Toms-Price Design Cues

Designing Your New Living Room

2012-01-18T13:45:00.001-06:00

The look of living rooms has changed. These days we like things informal and some homes have completely done away with the old style, unapproachable living room in favor of the great room or media room.

Azure Jewel Tones

Even if you still love an elegantly appointed living room, the fabrics being made now have evolved, they are generally longer-lasting, more wearable, comfortable and forgiving. And, there are so many colors and patterns to choose from.

Here are some fresh fabric combinations from the Toms-Price design studio. There are thousands of fabrics choices for any upholstery you buy at our stores. If that sounds daunting, then be assured that our designers are here to help you. They will work with you for free in the store - it's a good idea to make an appointment - or you can schedule a consultation in your home for a nominal $250. That amount is reimbursed if you make a minimum purchase of $2500 within six months.

Peacock Spice

Birds of a Feather

Suzani Red

Natural Linen & Hemp

Ethnic Melange

Men's Suiting

Staghorn & Doeskin

Fabrics from Barclay Butera

2012-01-16T22:36:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to share this post from Decorator's Best blog with you.

Decorating Naturally

2011-12-05T17:59:00.000-06:00

Going to Williamsburg around Christmas is like going back in time... holiday dinners in the taverns and all the fantastic natural decorations using fruit, dried flowers, shells, baked goods and evergreen.

This house is decorated with burlap swags and dried magnolia leaves. It has little star and gingerbread ornaments.

The mice on this wreath and in the shoe are holding up "Liberty or Death" banners and using balls of yarn to tie up the cat. So original!

Pineapples and unusual fruits on this wreath.

Trip to Williamsburg

2011-12-01T11:42:00.000-06:00

These photos are of historic house interiors. Visiting Williamsburg around Christmas time is such a pleasure for history buffs and interior design lovers.

Imaginative Leather

2011-10-18T15:40:00.000-05:00

When it comes to thinking up fabulous creations in leather, Century does an extraordinary job, as you can see in the beautifully designed sofas here. They offer a lot more styles too. So, if you want to invest in a really unique statement piece, these may be special ordered at Toms-Price.

The Frazer Sofa

The Webster Sofa

The Salinas Sofa

The Ardsley Sofa

The Bolton Sofa

The Belmar Love Seat

The Cosmo Chaise

Greige Friends

2011-10-08T11:33:00.000-05:00

Here's a greige group I love, photographed in our Wheaton Toms-Price store. If you like this, you'll definitely want to take a look at this beautiful blog called Greige Design.

The Morning Settee by Wesley Hall

Hampstead Canopy Bed and bookcases from Linen Hills

You Are Invited to Meet Barclay Butera!

2011-09-22T12:42:00.000-05:00

A fun and inspiring "design day" is coming up Sept. 29th at Toms-Price. Hope you can come. Just give us a call at either event location.

Eastern Accents, who produces gorgeous bedding ensembles designed by Barclay Butera, will be giving away one at each event, worth $1,100 each! You'll be able to choose your favorite Barclay linens and enter the drawing when you're here!

Take a look at Barclay's blog, too!

Here are some of Barclay's beautiful furnishings which are now available through Toms-Price.

Introducing Hancock & Moore

2011-09-15T12:36:00.000-05:00

The ultimate leather upholstery has arrived at Toms-Price! Hancock & Moore is a manufacturer dedicated to exquisite craftsmanship with workshops in Hickory, NC. Their artisans know centuries-old techniques that produce such fabulous furniture. Come in and try it out at Toms-Price!

Our Hancock & Moore representative, Lloyd Lutz, introducing us to their beautiful furniture line.

Comfort Sleeper Sale

2011-09-09T17:15:00.000-05:00

Holiday jump start... American Leather Comfort Sleeper™ Sale, on now through October 4, 2011.

What do you do when a bigger than normal group arrives and there aren't enough guest rooms? A great solution has always been the sleeper sofa. But those tossing, turning, tortuous nights we have all endured have made us wary of sleepers.

At Toms-Price, we love American Leather's Comfort Sleeper™. It's designed smartly as a platform system, without the bars or springs that hit you in the back. Here are some photos that will give you more information.

Come try out a Comfort Sleeper™ before our sale ends on October 4!

Hand-Painted Leather

2011-08-22T11:03:00.000-05:00

Wesley Hall, our manufacturer of custom upholstery, has an artist who hand paints leather to be made into furniture – sweet!

Rural Life & Rustic Gray

2011-08-08T15:59:00.000-05:00

Inspiration from the Michigan coast, in colors of driftwood, sand, stone, weathered barn wood and wheat.

We traveled from Chicago up the Michigan shore last week to get recharged. If you haven't been there you will love it! One night we ate at this wonderful craft-inspired restaurant, Mission Table, on the Old Mission Peninsula near Traverse City.

