Monday, April 20, 2009

Home and Garden hosts Suzanne Kasler

What do you say about a store that is brimming with beautiful things?

That has the best selection of Julie Neill Chandeliers, Aidan Gray accessories, and Hickory Chair upholstery and case goods? A store that is full of edgy accessories, new ideas in garden decor, and lovely Swedish and French reproductions.A shop that tops it off with a talented in house staff, an excellent relationship and appreciation of local interior designers and owners with great business sense and even better taste? You call it Home and Garden in Covington, LA.

Just a short drive over the Pontchartrain bridge from New Orleans and you arrive at a mecca of fabulous home design all under one roof. Home and Garden is owned by: John, Kenny and Jennifer Rabalais. With their outstanding taste and excellent business acumen, they have a created a wonderful environment for designers and homeowners, alike, to create beautiful interiors.Home and Garden houses the largest display of Julie Neill lighting, outside of Julie's own shop, and the largest selection of Suzanne Kasler's line for Hickory Chair in LA. Above notice the Julie Neill Juliette chandelier and the Suzanne Kasler Choate Dining Table.

With so many wonderful lines available here, and so much inventory to choose from, Home and Garden creates some fabulous vignettes. Here is a wonderful dining room! Notice how the Julie Neill Ingrid Chandelier Pendants echo the lines of the dining chairs.

As promised in my previous post on New Orleans, meet Jeffrey McNeely, Director of Retail Development and the namesake of Julie Neill's new Jeffrey Chandelier above. Jeffrey works exclusively with designers to help them create the perfect look for their clients. Notice the Julie Neill Madeleine chandelier to the left and the Artemis toward the middle bottom, and the Jeffrey on the right- Suzanne Kasler Prado Bookcase in the background.
Home and Garden has literally hundreds of interesting accessories. Above is an impressive display of metalware by Beatriz Ball.

Here is a summer beach tablescape complete with Aidan Gray candlesticks.

Lovely slipcovered ottomans with incredible ribbon detailing and an Aidan Gray lamp.

They also carry several slipcovered lines. I loved this sweet chair with embroidery.

Home and Garden also has several vintage items and antiques - Here is an antique lantern, the patina on this piece was amazing.

Millie, Kenny, Suzanne, Gina

So imagine my excitement when Kenny Rabalais invited Millie and I to come to Home and Garden and meet famous designer, Suzanne Kasler! For my readers who may not know, Suzanne has been named by "House Beautiful" magazine, one of the top 100 designers for 2005 and one of the top 125 designers for 2004; "House & Garden" named her one of 50 Tastemakers in March of 2006; and Suzanne was the 2003 Southeastern Designer of the Year!

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Since her launch of her line for Hickory Chair last year, Suzanne has been visiting premier retail locations and sharing her visions of design. Home and Garden hosted a luncheon in Suzanne's honor and invited local designers meet her and learn more about her design inspiration and philosophy.

Probably the most interesting part of meeting Suzanne was learning about many of the pieces in her line and what inspired her to have them recreated by Hickory Chair. I learned that many of her pieces were recreated from antiques she had personally collected over many years, or had found for her elite clientele. She spent over a year and half working closely with the craftsmen at Hickory Chair to create what she believed were beautiful pieces that would fit in with both modern and traditional styles. Let's have a look:

The Frederica Bench is a beautifully proportioned, delicate, hand-carved reproduction of an antique French bench from Suzanne Kasler's home. Though beautiful, the original, like most antiques, was bit too narrow and uncomfortable. She deepened the seat and softened the cushioning and now, its the perfect marriage of beauty and comfort. She couldn't find a wide enough stripe for the bench, so she used solid fabric cut to width to create the wonderful striped effect. Anasthasia bench, Antoinette side table and Alexandra chair also pictured. Suzanne has known the Rabalais family for many years and helped decorate John's home in Rosemary Beach, Florida. The slipcovered Nanette chair was actually inspired by a chair Suzanne found for John. She fell love the oversized shape and scale and convinced him it was perfect for his home. Also pictured are the Auburn ottoman and Ainsley chairs.

The original Campaign Desk, actually sits in Suzanne's home office. It was a bit too narrow and also quite warped, as antiques tend to be over years of use. The Hickory Chair Campaign desk has a wider proportion for a laptop and of course no warping. The metal work on the original was painstakingly recreated. Suzanne commented that she was thinking of switching out her original desk with the new one, simply because it looked identical and lived much better! One of Suzanne's favorite pieces in the line is her Anasthasia bench, a Russian antique that she found in Paris. The original, above, sits in Suzanne's living room. She said she missed the bench, as Hickory Chair had several of her pieces for months and months, while they meticulously recreated them down to the most minute detail.


And here they are recreated at Home and Garden. I love Suzanne's signature stripe upholstery. Also shown is Suzanne's new Emory skirted sofa.
Here are the Anasthasia benches upholstered in plain linen.



Comfort is very important to Kasler. All her upholstered pieces were designed with comfort in mind. Here is the Emory chair.
But when we think comfort we so often think unattractive; not so with this line. Suzanne is famous for her dressmaker like details. Here is the Emory chair at Home and Garden. Notice the flange welting and pleated skirting.

She is inspired, she says, by the French antiques and French modern pieces she collects. This inspiration is then personalized by the addition of signature details like grosgrain ribbon trim and dressmaker skirts (blending dressmaker details into upholstery is a favorite Kasler technique).
The result is refreshing, a little witty, and versatile enough to work in environments that range from informal to elegant; evident again in the slipcovered Nanette chair

Other items recreated by Hickory Chair from Suzanne's home include:


The Choate Dining Table which was inspired by Suzanne Kasler's antique Regency table.
The Piedmont table, a great wooden, farm table inspired by the original which sits in Suzanne's kitchen. Also pictured is the new Carlisle Credenza, which Suzanne explained is better because the doors are not warped like her original. And the Chastain Chair, which comes slipcovered or with bare legs, which was inspired by a wicker chair Kasler slipcovered for her office.



