"High Point Market - Drexel Heritage Furniture . . . "

Drexel Heritage Showrooms for Spring 2013

Greetings,

I feel like I've got to catch up with pictures from the last month of frantic, and yet fabulous, travel.  So just to keep things in their proper order - let's hop in the 'way-back-machine' and just zip back a few weeks ago when I was in North Carolina for High Point Market.  

I had the great priveledge of being sponsored for my trip by Drexel Heritage - and part of the schedule included a personal tour through their new showrooms to preview the new pieces added to the line - as well as seeing the classic furniture for which they are SO well known.

So . . . with trusty camera in hand . . . and trusty notepad in my other hand . . . let's take a jaunty trip through the showroom and I'll show you some of my favourites . . . 

Enjoy . . . 

Love this collection of Glint Mirrors grouped over the mirrored console.
I love using mirrors in a BIG way - and these certainly fit the bill!

These new Windsor-styled dining chairs from the 24 Willow
Crossing Collection were another hit for me.
I like the fresh modern take on a classic American chair. 

Loved the natural drama of these rope-wrapped Pedestal Tables -
also from the new 24 Willow Crossings Collection.
I also love seeing the same bookcase as in the image above -
but, this time without the contrast interior - and in a classic mid-brown finish. 

And y'all know how much I love a good detail on my casegoods.
So this Senna Table with added upholstery trim was getting me a little hot and bothered!
It's great that there are finish, upholstery, and nailhead options - the combinations are endless. 

Herringbone floor details - re-interpreted for table tops.
Again - with over 50 options for finishes and multiple sizes as well.
Good stuff! 

You long-time readers will already know of my love for tufting!
And this useful little Sara Settee would be happy in several of my current projects.
Clean lines and a modern attitude add up well here. 

Great case goods again.  This time again from the new 24 Willow Crossings Collection with the
Geometric Console.  Multiple finishes - with either glass or mirror insets. 

Who could have any questions about the Sofa of Logic?  Simple.  Stylish.  Logical! 

Then I started getting a little focused on the details!
Starting with this Gentry Arm Chair.  

. . . and the Synergy Armchair . . . .

. . . and the classic manly details of the Josey Chesterfield Sofa . . . 

. . . and on the paneled details of the newly introduced Fiennes Sideboard . . . 

And speaking of options . . . this was just one of three wall of textile options . . . fabulous. 

I finally admitted exhaustion . . . and had to take a seat and wait for my coffee!
A BIG thanks for Drexel Heritage . . . for their hospitality and amazing showroom.

Cheers,
Scot

"Up Close and Personalized . . . "

Monogrammed salad plates and ice bucket from Showcase House.  

Greetings,

As with any major, and especially minor, interior design installation - it's ALL in the details.  For our recent room at the Peninsula Volunteers Inc Decorator Showcase House, we were lucky to partner with La Plates to add some custom details to our little bridge room.

 Love these custom playing cards - we were able to 'brand' the room as a bridge tournament space - reinforce our bright, preppy colour story, and add a bit a panache to our tiny little room with these chevron themed playing cards. 

Love these DOF Clarus glasses . . . perfect for outdoor entertaining this summer - which includes our monogram!  And those 'greek key' coasters add the perfect note!  

Another fun shot of the custom coasters!  

I actually first contacted La Plates because I knew that they made these perfect monogramed melamine plates - both as dinner and salad plates - in custom colours!  We were actually able to send samples of the textiles in the room - and be *sure* that we had chosen the perfect hue to match our colourful room!  

 A little more fun with customizing!  We partnered to create these 'business cards' from simple decks of playing cards.  

Go forth and monogram!

Cheers,
Scot

"My Mother's Red Sofa . . . "

(originally posted on Mother's Day 2009)

Greetings and Salutations,

My upbringing was kinda strange, to say the very least.  My father was in the military and I spent the first 11 years of my life traveling around the world.  Being the son of a Southern born, military father had its challenges, but I have a huge respect for my Dad - and for the manners we were expected to display at all times.  I still remember, at a very young age, the first time I answered the phone saying, "Good morning.  Wood residence, Scot speaking," and seeing my Father smile with pride.  

