The Artful Lifestyle

It’s a Tough Job but Someone’s Gotta Do It…

noreply@blogger.com (Huff Harrington Fine Art) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 16:42:00 +0000

We always kidding that our little businesses are all work and no play. And we mean it when we say we’re kidding. How lucky are we to be doing what we love?

So, a couple weeks ago, we jumped on the 6 p.m. Air France flight (our favorite flight: pretty good food, we can usually get a good seat and Air France is generous with the bubbly) and headed to Paris for some serious spring shopping.

We went to one of the Europe’s best-known gift, furniture and design shows. Eight enormous buildings were filled to the brim with thousands of people from all over the place and hundreds and hundreds of vendors and manufacturers.

It was a feast for the eyes and we’re thrilled with what we saw, loved and decided we can’t live without at Huff Harrington Home.

Nothing says La Belle France like toile de jouy and we couldn’t resist a sampling of clever items, like these cute sling chairs that will work perfectly in the garden and in the house:

What about this adorable little hat, which the French call “le bob femme” (“le bob homme” is for the guys…)

We love the idea that toile is getting hip and cool and we’re predicting these will be a big hit.

Would Air France have upgraded us if we strolled on board carrying these super-chic carry-ons?

We picked up some fabulous linen, canvas and leather luggage from a lovely old company based in Southwest France (we’re anticipating a smack-down over these classic totes which are perfect for beach, country, mountains, carry-ons…you name it…)

(We realized we might be turning into a bag store….)

And, we’d been searching and searching for the famous Ice Bag which, in France, is always chilling bottles of wine in a perfect mixture of ice and water. It’s a totally handy, plastic tote that keeps your wine perfectly refreshing.

We picked out some fun and Frenchy patterns and also a great Stars and Stripes design that we’re picturing in good use for the Fourth of July.

We fell in love with a luxe line of cashmere and faux fur that we’re holding off on until the fall, but the colors had us drooling:

We saw lots of glass accessories with polished nickel and leather or rope accents:

We met a nice lady from whom we buy our favorite foutas. Foutas are amazing Tunisian cotton towels/throws/tablecloths/sarongs that we are simply nuts about. We went crazy over the juicy line of colors we saw. Can’t wait to have these monogrammed at HHH. They will look so sensational by the pool or on the porch this summer:

In between all the shopping, we had to have lunch, of course. And, even in a very businesslike setting, we were delighted to find this:

A real menu!

A darling waiter who kept our glasses full…

What were we saying about it being a tough job?

After lunch, we had to visit our new BFF, Tina Frey. Tina creates the most amazing pieces in resin and we are CRAZY about her stuff:

A very jet-lagged Meg and adorable Tina Frey

Among other fabulous objects, Tina creates the ultimate cool cuff. We love the crisp white one.

Tina’s designs are so sleek, elegant and clean and we’re all over this cool wine bucket: smokey gray resin with leather handles.

There was plenty of stuff you definitely won’t be seeing at Huff Harrington Home like this over-the-top riot of bad florals.

After all that shopping, talking and looking, we took a couple hours off and headed to Les Puces, the famous French flea market (where we heard we missed Rod Stewart and his wife by minutes. Darn!) We wanted to go to Paul Bert, one of many little sections that make up Les Puces – mostly because there’s a great restaurant there that Meg was dying to try and Ann had promised we could go. But before lunch, there was more exploring to do:

Oh, the glorious crunchy, crusty, beat-up and beautifully Frenchy stuff that was all around.

At the bus-stop (yes, we absolutely took the bus and it was so much fun) we made friends with a stall-owner. The stall had been in her family for decades and she was just lovely.

It turns out Ann had bought some pieces from her on the last pre-HHH opening in the summer. Friends reunited!

We look like twins but we were warm…

oh la la! How French can you get? Look at the little pet rodent the pug has sitting next to him.

And, we were drooling over these gorgeous, mossy and old looking pieces.

There was plenty of weird stuff, too, like this giant skull made from lots of small jaws, skulls and bones.

And the bowl of glass eyeballs:

After that, it was back to business and we had the excellent fortune to run into a nice group of young, smart, ambitious and very, very cute Frenchmen selling a cute line that we simply couldn’t (ahem…) resist.

We loved the concept of fun and sassy eyeglasses that sit in a handy little stand wherever you need them…but maybe it was the glass or two of bubbly they persuaded us with that sealed the deal:

And, to end the day in true French fashion, we stopped at the local outpost of Fauchon for a restorative (how could you possibly guess?) glass of champagne:

Then it was back to Ann’s adorable little jewel of an apartment to review and work on all the special things we decided to buy for Huff Harrington Home.

This is really and truly the view from Ann’s kitchen:

It was time to head home after that but we are excited and happy about the wonderful things that will be filling the floor at Huff Harrington Home.

Yes, it’s a tough job…and we’re so glad we have to do it.

Ta Ta.

P.S. we were absolutely head-over-heels with joy when we saw this in our favorite magazine, Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles: http://www.atlantahomesmag.com/frenchfinds

Fifteen Minutes of Fame

noreply@blogger.com (Huff Harrington Fine Art) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 21:46:00 +0000

We were tickled pink to be guests on the CBS Atlanta Better Mornings show on Thursday morning … even if it was at the very crack of dawn.

We were excited about our little story, which was to talk about the sentiment behind Valentine ’s Day, and not the stuff. We were excited about being store owners but not necessarily plugging our products -- although we had plenty of little props along, just in case! We were excited about all the cute Valentine’s ideas we’d gotten from our employees and we practiced over and over again how to incorporate them into our little spiel. We were dying to mention how Sam and her husband Johnny Jones have celebrated Valentine’s Day for the last 42 years, by dancing to Johnny Mathis’ “My Funny Valentine.” And we were excited about ending on a high, with a plug for a favorite cultural institution -- the High Museum.

We thought we could make it so fun, cute and sassy that the producer would get caught up in the moment and decide on the spot to extend our 3 minute segment to fifteen, which would get syndicated and run on all the networks all over the world – and go viral too!

So that was on our minds as we got up at 3:30 a.m., fluffed our hair, changed outfits five times -- and finally went to the studio at 4:30 a.m. where we carefully and painstakingly merchandised our prop table with all of our exciting little products. The adrenaline heated up as we met with the producer and anchor of the show, and then got wired for microphones.

At 5:40 a.m. we heard, “30 seconds to air time” and oh boy, suddenly lost all our lines and totally forgot the things we had practiced.

“10 seconds” and we both started to feel a little queasy.

“5, 4, 3,” (oh no, I think I may throw up), “2, 1” Good Morning, you are on the air!

The next three minutes went by so fast that we have no idea what happened or what was said. All we know is that we were just beginning to feel comfortable and hitting our stride when the anchor said, “Thank you so much … and now on to the weather” and we wanted to scream, “No wait!! We haven’t finished!! There’s so much more to tell you about Valentines’ Day!! Don’t cut us now!!”

When we went back to review our little segment later, we almost died laughing. Meg started off beautifully, but what happened to that practiced script that carefully incorporated all of our employees’ thoughtful ideas? And did we really need to plug Whole Foods’ floral department more than Huff Harrington Home? And why was Ann going on about cupcakes? We are a home furnishings store and don’t even sell cupcakes! What happened to the champagne bucket that is a keepsake and perfect for Chastain summer nights? The jewelry that can be hidden in a clever little basket? The heart shaped necklace that imbues perfume? The adorable valentine’s cards? The candles from France? Or the Amy Dixon Nude that is the sexiest gift of all? We needed at least fifteen more minutes to tell our story!

If nothing else, our first encounter with live television brought us enough giggles to entertain us for days. We loved the opportunity, and relished the excitement of being in a TV studio. Even if we completely neglected to plug our store, we were thrilled to be invited to do so. We’d do it again in a heartbeat and happily give up many more hours of sleep.

And as for our elusive 15 minutes of fame? Well, we only have twelve and a half more to go!

P.S.: Was it a coincidence that Whole Foods posted a 30% gain that very same day? We’re sure it was because of sky-high sales in the floral department – especially cabbage leaves!

Ta ta,

Click here to view the CBS Better Mornings Segment.

What do we really want for Valentine’s Day?

noreply@blogger.com (Huff Harrington Fine Art) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:20:00 +0000

We are pretty excited that the CBS TV affiliate in Atlanta has chosen Huff Harrington Home for a segment on Valentine’s ideas, but there are two problems with the request:

1. It will be taped at 5 a.m. (oh no … and the DryBar doesn’t open until 8 a.m.! Will we have to have our do’s done the day before and stay up all night to prevent the flat hair syndrome?)

2. We don’t really have a lot of Valentine’s goodies in the store.

Don’t get us wrong. We have lots and lots of new goodies in the store, with recent purchases arriving daily. But there isn’t a lot of red. There’s not a lot of heart shaped anythings. And we certainly don’t have red roses.

But that got us thinking. What do people really want for Valentine’s day? Is it stuff? Or is it thoughts? And what do we like to give for Valentine’s day? Does it have to be red, sweet or heart shaped? Or should it be something a little more thoughtful, fun, and personal?

We decided to go to our favorite source and ask our Huffington employees what they liked giving or receiving for Valentine’s day. And these are the ideas they came up with:

Linda says:

I love to give newly sprouted Daffodils or Forsythia to friends.

My husband and I treat ourselves to a nice bottle of red wine and a seafood pasta dish.

Of course, the “widow” (Veuve Cliquot Champagne) makes an appearance, along with some chocolate.

Veuve Cliquot by Amy Dixon

I’m going to use a recipe from the Veuve Cliquot cookbook this year!

Colleen says:

Don’t go out to the fanciest restaurant, but do stay in and cook a special nostalgic meal with your loved one(s).

Do buy your lady a piece of karen sugarman, but don’t buy her whiskey stones! Kidding! But not really ;-)

Karen Sugarman, Prasiolite Earrings

Allison says:

My wish list (hint, hint to Mark!): Huff Harrington Home jewels (prehnite, labrodite, or lemon citrine) or shagreen skin cuff or turquoise bangle.

Or even sexier -Amy Dixon nude. You know that's my fave!

