We've moved!

The new Decocco Design and DeCocco Design Drapes websites launched with great success!

 Now we're moving the blog to the website, so please head over to that location.  Click HERE and I'll take you there!

Ciao,
Anne

Hello Fall! Let's get ready for (a little) more time spent inside.

Fall is such a beautiful time of the year, isn't it?  Mother Nature really struts her stuff.  You think green leaves and flowers in every shade are pretty?  Then they all turn a riot of hot shades and it's hard to keep your eyes on the road when you drive as the scenery is so stunning.  Love it!

We start to think of fun holidays and gathering with family and friends, and of cozy evenings snuggling on the sofa.  I might change out a few of the accent pillows, using richer colors and fuzzy textures and then put a warm throw over a chair near a big window with a beautiful view, but has a bit of a draft.

Flanking that beautiful-but-drafty window with a pair of gorgeous drapes in a color like Spicy Amber (shown here on our Modern Stripe pattern with q European header) is a quick and easy way to get ready for the season.  We use a thick nap lining with this fabric, to give it nice body, but it also provides some great insulation against any coolness coming in from the window frame.

Modern Stripe also comes in 2 fantastic blues.  This one is Aqua Delight.  It's more of a bird's egg blue with a raised detail that features a tiny pop of rust with stripes in a range of warm beige.  

And this one is Modern Stripe in our Grey Blue.  A cooler blue, with that raised detail in grey with a stripe that leans toward chartreuse.  This pattern is a great way to use a stripe without going too cabana-y.  We love this pattern in every room, but it's a standout in the Dining Room.  

Since our drapes are custom made upon order, they take 4-6 weeks to arrive at your doorstep.  Now is a great time to start thinking about getting the house ready for parties, pictures and presents!

Ciao,

Anne

We made it! Now everyone can buy our drapes online--easy ordering, great prices, unbeatable quality.

The website is up! Live! DeCocco Design Drapes!  Click and see!

Ok, enough with the exclamation points.  It's been up for about a week, but there were lots of little computer issues to address. Who knew the differences in Internet Explorer and Chrome and Firefox and Safari?  So much to know.  What Gail and I  DO  know about is fabric, color, design, workroom quality AND the fact  that you are going to LOVE the choices we're offering for drapes on your windows! 

We also know how confusing it can be to order drapes and so have worked all these many months (9) to come up with a very special website with a very easy ordering process.  It was really hard to do, but a goal that we refused to lose sight of.  Frustration is not something we want for you!  Oh, those exclamation points keep sneaking back in (but we are excited!).   Beautiful windows in a home that makes you smile--that's what we want for you.

You won't find window treatments like these anywhere else.  We've looked, and that's why we started this company; to provide a great option between ready-made drapes of lower quality from big box retailers and fully custom products that require a lot of time, money and energy spent with an interior designer and custom workroom.  DeCocco Design Drapes provides a happy medium.  We ARE the interior designers and our custom workroom makes these drapes for us to send to your door.  The quality is superb, the linings are premium, the headers are updated and the prices are fantastic.  Compare us with anyone of similar quality. 

We're very proud of our product.  Gail and I wanted to offer something different, something better.  Our fabrics come from some of the top fabric houses in the U. S..  The patterns are stylish with a timeless appeal and of a lovely weight--no flimsy stuff for us--or for you.  These drapes will hang from their rods proudly, substantially, richly.  The colors are glorious.  Some are fun, some are elegant; they're all exquisite.

We're going to use this blog to talk about how easy it can be to  put drapes in your home with spectacular effect.  We'll also talk about the differences in our drapes when compared with anything else in the marketplace, and occasionally show some sneak peaks of upcoming additions to our line of gorgeous drapery panels.  It won't be all drapes all the time, of course.  I can't help but throw in personal stuff and I want you to get to know Gail better.  She's a wonderful business partner and a great friend.  Together, we eat a lot of popcorn and a little good chocolate during our workdays. We work very hard, but we also laugh A LOT in the office and on buying trips (and  during meetings and on the phone and...).

So watch for posts about linings, hems, trims, swatches, lengths, headers, widths, rods, etc.  So much goes into window treatments.  But we've got it all covered for you at DeCocco Design Drapes.  We've even put our email address right on the ordering pages of the website in case you need some professional advice before you order.  Gail and I will personally help you make the right choice.  And really, I can't say it enough that we've made ordering online EASY.  And shipping is free!  Wait till you see.

DeCocco Design Drapes.  Ta da!

