Salvaged Chic Of The Week: Kilim Chair

This week's SCOTW is an amazing custom client project Johnelle recently completed. Our client wanted to reupholster a standard chair and make it into a piece of art, something that no one else would exactly have.  The client had a Kilim rug (of which we are huge, huge fans!) that wasn't in perfect condition, which means it's an excellent piece for upholstery!

Kilim rugs, or remnants...perfect for upholstery, are so special!!  The fact that they began as one of the oldest styles of rugs is amazing and because of their lack of pile there aren't many today that are older than a few centuries...which isn't half bad! They're produced from the Balkans to Pakistan.  Newer weavers are now incorporating brighter colors (like purples and turquoise) over the more traditional colors of red, pink, ivory, blue and green.  Unlike other Persian rugs, Kilims were deemed "inferior" in the past because of their low pile, and were under foreign market pressures that have changed their designs. Now that they've become so popular, many are designed to be exported.

The effect is a piece rich with history that fits wonderfully into an eclectic home.  Whether this chair will be in a room with layered rugs, or surrounded by pieces and trinkets that have been collected around the world, it is sure to create a rich style.

Or, if you have a clean and modern space that you wanted to add piece of distinction to, that would break apart the white, this chair would be perfect. It's a chair that can change the entire look of a room. Not to mention pique the interest of inquiring friends who will want to know the story of how you came to have such an amazing piece!

Not only is this chair now a piece of art, but those that look upon it are instantly given wanderlust imagining the places the Kilim could have seen!

I love that this is another one of our great upholstery transformations that so clearly shows you that anything that is special to you can be incorporated into the re-design of your piece! Email us at quotes@mignonnedecor.com for information on your project.

All Kilim Chair photos by Johnelle Mancha. Other images; One: potterybarn.com; Two: countryliving.com; Three: bo-laget.se; Four: nowfly.co.uk; Five: flickr.com; Six: beautifulplacestovisit.com; Seven: trekearth.com

Rebekah is a member of the Mignonne family and former Mignonne assistant. She now freelances and owns the company A & B Creative, read her blog.

Salvaged Chic Of The Week: Cables Reef

This week's Salvaged Chic Of The Week is the lovely Cables Reef....and is such a perfect POP piece. Cables Reef's charms aren't limited to her looks, she's practical too! This is a super solid table that also comes with a leaf, allowing it to seat up to eight people.

One of the things I love most about her, is she's classic & practical- with a modern twist... its bright pop color!  Johnelle took this table from a standard piece to one that now demands attention!

The base of this sturdy oak table is extremely solid which is a great benefit whether you are using the leaf or not.

Cables Reef is perfectly on trend, as Pantone recently announced its color of the year as "Tangerine Tango." As you can see, this color has been popping up everywhere, but I especially love it on an unexpected piece, such as a dining room table.

This is a room that I can envision Cables Reef fitting into wonderfully. Like the subtle tangerine accent from the art on the wall, having this table be the pop of color in a clean and modern space would highlight the room without overwhelming it by such a bright color.

Cables Reef would also fit perfectly among lush, colorful spaces like this eclectic room.

Mixing an orange, like Cables Reef, with blues and creams lets colors from complimentary sources interact regardless of their style.

Accenting Cables Reef with blues could create bright, playful, and retro inspired tabletop decor.

This is a great example of how orange can fit into a modern kitchen. Charcoals and creams tone down the brightness of the orange while still allowing it to shine. Using those colors with simple or earthen stoneware for the dishes would translate that modern feel into the tabletop decor.

As with any of our pieces, if you've been inspired by this one or are looking for something similar, please email us at quotes@mignonnedecor.com to get started on your new project!

Photos of Cables Reef taken by Johnelle Mancha. Additional images, One: hypebeast.com; Image Two: beautezine.com; Image Three: life.nationalpost.com; Image Four: flickr.com; Image Five: downandoutchic.blogspot.com; Image Six: completelytotallymadly.blogspot.com Image Seven: pinterest.com Image Eight: houzz.com

Rebekah is a member of the Mignonne family and former Mignonne assistant. She now freelances and owns the company A & B Creative, read her blog.

