Channeling Virginia Woolf in Our Latest Design Showhouse and Textile Collection
"A woman must have money and a room of her own
if she is to write fiction."
- Virginia Woolf
root cellar designs' orchid topiary wallpaper; Currey and Company Ibiza chandelier; Sherwin Williams paint
Designing a Historic Space
in High Point, North Carolina
While Channeling Writer Virginia Woolf
When invited to design a China Closet for a historic home in
High Point, NC debuting during the Fall Design Market at
High Point Market, we wanted to tap into the rich history of the area.
The Craftsman style home has gone through many trials and tribulations including almost burning down. As one of the first homes in the area of this kind, the Junior League of High Point and Aspire Design and Home magazine felt it important to bring the design community in to transform the home. The Arts and Crafts movement first began in Britain in the late 1800s then flourished in the States in the early 1900s, and the style changed a bit often referred to as American Craftsman Style, and this was the timeframe and style of the house, which was built in 1915.
root cellar designs textiles- (left) willow (inspired by Chinoiserie plates Blue Willow)and new Minton plate textile
bottom: (right) Blue Willow Plate
“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well”
-Virginia Woolf
A house with a history deserves design with history, and so we began
our new Fall root cellar designs’ home textile collection to
showcase in the china closet combining old and new sensibilities-
we are calling it the Virginia Woolf collection.
As many of you may know Virginia Woolf was an English poet and writer, a woman who was ahead of her time
back when much of her work was published in the 1920s.
She is a modern woman's woman- a feminist before feminism,
a women who questioned the needs of women in an ever-changing world.
She is best known for her novels, Mrs. Dalloway and
To The Lighthouse but her essays on women, women’s writing,
and the political power of the times is her most important work.
Through her prose she wrestled with issues, and to me,
one of her most powerful writings is A Room Of One’s Own
where she pontificates about what women need in their spaces
(their homes) both literally and figuratively.
How appropriate then that we are decorating a typical room,
a China Closet (a room where women mostly frequented to entertain
in their home), and repurpose it as a Writer’s Nook,
a space for the Lady of the Home to put her thoughts on paper,
a place to bring her creativity.
For our newest root cellar designs’ collections we channeled women and
created layered designs in jewel-box colors like a rich cadet blue,
a vibrant cornflower blue and juxtaposed against an earthy fern green.
We plan to showcase our wallpaper and fabric collections as the
backdrop in this cozy spot, but to create a respite, a celebration of women.
We created art pieces with our new collections layering it and framing it
paying homage to women over the years. We borrowed art from women artists.
We collaborated with Currey and Company and utilized their lighting,
mirrors, and accessory collection.
combining our new textile collection with our old ones; women-created art; antique illustrations of women; a Vogue magazine cover from 1912 with our textiles and more, all to hang as a gallery wall in our space.
the 1918 Vogue cover showing cross stitch patterning in textiles (left): and, (left) Renoir-inspired pencil and mixed medium by Kathryn Ruby
So, let’s go back to Virginia Woolf shall we?
The art world has been championing her, referencing her for a long time…did you know the play Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf won the 1963 Tony Award for Best Play in 1962? The play was not about Virginia herself but they used her namesake as a double entendre to showcase the troubled marriage of an aging couple. Today, the words of Virginia Woolf seem to echo in our head, and we are proud to showcase an interior design that dovetails with a modern women's lifestyle and aesthetic. Please visit us at the High Point Designer Showhouse in the historic district of High Point, just outside of the High Point Market (an easy Go-Anywhere Van drive from Market). We'd love to hear your thoughts on our space.
Please Visit Us
at
1013 Johnson Street
High Point, NC
Grand Opening Party Tickets here
October 18, 2019 at 6 pm
Tours available Oct 19-November 3, 2019 from 10 am- 5 pm
with extended hours during Market
Friday, October 18-Tuesday Oct 22: 7:30am – 8:30pm
Grand Opening Party Tickets here
October 18, 2019 at 6 pm
Tours available Oct 19-November 3, 2019 from 10 am- 5 pm
with extended hours during Market
Friday, October 18-Tuesday Oct 22: 7:30am – 8:30pm
Wednesday, October 23: 7:30 am - 6:00 pm
+Go-Anywhere Shuttles Friday, October 18 - Wednesday, October 23 for free shuttles. Pick up at the downtown Transportation Terminal or simply flag one down from any location in the Market area or call 336.887.RIDE (7433) for shuttle dispatch to you.
Happy Nesting
XO Tamara
