities are as far-reaching as the entire history of literature. You can create a beaming beacon out of fantastic fairy tales or weighty world histories.

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Markus Johansson’s Cirrata Lamp

Who knew that a behind-the-scenes look at design could reveal a process as multifarious and complex as that of making a major film? And a Tim Burton film at that. The comparison holds in regard to Markus Johansson's Cirrata Lamp, especially when one sees the dozen or so miniaturized prototypes that culminated in this over-sized lightpiece that resembles a gigantic octopus.




The large lamp’s name refers to a suborder of octopi characterized by an internal skeleton and a set of two fins—unusual qualities in an octopus and ones which actually make it more vulnerable to predators. Perhaps Johannson chose the name for this reason, because Cirrata’s increased vulnerability prompts it to favor deep, dark spaces.



In such depths the creature can avoid predation, and one imagines Johannson’s imaginative vision of Cirrata profited from this biological fact. It seems likely as well, that the designer chose the hard—and heretofore less malleable—material of Corian for similar reasons, not the least of which is the intriguing way in which it absorbs and reflects light.



Using a high-heat forming process in which he molded Corian around wooden boxes, Johannson was able to stretch the material out into the luminously-long and many-appendaged parabola of Cirrata: “a body with many arms which sweeps along and lights up the depths.”

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Great Things

While shopping in the wonderful maze of "The Arboretum", located in Charlotte NC, I found, "Great Things". To my surprise it was an upscale resale shop with an array of designer clothing and accessories as well as unique home and furniture items. I was greeted with a warm welcome and introduction to the owner, Jeanni Law and her daughter Kim.

Everywhere I looked there were lovely displays of accessories and unique furniture and home decor items. You owe it to yourself to visit her quaint shop and be prepared to spend a few hours browsing, so you don't miss a thing.

The resale industry is one of the few recession proof segments of retailing. Not only does it survive during economic slowdowns but it grows and thrives. The appeal is twofold… Consumers are attracted to buying quality merchandise at a fraction of the original cost and the financial incentive to sell, consign or donate their unused or unwanted items.


With gas prices at record highs, food costs increasing, and housing expenses rising, it is no wonder that consumers are feeling cash and credit constrained. As they run out of purchasing power, they cut back on discretionary spending and change they way they shop_ but don’t be mistaken, people will still shop! Some people shop because it makes them feel better, others shop out of need… professionals still have to look good,  newly weds and college students need to furnish their dorms and apartments. I love to recyle and refresh my decor, and prefer the intimate shopping of smaller establishments.  In this uncertain economy_ when people are shopping cautiously and focused on getting more for their money_ resale is the natural choice. The industry offers the best of both worlds… the chance to SHOP AND SAVE.

At Great Things Showplace you will find quality pre-owned furniture/home décor and beautiful designer clothing and accessories. Many items never or barely used. Best of all, nearly 98% of all items brought into the store sell, and quickly. Everyday new items arrive.” It always changes, which is why you need to shop regularly, so you don't miss a "Great Thing".

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Lighting Design

I have already written about the basics of buying bedroom furniture and bedroom furnishing planning. Lets have a look at a more specific issue that you need to consider when it comes to designing that special intimate place for you, your bedroom.

Lighting can make all the difference when it comes to getting the overall feel of your bedroom just right. Lighting can totally alter the ambiance of a room, change how the colors look and dictate the way you feel in your bedroom. Lighting also has a range of different uses in a bedroom, sometimes conflicting, and you need to plan your lighting to make sure all are satisfied.

For example what happens when you drop that hair clip onto the bedroom floor at night? You need good lighting to help you find it, there 's no point in crawling around the floor in low mood lighting struggling to see. Or perhaps you like to read in bed and have poor eyesight, so need good strong light to do so.

But then when you've just come home from a wonderful night out and need warm romantic lighting in the bedroom it 's not so fun if it 's lit up like an office just so that you can see the carpet for finding that hair clip or for reading.

