
Above: This gorgeous lighted cabinet (seen below in
a living room) also works perfectly in a dining room for stunning
white china against a deep red wall. Nothing is prettier than black,
white, red combo and it's very popular now. See below for a bedroom in
the same color scheme. Above: Just when I think our customers could
not possibly come up with a more clever idea for using pieces from
Artifacts -- they DO! Look at this creative use of an old "hoosier
cabinet", the kind you used to find in kitchens with the enamel work
surface and lots of storage. This homeowner put it to use as a
scrapbooking station!! Below: Have an awkward
spot where you know you need something, just don't know what? This
little table filled the bill for this customer. The linear designs of
her tile floor, even the louvers on the door on the left of the photo
-- all balanced nicely by the swirl design on the drawers of this
small piece that serves as small buffet in her dining
room. Keeping in mind to "repeat in threes" she has echoed those
swirls in the pattern in the bowl and the mirror above the
piece. She's in the process of finding just the right lamp
to tie it all together. 
The photos above & below show the same room and the dramatic difference lighting can make. The warm gold on the walls of this sunroom takes on a completely different look at different times of day and in different lighting conditions. Above: This traditional piece (accented with dramatic lamps and mirror) is the perfect counterpoint to the modern styling of the couch and lamps on the wall opposite seen below. Have a spot where you don't want a table behind or near your couch? Take a tip from this homeowner and use floor lamps. Another nice touch, the colors in the custom painting are picked up in the plate on the table on the far left of the photo. 
The photos below are further evidence of this homeowners flair for mixing styles to great effect. A blue ceiling, taupe walls, and distressed pecan flooring could send a room in a totally traditional and expected direction, but the mix of the upholstered leather headboard with a sleekly modern bench, a traditional & ornate bombe instead of the expected dresser stamp it with its own unique personality.

 Above left: A stairway landing can be boring and bland or become a "catch-all" for clothing, shoes, etc. A great way to prevent both is a small accent table like this one. The homeowner was fortunate to have an outlet in the spot for a lamp, but even if you don't, a mirror will catch and bounce light for a similar effect. Above right: Sometimes a treatured family piece is beyond repair -- in this case a dining room table with only half of it salvageable. Luckily, the homeowner was able to use that half painted black and attacked to the wall as a small writing desk. Further evidence of her clever mix of styles can be seen in the modern wall art and plate with the traditional table and chair.  Above: Pretty slate blue walls provide the perfect backdrop for this clever decorating scheme. The soft lines of the vines & leaves on the bedding, lampshades, and chair fabric are kept from becoming too busy by keeping them all in black and white. The modern lines of the "z" side tables and the sleigh bed are softened with pops of red in the bench and accent pillows. This room is a great example of mixing light & dark, mascusline and feminine, modern and traditional!
 Above: Another photo of creative mixing of styles -- this time the accessories are definitely sleek and modern, but look how well they work with a piece that is very simple and almost has a vintage/antique feel. Would these accessories have the same impact on a sleekly modern piece in a metallic finish? I don't think so!

Above left: The foyer of this beautiful new home was the perfect spot for a massive piece like this Ashley curio. (Same piece is at top of page in dining room.) The homeowner's collection of Willow Tree angles can be artfully displayed within and the top of the piece has ample room for other accessories. On the right side of the photo, you can see the complimentary sofa table which is in detail in the next photo. Above right: The black table and red accessoreis are perfect for this spot across from the red dining room. They mimic (and reflect) the vibrancy of the dining room without being overwhelming in the entry.  This homeowner chose a rather unique piece from us -- a sofa table that folds out into a full size table -- and is using it as a laptop desk in her beautiful sage green den. The rich orangy/golden tones of the wood in this work great with the color scheme she has going on in the rest of the room (salmon & gold mixed with the green). The prints above it are also from Artifacts and they are matted in a nice neutral that work in nearly any room. The metal urn is another Artifacts purchase, all beautifully done!  The two photos above show how you can use some of the great metal wall decor we have. At left a homeowner's favorite print was made more dramatic by hanging the metal piece just above it - what a great way to make an everyday frame look like a custom piece! At right is a dramatic wall piece centered over a homeowner's bed. A piece like this doesn't give the "heavy" feel that a painting or print would over a bed -- by being open, it still feels "light" even though it's quite large.
 I'm delighted to be able to share photos of some great pieces from Atifacts in the new home of a young couple! The photo Above Left shows the perfect addition of a baker's rack/wine rack to this kitchen. It seems many builders are now leaving room at the end of cabinets for accent pieces like this, and it is a great compliment to the wood tones in the homeowners' cabinets. Directly in front of it are the two barstools Above Right which are a great addition to the owners' table tucked into the bay window that's letting all that light stream in!
 Above Left: Large great rooms found in today's homes often need that extra piece tucked into a corner and the use of this mirrored curio was a great idea. Its dark tones are offset by the beveled mirrors in the back and the glass shelves and it makes a great place for the homeowner's collections. Above Right: The homeowners' did a great job of selecting items to carry a look throughout the house. The ironwork seen in the baker's rack of the kitchen is mimicked in the ironwork on this coat rack. Another nice touch for new constructions -- finding pieces that make them look more like a home and less like a catalog or furniture showroom. The use of this crackle-finish accent table adds the look of an aged, collected piece to a new home and was a great idea to put a personal stamp on the house. Below Left & Right : This is another example of how the homeowners' carefully repeated a motif throughout the living room. The leaf/vine motif on the accent piece in the entrance (above) is repeated again in the selection of these lamps which have leaf/vine designs either on shades or in the base of the floor lamp. it can also be found in the palm leaf design of the bombe chests which will be used as end tables and accent pieces in the great room. This is a great design tip -- one you can borrow for your space! Even though they're not quite finished with the decorating, we appreciate this couple for letting us photograph the beginning of their decorating odyssey. They are off to a great start. Another photo coming soon of the entertainment center they accented beautifully with metal accent pieces!

