Custom Lighting in Highlands
We just received some great installation shots of two custom fixtures ordered by a Florida designer through the Nessen showroom in Dania. The custom lantern was built to her design, and it looks fantastic hanging tethered in the ceiling of the customer’s beautiful outdoor pavilion.
Highlands lantern pavilion
Highlands lantern
These customers also ordered an extra large custom Rivoli Chandelier that measured 78” diameter by 74” high. It looks spectacular in their wood paneled great room. Now we’re all curious to see how the rest of the house looks!
Custom Rivoli Chandelier
It’s always such a pleasure to see our products installed, and to get a peak at the completed design work of these very talented designers.
Eleanor McKay is Back!
Hi, I’m back now on a part-time basis. This summer has just whipped by me, while I was busy recovering from surgery to remove a tumor from my uterus. Cancer does give you a passport into another place, a great image borrowed from Christopher Hitchens of Vanity Fair. Soon I hope to relinquish my passport to the strange and wonderful C-Land, but my visit there was certainly ‘real different.’ That’s a mid-western expression pronounced in a flat voice but meaning OMG! Just re-watch Frances McDormand in the film Fargo to understand the Minnesota accent and inflection; she sounds exactly like many of my family’s Minnesota relatives.
I can’t leave C-Land, however, until thanking the incomparable Dr. Neil B. Rosenshein and his team at the Weinberg Center for Women’s Health and Medicine at Mercy Medical Hospital in Baltimore. Those people had a biblical ability to lift the crippling fear off my shoulders, and just let them do their jobs – helping women beat cancer. Thank you very much, Dr. R and your angels of mercy!
On my first afternoon back at Niermann Weeks, Joe gave me a present, our new Coquille Chandelier. Wow! During my recovery I had watched far too many films, and this lovely beaded fixture reminds me of a fantasy film from the 1930’s I can just see multiples of it hanging in the Grand Ballroom of the Prince of Fantasia, with beautifully costumed dancers swirling underneath in their rhythmic patterns. Johann Strauss would be leading a band in playing all the most popular waltzes. Jeanette McDonald or Greta Garbo would be my female lead, wearing long white gloves and swagged in blingy jewelry that repeats the swags of our chandelier.
Coquille Chandelier
In reality, our Coquille Chandelier is now on display in all its glory at our New York showroom (232 E. 59th St, between 2nd and 3rd Avenues). If you can, go visit it and inspect the new finish of Camel and Goldleaf. Tell them Eleanor McKay is back at work, and she sent you in to see the Coquille. Thanks so much!
Coquille Chandelier in New York Showroom
Websites you could also visit include:
www.mercymed.com/womens/gynecologyCenter/rosenshein.html
www.vanityfair.com
Niermann Weeks Sconces, any way you’d like!
We frequently notice product trends pop up in studios, and the latest one is for custom sconces. A few of the recent orders were for relatively simple size changes, but we’ve also worked on some really interesting totally custom designs.
We just finished a pair of Biarritz Sconces with a double leaf design to add more height. Here are photos of the standard sconce next to the taller version.
Niermann Weeks' Biarritz Sconce
Niermann Weeks' Custom Double Height Biarritz Sconce
We also just completed a pair of sconces based on our Brindisi Chandelier. These are going into what must be an impressive dining room in a residence near Los Angeles. In addition to the usual beads on the chandelier, the designer had us add an antiqued mirror backplate to the sconces to really make a statement on the wall. Here is a photo of the standard chandelier, as well as some process shots and a finished shot of the custom sconces.
Niermann Weeks' Standard Brindisi Chandelier
Silver leafing a Niermann Weeks Custom Brindisi Sconce
Glazing a Niermann Weeks Custom Brindisi Sconce
Beading a Niermann Weeks Custom Brindisi Sconce
The Completed Niermann Weeks Custom Brindisi Sconce
Back on the East Coast, we just shipped an order of eight custom hurricane sconces to a residence in Florida. The back plate of the sconce was loosely based on our Mercure Sconce, and we worked out the rest of the details with the designer through CAD drawings and renderings.
Niermann Weeks' Standard Mercure Sconce
Renderings prepared for a Niermann Weeks Custom Hurrican Sconce
We found out a lot more than we expected about custom glass during this whole process. It turns out that they make glass moulds out of tree trunks, and we had to wait a while for the glass company to locate a trunk large enough to use for the large glass globes. The finished sconces have great presence, and we’re looking forward to seeing the installation shots.
Niermann Weeks' Custom Hurrican Sconce
Niermann Weeks' Custom Hurrican Sconce
Niermann Weeks' Custom Hurrican Sconce
Finally, we’re nearing the end of the design process for a coordinating sconce for our new Crevecoeur Chandelier. We’ve gotten so many quote requests for them that we will be adding a standard Crevecoeur Sconce to the line very soon.
Niermann Weeks' Standard Crevecoeur Chandelier
Niermann Weeks' Custom Crevecoeur Sconce
Retail price: $5990- Premium finish " class="shutterset_Related images for Niermann Weeks Sconces, any way you’d like!" >
Berner Sutphin Designs in the Stately Homes by the Sea Showhouse
Our Friends at Traditional Home Magazine featured Berner Sutphin Designs in their September 2010 issue. For the Stately Homes by the Sea Showhouse Bedroom, Berner Sutphin used a broad palate of calming yellows to create a bright, yet serene space. The beautiful space also features several Niermann Weeks’ pieces, including our Luce Console, Leone Urn, Annecy Chair, Italian Sconce, Ferrara Chandelier, and our Sevigne Screen Panels.
Traditonal Home, September 2010
The Designer Showhouse of New Jersey
The Designer Showhouse of New Jersey recently wrapped up in Saddle River, NJ. The Designer Showhouse’s purpose is to raise funds and awareness for the John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, NJ. Our New York showroom staff worked with some of the showhouse designers to loan some Niermann Weeks products.
The Designer Showhouse of New Jersey
Timothy Miller of Timothy & Associates in Pearl River, NY designed the Atelier, using our Armillary Chandelier and Hadrian Planter. Andres Sampedro, one of our New York salespeople, was able to visit the showhouse in person last month, and Timothy kindly sent photos of his room to us in Maryland so we could also see how it turned out. Here’s an overview of his room.
Timothy & Associates' Atelier
Niermann Weeks Armillary Chandelier
Niermann Weeks Hadrian Planter
Timothy & Associate
Timothy also sent us some great detail shots from around the room, including a close up of the dramatic folding screens, the artwork above the striped cabinet, and the room reflected in an antique mirror.
Screen Close-up
Striped Cabinet
Antique Mirror
Barbara Ostrom of Barbara Ostrom Associates designed the showhouse dining room featuring our Swedish Crystal Chandelier. The bold yellow walls make a great backdrop for the chandelier’s delicate crystals and gold leaf finish.
Barbara Ostrom in the Dining Room
NW Swedish Crystal Chandelier
We’ll be looking forward to working with our New Jersey and New York designers on the fifth Designer Showhouse of New Jersey next summer.
Lanterns, Lanterns, Lanterns!
Editor Note: Eleanor McKay is recovering well from her surgery, and we expect that she’ll be back in the office by the end of the summer. In the meantime, our summer guest blogger will be her daughter, Eleanor Niermann.
