A few years ago, when a young teacher decided to purchase her first residence in a townhome community, it came with the bonus of being one of the model units, so it was move-in ready.  No worries about selecting a lot of furniture, colors or even window treatments!  As time passed, she felt it was missing some of the function she needed, and was missing her own personal stamp of style.  I was so pleased when she asked me to help create a jewel box interior, as I had also been the designer for her mother’s home.  I love sharing interior stories which span the generations.  Keeping it in the family makes it even sweeter!

Every project has to have a starting point and while I certainly had some ideas for helping to expand [...]

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Tags: cottage style, decorative accessories, furniture, Hooker Furniture, living room accents, Sam Moore Furniture, sectional, sofa, Wing Chair

With Valentine’s Day in February, thoughts turn to romance, and there is no better place for a love story than at home. We all know about romantic poetry, romantic novels, romantic movies and romantic music, but what makes a home feel romantic?

In recognition of Valentine’s Day in February, Hooker Furniture’s bloggers will be writing about romantic home décor throughout the month. Several masters of home furnishings design will be sharing exciting ideas about the kinds of decorative accessories, color schemes, fabric choices, textures and styles that come together to create a blend of comfort, meaning and beauty that exudes romance. As we will see, romantic homes rise far above the clichés of roses and candlelight or lace and frills.

Candlelight & Roses are just the beginning [...]

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Tags: accessories, decorative accessories, Design, Olioboard, Pinterest, romantic accessories, romantic décor, Romantic homes, Valentine’s Day

Living a relatively short distance from some of the most beautiful shorelines in the U.S. comes with the advantage of sources for constant design inspiration.  One of my favorite nearby destinations is Kiawah Island, S.C.  The beaches are never overly crowded and the close proximity to historic Charleston offers a bonus side trip.  When my husband and I drive over the little bridge to the island I can feel the layers of the world peel away.  It would be so wonderful to capture that moment in a bottle!

Sanctuary Dune & Beach Cocktail Table

While recently viewing some of the beautiful pieces in Hooker Furniture’s Sanctuary Collection , I became whisked back to those moments in time, after spying their Dune and Beach table.  The finishing reminds me of the drifts of sand and the sea oats swaying in the [...]

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Tags: accent furniture, accents, budget decorating, decorative accessories, design ideas, design trends, furniture design, stay-cation

They walked the streets of New York, Hong Kong, Dallas and Atlanta, shopping boutiques, store windows, antique shops, art galleries and jewelry stores. They scoured the pages of magazines and catalogs, with a trail of sticky notes marking pages of inspiration. They sat side by side for hours in the product development room at the Hooker Furniture  headquarters in Martinsville, Va., glued to the computer screen one minute and bouncing ideas off of each other the next.

Cindy Hall, a Generation X mother of two, and Erica Wingo, a Generation Y single and 2007 college graduate, were the co-developers of the Mélange Accents Collection, a group of one-of-a-kind artistic accents meant to inspire its owners.

As they created Mélange, they were determined to make the collection unlike any other in the marketplace. They intentionally looked not to the expected source of [...]

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Tags: accent furniture, accents, decorative accessories, design ideas, design trends, furniture design, gifts for Mother's Day, history, interior design, living room accent furniture

Do you find yourself wondering what you can do to put the “wow” into the special day when mothers are so deserving of being honored?  It’s just around the corner, (May 8th), and if you’ve been stumped, I’m happy to share a few ideas that will make her eyes sparkle!

Many moms would love to create a special room or escape, even if it’s tucked away inside a hall cubby or in a corner – a place where they could take the time to:  relax, be pampered, participate in a hobby, listen to music, or just catch up on the phone with a friend.  All it takes is the right piece to help make it happen!  As an interior designer, I know it’s important to source for items which are not only beautiful, but can be worked into a room, serving multiple purposes.

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Tags: accent furniture, accents, decorative accessories, gifts for Mother's Day, living room accent furniture, living room furniture, Mother's Day