But, this post is about my Mom.  A Southerner as well, she is a gracious, fierce woman.  If my memories of my Dad are about discipline and manners, I remember my Mother for teaching me how to entertain.

My early life, either over-seas or here in the states, involved more cocktail and dinner parties than you can imagine.  I can remember my Mother carefully planning each menu - and almost every Saturday dinner party would involve a Thursday night 'dry-run' when she'd test any new, challenging recipes so that the 'real' party could run smoothly (I still do this . . . lol).  Even from a young age, we were expected to sit down to dinner with the adults and hold our own in the conversation.   Candlelight, sterling silver, delicious meal, three couples - and two children - discussing politics and current events.  It was magical.

But there was more than just hostessing skills in my Mom's bag of tricks.  I firmly believe that there are several genetic qualities I possess from my mother's side of the family.  We all have tiny wrists.  We all have strong muscular jaw lines.  And good lord, we ALL love to shop.  Mother and I still can go on a 3-day antiquing tour through southern Mississippi and Alabama and never show a moment of exhaustion. 

A few years ago, I was having lunch with Mom and my first cousin Ruth.  Ruth was the oldest of my first cousins, and being six years older than me, she always seemed to be fantastically glamorous.  She is, in fact, an amazing woman as well - I think the 'gracious, fierce' thing may be genetic too.  We were talking about the summer that Ruth spent living with us in Los Angeles in the early 70's.  Ruth whispered to me, "And your Mother had that red sofa!  I never knew anyone with a red sofa back at home.  I thought it was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen!"

I clearly remember that red sofa.  But, it was part of my 'normal' childhood home, so I never thought it was anything interesting or unusual.  Apparently - my Mother was a gracious, fierce designer as well.  Too often, these qualities are only seen in retrospect.  I see now that she showed me that there was no need to follow any trend.  No need to be true to some 'expected norm.'  Truly, I think she taught me to embrace being an individual.  And to test run any new dishes before serving them to guests.

Happy Mother's Day.

Cheers,

Scot

"The Bridge Tournament Room . . . "

Greetings,

Have a seat . . . I'll deal you into the next hand!  Welcome to our little "Bridge Tournament Room" at the Peninsula Volunteers Inc. Decorator Show House . . . just a simple room - only 16 feet square - all dressed for an afternoon of gambling and gossiping!

One of the best aspects of working on a showcase house is the opportunity to stretch one's creative impulses in ways that might not be present in your day to day client work.  I guess I'm still waiting for that one brave client who will let me wrap their room in chinoiserie printed linen - lol.   In many ways - this space is much closer to the work I did for Ralph Lauren all those many years designing and installing the showrooms in his Northern California stores!  

Though the space is actually at the end of the basement level of the house . . . I really consider it "just off the pool" - which one sees from the french doors at the end of the room.  So we went bright and cheery for the colours . . . 

We used Lilly Pulitzer's "Happy Plaid" (from Lee Jofa) for the table covers - and her iconic "Heritage Floral" for the seat covers on the 16 antique chairs surrounding the card tables.  And how cute are these little table accent lamps from Circa Lighting?!??!  The space needed a little 'ping' of polished chrome - and the shape so reminds me of those classic 'bell-hop bells!'

The room also features over 100 yards of Lilly Pulitzer's "Tail Lights" fabric (from Lee Jofa) - tenting almost the entire space.  We box-pleated the textile at the ceiling line - trimming with black grosgrain ribbon and chrome nailheads - and allowed it to drape naturally at the floor - giving a slightly 'smallish' room an enormous amount of drama and presence.  The mirrored wall existed from the room's original use as a work-out room - but, we added the lattice work to reinforce the 'garden room' mood of the space.

The other challenge of the room was height.  We had a ceiling height of less than 8 feet . . . so I kept everything on the low-ish side - but allowed that beautiful chinoiserie secretary from Baker Furniture to have a commanding view over the room.