The simple interiors with gray-finished tables, stone fireplaces, weathered mirrors and natural touches captured rural style at its best, not to mention the succulent local fish, berries and greens that they served.

So much beautiful furniture in the lighter driftwood finish now, like this Sanibel finish from Stickley – perfect for a Michigan cottage.

Flights of Fancy

2011-07-29T21:46:00.000-05:00

Here's something to get you off the ground: Century Furniture's stylish feathers and plumes gracing heavenly prints with peacocks, pheasants or owls.

Modern Rugs at Toms-Price

2011-07-15T12:10:00.000-05:00

Love these new modern rugs that have arrived in the Toms-Price Rug Galleries. They are so reasonably priced starting at $349 for a 5' x 8'. Call us to see which patterns are being shown at a particular store.

The Armchair Traveler

2011-07-13T16:12:00.000-05:00

These trunks let you travel as far as your imagination will take you – and never leave your chair! This East Cove Trunk, from Tommy Bahama Island Estate, has a printed map interior.

You could cover a wall with fabric or create the travel mood on pillows or upholstery with these great new map fabrics.

Lend an air of adventure with these end tables in denim and leather, plaid storage trunks and burlap suitcases.

Bon Voyage!

Creature Inspiration

2011-06-24T17:07:00.000-05:00

Wesley Hall fabrics of summer!

Floor Sample Sale is on!

2011-06-16T13:08:00.000-05:00

So many deals on fabulous furniture you won't want to miss!

Here are a few from our Wheaton store. There are tons more bargains in all our stores... Lincolnshire, Old Orchard, South Barrington (also our outlet in Bloomingdale, IL). Directions and details are here at the Toms-Price website. The sale only lasts through June 26th.

Library bookcase, MSRP $10,400, now $4679.

Russal leather chair, MSRP $2419, now $789.

Half round console, MSRP $2850, now $855.

Fletcher sofa, MSRP $2787, now $1099.

Bristo Cocktail Ottoman, MSRP $1215, now $485.

French Walnut Display Cabinet, MSRP $8960, now $3999.

Rugby Sofa, MSRP $3072, now $1199.

English Dining Table, MSRP $7425, now $1349.

Welsh Teak Dresser, MSRP $4640, now $1995.

Century Helene Sofa, MSRP $6705, now $1799.

Toscana Oak Sideboard, MSRP $5535, now $1495.

Trenton Sofa, MSRP $2547, now $999.

Hollywood Theater Seating, MSRP $4044, now $1529.

Library Wall Cabinet, MSRP $9750, now $3495.

Who is Sam Moore?

2011-06-01T15:11:00.000-05:00

The story of Sam Moore is a romantic tale of the American furniture industry – not too different from that of Toms-Price.

Think of the old newsreel man in a long silk scarf, piloting a bi-plane. That was Sam. He was a graduate of Washington and Lee University in 1918 and enlisted in the Army Air Force in WWI. His father was a Pennsylvania furniture store owner who had one of those shops that combined casket and cabinet making, as so many of the early American furniture stores did. On returning from the war, Sam decided not to pursue embalming, but still appreciated the cabinet making side of the family business.

A friendly, outgoing person who enjoyed selling, Sam obtained two furniture lines to represent in his late 20s. After selling this furniture for 8 years in Ohio and western Pennsylvania, Sam took a leap of faith and started his own company with four other friends, believing he could make a better chair for less money than what he had been selling. It was 1940 when the group bought the Delaware Chair Company in Ohio for $15,000.

After weathering the ups and downs of the WWII period, he eventually moved south and founded his own company, Sam Moore Chair. With 12 styles of chairs, cut from the same pattern, it became America's leading chair manufacturer between 1943 and 1973.

Fast forward to the next century and the press release reads: "In April, 2007 Hooker Furniture Company acquired Sam Moore as part of a strategic goal to further diversify into fabric upholstery." So, this all American-made furniture story continues!

According to our Toms-Price upholstery buyer, Sam Moore chairs are fun, colorful, and a really good value – "the perfect accent when you may not want to spend big bucks, but want something fun and different."

Preppy Returns

2011-05-23T12:47:00.000-05:00

A rainbow of colors, brought to life in Lilly "Queen of Prep" Pulitzer's 60s era shift dresses, reintroduces itself for our interiors. Patterns from argyle and flame stitch to seersucker and plaid now work wonderfully in a modern setting. There is even a book out called True Prep by the author of the original Preppy Handbook.

Want to try on a fresh classic of the preppy wardrobe? This lively plaid sofa is from Stickley and now available in our Wheaton store for more than 60% off the MSRP!

Sectionals – Mom Approves!

