Pencil Me In ... slipcovers for You.

From The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams: 

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse.  "It's a thing that happens when a child loves you.  It takes a long time.  Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, you get loose in the joints, and very shabby."  
"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.  
"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse.  "But when you are Real you don't mind being hurt." 

I am pretty sure that this child's rocker is real.  Loved by several generations of rockers, this chair just needed a little love.   

What better way to kick off March than showcasing slipcovers?   Today's trade show was sponsored by Unity in Design, the premier event of the High Point Design Center.  www.highpointdesigncenter.com 

On my travel adventures I always expect to meet great folks, and today was no exception.  My trade show neighbor was none other than Todd Zagaroli, master designer and builder of heirloom quality leather furniture.  Todd's booth was quite a draw as he was showing luxury products from Edelman Leather.  I learned to appreciate the knowledge and skill required to work in leather long ago in my experience building  prototypes of wearable computers for product development firms.

Todd's knowledge of leather was impressive and his sign was really cool.  The Edelman Leather logo was designed by Andy Warhol.  Andy Warhol!  Seems Andy worked for the Edelman's in the late 50's and 60's as their graphic designer.  The marketing piece shown below is definitely a keeper.  And I will need to get my hands on some of that luxury leather in the near future to create my very own luxury leather chair.    http://www.edelmanleather.com 

I wish I had time to tell you about all the other great folks  I met today in High Point but I'll just say my imagination runs wild and this is why designers must come together to share ideas and resources and attend events like Unity in Design.

I took a little trip to High Point and visited the Bernice Bienenstock Furniture Library.  It is a complete research center devoted to the advancement of knowledge of furniture.  In addition to housing a remarkable collection for research, there are more than 800 titles available for sale, with topics that include interior design, textiles, home furnishings, furniture design, and history.  I took this opportunity to restock my own personal library.  My favorite find was "Textiles Today - a global survey of trends and traditions", by Chloe Colchester.
www.furniturelibrary.com

While I was in High Point, I met my friend, Jenny Brewer, for lunch. Since Jenny is a real estate agent and since I am a furniture buff we took the scenic route so I could see this really cool property.  Ever dreamed of living in chest of drawers with socks?  It is for sale or lease.  Let me know and I will put you in touch with Jenny.  She is the one waving in my bug.  www.jennybrewer4u.com

I am pleased to announce I will be co-hosting Slipcover Summit June 2012 at the Hickory Furniture Mart.  The only event of its type in the country totally devoted to the art and profession of making slipcovers for furniture.  Organized by Karen Erickson, this event moves around the country each year, and I am excited to be bringing it to NC for the first time.
http://www.slipcoversummit.com/

Destination:  Hickory, NC, furniture capital of the world!  After touring furniture factories and shopping at the Hickory Furniture Mart, our crew relaxed at The Inn at Hickory, a 1908 Georgian Colonial Bed & Breakfast which is furnished with the best of the area’s furniture makers.