Tiff's Charlotte Discoveries: The Green

Recently I had discovered this magical little park in the heart of uptown, and on today, the 10th anniversary of 9-11, I thought it was appropriate to spotlight a place that illustrates city life, family, diversity and culture, all wrapped into one.

A quick train ride to uptown with the kids and soon we were surrounded by beautiful concrete, glass and  brick buildings, all displaying innovative designs. Across the street from The Green is the location of the Bechtler Contemporary Museum, The Mint Museum Uptown and The Duke Energy Building. It appeared that the fire and police departments were having a memorial ceremony for 9-11 and a fire engine was parked right across from the park. Just a breathtaking combination of patriotism and artistic freedom combined, on this day, it was very moving.

In the right hand corner is beautiful sculpture from the artist Niki de Saint Phalle, which I talk about more below.

The park itself is nestled between buildings and busy streets, a little oasis for those escaping the day's hustle and bustle. At the Tryon entrance into the park, is a sculpture of a book, all in brick with three dimensional children hanging and climbing from it. It's wonderful. The sculptor, Brad Spencer, named it "Life Is An Open Book".

Street Signs with cities and miles point this way and that way...it's whimsical and fun. The pathways are detailed with inlaid tiles, stamped graphics and sounds coming from hidden speakers, like bees buzzing and water trickling down. Larger scaled chairs and chaise lounges are placed under blankets of trees for park-goers to sit and ponder. There are also poems engraved on large brass sheets, made to look like manuscript, just lying precariously on the grass or wrapped around a post.

Which way did he go????

I want this in my backyard!!

Translates to "I see you are two eyes for me"

Hopscotch with sight words!!!

A poem wrapped around the base of a lamppost.

With the sounds bees buzzing from camouflaged speakers, these stamped iron tiles are inlaid throughout the brick walkways.

Off to one side of the park is a beautiful fountain, three Koi fish in a triangular arrangement with carved quotes and a beautiful inlaid floor detail. In the backdrop is a red clay building. I love the mixture of this gray sculptural installation as the red is set behind, the sky is blue, a skyscraper yet further in the background. Add the sounds of children screaming and splashing...pure magic!

Inlaid fish detail in the ground spout water.

Hand prints captured on the fish.

Thoughtful quotes inscribed in a circular pattern.

At the opposite end of the park flank two bronze towers of books, with such titles as Wuthering Heights, Roots, and Leaves of Grass. Again, the reference to reading and books, with an emphasis on tolerance in an urban setting, is a great example for our children.

Another special feature of this park is the collaboration with the Bechtler Museum across the street to house some of it's sculptural pieces that are on display right on the parks' greens. The current exhibition, which sadly comes to an end on October 2nd is of famous artist and sculptor Niki De Saint Phalle. What an inspiration in color, scale and medium. I think all ages can appreciate and be affected in some manner by these spectacular (that's putting it lightly) sculptures.

The pictures I took does not do this marvelous sculpture justice. Every stone placed  were made of glass and metallics so beautiful and colorful. The inside is as beautiful as the outside too.

This is Miles Davis!!! (One of my all time favorites)

The sign was ripped off but I can only guess this is Tiger Woods...looks like it from the signature winning  fist pump.

The children were able to climb into and onto the skull and the cat. You can read more about this fascinating artist at: http://www.bechtler.org/Collection/Niki-de-saint-phalle and http://www.nikidesaintphalle.com/ . She had a very interesting life and is worth reading about.

If you have not embarked on this enchanting spot,  mark your calendar for the next two weekends and pack yourself a picnic, bring a towel or save room for pizza or a Chicago dog (Fuel Pizza and Chicago Dogs right there). You do not want to miss seeing these beautiful pieces of work.

