Summer is nearly here and we must have going to the beach on our minds.  Makes sense. We all need a break near the end of the school year calendar. You can’t work well without a break to refresh here and there. I’m seeing this Coastal Climate concept is in nearly all shelter / home and decorating magazines since May but particularly this month. Here are just a few examples of what’s new and next for coastal theme products for home design.

Traditional Home shows a relaxing hammock that looks so inviting, outdoor furniture, rugs and pillows and more.

Seeing this Sperm Whale pillow in this spread reminds me of our Eddie Doyle Design’s Moby Dick for Casart Décor. Our offering is fuss-free, all-weather with Euro Chic styling + our price happens to be comparable — also at $100.

Moby Dick pillow by Edward Doyle Designs for Casart Décor

Sail the Seven Seas pillow by Edward Doyle Designs for Casart Décor

All things nautical and Nantucket seem to be making a splash with marine knots.

We have a stylish Monkey Knot design from the Karen Robertson Collection that happens to be on sale for a limited time and this week only, so you may want to take advantage while the offering still exists.

Karen Roberston Collection -  Monkey Knot Casart wallcovering

If you want a unique type of sconce, go tortoiseshell!

Aren’t these coastal, sea-foam colored blues on the cover of this Ballard Designs catalog inviting? They make me want to kick off my shoes, dig in the surroundings to relax and beat the summer heat (and heatwave we are having here in the Northeast).

Finally, you can find easy and sophisticated ways to get a coastal theme with minimal effort as seen by this Karen Robertson Collection Sea Fan offered by Horchow or pair it with an Oyster colored stripe — just one can make most impact. Currently, we are having a HUGE sale on  the Karen Robertson Collection Stripes, but just for this week only. They are available in 3″ – 24″ w and 35 colors that all can be used individually or combined and repositioned, removed and reused.

Karen Robertson Collection Aqua Stripe, Casart wallcovering

I don’t know about you, but now I’m thinking of the beach and how to get that Coastal Climate all year round or any time I’m in the need-for-the-beach-frame-of-mind. Fortunately Casart coverings and Casart Décor can come to the rescue.

– Ashley

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What do you do when you want to set the stage for a creative project but don’t know the best way to do it or where go? You call a stager, of course! But not any stager will do. It has to be someone who gets your concept and can achieve the results and plan the preliminaries without the main person being there to call the shots.

Tammy Torres of Superior Staging

Tammy Torres of Superior Staging is just that person – organized, talented, connected and a goal achiever. You want her on your team because she gets the job done. She not only specializes in staging homes for resale for many clients and real estate agencies for their open houses, but she also is a superb home stylist. She cuts through the clutter to visualize what can be. We consulted long distance for weeks and she was willing to get involved even during her busiest season — preparing for the spring market. Her boundless, positive energy beats any stress down at the door.

The benefits of using a home stylist are many. Besides just prep for an Open House, you can get the look you want with Superior Staging’s help. Tammy lists these as the primary benefits of staging for resale :

• A staged home will stand apart from its competition in this saturated market
• A staged home will be shown more often because it is Move-in-Ready
• A staged home will sell in the shortest amount of time and for the highest price

Here are Tammy’s Tips for how to think about styling your own home for yourself or for showing:

• Declutter

• Depersonalize for real estate showings

• Keep it neutral — prospective buyers want to see their own style in your house, so let them.

• However, sometimes a room needs a “wow factor” to be memorable. You want them thinking about their potential purchase of your home long after they’ve left.

– This is where Casart coverings can come into play because the self-adhesive wallcoverings are peel and stick, DIY and are removable and reusable. They will never let prospective buyers wonder, “Oh no, glued on wallpaper!”

• All of these things can be kept in mind for general home styling: declutter, keep it simple, neutralize but personalize to make it comfortable and your own.

One Feng Shui tip we learned from Tammy is make sure your bed is facing you, not perpendicular to the doorway, when you walk into the room. This is welcoming and inviting — so you can take that long deserved nap and sleep well after all that styling.

Tammy at work

Tammy found our splendid Soleil location and was our liaison with the business owner. What few furnishings he didn’t have, Tammy provided. She even disassembled her daughter’s crib, to reassemble on site and allowed her daughter, Kathryn, to be the star! These are some of the cutest pictures. Good thing we were done in time for her nap.

Mom & Daughter

Baby Kate

Some results of Tammy’s many efforts

How many people does it take to disassemble a crib? A lot when you have a tired baby.

This garbage bag says a lot….She gives you peace of mind and cleans everything up too!!

Thank you, Tammy! Your services were essential and couldn’t have done it with out your help. I’ll look forward to a future project.

– Ashley

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How do you pull off getting three people you’ve never met in person to come together in less than a month for a major marketing endeavor? Well, it’s difficult but with extraordinary people, extraordinary things can happen. Most companies wouldn’t give away their sources but we want to let you know all about them. For the next couple of weeks I’ll be mentioning clues that will eventually lead to the unveiling of our latest project.

One of our props

First clue is a location.

We needed to find a location that had furniture items and lots of variety, a large space, with 10′ high walls and a good source of natural light. It had to be conveniently located to at least everybody involved — except maybe me. Although it wasn’t too far away to drive, I opted to fly to save time and energy because I knew there would be long days ahead.

We found the perfect location, outside of the hustle and bustle and hassle of NYC but nearby. Everyone involved (except for me) would be coming from New York.

Soleil is an atypical furniture store, located in the historic town of Rosyln, New York on Long Island. It’s a large space with two levels and a full basement. It used to be the town’s original Firehouse. It even has bright red railings in the stairwell; although, I never saw the pole. Soli, the proprietor, is one of the most generous souls. He allowed strangers to take over the upstairs for two solid days, way beyond closing hours and trusted us to lock up upon leaving. He seemed to enjoy what we were doing and seeing his furniture being used. He has beautiful furniture! He makes many pieces himself. They are all one of a kind with the most top-the-line-materials:  exotic & rare woods; classic & plush fabrics; and global treasures from far away lands. He loves what he does and it shows. He even bought us pizza.

Soleil Storefront in Roslyn, NY

Soleil, the Roslyn’s historic Firehouse

The one break in the rain

If you haven’t been to this exceptional store, you are missing out. Go and see for yourself because as gorgeous as his items are, you won’t be able to see online. I’m trying to convince him to get a website. Of course, if he retails some of our pillows, he’ll kinda have one to start. In the meantime, here’s his address, 1464 Old Northern Blvd., Roslyn, NY 11576 and directions below to check it out for yourself. Give us your feedback, take pictures and let us know what you like best and what you’ve purchased. We want to share the love.

Soli, the owner, works the front desk

Only a quarter of Soleil’s furnishings and décor accessories and the pictures do not do the setting justice.

Thank you Soli! I look forward to the next visit.

– Ashley

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