A delightful story profiles Watson Kennedy this month in Home Accents Today.  Described as a ‘creative country gentlemen’, Ted Kennedy Watson, owns three Watson Kennedy shops in Seattle.  First in his home and  then later in a wholesale showroom in the Seattle Market Center, Watson created a distinct interpretation relished by others.

His first location, still there, opened for business in the heart of the city’s historic Pike Place Market, in a building with a picture window overlooking Puget Sound. Watson selects all of his merchandise, new and vintage, and enjoys reconnecting with old friends at the markets and trade shows.

Watson also buys tons of vintage furnishings and accessories for each of the shops, and travels each year to England and France in search of one-of-a-kind objects. He’s also very specific about the look and feel of his shops, which are characterized by highly visual, quality displays designed to tempt the senses. “The overall look and experience is fairly Old World.”

His customers are described as well-traveled, well-educated creative souls who are looking to fill their homes with special and one-of-a-kind items.

“Core to my business strategy is offering something beautiful to everyone, no matter their wallet. Someone can leave with a beautifully wrapped $6 bar of soap or a $4,000 table. Both customers are treated the same, get the same wrapping and attention. Overall, I would say our average price point is $25.”

Watson prides himself on the one-of-a-kind shopping experience offered at Watson Kennedy and says if everyone else is doing it, he heads in the other direction. “My biggest compliment from a customer is when they say they have never been in a shop quite like mine — then I know I am on the right track.”

After seeing the bold colors of red and gold during the Olympics, more of the same continued at Fashion Week.  No surprise to see the 2009 color trends reflect the synergy of commerce and culture.  The bold and saturated hues remind us of summer and beaches while connecting us to influences and themes of other places such as Russia, East Asia and Latin America.  As Thomas Friedman expresses, the world is flat. 

Interpreted for your home, orange becomes an appealing color for interiors but is not crayon orange but toned down with a touch of yellow and called ‘tiger-eye’.  Likewise red receives a hint of orange and becomes tropical and lush.  In a room setting this ‘Moorish’ red is enhanced by complements of tangy lemon accents.

From Project Runway to Fashion Week, vivid blues and purples are combined with neutrals.  Blue promotes optimism and it’s grounded with nature’s neutrals; think natural fiber, wool, and wood.  This combination of fresh blues with gorgeous gray grounds the palette and promotes stability – a perfect combination for a master bedroom suite. 

The Green movement is mainstream so certainly green is a star whether on the runway or in the home. Spring inspired daffodil yellow pairs with a muddier gold green and adds freshness to the interior.  An old friend, olive green, becomes a sophisticated companion.  One color that combines with all of the above colors is slate grey providing a visual ‘weight’ to the overall color scheme. 

 

Finally, I believe color is LOCAL. Explore your locality, see how the colors are nuanced at your local markets and store display windows.  Spin the color wheel with local hues for a timely update

Named after their great-grandfather’s road construction business, Texan sisters Susan and Katharine Hable founded the NY textiles company Hable Construction in 1999. Katharine, a born saleswoman with professional experience working at Kate Spade and Polo Ralph Lauren; and Susan, an artist inspired by nature and the handmade aesthetic, decided a business partnership would be a harmonious marriage of the siblings’ talents.

Adhering closely to their original vision is the practice of keeping the designs hand-drawn by Susan, and reproduced by skilled artisans who treat their work as a careful craft, employing traditional screenprinting procedures in an old New England factory. Furthering this principle, the company partnered with a Hungarian women’s cooperative in 2001 to produce a line of wool-felt products utilizing a traditional hammer and chisel applique technique. Outside of the wool-felt production, all Hable products are proudly made in the U.S.  The colorful canvas and cotton/linen fabrics are printed by hand in an old New England factory.

espresso bead/chocolate checker coasters

The online store features such fun items as these coasters along with aprons, kids toys and accessories.  Check out the website www.hableconstruction.com for a store in your city or use the convenient online store.

If you have comments, please add them to this post.

The next stage is a critical one for it involves the introduction of vases, candle holders, obelisks, boxes, ginger jars and clocks.  All of these objects offer opportunities to add accent colors, style influences, personal taste or memorabilia from heirlooms.  A rule of thumb is to vary sizes of objects by height and width.  The relationship must in proportion to the other objects. One approach involves use of the same color for a group of accessory items.

 

As I design I use odd numbered groups and begin arranging them on tables. Then I step back and gauge the impact. I find my eye informs me if the proportion is awkward. Another question I ask myself, “Is the group too much, wrong size, not in harmony?”

 

Here are some objects to consider for use when accessorizing.  All of them are from Global Views, a great resource that I found a few years ago.  I especially like the diversity of product as well as the range of prices.

 

VASES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DECORATIVE ITEMS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CANDLE HOLDERS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The final stage entails editing.  Vases can be rotated by season and used with our without flowers. Refresh the look of a room with alternates. On special occasions use the crystal vase, and then return the solid colored vase. Remember, not every gift requires display. Restraint adds more not less.  Step back and ask yourself if there is one thing or more that is excess.

 

The words of Coco Chanel, the fashion designer, are suitable for accessory display too.  Her comment goes like this, “Before you leave the house, take off the last thing you put on.”

 

I would enjoy your comments, questions, ideas and to learn what accessories or heirlooms you use to accessorize your home to make it uniquely yours.

 

 

 

 

 

The next introduction into a room is lamps and lighting.  This includes table lamps, floor lamps and hanging fixtures. Lamps that are the correct size for a table surface fill the space on the table appropriately and art behind them is unnecessary. In the past few years chandeliers appear more frequently.  This is a wonderful departure from the overuse of recessed cans in the ceiling.  Small chandeliers are an option to replace a table lamp but need to be carefully selected for proportion. Select styles much smaller than one for a dining table and add a dose of drama.

 

The examples below from Global Views depict eye-catching lighting that add interest and pizazz to your interior.