Ciao,

Anne

9/11/12

photo by John   Hoge

 

Be aware of the beauty of this world and dare to show your love to all.  In honor of those who lost their lives in a terrible way on a terrible day, live your life with joy. 

Peace,

Anne

Tomorrow is Labor Day.  Boy, we have labored at DeCocco Design this year!  Lots of great design projects, working with wonderful clients who wanted to see big changes in their homes.   Dreamy stuff.  At the same time we've been working to get the new website up and running to be able to launch the online Drapes collection.  The picture above is my laptop keyboard.  You can see that the letters are wearing off.  There are also keys that are hanging on for dear life and a collection of cookie crumbs.  It's quite a sight.  But all the work is about to pay off, as the website is scheduled to make it's debut tomorrow.  On Labor Day.  Poetic justice, for sure.  I thought we would launch on April Fools Day and I thought that would be appropriate.  Ha.  Tell God your plans and watch Her laugh.

Today I'm very antsy about the new site, so I took myself off to Macy's to buy a new handbag.  Nothing fancy--I'm as hard on handbags as I am on laptop keyboards.  I replaced the old black bag with a new black bag.  Every time I buy a different color bag, I regret it.  Here's a pic of the new handbag:

Looks a lot like the keyboard, doesn't it?  Has lots of nice pockets to stash a variety of supplies.  Big sale at Macy's today.  Isn't there a big sale at Macy's every day?  Hmmm, I can't leave you with these dark and rather dreary pictures.  Let me see what else I can dig up....

Oh yeah!  The Beautyberry is in bloom.  Such a pretty plant.  And, even though the deer have obliterated my sweet patch of Black Eyed Susans, a couple showed up in a new spot:

And when our son, Chris,  was visiting a week ago, he  helped me plant a Fall garden.  Very small, but all that I can handle right now.  There will be several kinds of lettuces, spinach, peas and swiss chard.  Chris is a  great gardener.  Things are sprouting already!  I'll get some pics for you.  I want you to know that you don't have to be neat and tidy and all Martha Stewart-ish to have a garden (I love Martha, but I cannot BE Martha-like).

We'll talk again tomorrow.

Ciao,
Anne

photo by John Hoge 

We're revving up our engines and heading down a new road....

Slow down, you move too fast

You've got to make the morning last...

The house is quiet.  It's a beautiful morning.   Life is good.  And today is the last day of school--just half a day, too.  Grandboy has finished 1st grade, with flying colors.  How can it be that 1st grade is already over?  How can he be growing up so fast?  You think kids grow up fast?  Grandkids grow up even faster.  It's unbelievable.

The last week of school is pretty funny.  Quite hectic.  Lots to do, finish up, pack away, send home, send in, show up for.  Ice cream is almost always involved. The backpack starts to get smelly, the uniforms are looking tired (Catholic school--the wonderful TFS in Raleigh), the sneakers are beat to hell, the teachers are looking a tad loopy (I love a loopy teacher).  And there are flowers, balloons, gift bags, hugs and smiles everywhere.

And now on to summer vacation--for the kids.  I remember my summers as a child.  The lake, the beach, family reunions, road trips, Kool-Aid, playing outdoors all day long, reading every book I could in the library, being bored, picking berries, slamming the screen door until my mother yelled, roasting marshmallows--some of the very best memories of my life.

Be sure to make time for memories this summer.  Swing in the hammock whenever possible.

Ciao,
Anne

THIS is what I call an interesting photo of an interior!

You've all heard me whine about my inability to take good photos.  As an interior designer, I know I've got the eye to see and compose good shots, but the technical knowledge is just not there.  Last week I bought the latest issue of Domino magazine.  My interest was piqued by the headline "334 Best Makeovers and Easy Decorating Tips" on the cover and the $10.99 price tag (what could be inside a magazine to make it worth 11 bucks?).  Ok, it was an impluse buy--I've done worse.

I'm enjoying reading it (have made it up to page 74 so far).  The layout inside is lovely.  Clean.  Attractive pictures. Product sourcing and pricing right on the page.  Best of all--and you're going to know what a nut I am here-- the paperstock used is fabulous.  Heavier than the norm.  Nice thick pages.  Great paper is a tactile pleasure.

Then I came  upon this photo on page 72.  My brain said "THERE IT IS!"  My idea of an interesting photo.Lovely  finishes and well used props.  See what you think:

Wow.  Is that a beautiful door or what?  Oh!  The cow!  I'm kidding, of course it's all about the cow. That's the well used prop.  Don't you want give give him a hug?  Be careful--I'm not sure cows like to be hugged. I LOVE this picture.  The photographer is Paul Costello.

