Category Archives: Business of Design

What is a Couture Chateau life?

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Detail of Tassel Fringe

And how on earth do I LIVE it?!

FIRST the Couture part.

Couture: TO layer by hand, sew (live, build, dream, hope, fail, try again….) in an excellent manner.

For me it really means trying or giving my best effort at any given moment. Sometimes it just means I don’t spill the coffee…;) Other times it means I don’t shrink back in fear when I KNOW the right thing to do is move forward. The easy thing is to hide behind the gate…or the office door…

The really cool part of Couture is that it isn’t BORING.

There is NO catalog living in a COUTURE life. And remember….where’s L’Oreal when you need ’em….“you’re worth it!”

Add some Versace to the mix. ?Where is the GALLIANO in your home decor? I know there is at least a tiny bit in YOU ;)

Can you seriously tell me you don't LOVE this??!! THIS is Couture...

Mix it WITH the Gap. ADD it to the Abercrombie.

Same for your HOME. Same for the place that serves as the inspiration you work so hard to come home to at night. FURNISH that space with some ATTITUDE.

When I started working in the Design Business about 100 years ago (ok, well not exactly 100 years….) I learned to cultivate spaces for my own business and others that were DEsigned.

I started in design…with some well – out there – people. I came to work in my sweater sets (first afraid)

My starting out look...which I still love but for DIFFERENT reasons...

, slowly added boots (started walking)OK, so I LOVE these boots...I could NEVER have afforded them when I started out...….and finally kicked it up a notch.

My designs went from safe catalog looks to more personal spaces appropriate for clients but that PUSHED just a bit. It got to the point if there wasn’t at least one person telling me I was crazy to try….that I KNEW I was going tooooooo safe.

Is your life, your home….DEsigned or is it, well, cataloged.??

Don’t get me wrong – I am a stickler for finery

I obsess on how buttons pull and are made with our products!

and making sure things work — I am talking about Couture here…BUT…LOOK, really LOOK at Versace! or BALMAIN….if these are strange worlds to you, at least look at them.

The eyes are the lamp of the bod – have a look. The stuff surrounding the visual may not be for you, but the creative component of STYLE is fearless and unapologetic for being alive. Don’t be so beige that you aren’t alive!

LOVED what Bunny says….that you need to really KNOW what has gone before to get it right now…no short cut to great style. SOOOOO if your style is indeed BEIGE. Well, BE BEIGE. But do it because you are cool with it NOT because you are afraid of the other stuff.

Tagging Antiques....it's how Bunny Williams learned

And yes, I still love – love beige sweater sets ;).  It just doesn’t come from a place of fear!

Authenticity & Passion Breed Excellence

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Just off the Design Bloggers Conference, I have too many take-a-ways to count.

Bright Ideas

Anyone else feel the same way?

My Panic Button Mouse

Bunny….Martyn….Tobi….Jason….John…in excellence and access you are gracious, fun and bring “IT” to the table!

As I honestly alternated between DESPAIR:  too far to go and not enough time in the day to get there….and HOPE:  I KNOW we have an authentic brand in Couture Chateau because I know YOU: the client, the casual design enthusiast, the blog reader, the searcher… are authentic…as there is only one YOU!…..from one presentation to the next, I realized with 20 plus years under my belt, I may not know what SEO really is, but I DO know people are better off for living intentional well designed lives. AND that we help them get there, from one generation to the next.

I grew up with a mother who imparted that. I dine at a table from my Grandmother who had an amazing way of hosting her home and building collections. I have seen what happens when lives are not intentional and excellence isn’t embraced. They fall apart. Slowly. But consistently. And often create a vortex that takes others down with them.

And so as Designers, with short spans of time to influence, care and teach, we do what we can with what we have.

At Couture Chateau, our motto says it all: Live a Custom Life. There is only one YOU.

I believe that with all my soul. Everyone has intrinsic value. Everyone. With intrinsic value, the process of living and embracing the beautiful is LOGICAL.

I will never cure cancer or land on the moon, but if one space designed or one life curated by me and my team brings THAT KNOWLEDGE to someone, then I’ve done my part.

