Furniture Makes The Room :: Pre Order

chroniclepreorderwithfrogtape

chronicle pre launch photo

Hello All!Things have been a whirlwind around here, and I plan to do some more journaling over the next few weeks to catch everyone here in this space up on what has been happening with Knack.......BUT, today is exactly one month from the launch of my new book Furniture Makes the Room!! Can you believe it? I can hardly believe that the time is finally here, and I get to share this work with all of you! I can't wait for you all to see the projects and homes in this book, and feel like it is truly the book that has always been inside of me!So, we are introducing a special pre order campaign today, and those of you who pre order lickity split get a special treat!Here are the details:1. Order Furniture Makes the Room from online retailers (links below) and then fill out the form here with receipt info and mailing address.2. Pre-order Incentive:  You will receive a roll of wave FrogTape® and a bag of milk paint!3. Fulfillment: Pre-order incentive will come separately from the book. Chronicle Books will send out a special package to all of the people who have completed the form. So, basically it will be a happy mail day for you guys! Yay!So, click your heels and  head on over to Amazon, Chronicle, Barnes and Noble, or Indie Bound to pre order your copy and get in on the special gift we have for you!Thank you to Chronicle Books, FrogTape®, and Old Fashioned Milk Paint for sponsoring this pre order goodness!

shop snippets :: weekend happenings

I thought I would share a few glimpses that were captured around the shop this week, and share a little bit about the activities of the weekend!First of all, I am very excited to both speak at, and attend my third Makers Summit right here in my home town of Greenville, SC ! This event always proves to be a wonderful time of creative learning and refreshment....not to mention....the PEOPLE! I always walk away with new friends and mentors and that is a wonderful thing! I have heard from several of you that are coming from all over the country...and I am excited to meet you for the first time, and hug the necks of those of you I have met previously on my travels!Also, First Fridays is tomorrow night from 6-9 pm here in the Village of West Greenville! Knack will be open as well as our other friends in the village: Lily Pottery, Art and Light, The Village Grind, Joseph Bradley Studios, Matthew Campbell Studios, Charlie Mae, The Station...and more! Art and Light is having a special show called "12 Friends Bit by Bit" and it is an event that should not be missed!The weather will be gorgeous and warm, so come on down to the Village and immerse yourself in the creative hub of the city!I hope you all have a great weekend!xo,Barb

merry christmas :: 2014

2014 was a year of incredible opportunity, leaps of faith, stretching growth, saying no, saying yes, pondering, intentional direction, and focusing on joy. I am thankful for each and every moment given to me this past year, for all of you who continue to befriend and support me here, and for the many, many blessings this life brings.I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!xo,Barb

Knack Stories :: The Sullivans

Every now and then, we will meet someone through the shop who just gets us; someone who seems to understand what Knack is about; someone who knows how to live with what they love.  Dee Sullivan is just such a person.  Our latest Knack story comes from her family of seven (!!!) and their beautiful, nearly hundred-year-old home in North Carolina that they have been renovating one room at a time:

We eat, homeschool, work on art and other projects, do budgets, pray together, play games, entertain guests and have long family discussions in this room.  We thought it would be a great room to overhaul first.

 

Dee and her husband, Don, decided to turn their formerly dark, moody dining room to the lighter side, with the aid of some inspiration.

I had been blogging to keep all of my Canadian family and friends updated on our lives and to show off the paintings, collages and ceramics I was selling on Etsy.  In doing so, I ended up meeting some wonderful people.  Two of my very favorite artists/bloggers were and are Annie Koelle and Barb Blair.  They are two very talented ladies!!  So when I first saw the furniture pieces they worked on together I was smitten, especially with one certain piece, a gorgeous hutch named Kalymenia whose buttery cream paint perfectly applied by Barb along with the soft ocean and mountain scene reminded me of Vancouver, BC. (The place I moved from 8 years ago to come to the South.)  …. My love knew I wanted this piece ever so much, so after a visit or two to Knack, he surprised me with buying Kalymenia as a gift.  I was ecstatic!!

Dee and Don also brought a locally made cedar table home from Knack, which Don has stained a driftwood/aged cedar grey, adding even more warmth to their fresh white dining room.

The pieces from Barb’s studio now both carry the feeling of Vancouver and make me feel cheery and at home here in the South.  Even better to me is knowing that the creative spirits of local artists and artisans I admire massively are poured into these pieces.  We now have the cheeriest dining room ever and even though we are not quite finished (Who is really ever finished with their home?), these pieces give our most lived in room a nod to our love of the Northwest, a tribute to the local artists and artisans we admire and love, and they make a unique and creative space to gather, work and eat in.

Dee and Don and their big, happy family embody the very heart of home that we champion here at Knack.  We are so elated that two Knack pieces have found a forever home with the Sullivans.

I totally get this :: Jimmie Martin

When it comes to furniture design, I am super picky about looking to others work and drawing attention to their designs. I want to call attention to, and put my stamp of approval on originality and uniqueness...someone who is pushing the envelope of design and doing something that is truly their own.I have admired Jimmie Martin's furniture for quite some time and am all about it.....all over it.....totally diggin' it.Hallelujah for this kind of work and creative independence. 

etc :: details

 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5When you look at a Knack furniture piece, it's important to look closely.  Take a step back, take in the whole piece.  Take a step in, take in the sweet details.  Great care is taken in our design process to enhance the beauty of the furniture's form and to tell a complete story, from top to bottom.  Hardware, color, finish, drawers, fabric - there's beauty in every inch.

living with :: siolella

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6Siolella is a deep charcoal beauty with gold scallop detail.  Needless to say, she doesn't need much adornment! A set of repurposed lilim coasters with a modern patterned glass will top her nicely, next to a sweet little vintage Scandinavian bird. Hang a handmade planter nearby and set a basket for storage on the lower shelf.  Siolella will sing.

Spring colors and triangles for a coffee table named "Elusine"

It is definitely Spring, and I cannot even tell you how her colors have inspired this piece of furniture. The blooming trees, the green green grass, and the many flowers opening their faces to the sun have me very inspired.Remember when I lamented a bit about the Pantone color of the year being radiant orchid? I am not a huge fan of purple in any shade...but I was determined to find a way to use it my work...and at the same time stay true to the Knack aesthetic. In this coffee table design, I use radiant orchid not once...but TWICE! Once in its original state, and then I added a little somethin' somethin' {white paint} to create a little lighter shade. I absolutely love the color palette of pink, orange, lavender, gold, and orchid, and this palette was completely inspired by a bouquet of Ranunculus flowers I purchased a couple weeks back.I think it is fun, yet again, to combine the hard edges and points of the geometric triangles with the feminine and curvy lines of this sweet table. The perfect pairing if you will.I used FrogTape® to create the custom triangle designs on top of the table, and there is a full step by step "how to" up on the FrogTape blog here! If you decide that miss Elusine needs to come live with you, she IS available for purchase at Knack! {and if you freakin' love the dish towel hanging on the wall, {me! me!} you can get that at Knack too!} We are all about some goodness for the home around here!Hope you enjoy!xo,BarbI received compensation to complete this project for using FrogTape® products. All opinions, projects and ideas are based on my own experience.