One of the most fun things about working at the Niermann Weeks factory is seeing all the different products in process in the studios. Lately, we’ve had a run of lanterns in all different sizes and finishes.
Our Mizner Lantern is usually 21 dia by 31h, and we are currently finishing up work for a Connecticut client for a larger custom sized lantern that measures 32 dia x 45h. You can see the standard size on the left and also in the background behind the bigger lantern in the studio.
Niermann Weeks' Mizner Lantern
Custom Mizner Lantern
Our Voliere Lantern design, which we based on an antique birdcage, is another item that is frequently customized. We recently made one that was our smaller standard size (16 dia x 21h) but we painted it with a custom lilac accent color to match the customer’s sample. We also just completed a custom larger version for a customer in Palm Beach. It measured 32″ diameter by 40″ high, and we added a second tier of lights.
Custom Niermann Weeks Voliere Lantern
Niermann Weeks Voliere Lantern
We had a series of Gothic inspired lanterns and sconces that we worked on with Beverley Broun for Christ Church in Alexandria, Virginia (www.historicchristchurch.org). We offer our Gothic Lantern in three standard sizes (from left): 11w x 11d x 18.5h, 15w x 15d x 24h, and 24w x 24d x 39.5h.
Niermann Weeks 11" Diameter Gothic Lantern
Niermann Weeks 15" Diameter Gothic Lantern
Niermann Weeks 24" Diameter Gothic Lantern
The church got some in the smallest size, and then we scaled the design way up for three more giant lanterns measuring 36w x 36d x 56h, each with two tiers of lights. We also made them some custom sconces with mirrored backplates.
Custom Two-tier Niermann Weeks Gothic Lantern
Custom Niermann Weeks Gothic Sconce
Finally, we are putting the finishing touches on a completely custom lantern design that was based on a photograph of an antique lantern from a designer in Florida. We created a CAD rendering (below left) of the lantern at 36 dia x 55h with a stockier frame than the original. The lantern will be going onto the covered porch of a house in Highlands, North Carolina, and will have four chains attached to the corners to tether it into place. The seeded glass they selected looks great against the simple dark custom finish.
Rendering of a custom chandelier from Niermann Weeks
A Custom Chandelier from Niermann Weeks
We really enjoy working on custom projects with our designers, and it’s always fun to see the variety of their ideas come to life from the initial sketch or sample to the finished product.
I’ll Be Back…
I’ve had so much fun sharing life at Niermann Weeks with you all, but now I’m taking medical leave for several months. I’ve got a date with a surgeon to remove something icky from my innards. Being sick will be a new experience for me, and I think I will enjoy my recovery. My family is planning a perfect Niermann Weeks recovery space for me in our living room. Their installation will be a surprise when I come home, but I have made several requests.
1.) A daybed. Personally I love their coziness, and my daughters Eleanor and Claire have agreed to set up my favorite one in a sunny corner. Joe developed our Directoire Daybed in 1986, and it’s still a good seller because its bones are so clean.
Niermann Weeks' Directoire Daybed
Janet, our neighbor across the creek, recently selected a pair of our Directoires for her grandsons’ room. To remind the boys of their Wyoming roots, she used cowboy-themed fabrics. For me, however, please use something more sophisticated.
Although we call this product a ‘daybed’, we actually make it in all the standard bed sizes. Mine will be twin-sized and all fluffed up with pillows and prettiness, like this Polaroid I took at a Veranda photo shoot several years ago. We had made this bed especially for an dear customer who needed the side brackets as hand-holds. Fred used our Orleans Table to hold his necessities.
Niermann Weeks' Directoire Daybed with our Orleans Table
2.) A floor lamp that casts lots of light at night, so they’ll probably use our Caronia – hint!
Niermann Weeks' Caronia Table Lamp
3.) Pretty linens and bedding fabrics. Remember that I’m into color, so no white sheets for me. We at Niermann Weeks represent so many beautiful fabric lines that the coverlet and the pillows will be a real surprise to anticipate enjoying.
4.) An occasional table big enough to holds books and quilting material. I’d like a bigger top than our Orleans, which comes standard at 21″ diameter. Maybe one with a drawer and/or a shelf. That way I can surround myself with tschotsckes. I think our Fantome might be too much metal, so maybe a Maggiore?
Niermann Weeks' Fantome Side Table
Niermann Weeks' Maggiore Table
Or maybe something completely different? Being married to a furniture designer means getting custom furniture built just for me. I’ll let you know.
This timing of my recovery fits perfectly into my quilting schedule. My honorary son Mark and his wife Taryn are expecting the birth of their second son this fall. Quilts for babies are about 36″ square and consequently are easy to work with. Little Dylan got this mélange of his mother’s favorite pale purples with his Dad’s greens.
For Baby Boy #2, I feel like working with triangles, although I’ll keep the family’s purple and green theme and will square off the corners. In the winter this exploded star pattern keeps me toasty while the winds howl in our woods. Knowing my plans, Ann Lambeth of DC’s J. Lambeth showroom kindly gave me obsolete cotton memo samples. You might recognize some of her lines in this quilt.
So you’ll be hearing from me again later this summer. In the meantime, please keep visiting us here at www.niermannweeks.com for updated blogs from our staff and also drop in to check out these websites: www.jlambeth.com and www.veranda.com.
Take care of yourselves!
Fun, Fine Furniture at Niermann Weeks
Lately Niermann Weeks has been making some intriguing custom orders. They’ve pushed at the envelope of our engineering and creative capabilities, stimulating all of our little grey cells.
Look at this custom Rivoli with 18 arms in a custom, soft vermeil finish. For that finish, first apply goldleaf, and then overleaf it with silverleaf. That finish gives a glow like no other.
We started construction after the client and her designer approved these two renderings. The overall size came to 78″ in diameter by 74″ in overall height.
At the other extreme, for M. J. Interior Designs we made a pair of custom Scalloped Bowfront Commodes as nightstands. If you remember your geometry lessons (which were really hard for me), you remember the difficulties of working with curves. This design features both horizontal and vertical curves, and required LOTS of calculations to develop this custom version sized at 26″ x 18″ deep x 30″ high. One door opens to the left, and the other to the right. And then before installation, we changed the hardware and the hinges to a blackened metal, to reduce their contrast with the lovely dark cherry finish.
Going bigger, how’s this for a Parquet Dining Table? I’d love to have a dining room large enough for it, but our little house couldn’t handle a table 120″ long by 44″ wide. This customer wanted a really smooth top so we hand-planed the inset parquet pieces down as far as we could go.
Mine at home is the normal 84″ wide by 42″ across, but customized with a bleached cherry finish. It’s just the right size for us. Let’s thank photographer Ken Wyner for this image.
My chairs are in our ever-popular Annecy style in the camel and silverleaf finish., Joe was really inspired when he created that finish, which seems to go beautifully with an array of fabrics from the pale satin on my chairs to a dense dark hue to a light silvery silk to a perfect fabric for flower children.