Above: Okay, this is officially the cutest photo of a customer's home ever on the Artifacts website!! Don't you love the young, fresh, hip look of this?? I think Caroline, the teen who said, "Mom, how would those wall pieces look turned sideways over my beds kind of like headboards?" has a future as a designer, don't YOU!?? I mean, WOW, Caroline -- g
reat going with the whole thinking outside the box there! And they could not be more perfect with her bedding!
 Above: Beautifully decorated for Christmas, this customer's dining room features a popular curio cabinet from Artifacts holding a large collection of crystal. The plate rack over the door is also a recent purchase from the store. We love seeing our furniture decorated for the holidays! Below: The homeowner's lime green walls are the perfect backdrop for this rich cherry bombe. She has further played up this color combo by her holiday additions to the bronze/green vase & platter that normally top the bombe. 
Below: Just a few clever touches like the snowflakes, ribbon and trees are all it takes to turn an already stunning room into a holiday delight. This beautiful king poster bed with black leather panels on headboard and footboard is complimented by the black chair with zebra print. 
Below: When we started looking for items for these homeowners' game room, these pieces were not what initially came to mind. I was helping the homeowners search the store for a couple of "purposeful" pieces for storing games, etc. then my eye caught these two and a third matching secretary. Since I knew the walls would soon be a "peanut-buttery" color, I suggested these painted pieces with that color as an accent. They will also be great if they decide to use them in their daughter's bedroom, or turn this room into a home office/media room later.

Below Left: I love the way this customer thought outside the box and used this chest with metal panels on the front in a dining room. It is perfectly functional as a buffet with plenty of room on top for serving and the drawers offer storage for tableware and linens! Below Right: An upstairs interior hallway gets plenty of light through the use of this mirror over a small console table. Draping the fabric across the top was a great way for the homeowner to add a ltitle color to the spot as well. 

Above: The stunning tray ceiling and cool-toned walls could leave this bedroom feeling empty & cold, but the homeowner's addition of warm wood tones and red and gold as accent colors and in the cozy chair prevents that beautifully. Below: Against a bank of sleek glass doors, a heavy chest in addition to the comfy chair would come across as too "weighty". Instead, this pretty, carved accent table with an open base works well.
  Above: The addition to this scroll accent piece above the bed (which isn't from Artifacts!) helped this homeowner achieve better proportion in her bedroom. The bedside tables with the same finish & style but different sizes are also cleverly used to keep the bedroom from becoming too "matchy-matchy".
Above: This bedroom suite is now discontinued, but I just received this customer's photos of it in her new home. I am excited to share them with you because of the decorating tips that can be gleaned from them. In this photo, you see the basic color scheme for the room -- black, gold & red -- set in the custom bedding by Mrs. ruth Cole of Calhoun City. These colors work well against the neutral walls and carpeting. Note how the homeowner used the black from the bedding in the sconces and frame over the bed. One other detail to note in this photo -- the homeowners chose a mis-matched side table for the bed, not the matching night stand for the suite. A great way to make their room unique. Below left: The red from the color scheme is nicely spread to another area of the room by the use of these decorative vases on the chest of drawers. Below right: The restraint in not adding the red or gold to the dresser, just inside the entrance of the room, is such a smart choice! Because its mirror reflects those colors from the bed, accessorizing it with neutrals is exactly the right strategy.
  Above: The pretty wire baker's rack in the back center of this photo is from Artifacts. The homeowner chose wisely, as this small piece keeps a lightness to the room and doesn't fight with the weight of the antique drop-leaf table or the vibrance of the red and wood-toned table and chairs. Below: Subtle touches like choosing a decorative scrollwork easel and lamp to echo the openness of the antique table base can make a big statement in a room.

