Loving color

Happy New Year everyone!  I've started the New Year off with a steady workload - which is wonderful - I have to admit that I didn't want Christmas to end.  My parents were here from the UK for a month and our time was spent just really enjoying our time together - lots of cooking, chatting, drinking, sharing time with friends, doing a little touristy things like going to Sausalito and Napa and my hubby and I got away for a romantic overnight stay at Cavallo Point Hotel, which was a fabulous treat (thanks Mum and Dad for babysitting!).

I feel like I am surrounded by color at the moment….  for our staging company we have bought bright, bold bedding: 

Persimmon geometric bedding

Floral pillow

Vibrant green bedding with coral print

Floral pillow with greens and blues

For a few of my clients we're also seeing color popping up more and more.  I designed these built-in cabinets with dark grey backs and a window seat cover that's a sort of 1950s print with shots of lime, orange and grey.  Here's a photo of the job just after completion (that's why it's empty):

Valerie Wills Interiors

So now I'm on a roll and found some great inspiration from some of my favorite magazines and which I hope to incorporate into both my interiors and staging.  Enjoy!

AD

Elle Decor

House Beautiful

House Beautiful

Elle Decor

Elle Decor

HouseToHome.co.uk

In all of the above photos, I love the use of color….  the bookshelves painted in dark hues and no accent color either, so it appears more saturated.  Also, the use of splashes of color in furniture such as the red chairs, the lime green chair and the red coral chandelier.

Here's to a colorful 2014!

Recent JV Staging project

JV Staging has been quite busy lately here in San Francisco.  Properties are selling quickly due to high demand and lack of inventory - so we are staging properties very quickly, helping agents get their homes on the market as fast as possible.  We staged this property - on three levels - in one day!

Living room with puzzle cocktail table and large starburst mirror

 Detail of velvet pillow and herringbone throw

 Petit shell inlaid side table with nickel leg

 Red Chinese lacquered chairs make a bold statement around the modern dining table

 Antiqued bronze oversized art piece

Master bedroom with delicate side tables

 Oversized leaf prints in the master bedroom

 Desk nook

 Fireplace detail

 Pretty Ikat upholstered bed with super soft mink throw

 1930's style white leather club chairs

Guest bedroom with colorful artwork and accordion side tables

The home made the front cover of Sunday's SF Examiner too!  

The CHOSEN ONES exhibit - San Francisco Design Week

Firstly, I am so sorry that I haven't been blogging all that much....  thanks to the wonderful real estate market here in San Francisco and the Bay Area, my staging business has been crazy busy and my interior design clients are keeping me on my toes too!  It's fun having the two businesses - with design it takes time to get to know your client, make decisions, mull over budgets, purchase orders, lead times, etc., and then we start to see results.  Whereas with staging it's instant - we can stage a home in about a day and have it look smart, sophisticated and beautifully curated!

As Summer unfolds and the kids are off to their various camps, I'm finding myself slowing down a little and trying to take advantage of a more laid back approach in our house and enjoy getting out and about.

This week starts the 2013 San Francisco Design Week where lots of lovely events are going on...  but there's one in particular I'm proud to be involved in: ArtHaus' The CHOSEN ONES exhibit AND we were mentioned in California Home & Design Magazine:

Here's the press release that explains the exhibition -

17 Bay Area Designers illustrate THE FINE ART OF DESIGN with ArtHaus Gallery and Guest Artists.  Featured Designers: Bonnie Mcgregor, Matthew Leverone, Kendall Wilkinson, Ashley Roi Jenkins, Valerie Wills, Jeff Schlarb, Lizette Bruckstein, Frank Van Duerm, Arthur McLaughlin, Brian Dittmar, Tim Latta, Kathy Bloodworth, Cecilia Sagrera and George Brazil, Jona Collins, Jacques Saint Dizier and Lawanna Cathleen Endonino.

Featured Artists: Jeffery Katcham, Serena Bocchino, Rex Ray, Kanney Mencher, Gioi Tran, Jhina Alvarado, Greg Drasler, Maxine Solomon, Brain Blood, Suzanne Benton, Carolyn Meyer, Franc D'Ambrosio, Matthew Frederick and Marc Lambrechts.

Here I am with my design and Kenney's work:

If you're in San Francisco before June 28th, stop by and see the exhibition at:

ArtHaus

411 Brannan Street

San Francisco

Contact James Bacchi for more details 415-977-0223

SF Design Week favourites

I had so much fun last week at the San Francisco Design Center's Design Week.  My lovely and talented friend, Nicola Chipps (founder of British Best and All The Rest blog) and I managed to cover most of the events.  We even carved out a little time for lunch at my favourite restaurant in the design district - Skool AND guess who was sitting next to us??  Jonathan Adler!!!  Yup!!!  So much fun.  