I’m proud of this Follot Settee that we custom designed for a gentleman in Washington. His wife and designer liked the look of our standard Follot Chair, but wanted it more grandly proportioned. Easy and fun for us to do! Their upholstery is a fine, dense white
wool, which means they have a much cleaner house than mine. In just a few minutes in my house, a cat would have shed black or orange or grey or white fur all over the seat.
And to conclude for now, at Bunny Williams’ request we reached into our archives for a Sphinx Console design, to use as a vanity in a powder room. She specified a size of 36″w x 24″d x 30.5″h, with the structure strong enough to hold a thick stone top. She also asked us to insert panels of our antiqued mirror. Someday I’ll see this vanity in its finished installation in an article or book about Bunny’s incomparable style, and again I’ll be so proud!
For more information about the fine people with whom we work, please look on the web.
* M. J. Interior Designs, Bethesda, MD
Annapolis, Niermann Weeks Home Base
Hi all, this is Eleanor Niermann, the daughter of Eleanor McKay & Joe Niermann. My mom is the regular author of the Design Dispatches, and has asked me to help contribute to the blog over the summer. I thought I’d start with one of my favorite topics, Annapolis, the town our family calls home. Niermann Weeks has been operating in the Annapolis area since our family relocated here from Memphis in 1984. Our first three shops were in the city of Annapolis, but after ten years, our increasing need for more working space meant a final move to our current location in Millersville, about 20 minutes north of Annapolis.
Downtown Annapolis
Annapolis is a great city to live in and visit any time of the year, but the month of May is especially exciting. Not only does it herald the start of summer, but this week before Memorial Day also brings series of events during the United States Naval Academy Commissioning Week. Every year, the families and friends of the graduating class flock to our town, many of them moving into private residences rented out by residents for the week. I have two of those families on my block in Eastport this year, and it’s been fun to watch them enjoying a taste of life in my neighborhood. Although it does make me wish I was on vacation, too!
United States Naval Academy
One of the favorite days for permanent residents is Wednesday, the day that the Blue Angels, the United States Navy’s flight demonstration team, brings their air show to town. Justin Binnix, our president, has taken off this year to go watch them with his wife and their three sons. When my sister and I were young, one or both of our parents would invent a reason to pick us up early from school so we could go downtown and watch the show. Now the school system here has finally come to grips with the fact that serious learning is just not going to happen on Blue Angels Wednesdays, and there is basically a liberal leave policy in effect so both students and teachers can enjoy the show. Even though the rest of us are in the office today, we will definitely both see and hear the Blue Angels loop around our shop just past 2 p.m.
Blue Angels
The culmination of the week comes on Friday with the actual commencement and commissioning service held at the Navy Marine Corps Stadium. This event will bring even more visitors, including Vice President Biden who will be giving the commencement addresss. I always make sure to leave early that Friday since my ride to the office takes my through downtown and past the stadium. The entire brigade marches in formation from the Academy to the stadium, and our little town is not designed to easily deal with all the extra cars of the graduation attendees. Despite my traffic gripes, the ceremony is impressive and entertaining, from the speaker to the sight of the hat toss to the Blue Angels fly over celebrating the newly commissioned US Navy and Marine Corps officers. Congratulations to the class of 2010!
United States Naval Academy Graduation, hat toss, and Blue Angels fly over
Find A Designer Day and the Relevance of Interior Designers in Today’s Market
On Aril 29 I attended the fascinating “Find A Designer Day” event at the Washington, DC Design Center. Traditional Home magazine sponsored the day, and their editor Ann Omvig Maine served as emcee for Barry Dixon’s keynote presentation “How to Work With a Designer”. Barry showed how he interpreted the design desires of his clients in creating three, very different homes. He and Ann also listed the questions a client has for the designer, and that the designer has for the client.
More details on that later, but the larger question is: Why does the design world need such a program? Because the internet has turned our wholesale world upside down, allowing consumers in to what was once to them a closed world. Pre-internet, a designer provided access to the wholesale goods sold only design centers. Now, however, designers serve more as concierges to the homeowner, providing value through their professional training in space planning, scale and color selection, and sustainable and universal design. Quoting Crans Baldwin, the CEO of Donghia, the designer today serves as “a guide to authenticity and luxury” and as a ‘cultural concierge’.
The internet has made shopping for all kinds of goods seem so very easy. It has become a virtual shopping center for the world. On-line you see what you like, research it thoroughly, and then can make the securely purchase with your credit card. That’s all very easy and very impersonal. For simple and complete products like a case of Windex or the newest print book by your favorite author, I think the internet has created a perfect shopping experience. However, I think many of us need trained intervention before purchasing products that include bundles of options, like which version of the Blackberry is best for you, or how to customize a chandelier in size and finish for your lifestyle and the ceilings in your home. Sometimes, a person really needs to see and hold and use an actual product before making an intelligent choice. In my experience with designing a home to be innately comfortable and hospitable, I’ve needed major input from a professionally trained interior designer.
When you read Crans Baldwin’s provocative blog, A Glass Half Full, the April 19 entry includes this statement:
You know, I am not a designer, just an ordinary client involved in the design business. However I value what designers, real designers, bring to the party. They do the homework so I don’t have to think about it. They plan, they envision, they draw, they select and specify, they measure, and they consult me when it matters. They deal with late shipments, wrong shipments, mistakes, finish problems, difficult installations, problem suppliers, last minute substitutions, etc. Buying at retail is different, with different expectations. Working with a designer is like working with any other profession, and it has little or nothing to do with retail….
Joe and I understood that truth for the first time when we selected our NY apartment. We are used to living with large open spaces in the country, and so I loathed the spaces shown us in Manhattan. Our world shrank to tiny windows, scuffed floors, ridiculously small “kitchens”, bathrooms marred by eons of other people’s crud layered over by new coats of paint, and an irritating neighbor. While Joe reveled in all the cultural attractions the city offers, I had issues with our living conditions. In order to keep me happy, Joe had to make our humble, dark rooms look marvelously inviting, and miraculously he did all the things that Crans lists in his blog. He dealt with the landlord, selected the wall coverings, scheduled the workers and waited for them and watched the quality of their work, and made the entire space metamorphose. He also created new furniture designs to help illuminate the apartment. Before he created this living room, I likened the space to the inside of a portabella mushroom. Afterward, however, his newly designed interior checked off all the points on my wish list: light-filled, scaled properly, comfy seating, decent lighting to eat by and to read by, pretty, clean, and seeming to be tall and airy. The neutrals reflect Joe’s desire for calm interiors; the bouquet my need for flowers and for color in my home.
Joe Niermann designed interior in a New York Apartment
Ever since Joe accomplished all this interior design himself, he is now content to let a professional designer work with our home. We have learned that being a furniture designer is very different from being an interior designer, and they are worth their weight in gold.
That’s a nice segue back to Ann Omvig Maine and Barry Dixon’s keynote presentation on “How to Work With a Designer”. They spoke in the Niermann Weeks DC showroom, where enough consumers attended so that all seats were occupied and some attendees were required to stand.
