Paris! Arte Pura, OMG!

Ok, you all know we love Arte Pura, this line of gorgeous Italian bed, table and bath linens made in Carpi, Italy. We are so excited to give you a this first peek of more incredible new things to come. We are still the only source in the country for these fabulous designs from Daniella Delavalle, the creative force behind the line. Their display at the show was a SHOW STOPPER and mobbed.

We made sure to get there the first day as we hadn't been there for a year,

and had the pleasure of introducing this fabulous line to customers across the country

last March.

Remember this fabulous puckered stretchy slipcover we brought in for wooden chairs?????? Well it is crazy popular and is available in 32 colors, two new of which were introduced at Maison et Object.

What we didn't realize is not only can you tie to the legs of the chair but it is made so that you can take the extra strings and ruch up the sides to adjust to many different styles of chairs...

We even tried on some of the old Ethan Allen chairs with the curved Napeoleon top like the old Pottery Barn Chairs..... Gorgeous......(by the way we have had a parade of people bringing their wooden chairs to try these)

Here they are! The Spring colors! A wonderful pale coral that looks like the inside of a conch shell and a new pale butterscotch that they are pairing with white. We saw that color a lot at the show, and a lot pairing with gray, which in my opinion, is still very prevalent in many aspects of design because of it's versitility. It is still everywhere and being used in more and more innovative ways. What makes this slipcover more exciting than before?????? Well, THIS!!!!!!!!!

Now the Evento slipcover comes at no extra charge in this fabulous summer bag!!!!!!!!!
Stay tuned for more and if you want the new pictures of Arte Pura from the show email us. We are going to mail out to our AP Fans in the US and Canada shortly after we have all the information. They are as excited as we are! You won't believe how innovative the new offerings are.
Also, here on the blog we will have pics as promised from names like Pierre Frey, Designers Guild/Osbourne and Little, Christian LaCroix, Missoni, and the new direction from Flamant.........
AND A very provacative surprise.... Stay tuned!

Ma Bourgogne, Paris, JUST EAT

Restaurant Ma Bourgogne is one of our places to eat real French food in Paris.

Situated in the Marais on the corner of the Places de Vosges(where the x is) by Rue Francs Bourgeois, ( the great shopping street in the Marais) they serve us things you come to France to eat!!! They serve up steaks ( a thing like us Texans like to eat ) with the crispiest frites ever.

The archways go to the Place de Vosges.
Back to the food.



Here is Madame Marie Therese Cougoureux serving up a "portion" of the steak hache.The house specialty. We know it as steak tartare in the US.
We also love their giant size Escargot, and their foie gras is served with a big portion of aspic( jellee) that melts in your mouth. Wash it down with a coupe de Champagne or a carafe of the house red.

We saw Gerard Depardieu here, the locals love it, and it is a great place to just BE. Except for the Italian Fashionistas, all decked out in their Fashion Week ensembles who arrived for lunch on Sunday, 6 of them, seated right behind us, and I strongly suspect the one intern sitting next to her boss ( like in the movie The Devil Wears Prada )was in some borrowed pieces.
The Boss was in a sable and had agorgeous leather new handbag, obviously designer and pricey. Miss Intern had on a gold puffy jacket, and when her beer
was placed in front of her (and they have generous drinks here) somehow she knocked it over, shattering onto the stone floor, all over Boss's handbag(I offered an napkin immediately)and more importantly, her gold designer coat.... It doesn't stop there....Amid the bursts of Italian and while being watched by everyone in the loggia, she snatches the coat up and she and a helper go upstairs and SOAK the coat with water in the Lion's head fountain in the Loo, and they came down and to everyone's amusement,were ringing the water and the beer out of the gold coat out into the gutter! SOOO Classy! Then, for some reason they all departed
AAAHHHHHH Fashion!!!!!!!!!
(but it could have been anyone, we have been known to have our faux pas, especially Robes!!!!!!, He is watching me write this!)
For your own Ma Bourgogne adventures go to 19 Place de Vosges, Paris. AND

BRING CASH, NO CARTES CREDIT HERE. They don't need to...;)

Paris Designer Rendez Vous DECO OFF!!

Hi from Paris!!!!! Where the "Salon" Maison et Object, is once again colliding with Fashion Week! Don't you just love this illustration by Julie Nivert of Sonja Rykiel????

A lot of fashion designers are now doing home lines and we will be seeing them today at the salon and tonite at the Deuxieme "Deco Off! This will be an open house of sorts in two locations one on the Rive Gauche in the St Germain Rue Jacob area, the second in the Right Bank near the Palais Royal.