Past faves -- including menu items -- have been: silky lingerie, Palace Cafe's White Chocolate Bread Pudding, Capo's Chicken Diablo, and madras pjs. (Editor's note: We need to have great PJ’s at HHH. Oh, guess what! We do! They’re on their way … from Paris … where they don’t call them PJ’s!)

Emily says:

1. Give a certificate for manicure/pedicure, green fee (men) or favorite restaurant. Wrap it with a couple of cute accoutrements that correspond, such as for the spa a cute book like Daily Candy from HHH to read while getting pampered.

If the restaurant certificate is for a French place include an Eiffel tower bottle opener or our guide to French wines book.

2. I'm making this for my door and as a gift for a couple of girlfriends: cupcake liner wreath.

(Editor’s note: Emily, this is adorable!!)

3. What to get the person who has everything? A 'have a little heart' gift. Make a donation in their name to the American Heart Association or their favorite charity and include it in their Valentine card.

Sarah says:

First and foremost, some kind of chocolat or sweet treat is required to make it officially Valentine's Day. Oh how I wish Atlanta had a Ladurée ...

The caramel are my favorite.

I love receiving things I normally wouldn't buy for myself: a fancy candle, a beautifully packaged lipstick or perfume, or a gorgeous bouquet of flowers (but not red roses!).

Sparkling objets (of the bauble or bubbly variety) are also always acceptable. I've never been the type of girl to turn her nose up at any kind of gift, let's be honest...

Sam says:

Johnny and I dance to "My Funny Valentine" sung by Johnny Mathis every Valentines Day morning before we go to work. Great way to start the day! A gift you can't buy but worth a million dollars.

Ann and Meg:

So what will we tell our TV viewers about Valentine’s day?

It looks like nobody asked for or wanted to give red roses. And there wasn’t a lot of heart shaped requests either. Instead what we heard was:

Make it personal. Make it thoughtful. Make it yummy. Make it sentimental. Make it glitter (jewelry!). Make it memorable. Make it a surprise. And if you have the skill and inclination, make it by hand.

To this, we would add that the little heart shaped present we would want most is … make it heartfelt.

Happy Valentine’s day!

Ta ta …

Bon Voyage…and Bon Appetit!

noreply@blogger.com (Huff Harrington Fine Art) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 02:03:00 +0000

Even with all the crazy stuff going on in the Huffington world right now, we do have our laser beam sights set on two special dates coming up this year: June and September. That’s when we’ll pack our bags, leave a forwarding email (or maybe not) and head off over the pond to gorgeous and glorious Provence with a group of fun, adventurous and hopefully hungry travelers.

It’s so fun when a trip can be healthfully hedonistic (and somehow it’s easy to do at Les Murets). It’s all about eating what’s ripe and in season so the flavors are bursting with every bite. It’s all about eating leisurely and taking one’s time to savor and enjoy every little bite.

Dinner’s ready at Les Murets

It’s all about lively conversation, meeting new people and finding common ground over simply but beautifully prepared meals.

It’s all about the ritual of the meal – a nicely set table, some candlelight and plenty of time to savor and relax.

And the wine…well, the wine is simply sublime and a hugely integral part of the whole Provencal experience.

Among lots of other things, we’re happy that our weeklong Provence tours pay due homage to the French tradition of honoring food and the special ceremony of the meal.

At lovely Les Murets, breakfast is as simple as a freshly-gathered egg, a slice of perfectly ripe Cavaillon melon (these are tiny and perfect little melons grown in Cavaillon…they look like mini-cantaloupes but the taste is nothing like you’ve had before…) and maybe a slice of fresh bread or croissant, smeared with locally produced jam and a sliver of slightly salty butter.

The days revolve around lunch: where, what and when. We time the market visits around the lunchtime destination so on Tuesday, it’s a tiny little restaurant in Oppede (a pretty as a picture village near Les Murets). The restaurant is a small little spot and everyone who works there wears about five hats. Jean-Marie is in charge (when he’s not managing his transportation company and driving tourists all over Provence) and we’re pretty sure the nice girl who takes the orders is also busy in the kitchen barking orders and plating the yummy salads and delish main dishes that make up lunch.

Lunch in Oppede.

We love this picture of lunchtime Provencal wine…with the Diet Cokes in the background!

Another favorite spot is gorgeous Ile-Sur-La-Sorgue, the antiquing capital of Provence. The market, brocante and antiques are feasts for the eyes and after a few hours, everyone needs a feast for the tummies. One of our preferred spots is a beautiful little spot off the beaten path. The menu is limited to the day’s offerings…and we’re always delighted with what is set down in front of us. (Plus, it’s sort of a hot spot and you never know who you’ll see…)

The garden setting of our lunchtime pick in Ile Sur La Sorgue is divine…

It’s always fresh, creative and elegantly presented.

And, it wouldn’t be a trip to Provence without a stop at the well-known Bistro du Paradou. Loud, energetic and totally unpretentious, this little gem always seems to win awards for its amazing cheese tray – not to mention the eggplant appetizer and…if it’s Wednesday it’s rabbit, cooked to utter perfection.

Yum….

Lots of ooohs and aaaahhs for the fabulous cheese tray.

Bistro du Paradou…could it be any prettier?

Over in nearby pretty Loumarin is La Cour de la Ferme, you get to sit outside on a terrace with umbrellas shading you from the sun. The menu is carefully chosen and is always perfect. The wine is sublime. The company is fun and relaxed. It’s nirvana. (And, the last time we were there, we were pretty sure Britsh author and Provencal celeb, Peter Mayle, was sitting near us.)

Dessert…

Dessert: all gone.

But, the best meals of the trip always seem to happen right at home on Les Muret’s terrace. Whether it’s the magical Provencal light, the camaraderie of new and old friends sharing countless adventures over the week or the simple and fresh food, we’re not sure.

One thing’s for certain: no matter how much delicious wine we drink and meals we inhale while we’re there, we never gain weight! Call it the French Paradox or what you will…we just call it a wonderful time and a little slice of heaven.

Cheers!

Ta ta.

A Little HHH Make-Over…

noreply@blogger.com (Huff Harrington Fine Art) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Imagine our excitement when a dear friend (and art-loving client) came to us and told us that, according to the elves, she has been a very good girl. Santa had agreed to give her a mini-makeover for her living and dining room. Would Huff Harrington Home like to help? There were a few pieces that had already caught her eye…

Of course, we said oui, oui and oui and spun our little selves to sleep for many nights imagining what we could send her way.Now, the first thing you need to know is that this client’s home is already fabulous, gorgeous and filled to the brim with one-of-a-kind antiques, art and special “found” pieces that she has picked up in her many travels. The home has been photographed and published numerous times. This Madame possesses a very keen eye and has wonderful taste so we were anxious to listen carefully to what she had to say.

The Living Room: Before. It’s elegant, sophisticated and full of special, one-of-a-kind objets. We were worried…how could we possibly improve upon this?

The Living Room: Before. We love the lines of the pretty antique bench and the glass side tables that sit on the wall opposite wall to the armoire.

Our client spent an hour or so with Sam (our interiors wizard) and the two of them came up with a nice little wish-list of what the homeowner would love to see.

She wanted a new look for her dining room and was willing to replace the light fixture and the table and chairs for something with a little more oomph. She also requested something that was a little more “user-friendly” for her pretty living room, although we were having a hard time envisioning anything prettier than what was already there.

The Dining Room: Before. Our client was preparing for a party so the rest of the chairs had been moved out. We love the existing Italian slipped chairs.

(And, by the way, what made this even more fun is that the Madame was going out of town for a few days. We had carte blanche to do as we wished while she was gone…)

So, first on the list was a long, clean-lined white linen sofa that we had custom ordered for HHH several months ago. It’s bench-made by a small California company, took forever to arrive but when it did, we all fell in love with it. It’s squishy and comfy but very, very good-looking. We would constantly find clients lounging on it, texting furiously as they took a little break from the madness. To us, that is the sign of a good sofa.Then there was a crunchy and texturey low-slung coffee table that looked and felt like driftwood. The client adores the the beach and we loved that she wanted to incorporate that passion into the room. And, to pick up on that beachy, casual and relaxed vibe, there were two extraordinary chandeliers that she immediately gravitated to.

We weren’t sure which one the client would end up with….

Madame, our client, had spotted some other things at the store. There was a fantastic, 19th century oak dining table that seats twelve at the drop of the hat. Ann and Linda found it in Belgium and recognized it immediately as the perfect example of the authentic Belgian-Dutch design that is so hot right now. Aged and limed oak, graceful but strong lines and incredibly functional and strong: this is a table to linger at and pass down to future generations. Our client spotted a set of nicely-shaped neutral upholstered chairs to go with the table. (We recommended new chairs as opposed to antiques because we find the old styles simply aren’t as comfortable for lounging around the table as we know this client likes to do.)

We thought these would be a nice counter-point to the woodsy Dutch dining table our client fell in love with.So, in a pouring December rain, we packed up the truck (our loyal guys from Distinguished Transport in Atlanta helped us out) and drove off to the client’s home. And then the fun began.With Sam leading the charge, we rearranged, rehung, repositioned and then sprinkled the whole concoction with a smattering of gorgeous accoutrements.

The pretty living room, before. Pretty darn gorgeous and hard to improve.

And, after…

The new living room: the yummy linen sofa sits where the armoire used to be and is flanked by two scrolled iron lamps. And there’s the texture-y driftwood coffee table now accessorized with some of the the client’s books, a horn bowl and two mounted tortoise shells. The client’s own abstract (by Bonnie Beauchamp Cooke) hangs over the sofa. We’re crazy about the interior Frenchy shutters and couldn’t resist adding a walnut table topped by another mixed media figurative painting by Tracy Sharp. And, we do adore the trio of crystal obelisks and the African antelope horns, all framed by graceful windows.

The armoire moved to the opposite wall and is now flanked by two slip covered armchairs…one of them sports our very favorite Union Jack pillows (done in a very cheeky pale blue…)

Looking into the dining room….

Here’s the impressive 19th century Dutch dining table, the homeowner’s own rustic buffet and lovely Louis Philippe mirror…and an edgy abstract by George Marks. We love the pattern that the driftwood lantern throws up on the ceiling. Sam also insisted that we remove the seagrass rug…and voila: the room feels even more spacious. The French doors lead to a cozy little porch that the owners use all the time.