2011-05-05T15:04:00.000-05:00

These days the sectional sofa is king. People want something comfortable that fits a lot of family or friends for TV viewing and talk. Many mom's would be happy with this idea for Mother's Day!

At 50% off, during the month of May, Century's Cornerstone sectionals (shown above) are completely customizable and so fabulous! You can choose your frame, arm, seat, back, cushion and base, plus optional trims. Because they have higher backs and seat depth options, they are super comfortable for TV viewing.

Create just the look you want with Stickley's "SELECTionals", shown above. Their 200 series has 4 rows of hand-tied springs as compared with most quality upholstery having just 3 rows. May is "Stickley Month" at Toms-Price so you get 40% off all Stickley, plus an additional $100 off any of their sofas. (This translates to an extra $100 off the most expensive piece in a sectional you choose.)

This compact sofa chaise from Lee (above) is a great way to go in a condo or smaller space. It has the advantage of Lee's earth friendly materials and stylish fabric choices.

Tranquil Linen Hills

2011-04-28T17:42:00.000-05:00

Toms-Price has a soothing new furniture collection called "Linen Hills". The bedroom and dining groups incorporate homespun natural fabrics, gentle colors and clean earthy textures and finishes.

When I saw "Linen Hills" I remembered a color palette presented by Leatrice Eiseman, for Pantone, at the Chicago Housewares Show. It's called NONCHALANCE and described this way: "The reassuring colors coax a feeling of tranquility and relaxation with no suggestion of anxiety in the surroundings. The comforting pastel pinks, ethereal blues and soft egret white wrap us in carefree baby blanket colors, harmoniously blending with the more mature taupe, gray and grape tones."

The descriptive words for "nonchalance" are: insouciant, easy going, pliant and pliable, quietly comforting, uncomplicated, facile, tractable, compliant and weightless. These display boards I photographed give you an idea.

We could all use a meditative space like this in our crazy world couldn't we? Just click on any photo to get a larger view.

Superhero Colors

2011-04-12T15:23:00.000-05:00

One of the new 2012 home-inspired color palletes, explored by Leatrice Eiseman for Pantone, is called "Comic Book". I took these display photos (click to enlarge) at the recent Chicago Housewares Show.

The use of black, especially as outlining, is very comicbook-like, shown in this jewel rug from our Wheaton rug gallery.

These words were used to describe this color story:
Exaggerated, laughing-out-loud, giddy, zany, absurd and a-barrel-of-laughs.
FUN in home design – it's not just for kid's rooms anymore!

Blue Velvet

2011-04-01T11:08:00.001-05:00

Mysterious, royal and now very modern, blue velvet evokes an emotional response when you enter the room. The Marshall chair, above, is by Barclay Butera. Great tufting really emphasizes the beautiful way light plays on velvet.

Love the back button tufting and the single long seat cushion on this Kip's Bay sofa from Stickley.

Lofty Gathering Tables

2011-03-25T10:29:00.000-05:00

Have you noticed all the new, elongated dining tables with plenty of room for a crowd? Sometimes they're called "gathering" or "refectory" tables, reminiscent of those used for monk's dining halls in monasteries. In the Mediterranean regions of Europe, they adopted these for non-religious use in the 16th century, first in Italy then traveling to France and finally to Germany and Flanders.

Some create an industrial loft ambiance, like the Village Trestle table shown above, while some convey a Tuscan homage and are inspired by old, time-worn church or library furniture, like the Refectory table from Hooker Furniture, below.

All these are available from Toms-Price and shown at many of our stores.

The Banyan Trestle Table from Nichols & Stone is shown above.

Impressive Amish-made solid cherry Tuscany Trestle Table, shown above, extends to 124 inches.

Colonial Cool

2011-03-16T13:03:00.000-05:00

I walked by this vintage-looking settee this morning in our Wheaton store. It's a one-of-a-kind piece that was previously $2533 and is now $975. Gulp... quite a big savings. It has a quirky marriage of modern grey and blue dotted fabric with colonial styling. I'm really warming to this colonial cool thing that is starting to show up out there. Have you noticed it?

Shimmery Reflections

2011-03-09T16:07:00.000-06:00

An exciting trend to watch is extra sparkle in home furnishings, as in the unexpected faux zinc-finished table shown above. Earlier this week I attended the International Housewares show in Chicago where Leatrice Eiseman gave the Pantone View home + interiors 2012 color forecast, including nine illuminating color predictions.

What Eiseman calls the Reflections group...
"Glossy finish and color are a magical coupling, fascinating the eye and riveting attention. Metallic or glassy surfaces undulate and move and twist and turn, taking colors to new dimensions. Included in this arresting palette, called Reflections, are tones and tints that spark the imagination: Turkish sea, blue moon, garnet, beluga, cloud dancer as well as the classic silver and gold."