How fabulous is this custom drinks cart from The Gilded Stag ?!?!??!  I worked with Landon, the owner, to adapt one of their classic pieces.  Firstly, we decided to beef up the proportions of the bar - taller, deeper, wider - and then to give it its the custom yellow lacquer finish - and create something totally unique for the room.  The cart is layered with custom dinner service from La Plates in the same white/black/kelley green colour story.

A few of the details from our bar set-up.  Dozens of cans of bracing lemon soda.  Fresh citrus - mirroring the citrus trees planted just outside the room.  And little nibbles for the ladies enjoying during their afternoon of cards.

These were fun as well.  I wanted to find a clever way of branding the space for guests who were touring through the house.  So I decided to make several dozen packs of playing cards (also from La Plates) - and use my logo and website as the design on the back of the card.  The only drawback has been people all wanting to get the 'joker' from each of the decks . . . lol.

If you're in the Bay Area - please come by the house and say 'hi' - we're open until May 24th.  Click HERE for more information.

Cheers,
Scot

"Designers at Home in San Francisco . . . "

Ronda, with my good friend Chipper Joseph getting her
new book signed! 

Greetings,

I was completely delighted to have Ronda Carman in San Francisco over the weekend - and I loved spending time with her at her book signing for "Designers at Home, Personal Reflection on Stylish Living" at Hudson Grace on Saturday on a randomly bright, sunny day here in the city.

Here's a quick look at some highlights from the day . . .

Ronda's book - wrapped in Hudson Grace's signature orange ribbon! 

Ronda with Cristin Bisbee Priest (from The Simplified Bee)
in a parade of charming print dresses and beautiful hair! 

Me - with Monelle (co-owner of Hudson Grace) and Ronda
while we were getting set up . . . 

Caitlin Flemming (from Sacramento Street blog) with Ronda and Monelle.
You might recognize Monelle's name and great style from HERE.

And a final pic of Ronda, me, and my sweet Drew -
(and no, there wasn't a memo about wearing plaid blazers -
some days we just show up dressed alike . . . lol)

Cheers,
Scot

"Peninsula Volunteers Decorator Show House 2013 . . . "

Greetings,

Well . . . after months and months of planning and plotting . . . and sweating the last few details . . . the Peninsula Volunteers Decorator Show House opens tomorrow (Saturday May 4th) at 10am.  You can find more information here regarding tickets and hours. . . so, please, come by and visit "The Bridge Tournament Room!"  We're back by the pool.  Maybe getting a little sun.  Or in by our jaunty yellow lacquer custom drinks cart from The Gilded Stag!

The house is open May 4th through May 24th from 10am to 4pm.  General admission is $35.00 - and parking and shuttle service is provided from 3674 Sand Hill Rd.

Cheers,
Scot

"Red, White, and Ralph All Over . . . "

Greetings,

If you're a regular follower here at "tartanscot" . . . then you most likely know I was in New York earlier this week for the book launch of "Designers at Home, Personal Reflections on Stylish Living" by Ronda Carman.

I DO have pictures to put together from the launch party, hosted by none other than Martha Stewart . . . as well as a fun, crowded book signing at The Rug Company the following morning.

But, clearly . . . this is not a post about that.  As is my usual . . . I tend to fly to NY on a red-eye from San Francisco.  Even though flying overnight can by a little gruesome - I just like the idea that I'm making progress even whilst I'm sleeping.  And, for me, there's little better than waking up from a drug-induced slumber to the sight of Manhattan in the morning.

Thusly, I greeted last Sunday morning at the taxi queue outside LGA airport with a quick, flurried ride into the city.  The day was warm and a little balmy (especially for late April) so an afternoon nap fitted into my day very easily.

But, once up.  Showered.  Changed.  Refreshed.  I headed out into the city.  Camera in hand.  With kind of 'no particular place to go.'  Wandering through Central Park.  Visiting the statues on literary row.  Quoting a bit of Shakespeare.  And a bit of Robbie Burns.  Greeting and acknowledging each bust with whatever quote my addled mind could muster.

Before long I found myself over on Madison, in the low 80's, and decided to wander down to Ralph Lauren (on Madison and 72nd) to see what new delight the creative team has spun for the windows.  As a long-time member of the west coast team that installed the windows in San Francisco and Palo Alto - these windows alway bring back a flood of memories.  Late nights.  Even watching the sun come up at the store at times.  Weeks and weeks of planning - all culminating in a detailed story.