The French Connection ... Douzième Note: Le Creative Sweatshop

Bonjour mes amis!

I was drawn to today's subject simply by the fact that the title made me smile. Yes there is in fact a French enterprise called Le Creative Sweatshop! those who know me know my penchant to call everything Le something ... it is my (probably lame) attempt at humor and to frenchify things...so imagine my grin when the french turned tables on me and used the same approach.

I have now decided to christen my own ateliér le creative sweatshop deux ... or maybe redux. it makes me smile, but maybe the real owners of the brand won't like that so much. le sigh.

so let me say a word ... well, okay TWO words about le real Le Creative Sweatshop and you will understand even more clearly why I am smiling.

Jello Lamps.

ok. who doesn't love jello? (and if it is you, WHAAAT? are ya crazy?). first of all, don't forget it goes with everything! and second of all, it comes in pretty colors and tastes good! and thirdly, jello is F-U-N, fun. it is bouncy and jiggly and you can see through it! it conforms to the shape you put it in. and let us not forget Jello Shots!

but now, french design teams at le creative workshop have combined jello and lighting! presto whammo/ JELLO LAMPS! woot!



























but ... but ... how'd they do that? well of course they didn't have some poor intern rip open thousands of Bill Cosby's favorite dessert option, in fact I don't believe I have seen THOSE color options in Jell-O before ... the designers at Le Creative Sweatshop combined pork gelatin and inks poured into special molds combined with the lamps to achieve these effects ... all the same we know it MUST be jelly cos jam don't look that good!

other interesting finds from ye olde sweatshop include these Righteous Origami Shoes, as well as other fun, flashy and totally unique stuff you can view on their site...





Le Creative Sweatshop includes in their mantra the following statements "...Le Creative Sweatshop is committed to originality and quality, hand-crafted work constitutes the identity of Le Creative Sweatshop. Most pieces are handmade which gives them a humble, precious and fragile stature..." this vision marries nicely with the work we strive to produce at Mignonne Décor and The Bohemians ... I continue to be amazed and inspired by many things I see and discover in my journeys here in la belle france ... did I say amazed? well I also meant amused! you can design seriously and be serious about design and it can still be fun, I promise you!

well then, I am visiting Paris this week-end, I am certain I will find something designy and funny and inspiring all at the same time. see you next time!

*all images courtesy of lecreativesweatshop.com

Our guest correspondent for The French Connection is Kimberlee Mancha, mother of Johnelle and co-founder of Mignonne Décor. Now living in France, Kimberlee started our sister shop "The Bohemians" in 2009. She will be providing live updates for all you Francophiles and lovers of beautiful European inspirations.

This Month's Window Design!

Have you seen our bright and cheery spring windows yet?? These are some of my favorite windows we've had, if I do say so myself. I designed these displays to usher in spring; if it's not going to look like it outside at least the windows can!

I was inspired by the neons of spring that are such a big trend in fashion right now:

I wanted to make fun windows using neons to create these graphic looks. I love the angular shapes and designs the neon tape I used allowed me to create.

Johnelle created bright pieces to match the windows for a color explosion. Neon green painted farm chairs add fun to a classic design. A bright and colorful dining room table will be just the color infusion you needed. Two sweet, vibrant side tables round out this unique day-glo collection.

I also love the brightness of the windows from the street view against the sophisticated charcoal color of Mignonne.

These were such fun windows to create. I hope you like them as much as we do and stay tuned for a floral inspired window next month!

Neon fashion inspiration images: One: net-a-porter.comTwo: bellevuecollection.com Three: bloomingdales.comFour: anntaylor.com Five: jcrew.com All window photos except for the last two taken by Rebekah Carey McNall. Last two street view images taken by Andrea Balazs.

