Custom Moroccan Bench

Last Fall while working at Patchwork Edible I met budding interior designer Gigi Kramer. Gigi is currently decorating a home office for Cleobella founder Angela O’Brien. Gigi brought me an amazing rag rug that her clients brought back from Morocco and we set out to design a stunning handmade bench using the rug as the upholstery fabric. This was a bit of a challenge for me as the dimensions Gigi wanted were bigger than my usual. Instead of using a single sheet of plywood I usually use a 1″ thick pine), I built a bench top out of 3/4 inch ply, cross bars for support and stability, and a layer of sheathing. We splurged on some amazing handmade mid-century inspired legs to complete the look. I’m so excited to share the process and finished piece with you.

  

 

 

Suzani Footstool – Part III

I used a thin strip of cardboard underneath the piping to keep the side fabric nice a tight up against the piping. Pull the sides down, do quite a but of regulating and staple. Use an upholsterer’s stitch to close the sides, a circle of cambric and attach the legs. Voila! Done finally. There will be a lot more poufs in the coming months so stay tuned!! 

New Stockist – Findings Boutique

Yay! We’re so excited to share a new stockist with you! If you’re near Champaign, Illinois go visit Ali at Findings Boutique and see Barrington Blue goods along with her highly curated selection of clothing, jewelry and accessories. Don’t forget to tell her we sent you.

You can find Ali and Findings Boutique at 1741 W. Kirby Avenue (Old Farm Shops) Champaign, Illinois and follow her Instagram feed here.

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Photos via @FindingsBoutique

Suzani Footstool Part II

Here we begin to put this baby back together! I reused as much as I could, and gave the old foam a quick steam to bring it back to life. I discarded the broken up bits of foam and opted rather for a second smaller circle of foam to give it the coveted dome shape. Sewing suzani welt is not easy (especially without a proper foot, but more on that later). I will need to go over this again, as getting in tight over the heavily embroidered parts ain’t easy. This is not traditional upholstery – but it’s still fun!

The Revolution will not be Televised…

…It will be on Instagram! Such a treat to randomly stumble upon pics of Barrington Blue goods. If you don’t already, make sure to follow us here and make sure to #barringtonblue. Got to Revolution!

via @staciwoo

via @sweetemiliajane

via @chairishco

via @ashleykelemen

via @sherylcancellieri

via @sonjarasula

via @sonjarasula

via @thelittlest

via @1821amado

via @coco_coffman

 

via @katemiss

Suzani Footstool – Part I: The Breakdown

Here we go…

  

     

 

 

 

And it’s on! Stay tuned for Part II coming soon!

Bri Emery Shops Chairish

Barrington Blue handmade goods are now available on Chairish! We’re so excited that three of our pieces are included in this curated collection by Bri Emery of DESIGN LOVE FEST (Our Turkish Kilim Bench is her fave). Click here to enter the Chairish giveaway and a chance to win $250!

handcrafted turkish kilim bench

vintage bolivian frazada lumbar pilllows

mid-century bench with custom south american cushion

Suzani Revisited

About 5 years ago I approached my upholstery teacher Matthew Haly with a photograph from my favorite design mag Elle Decoration UK and pointed and said, “I want to make that”. And so was Barrington Blue born…

Back in December I sold one of my suzani footstools to the lovely Carol LeFlufy who came across my booth at The Rose Bowl Flea. She mentioned that she had another footstool that was badly in need of repair. How excited I was when Carol walked into the new studio carrying the piece from that photograph – the magazine literally still sitting open on my coffee table. I quickly grabbed it and we did a comparison. The legs are the same, and while its not the exact piece, it is definitely from the same fabric and company. Carol bought her stool in NY 15 years ago, the Elle shoot was in a loft in Williamsburg, Brooklyn in 2009, and here I am today with stool in hand, waiting for a vintage suzani to arrive en route from Dubai to give Carol’s piece new life. Some things are just really meant to be. This piece is going to be incredible in her gorgeous home in SIlver Lake.

I’ve already stripped the piece down – I couldn’t wait to see how it was constructed – the frame is in pretty good shape considering. I plan to make a few minor adjustments under the hood, add some new materials where needed and recover with this gorgeous piece below. I’ll share a full before and after as soon as it’s done!

Detail of the suzani we will use to recover Carol’s stool

New Products in the Shop!

Stop on by Barrington Blue to check out our new products including giant Bolivian frazada cushions and handcrafted Turkish Kilim Benches –  Here’s a little sneak peek…Have a great weekend!

New Project – The Amado in Palm Springs

Last Fall I received a call from photographer Jaime Kowal about designing custom cushions for her new boutique hotel in Palm Springs. Many months later The Amado is completely renovated and open for business. It is a stunning, modern oasis filled with thoughtful, chic design. This was a huge learning opportunity for me, and I am so excited to share it with you. Consider staying at The Amado on your next trip to the desert – you won’t be disappointed.

 

 

All photography by Jaime Kowal, journalistic photographer and proprietor of The Amado