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Summer 2009 E-zine |
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Turquoise Décor LLC |
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From Drab to Fab! |
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425 463 8415 |
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Photography © by Skedonk.com |
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Proudly serving clients from the following communities: Seattle, the Eastside, King County, Snohomish County, Pierce County, Tacoma, Bellevue, Renton, Seatac, Shoreline, Redmond, Kirkland, Issaquah, Sammamish, Kent, Auburn, West Seattle, Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, Woodinville, Kenmore, Fife, Federal Way, Edmonds, Brier, Bothell, Lake Forest Park, Mercer Island, Newcastle, Normandy Park, Greenlake, Carnation, Duvall, Everett, Monroe, Lake Stevens, North Bend, Snoqualmie, Copyright © 2008 Turquoise Décor Newsletter.
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We hope you’ve all survived the recent heat wave here in the Pacific North West. And, no, that isn’t why we’ve been quiet for a while on the news front! The truth is, we’ve had an exceptionally busy and rewarding summer so we decided to do one summer edition to cover the period June - August this year. Instead of featured articles, this time we’re showcasing a couple of our recent projects too so you can have a taste of the type of stuff that’s been keeping us so busy. Be sure to check out the cool things we found on our travels to Spain, Africa and Israel in our Decorating Tips & Tricks section - you’re sure to be inspired by our creative ways to display beautiful objects.
As usual, we have answered a reader’s decorating query in our Decoration Interrogation - if you have a decorating problem, be sure to submit your question. You’ll not only be in the running to receive some free advice, but you’ll also have a shot at winning a $25 restaurant voucher. Speaking of prizes, you can also enter our Summer Trivia Challenge for a chance to win a $10 Starbucks card. AND THAT’S NOT ALL!
To promote the opening of their new store in the Bravern Building, Central Bellevue on September 12th, Anthropologie (as you all know from previous newsletters, we luuurrrvve their products) are giving away a lovely candle to the value of $28 - see below for details.
If you’re reading this newsletter, chances are you love decorating and you love beautiful things. If you are looking for a full time or part time position in an environment where you’ll be exposed to both, Anthropologie are now hiring for their new store in Bellevue. If you are interested, send your resume to Ineke van Waardenburg.
Enjoy the remaining warm weather - we’ll be back next month with more super duper ideas, tips and prizes. In the meantime, stay cool!
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Issue 7, Summer 2009 |
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n Exhibit: Judy Hill - The Self Transparent until 01/03/2010 Bellevue Arts Musuem. Combining the crackled surface of raku ceramic with the transparency of cold-mold glass, the Portland-based artist creates figurative sculptures that have an unexpectedly charged psychological presence. n Friday Art Deco Tour 07/03/2009 to 12/18/2009 Seattle Architectural Foundation and Gallery. On this tour, revisit the roaring '20s and the architectural developments which transformed Seattle's skyline. See how Mayan temples, decorated caves and French styling came together, creating some of downtown Seattle's finest lobbies. n Pottery Northwest at City Hall until 09/15/2009 Seattle City Hall and Gallery. The region's premier pottery organization shares an exhibition of 14 works by artists in the artists-in-residence program at Pottery Northwest. Though ceramic work is the primary focus of this exhibition and the mission of Pottery Northwest, there are works combining clay with other media, a digital print, and a work in acrylics.
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Remember that our referral program enables clients and friends to earn money by referring new clients. For every new client that you refer to us, we will give you 10% of the project's value (up to a total referral bonus of $1,000). |
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Remember that our referral program enables clients and friends to earn money by referring new clients. For every new client that you refer to us, we will give you 10% of the project's value (up to a total referral bonus of $1,000). |
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Summer Trivia Challenge
How old was Frank Epperson, the person who invented the first popsicle which was originally called the "Epsicle"?
a) 24 ; b) 11; c) 36; or d) 72
The first correct answer emailed to Nicole@TurquoiseDecor.com will be this month's winner of a $10 Starbucks Card!
The answer to the Spring Trivia Challenge was (b) September 21st. |
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Quote
Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it.
~Russel Baker |
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Before You Decorate, Interrogate!
Yes, I have a decoration interrogation!
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Decorating Tips and Tricks - Ideas for Grouping Objects
This summer we travelled to Spain, South Africa and Israel and on our travels discovered some little gems. When we returned, we displayed them in interesting ways.
We grouped this colorful Gaudi lizard (right) from Barcelona with an antique European glass vase, a handmade pottery bowl and a stunning South American wire and bead vase to create a unique display. Don’t be afraid to group lots of colorful items together as long as the overall color palette is similar.
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We did a similar grouping with this wire and bead baobab tree from South Africa (above). The turquoise beads team well with the turquoise stripes of the bowl and pitcher. |
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We grouped pieces of this Queen’s Green antique English china (right) against a green wall - placing a solid contrasting object against a solid colored backdrop creates a dramatic effect. |
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In Israel we found this amazing floor to ceiling wooden sculpture by artist Albert Nevelev (below). To show off a unique object like this, don’t crowd it with too many other things. |
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Or group together lots of similar objects in different colors as we did with these wire and bead lizards (left), also from South Africa. If you’re looking for similar beaded animals, visit the gift shop at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. |
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Answer: You can always troll your local thrift stores for unusual plates - and usually purchase them very inexpensively. Many stores such as Crate & Barrel and Pier 1 often have beautiful dinnerware ceramics that are less expensive than you think, especially if you look at their sale/clearance items.
One option is to group plates in the same general color palette in a haphazard fashion - like our example on the right:
Another option, however, is to go plastic - yes, plastic! Take a look at these examples we recently did for a client. The advantages of plastic are that there are a myriad of colors and patterns available and they cost a fraction of the price of decorative ceramic plates. A major advantage is that they are very light and therefore easy to mount on almost any surface. Again, the stores mentioned above are good bets, and we also recommend Target, Fred Meyer, IKEA, and even your local supermarket.
If you don’t like the plastic idea - pick up some old wooden bowls (usually very cheap in thrift stores), spray paint them in your desired color, and team them in groups - adding one different plate to make the display pop. You could also use plastic chargers as they’re often available in glossy metallic shades. See four of our examples at right:
Another inexpensive option is to pick up some silver chargers, trays, etc from a thrift store (it doesn’t matter if the items are mismatched or slightly damaged) - and hang them on the wall. In time, allow them to tarnish naturally and they will take on an interesting patina. |
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This month’s question:
I love the look of hanging plates on the wall however I’m pretty clueless about how to choose them and how to group them. Can you give me some suggestions? |
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Our first example (left) is a simple circular wall display.
In our second example (below right), we arranged a number of silver platters to form a very different kind of window valance. |
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To promote the opening of their new store in the Bravern Building, Central Bellevue on September 12th, Anthropologie are giving away a lovely Capri Blue Jar Candle - a value of $28 - to the first person to send an email with their mailing address to Nicole@TurquoiseDecor.com - remember to include “ANTHROPOLOGIE” in the subject line.
Anthropologie are now hiring for their new store in Bellevue. If you are interested, send your resume to Ineke van Waardenburg. |
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A Taste of Summer - Pro Bono Project Showcase Snapshots
Giving Back to the Community
In addition to tons of staging work this summer - see pictures of some of our latest projects here - we also did some pro bono room makeovers for the elderly who often would love to have a great space but are too infirm to make it happen. Take a look at these before and after pictures where we didn’t spend a dime by using only the things each person already owned:
BEFORE AFTER |