Barry Dixon and Ann Maine in the Niermann Weeks DC Showroom
As an interior designer, Barry listens to what his clients want in their home, paying attention also to their non-verbal cues. He showed images of three different homes, explaining how he integrates a home with its exterior. He “tethered the room to its geography” by painting one serene living room in a single shade of muted green, reflecting the grove of magnolia trees outside the windows. As you know, magnolia leaves are shiny green on top while the bottoms are dusty brown. So Barry included accents of sueded brown in the living room, on several ottomans and in the pillows.
Inspiration for Barry Dixon
In this room Barry gave his client a flood of natural light with a pale palette of design, including Niermann Week’s very own Voliere Lantern.
Barry Dixon speaks in the Niermann Weeks Showroom
Niermann Weeks Voliere Lantern
Advising consumers on how to interview an interior designer, Barry’s suggested interviewing three or four designers before making a choice. Things to consider:
* Does the designer have a signature style? If the consumer likes that style, that’s a good sign of success in their relationship.
* Will the designer develop an interior that’s ‘bespoke’ and personalized for the home owner? Show some examples in their portfolio of previous work.
* Do you stick to the home owner’s budget?
* Where do you shop for furniture, fabrics, and accessories?
* Is the designer experienced in working collaboratively with an architect, a point that’s critical in new construction.
* Reviewing the designer’s portfolio, ask and expect detailed explanations of how the interiors developed. If the designer says, “I just did it because it was pretty”, that’s not a good enough answer. Don’t hire that person.
* Can the designer provide a list of references from past clients?
Ann Maine asked Barry how an interior designer prices his or her work. He has an hourly charge of $150 to $300 for space planning and working with the architect on new construction. Many interiors designers are now acquiring products for the home like sofas and tables, pricing that work at the cost of the product plus 25-30%.
Then Ann asked Barry what he and any interior designer needs to know about the potential client.
* What’s their real budget?
* Show a binder of tear sheets and color chips that have appeal to the home owner.
Following Barry and Ann’s presentation, most of us trouped to the Donghia showroom. Most but not all. Consumers had been able to sign up for free 30 minute consultations with interior designers. Bringing their photos, plans, and swatches, they could learn first-hand how much insight a professional interior designer brings to a home’s decoration and function. The two designers stationed in the Niermann Weeks showroom interacted effectively with their consumers, and I think will be hired to help a newly engaged, first-time home owner design his home for his comfort and within his budget. I really enjoyed watching these useful and eye-opening interactions.
Back at the Donghia showroom, their CEO Crans Baldwin spoke on “Jumpstart Your Own Recovery”. Crans has been speaking for over a year at design centers around the country, gathering and sharing innovative ideas used by interior designers to attract consumers to hire them professionally. WOW, he presented a cornucopia of stimulating ideas, and you can read more about them at his blog A Glass Half Full. To condense his point, an interior designer brings vision and talent to the service of a homeowner. I don’t want to steak his thunder, so please follow the link to his blog at the end of my blog.
Then the Century Furniture showroom invited us all to a swank cocktail party where interior designers, showroom staff, consumers, and the editorial staff of Traditional Home mingled for informal chats and useful networking. On the whole, I think all benefited from this series of events at DC’s “Find a Designer Day.”
Please visit these websites for more information:
www.dcdesigncenter.com
www.rosecrans.wordpress.com to see the blog A Glass Half Full by CEO Crans Baldwin
of Donghia.
Team Niermann Weeks on Earth Day 2010
We at Niermann Weeks celebrated by cleaning up the factory, all 58,000 square feet, and then cleaning up the grounds. Now there’s a significantly less dust pollution in the world.
Savel Fabric’s Jakob Schlaepfer Line
Niermann Weeks is fortunate to represent the wonderful Savel fabrics in our showrooms.
Savel is really Sallie Hall and Andrea Elish, a mother/daughter team, who travel the world finding artisanal fabrics of extraordinary texture and tone. Last year I wrote about their Saladino for Savel Fabric Collection, which has been a big seller. By popular demand John will even be expanding his collection this year.
Now I want to write about Savel’s collection for the famous Swiss fabric company Jacob Schlaepfer. (From now on, let’s just abbreviate the name to JS.) JS came into business in 1904 and rapidly gained fame for lace-making, embroidery, and innovative fabric techniques for haute couture. As time has passed, most of the famous couturiers have depended on JS for specialty fabrics. The names include Armani, Romeo Gigli, Yves St. Laurent, Chanel, Ungaro, Christian Lacroix, Prada, Dior, and Marc Jacobs. Recently when JS decided to launch a décor line of fabrics, they selected Savel to represent them in the US,
In 2008 Niermann Weeks launched JS for Savel, first in Los Angeles and then in New York. The JS website brags about the range of their prize-winning offerings, like classic St Gallen guipure lace, textiles studded with rhinestones, or our unique sequin embroideries. Then there are textile innovations such as ink jet prints, laser cut, composés and experiments using metal, varnish and paper. These extraordinary handcrafted fabrics can be used either as textile art installations or in drapery, wallcoverings, or upholstery. After reading that kind of copy, De Beers Diamond Jewellers has appointed JS to design and supply a textile as the new corporate standard for all de Beers shops worldwide.
Now, let’s look at what all the fuss is about. Savel’s Andrea Elish stands here in front a frame of JS’s Lara Meissen pattern.
Savel's Andrea Elish in front of Jacob Schlaepfer Textiles
This photo does not catch the amazing clarity and complexity of the images on the fabric. This detail may give you a better idea, but you really need to come see this fabric in person at Niermann Weeks’ NY or DC showrooms. The images are so clear and so realistic that your hand just wants to handle them. Your eye forgets that you are really looking at an incredibly skillful fabric design.
Jacob Schlaepfer Textiles
If you like minimalism better than a riot of color, then look at this JS fabric that won the European Imagination Prize in 2009 for outstanding textile. It’s a three-dimensional creation of foam tipped with gold leather and applied to transparent tulle. Selected from 1200 submissions, JS got the award for the most daring and most surprising fabric in terms of material, technique and finishing.
Jacob Schlaepfer Textile, Winner of the 2009 European Imagination Prize for Outstanding Textile
In NY the JS display and our showroom manager, Sani, greet you at the elevator entrance:
Jacob Schlaepfer Textile Display in Niermann Weeks' NY Showroom with our Showroom Manager Sani
The late lamented magazine Metroopolitan Home loved the JS line.
Jacob Schlaepfer In Metropolitan Home Magazine
Surely you need to make your headboard as fun as this one in the City Garden Hotel in Zug, Switzerland? I’d do it at home, if I thought Joe could handle all the color and pattern. Looking up at that fabric would put me in a good mood for the rest of the day, come what may.
Jacob Schlaepfer textiles upholster a headboard in the City Garden Hotel in Zug, Switzerland
And now let’s close with my all-time favorite image. In Moscow a pool is being “roofed” with a customized version of the Glinka pattern. Not only can these Russian swimmers use the indoor, heated pool all year round, but they also swim under an almost-photorealist sky. Lucky people!
Jacob Schlaepfer textiles used to form the ceiling of a swimming pool in Russia
Since I hope you are now intrigued by Savel’s Jakob Schlaepfer collection, please refer to these websites for more information:
* www.citygarden.ch/en for lots of installation shots showing JS in use
at a new hotel in Zug, Switzerland, near Zurich
* www.debeers.com
* www.jakob-schlaepfer.ch
* www.savelinc.com
And don’t forget to come see the fabric in person, so you can swoon as I do.