Ciao,
Anne

Happy Memorial Day--and Thank you

Thank you to all who have served in a war and to all the families and friends who endured the ultimate sacrifice that their loved ones made for our freedom.  I am enjoying this day in their memory and in their honor.

Today we've got so many beautiful flowers in our house!  There's a lot blooming outside, so I put a little bunch of gardenias in the powder room.  What a wonderful scent they have.  Here's a little, fuzzy picture of them.  The more I work on  my photography skills, the fuzzier my pictures become--what's that about?

Then I have this little bouquet of yellow on a table in the space-formerly-known-as-the-Train-Room.  Ok, let's get over that right now.  It's the library:

Notice the little picture of the skating nuns.  That was my mom's. Always makes me smile. 

In the kitchen we've got 2 bouquets.  We had a little soiree for a much loved friend yesterday (a milestone birthday!).  I went into the yard and cut a couple of hydrangeas and buddleia and put them on the table.  I do NOT have a knack for floral arrangment, so this was pretty good for me. There was a tablecloth for the party, but now it's in the washing machine.

See the strange thing in the center of the window?  That's the world's best hummingbird feeder.  Costs about $6 at the hardware store.  The sweet little birds come right up to the window all day long to have a sip.  Our  own version of "Planet Earth."

The guest of honor brought me flowers (Emily Post would be mortified).  I'm drawing a blank on the name of these beauties.  Maybe Asiatic Lilies?  They are extravagantly gorgeous with a powerful scent.

Just starting to open up.  Here's the first bloom that's welcoming the day. Hello gorgeous!

And then on the screened porch there are the iconic happy sunflowers.

  

There is no such thing as a bad picture of a sunflower.

And speaking of the screened porch, you know how much I love it and how happy I am when I get to hang the lanterns from the ceiling.  I'm going to hang more lanterns up this year.  Hub will surely roll his eyes--they're not his favorite decorative element.  Crazy man. They are FABULOUS!

Our slice of heaven--the best room in a much loved house.  Life is good.

Ciao,

Anne

Holding my breath for those drapes!

I'm working on some photos that will grace the new Drapes order page on the website and just can't help but laugh at myself. What was I thinking? This whole e commerce- launching a product line-while working with (patient) clients-and raising a grandboy is totally insane!  But completely interesting at the same time and you KNOW that we will get there.  It must be like running a marathon.  I wouldn't know, but it seems like an apt comparison.  I bet we launch in 2 weeks!  Watch this space.

While working on the aforementioned photos this evening, I'm also writing back and forth with our wonderful web developer as he struggles to understand all the patterns and colorways of each drape fabric and coordinating trim.  Poor man.  Even the most brilliant, talented and creative person can crack when it comes to fabrics and trims. I laugh at him and crack the whip.  He ignores me smugly, knowing that he holds the key to our success at reaching you all and showing you our amazing drapes. Then it turns out that I've mislabeled some of the swatches.  Oh dear.  I've turned in my whip.

Here's a photo slated for the "rejects" pile.  The photo, not the drape, the drape is fabulous.   It's our Ovals pattern in Steel with a simple white trim, edged in Slate:

I was trying to be artistic with the composition.  It's kinda fuzzy. 

Ciao,
Anne

Designer Secrets

I swear it takes me the whole month to read a magazine.  I love shelter mags because they can be a source of inspiration and entertainment.  Tonight I'm reading the latest issue of House Beautiful. "101 Designer Secrets" by Lisa Cregan caught my eye.  I'm often asked what the "rules" of home decoration are and people seem happiest with answers involving numbers.  I'm not saying whether I agree or disagree with any of the following, but the article was full of such answers, so I'll share some with you:

Hang artwork 63" on center above the floor for perfect viewing height.


When framing artwork, specify a mat with 8-ply thickness to create an impressive bevel.


A bed should be no higher than 23" off the floor.


A bench at the foot of a bed should be at least 2" shorter than the width of the mattress.


No more than 6 pillows on the bed.


Mount 5 robe hooks 68" high instead of a towel bar.


Dining room chandeliers should hang 60"-66" above the floor.


End tables should be no less than 30" high.


Bedside tables should be 36-38" high


A rectangular table should be 36" wide.


Give yourself at least 36" of space between the dining table and wall to pull out chairs comfortably.


Wall sconces in a bathroom should be installed 66" above the floor to the center of the fixture.