Rebekah is a member of the Mignonne family and former Mignonne assistant. She now freelances and owns the company A & B Creative, read her blog.

Salvaged Chic of the Week: Santa Cruz Chair

This is one of my favorite SCOTW's yet! I am so in love with the bright punch of color this chair has and I love the vintage mustard and gray toned seat that grounds the paint color. It's always a near miracle when you can find an intact vintage fabric to match your soon-to-be revamped vintage chair! When scouting, Johnelle has a sixth sense for finding vintage fabrics that will really complete the look of a revamping.

The color of this chair and the design of the fabric are like salt and pepper--they're great by themselves, but even better together! The cane back of this chair is absolutely perfect for the feel this chair now has. Beachy, bright and surfer-chic, yet another piece I want to sneak home!

A little chair like this is such an amazing value! You only have to pay for the painting of the chair and the reupholstery of only the seat, but what you get is a piece that has the power to change the whole room.

Aptly named Santa Cruz, this chair elicits memories of skin browned all summer in the sun, salty air, and sixties beach bunnies. This is the girl version of this chair:

While it's not required, this piece would lend itself perfectly to a funky California beach bungalow like these:

If you're not lucky enough to live in a surf shack on the beach you can use this chair as your inspiration to infuse your city space with a little beach vibe (and to help you look forward to summer!).

If you're like me, you're already looking around your house to see if you have a lackluster chair that you could transform into an amazing piece like Santa Cruz!

All Santa Cruz photos by Johnelle Mancha. Other photos One: chanelbagsandcigarettedrags.blogspot.com, Two: weheartit.com, Three: coastalliving.com, Four: oraclefox.blogspot.com; Five: marthastewart.com; Six: amberinteriordesign.blogspot.com

Email us at quotes@mignonnedecor to set up a design meeting to talk about your chair!

Rebekah is a member of the Mignonne family and former Mignonne assistant. She now freelances and owns the company A & B Creative, read her blog.

The French Connection - Onzième (11th) Note: Let the Sun Shine In!

*image courtesy of etsy seller metroline6

Salut! Il fait beau, trés trés beau!!!

There's nothing like a little French sunshine to lighten your spirits and bring hopeful thoughts of summer your way. Springtime in France brings to mind long lazy lunches in the garden, flinging open shutters and windows to let in the soft warm air and be serenaded by the birds in the trees.
As the air warms, the sun paints trees and plants in warm shades of color ... and fades stone walls and painted shutters into their very own custom colors.


When it comes to design, this time of year I am inspired by all things Provençal ... that unique blend of soft and rough ... beautiful timeworn linens in patterns that include olives and lavender ... the mix of handmade rustic furniture in wood and iron and colorfully painted sideboards, chairs and tiles... everything flaunting its patina of graceful aging.

*images courtesy of authenticprovence.com

For your Provence inspiration, use a warm pastel palette with splashes of intense hues. Walls can be in softer shades of green, terra cotta, warm beiges with yellow undertones...unless it is your bedroom where you will find brighter colors like turquoise or pinks.

Fabrics will blend timeless neutral linens with bold stripes or patterns that emulate the outdoors and will include bees, olives, lavender plants or other southern French classics.

*image courtesy of eclecticrevisited.com

Furniture is minimal but functional and generally relects the local artisanal craftsmanship ... rustic woods, hand-forged irons, lots of tile.

Doors and arches will show off hand-painted designs of flowers and ornate swirls. *image courtesy of authenticprovence.com

It isn't unusual to find outdoor furniture inside or vice-versa, reflecting the versatility of the climate.

All in all, Provençal design is relaxed, comfortable, inviting ... all that is missing to complete the look is your chilled glass of rosé and some soft guitar music strumming in the background. Voila!

Our guest correspondent for The French Connection is Kimberlee Mancha, mother of Johnelle and co-founder of Mignonne Décor. Now living in France, Kimberlee started our sister shop "The Bohemians" in 2009. She will be providing live updates for all you Francophiles and lovers of beautiful European inspirations.