We couldn’t live without the existing Italian armchairs having a major role in the room…we love the play of curvy Italianate married with chunky and strong Dutch. Quite the European union.

The homeowner already had the crusty buffet and Sam had the brilliant inspiration to pair it with an elegant Louis Philippe mirror that the client already owned.

The dining room with George Marx’s abstract hanging behind the table.

Flanked by two floor-to-ceiling windows, this curvy French table is the perfect backdrop for crystal, African antelope horns and a sexy painting by Tracy Sharp.

The story has a happy ending: the client arrived home with lamps softly glowing, candles lit and everything looking cozy and inviting. She was happy and loves her new spaces. And we were thrilled with the results of our very first professional “install” -- and can’t wait for the next chance to mix, marry and merge all the things we love.Ta ta.

Top Ten for 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Huff Harrington Fine Art) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 18:04:00 +0000

It’s the season of Top Ten countdowns and we have thought about writing a well earned blog about our “Top Ten Bloopers” as we’ve forged our way into new adventures and businesses. And we will do this – if we don’t write the book first! But this has been a pretty remarkable year for us Huffingtons and we think that before admitting to all of our little faux pas along the way, we’d like to reflect upon the top ten events that have made 2011 our most exciting year in business.

#10: The Raw Space

Finding and falling in love with the old Mercedes dealership on West Paces Ferry, and thinking that with a little TLC, make up and lipstick, it would be the perfect spot for Huff Harrington Home.

Isn’t she pretty? See #1 if you don’t believe us!

#9: The Blonde Bombshells at Huff Harrington Fine Art.

This was one of our favorite shows ever. The artists enjoyed it, our clients seemed to love it, the press got a kick out of it, and we all had a ball!

From top left: Lorraine Christie, Melissa Payne Baker, Dawne Raulet, Aaron Whitehouse and Bonnie Beauchamp Cooke.

#8: Shopping in Europe!

As soon as we signed on the space, we were out the door and over the pond shopping for merchandise. We’ve got enough stories to fill a book on this one, but let’s just say that as usual, it was loads of fun.

Ann posing with a beautiful antique French “Miroir a Fronton Coquille”

#7: Trips to Provence:

We made several of them this year, many of which were documented in previous blogs. One of our favorites was the incredible “Painting in Provence” trip with the effervescent Nancy Franke.

Nancy Franke leading the painting trip at Les Murets

#6: The Paris Apartment

It took almost a year of renovations, and more frequent flier miles than we care to count … but in the end, the renovation of the Paris apartment was a collaborative effort among several Huffington designers, and one of the most satisfying and beautiful projects we’ve ever been involved in!

The Beaumes de Venise apartment we renovated in Paris

#5: A JDRF masterpiece

What started as a simple request to one of our artists – to paint a painting for the live auction of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s annual Gala – turned in to one of our favorite projects, led by Melissa Payne Baker and several junior ambassadors from JDRF. The results were incredible: The artists painted a masterpiece which raised over $12,000 for JDRF during an exciting bidding war at the gala in May.

Melissa Payne Baker at the gala with the masterpiece.

#4: Lorraine Christie’s Solo Show

Lorraine gave it her all, and the results were amazing. With 22 of the 24 paintings sold in just a matter of days, this was one of the most exciting and sought after shows we’ve ever hosted, and certainly one of the most fun as well. Our congratulations to Lorraine and to the lucky clients who were able to purchase her paintings before they flew off the walls.

“Assent” by Lorraine Christie

#3: The Dream Team

They probably like this better than being called Huffingtons (!), but regardless of the name, we couldn’t be happier with our new little family at Huff Harrington Home and Huff Harrington Fine Art.

HHH Dream team, from left: Sam, Emily, Allison, Ann, Meg, Collee and Linda.

Sarah Sullivan is now the manager at Huff Harrington Fine Art, enabling us to split our time between Huff Harrington Home and Fine Art.

Sarah, right, shown here with Meg, Ann and Linda

#2: Opening Night at HHH

We were exhausted, exhilarated and almost ready to be exhumed, but it was one of the most fun nights of our lives, and definitely, one of the most memorable. Surrounded by friends and family, we opened our doors and prayed that nobody would buy anything, because we were still struggling on how to use the cash registers!

Cheers!

#1: 11-11-11

That was the day that we officially opened our doors at Huff Harrington Home (and the day that we learned happily how to use the cash registers). It’s been a dream come true, one made possible by the help of so many people: Supportive vendors, friends, artists, clients, husbands and family, as well as the friendly, trusting and respectful partnership that we’ve come to share. 2011 has been full of surprises, adventures and yes, mistakes – but it has also been so much fun. We can’t wait for 2012!

Huff Harrington Home

Tata,

Huff Harrington Heroes

noreply@blogger.com (Huff Harrington Fine Art) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 12:05:00 +0000

Well, here we are a week or two into our newest little venture…and it’s been great. We’re busy, busy, busy…but what fun!

We’ve got a million great things we can’t wait to share with you…and don’t worry, they’re coming soon.

But first and foremost, we absolutely have to tip our hats to the wonderful team we have in place at Huff Harrington Home – and thank each and every one of them from the bottom of our hearts for everything they have brought to our lives.

Linda, wrestling with inventory on the computer…always a smile on her face.

From our darling Linda Mohan (who has been with us since the very first day of Huff Harrington Fine Art and whom we had to peel away from the gallery to come to Home because we couldn’t imagine daily life without her); Allison (who is a constant presence of graciousness, calmness and order – and who seems to know everyone in the city);

Digging through the dumpster for a missing lamp harp. Now that’s impressive…Emily and Colleen are really, really dedicated.

Colleen (who knows every design source in the ATL and is completely tireless and always ready to do anything) and Emily (who has the sweetest smile and warms our hearts with her enthusiasm and hard work.)

Two words: true dedication. Searching under the newly arrived sofa for the lamp cords and an outlet in which to inconspicuously plug them.

And, of course, there’s Sam Jones…a Renaissance woman if there ever was one. She’s full of brilliant ideas, hasn’t met a sofa she doesn’t want to move to at least three different spots and constantly keeps us giggling with her funny observations on life in our little version of the fast lane.

True dedication, part deux…

If all that’s not enough, we have to give Sarah, our wonderful gallery manager, a gigantic round of applause for keeping our first-born, Huff Harrington Fine Art, happy and ticking seamlessly along. Here’s Sarah on the right on the night of our Home opening (with Emily and Colleen.)

Where would we be without these energetic, fun and enthusiastic girls? We shudder to think and it never fails to bring a smile to our faces when we see them in action – always charming, gracious and bursting with fantastic ideas and creativity.

Sam, Emily, Allison, Ann, Meg, Colleen and Linda. We have the very best little family at Home.

You’ll have the pleasure of meeting them if you stop by the gallery or Huff Harrington Home and we promise you’ll be as enchanted with them as we are.

Ta ta.

A Link in the Chain

noreply@blogger.com (Huff Harrington Fine Art) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 16:34:00 +0000

Mina Yamada and Courtney Tomlin

It started with a visit from one of our favorite jewelers, whom we were introduced to via the Trinity School. Over the past several years, Huff Harrington Fine Art has happily contributed to the Trinity School’s Spotlight on the Arts fair, and so as a kind “thank you” this year, Trinity generously gave each of us a gorgeous bracelet from one of their jewelers, We Are One Designs. We loved the bracelets and we loved the story behind the jewelers, who contribute a hefty 20% of their sales to the customer’s charity of choice. So naturally we asked the jewelers, Mina and Courtney, to come by the store and show us their wares.

Adorable Mina barely had time to walk in the door before one of us unabashedly pounced on her to buy the necklaces right off her neck. (This is one of the many perks of our job!) Luckily, she kindly obliged and now one of us is getting compliments on the necklace every time she wears it!

It got even better. There were so many styles to choose from that we had a hard time narrowing it down, and so we kept increasing our order. Mina had to make several trips to the store that day, but she was happy to provide. And our customers responded immediately by buying the jewelry even before we could get the pieces in to inventory.

And then the piece de resistance. Along with the purchase order we had to make a decision about which charity would benefit from the 20% donation to their cause. We talked amongst ourselves about some of our favorite causes and then Allison walked by and suggested a lesser known but extremely important and effective local charity called Focus. Allison and Mina both had experiences with Focus, which supports families with children who are medically fragile or have significant disabilities. We told them we’d think about it, and we did a little research.

Fast forward two days, and Allison came back to the store (on her day off!) with her adorable daughter Kate and equally adorable husband Mark. It was Allison’s birthday and she wanted to shop! Allison has an exceptional eye for jewelry and discerning taste, and so it was no surprise that she ended up picking out a bracelet from our growing jewelry section. She casually asked us, as we were wrapping her birthday present, whether we had chosen a charity for the jewelry sales from We Are One Designs. We told her we’d selected Focus, and she was overjoyed.

Later that day, Allison wrote us a little email, and this time we were overjoyed: “I came home tonight and was more excited about HHH choice to support FOCUS than my beautiful birthday present! I remembered an article that Katie (her daughter) wrote about her experience with FOCUS through National Charity League and had to share with you. I also have to say that we have a dog named after a beautiful FOCUS child, Chloe ...”

That made our day, along with meeting FOCUS' Executive Director, Lucy Cusick, and her associate Annie, when they came by the store with our jewelers, Mina and Courtney on Friday. We hope that through our association with these jewelers and this fine organization, we at Huff Harrington Home will be a little link in the chain to help the families of children under stress, especially during this holiday season.

From left: Mina, Meg, Ann, Lucy, Annie and Allison (and Courtney was behind the camera!)

Cheers!

PS For more information on Focus, visit their website at: http://focus-ga.org/index.htm. Their mission: FOCUS understands and supports the unique needs of families with children who are medically fragile or have significant developmental or physical disabilities. FOCUS offers comfort, hope and information to parents; accessible recreational and social programs for children and teens; and fun, inclusive activities for the entire family. A non-profit founded by parents in 1983, FOCUS continues to embrace and strengthen metro Atlanta families.

Lorraine Christie Stories

noreply@blogger.com (Huff Harrington Fine Art) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 03:17:00 +0000

We all enjoy telling our clients about how Lorraine Christie weaves stories into her paintings. It’s a well known fact that she often names the paintings before painting them, and already has an idea of the characters in her paintings and their relationships to each other even before her brush touches the canvas.

