Fresh Ideas

It's probably obvious by now that I love dimension and texture. I love designing and creating my line of bed crowns for children to visually pop off the wall with delicious colors and ornate touches like French milled ribbon, monograms and crystal beading. I think about bed crown designs and new applications all of the time and have so many ideas cooking in my mind that I've never seen on the market and would love to see come to life!

Here is a crown design I've been dreaming of for a while. It's design makes it versatile enough to go over anything from a bed, a makeup table, a settee, or even a bank of windows. It still installs over a bed and has your favorite fabric draped across it to cascade along your headboard and pool on the floor, but has a different feel that a larger bed crown. I've toyed with a few samples for a while now and am finally talking to storefront retail chain's that I admire about carrying them.

Above:

I can see crowning medallion over a chest of drawers with an old mirror
and the rich velvet fabric lazily cascading down on either side

There is something about an idea that is so fulfilling when it takes shape and becomes real. It seems to have a life of it's own, like a child, and begins "living" and growing. I really hope these crownettes get to come to life in a store near you. Got an idea for a great store for these? I'd love to hear about it!

Above:

I can imagine this french appointed medallion over a little antique settee
with a rustic burlap draping over the corners and swirling around to the floor.

Above:
How about this crown over a dressing table with the sophisticated animal print fabric
framing a tall mirror and pooling on the floor?

Above:

This would look incredible over a distressed white headboard
in an almost all white room.

Above: This crown could be paired with a daybed
from one of my favorite stores, Ballard Designs.

I've had a running joke with one of my dear friends, Denise, an interior decorator. The joke is that I do not have an easily defined style. So I would ask, "Debbie, what would you call my design style"? and she'd say "Chrissie you don't have any style"! And we'd die laughing! It's true! I really don't think I can be classified as having one traditional "taste" or style. I only know that I love mixing textures... And I love dimension (thus my line of bed crowns!).

So, here is a picture of my dining room from when I had no idea what I liked but had to do something to decorate my home! I truly just did what someone else recommended or fit into my (tight) budget. I felt good that it was done (and clean) but beyond that, didn't really feel ownership in the look.

So, where did I go from here?

Well, roll up the rug, clear the room, and take down the chandelier (actually it started smoking and almost caught fire one thanksgiving, so it was ready to go) .. and start ripping down some wall paper! and here is what I had left... peeling plaster, old primer, old glue from previous wallpaper and plaster cracks. The blue was actually an old primer (I think).

Above: Glue from wall paper peeling plaster

I patched a few large cracks in the plaster (my home was built in 1926) and ran a paint spatula to take off chipping paint, but left most of the irregularities. I love them because they make the wall interesting and leave the true patina. I took a chip of the blue and had my local Benjamin Moore (Brinton's) store match it in a gallon of Devine wall paint. If you haven't tried the Devine paint product line, it is absolutely one of the BEST paints I have ever used. It's so thick, luxurious, and incredible to work with. The consistency is like nothing I've ever worked with. You'll never be able to go back to any other paint! Check out their site at www.devinecolor.com

Here's the best part! I mixed the paint into water, about 1 part paint to 4 parts water (so it was veryyyy watery). Then got up on the ladder and started at the ceiling with a paint brush dripping with the paint mixture and began lightly painting from the ceiling down. The paint mixture ran down the wall like water. A friend with a wet rag, lightly blotted the running paint to blend it and keep it from puddling on the chair rail. I worked in about a 2 foot by 2 foot area at a time and made my way down the wall. The most incredible thing was how the paint mixture interacted with the glue I'd left on the wall to create brownish drip lines. I couldn't have made that happen if I'd tried! It was so amazing to just cover this wall with the drippy, runny paint and see what we got!

I have other great projects from this room that I'll share later, like the dining room table ($200 on Craigslist) and the skirted sideboard.

Do you have a room to share?

I completely understand that it get's very busy when one is finishing pulling a room design together. I think that's why I rarely get to see one of my crowns in the room it will live in. Truly, I believe that many of my customers intend to send photos, but by the time the room is finished, they've moved on to the next project (if they are anything like me) and forgotten. Therefore, I am always thrilled to come across a room on the internet, or a photo someone has sent, that has one of my "babies" adorning the wall. So here are a few...

This customer sent us her own fabric for her son's room.

How about a crown over a changing table? Love it!~

Do you have a room with my bed crown?
Email a photo to me at Christina@classiccottage.net
I'll put it on my blog to inspire others to dream up ways to use bed crowns!

Delicious Decor

Crowns aren't just for royalty anymore with the launch of Classic Cottage Accessories line of personalized bed crowns! Once reserved for a privileged few, custom designed and monogrammed curved crowns allow dreamers of all ages to beautifully and creatively express their personalities from the bottom of the room to the top.

Choices abound! Crown designs come in paint finishes to
coordinate with bedding or furniture, including solid,distressed or aged finishes, stripes, strie's or fabrics. Owner Christina Pattison calls her creations "Wall Candy".

"Picture a pink and white striped crown with light green finial balls and three-dimensional monogram, enveloped in clear cellophane with a big pink bow, ready to ship. It looks like a great, big delicious treat!" she said. "Plus they're a treat to hang too, with an attached bracket and companion wall piece, screws and bubble level for easy placement and guaranteed safety."

Classic Cottage Accessories bed crowns can be found in high-end children's stores and gift shops, large chain stores and on our web site www.classiccottage.net We welcome inquiries from retailers. We truly believe that…

Everyone Deserves a Crown!