Another highlight was actually meeting Jeffrey Marks at the Palecek event....  here's a snapshot of the three of us.  ArtHaus gallery owner James Bacchi calls us Absolutely Designers (well, Nicola and I are British, darling!):

Jeffrey, Valerie and Nicola at the wonderful Palecek event

Speaking of James....  we also spent time at the Modern Fever event which was lots of fun.  Modern Fever and ArtHaus are also collaborating on five new designs in limited edition, based on paintings by acclaimed artist, singer and actor - Franc D'Ambrosio.  This event will debut on March 20th.  Here's a sneak peek:

From Above, 8’x10’, hand knotted, hand spun Tibetan wool and silk

According to ArtHaus Gallerists James Bacchi and Annette Schutz, “The ArtHaus FLOOR SHOW COLLECTION is an exciting addition to a roster of past and upcoming Fine Art/Design collaborations. Working with Modern Fever and Gallery Artist Franc D’Ambrosio to create this collection is quite special".

Oasis, 8’x10’, hand knotted, hand spun Tibetan wool and silk

Franc D’Ambrosio’s first solo exhibition, THE PAINTER, at ArtHaus captured the attention of collectors, designers and art critics. Select paintings from this exhibition were acquired for private and corporate collections world wide. THE PAINTER was featured on ABC-7 News, the San Francisco Chronicle, Art Business News, ArtSlant and Stages Magazine.  His unusual technique of deconstructing acrylic on canvas by applying the force of water between layers of acrylic and oils produces a texturized surface that is surprisingly beautiful and smooth to the touch.

Spring, 8’x10’, hand knotted, hand spun Tibetan wool and silk

In celebration of Spring, Modern Fever will introduce the ArtHaus FLOOR SHOW COLLECTION at their San Francisco Design Center, Galleria Showroom on Wednesday evening, March 20th, 2013, 5:00pm-8:00pm. A by-invitation-only cocktail reception will feature an exhibition of the painting that inspired the collection, and a special, live performance by Franc D’Ambrosio.

Waling with the Angels

The Clearing, 8’x10’, hand knotted,
hand spun Tibetan wool and silk

For further information contact:

Modern Fever
415-522-6666

California Impressions at ArtHaus

Tonight is the Opening Reception for an amazing group of artists.  The works are Californian inspired in various media by Carolyn Meyer, Matthew Frederick, Brian Blood, Gioi Tran, Daniel Berman, Deborah Brown, Michal Venera, Eric Engstrom and Franc D'Ambrosio.

I had a sneak peak on Tuesday and every piece looks amazing.  I was like a kid in a candy shop.

If you have a chance - stop by between 6pm and 8pm:

ArtHaus

411 Brannan Street

San Francisco

Just in time for the holidays...JV Staging's new store

As you may have noticed, I haven't been blogging for quite some time...  I am pleased to say it's because work got really busy.  Finally, I'm coming up for air and wanted to share a little something Jane (my business partner at JV Staging) and I have been working on.

We both share a passion for global travel and have been incorporating a lot of our beautiful finds from around the world into our staged properties.

To whet your appetite, we're starting off with a few fun pillows (or as we call them in the UK - cushions) - many from my Summer travels to England and a beautiful pair of zebra pillows from deepest Peru which Jane found on a recent trip.

This is just the start - keep checking back with us as we have some special and unique items coming up from New Zealand, Paris, Morocco and India!

Here's a screen shot of our store:

My UK finds are quite patriotic....  well, we did have quite the year with the Jubilee and the Olympics:

This Aran pillow was hand-made in England for me by a very special lady - it's totally one of a kind and I helped pick out the wooden buttons:

Love the subtle tartan fabric:

A pair of sophisticated pillows:

Finally, Jane found these zebra pillows in Peru - they are beautifully woven:

Please don't hesitate to call us (our contact details are on our website) if you want to know more about any of these items....  in the meantime - check out our website:

www.jvstaging.com

Happy shopping and here's to a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from everyone at Valerie Wills Interiors and JV Staging xoxo

Featured designer in Bonhams magazine

I was contacted by Bonhams auction house a few months ago and asked if I was interested in being the featured designer!!  I thought it was some sort of hoax.....  but it wasn't and I was well and truly honored to be interviewed.  The day I arrived to have my photo taken, I was given a sneak peek into the bowels of Bonhams, it was like being on the set of Downton Abbey - guys with brown coats carrying antiques and period items, then behind a curtain was the photography department.  I loved every minute!!  A HUGE thank you to everyone involved, the staff were amazing and made me feel very special.

Here it is.....