Paula Tocker's Blog (10)

Back to the wild! Lodge fabric never goes out of style. And, what could be better than lodge fabric celebrating one of natures finest creatures - the bear. I picked these three fabrics to share with you as examples of themed fabrics with a casually sophisticated style.

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Yipee-i-o! Southwest and Western decorating has become an iconic American classic combining the rich hues of the desert with cultural influences of Native American, Mexican, and Spanish design to create comfortable and inviting living spaces.

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First a warning; The following blog is not about fabrics. One cold and rainy morning, a little over two years ago, I received a call from one of my friends. She found a small puppy on her doorstep. I took him home and named him "Dexter." He was white and fluffy, reminding me of a Hostess Snowball, except for his disproportionately large paws. Though I thought he was a Lab mix, he never really grew into his paws, he remained a small dog. Now, he looks like a dog made up of mismatched parts, but… Continue

Historically, when faced with the choices for a synthetic substitute for leather, the design community has turned to polyurethane and pvc products. These leather alternatives have the advantage of being more affordable, but no one enjoys the feeling of their thighs peeling off of a vinyl co… Continue

I would like to take a moment to honor the lowly silkworm who toils endlessly throughout its short life to produce the beautiful silk fabrics we love to drape around ourselves… and our homes. According to an ancient Chinese legend, around 2640 B.C. a princess named Xi Ling Shi was sittin… Continue

I am often asked this question; “What is the difference between Damasks an… Continue

As I was moving fabrics around the store today, I was struck by the large number of paisley patterns we have. I admit it. I love paisley. It is neither feminine nor masculine and it holds a timeless appeal. The history of paisley is really quite interesting – although it might resemble a… Continue

I am happy to report the reemergence of color at the recent High Point Furniture Market. Though I can appreciate the sophisticated and gentle look of neutrals, I love seeing bright and bold colors used in accent pieces, pillows and accessories. One of my favorites was a round, beach-ball style hassock in a variety of sizes, upholstered in a large colorful frame pattern at Cisco Brothers. Very chic and urban cool. Kathy Ireland Home by Omnia Furniture, paired classic leather with bold ethnic ge… Continue

Do you remember the very popular color olive green from the 1970's? It became the color kiwi green in the early 2000's. The home fashion industry is constantly exploring and reinventing color trends. Shades on the color wheel are tweaked, twisted, tinted and reintroduced as the home fashion industry moves forward every season. It is what we do to keep our industry fresh and dynamic. I once heard color described as food for our emotions. Whether or not we are aware of it, color evokes an emotion… Continue