Well, having just opened an excellent and tremendously successful show for Lorraine Christie, we, as gallery owners, have enjoyed the stories told by our clients who have been touched by Lorraine’s work. In some cases, they had to buy the painting. In other cases, there were some broken hearts of people who couldn’t get the painting they wanted. But in all cases, it seems, Lorraine’s evocative images and the (often romantic) stories that are woven behind them have stirred up enough emotions in our clients that we have a few stories of our own to tell: (By the way, to protect the identity of the clients, we’re just offering cropped glimpses of the works).

There was the musician from Decatur who performed at our gallery several years ago as part of a classical quartet, and who said that she’s been haunted by the beauty of Lorraine’s work ever since. She had to come to the show and meet the artist.

There was the woman who has wanted a Lorraine Christie painting for years, and now, recently divorced and just spreading her wings, came to the show, met the artist and gave herself permission to buy.

There was a couple who spent their honeymoon in Paris, and needed to know that the City of Light was the inspiration behind the painting they wanted. It was … and now they are thrilled to proudly own the painting.

At one point during the evening, some clients approached us and said, “That man over there can’t stop staring at the painting – does he know that it’s sold?” Luckily, we told them, he did, because his wife had bought it without his knowledge! And luckily, he was falling in love all over again. It was a wonderful sight to watch.

There was the couple who have collected Lorraine’s work over the years, with a keen eye and much happiness. But the icing on the cake was when the husband, a cleverly conniving kind, planned a secret trip to Paris for his wife, and bought a beautiful Lorraine Christie painting of Paris, as one of the clues in the multi-pack, beautifully wrapped present.

And maybe our favorite story of all, that of the wife who’d always deferred to her husband’s taste in art, and knew that he wanted a Lorraine. But he couldn’t attend the show, so with some hesitation, she bought a painting for him. Then she hung it in the restaurant where they were having his birthday dinner, and waited for his reaction. Half way through dinner he said, “OMG, is that a Lorraine Christie hanging over there? This restaurant must be doing well!” and she said, “I believe it is. Do you like it?”

Luckily, he loved it … and the rest is history.

Ta ta …

PS Enjoy some pictures from the exhibition. And if you missed the show, we still have a few paintings hanging. So come by and see for yourself … and tell us your Lorraine stories.

Clients, with our gallery manager Sarah Sullivan

First HHFA show for Emily Sawyer, who is working for us at Huff Harrington Home, but loves to spend time at the gallery – with a friend from her home town.

Meg Harrington with artist Aaron Whitehouse and Sarah.

We’re Open!

noreply@blogger.com (Huff Harrington Fine Art) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 12:27:00 +0000

Today’s eleven eleven eleven…and Huff Harrington Home is officially open as of 10 a.m. this morning.

We have all been working day and night and our space is finally shiny, pretty and, in our very humble opinion, full of gorgeousness – and we couldn’t be happier.

Things started coming together last Friday when we finally got word that our long-awaited container from France was finally released from Customs in Savannah. We’re unabashedly babies at this new business and fingernails were bitten to the quick and tempers were frayed all week as we waited, called, waited, called, paced and called again. Finally, we heard that the truck would be at 102 West Paces at 7 a.m.

We arrived in the pitch black along with our helpers who had huge muscles, good cheer and some very handy skills.

The container was stuffed to the brim with our treasures and it was like greeting old friends when we saw their curvy legs and graceful arms. We were thrilled to see our twelve orange, painted metal grape-picking baskets that Ann discovered on her last trip. (We love those and have lots of ideas for them…)

Our guys didn’t love the orange grape picking baskets as much as we did….they are heavy.

Ann had her list….

The empty container left…and then the fun started. We unwrapped, unpacked, moved, moved again, polished and created mounds of cardboard and bubble wrap.

By the next morning, we were starting to see some results. With almost all of our merchandise accounted for, we’ve been tagging, placing, moving, tagging, tagging and more tagging. Did we mention tagging?

Some fun behind-the-scenes and very ad-lib photos of this week’s pre-opening days:

Allison in action: she’s working her magic…

It’s a family affair: the two Harrington girls pricing jewelry…

A little snapshot of what we have to offer: two stylish armchairs done in the most luscious wool blend in slate gray. We love these…especially accented with our sassy flag pillows.

Mirrors and chandeliers are hung and add the most gorgeous and playful sparkle. The antiques gleam and hints of gold leaf peek out from decades of patina.

And, as we hoped, everything looks wonderful together. The Louis XVI chairs love the sexy and modern lines of our lacquered furniture line. Our new upholstered sofas and chairs love the crunchy 18th century benches that sit next to them. Pillows of all shapes and sizes add punches of color. The coffee tables books are fabulous with a capital F. The jewelry is unusual, eye-catching and pretty, pretty, pretty.

Of course, we’ll be doing what Sam calls the “last minute fluff” at about 9:45 a.m. this morning but can you blame us? We want it beyond perfect for our opening day and we can’t wait to share every inch of it with you!

Ta Ta…

Eleven Eleven Eleven countdown

noreply@blogger.com (Huff Harrington Fine Art) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 12:14:00 +0000

It’s hard to believe that in just three short days (which in our minds, translates to 73 hours, 45 minutes and 30 seconds to get everything done), we will be opening the doors to our newest venture, Huff Harington Home at 102 West Paces Ferry Road in Atlanta.

It’s hard to believe that an idea, born out of our wonderful art gallery down the street, with many twists and turns along the way, is finally coming alive, to the public, on Friday. It seems like just yesterday that it was a dream …

What were we thinking on that rainy November day, when we fell in love with an old Mercedes dealership on West Paces Ferry Road, and thought it could be transformed in wonderful new home with all the things we love …

Look at Linda’s expression when we first introduced the idea to her! Actually, it was a love at first sight for her, and for Sam, both of whom shared our vision of what it could be, and cheered us on along the way.

With the help of an expert in commercial real estate who just happened to be part of our little family, and the support of a few other key people including a wonderful banker, and a vision of what it might look like, we signed papers on this space and took a giant leap of faith.

Then, of course, came the fun part: Defining what Huff Harrington Home could be and scouring the planet (OK, mostly the French and Flemish speaking parts of Europe as well as several wonderful sources closer to home). This part could take up a book, or definitely a blog of its own, so we won’t go into details now. Besides, we’re now down to 73 hours and 32 minutes before we officially open our doors!

What is it, you ask?

Well, you’ll have to wait until Friday to see it for yourself, but let’s just say that it started with some inspirational pictures of things we love, collected from magazines and blogs and even our own homes over the years:

(Sorry if we don’t remember all the sources … maybe you do, and can remind us so that we can thank them?)

We love the clean lines, the marriage of antiques and contemporary art ….

We love to mix it all up, and break all the rules.

We love the touch of the unexpected, as in the pink chairs in our favorite Paris Apartment.

And the glint of glam with sparkling chandeliers in antique mirrors …

And of course, we just love to find the little things that make it all come together.

Like these little jewels ….

And glimpses of gold …

Combined with nail heads …

And something very old ….

A knock on wood …

And coral from the sea …

A new take on blue

And a crystal ball

That will tell us how we’ll do!

Will you be there to support us? It’s just 71 hours away! We hope so … and hope you’ll love it too!

Ta ta …

PS Huff Harrington Home, at 102 West Paces Ferry Road, will be opening Friday at 10 a.m. “We’re home” Monday to Friday, 10 to 6 and Saturdays from 10 to 5.

Life and Love: Getting Emotional with Lorraine Christie

noreply@blogger.com (Huff Harrington Fine Art) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 22:22:00 +0000

Assent, oil on canvas, 24 x 36"

As you know, we’ve been pretty busy around the gallery with the recent American Women’s Artist exhibit and racing to unveil our newest venture in a couple weeks. Cick here to read all about it.But we’re not the only ones who have been burning the midnight oil and it’s with great excitement and honor that we present a solo show for the incomparable and exquisitely talented (and very hard working) Lorraine Christie.

Lorraine, who is funny, smart and self-deprecating – and always the life of the party - has been virtually chained to her easel these last few weeks…and we’re pretty sure her legions of fans and collectors will swoon over these new paintings.

What Are The Chances? 36 x 24 oil on canvas.

Lorraine’s unique appeal comes from her ability to tap into her own emotional reservoir which translates effortlessly and beautifully on the canvas. She weaves together stories of life, love and missed emotional connections and ties it all together neatly with her wonderful titles. And she composes her work playfully: the painting is often not about the most obvious figures on the canvas but rather the more obscure characters often hiding in the backround.

Rhapsody, 24 x 36, oil on canvas. Who is this painting really about? At first glance, you might think it’s about the couple with the red umbrella who are a little to the right of center…but knowing Lorraine playfulness, the hero is probably one of the other characters that make up this intriguing piece.

These paintings exude the gamut of emotions from joy to yearning to love and loss but it’s all done in an elegant and sophisticated way. Her settings all vaguely hint at large cosmopolitan cities such as London, Paris, Rome or New York and we have great fun watching our clients trying to guess the locale of the subject.

Two by the Thames, 24 x 36, oil on canvas. This one is pure Lorraine.

But what resonates throughout Lorraine’s work is her delicate way with emotion, relationships and how fleeting life’s opportunities are.

Table 7, 24 x 36, oil on canvas. This one is so gorgeous – the tension between the two main characters is almost tangible. Is it good tension or bad tension? (Or maybe he’s just checking that she picked up the fries order.)

And did we mention that when Lorraine turns her laser beam focus on a different style of work, the results are just as spectacular?

Reach Inside, 18 x 24, oil on canvas. When Lorraine paints a still life, you can practically taste the fruit. Rich, succulent and absolutely to die for.

We’ll unveil Lorraine’s newest body of work to the public on Friday, November 4th. Lorraine will be here at the gallery and we know it’s going to be a lively and fun night…and one we’ve all been looking forward to. Hope you can join us.

Ta ta.

Something to smile about

noreply@blogger.com (Huff Harrington Fine Art) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 02:17:00 +0000

We’ve been busy. Real busy. First, there’s the American Women Artists Nationally Juried show that we’ve been honored to host (hurry … it’s only up for one more week!), attracting favorable attention from art lovers and collectors all over the country.