You need to think about your lighting plan before you start putting in your lighting. Yes you need versatile lighting, but it can all be accomplished if it 's properly planned before hand. Anything is possible if designed right.

For instance you need overhead lighting, no doubt. You might not use it all the time, but there will be times when you do need it. But that doesn't mean one light fitting stuck in the middle of the ceiling, it could mean a group of low voltage down lights for example, or lights behind a sculpture. It 's all to do with your needs and likes, and you need to do your homework first. You can ultimately save money by consulting a professional to guide you, by not making costly learning mistakes.

You need a way to make sure that overhead lighting doesn't detract from the feel of your bedroom when you want warmer lower intimate light. One of the best ways to do this is to have the overhead lights on separate switches, preferably with a dimmer included. So you can turn individual lights on or off, or lower, to create the exact right feel for you.

Light color is also important. Different types of light bulbs create different light colors, and the overall effect of your bedroom is heavily affected by the color of the light. For example incandescent bulbs create a different color than fluorescent lighting, or down lighting. Learn a little about the color of the light that you want to create before purchasing, not all types of light bulb go in all types of light fittings.

Use of individual lights is also very important. There are some wonderful floor lamps and also table lamps available, just stunning designs and colors. For example if you think you would like to read while your partner sleeps then a small table lamps next to the bed on the bedside table will be very useful. Or a well chosen floor lamp.

And finally, a small tip. Make sure that light switches that allow you to switch off your bedroom lighting are all reachable from the bed, there 's nothing better than being able to snuggle in and switch off the lights without having to get out of bed once you're comfortable and warm.

So if you're setting up your bedroom and choosing bedroom furniture, or perhaps refurbishing, spend a little time planning your lighting, you'll be glad you did. This lighting design should be applied in every room in your home, your home is a sanctuary, You don't want to feel you are in an office atmosphere. Lately, I have noticed circuit city and other businesses using low lighting, someone caught on that it does create a calming affect, so I am glad to see this trend showing up which makes our shopping experience more relaxing.

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Designer Showcase

Coordinate fabric designed on the pillows to accent the purple and red
Overstuffed chairs and headboard was covered in print to match bed ensemble
Accessories added the final touch using art, plants, statues and personal items
The wall was a faux using a pale yellow and white to soften the room and bring out the pastel yellows in the print and accent pillows
The green and pale yellow silk stripe was used was used for the end table covers and for lining the draperies
View from Master Bedroom into Master Sitting Room
View from Master Sitting Room into Master Bedroom

Master Suite Sitting Room/Not shown in this picture was an antique love seat across from the fireplace which was covered in the pale yellow and green silk stripe which lined the draperies and was used for the table tops. A green and yellow tassle trim added the final touch of elegance to the draperies





I recently had a request to reprint this about a Designer Showcase I did in Columbus Georgia.

I was lead designer in this showcase of homes project. My project was the master suite, consisting of the sitting room, bedroom and master bath. Proceeds went to support the local symphony.

This was quite a large bedroom, I selected this floral print which showcased 26 colors in the pattern. I then used red, green, yellow and purple as my accent colors. A small room could not handle this large pattern, this allowed the room to have a warmer feeling. First I choose a pale yellow and faux painted the walls which were originally white. I added the light fixture, replaced the carpet from a dark brown to an off white bringing out the background of the fabric. The table skirts and drapes are lined in a pale yellow and green stripe creating a garden escape feeling. There was a surrounding patio which displayed a flower garden making this room feel an extension of the garden.

The sitting room sofa was upholstered in the same yellow and green stripe and the floral pattern lined with the same stripe was then carried through on the half draperies which were displayed on a swing rod giving the room a three dimensional look allowing more view to the garden.

When working with a large room, as you can see, color and a lot of it works!!! The room has a clean fresh yet romantic feel with a softness to reflect a mellow yet fun mood.

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