Tiff's Charlotte Discoveries: Adore Magazine

A couple of weeks ago I discovered a wonderful online magazine that really inspired me and I wanted to share it with anyone who hasn't seen it yet. Internet magazines in general are a new concept for me. I like to look at interior design publications in my hands and go back and forth through the pages. I sometimes  put my eyes right up to the paper like a person who needs glasses (hmmmm.....). I do a lot of magazine reading while I'm eating, while I'm waiting in the carpool lane, at the hair salon, in bed, etc. I love tearing out pages and keeping them in inspiration folders and I don't have an iPad.  Basically, I'm old school.

However, I am doing better at entering this modern world of technology. The great thing about online magazines is that you can click on a resource and go directly to the site (I know...I am just getting around to learning this concept but it really is helpful).  I already read Lonny magazine, which many of you I'm sure have read. If not, check that publication out as well.

My "Find of the Week" is a magazine called Adore Magazine, which is actually an Australian based magazine, and is in its second issue. This month was the "British Edition" and it was wonderful from front to back (I guess you can still say that right?).  Anyway, I got so much inspiration from it and found a lot of new resources I hadn't heard of.

Tiff's Charlotte Discoveries: Max and Company

Since our last week was spent mostly indoors avoiding the ice and snow, I was unable to find anything worthy to print. So....I'd love to share a place that I discovered early on that is so noteworthy, I should have called it "find of the year".  The showroom is called Max and Company, located in the Dilworth area of Charlotte at 1001 East Morehead Street. The store is owned and the interior was designed by renowned Jacksonville designer, Phoebe Howard and her husband Jim.

The building itself is a historical landmark of sorts, an old "ladies club" with beautiful bones to work with. Mrs. Howard and her design team really out did themselves with the interior design of this building. Separated by two floors, they created a more casual living space on the first floor, called Max and Co. and a touch more formal living on the second, named Mrs. Howard. The attention to detail could be found on every surface, and masterfully executed, from the space planning and architectural materials to the furniture and fabric selections. Even all of the accessories and artwork have been carefully selected and placed just right.

The flooring detail in this entry is amazing.

I love this dining room. The picture molding has insets of a texturized wallpaper,  very subtle, very elegant.

This hallway has an application of stone on the wall.

The color scheme is really soft and liveable.

The contemporary art work, the high ceilings and the parquet flooring work really well here.
Look at those gorgeous skylights.

I am not one who would use this saturated color blue on the walls, it would seem too sweet for me....but this room is so elegant and bright. It works well here with her mix of transitional and traditional style furnishings.

I love how the bed has been placed in the center of the room. It is floating unexpectedly like a cloud, yet it feels grounded. Most people would never think to put a bed in the middle. (The room is also enormous, most people don't have enough room for this to be possible.)

This bedroom has the most spectacular hand painted wallpaper, and the bedding is equally stunning.

In entering the building, one could be intimidated by its size and feeling, but the staff are extremely down to earth and the pricing is not out of line for the quality of the merchandise. There are plenty of other stores and showrooms in the area that have much more expensive merchandise. The most surprising thing I have found is that not that many people know about it. Maybe because it's not located on one of the main streets in the neighborhood, but don't let that deter you from coming to see this lovely and enchanting place. Even if you are not in the market to buy a single thing, please go and take a look. You will come out inspired and ready to take on at least one project in your home and make it a little better.

You can also visit their website and blog at www.phoebehoward.net or www.mrshowardpersonalshopper.com

Tiff's Charlotte Discoveries: Sleepy Poet Antique Mall

It has been my goal since we moved to Charlotte to check out different design spots to familiarize myself with what this city has to offer. This week was filled with lots of exploration. It was pretty hard to narrow my ultimate pick, so I am sharing 3 great finds with all of you. Each place was different and delightful with a mix of high and low end goods.

My first stop was at the Sleepy Poet, which is located in the South End. Tucked away off a busy industrial like street, this antique emporium is a gold mine. There is a lot to look at, so devote a good chunk of time for roaming around. The people working there are extremely friendly. Even if you are not looking for anything in particular, this a great place to enjoy an afternoon. Very therapeutic. A friend of mine (Shout out to Kristen) who is having a baby, was looking for a dresser to put in a guest room which could be used in a nursery at some point, so we were keeping our eyes open for the perfect size, style, and price of course. I was easily distracted by all the Asian antiques, and have put a few things on my wish list (a long Asian style bench for the foot of my bed, two black end tables for my guest room, and a beautiful buffet for the dining room). Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures of these items. (what was I thinking???) However, I did take some pics of some other great finds that I got a kick out of .