I know how much detail and work go into these designs . . . and, at times, I still hanker for the days of window display and design.

So . . . here's a little glimpse at the goings-on at the corner of Madison and 72nd Street.  Cabana stripes and bikinis.  And evening gowns and white lacquer.  Bright sunshine and warm, sultry night.  Red.  White.  and blue.

Cheers,
Scot

"Designers At Home, Personal Reflections on Stylish Living . . . "

Scot Meacham Wood Residence 2012
(photographed by Nicolas Smith)

Greetings,

Well . . . after what seems like years (in fact, it all started with an excited phone call from Ronda Carman in late August of 2011 asking if I would be interested in participating) - Designers at Home, Personal Reflection on Stylish Living is finally a reality.  A studied peek into the private residences of 50 designers from the US, UK, and Europe.  It launched officially from Rizzoli just last week . . . and is being greeted with rave reviews from around the globe.

The above image is one of many from my own little flat here in San Francisco - in one of its rare daytime appearances.  For some reason - we always seem to photograph my place at night - so it was a fun challenge to shoot it with the bright morning sun streaming through my home.

My own place is just one of the fifty designers whose homes are featured in this impressive collection.  And I'm beyond delighted to be included.  It's been great fun for the last several days to read through each chapter - many designers that I have only admired from afar . . . and also friends that I have know for years - reading Ronda's insight into their world as well as their own thoughts on their homes has been fascinating.

If you're in the Bay Area . . . Ronda will be at Hudson Grace on Saturday May 4th for a book signing from 2 to 4pm.  Come by and say 'hi' - and get a chance to meet Ronda!  I couldn't be more proud of her success if I were twins.  And seeing the long, drawn-out process of getting everything ready for the book has given me a new appreciation of her dedication and her great writing style.

Cheers,
Scot

"It's in the Cards . . . "

Greetings,

It's been a busy couple of weeks here at SMW Design.  Most of this week has been consumed with the installation of our charming garden room at the Peninsula Volunteers Showcase House in Woodside, CA - and while we're getting the last few details hammered out . . . I thought I'd share this quick shot from the room.

Since we've designed the space as a "card room" - I thought I'd have some fun with my 'branding' and had these business cards made from custom decks of playing cards from La Plates.

Hopefully, we'll have some new business 'in the cards" . . . .

Cheers,
Scot

"Lilly Pulitzer, 1931 - 2013 . . . "

Lilly Pulitzer, 1931 - 2013

Greetings,

I awoke Sunday morning to the sad news that Lilly Pulitzer had passed away that same morning - at her home in Palm Beach.

In the 1950's, Lilly and her husband moved to Palm Beach, Florida - and she decided to open a juice stand (she and her husband owned citrus groves) just off Worth Avenue.  But, over the course of working each day - Lilly discovered that she was having a hard time keeping clean.  So . . . like any wise entrepreneur . . . she designed work outfits - jaunty shift dresses in bright, manic floral prints - that would hide the day to day activity.

Soon she discovered that she was having more interest in her bright ensembles than the juices . . . so by 1959, she became president of Lilly Pulitzer, Inc based in Miami - and she was wardrobing such famous names as Jackie Kennedy and members of the Vanderbilt family.

So for a few moments . . . let's just celebrate her bright, cheerful style . . .

"Despite the forecast, live like it's Spring"

                         - Lilly Pulitzer

Lilly, in one of her store - in 2007.

The other reason that I'm a little blown sideways by this morning's news . . . is that I'm working on a current project (our upcoming room in the Peninsula Volunteers Decorator Show House) that is using the Lilly Pulitzer Collection of textiles from Lee Jofa as the inspiration for our room.  So after spending the last several months knee-deep in fuschia and emerald green textiles - I'm particularly saddened by this news. I hope that our little project will be a celebration of her jaunty attitude - and her love of a bright, cheerful life!

Long.  Live.  Lilly.

Cheers,
Scot