Home Decor Salon

Following up from the post on Eddie Ross’ booths at the New Orleans Home & Garden Show (NOHGS), are other interior designer booths. The title of the show was “Design Your Life” and it had an interior design focus. We were lucky that our booth was directly across from the following designer booths. The description for each room is from the NOHGS Guide, supplied by the designers, and in the order in which they were listed. I’ve linked the designers to where they have websites.

Although Chet Pourciau was the lead designer, we met designers Deniz Berkol, Britta Levine, and Beth Stringer — all very nice and good booth companions right across the aisle. We helped each other with lively conversations, directing folks to cards, and keeping eyes out for kids handling the accessories or jumping on the bed that was propped on two narrow wooden braces.

I really liked this detail. Very inspiring — makes me want to go home and count my salt and pepper shakers.

We met designer Amanda Reviere of Rivear Designs and had a wonderful chat with decorative artist Anne Bishton Davis. Her intricately cut stencils are what’s framed as art on this wall below. She and her assistant (below) were walking around in painters overalls — something I can relate to, as that’s usually my attire on the work site. We really liked Anne’s decorative painting and appreciate her coming by our booth to check out casart coverings.

There were a couple of rooms that I didn’t take pictures of, not because I didn’t want to but I simply ran out of time and had to get back to man our booth. The media room by Marilyn Young of Designx Interiors (504-779-0800) was one of them and I’m bummed because it had a cool decorative finish that I wanted to capture on film. It had a robin’s egg, silvery-blue plaster (“Blue Evening Gown”), vertically and randomly troweled over a taupe eggshell base that was left visible throughout. There was a nice contrast of pearlescense and matte as well as restful color combo. One side wall was glossy black crocodile finish with a muslin mesh impression. Cool….Luckily, Marilyn just sent me some pictures.

Valerie Vaughn, one of the designers, was working two booths. Being an interior designer and architect, she was also manning the Delgado ASID booth, clear across the other side of the Superdome. She was smart to wear her “blanket” sweater coat. It not only matched her room but we all wished we were wearing it because it was so cold in the dome, we were shivering. Ironically, while the exhibitors moved in and out, the air was shut off.

Although Darnel Aucoin designed the room, my mother met and had a long chat with Robert Turner of Silk Road Collection (we were wondering where she took off to) and he supplied the following photos. With my mother’s upcoming trip to China, she was drawn particularly to this room. The show proved to have something for everyone this way.

We met Maria Barcelona and her design partner Kristine Flynn of Maria Barcelona Interiors. They were delightful. We really appreciate their interest in casart and coming by our booth to learn more about our product. I liked the play on sheens in their room, particularly the simplicity but with much subtle detailing like those shimmery horizontal stripes. They also did a punchy, pink kid’s room but again, I ran out of time for taking a photo.

I thought this horse triptych detail was exquisite and the chairs “clearly” divine.

Maria demonstrates the zero clearance, eco-friendly fireplace that burns on denatured alcohol. She was gathering a crowd because of the heat. I think everyone was freezing by this point. Love those hands! They remind me of ours — our actual family hands — from 10 years ago! My sister Lindsey had just learned how to make them and we were her guinea pigs. What a goofy picture. It seems like my son Jackson was more interested in TV. Darn, why haven’t I thought of using this immobility trick now that he’s a teenager — this would stop all that computer freehand. Maybe it’s time to break out the plaster of paris for a hand update this summer?

Unfortunately, we don’t have Maria’s nice coffee table to go with our display — just an old fashioned record player (yes they do still exist as do my albums and yes, I play them every now and then).

Although I like contemporary, I like things that remind me of history too and what came before our modern day — maybe a memento mori of sorts.

Speaking of, I hope everyone will have a Happy Easter holiday this Sunday. We are preparing for our 21st annual brunch for family and friends, so we have a couple of busy days ahead.