Wonderful drawing by Leah Henry

Then, there is the long awaited solo show for Lorraine Christie, which opens to the public on Friday, November 4^th, and will undoubtedly be one of the most exciting and well attended events that we’ve ever had at Huff Harrington Fine Art. How proud we are of Lorraine – and of the new work that she has produced, to unveil at this show.

And then, there’s the little surprise, down the road … literally … at 102 West Paces Ferry Road. How much can we tell you about our little surprise? Because we don’t want to spoil it, we just ask that you save the date (how can you forget this one: eleven.eleven.eleven?) and join us as we excitedly open our doors and welcome you home to our newest adventure, Huff Harrington Home, on Friday November 11^th, from 10 to 6 p.m.

This much we know: Every day is like Christmas as we find surprises popping out of every box.

From Belgian antiques to American made pillows to French ballerinas to every wine lover’s necessity … we’ve scoured our little universe to bring together all the things we love. And how will it all come together? We have no idea … but we know it will be different, daunting and definitely fun (oh, and very pretty … and it will smell good, too!). With your loyal support and our measured madness, we think we’ve landed on a wonderful new store, filled to the brim with all the things we love. It is definitely something to smile about. We hope you will think so too.

Here’s a sneak preview of a day in a life.

Meg and the newest Huffington, Emily, on the hunt

Ooh la la! Quelle surprise!

After struggling with boxes and making best friends with box cutters, it’s time to freshen up a little and pose for a few formal portraits …

Which, after a day of unpacking, is about all we can take!

Luckily … with a little bubbly to the rescue (in the nice company of Emily and Linda), we can finally say:

Cheers! It’s busy … but we have a lot to smile about.

Tata,

American Women Artists

noreply@blogger.com (Huff Harrington Fine Art) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 20:54:00 +0000

They started to trickle in about two weeks ago. One or two packages at a time, several times a day. At first we were on top of it, and we stacked the boxes neatly into piles in our back room. We joked about it with our clients and tried to make light of our new found interior décor – which included lots and lots of boxes. And then the onslaught arrived: thirty boxes in one day! When our UPS man delivered another six boxes, we all collectively gasped, “Oh no” to which he replied, “You know that’s not the reaction I normally get when I deliver boxes.”

We had planned for this of course. In fact, we were even excited about it. And we knew exactly what we were getting in to, almost a year ago, when we were offered the prestigious opportunity to host the National Juried Exhibition & AWA Master Signature and Signature Member Show. But somehow we hadn’t quite anticipated that our entire little gallery would be taken over by boxes, and boxes and more boxes.

One hundred fifteen boxes exactly.

But then the fun began. We started to tackle the boxes, one at a time, about a week ago. Thanks to Sarah, our very organized Gallery Manager who had us following precise directions for receiving and cataloguing the art, we had a well thought out system in place which included the perfect tools and sharpened box cutters. And thanks to Debbie Leeuw, AWA’s very capable Executive Director, whose detailed guidelines to all of the artists included strict directions on how to ship their work, we were spared the onslaught of pesky peanuts and other non-eco friendly paraphernalia.

In fact, most of the boxes were so beautifully wrapped that before we even got to their contents, we were oohing and aahing over the packing!

Of course once we opened the boxes, unwrapping each piece carefully and unveiling the art work for all to admire, we started to realize what a fun show this would be. Featuring varied work from dozens of acclaimed artists from all over the country, who have spent years honing their skills and have the accolades and distinctions to prove it, this show brings together a significant collection of distinguished, contemporary American art.

How exciting for us to hang a show with completely new and different artists, and to do it with our signature way of mixing things up! How do you think we will marry these paintings together? Will there be our usual AHA moments?

Diane Rath, Small Gathering

Katie Dobson Cundiff, Together

Suzanne Hughes Sullivan, Luminescent Oranges

Leah Hopkins, Jenna – Haiti

Paula Holtzclaw, Shining Through

And what about the sculpture? This may be the most exciting part for us. After all, we don’t regularly feature sculpture in our gallery, although it is a medium that we all adore. The sculptures from this show range from beautiful, representational bronzes to abstract mixed media. What a great new dimension to our gallery!

Joy Kroeger Beckner, So Good to See You

Marilyn Newmark, Fancy Free

Rosetta, On the Alert

Marie-Pierre Philippe-Lohezic, Mystery

The fun has already begun for us, as we take roll up our sleeves, don our hanging hats and espadrilles, and spend the next few days hanging like crazy. The fun will begin for all of you on Friday evening, at 6 p.m., when you don your party hats and join us for our reception honoring the juried competition finalists (some of whom are familiar names from Atlanta), the Master Signature Members and the Signature Members of the American Women Artist’s Association. Won’t you come see us?

Ta ta …

PS By the way, all of this beautiful artwork is available for purchase. And we’ll even box it up and ship it to you!

A Little Slice of Heaven

noreply@blogger.com (Huff Harrington Fine Art) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 00:28:00 +0000

We have a little joke around here that the real reason I went into business with Ann is because she comes with a couple of wonderful assets: namely an insanely charming and rambling farmhouse in Provence (and now a jewelbox of an apartment in Paris…) Now, that’s not entirely true…in fact, we are excellent business partners, wonderful friends, adore what we do and always have a ball doing it.

But, truth be told, Ann’s Les Murets in Provence really is a little slice of heaven and when I was there recently with a group of eight women, we were all collectively praising and thanking Madame for her love of all things French, especially her real estate.

That indescribable early morning light over Les Murets

Through the gallery, we’ve offered these trips many times before (this was our sixth trip) and it never fails to amaze us how warm sunshine, soft light, lavender-scented breezes and plenty of good local rose can work its magic on one and all.

Choosing olives….

The formula is not complicated: we have a busy agenda that runs the gamut from shopping the dozens of local markets (that are part of the French culture and lifestyle) to visiting galleries, gardens and cultural attractions. We add some delectable and leisurely lunches and top it all off with some downtime by the pool and festive dinners on the terrace.

The cheesemonger’s truck – complete with marketgoers meandering past.

Everything is always mouth-wateringly appealing.

“How is this going to fit in my suitcase?”

One evening, we came to the 12th century Abbaye de Senaque and heard vespers. Heavenly.

One of the best treats that always occurs on these trips: we’re always bowled over by the simple and gracious ways our French friends treat us.

On Sunday, September 11th, we were enjoying a warm morning at one of our favorite markets…ooohing and aaahing over the huge array of just picked produce and fruit; tables groaning with organic honey and jams; neighborhood vintners pouring generous samples of their wine and all whole party atmosphere that goes hand in hand with French markets. Everyone was a little jet-lagged. One of our group stopped to buy something from a friendly vendor. “You are American?” he asked. “Yes, we are,” we answered. To which he replied “Today is a very sad day for your country. I want you to know that all of France is thinking of you.”

The September 11th tenth anniversary memorial in Paris, with the Eiffel Tower in the background.

There wasn’t a dry eye at the dinner table that night when we had a little sad moment of silence and thought about that terrible day and how, despite all the politics and posturing, nice people are just nice people everywhere.

For the rest of the week, we shopped, explored, ate, drank, hiked, laughed, ate and drank some more, and collapsed happy at the end of each day.

Overlooking Gordes after our lively hike there.

The picture perfect terrace where we lunched one day…

Every day was a huge treat, but Thursday may have been the highlight. Our adorable driver, Christophe showed up bright and early and drove us quickly down the autoroute to Marseilles where we happily sat in traffic and took in all the sights, smells and colors of Marseilles’s famous Vieux Port.

Then, it was on to Cassis for a little exploring and lunch. Here we discovered another universal truth: no matter where you are in the world sunshine, water, boats and clean sea-scented air will bring out the best in everyone. We strolled, shopped and ate heartily at a wonderful restaurant (where we inhaled la soupe de poisson – a heavenly concoction of sinful seafood broth served over a dollop of garlicky rouille and a crusty slice of baguette. Mmmmmm.)

Sunshine, boats, water, lunch…pure paradise in Cassis.

The beach at Cassis.

Anxiously waiting for our Soupe de Poisson…

The good news is that we’re already planning next year’s trips – and one of them even includes a stop in Paris before arriving in Provence. (click here for all the info.) So don’t worry: it’s never too late to experience the magic and friendship that Provence so effortlessly offers.

Ta ta.

Hopping to It

noreply@blogger.com (Huff Harrington Fine Art) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 14:51:00 +0000

Never a dull moment here at the gallery and here’s a quick update:

We’re having fun hanging for our new show which opens on Thursday. It’s the second year in a row that we’ve presented Arts and Ale – a lively exhibit that showcases great new art from our gallery artists to the toe-tapping sounds of one of our favorite local bands, Smokey's Farmland Band. We like to wash it all down with some microbrewery ale…and we’re expecting good art, good music and good suds will make for a fun evening.

And, here’s a little sneak peak of what will be on the walls:

Laura Lacambra Shubert

Meanwhile, across the pond in sunny and glorious Provence, Nancy Franke is hosting the first of two one-week painting workshops. Those lucky artists…their days will be filled with a perfect mélange of activities that will run the gamut from antiquing to wandering the local markets, digging into heavenly two-hour lunches…and plenty of excellent painting advice from our own Nancy Franke. Nancy is the perfect storm of an instructor: immensely talented but able to convey techniques in a humble, fun and spontaneous fashion. We can only imagine the goings-on going on!

Finally, a quick visit to the future home of Huff Harrington Home was exciting: walls are primed, electrical is going in and today the bones of our checkout counter will be put together. Ann and Linda have just returned from a buying trip in Paris and are over the moon about some treasures they have found.

Stay tuned and ta ta…

Another Door Opens for the Huffingtons

noreply@blogger.com (Huff Harrington Fine Art) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 16:41:00 +0000

If you’ve been following our blog lately, you may have noticed that we’ve been hinting about something big that’s in the works for us.

Six years after opening our little blue door at the gallery, we’re still having the time of our lives. We are passionate about art, adore our artists and clients and consider every day a pleasure. But we’ve noticed that our interest has been piqued by other elements that marry so nicely with art. In the space of two and a half years, one of us has either torn down and rebuilt a home (Meg’s new living room pictured below):

…or in Ann’s case, embarked on the search, discovery and miraculous transformation of a Paris apartment.