* In NY we’re in The Fine arts Building at 232 E. 59th St (between 2nd and 3rd)
* In DC we’re in the Washington Design Center at 300 D St SE.
Niermann Weeks At The Spring Market in Los Angeles
In the last month I’ve been away traveling to fascinating places like The Fine Arts Building in Manhattan, the Washington, DC Design Center, and LA’s West Week market at the Pacific Design Center. All three markets gave me hope for our industry. I saw interior designers and architects busily specifying product for current jobs, received a number of orders for my company, and enjoyed the uniformly upbeat bustle. We in the interior design industry have suffered through long, hard months of a poor economy, which I now hope is giving way to more prosperous days. Cross your fingers!
As ever, the Nancy Corzine showroom at the Pacific Design Center presents itself and Niermann Weeks not only beautifully but also effectively. Fortunately they have kept their sales up in the last several years, so, a great big red apple to Nancy and her LA team: David, Jerry, Malynnda, and Valerie!
The view from the lobby into Nancy’s showroom presents a satisfying line of Niermann Weeks chandeliers, which have sold really well in Los Angeles. For this spring market, Nancy’s daughter Victoria Montana slaved for hours to make the showroom sparkle.
Niermann Weeks' Rivoli Chandelier
Look how well she showed our Crillon Chandelier, so well that designers ordered two during market. That was really gratifying. The Crillon is festooned with rock crystals that fracture the light, diffusing it in unpredictable patterns.
Niermann Weeks' Crillon Chandelier Hangs in the Nancy Corzine LA Showroom
Niermann Weeks' Crillon Chandelier
Victoria designed two vignettes that were my favorites: the outdoor room and the bedroom. At Niermann Weeks we make our outdoor furniture to provide comfort and good firm support. We aim to show you off while letting you enjoy your lifestyle. You may be dressed in beauteous silks, sweaty tennis outfits, wet bathing suits, or may invite a muddy pawed animal to come sit with you. My own poolside furniture is usually decorated in extra cat hair.
All of that is a given for me, but the outdoor vignette pulled my eye to its colorful fabrics from a line new to the showroom, Off-White Castle, by the designer Nancy A. Kintisch. Nancy K’s fabric propels the fun into the outdoor party with her almost-clashing blue-greens and yellow-greens.
Off-White Castle Fabrics, Designed by Nancy A. Kintisch, on Niermann Weeks' Loggia and Italian Furniture
The fabrics and colorways you see here include:
* NW Loggia Sofa mainly in Off-White Castle’s Nu-uanu in Ocean. The two darker
green pillows are in Van in Tomatillo.
* NW’s Italian Arm Chair and Ottoman are in Matahari in Spring.
Our Newport Finials, Fantome Side Table, Paris Side Table, Cartouche Coffee Table, and bronze Santorini Bowl quietly ground all this chromatic pizzazz.
My other favorite vignette is the sumptuous, glowing bedroom that Victoria composed of all Niermann Weeks’ products except her mother’s famous Tassel Lamps in Venetian silver.
Niermann Weeks' Bedroom Suite at the Nancy Corzine Showroom in Los Angeles
Designers and consumers find this room so warmly attractive that they are ordering it its entirety. They like that the bed is sturdy enough for use, but its strong bones look delicate in their finish of silverleaf and antiqued mirror. Repeating the finish are the nightstands, with our Carlotta Bombe Commode on the left and Milano Cabinet on the right. Our antiqued mirror on the Sevigne Panel Screen frames the background securely, while our Annecy Settee gives you a comfy place to put your shoes on in the morning. By night it also holds your carefully draped clothing. And our Russian Chandelier illuminates overhead. This room sings of lush comfort in a golden glow, and my great thanks go to Victoria Montana for composing this space.
Please go to these websites for more information:
* www.off-whitecastlestudio.com
* www.pacificdesigncenter.com
Earth Day is April 22nd, 2010
This April 22 will be the fortieth anniversary Earth Day, when humankind celebrates our Mother Earth and mitigates all kinds of environmental pollution. We at Niermann Weeks ask you to join more than 500 million people and almost 200 national governments in this grassroots effort.
How can you help?
Serve drinking water in paper cups to office visitors.
Use energy-efficient light bulbs at home and at work.
Once a week walk, bike, or take a bus to work.
Recycle paper, cans, bottles, and copy toner cartridges.
Turn out the lights when you leave a room.
Turn off your electronics when you’re done using them.
Email your Senator and Congressperson in favor of further protecting our
environment.
Eat locally grown foods.
Use a cloth towel for drying your hands and in the kitchen.
Design and prepare your own veggie garden.
Use rechargeable batteries in your digital camera.
Drink water from your tap and carry it to work in a refillable bottle.
Let some of your laundry sun-dry. Not everything needs dry cleaning.
Use refillable bags to schlep samples, fabric memos, and groceries.
Grow a tomato bush in a planter at work.
Use earth-friendly cleaning products.
Give your outmoded clothing to the local homeless shelter.
Use less packaging material for your presentations and gifts.
It’s really easy to return Mother Earth’s kindness to us. Just remember:
Joe and I and our daughters and the entire team at Niermann Weeks thank you very much. We all live in this earth, so it’s up to us to keep her neat, clean, and happy.
Springtime Has Arrived at the Niermann/McKay Home!
Our driveway explodes in pink when the tulip magnolia trees come into bloom. The air is perfumed, and I serve meals on the porch so we can admire the beauty. This experience keeps me in a great mood throughout the day.
Yesterday morning as I wandered around in this pink heaven, three of my cats accompanied me. Grey/white Sophie, orange Louis, and black Walter enjoyed following me in my D-shaped path around the driveway and up the street
Looking straight up, here’s the view.
Looking even closer, the morning dew still lingered on individual flowers, and I had achieved a blissful state.
Before I left for the office, I stopped to take some close ups of my other favorite early flowers – a hyacinth, a pansy, and a daffodil. This is just such a wonderful season, especially after the dreadful winter claustrophobia I had this year.
And finally my favorite daffodil.
We moved into this property in the late summer of 1994, and so the daffodils of the next spring gave me a delightful surprise. The previous owner had naturalized many different color combinations and heights in the fields and along edges of the woods. This one is fussy and now I only have the one plant left. If you know how I can help it thrive and multiply, please send me an email. My camellia, on the other hand, is happy as a clam, and I hope you are too!
Niermann Week’s Renishaw Commode Has a Happy Home in Nantucket
Recently interior designer Kathleen Hay of Nantucket resurrected my warm fuzzies toward her island home when she sent me photos of a dining room she designed. Immediately my eye leapt to my Renishaw Commode anchoring the wall. She’s echoed our grille work in the fabric of the side chairs, and there’s more geometry in the over-scaled shells on the cabinet and on the wall. The paint she selected perfectly captures the feel of an inviting island surrounded by the sea, and the rest of the room is equally harmonious. Now stand in front of my Renishaw to view and take pleasure in the rest of the dining room.
