Ready?

Retreat is at Seattle's 

Sand Point Antique & Design Market 

Sunday January 31 2010

Right Now!

Starts in: 3....2....1...

Flirt!

Yes {to those who have asked}
the marvelously curvy wine rack shown in a previous post

WILL make an appearance at Sand Point this Sunday! 

Just in case you were curious about how tall she actually IS....
here's a shot I snapped of Bob as he was 'finessing the model'
{6' tall} during her photo shoot today:

I always knew he was a leg man.

He also likes a nice seat.

Me? I go for well-shaped arms.

And a really awesomely defined back.

That bench back is 5' high, by the way. 

You might say 'Stately'. Or maybe 'BUILT'. wink.

{You really need to be at the show this Sunday, you know. 

'Cause we know what turns YOU on, too...}

So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye....

Over the past 14 months, we have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of Poppyseeds. Sweet Marybeth & Julie have posted a goodbye to us on their blog, and we just want to say thank you in a very public way for these two lovely women and all they have done for our business. They have made such an impact on us...

 

 

 

 

Our little room has undergone many changes as we shuffle things in and out, and change up the themes & color palettes each month. Shop owners Julie and MaryBeth have always offered us the freedom to explore our options, develop & define our brand image,  build our reputation and following, and contribute to their shop... and we are so grateful for that. There are so many wonderful people in the vintage/antique world who reach out to others, and these girls are at the top of the list!

It means the world to us that they allowed us to come in and put our mark on our room, promoting both our own business AND theirs in the process. Thank you for your trust, your honesty, and your faith in us, girls! We hope you know how special we think you are, and how much this time has meant to us. We wish you much success in the future, and we'll be dropping by to keep in touch, don't worry! ;0) {Besides, we're not really all that far away!}

Make sure you visit the Poppyseeds blog!

BarnHouse Marketplace Launches at Midnight Tonight!

Joe & Jermonne have been hard at work preparing the new BarnHouse Marketplace online, and the site will 'go live' at 12:01 January 28th - that's tonight!

Joining the Boys with amazing offerings will be the very talented Little Cottage, Annie Fannie and Abigail, Bella and Sparrow. {We heard a rumor that there will be giveaways, too!} We are excited to see this new development for the Boys, and are readying Retreat products for our inclusion in their Marketplace in March! Stay tuned for more... and go shopping at midnight! ;0)

First Show of 2010!

NEXT SUNDAY is the first Sand Point Antique & Design Market of the year in Seattle- we'll be there, will you? We've prepared an incredible array of marvelous furnishings & home decor for late winter & spring, and are looking forward to seeing everyone there!

{We will not be at Sand Point again until August, by the way... there's no show in March, and we'll be at Farm Chicks during the June Sand Point show.}

If you are on our email mailing list, make sure you watch your inbox for a 'Retreat Treat' redeemable at the show. If you haven't done so yet, sign up by sending an email to RetreatStyle@gmail.com, and you'll receive our next 'Retreat Treat'.

Fab Finds

We just discovered a resource for antique furniture that is chock full of amazing pieces: 'Antique Alley'. We know you all love to discover places that sell antiques, old stuff, and junk, so we just had to share it with you! Visit them here and browse through their huge selection of items.

We hope to visit this shop in person one day - it's located in Denver, and it's likely that we've seen some of their products at the Denver Gift Show when Deb has spoken there in the past. Next time they have her back to speak at the show, we'll head on over to Antique Alley.

By the way, have you joined our Retreat email mailing list yet? 
It's the only way to get in on some of the special events, discounts, and offerings we have in store for 2010. Send an email to RetreatStyle@gmail.com with 'mailing list' in the subject line, and we'll add you!

Junk Collage?

I Googled 'Collaged Furniture' and found this image.

{Silly me. I was thinking paper collaged onto furniture... not furniture collaged onto furniture!} Artist Thomas Wold's creation, as seen on Apartment Therapy blog, reminds me of the casework created for a retail wine shop that I wrote about on my retail design blog. This stuff is COOL and I'm heading out to the shop to grab some 'junk orphans' to see what I can create. What do you think about it?? Too progressive for the vintage set - or just quirky enough to elicit squeals of delight?

Cue the Trumpet Fanfare!

Cindy over at Haley's Cottage has just let the cat out of the bag:

She's opening a second Haley's Cottage store!

Check out her recent blog post for more info.

Her new digs will be smack-dab in the center of Kirkland on the tony Eastside. {East side of Lake Washington, for those not in the Seattle area} Surounded by chic boutiques, galleries, swanky nightspots and fabulous restaurants, this town is a perfect location for her marvelous shop filled with beautiful and stylish art, decor, fashion, and gifts.

We are contributing some of our furnishings to her new shop, so you'll be able to find Retreat products every day, at Haley's Cottage in Mill Creek AND in the charming town of Kirkland. We'll share more as things develop!

Wine Much?

Some really remarkable creations are coming out of Bob's workshop right now! Above is a peek at one of them: This wine storage rack is based on vintage French 'riddling racks', used during production of champagne. Bob' has incorporated some antique trim pieces into his design, and they add the perfect details to simple racks he created from reclaimed alder. The 'after' shots are below.....

The piece is over five feet tall and three feet wide - great 'presence' and lots of storage for wine! {The bottles are stored almost upside down, with their necks inserted into the holes on the rack}. I applied the paint finish yesterday, and will apply the final wax today, so it will have a perfect luster.

Like everything Bob designs, this 'one of a kind' handcrafted piece shows that old, discarded materials can be reinvented into furnishings that have vintage style and everyday usability.