 Above: This homeowner has mastered the art of for mixing neutrals and vibrant colors as you can see in this photo and the one below. In rooms with bold wall colors, she chooses neutral accessories like the brown/tan plate and vase at left in this photo. her serpentine front chest and armoire from Artifacts also have dark neutral tones to balance out the rich red walls. I have heard that since this photo was taken she has changed the wall color to khaki and gone with vibrant accessories! Below: This is one of our most popular baker's racks and serves as a great break between the living and dining areas of a large room. If you have one of those "great rooms" a baker's rack can help you make the transition between functions in that room.

Below: The large scane of king-sized bed and the height of the ceiling made it a bit difficult for the homeowner to find just the right thing for over the headboard. She finally came up with a great solution in this set of 4 metal tiles that echo the squares in the bedding and nicely balance the rounded lines of the headboard.
 Below: This nicely detailed counter height table with four stools was the perfect size and tone for
the breakfast area of this young couple. They homeowners have just started remodeling and decorating, and they have created a very effective bridge between the pretty, light-toned wood floors and the vibrant walls with this table set and the colors in the placemeats and dinnerware. And, as she said, "We have really enjoyed them. It's the first time since we've been married that we have gotten to sit together and eat at our own table." I love my job. :)

 Above: The homeowner says she isn't finished accessorizing, but I wanted to show you how we were able to solve a problem she had in her kitchen. This spot just inside her door is where she wanted something to hold her collection of cookbooks, but she needed to access a light switch so a tall piece was out. This nice medium sized baker's rack was the perfect solution. I can't wait to see it when she "does a little better decorating" as she said, because I think it already looks great!
 Above: This small curio was a piece that our customer wanted to go between these bold graphic chairs she had purchased from us earlier. However, it had gold/brown tones and she thought that would fight with the black/white/silver theme she had going. A few touches of silver paint and two mirrors cut to fit the removable tray top and inside the cabinet were all it took to transform it into the perfect piece for her space. These chairs are a nice solution for someone who wants a bit of a modern edge, but doesn't want to go for the zebra print. It's the exact same chair frame, but this fabric has a more traditional feel to it. Below: This great little apothecary chest in an off-set niche is another way to carry the clean lines of the homeowner's modern style throughout the room. She has balanced the strong graphic lines of the piece with traditional accessories on top.
  Above: This stately credenza works beautifully beside the front door or this elegant home. Note how the painted panels of the doors on the credenza work so well with the subtle gold of the walls and even the gold tones in the beautiful floors. Little touches of mossy green and gold in the chair, the rug, and other accessories pull the look together.
 Above: You'll see these handome corner cabinets several times on the customer photo pages, and I'm especially glad to share this one with you because of the creative space this homeowner found to use it -- on a stair landing! It is just the right accent piece for a difficult spot and it's classic lines and rich dark color are a great balance against the brick red walls. Below: Another great use of a piece with heavy black accents is used in the homeowner's bath as a unique medicine cabinet. Providing great detail, this piece and the accessories the homeowner added to the top are a great bridge between the crisp tile and the wall color.

 Above: Themed rooms can sometimes be overdone, but this
homeowner used just a few touches of palm -- in the print, the
wallpaper border, and the sofa cushions -- to create a comfortable and
elegant room. Her use of the wood tables is perfect with the show wood on
her couch, and the black ironwork on the tables goes well with the black
border in the print, the wrought iron sconces, and the border of her area
rug. She has used simple touches of color here & there (the
gold of the sconces, the green, terra cotta, and cream of the large
ceramic plate) to accent the room.
 Above: The homeowner's round mirror is used to
great effect over this unique bombe chest with black granite
top. The curves of the serpentine drawers and the sweep of the
legs "mirror" the lines of the mirror! Below: A drop-leaf table
works perfectly for this small space that needed a table but
didn't offer much room for one. The black shade with ribbed
sides brings out the texture in the table's decorative
edging.

 Above: Until
the homeowner pointed it out to me, I didn't even notice that she had
used this piece to separate two paint styles where her foyer meets her
living room. She accomplished this very effectively with the use of an
antique door behind this massive bombe chest with marble top. Below:
The only thing from Artifacts in this photo is the large charger on
top of the armoire -- but it does look great on her amoire, doesn't
it?!

 Above: Before & After! To begin with, the
homeowner had this table and lamp as unique accents in a dining
area. The creamy base of the lamps mimiced the tones in the chairs,
and the black shade ties in the black piece (below) which is across the
room. BUT.... I was looking at her photos on FaceBook one night
& apparently she was looking at mine, because when I said, "You know
what you need in that corner? A black corner cabinet," she said,
"Girl, get out of my head -- that's what I was just thinking!!" So,
she ended up with the one on the right! It gives her even more room for
display in this classy, eclectic dining room. Also ties in beautifully
with the black piece below. Beow: I love how this homeowner is not
afraid to mix and match -- who would have thought a black mirror-backed
credenza would be what she needed with these formal white-washed chairs in
her dining room? But the style of this piece, even the
lines and detailing are exactly the same as the chairs and that
is why it works!
 Below: The leaf piece is
just the right scale beside the desk in the living room. The wall
space is filled visually, but is not crowded by another piece of
furniture.

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