In keeping with my crazed obsession love of all things Barbara Barry, I thought this quote was spot on.

"Contemporary design and architecture reflect the way we think and live.  As a country, we are developing a more fluent vocabulary and dialogue within the modern vernacular, making design more mature and grounded."

—  Barbara Barry (quoted in Veranda, July/August 2010)

Paintings by Kimberly Applegate.  Visit her blog here.  Top painting is inspired by a Barbara Barry chair and Richard Serra etchings.  Bottom painting is inspired by a Barbara Barry chair and Edward Hoppen painting.

Wondering how to make your home elegant and functional?  Call me at 704.953.6096 or send me an email at traci@tracizeller.com to discuss how I can help!

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Yesterday - thanks to a tip from Jenny H. - I set out on a road trip to Rudy's Furniture in Asheville.  The only thing I can say is "wow."  If you are looking for high end furniture, and you want a bargain, I suggest you head up there now!!  First things first, however.  Rudy's is literally the last warehouse in an industrial park of warehouses.   As you drive past the other warehouses (UPS, for example), you will most certainly wonder if you are in the right place.  The entrance to Rudy's is marked only by a burgundy awning and a small sign showing their hours (Monday through Saturday from 9 to 5).  If it weren't for the sign pointing you into the gravel parking lot and the large trucks - with Rudy's on their doors - pulled up to the warehouse, you'd miss it. 

When you walk in, you'll probably be greeted with a "hello" and "let me know if I can help you" ... and otherwise left to explore on your own.  (Of course, if you ask for assistance, I'm sure they'd be glad to provide it.)  And what you'll find is a whole lot of furniture at unbelievable prices.  I'm not sure how they do it exactly!  Their website says that they buy directly from factories and showrooms ... so I'm assuming they get primarily overstocks, discontinued product, or slightly damaged items.  It seems as though Rudy's has a pretty extensive repair facility in the rear of the facility, so I wouldn't be surprised if they employ skilled craftsmen to fix dings and dents that wouldn't be acceptable to someone who purchased at retail price.  If that doesn't bother you, however, you will find some incredible deals. 

As those who have been reading my blog know, I'm in the market for a coffee table.  While I didn't come home with anything, that is mainly due to the fact that I am looking for something very specific to complete my living room.  If I were starting from scratch, however, or maybe with just a sofa or the like, I would have had quite a selection to choose from!  To wit ...  this Barbara Barry for Henredon Arclight Cocktail Table could be had - sans the glass top - for $299.           

A very attractive Drexel Heritage cocktail table - also in silver leaf with a glass top - was $199.  A stunning Ralph Lauren square cocktail table was available for approximately $500.  The same table - but presumably with a few more scratches and the like - was also on the floor for under $300.  (By comparison, I stopped on my way home at the Hickory Furniture Mart.  The very same Ralph Lauren cocktail table was on the floor of the Henredon Furniture Outlet for three times the price of the more expensive table at Rudy's.  Seriously.)  I'm assuming both the Drexel Heritage cocktail table and the Ralph Lauren cocktail table have been discontinued, because I cannot find their photos on the manufacturer websites.  Sorry about that!   

Where I think you could really score, however, is with bedroom furniture.  There was a super selection of beds and an even better selection of dressers.  It made me wish that I was in the market!  For example, Jenny H. came home from Rudy's with a Barbara Barry for Henredon dresser for approximately $1,000.  I also spotted some fabulous armoires and china cabinets.  Of course, Rudy also has a large selection of dining room tables and chairs as well as upholstered pieces. 

So what's the morale of this story?  I'm not sure I would drive up there just to look around ... but if you are in the Asheville area or serious about buying some furniture - especially case goods - but need a bargain, Rudy's is more than worth the visit. A huge thank you to Jenny H. for her super tip! 

Do you have any tips to share?  Email me and we'll talk!     

Photos from Rudy's Furniture and Shop AD 

I am so not a morning person!  Ever since my twin boys arrived, my alarm clock has been banished to a nightstand drawer.  After all, I have two built-in alarm clocks!  But every once in a rare while, I pull my trusty alarm clock out ... and last Friday was one of those days.  Why, you ask?  The Baker factory sale, of course!  Despite having a late meeting the evening before, I woke up way too early, rolled out of bed and into gym clothes, and hit the road to Connelly Springs.  It's an easy hour and fifteen minutes from Charlotte, especially easy when you are on the road way before the morning commuters.  Ths time, I remembered to bring a folding chair (although I forgot to bring it home - oops!) and a magazine, so I passed my time in line reading the latest InStyle and eating a hot Krispy Kreme doughnut generously shared by another shopper.  Yum, yum!  Thank you, whomever you are!!

And guess what was waiting for me???

Can you believe it?  A Barbara Barry iron tripod table, exactly what I daydreamed about!  I cannot even express how excited I was.  As I made my way through the rows of furniture, I was thrown off for a moment by the marble top (Emperador Light, I believe).  I haven't seen the tripod table like that before, and the website doesn't show marble as an option.  My best guess is that this was a custom piece for a customer who changed her mind or perhaps just a one-off for a showroom or other display.  Either way, I scored!  And here's the best part - the marble top is not attached to the table, so if I want to use it "plain" (which also makes the table much smaller), I will simply have a antiqued mirror top cut to fit, et voila!  Pricing-wise, I paid about 1/3 of retail for the "standard" table (with an antique mirror top).  I have no way of knowing what the additional charge would have been for the marble top.  Most of the tags at the sale indicate the sale price and the regular retail price, but the regular retail price on the tag for my table was blank.    Regardless,  I'm thrilled!  