Niermann Weeks' Renishaw Commode Anchors Designer Kathleen Hay's Design for a Nantucket Dining Room
Kathleen has repeated her design concept with her themes of variation on geometry, of the marine world, and of the tones of wood. Per her client’s request, she created a spacious, comfortable place for formal entertaining that’s appropriate to their budget and their needs. Esthetically and functionally this space works, and to further highlight her ability, Kathleen was able to cunningly arrange the table top for this photo shoot.
Kathleen Hay's Design for a Nantucket Dining Room
Kathleen is obviously a trained interior designer, not merely a stylist of objects on a small surface. I think too often people today confuse the two tasks. I personally am a decent stylist. Give me a small, focused space, and I can place some objects cunningly within it. Interior design, however, is more than a skill; it requires specific education and apprenticeship. Give me a room or a series of rooms, and I become inept. Not so with Kathleen and others of her ilk.
Thanks to Wikipedia.com, we have a succinct definition of the value a designer adds:
The professional interior designer achieves this [value] by understanding their clients needs, seeking appropriate solutions, respect their clients social, physical and psychological needs and applying them in a safe and ecologically sensitive manner that promotes the health, safety and welfare of the clients.
You’re an inspiration to us all, Kathleen, and thanks for including Niermann Weeks in this design. You can see many more NW products on display at the M-Geough showroom in the Boston Design Center.
Please look at these websites for more information:
* www.kathleenhaydesigns.com for a portfolio of the spaces she’s designed
* www.jeffallenphotography.com for more about this great photographer
* www.mgeough.com for showroom information in the Boston area
* www.nantucketmagazine.net/NSide/?p=912 for info on Kathleen’s career and awards for her interior designs
* www.wikipedia.com for the entry on interior design
Niermann Weeks Featured in Maine Home & Design
Interior designer Michael Bell used our Kent Chandelier in a stunning house shown in Maine Home + Design (March 2010). He designed it for the Sowell family, friends from DC, as their second home. Maine Home quotes Bell, “Everything in this house was about scale – big things that make a big statement”, including an oversized chandelier from Niermann Weeks. Yes, our chandelier truly was oversized at 48″ diameter x 42″ high, but the twenty foot ceilings give an airy feel to the cool aqua space. A room that grandly proportioned could easily overwhelm its contents, but clearly Mr. Bell knows how to select and place just the right furnishings. I envy the Sowells for their serene living room with its ocean views. Lucky people!
Niermann Weeks' Kend Chandelier lends it's scale to the Sowell family
You should google Michael K. Bell of Washington, DC for lots of reviews but no website yet. Maine Home + Design’s website is www.mainehomedesign.com.
Collaborations Yield Some of Niermann Weeks’ Best Pieces
In 1992 Antony Childs, the late, great Washington, DC interior designer, created this loggia installation for the first Alexandria, VA showhouse. Working with Tony, Joe developed all the furniture and the lantern, and Tony hung a pair of fragile window screens as wall art. The zinc screens dated from the early 19th century in France. The metal itself and the paint were both so brittle that handling them was a nightmare. The metal fractured and buckled, and the paint fell off in dry flakes. Nonetheless, the room was a hit, and Niermann Weeks has been selling Loggia furniture and the Mansard Lantern ever since.
Because the screens were so brittle, Tony thought he might never be able to sell the antiques. Consequently, after the showhouse closed, he and Joe produced NW’s Tramezzo Screens made in wood and painted in a faux (false) antique zinc finish. NW sells them by the panel, like this pair. Our standard panel size is 90″ high by 30″ wide. Over the years we’ve customized them in height and width and finish, but I must share with you a custom set finished for John Saladino, one of my favorite people. Look how this astonishingly gifted maestro used our screens.
The Maestro himself
NW's Tramezzo Screen (2 panels)
John created a Garden Room in the lobby of a new apartment building in Manhattan, using his furniture, our screen, and somebody’s fantastic Renaissance-style mural. What a wonderful place to relax! The residents will be proud of this space. So many lobbies skimp on the comfort factor, let alone the luxury factor. I am always amazed to see grand architecture fronted with glass and walled with marble, but furnished with dreck. That will not be true of this building.
While the final installation exudes serenity, the NW factory worked like a madhouse getting these screens custom-made, custom-finished, and delivered on time. John had specified a custom 108″ overall height and picked our Venetian silver leaf finish. This finish makes perfect sense, as John put us on the road to creating our range of silver-based finishes. We worked on this order through the winter holidays and into January to make his deadline.
After our carpenters made the raw screens, our painters applied yellowish “size” or glue to hold the gold lead on the wooden frames. The size sets ups for about ten minutes, and then here’s Sandy quickly applying the silver leaf to part of one panel before the size dries.
Sandy Leafs a Screen
Beverlee worked on another.
David kept busy in another part of the studio,
Sandy and Hallie worked on other panels
as did Donna.
Finally all six panels were leafed, so Beverlee began the many layers of glazing to impart warm tones to the metal leaf.
Beverlee glazed the screens
Finally we finished on the morning of February 1, and the delivery truck arrived before Niermann Weeks could get a decent photo. We were lucky that Ike could snap this image with his cell phone, using his brother Danny for scale.
The finished screens ready for shipping
The entire factory collapsed with relief when this order left on the truck, crossing our collective fingers against freight damage. Fortunately the screens arrived intact, and you have John handling of them in his installation.
To see more of John Saladino’s style, go to www.saladinostyle.com and then Google him for lots of information about his books, his furniture designs, and his interior and exterior decoration. He also maintains a showroom for his furniture designs and antiques in The New York Design Center at 200 Lexington Ave.
For more information about 200 Lex, just go to www.nydc.com. If you’re in the building and run into its owner Jim Druckman, please say hi for me. He’s another wonderful human being. This photo courtesy of www.shane.decorati.com.
Niermann Weeks Recap of Capial Design Days at the DC Design Center
The 2010 blizzards of our discontent have now officially become history, as the Washington Design Center held its spring market on March 10. In my yard daffodils are blooming, in the skies Canada geese are flying north, and in the design center designers are smiling again. Business seems to have picked up, for which we are all grateful.
Entering the building, you are greeted by Kelley Proxmire’s reinterpretation of the lobby. As is her wont, Kelley’s design is fresh and crisp and intensely colorful. The lipstick reds just kiss visitors hello, and our Crillon Chandelier lends the sparkle of its rock crystal drops.
Kelly Proxmire Beautifully Decorated the DC Design Center's Lobby
Then you take the elevator up to the seventh floor, get off, and come right into the best showroom in the building: Niermann Weeks. My daughter Eleanor and our design development manager, Bill Gardner labored for a week to completely redo the 8,000 square feet showroom, which made Joe and me really proud of their efforts. Entering our door closest to the elevator, you are greeted by a mélange of furnishings from us and from the William Switzer company, shone over by NW’s new Crevecoeur Chandelier.
Niermann Weeks' Crevecoeur Chandelier Hangs in the entry to our DC Showroom
You need to zoom in on the Crevecoeur to love its swooping curves and its shimmery Veronese silverleaf finish. Joe had planned to festoon this fixture with crystals, but its metal architecture didn’t need the extra embellishment. Consequently he and Justin decided to develop a plush texture under the silverleaf. They worked on various base coats between the metal frame and the silverleaf before handing the fixture over to our painters.