The home fashion houses will be opening their doors to their gorgeous showrooms from 6 until 12 tonight. There is a shuttle bus to take you from one location to the other. Names like Pierre Frey, Sonja Rykiel Maison ,Manuel Canovas, Osbourne and Little, Brunschwig et Fils, Donghia, and Phillippe Parent Studio, among others will participate. Sponsors include Marie Claire, Elle Decoration and others, to insure a fun evening. We will take pictures and report when we get back.....;)

January in Paris?! YES!!!!!!

We're BAAACK!!!!!!!!!!!! In Paris, at La Carrotte our home away from home,

in this fabulous city. Why January?

Because of this. This apartement is fabulous anytime. But this week is Maison et Object the design and home decor market of Europe and it overlaps one day with fashion week. AND....The second year of the DECO OFF, the design walk with 50 showrooms throughout the city opening their doors to show off and compare with each other as to who has the "au courrant" styles in textiles, furniture and other design accroutrements. (google deco off paris)

We are here, your roving reporters sucking up champagne and macaroons the size of hockey pucks for you, our readers!!!!!!

More to come!!!!!!!!! For more views of this fabulous apartement, see our Feb 2010 blog " La Carrotte".

We will leave OUR Porchlight on for YOU. Tracy, Haley and Amanda

When Tracey and Haley of Porchlight Interiors and blog posted this right after xmas they had no idea what was lurking in the mind of Mother Nature.This was the opening shot of their after xmas post. Beautiful and in their lovely town/city of Brisbane, Queensland Australia.

Brisbane has always been considered the crown jewel of the northern coastal area known for the beaches , reefs and design. And so close to the water.

Things changed pretty quickly for them.

WAter was everywhere they had to evacuate their Interior design office and wait.

And Wait...

This was a picture of their street where their office was.......Good luck Tracey, Haley and Amanda!!!!!!!! We have been through this thing with Galveston, and New Orleans. We know you will pull through.... Our thoughts and prayers are with you.....
Maryane and Peter xxoo If you want to give condolences or encouragement go to http://www.porchlightinteriors.blogspot.com

Arte Pura, The Grey Bed

I had ordered in this gorgeous bedspread, the Narciso, 8 weeks earlier. We got all the pillows but the bedspread came in a week later.......Christmas week. We were very excited. Shown in the Gesso Old color with the brushed cotton volante. The top is a buttery soft cotton velvet embroidered with chenille "Cornely " roses... A stunner.....Reversible...Washable.....

Oh and did I mention the bed itself has finishes that coordinate with the linens????? This is the French Gray.

This was the other stunner, the what Robes named the "Bustier" pillow. This went to a client's home I missed it when it went to it's proper home. There is a plain envelope of linen then the Bustier buttons and ties around it, a second piece. Embellished with more "Cornely" roses of rolled pieces of linen sewn with....


Swarovski Crystal...... OMG.!....I am not a bling person and neither was the client that bought this, as it wasn't clear from the pictures of it that there was any........ But she LOVED it...Don't worry I ordered more for the shop. Pictured here in the Angelo Old color, looks like seaglass or bleached blue jeans.......

Lovin the mix of the velvet, linen, lace, cotton, organza...

Shown here with the neckroll in linen and lace and a Brahms Mount Starry Nights Blanket in white. The bed itself is the luxe version, also available with a footboard. We will be seeing the NEW, new introductions of Arte Pura on the 21st in Paris. I can't wait....

Merci & Bonne Annee!

This will be my inspiration for 2011. To be more Zen like, have a Keep Calm and Carry On attitude. To enjoy life more and not just be all work!!!
(image Belle Grey Interiors photographed by Dominic az Bonneccelli)

An amazing year here at Beadboard. We laughed, we worked hard, we became a little reclusive......We made new blog friends, and shop friends. Beadboard UpCountry has taken some positive new direction this year, and I have been very lucky to have been involved in a beautiful interior design project.

(photo google images by inake.net)

As for us? Never got my Mora clock, but I'm working on it.

Never got the guest bath redone that will be on my list for next year. This is inspirational.

(From Decor Pad Dominique Vouillion Photography-Designed by Robert Zamora)

I never finished my dining room either.......
BUT now I actually know what I am going to do with it. I hate indecision.

(Image from decorpad.com)

My guestroom at least has paint swatches on the walls..........We actually bought the paint!!!!!

( image from athomealterations.com)


So, thanks to all my blog friends, and I hope to make some new ones in the coming year...This media has certainly enhanced our lives and the shop's personna. Wishing you all, and your families a prosperous and Happy New Year

from Maryanne and Robes.