Despite the tears and temper tantrums that go hand-in-hand with rebuilding, renovating and designing interiors, we both realized how much we enjoyed the processes…and it got our brains whirling.

What if we kept the gallery but opened another retail store that featured all the other stuff that goes hand-in-hand with art?

What if we filled it to the brim with all the things we love – and can’t live without?

We started thinking about the furniture we’d carry – lots of crusty Louis XVI but a splash of new, bright and modern, too:

Who can resist the sexy lines of Louis XVI? We can’t…especially when it’s paired with something really sassy.

Then, we thought about lighting….chunky crystal chandeliers hanging side by side with industrial chic pendants:

What if we filled the space with baskets, books, candles, champagne flutes, fine linens, throws and hard-to-find, one-of-a-kind accessories that we knew we could scour from our favorite sources in France?

We know these would be gorgeous covered in a pale gray linen and we’d snap them up in a heartbeat.

And, clean and new: who couldn’t love this elegant upholstered sofa made here in the United States?

We remembered Linda’s fabulous photo shoot and her fun wine jugs. We could carry those, too. (We found five big ones that we loved and you should have seen Linda and Meg trying to get them in the back of her Suburban…)

Wouldn't it be fun to have a little section called La Pharmacie and carry French soaps, lotions, and creams (and yummy candles)?

And linens galore…

And, wouldn’t it be so great if we find a fabulous, high-visibility location near the gallery?

To all those questions, we happily can answer YES, YES, YES – and we proudly and officially announce that we’re opening Huff Harrington Home on November 11, 2011 at the swanky Buckhead address of 102 West Paces Ferry Road.

Our space is gigantic (to our eyes!) and oozing with industrial chic: concrete floors, huge ceilings, flooded with light and a long, long expanse of glass windows that will be perfect for showing off our wares. And, we plan on infusing our new space with our favorite french music, friendliness and fun.

We’ll keep you posted on the fun before and after pictures…but for now, we just can’t wait to open our new doors.

Ta Ta.

Before and After, Part II – The Paris Apartment

noreply@blogger.com (Huff Harrington Fine Art) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 13:29:00 +0000

It’s been a fun little blogging journey, but as much as I’ve loved sharing the ups and downs of a Parisian renovation, and as much as I’ve appreciated your kind and encouraging comments along the way, the truth is that the Paris apartment is now done. Finished. Fini. And so today, after three years of dreaming the dream, and a full year of long distance renovations, I am happy to unveil the last of the before and afters, and a little sad, because I don’t want it to end! Thank you for coming along for the ride, and for all your kind support along the way.

As I mentioned, when we first saw the apartment there were three American students living there. Luckily, the bones of the apartment were good … but everything else needed a change. The front hall was the easiest, and all we did was add a little ceiling molding and some wall paper which was hand carried in a ubiquitous big bag from Atlanta, that, thank goodness, always eluded the customs agents at CDG!

The living room bones were all good too, and we made very few structural changes here. Just a little decorating ….

… and some window dressing made a big difference.

Ikea was traded in for some divine antiques from the Paris flea markets.

Our new curtains in the living room were actually the same ones I have in Atlanta, that have followed me from house to house. They are Pottery Barn silk in clay … and we just doubled the width and double lined them to make them fuller. Again, merci to the big suitcase!

Here is a view of the living room looking in to what became the kitchen.

When we first visited the apartment, one of the front rooms was used as a bedroom for the three American students.

When her stuff was moved out, I almost wanted to keep it empty and open!

But this became the perfect room for the kitchen.

Originally we were going to mirror the doors between the living room and the kitchen/dining room. It was a huge expense and one that Sam Jones, my partner extraordinaire in this renovation, nixed almost immediately. It wasn’t the first or last time I thanked her for saving me a boat load of money!

I love glass doors, and I’m so happy we kept them the way they were.

This lone little fireplace became the cornerstone of the new kitchen.

And of course here are the infamous chairs with the pink check silk backs, for which Sam Jones practically mugged a pregnant woman in the remnants aisle of Lewis and Sherron fabric store (see our pretty in pink blog).

We were pretty excited that some shots from the kitchen were featured in one of our favorite blogs, Cote de Texas.

But I was a little surprised when I read the readers’ comments about our sink. After all, the sink seems perfectly adequate to me. What was the big deal, I wondered. And then I looked at the picture, and sure enough, the sink looks minute! The last time I was there, I measured it to see if the comments were justified. The truth is that the photo makes it look smaller -- just as the photo makes some rooms look larger! The sink is not huge …. but it’s very deep and so it doesn’t feel small. And I guess that’s just one more way the Europeans make use of tighter spaces.

Here’s the view from the kitchen in to the living room, with our little paint samples dappled on the wall.

Sam and I debated long and hard about putting a rug in to the living room. Luckily for us, nobody lives underneath us, so that is one more reason why we didn’t have to. And as I’ve said from the beginning, I am in love with the Pointe de Hongrie parquet floors, and it just seemed a pity to cover the up.

We’ve already covered one bathroom renovation in the previous before-and-after blog. We really hesitated about renovating this one because it had just been done by the previous owners. I actually like the tile … in small doses. But this was overkill and there was no way of salvaging some of it without looking like it was half done.

So we kept the same structure, and just tiled right over it.

Even without my morning coffee, this bathroom had a little too much energy for me!

We’re happy we went ahead with the renovation, but I did have a tough time giving up the cute little sink above!

Finally, some discerning readers have noticed that we replaced a pillow in some of our pictures:

With a monogrammed pillow:

And they asked us the significance of the B de V monogram in such a prominent place.

I’m happy to say that when we are not using the apartment, we have entrusted it to the care of an outstanding rental company in Paris called Paris Perfect. We have checked out Paris Perfect’s apartments first hand on several occasions, and loved every experience. So we were delighted when they whole heartedly embraced our apartment with the wonderful name, Beaumes de Venise. And I was so thrilled because it makes for such a nice monogram. (There is a little fun French snobbery attached to any monogram that contains the word “de” – known in French as a particule, and a way of setting apart the true aristocrats from the riff raff! Of course ours is purely made up, which makes it even more fun.)

So if you’d like to continue the little journey, and visit the rest of our apartment online, you will find it listed under Beaumes de Venise in the beautiful Paris Perfect website.

And while we may bid adieu to the Paris apartment series, we are not shutting any doors to antiques, fine furnishings and all the fun stuff we were exposed to during this Parisian journey. In fact if anything, we are busier than ever with doors opening very soon! We’ll give you a little holiday break and then tell you where these doors are leading us to, right after Labor day.

Ta ta,

The Ins and Outs of Commissioning a Painting

noreply@blogger.com (Huff Harrington Fine Art) — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 19:35:00 +0000

Lately the phone has been ringing off the hook with clients asking for paintings that they can specifically commission with our artists.

We’re not sure what’s driving this mini gallery phenomenon but we’re always happy to accommodate when we can. Actually, commissions can be very tricky and we walk a little delicately around them. Usually the client has a very definitive idea of what they want. Sometimes they want another version of a painting that the artist has already done. Often they are pulling from their own memories, experiences or even design needs.

Nancy Franke has painted the terrace at Ann’s Provence home, Les Murets, a couple times for clients who have been there and who want to capture the memory on canvas.

Either way, we like to gently caution that art is a subjective and emotional thing and that the artist needs to be allowed to channel his or her own inspiration. We like to point out that artists generally don’t love recreating a painting they’ve already done so, nine times out of ten, the commission will be its own very individualistic painting.

The process itself can be time-consuming with client-artist meetings, exchanges of photographs and then, finally, the long-awaited final images followed by the unveiling of the real thing.

But as always, our artists have been coming through with flying colors. We recently coordinated a wonderful commission by Dawne Raulet for some clients who had a very clear idea of what they wanted. Dawne is known for her mixed media-photo-encaustic paintings and our clients had fallen in love with a small painting of hers of a beautifully lush magnolia.

Our clients fell in love with Dawne Raulet’s Magnolia, but it was much too small for their space.

The clients had a big wall to fill and they came to us with the very creative approach of painting four separate magnolias, each in a different stage of bloom. We all thought the idea was brilliant and this is what Dawne created for them:

Our clients, whom we absolutely adore, have promised to have us over soon to see these four paintings hung in all their glory in their new home. We can’t wait.

Doug Foltz is working on a commission right now for a couple who love his work. They’ve asked him to recreate a painting that is similar to this one – but they want him to number the dingys with years that their children were born. We love that very personal touch.

Doug Foltz’s Maine Dingys: the inspiration for a commission he’s painting right now. (The clients actually loved this painting, but Doug’s lovely wife refused to sell it!)

A designer client of ours fell in love with the work of Bonnie Beauchamp Cooke. Bonnie’s well-known for her gorgeously textured paintings of horses and she recently started creating lovely, elongated and sexy figures – all dripping with her layers and layers of medium. The client was working with some space constraints so Bonnie graciously came to the rescue with these three beauties:

And back to Nancy Franke, who is constantly being approached for commissions, especially of children. Nancy has a wonderful impressionistic approach to her portraits so they end being light, loose and full of the subject’s essence.

This lovely oil on linen commission is of the client’s teenage daughter.

And, finally, check out this absolutely perfect little painting that Nancy did for our Madame, Ann. This one had us all practically in tears:

The photograph that Nancy worked from….

…and the finished painting.

Nothing makes us happier than seeing a look of pure joy and excitement on a client’s face when “their” painting is unveiled for the first time – it’s their leap of faith with the artist (and us) that makes this the best job in the world.

Ta Ta…

Paris Apartment: La Vie en Rose

noreply@blogger.com (Huff Harrington Fine Art) — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 17:16:00 +0000

… and the pursuit of the perfect pink.

We were surprised and delighted that our favorite blog, Cote de Texas, featured the Paris Apartment Kitchen in a recent series on kitchen redos. And we were tickled pink with how many people commented on the pink chairs! Sure enough, that touch of pink is our favorite little exclamation point in the apartment. But it came about in a somewhat circuitous manner, with the help of many of our gallerinas. Here’s the story of pink:

As art gallery owners, it’s perhaps not unexpected that many of our interior decorating decisions first start with the art. It so happens that back in October, Linda and I, having one of the most fun flea marketing days of our lives (and no, this one didn’t involve bumping in to Catherine Deneuve …), found some paintings that we fell in love with and each had to have. The one I selected, whose provenance is unknown, jumped out at me so fast that I knew it belonged in the Paris apartment, and I knew it would have a significant role. I had it framed by our favorite Atlanta framer and for six months, it sat in a plastic bag in the bottom of a closet while I waited for the apartment to be finished, for the dust to settle and for its final destiny to be revealed.