Justin Binnix and Joe Niermann work on the finish for the Crevecoeur Chandelier
Then presto, the Crevecouer Chandelier!
Niermann Weeks' Crevecoeur Chandelier
That chandelier is a hard act to follow, but Eleanor gladdened her mother’s heart by putting flowers in our Chinoiserie Tulipieres. We designed these with Charlotte Moss for her former retail store in Manhattan. The pagoda shape fascinates Charlotte, so Joe created these multi-level vases for her. Behind each golden grate is a well of water for tulips or other flowers. Further pleasing me, Eleanor even reflected my current fascination with lavender tones in this composition.
Look into this Switzer mirror to see Bill Gardner taking photos of a new wallpaper by Studio E.
Flowers dot our Chinese Tulipieres
This paper is called Stella and the color way is Dusk, Flash Gold. Studio E’s Denise Vasaya took this silkscreen splatter pattern of glitter on a neutral background, and then she made it register top and bottom as well as side to side. The glitter looks so random, but the designing hand has improved it for perfect matching on the wall. I was ready to re-do our living room, but my husband rolled his eyes and restrained my enthusiasm. This paper looks alive, changing subtly in various lights and with various colors around it. You really need to go see it, as a color memo just doesn’t convey the punch of the entire wall.
Stella Wallpaper by Studio E
This vignette also shows how well all our lines coordinate with each other. You’re seeing
* Stella Wallpaper by Studio E
* Italian Plant Stand by Niermann Weeks
* Murano Lamp by Nancy Corzine
* Ashanti Mirror by Niermann Weeks
* The spectacular inlaid Le Signet four-door Cabinet by William Switzer
And here’s Denise from Studio E caught in a snapshot.
Denise from Studio E
Dennis Hunt from Nancy Corzine posed with my Eleanor and our salesman Brad Boswell in front of Nancy’s new Coral wall covering. Nancy has the remarkable ability to capture the pure fragility of celadon tones in all her work, whether fabric, wall coverings, or furniture finishes.
Dennis Hunt, Eleanor Niermann, & Brad Boswell pose in front of Nancy's Wallpaper
Further, Nancy Corzine understands how to make large scale easy to live with in any environment. Her sectional sofa, the Marina, accommodates many people altogether in comfy style. Then she designs her coffee tables like this Museum Coffee to nestle right into the sofa space, for keeping drinks and food easily at hand.
Nancy Corzine Marina Sofa
Also joining us for market were Malou and Patrice Humbert of La Forge Française, standing in front of their Sophie Table. Patrice is a master of wrought iron, having trained extensively in France in his art. Today he and Malou operate their forge in Southampton, NY, where they create one beautiful piece after another.
Malou & Patrice Humbert of La Forge Francaise
The first piece of their that I ever saw was their
Vincennes Console. By hand Patrice had formed the hard steel into floating ribbons. My word, he is a talented man!
Vincennes Console by La Forge Francaise
In this showroom vignette, Eleanor and Bill gathered some of our most popular lighting fixtures with some of La Forge’s most popular tables and fireplace accessories.
Niermann Weeks lighting and La Forge Francaise Fire Screens
Andrea Elish from Savel came down from NY for the day, and spoke about her newest fabric line “Saladino for Savel”, with Stephen Drucker, the editor of House Beautiful.
Eleanor McKay and Andrea Elish speak with Stephen Drucker
She showed him our Gustavian Klismos Chair upholstered in Saladino’s mohair in an ambiguously neutral purple/grey/pink tone. The metal console is by La Forge Française, and the diptych comes from my man Joe Niermann.
Niermann Weeks' Gustavian Klismos Chair covered in Saladino for Savel
Now look at this arrangement of our outdoor fabrics and furniture. We thank the fabric designer Nomi for her new Tangiers and Labyrinth collections for the ancient patterns on our pillows. While the patterns are from cultures past, she weaves her fabrics of 100% solution-dyed materials that will be happy in your yard or patio. Our seating, bench, and tables will be happy there too, but our Bagatelle Chandelier must be in a covered area to retain its UL guarantee of safety.
Our outdoor viginette featuring Nomi Fabrics
For market, Joe brought various models into the showroom, since he likes to get designer input into NW’s newest design concepts. After making rough sketches in 2D, Joe translates them into 3D with hand-cut cardboard, manila folders, and plywood.
What a kick – Stephen Drucker is taking a photo of this chandelier mock up.
Stephen Drucker of House Beautiful talks with Joe Niermann
Later Joe used monofilament to hang the mockup next to our Baldachino Ceiling Fixture. We need to see how the model consumes space, how easy it is to see through, how the bead structure (the white
bands) will look, and generally how people react to the overall look of the fixture.
How do you like the concept?
A new Niermann Weeks chandelier concept hanging from a Baldachino Ceiling Fixture
NW’s Bill Gardner and I took all these photos. You already know me, but you need to meet Bill, artfully leaning on our Louis XVI bed. He’s a handsome addition to this scene, and you can also admire the floral bed coverings made from our newest fabric line, Telafina. I love the meandering of these vines and flowers along the duvet. They look as relaxed as Bill does.
Bill Gardner, Niermann Weeks' Design Manager
Turning from admiration of the Niermann Weeks staff and showroom, I need to send you to two other blogs for really interesting discussions of Stephen Drucker’s panel at the DC market. He, Celerie Kemble, and Jamie Drake shared their experience on “Interior Design Today: The New Rules.” We all know the rules were in flux even before the recession, and they chatted about more recent changes. Celerie and Jamie agreed that customers now value anything artisanal, showing craftsmanship, and custom-made for a client – sounds like you need to make a road trip to the Niermann Weeks showroom in DC or NY. However. I won’t even give you a hint about the bloggers’ analyses. You really need to see for yourself at:
* www.dcdesignblog.com
* www.bossycolorblog.blogspot.com
Now please go look at these websites for more information, and thanks for visiting my blog. It’s been a pleasure.
* www.kembleinteriors.com
* www.charlottemoss.com
* www.dcdesigncenter.com
* www.housebeautiful.com
* www.drakedesignassociates.com
* www.kelleyinteriordesign.com
* www.laforgefrancaise.com
* www.nancycorzine.com
* www.nomiinc.com
* www.savelinc.com
* www.studioeinc.com
* www.telafina.com
* www.williamswitzercollection.com
Retail price: $5990- Premium finish " class="shutterset_Related images for Niermann Weeks Recap of Capial Design Days at the DC Design Center" >
Outdoor Week at the Washington DC Design Center
It’s Outdoor Week at the DC Design Center, and Niermann Weeks is ready for warm weather! Stop by and sit on our luxurious Loggia, Italian, and Mustique lines and imagine where you’ll place them in your client’s homes!
The Washington Design Center will be transformed into an outdoor paradise during Outdoor Week March 22-26, 2010. Over 30 showrooms will be displaying the finest in outdoor living. Patio furniture and outdoor fabrics will be the center of attention. Statues, birdbaths, umbrellas, porch paint, lamps and fire-pits will be given prominence like never before! The BEST selection of the year – on display this week only!