We set our sights HIGH because we believe in EXCELLENCE. Details matter to me. In Design, in life, in communication….they always have and always will. Excellence is revealed in the details.

Fabulous Custom Crewels Inspire Me for their level of DETAIL

Anyone who knows me knows that. In Design I would rather have COUTURE details and true craftsmanship than an abundance of “junk”.

Encouraged by excellence at every turn, stay tuned as we work HARD to build our relationships with you. Please LIKE us on FACEBOOK. Follow us on TWITTER. HELP us Build the BRAND. We want to pursue excellence for YOU!

What I know in my heart:

Passion for Design was bred into my bones.

Passion for Creating Custom and Inspiring Product and Designing Unique Spaces for Fabulous Inspired People (you;) is who I have always been. No trials of life have been able to destroy those parts of my existence.

Come on the JOURNEY with me.

LIVE A CUSTOM LIFE!  THERE IS ONLY ONE YOU!

xoxo Ann McDonald

What did I tell you?

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http://www.wirewax.com/5002280

 

LISTEN to Martyn……and remember you heard it from me a year ago when we were buying 80’s antique brass before anyone else in our group ;)!

LOVE…LOVE…LOVE Market….stay tuned for those “On Trend” Seminars in May.

Small Group, In Office. $495 for 2 Hours. Book Now – last year we sold out.

Wed May 2nd 12 – 2. The LATEST On Trend from Market. Great for Local Designers who don’t attend Market & the Casual Enthusiast who simply LOVES Design.

xoxo Ann!

 

 

Saturday Special

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Ask Ann:  I ordered my furniture 3 months ago….what is taking so long?

Answer: Well made furniture takes time. Sometimes, it will only take 8 weeks. Most of the time custom furniture takes 12 to 16 weeks. That does not include a client changing their mind at week 8 ;)!….

I like to break Interior Design into four main categories:

1. Take Out:  Call in or order on line. Have it shipped (delivered) to you. Examples: Overstock, Amazon, Costco

Take Out Menus

2. Restaurant: Go in to store, take it home today. Examples: Home Goods, Costco

Butter, NYC

3. Cooking Class: Go to store or order on line, semi-custom sometimes available. Examples: Macy’s, Ballard Designs, Restoration Hardware. Occasionally we will use some pieces from this approach for Remote Design Packages or when a client is in a temporary living situation.

Cooking Class for Teens in NYC

4. COOKING SCHOOL. WHAT WE DO! Go to France (for our furniture it’s also California & North Carolina), use the best, buy local ingredients, custom make fabric, support fairly compensated and fairly traded practices, be on trend & Eco-Friendly.

Behind the Scenes...we cook (design & build)...you enjoy the wine!

Cooking with the best ingredients makes a difference

Trends: ARCHITECTURAL SALVAGE

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Another TREND from our website…ARCHITECTURAL SALVAGE

Why I love this addition to designed spaces…

Patina:

Patinas on metal

Faded paint, chipped stone, signs of love and use thru the ages

Scale: Often over sized, the addition of a large unique piece, especially when mounted gives visual weight to a space

Old Wood Columns, Fantastic!

Affordable: Often found at salvage yards and other recycle locations, these are some of the most affordable and often have incredible detail that would be impossible to duplicate new for the cost. Check out one of our locals:  Omega Too http://www.omegatoo.com/beta/

Affordable Elegance...not the least expensive but accessible compared to many Designer Fixtures in Trade Showrooms

Unique: Sometimes there are spectacular pieces, panels from The Plaza Hotel in NYC or Columns from historical buildings in San Francisco that are being re-worked. A phone call to local historical societies can often yield information that leads to contractors who have to carefully recycle these storied pieces…we re-purpose them as art. Worthy of a museum like approach in the home. Picture these as the only antique element in a stark contemporary – set against gloss white and marble – exceptional!

Chinese Panels...Fabulous!

These add instant style and have so much more life in them than the copied and mass-produced by product you will find in today’s mass furniture retailers.

I always hunt for the original.

Wayyyy more fun.

Happy Decorating!