Overall, the sale was great.  I didn't come home with anything else - I got what I came for! - but there were a number of pieces that I really loved ... and a few incredible deals.  If I were furnishing a home from scratch, I would have come home with more than a few things!  No news yet on the next sale, but I'll let you know when I get word.  I wouldn't expect another for six months or so.   

Oh, and a big hello to Kathleen, a fellow designer from Charlotte.  Kathleen and I were neighbors in line.  We hadn't met previously, but she recognized me from the blog.  Kathleen, email me your contact info if you get a chance!      

Yippee!  Baker is having another factory sale ... Friday, August 21 from 8:30 am to 6 pm.  As usual, it's being held at the lower level of Baker's casegoods manufacturing plant at 3487 Tex's Fishcamp Road in Connelly Springs, NC.  According to the postcard, new product has been added since the May event.   I'm curious what prompted this - I've not known Baker to have two factory sales this close in time - but I'm not complaining.  I couldn't make the last one, but I'm definitely headed up to Connelly Springs for this one!  I would be so excited to score Barbara Barry's Iron Tripod Table.  My fingers are crossed!  Anyone want to tag along? 

Remember to give me the scoop if you hear of any other factory sales!

Lace up those running shoes, because the Baker Factory Clearance Sale is coming up!   Here's the 411 - the sale is Friday, May 15 (one day only!) from 8:30 am to 6 pm at Baker's Hildebran, NC factory.  Early registration has already passed, but you can register upon arrival at the event.  All items are sold on a first come, first served basis.  Purchases can be made with cash, check or credit card.  Delivery service will be made available for an additional charge.  

For those of you who have not been to a Baker Factory Clearance Sale before, it is something to behold!  I haven't been in a few years, but I'm thinking about heading up this time.   I love, love, love Baker Furniture - Barbara Barry is one of my design heroes, and Baker produced her first furniture collection - but it is not inexpensive.  This sale is a great way to buy Baker on a budget (but to be clear, still not an IKEA budget.)  The deals can be incredible, and you never know what you might find.  I recommend that you arrive early, ask for info on the layout of the "sales floor" and run once they open the doors.  See you there!   Oh, and if you get the scoop on any other factory sales (especially Henredon, which is Barbara Barry's new home), be sure to let me know!    

Photo from the Baker website   

Why, why, why?  Why didn't I just click that "Buy It Now" button the minute I saw it?  I am totally obsessed with a Barbara Barry Realized by Henredon coffee table that I found ... and lost ... on eBay.  To back up for a minute, I love eBay.  If you know what you looking for and you are willing to invest the time in searching, you can find incredible deals on just about everything - from vintage jewelry to designer shoes to high-end furniture.  But ignore the "Buy It Now" button at your own peril, because you never know if someone else is after the same thing!  I hedged on the coffee table only because I have another Parsons table (this one a console table - vintage, burlwood and also from eBay) in the living room, and I wanted to experiment with moving that table into the foyer before I committed to a Parsons coffee table.  When I went back to buy the coffee table in the morning, it was gone.  So now I am totally obsessed ... driven in part, I'm sure, by wanting what is no longer available.  Sure, I could actually purchase the table at retail, but even with my trade discount, it is a lot more than the eBay seller was asking.  Because it's not the coffee table I want forever (again, I'm hoping to score vintage), I just don't want to spend that much.  So now I am stalking eBay and the Henredon furniture outlets in hopes of finding another.  If you see one, let me know ... and don't beat me to the "Buy It Now" button!

Photo from Barbara Barry Realized by Henredon              

 I haven't had a chance to do a profile on Brock Moran Home, but trust me, one is coming.   In my book, Brock McLendon (real name) practically walks on water.  I'd move into that store in a heartbeat.  If it's in there, I love it.  Brock carries absolutely all of my favorite furniture brands, including Hickory Chair (love you, Thomas O'Brien!), Baker and Hancock & Moore. 

So I just about died when I got an email about BrockMoran's "backroom bargains sale."   The deals are absolutely to-die-for, and if Brock picked it, you know it's fabulous.   Click here for more info ... and hurry, hurry, hurry.  Fabulous pieces at prices this good absolutely cannot (will not!) last for long.  If only I could convince my hubby that we need some new living room furniture!  

PS - isn't that white chest in the background super fabulous???!?!?!   It's part of the Baker Furniture's expansion of the finishes available on the Barbara Barry collection.  In my dining room, I have two "Diamond Chests" in silver leaf, one of the two original finishes ... and I LOVE them!  There used to be a gold leaf Diamond Chest (the other original finish) in the lobby of the Hearst Tower (my favorite building in Charlotte - totally Art Deco in style and the kind of building that just isn't built any longer).  The chest moved from the lobby (its original locale) to a side hallway (by Modern Salon & Spa) and now it has disappeared all together.  I've always wondered what happened to it.  My lead theory is that a bank executive requisitioned it for his office.  Your thoughts?