Outdoor Furniture in the Niermann Weeks Showroom
Niermann Weeks Vignette in the Lobby of the DC Design Center
Capitol File Magazine Highlights Niermann Weeks’ Pieces
The postal lady brought me a delightful surprise today, the spring issue of Capitol File magazine. Page 90 in the Home Style Guide shows my Rivoli Chandelier in a glorious bathroom, and page 92 my Louis XVI Bed plus my Harewood Commode. According to the magazine’s website, A place for power and politics, CAPITOL FILE chronicles and celebrates the most influential players, cultural connoisseurs, fashion sophisticates, and philanthropic leaders in the Washington, DC metropolitan region. See more at www.capitolfile-magazine.com and appreciate why this issue has made me so happy.
As background to my quest for happiness, remember that the DC area has already coped with four hideous snowstorms so far this winter, leaving us residents desperate for better days. So, if today, Monday, starts off so well, I’m hoping it’s an omen for a really good week.
But enough, let me share the photos with you, and urge you to buy your own copy of Capitol File so you can see more. On page 90 you’ll see a real estate ad for the sale of a historic home in Alexandria, VA. It’s being sold by interior designer Pamela Culvahouse of the firm Elements of Style, since she now resides mainly in New York City.
Here’s her sumptuous master bathroom, and how gratifying that she included our Rivoli Chandelier. I’d feel like royalty in this room.
Niermann Weeks Rivoli Chandelier
Niermann Weeks Rivoli Chandelier from our website
The guest room continues my happiness theme, with not one but two of our products in use. Our Louis XVI Bed dominates the room, with its camel and silver leaf finish perfectly contributing to tonal serenity. This room provides more relaxation than a spa. I understand that Pam has re-created this room in her new NYC apartment.
Niermann Weeks' Louis XVI Bed in Camel & Silver Leaf
Shyly nestled in the bottom right corner of this photo, our Harewood Commode supports a bedside lamp. Since I want to show off the Harewood, look this photo from our website. I love the Noire and Gilt finish with its crusty patina and subtle feel to my hands. The three drawers also hold a multitude of goodies: linen, sweaters, toys, whatever.
Niermann Weeks' Harewood Commode
Pam Culvahouse continues to operate Elements of Design in both DC and NYC. Her website includes a multitude of NW products in her portfolio, so you must go look at www.elementsofdesigndc.com. Just to be even busier, Pam, her daughter Lindsay Comparato, and their associate Rocky Jones now also have the on-line store www.ellaandboss.com selling gifts, home accents, and furnishings for home and office.
Interior designer Kristin Peake finalized prepping Pam’s house for this sale, so go to www.kristinpeakeinteriors.com to enjoy more of Kristin’s interior design.
Spring is almost upon us at Niermann Weeks
My native city Washington, DC is beautiful at every season of the year, most especially in the spring when the cherry blossoms bloom around the monuments on the Mall. Winter is finally over, life is returning, and there is a bounce in everybody’s step. Sometimes I drive into the city at first light to drive around the monuments, just filling my senses with the fresh pink blossoms. Any later than 7 am brings the rush hour traffic, which means I generally leave my house by 5:15 in the morning, but the lushness of the experience compensates for my lack of sleep.
photo courtesy of photos.upi.com/slideshow/full/3190a85cceab51d
For 2010 peak viewing is scheduled during the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Thousands of residents and tourist flock to Mall for walks, parties, art events, you name it. If you’re interested, the festival this year falls from March 27 to April 11. Go to
www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org for more information, and then call friends to see if they’ll let you crash with them.
If I’m lucky at home, for about three weeks our driveway gives us a pink environment when the encircling tulip magnolia trees bloom. I invite the neighbors and we all walk
through the driveway, cooing with delight. Liquid refreshment does augment the pleasure of this experience.
The Washington Design Center also celebrates the return of great weather with
Incredibly, the fine print at the bottom reads:
* And don’t forget to validate your parking pass for instant savings
The showrooms will have displays of all their outdoor fabrics and furnishings, but you must come up to the seventh floor to see us at Niermann Weeks. Come on into the DC Design Center and see us during Cherry Blossom time. Niermann Weeks will demonstrate unexpected ways to use our furniture, lighting, and reps lines outside. You’ll enjoy yourself and get ready to wow your clients. For NW, sales of our outdoor goods have been happily robust during this icky recession, and we guarantee you’ll get good ideas from us.
August on my side terrace
February's poolside view
A sunny day on the front porch - so much nicer!
See ya!
For more details on the Outdoor Days, please see www.dcdesigncenter.com.
Capital Design Days in the Niermann Weeks Showroom
Much has been blogged about the goings on at the Washington Design Center during Capital Design Days from March 10-12, 2010. I thought I’d share a few photos of what Niermann Weeks had going on in our showroom during all of the excitement. Representatives from some of our lines were on hand, including Manou and Patrice from La Forge Francais, Andrea from Savel, Denise from Studio E, and Dennis from Nancy Corzine. Also, Joe Niermann himself was on hand to meet and greet, as well as work on new designs right in the showroom and show anyone who stopped by what he has in the works!
If you weren’t able to make it in to the showroom during Capital Design Days, be sure to stop by next week during Outdoor Week, when we’ll have our latest outdoor furniture on display.
Joe Niermann and Justine Sancho
St. Patrick’s Day at Niermann Weeks
The holiday of my ethnicity is upon us, so it’s time for the wearing of the green. My bah-humbug husband Joe Niermann has never gotten into the spirit of the day, but that’s his loss. You can tell by his name that he descended from German immigrants. Undaunted, I’ll toast the motherland with a Diet Coke and wear lots of bright green. My lapel will sport a tiny green shamrock that a great aunt tatted for me. (Tatting looks a lot like crocheting, but you use very fine cotton thread and the world’s smallest crochet hook to make lace.)
Use this photo of a three-leaf clover to create your own emblem for March 17. As an Irish-American I
encourage everyone to share my heritage for the day.
Just don’t drink and party to excess; that’s gross.
Even the President and Mrs. Obama shared the green in the White House fountain last year.
My mother’s family emigrated from County Armagh in the late 19th century as part of Irish Catholic Colonization Association. That organization was the brainchild of John Ireland (yes, that really was his name), the first Archbishop of St. Paul, Minnesota. He organized families in Ireland to come down through Canada to homestead farms in western Minnesota, including my relatives the Toners, Murphys, Learys, Conways, and Hanrattys. As you can guess, these maps are not to scale.
Surprisingly, the Niermann family also settled in Minnesota, further north than us, but they came from Prussia and Alsace-Lorraine. My mother-in-law Harriet Forge Niermann was thrilled the moment that I became part of her family, giving her a valid excuse to celebrate yet another saint’s day. She cooked corn beef and cabbage and dyed her mashed potatoes green, unlike my family that were just plain meat and potatoes people. Eleanor Hanratty McKay gave us meat and a starch three times day, but never any food that was identifiably Irish. I guess with all the red hair, freckles, and delicate skin, we never had to prove our heritage.
Anyway, have a great day on March 17, stay sober, and wear some green!
All images are courtesy of www.wikipedia.com. How did we ever do without it?