Drapery panels should have a 1/2" break at the floor.


Put light switches 36" off the floor and 1 1/2" - 2" off the door trim.


When ordering fabric, add 2 yards so that you never run out and you can replace a ruined cushion.


15 watt bulbs simulate candlelight.


Sofas should be 6.5'-7' long.


Install an outlet 28" high behind a console table to allow a lamp to be plugged in with no unsightly cords dripping off the top.

Hope you enjoyed those numbers.  Read the whole article in the May 2012 issue of House Beautiful;

Ciao,
Anne

Fabulous technology for your.....mirrors!

I'm sitting at the mechanic's shop, getting the oil changed and tires rotated.  Loving their Wifi.  I think I hear Kelly Ripa on the waiting room TV.  What's her show called now that Regis has retired?  She's got such a friendly, happy voice.

The article below is by Mike Elgan, and was sent to me from Houzz.com (you know I love that site).  Read it at your leisure and take the time to watch the various videos when you can.  You won't regret it.  Very exciting advances in mirrors that will be used in amazing ways around the house.  Some of it I don't want (no emails on the bathroom mirror, thank you), but others I can't wait for!

Let's see if I can successfully embed the article.  Every day, a new skill...

Magic Mirrors Emerge From Fairy Tales

Houzz- Kitchen Remodel, Bathroom Remodel and More »

I think I did it!  And the day is just beginning.   What will I tackle next?

Ciao,

Anne

Browse Furniture on Houzz- For Example:

Armchairs · Bar Carts · Buffets And Sideboards · Dining Chairs And Benches · Love Seats · Ottomans And Cubes · Rocking Chairs · Side Tables And Accent Tables ·

Be sure to look around

I enjoy reading the reminders that Gretchen Rubin often send me from her Happiness Project blog.  A little nugget of wisdom for the day, often to give me a gentle nudge to look up from the desk and be aware of the life that's going on around me.  She recently wrote about the "arrival fallacy."  That's where you think you'll be all set once you get to a goal.  The truth is that you're all set right this very minute and, once you get to the goal, you know there's another goal just beyond.  And then another, and then another.  I am so guilty of that.  Yet I truly believe in staying in the present moment.  How can I believe in one yet practice the other?  Will work on that.

And to that end, I went outside to the yard yesterday to see what was blooming.  A couple of photos to share with you:

Pretty white peony.  Smells divine.

Gorgeous raspberry double peony.  Peonies are my favorite flowers.  Please remind me to plant more this year.

The little irises are blooming, but a tad on the pitiful side this year.  Gotta figure out what to do for them.

Nothing stops Lamb's Ears.  So nice to touch.

We used to get a big patch of black-eyed Susan's on top of this rock wall, but the deer decimated them.  Last Fall I noticed some baby buddliea's (butterfly bush) growing in that spot, so I left them alone over the winter.  Look how big they are already!  Need to move them, as they're too tall for this spot.  But a nice gift from Mother Nature.

That was a nice stroll in the yard.  Then today I picked Grandboy up early from after-school care and took him to Goodberry's for a concrete--flavor of the day was sweet cream and we had hot fudge sauce blended in.  For those of you not familiar with Goodberry's, it a frozen custard that is absolutely supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.  Oh yeah.  Life is good!

Ciao,

Anne

E commerce = jack of all trades

We're moving along, getting closer to putting our beautiful draperies up on the website, but the learning curve is mighty steep.  A LOT of time has been spent photographing the fabrics, trims and drapes.  We shoot pictures, then look at them on the laptop, see all the mistakes we've made, shoot more, look at more, see more mistakes, and on and on.  Photography is definitely an art.  And a skill that I do not have.  But I'm learning.  And trying to enjoy the process.

So I've got to get back to work, but will leave you with this photo I took of one of our drapes.  There are a lot of mistakes here--wrong ISO setting, wrong focus, wrong exposure.  But it's still kind of pretty.

Ciao,

Anne

Finally starting to roll out the fabrics for our new drapery line at DeCocco Design!

We've been working on photos of our fabrics to put on the website--days of taking photos in every light, from every angle. You know how hard it is to tell the true color of an item on your computer screen?  We won't be able to solve that issue for the world, but we're doing our best to get color and clarity on our end.  Today I thought I'd share some of the pictures to start wetting your whistle for the fabulous drapes that have been in development all these long months.

We're going to have beautiful blues.

We're going to have gorgeous greens.

And ravishing reds!

Poppin' graphics...

Elegant dots...

Handsome textures...

Fabulous stripes...