Meanwhile, on another wonderful flea market excursion, this time in the South of France, I found six exquisite chairs that I just had to have. I loved the simple Louis XVI lines, the sturdiness of the frame, the patina of the wood and especially, the nubbly linen upholstery. They were a little pricey but worth it, and I decided to plan the Paris apartment around them.

I was very excited about the purchase and couldn’t wait to show them to Sam when she accompanied me on a trip to Les Murets, where I had decided to store the chairs until the apartment was ready.

And then the inevitable happened. We fell in love with the chairs all over again, but this time decided they had to stay at Les Murets, instead of Paris. We divided them up and spread them around the house, and no matter where we put them, they looked perfect:

Either as a desk chair in the office …

As an occasional chair in a bedroom:

As a pair, flanking a console or in a corner of the living room.

Who knew I needed so many chairs? (I didn’t!) But that left me scrambling to find some similar chairs for Paris, with the knowledge that, having already scoured all the antique markets, I’d have very little choice. In a leap of faith, I decided to order six chairs sight unseen, off of a prominent French website. I crossed my fingers and hoped they would be decent, especially since returning furniture in France is no easy feat.

When the chairs finally arrived, I was surprisingly pleased with the shape and structure and the pretty muted color, called “marron glace,” which means iced chestnut.

But when I grouped them around the kitchen table, and filled in around them with furniture and accessories in my favorite shades of grey, gold, taupe and beige, the room went flat. I knew that a pop of color was missing, but I couldn’t figure out which color. And of course, that is when art (and Sam!) came to the rescue.

The answer jumped out at me right from the canvas of that magical painting: it had to be pink! I went to bed that night dreaming of pink and woke up early to visit every flea market and fabric store I could find, for the right shade of pink. Have you ever tried to buy pink? It is a very tough color! I spent two days desperately scouring the French countryside only to come up with fuchsia, raspberry, melon, cranberry, and just about every fruit color on the planet but no perfect peony pink. I even called a Parisian antique store where I’d remembered seeing a gorgeous swath of antique pink silk fabric draped over a curtain rod in the back room, to ask if it was still available, to which the woman replied, “Of course not! It’s not for sale. It’s an original Louis XVI fabric.” My bad. It’s just that I thought if it was in a store, it might actually be for sale …

And then Sam came to the rescue. Three thousand miles away, she knew exactly what I was looking for, and found it buried in the sale rack of the silk remnants in a fancy Atlanta fabric store. When she sent me the picture of the pink and cream checked silk taffeta, I started jumping up and down. Although she apologized for the quality of the picture, I instantly remembered this fabric from having seen it years ago and wishing at the time that I had a room for it. It was 2 a.m. her time, but I frantically starting texting her: This is it! Buy it! Go get it! Break in! I’ll bail you out of jail!! Please don’t come without it!!

As luck would have it, she returned to the fabric store in the morning (having slept very little, since I’d kept her up with my frantic texting) and wouldn’t you know that out of the thousands of one-of-a-kind remnants in the store, a very pregnant woman was holding that particular swath, probably trying to figure out if it was enough to do her nursery. Sam kept her cool, walked around a little, and when the woman put the fabric down (probably just for a second to go get a measuring tape), Sam grabbed it and ran upstairs to pay for it. She didn’t check her bag on the plane and arrived safely, with fabric, the very next day in Paris. And that’s when our fun really began!

With the help of a thin backed spoon, Sam carefully lined the backs of the chairs in the silk taffeta and we’ve been holding our breaths ever since to make sure that it stays. (If not, there is a very nice upholsterer down the street in Paris, who assures me that for $400 per chair, he will back it properly! Ouch.)

With just a little touch of it, only on the backs of chairs (oh, and with a few peonies thrown in too), the pink has made all the difference in the kitchen, which instantly went from blah to ta dah! Just to add another touch of it in the living room we found a little lumbar pillow for the sofa.

We bought it in Paris but brought it back to Atlanta for the monogram, whose initials will be explained in the next (and final) blog on the Paris apartment.

And then of course the final piece de resistance, is the touch of pink in the geraniums on the window boxes!

This blog is dedicated to Linda, who helped me find the fabulous first painting that set the tone for the pink; to Sam, who knew how to make it all come together, and who climbed mountains and crossed oceans to deliver the perfect pink; and to Meg, whose unerring support through this whole process has been so generous and fun, and who coined the perfect phrase for the pink chairs when she responded to my fit of insecurity and wrote, “… Love em! They’re so sassy!”

Merci mesdames. Ma vie est en rose, thanks to you.

Ta ta,

PS We’ll be issuing the final before-and-after blog on the Paris apartment next week, and with that, a little news of our own. Don’t go away!

Before and After

noreply@blogger.com (Huff Harrington Fine Art) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 03:19:00 +0000

The Paris Apartment, Part XIII

I have always loved before and afters. It’s one of the first things I look at when I’m leafing through a magazine, and I examine every detail to see how even the smallest improvement can make a huge difference. However I’ve always felt a little uncomfortable about doing a before and after, especially when it’s someone else’s before.

So let’s be clear here: This apartment had great bones to begin with, and the decor was perhaps a little shoddy not because of someone else’s neglect or poor taste, but because it was being rented by three students. Still, the pictures reveal what we saw when we first visited it, which says as much about the Paris real estate market as it does our improvements: i.e. with a great location and good bones in Paris, you don’t need to do much to an apartment for it to sell. And sure enough, it didn’t show too well. So luckily for us, that makes the “after” just a little more dramatic.

For starters, here’s the front hall:

This was an easy fix, with some wallpaper hand carried from Atlanta, and a beautiful Regence style mirror found in the South of France.

Yes, the apartment showed with garbage being hung from the door. Beyond it was the kitchen, which we turned into a bathroom. Just taking the garbage off the door was a huge improvement! We hated to lose the glass door, but given that the room was turned in to a bathroom, we had little choice.

Here is the original kitchen, in the back overlooking the courtyard. You’ll see in part II what we did to the kitchen. And this room turned in to a beautiful bathroom … but not without my losing a little sleep during the lengthy intermediary stages.

It didn’t look too good for a long time … actually months and months … and then finally, ta da!

This one really throws me for a loop. This is what the WC looked like when we bought it. Can you imagine selling a house where you painted over the glass in the bathroom window for privacy? Really! How difficult would it be to find a curtain? Especially in the land of gorgeous linens.

We just chose to replace the window panes and add a mirror to bring in the great light over the world’s smallest sink.

The bedrooms came with some wonderful built-in closets which are a rarety in Paris apartments. The problem was, in our minds, they were configured all wrong. In this bedroom, we moved the closets over to the left, revealing a pretty little angled corner that surely used to be a fireplace.

And although it was nice to have so much storage space, we really didn’t need it, so we removed some of these top cupboards, and opened up the walls. The chinoiserie toile, by the way, came from Atlanta … in my suitcase!

On the wall, below, we replaced the students’ desk and, in a flash of pure brilliance from Sam Jones, who helped on this entire renovation, we added molding that echoed the pretty molding from all over the apartment. The paintings, by the way, are from Tracy Sharp, one of our wonderful artists at Huff Harrington.

This second bedroom also had a few too many closets, even for those of us who crave extra storage. We found a good solution here, and just moved everything over a few feet, centering the bed on the wall, with closets on either side.

There’s a whole funny story about the checked fabric here which probably merits its own blog. Suffice it to say that it was a discard from Sam’s pile of treasures. After initially turning it down from Sam’s sweet offer, several years ago, for our Atlanta house as being “too country,” this time I snapped up all ten yards and carefully salvaged enough to do not only the headboard and bedskirt in Paris (see below) but also the bedskirt and several pillows at our house in the South of France (see further below). And, yes, Sam and I hand carried all the fabric to France … in our suitcases!

I just love how the check plays crisply with the toile in this bedroom.

And I am completely in love with the way it looks in this bedroom of Les Murets.

Have you enjoyed our little before and after? Well if so, there’s more. We’ll show the living room and kitchen next (it’s a small apartment, so there’s not a whole lot more) but then we’ll tell you a little secret: How this apartment, and the teamwork that went in to renovating it, has been the inspiration for some very exciting news that we are just about ready to share. Don’t go away!

Ta ta,

Another Huffington Photo Shoot

noreply@blogger.com (Huff Harrington Fine Art) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 01:05:00 +0000

You know Ann and I love to brag about our spectacular gallery gals whenever we can: Linda, Sarah and Sam who each bring their own special qualities to our little world. Gallery life would be so dull without them.

Linda adds that certain je ne sais quoi in everything she does, from her haircut to her fashion sense to her impeccable taste. Sarah is brilliant, witty and intensely passionate about art. And, Sam is the quintessential Renaissance woman who can design flowers, decorate a room effortlessly and is a bottomless well of information about anything and everything.

We were thrilled when our local newspaper, the Atlanta Journal Constitution, contacted us again about the possibility of shooting a Huffington Home (Ann’s was featured back in April and we all had fun watching her pull it together beautifully. http://theartfullifestyle.blogspot.com/2011/04/huffington-makeover-for-photo-shoot.html.)

Linda, the trooper she is, agreed to show off her personality-laden home. Usually we like to show the befores and afters, but Linda’s house is always completely put together in wonderfully spontaneous way. She is crazy about art – the more abstract the better – and her home is the perfect backdrop for that.

Our Linda is totally gorgeous, multi-talented and wonderful to be around.

And what a treat it is. As Linda would say, take a lookyloo:

Here’s her elegant and clean-lined living room. The painting is by George Marx and was one of Linda’s first gallery purchases. (Not only is Linda a wonderful gallerina, but she’s also an excellent client, too.)

This is so Linda: mid-century modern leather and chrome chairs paired with a nubbly, crusty burlap pillow that she picked up at a market in Provence.

