The time has come again for the MidCity Artists Open Studios!

Tour the neighborhood and visit with local artists in their own studios. Here at Vastu, you can chat with and see works from Colin Winterbottom and Brian Petro.

Click the link below for a map of this weekends’ participants:

And if you have a smartphone, click here or the main image above for a mobile-friendly app.

In a surprise announcement, Knoll delivered details of its first sale on the entire Richard Schultz line of outdoor collections since its acquisition in March 2012.

Through May 24th, you can take advantage of 15% OFF on Richard Schultz outdoor designs including 1966®, Petal®, Topiary®, Swell® and Fresh Air Collections. Click here to see Vastu’s Richard Schultz online catalog.

What:
Richard Schultz Sale

Where:
Vastu
1829 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20009

When:
May 10-May 24

We’ve all seen the rampant construction in the 14th Street area during the last couple of years. At this point it’s almost impossible to ignore. With cranes, trucks and blocked lanes it can get kind of tiring. But one of the upsides of all this work is the influx of new restaurants opening, with more to open in the coming months.

Just today Prince of Petworth confirmed, via CityPaper, that Tico Taco would be coming to the Louis project at 14th & U St.

Here’s a short list of the other establishments we can expect soon within walking distance of Vastu:

• Taqueria Nacional
• BakeHouse
• Stub’s Kitchen & Wine
• Doi Moi
• Ted’s Bulletin
• Ghibellina
• Black Whiskey
• Barcelona
• Piola Pizza

And this is all in addition to the two new restaurants that have opened in the past few months: Le Diplomate and Matchbox 14th Street.

Through April 30th, receive special pricing on the new EcoSmart Fire MIX Bowls when you spend over $1,490 on other EcoSmart Fire products.

We hope everyone enjoyed the weekend and we look forward to next year!

So the results are in and while Vastu didn’t win “Best Place to Buy Home Furnishings” we did see you guys are showing your support for  a lot of local neighborhood retailers! That’s something we can definitely stand behind.

So congratulations are in order for the following winners!

• Place to Buy Home Furnishings
• Miss Pixie’s Furnishings & Whatnot
• Home Goods Store
• HomeRule
• Vintage Clothing Store
• Treasury Vintage
• Coffee Shop
• Peregrine Espresso
• Craft Beer Selection, Off Menu Special
• ChurchKey
• Ice Cream Shop
• Pitango Gelato
• Wine Bar
• Cork Wine Bar
• Sandwich
• Taylor Gourmet
• Place to See Local Music
• Black Cat

Great job everyone!

UPDATE – 04/12/2013 – 1:00PM: It was just brought to our attention that Jordan Casale received a runner-up spot for Best Interior Designer. So a big congratulations goes out to Jordan and we wish him the best in his future endeavors!

The 3rd Annual Washington Fine Properties’ Home & Design Weekend is a little over a week away!

Don’t forget to come out and shop the neighborhood while entering to win the great prizes from the participating retailers.

Vastu will be giving away a pair of custom 18″ square throw pillows in the Maharam fabric of the winner’s choice. These fabrics include:

• Voyage ‘Clover’
• Tonus ’622′
• Aria ‘Revel’
• Divina ’922′
• Mechanism ‘Emerald’
• Letters ‘Emerald’
• Hallingdal ’944′
• Topas ’976′
• Tundra ’967′
• Flora ’986′

You can preview the fabrics by checking out our Home & Design Weekend window display, up now at our Vastu showroom!

For a full list of participating retailers and their prizes, check out the official WFP Home & Design Weekend website.

Winter is still holding on in some parts of the area and it hasn’t felt very Spring-like since the season started a couple of weeks ago, but that’s no reason why we can’t start thinking of the great outdoors! One vendor leading the charge is EcoSmart Fire, Vastu’s provider of ethanol fireplaces.

To promote their new line of MIX Fire Bowls, we’re offering you special pricing on these two styles when you spend over $1,490 through the end of April.

Buy any other style of fireplace, and spend over the designated amount, and you’ll be able to add a MIX Fire Bowl for just $249 or $149 (for the MIX 850 or MIX 600, respectively). That’s more than 75% off!

Not familiar with EcoSmart Fire’s line of indoor and outdoor ethanol fireplaces? Give us a call or stop by the showroom and ask any of our designers for more information!

April 13th & 14th marks the 3rd annual Washington Fine Properties’ Home & Design Weekend!

It’s a great chance to tour the neighborhood and “Be among the first to see spring fashion trends and new lines, enjoy artists-in-residence original works and learn great home decorating secrets from interior design professionals! This two-day event includes a showcase of new designs and home furnishings, free in-store lectures and hands-on demonstrations conducted by industry experts.”

There will also be a chance to win a collection of prizes from the participating retailers, like Vastu, just by visiting their stores and entering. The more stores you visit, the greater your chance of winning!

Stay tuned for more updates as we approach this fun weekend.

Brian Petro

Vastu again welcomes artist Brian Petro back to our walls March 25th through early June. From classic floral and sculptural imagery in his signature transfer style, to his fresh new chunky oil paint abstracts and scrawled quirky painted drawings, Brian elicits comfort, joy, and humor in this show.

"bois and girlz"

His work represents his wandering and wondering mind. He credits his style to the dichotomy between his supportive, rural, central-Pennsylvanian upbringing and the brutal independence of urban life. Global travel and urban exploration fuel his search for images, ideas and processes.

"pink"

Brian is presently represented by galleries in Philadelphia, Washington, DC, and Rehoboth Beach. His work is also on display in venues in Brazil, England, Italy and Hong Kong. Past commercial clients include Absolut Vodka (who commissioned Brian to design the Absolut Dupont Circle Ad), The Ritz Carlton Hotels, Saks Fifth Avenue, and The Library of Congress. Brian has been published in regional and national news magazines and newspapers, and he and his work have been featured on several television shows including HGTV’s Curb Appeal and Showhouse Showdown

"used car"

To see more samples of his art and to learn more about Brian, please visit www.brianpetro.com, see him on YouTube.

To arrange a tour of Brian’s studio, located in the lower showroom here at Vastu, please contact him directly at (202) 270-7352 or brianpetroartist@yahoo.com.