I love this ceramic lamp. The shade is great with the black rubbing.

I thought these candlesticks were great. If I had bought them I may have painted them another color, but I loved the chinese cutout design. This vendor is called Bamboo, a young woman from Palm Beach owns this booth. Great stuff.

These vintage prints were a little crazy, but I really like them. The pair of them were $34.00. Wish I got them now.

These side tables had an amazing shape, the finish was nice and I could see mixing them with a lot of different styles. If you look closely, you can see that they have planters in them, that could be really fun!

Ultimately my friend did not find the dresser, but will be back again to see if she'll get lucky and find the perfect piece. I think it's definitely possible here. As for me....of all the things that caught my eye, the item I ended up purchasing was a little black stand for 12 bucks for my one "happy" Buddha in the house. Now, he's really happy.                                                                                 

My second stop this week was in Cotswold. I hadn't even been to this part of Charlotte, so I was glad that my first experience in this part of town was so wonderful. I had noticed in the paper that Cotswold Marketplace had expanded their store, and I really wanted to check out what they had. This is a space I would take a client to, if they were looking for interesting, one of a kind pieces. It's definitely on the high end, pillows were in the $200.00 and up range. It depended on which section you were looking at. I found some interesting pieces of art with nests and eggs, which seem to be a reoccurring theme wherever I go (me thinks I need to design a nursery based on this theme)

These photos don't do the artwork justice. There is a lot of textures and they are framed beautifully

There were these fantastic shutters with a cut-out of the moon, also could be used in a nursery or even in a shabby chic setting. The finish was so pretty.

                                                                                
I also found two fantastic chairs. They were a pair of antique Asian lounge chairs in black lacquer. I liked the fabric, but I would probably reupholster them in something a little more "dirt-proof" if there is such a thing. I also thought the cost was reasonable as well, $600.00 for the pair.

                                                                                 

                                                                                
I would highly recommend this store if you were looking for something special.

My last stop this week was at a place called City Art Works, which is located on the corner at Woodlawn and Park. My friend Sandy had been telling me all about it and I had to see what all the hoopla was all about. My experience was not only mesmerizing, it was magical.  As you came upon the store, there was an easel out front, whimsically decorated with beads and jewels, with an inset chalk board which said something like "Your husband called and said you can buy anything." I can't remember it verbatim, but it set the tone for me. I love anything with a sense of humor, they had me there.

Upon entering the store, my eyes were filled with so much to see. The store consists of custom jewelry from a vast array of vendors, some customizable pieces where you can pick different pendants and stones and then add the chain. They even have antique ribbons, which I love. They also have some artists featured on the walls, pottery and decorative art pieces, some candles and oils and special things for children. There was a great chandelier hanging which was so pretty. It has beads embellished on it. The artist takes salvaged lighting fixtures and embellishes them with beaded garland and other things. The picture does not show all the detail.

                                                                                 
I don't think I can do this store justice by describing it, you'll just have to come in. All I can say is that I did not want to leave. Everything was displayed so beautifully, with so much love and care. I had the pleasure of meeting one of the owners, Susan Sloan-Lieb, and you could tell just speaking with her how much of her blood, sweat and tears went into making this store the treasure it is. Unfortunately I was so busy looking at all the "booty", I didn't take too many pictures. I managed to photograph a salvaged piece of art that I had become taken with.

When I read the quote on this salvaged piece of wood, I got goose bumps up my arm. I immediately thought of my husband. It's amazing how something so simple, almost childlike in execution, can have such an impact.

Well, I can say it was a successful week of discovery here in Charlotte. It definitely reassures me that art and design is alive and kicking in this unique city. Until next time.....