inspiring new fabrics ....

I'm LOVING the new hot colors for the Spring, from Duralee Fabrics.
Bergere chairs get a makeover with delicious melon mixed with bright rhubarb & lilac. On another Bergere chair, they show the contrast of a dark wood stain with a bold pop of turquoise & white bold motif, accented with a pillow of citron green & white. On the porch photo , I love the ever popular kiwi & white and turquoise & white graphic prints. Notice how they slipcoverd a weathered teak bench & added an upholstered cushion with pillows, great idea. Giving comfort to an otherwise ,uncomfortable bench.
All of these colors are faves of mine. But right now I'm loving the bright rhubarb look. Colors that are popping out right now are great for the soul , don't you agree? I personally think it's great to have colors like this coming back into urban homes right now. (they've always been great for the coastal home, but now we see urban dwellings bringing in the fresh new colors)
Anita Strods Dore is a talented designer for the Maine Cottage furniture & fabrics line. She has such a creative eye for picking colors for each line. You can see her very interesting video "finding rhubarb" by going to www.mainecottage/fresh ideas. Rhubarb is truly a luscious, yet hard to define color. Anita defines it by saying
" rhubarb,.. it's not red, coral or pink, it's all of those colors, both old and new but fresh...."
Take the time to check out the Maine Cottage site & watch Anita's video explaining how she achieves her color choices for fabrics & furniture. Anita has a true gift for finding color inspiration.
Right now I'm inspired to create or find a rhubarb chandelier for my store....thanks Anita for the inspiration!
If you have photos of fave "rhubarb decorating" or new apparel lines in rhubarb to share, email me!....
info@jvwhome.com

All the best,
jvw

Spring is right around the corner..

Wanted to share the peek of Spring coming into view...our blossom tree is just starting to bloom....i love it when it's full of white flowers. Does anyone know the name of this tree? Cherry blossom? Thought this pic during the sunset was nice..
Today was one of those picture perfect days in Austin....80 degree weather and gorgeous skies! Another beautiful sunset over the hills and the stars are big and bright tonight in Austin. As you'll see from our time out on the porch tonight, alot of us like to keep our Christmas lights on for the effect all year......makes it more festive at night!
Buenos noches!

Would love for you to send any of your fave design projects and we'll share them with others on this blog(small or large)....send your urban or beach interior photos to: info@jvwhome.com

If your beach dwelling is chosen, then we'll post your place onto our website, under the "beach dwelling of the month"! Love to hear from ya!

Warrenton

IMG_0026, originally uploaded by mseratt99.

Warrenton is one of my favorite markets within the Round Top area...this booth always has a great assortment of the latest home accessories.

Antique Iron Beds

Antique Iron Beds, originally uploaded by mseratt99.

Iron beds are always found in Warrenton.

Texas Fall 2008065

Texas Fall 2008065, originally uploaded by mseratt99.

One of the many covered markets in the Round Top area.

Texas Bluebonnets - 2008

Texas Bluebonnets - 2008, originally uploaded by hbgordon.

You'll see fields of bluebonnets during the spring show of the Round Top Antiques Week. Bluebonnets are the state flower of Texas.

Round Top Antique Market

Kathy at Round Top Antique Market, originally uploaded by hbgordon.

So excited because the FUN and always anticipated," Round Top Antique Week" is coming up the last week of March. Round Top is a precious lil town in the beautiful farming area of Lafayette County in Texas. There are several different markets up and down the highway and in varying little towns around Round Top. But most seasoned shoppers just refer to the whole experience (all the markets) as "Round Top"....
There are way too many different markets to mention in one post....but you can check the Round Top Chamber of Commerce site for all the market information. "Round Top", the "experience", is held two times a year: early Spring and early Fall.
This year I'm thrilled because I will be a vendor at the Texas Rose Market (within the Round Top area, just across from Marburger Farms). The gracious & charming LeAnn Stephenson of The Vintage Laundry (www.thevintagelaundry.biz) will share a booth with JVW BEACH (moi!).
The Vintage Laundry has great merchandise and we're excited about the mix of things we'll offer within our booth.
Thought it would be fun to share photos of the market for those that haven't been there ....it surprises me that each season I talk about Round Top, I find out that alot of locals in Texas still don't know about it or just haven't gone yet. Once you go, you get hooked if you're into decorating, antiques ( refined to shabby), fun apparel and great people...
there's such a camaraderie amongst all the vendors and their spirit makes it a fun place to shop. There are 1000's of booths up and down the main highway that runs from Warrenton down to Round Top and around Carmine and other lil towns....the scenery of the farms around the area is beautiful. The spring show is great because the Texas bluebonnets are all in bloom as well as many other pretty wildflowers. For the Fall show , there are different varieties of wildflowers as well.
Men also love the Round Top experience because there's something for everyone ....but I think they probably enjoy watching all the beautiful Texas women there! Food booths, wonderful sweet tea or sweet lemonade seem to be on every corner....oh, and try the fresh kettle corn made there!
Wear comfortable shoes, get there early and stay late.....too much territory to cover....and you will find out that you can't cover it all in one day anyways! Check the Round Top site as mentioned because some market dates vary. Another great idea is to bring a red wagon or, in Warrenton, you can buy cute market baskets on wheels.....but buy ones with liners or your merchandise may fall out.
Enjoy the photos and hope you'll make a trip to Round Top Antique Week one day.

