Chicken City USA

If you haven’t been to Key West, then you may be surprised to know that it has a lot in common with third world nations… the island is overrun with chickens whose ancestors were survivors of the cock fighting parlors that were popular (and legal) during the early part of the 20th century. Here are two photos of chickens that were taken around the former shop on Margaret Street.

So, as you might expect, residents and tourists are fond of owning things that remind them of chickens. Last week, when Jo and Terry (they're my parents - if you're new here) were at the furniture market in Highpoint, they saw a number of “chicken items” for sale:

And after much deliberation (and pricing considerations), the following were selected for the shop:

LOVE that last one! So colorful.

Tune in tomorrow to see a couple of sea-inspired rugs that will be making an appearance in the shop soon!

Blogging, Business & Bites

While at AmericasMart, I decided to give my tired feet a rest and attended "Blogging, Business & Bites" panel discussion featuring four prominent design bloggers and moderated by University of West Georgia professor Barry Leach. So I'd like to introduce you to them and to their blogs, if you don't already follow them.


Jennifer Boles was born and raised in Atlanta. After 10 spent in the business sector, Jennifer decided to pursue her passion for interior design and the decorative arts. Her website focuses on design trends, historical homes, history of design, and all things design related. Recently named "blogosphere darling" by Departures magazine, Jennifer has been featured in numerous publications including The New York Times, Town & Country, Elle Decor, and Array. In 2007 Jennifer became a contributing editor to House Beautiful, and she recently completed her first book, House Beautiful Fabrics for Your Home.


Brian Patrick Flynn is a television producer turned self-taught decorator/designer. The moniker "Decor Demon" comes from Brian's fast-paced weekend routine of furiously raiding garage sales and flea markets for one-of-a-kind pieces with which he creates edgy-meets-elegant spaces. In addition to being as an associate producer, Brian is also the set decorator and on-air design talent for the TBS series, Movie & A Makeover.


Barry Leach followed his true passion--interior design--following a successful career as an advertising creative director. Some may know him better as "Blue," the scholarly voice of the sometimes contrarian but always considered design history blog The Blue Remembered Hills.


Niki Papadopoulos is an interior designer based in Atlanta with a degree in fine arts. She works on a variety of projects from residential and commercial spaces to educational buildings. Niki and her work with Mark Williams Design Associates has been featured in Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Top 10 Under 40 for 2010 (along with Mr. Flynn).


Claire Watkins is an Atlanta based interior designer. After interning with Lee Brian Interior Design and Ivan Allen Workspace, both in Atlanta, Claire began her design career at a high-end textile company, Ulster Textile Mills. Following her stint there, she spent 3 years working on commercial photoshoots as a food, prop, and fashion stylist. Since beginning Claire Watkins Interior Design in may 2009, Claire's interiors have been shown n HGTV.com and she has been quoted in Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles magazine.

Enjoy! We'd like to hear what you think of their blogs...

Atlanta Market Report

Last week I was in Atlanta to visit AmericasMart. It had been a few years since I've been to market, but once I entered the building, it all came back to me: SHOP TIL YOU DROP! Woo hoo!

I had spent quite a bit of time setting up appointments and listing all the showrooms that I wanted to visit so I didn't end up wandering aimlessly for three days. My first stop was the Christian Mosso Showroom which features our two lines of bedding, Pine Cone Hill and Peacock Alley, and our Dash & Albert rugs. After two years of Pine Cone Hill and Dash & Albert discontinuing some of our most popular items, I was pleased to report to Jo that the new introductions are perfect for Style Key West.






I also found a showroom in the temporaries called Natural Habitat. Their super-soft quilt and pillows in bright prints will coordinate perfectly with our other bedding.



THE major trend I noticed is that vintage is hot. Practically every showroom featured vintage accessories, pillows and ottomans, lighting and more. I loved it, and although vintage lacks the color that Style Key West is known for, I think the comfort that vintage expresses does fit in with our style.








Practically every showroom featured some version of this:


...or this...


Those colorful jackets hide not literary classics, romantic poetry, or vintage children's books. Nope...just random Readers Digest condensed books and more of that ilk. I don't know about you, but I have enough real books that I treasure to bother with filling my shelves with faux books. And the postcards tied with twine? Seriously? It's all I can do to keep important papers from swallowing my dining table without tossing around little packets of paper for effect.

I did wander up to the 20th floor where the holiday decor is. You can take the girl out of Key West, but...






What fun!

And my favorite item...in the "things that make you go hmmm" category is this chair.



I think it speaks for itself.

It was a great time, I found lots of inspiration at every turn, and I'm so grateful to Jo and Terry for giving me the opportunity.

Fall High Point Market Report (Part II)

The second trend I have to report is neutrals, neutrals, neutrals. Think - Restoration Hardware:


Weathered and washed oak filled the showrooms, a lacklustre sea of gray. Upholstery followed suit: yards and yards of patternless gray, brown, and beige.









I know this is the current standard for design, but it's not my style.

Now if I could take some of the same looks and add some splashes of happy Key West colors to lift my spirit and sooth my soul... That would work for me.