Updated coordinates...

For every room.

That's just a sampling--I'll try to post more soon, but I'm on the run every minute to get this new venture up on the website in just a matter of weeks from now.  Can't wait to show you the trims that we've found.  Nothing makes a drape look custom like a fantastic trim.  Our fabric/trim combinations are not found anywhere--I know because I've been looking for them for years!

Back to work.  Thanks for checking in.  

Ciao,

Anne

Bay windows are a designer favorite

The Raleigh News & Observer was so nice to ask me to write an article for their "Ask A Designer" series.  It appeared in today's Home section--here's the link: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/03/31/1964910/ask-a-designer-what-will-make.html.

The whole section was packed with lots of designer tips as well as gardening info, which I love to read while eating my Saturday morning blackberry pancakes.

However, the layout of my article was unfortunate, as they did not include a picture that I repeatedly referred to!  Readers must have been a bit puzzled.  So, taking matters into my own hands, I'm showing the correct picture in this post.  How handy to have a blog!

Here's the "before" picture that the reader provided, showing her design dilemma:

It's a bay window area in her master bedroom and she doesn't know how to finish it.  Nice problem to have, right?  It's a lovely space, looking out at a wooded area. The reader and her hub want a spot to sit with their coffee and newspaper.

This is the "after" picture that I created:

I used a neat design softeware to build the room right on top of her picture.  Clients love to have as much help as possible to visualize what their space could look like.  The drapes in this picture are based on one of the fabrics that DeCocco Design is using in our new line of semi-custom window treatments.  The chaise is from West Elm, but folks in the Raleigh area can get the same look and shop local at Dexter Furniture on Glenwood Ave.  They've got a great selection of fabrics, so customizing the chaise to the space would be easy peasy lemon squeezy.

Hub is painting a new wall color in the Library, in preparation for installation of lovely drapes (again, using one of our fabulous fabrics--I cannot wait to show them all to you!).   Stay tuned for how that turns out!

Ciao,

Anne

Home decor items that caught my interest

This is the Gould Cocktail Table by Harbinger. Look at that orange lacquer finish and those brass corners and legs.  It would look fantastic in my house and definitely bring a smile to my face!  But it's almost $5,000.  Wow.  I've going to have to think about how I could get this look for a little less (a little?).

Then I saw this:

It's the Matter Lamp from Schoolhouse Electric, a favorite lighting source.  I like it a lot.  Not sure I'd buy it--it's $239, 22" high and the base is made of cast concrete.  Their description calls it "elegant."  Can't agree with that, but  it is kinda groovy.

At DeCocco Design we're getting closer to unveiling our fabrics for the new drapery line. My impatience knows  no bounds.  Every step of the online retailing process moves at a glacial pace.  Well, it feels like that to me. But we're almost there!

Have a great day--it's Friday!

Ciao,
Anne

Spring is here!

The first day of Spring is somehow always a bit of a relief, isn't it?   Maybe it's my New England roots, thinking "we made it through another winter."  Here in NC, making it through winter isn't nearly so hard!

Snapped this photo this morning right before Grandboy headed off to school.

This time I moved the camera over to the left a smidge to show you the redbud in bloom (the purple) and the beginnings of flowers on a dogwood.  You can also see a bit of the red sky we had this morning.  And now it is raining and thundering.  Give it a minute, it will change.

Ciao,

Anne

Flipping through this month's Traditional Home magazine

I've been reading Traditional Home for centuries and just about always find a room that I love within it's pages.  The April issue is no exception.  Here's the room:

Oops!  This is the "Before" shot.

Here's the "After."

And this.

The color on the walls is brave and perfect.  I looked for the name of that orange in the Resource pages, but it was a custom color.  However, Sherwin Williams' Robust Orange/6628, is a similar rich hue.  Benjamin Moore's Corlsbud Canyon/076 is another delicious, saturated orange.  Blue is the complementary color to orange, so the huge vase of delphiniums on the table was a brilliant stroke.  The chandelier, the window treatments, the clean lines on the upholstered pieces--so well done.  This room is filled with many details that add up to great design and a space that I'd feel very comfortable and downright happy in.  While this is a very traditional room, the use of color and fabric give it a gorgeous update.  Gerald Pomeroy of Boston did the interior design and the photographer is Francesco Lagnese.  

There was another good "before" and "after" in the magazine.

The bathroom before

Lots of good ideas in this photo, don't you think?  Also by Gerald Pomeroy Design Group.  

I hope you all enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Ciao,

Anne