San Miguel meets shabby on the Texas coast!

Here are some photos of a CUTE coastal cottage in Port Aransas, Texas. LOVE how the owners of this coastal cottage took a stucco abode, painted it a fun kiwi green, then added melon trim !! Notice the creative mix of the pink shutter propped on the front porch with the turquoise bench. Very creative!!













Check out the fun, various Calypso painted Adirondacks.

LOVE this shutter entertainment center!! JVW HOME sells a cabinet like this one in various colors/paint finishes. Notice how they mixed various bright colored frames with colored books. Mixed in an old crab trap for an end table! Fun paper cut-out banner hanging in the main room! Novel idea ,swaying above the fan , don't ya say?

Isn't this veranda great for entertaining or enjoying a nice coastal breeze ?..... great mix of potted plants and love the seguro cactus accent in the garden...makes ya feel like you're in Aruba , Anguilla??

Port Aransas, Texas is where my family has vacationed for many years . I grew up in San Antonio, Texas and now live in Austin, Texas. We'd always head to Port "A" because it was close, but years later I discovered Destin , where my southern "sistas" have "summa" places. LOVE that whole area, especially Rosemary Beach, Grayton Beach, and the famous Seaside, Florida area. Just driving around the brick streets of Seaside and the Rosemary Beach area is eye candy for anyone appreciating unique coastal home design!! I love their mix because it's everything from a traditional beach cottage to a modern , urban loft. Owners "stamp" their abodes by tagging their places with creative names & showing where each owner is from, fun idea . I continued on for years vacationing in Destin , but eventually got tired of the summer traffic in Destin, making the quest even harder ,after the long journey.

Looking for an easier alternative to the coastal vacation close to home,we went back to Port Aransas one summer. We couldn't believe how charming the town had become!! We felt like Seaside had made it's way to the Texas coast because subdivisions were popping up everywhere in fun pastel or bright colors trimmed in white. The town was cleaning up and investors from far away states starting noticing this sleepy lil fishing town. New restaurants, several worthy of "Bon Appetit" credit, & cute shops have grown in Port A also. Even though there is growth, Port A will always stay quaint and charming because it is on an island, Mustang Island. Riding the old ferry to the island is always great fun too. The ferry is the first "window" to the coast and a delight to the senses! Dolphins frolic while the smell of the salt air & pelicans greet you. I love to watch newcomers and seasoned visitors getting out of their cars, on the ferry, enjoying it all. You never get too old to enjoy that ferry!

I will always LOVE Destin and the "Emerald Coast" area & visiting with my "sistas" there during the OFF season , but Port A is great , not congested & closer to home.
We have our 2nd home in Port A and share alot of fun time down there.
.........I still love to learn & experience other coastal destinations, especially the Bahamian islands and the Caribbean....but Port A is just great for that quick weekend fix when you're a Texan...or if you're a northern "snowbird" Port A is wonderful too....we get alot of "snowbirds" each winter in Port A and they're all nice & friendly people!!

All the photos above are pictures from a cute cottage that recently sold in Port A. I LOVE this cottage because it is a FUN eclectic mix of everything from shabby to San Miguel w/even a touch of Texas cowboy mixed in... Looks like they may have bought some things at CITA'S ? CITA'S is a FAB store in Port A that features home furnishings mixed w/great apparel and accessories. Alot of the items you see in the pictures are similar to what they offer in their store too.

I'll feature more about Port A in future blogs and many other fave coastal towns & cottages.....hope you'll pop in again for more coastal chat soon!!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY !!!!