The wine rack will be in our space at the Sand Point Antique & Design Market in just two weeks, so don't miss it!

Ok, then... you win!

Our favorite links have been restored to the sidebar!

{Sorry if you clicked in over the past hour or two and couldn't get on the blog -

I had to pull it down while working on this new format}

Here's a quick tour of the changes:

Everything about Retreat is on the left.

Friends, fans, followers, visitors and resources are on the right.

{By the way, if you need help with your blog, I'd love to help you. I've designed quite a few {Faded Elegance, Garden Party, Poppyseeds, and our blogs} and can fix things up fast & affordably for you. Email me at Debi.WardKennedy@gmail.com}

Friends & Faves Link Question

We have a question for you, our wonderful blog readers & followers:

Do you prefer finding blog links to our friends & faves in the sidebar {where they stretch out forever!} OR on a separate page with a link to the page in the sidebar?

We made this change recently, and it looks like less people are 'surfing' our links now that they are on a separate page. So, we thought we should ask if you prefer it the 'old' way or the 'new' way. Leave us a comment and let us know, won't you? If the consensus is that links in the sidebar are preferred, I'll get to work putting them back. {No small feat} We appreciate your help with this - thanks!

Party Hat?

We stopped in to visit with Cindy at haley's cottage last week...

and oh, my , folks, you really should get in there and see how lovely the shoppe is! Her post-Holiday / winter-into-spring decor & displays will just perk you right up and inspire you to freshen up your homes.

We loved seeing one of our unique lampshades 'worn' by a mannequin - was this a New Years' Eve party hat, perhaps?!  It's whimsical and imaginative touches like this that add to the wonderful atmosphere of Cindy's shoppe. So easy to do this in your homes, as well... even the smallest changes can bring a big impact and a smile to your face every day. That's what decorating is supposed to be all about - making you happy in your rooms.

We are so blessed that Cindy has found our products to be complimentary to her style! {And while we were there, 'a little birdie' told us about some exciting news coming soon from haley's cottage, so stay tuned here for an update when it breaks!}

PORCH Magazine

We finally remembered to order PORCH magazine's Fall 09 issue, and it arrived in the dark of night on Friday. (It was delivered to our neighbors by mistake, and they brought it to our door at about 8 PM) You'll find three photos of some of our Retreat small products on the top half of page 71, as part of a section with other photos of vendors at the FJS show. We share the page with some beautiful work by artist Michelle-Renee.

Again, many thanks to Miss Kimberly at Kimberly Taylor Images (and the charming Mimi Charmante blog) for sharing the lovely shots she took in our booth last October with the PORCH editors, and for adding our name to each photo {hugs}. Our appreciation also goes out to the editors of the magazine for deeming us worthy of inclusion.

We are so amazed by all of the incredible products, settings, shops, and shows in this issue - there is a LOT of talent out there in Junk Land! We are so honored to be included... thank you, PORCH!

bittersweet

There's a room full of sweetness waiting and a party goin' on at Poppyseeds!

In celebration of a new year, Valentine's Day, and spring, we have filled our room at the shop with lots of white & pink delicacies. You'll find vintage products and handmade items created from vintage & reclaimed components. It's really over the top cute, and we feel it's only fair to warn you that this room could cause cavities.;0) I was inspired by my eighth birthday party, all the way down to the kitchen setting and the pink crepe paper streamers.... my mom will be shocked that I remember it, I'm sure, but it was a little girls' dream!

Now for the bittersweet part...

Retreat will be leaving Poppyseeds at the end of January. We adore owners MaryBeth & Julie, and have really loved being part of our local community by having this space in their shop, but it's time to move forward with other parts of our business plan. (this gives them more room for their fabulous furnishings & decor, too!)

Retreat's last day at Poppyseeds will be Wednesday, January 28th,

so you only have 22 days to get our sweet stuff there! This is the last colorful, themed display you'll see from us, as well... Retreat's palette and style will be much more refined and relaxing for the coming year. Poppyseeds is such a colorful, cute shop, we had to do one last blast before leaving!

Poppyseeds is located on Hwy. 532 West in Stanwood, WA. just 20 minutes North of Everett (60 minutes North of Seattle). The shop is open M -W -Th - Fri - Sat from 10:30 to 5:00 PM, and Sunday from 12:30 to 4:30 PM. Closed Tuesdays. Call 360.629.SEED (7333) for more info. Visit http://poppyseedshop.blogspot.com.

Retreat Piano Bars

In June, 2009 at the Farm Chicks Antique Show in Spokane, Washington, Retreat debuted a show-stopping new piece of 'repurposed' furniture: A serving bar created from the carcass of a baby grand piano. Covered with a collage of vintage sheet & player piano music, this unique and original work of art immediately captured the attention of vendors, shoppers, and media.

 

A slide-out mirrored tray for serving drinks replaces the former keyboard.

  

A storage compartment for glassware , ice bucket, and liquor bottles was created in the location of the former hammer box. The harp & strings were removed from the rear of the case, and wine storage racks were added.

The bar can be displayed and used with the lid braced open, as shown here. With the lid closed, it serves as an ample serving table surface. Bar stools can easily be placed around the piano bar, as well.

The papers used in the piano collage are all original vintage & antique pieces, and their natural patina and color add distinction to the Piano Bar. As the centerpiece of a home, retail shop display, or event decor, this one of a kind Retreat creation is a perfect example of our design style and theory.

A second Piano Bar was created from a smaller frame,
this one with a simply elegant white finish.

 

  

  

  

All photos by Retreat

copyright 2009-10, all rights reserved. 

Use by permission only.