Ann

Trends: FABRIC

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As we move away from our old website…today we tackle the TREND page

Item #1: Fabric

I love fabric

Antique Boucle

All kinds. Old, new, contemporary, traditional, ridiculously expensive, common….love it all.

In my aesthetic, fabrics are like people….the differences in them make them work together

"Plaid and Fancy" Custom Crewel in two colorways by Couture Chateau

Each Season, each Market, each Project…Manufacturers & Designers alike ponder which fabrics will hit as on trend and how they can be marketed & sold

——————————————————————————–

How do I determine what is ‘On Trend’ and why does it matter?

Impossible question really. I boil it down to three broad observations to make it somewhat manageable:

1. What is On Trend Fabric & Why does it matter depends on the Client

2. What is On Trend Fabric & Why does it matter depends on the Industry

3. What is On Trend Fabric & Why does it matter depends on the Economy

Amazing Antique Swedish Fabric...the real deal, not a 1950's copy...

Tomorrow we answer these questions….think about it, why do these things matter? What is your response?


Transitions…

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Today we begin necessary transition.

Away from the obsolete, toward the relevant.

As many of you know, our web page:  www.couturechateau.com, well, is less than.

As I constantly seek the excellent in life and work, this page has been a thorn in my side for three years.

Our resourceful Designer Brian created the site for us on a shoestring and a prayer. He did a fabulous job given what we gave him, so kudos to Brian who worked a miracle with what little we gave him.

A little Couture Chateau History:

Conceived: 1989 (under several non trademarked, non copyrighted names……lesson learned…)

Founded: 1991 (the name and business plan on paper, our first clients actually paying…)

And finally, Incorporated: 2008

When I finally incorporated, this rudimentary site was put up as a place holder. I freely admit my skill set is in Interior Design and Bespoke Product….not….as you will most certainly agree….web design ;)!

As such, over the next two weeks, the elements from our old site will be worked into “On Trend” posts about Design on this Blog.

AND, thankfully, the new website (same address) will post.

Our old site is organized into pages and categories: Home, Trends & Design, Interior Decorating, Furnishings & Fabrics, Contact.

Our new site is simpler, less information, more….well…professional.

As we move to generate the fluid where it belongs: on the Blog, not the Website, we will tackle one of those pages &/or categories.

At the end of these next few weeks, we hope our simpler site married with Twitter, Blog and Facebook Links will keep our enthusiasts engaged. And our Clients proud to be part of the Couture Chateau Family.

Grateful always,

Ann

As our motto says: Live a Custom Life. There is only one you.

Grateful!

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We are grateful!

Over the next few weeks we are bringing on new Interns and are grateful for the designers-in-training. Perhaps the Blog will go live after all ;)! Can our Design Bloggers Conference come soon enough? We think not!

We have had a fantastic response to our Private Bespoke Collection: Roaring Fork Retreat. This collection of Pillows is made to the highest standards. We have had some pieces photographed and are excited to continue the tradition of custom excellence in this line that was begun with our custom crewels. Check out just this one photograph as a sneak peek. No two pillows are alike in this collection.

They were designed with exposed edges intentionally. We embrace the life lived with antique and vintage remnants. We marry them with exquisite on trend Designer Velvet and Eco-Suede. More to come.

Roaring Fork Retreat Pillow Collection Winter 2012

One of my favorite Designers

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Check out the following link to an article from Williams Sonoma Designer Marketplace:

http://www.wsidesignermarketplace.com/content/designer/design_pulse/designer_spotlight/interview_with_jayjeffers.html

Design Inspiration in a Mocha

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A Perfect Mocha

Spending a few days in Los Angeles is always great for new design ideas. I typically find them on the West Side, the tried and true Melrose Avenue or down near the Beach.

Exposed Industrial & Rope at Stairway

This time, I found inspiration at a Coffee House in Chino Hills!

LOVE the use of materials. It all works.

Three Adjacent Materials: Penny Tile, Wood and Wood Tile...can you find the wood tile pieces?

Loving the view from the Balcony

Go figure. Wasn’t looking for inspiration, just coffee and a place to sit and work. Found all three!