We love it when beloved kids art is predominately displayed. The artists are now 16 and 18. Oh and we’re dying over those fabulous black and white curtains that play beautifully off the striped rug and drippy chandelier.

The sun room. We could spend all day in here just gazing at Linda’s clever way of displaying objects, paintings and the things she loves. She makes it all feel so personal.

The sun room again.

The living room. Dramatic and edgy. We all want to lounge in this light-drenched space. Linda would probably serve us champagne in vintage French flutes along with an artfully displayed cheese tray.

Linda has nailed the whole “opposites attract” thing: glass and iron make a heavenly match in the breakfast room.

Another study in constrasts in the master bedroom: linen, iron, wood and a bright and bold painting by their son, Quinn. Only Linda would think to put the painting on the floor.

We love the exterior of this fab house. The wing on the right side is a new addition.

Linda and Dan

So, how’s that for eye candy? We can’t get enough of it and can’t wait for Linda to invite us all over soon for one of her tasteful and elegant evenings. Maybe we should blog about that one of these days…

Ta Ta.

Sacre Bleu! It’s Bastille Day Again…

noreply@blogger.com (Huff Harrington Fine Art) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 15:53:00 +0000

And the Huffingtons are ready to throw a fete. With our usual frantic buzz of activity, we have been cataloguing, photographing, framing and pondering our hanging strategy for the gallery’s most fun event of the year.

Laura Shubert, La Fete, 30 x 40, acrylic on canvas

We’re not quite sure why this event garners such a devoted and happy crowd – we chalk it up to being held in the middle of the week, in the middle of July, in the middle of the summer…and just when you think the whole world is on vacation, it turns out that lots of people are around and ready to play.

Last year, we all wore our French espadrilles that Madame brought us from Provence…

We always have Jaques (aka Don, his real name) on hand to belt out the French classics and what a great job he does. We can promise plenty of nice wine, delicious nibbles and, of course, some drop dead new art from our gallery French and American artists.

On Madame’s last trip to Paris, she called me to excitedly tell me about some new paintings she had found. She sent me some photos but I couldn’t really appreciate them until I saw them in person.

These small watercolors by Fanch Lel are deceptively simple but a closer look reveals a real talent by the artist to capture the essence of all things French.

Fanch Lel, Moutons en baie du Mont St. Michel, 5 x 7, oil on board

We love his graceful treatment and skilled hand…but especially love the sweet and charming ambiance of these. They are painted on plain and simple board and are very small, but we love the way they gussied up in their new ornate and chunky frames.

Fanch Lel, Les Quais de Quimper, 5 x 7, oil on board

Fench Lel, Maree Basse, 7 x 5, oil on board

And that’s what makes the art business so pleasurable. The art doesn’t need to have any special heritage, nobility or accolades (although don’t get us wrong, that doesn’t hurt!) to make it special and meaningful. We always go by what our heart says and this time it was an easy decision.

And, our fete doesn’t just celebrate our French artists. Many of our wonderful gallery artists have caught the bug and have been bitten by that certain “je ne sais quoi” – Nancy Franke comes to mind with her spontaneous and deft use of color, shape and light. We adore this one that portrays beautiful Isle sur la Sorgue in Provence.

Nancy Franke, Dimanche a Ile, 16 x 16, oil on canvas

(By the way, we’re delighted to announce that Nancy is leading not one but two painting trips to Provence this fall. We can only imagine what fun the artists will have with this spunky, lively and talented teacher.)

Also joining us for our fete is artist extraordinaire and master of brushwork, Bill Davidson and we are so thrilled to have his pieces gracing the walls.

Bill Davidson, Provence Colors, 18 x 24, oil on linen

We welcome guest artist Lesley Powell to the gallery. We fell in love with her poker-faced and ever-so-French waiters who look like they could be rolling their eyes as their customers struggle with their bad French.

Lesley Powell, Maitre D’, oil on canvas, 20 x 16

And, we can’t get enough of Laura Shubert's light-drenched French exteriors and interiors. You can just about feel the warm sun and smell the lavender when you study her work.

Laura Shubert, Chandelier and Stairs, 36 x 36, acrylic on canvas

Laura Shubert, French Facade, 36 x 36, acrylic on canvas

So, if you’re in town, don your beret and slip on your espadrilles and stop by the gallery for a French fix: Thursday, July 14^th from 6-8 p.m. Bonne Fete!

Ta ta. See you Thursday!

Paris in Sepia

noreply@blogger.com (Huff Harrington Fine Art) — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 18:39:00 +0000

We love it when people reinvent themselves and come up with things that, later in life, they are passionate about. That’s probably because at one time or other, we have all done that at the gallery. In fact, between us we have worn so many hats in our collective professional lives that it would make your head spin! We’ve had careers in marketing, advertising, real estate, public relations, food service (remember waitressing your way through college?), college admissions, teaching (English, French, theatre and even skiing!), flight attending, retail, interior design, and much much more. And that’s without even including Sam Jones, our real renaissance lady, whose resume would take up five pages!

One of our favorite clients, who not only has collected art from us over the years but also been to Provence with one of our groups, recently reinvented herself and has become passionate about photography. She is so excited about this new found passion and so charged by the enthusiasm of those who’ve viewed her work that it has given her a whole new lease on life, following a few tough years with persnickety health issues and a variety of interesting careers.

We first met April Dilbeck when we were babies in the art gallery business and selling out of Scotts, the famous flea market located near the airport. April had the booth next to ours, and she featured beautiful European antiques. We instantly bonded and became friends and April went on to becoming a cherished friend and client, who accompanied us on one of our first tours of Provence, a few years ago.

Knowing that we are all Francophiles here at the gallery, and thinking we could suggest a venue for some of her newest photographs, April sent us some examples of her recent work on Paris, entitled “Paris in sepia,” and politely asked for advice.

It so happens that she took these Paris photos following one of our trips to Provence, when she was staying at a quaint little hotel on the Left Bank, and spent much of her time dodging rain storms. Luckily, those dramatic storms became the backdrop for her photography, and that is one of the reasons her work is so powerfully luminous.

We loved the images and are thrilled to introduce a friend, and talented artist, April Dilbeck, who will be a guest artist for our Bastille Day Show on July 14^th. We hope that you will be equally drawn to April’s beautiful photographs of Paris and join us for a fun filled evening of wine, cheese, music and art … one of our favorite shows of the year.

We hope you’ll join us next week as we toast our French artists, and our not-so-French American artists, who have all been bitten by the French bug, and whose work will be gracing our gallery walls starting on Bastille Day, July 14th, 2011.

And we hope you’ll join us in welcoming April Dilbeck as a talented guest artist for this fun show.

A bientot!

Shopping for Paris

noreply@blogger.com (Huff Harrington Fine Art) — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 12:38:00 +0000

Postcards from Paris

With its new kitchen finally delivered and installed, the Paris apartment was begging to be furnished. What better place to shop than the local antique fairs in Paris? (And who better to go with than Huffington pros, Linda Mohan and Sam Jones? Talk about a collective “great eye”!)

Linda and I were pinching ourselves, wandering up the aisles of the fabulous Chatou market, held twice a year on the outskirts of Paris. The first big purchase was the piece de resistance, the gorgeous gilded mirror, for the mantel in the kitchen.

Here I am proudly posing with it before and after its delivery … before I realized that it didn’t fit!

But luckily, we found another spot for it, which worked even better: Over the living room sofa.

Then Linda and I spotted this table that had beautiful Louis XV lines and a wonderfully worn French walnut finish. Of course Linda had to test it, to make sure that we could fit our American legs under it, because a low apron is a typical problem with a lot of antique French tables.

But this one passed the test and fit beautifully in the kitchen, just as planned.

I’ve always loved fabric with birds and this little scrap of fabric, in one of the antique stalls, just jumped out at me:

There wasn’t enough to do much, so I walked away from it. And when I felt the pull to go back and get it, someone else had picked it up. That’s when I knew I had to have it! Luckily, my competition was as fickle as I was, and before she even walked away and without knowing what I could use it for, I grabbed it. How fortunate, because it is the perfect show curtain!

It was love at first site when I saw this beautiful and ornate Napoleon III mirror in the Regence style (note that a real “Regence” Mirror would have been four times the price), and thinking that it would work beautifully in the bathroom, I bought it.

But in the game of musical mirrors that I’ve already mentioned a few times, this elegant beauty ended up in the front hall, and looks even better on the wallpaper (which was hand-carried in my suitcase from Atlanta, by the way!).

And speaking of musical mirrors, this one that Sam Jones (see her little reflection in it?) and I found at l’Isle sur la Sorgue in the South of France a few weeks later, that was originally planned for the one of the bedrooms …

… worked perfectly in the kitchen!

Sam and I fell madly in love with these Louis XVI style chairs that we found in the South of France.

But then we found that they looked so beautiful in the South of France (this will be in another blog, our renovation of Les Murets), that we decided they had to stay there.

So we robbed Paris to feed Provence, and found some other Louis chairs for Paris … whose backsides we just had to cover in pink and white silk taffeta … a move that Meg immediately coined as “Sassy” – which was just the look we were looking for!

One of these chandeliers would have been good enough, but when I found two identical ones … I couldn’t resist!

And a matching pair of sconces to boot? After months on the hunt, I had found just the right ones.

But when I first hung them, I was worried that my little apartment would look like the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles …

But Sam assured me that with a little artwork and a few accessories, it would go from bling to bling to the perfect zing!

Linda and I found this sweet little chandelier at Chatou.

I didn’t realize until it was hung, just how pretty it was. I just love the Swedish lines and how elegant it looks in our little checked bedroom (there’s a story behind the check that will make it to another blog – check that out!).

When Sam and I found the perfect side tables at the Paris flea market, it never occurred to us they would have to join us at lunch, while we waited for a taxi!

And it never occurred to our unsuspecting taxi driver that this merchandise would pop out from behind the bushes and need to be squeezed in to the cab!

But how else could we get it home? And how wonderful they look, once we got them there.

Shopping with these two gallery gals is entertaining and productive. But I did have to tell Linda to leave her little friend behind!

Sorry Linda, no room at the Inn for him!

What fun.

Do you want to how all these purchases play together in Paris? Stay tuned for more … as the Paris apartment is unveiled … little by little.

Tata,

AH (with Sam and Linda)