She also has a wonderful line of lighting made by Visual Comfort.
This chandelier is a copy of the one that hangs over her kitchen table.


Here is her brand new Thornton lamp, just released at market. I love this!! It is modern and classic at the same time.
Her lights are available at Circa Lighting.



She also has the Suzanne Kasler rug line available from Safavieh. A wonderful collection of 10 to 12 hand-knotted wool or combination wool/silk rugs.
For more information about Suzanne Kasler see this wonderful post by Things That Inspire and this interesting and very comprehensive post by Cote de Texas.
Suzanne mentioned that as a designer she was so clear on what she wanted to create, but she did not know what to call her "signature style". Her publisher mentioned they were very inspired by her interiors and hence came the name for her new book: "Inspired Interiors" , which will be released in October 2009. I am sure it is going to be fabulous and chock full of wonderful information.
I had an unforgettable time in New Orleans, meeting Suzanne Kasler, and of course the Rabalais family, and their exceedingly talented staff. If you get to New Orleans, do not miss visiting Home and Garden. You will be thrilled and astounded, as I was. Oh, if only I could have stayed longer...

22 comments:

  1. home run !!

    this is a KILLER post !

    everything is so beautiful. there is not one thing that i saw that i didn't think was exquisite.

    the occasional chairs in particular, knocked me out.

    xx have a great weekend

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  2. As I looked at each photo you posted, there were so many things I wanted! I am alerting my Jackson, Mississippi friends to your blog as they travel to New Orleans for shopping sprees and can easily go to Home and Garden. They are such savvy shoppers, they are probably already customers. Suzanne Kasler has exquisite taste and Home and Garden is my kind of store. Great post!

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  3. Awesome post! So informative and beautiful. I'll have to see who carries her line out here. It was all so beautiful. I bet you had such a fun time. Congratulations!

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  4. What a great post. The gems just keep coming. Thanks for sharing your adventure with all of us.

    I'm a big fan of Suzanne Kasler's too. Her Southern Accents Watersound Idea House is truly inspirational. Anyway who has that back issue is a lucky duck.

    thanks again.

    - alixe

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  5. I love this post!! what a store - fabulous!!! and I adore Kasler's new furniture line - I think it is fabulous. Thank you to for the shout out - much, much appreciated!!!

    loved this!
    Joni

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  6. Every piece is a winner, what a great post you've assembled! Thank you!
    XX
    Have a nice Sunday!

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  7. Great post, thanks for taking us along!!! Wish i lived closer. Loved all the photos esp blue settee and monogramed chair slipcover!!! What a wonderful time you must have had.
    best to you
    kate

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  8. What a wonderful store! I love everything - especially love the care that has been taken to reproduce beautiful antiques with appreciation for the original design, but modification for our lifestyles. Beautiful, beautiful shop. Thanks for a great post!!

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  9. You put any of my posts to shame. Beautiful...I was recently approached by a sales representative from Hickory Chair to give some consideration to carrying their line. After reading your informative post, I am edging ever so close to taking the plunge. It is all so stunning and I absolutely love Home and Garden.

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  10. Home and Garden is on my list for my next NOLA trip!
    It looks beautiful, and I can't wait for Suzanne Kasler's book!

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  11. Be still. my. heart. This post just kept going and going...with one fabulous picture after another! What a fantastic opportunity for you. Thank you for sharing so many gorgeous pictures!!!

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  12. This shop looks fabulous - I could go wild in here! Congratulations on meeting Suzanne.

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  13. WOW I love that first picture!! all of those items are wonderful I look forwar to some day being able to have something like that and it not being satin by a toddler and infant!

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  14. I think this might be my favorite Suzanne Kasler post EVER! What a wonderful and comprehensive collection of images and background information - I love the little details, like how she could not find a stripe wide enough for the settee so she used two solids mitered together. I also love the details about the inspiration for her furniture line.

    Kasler is good friends with a neighbor of mine, and I had the opportunity to meet her at a small cocktail party in December. She is a lovely and warm person - very genuine - with a true passion for design. She said that she does not read the blogs, but I am going to forward this post to my friend - it is such a wonderful write up.

    The picture above the picture of her book is the room from the 2008 Christmas showhouse that Kasler did - it was gorgeous and sophisticated. You can see a grand piano in the left of the picture (at the front) - to the left of the piano, on the wall to the left of the fireplace, was the most spectacular wall of intaglios - 20 framed intaglios from floor to ceiling. I will email you my 'unauthorized' picture that I took at the showhouse (no photography was allowed).

    Finally, Home and Garden looks like my kind of store! They should consider opening an Atlanta location, Atlanta would go wild over a store like this.

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  15. What an awesome store!!! I want to go there!

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  16. Oooh-la-la!!! Everything in all the pictures you posted is gorgeous!!

    I SO want to go shopping in New Orleans right now!!! Well, no, actually, first I want to win the lottery, THEN I want to go shopping!! :-)

    Kelly @ DesignTies

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  17. I love this store.....what a treasure for those over the lake from New Orleans. Fabulous finds.

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  18. Yes please to everything. wonderful post, xv.

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  19. I am in love with Susan's collection! I really love the shop pictures too. I alway love to see pictures of beautiful shops, but this one is exceptional. I can't wait for Susan's book to come out!

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  20. Gina, First of all, aren't you just the cutest! I love this post. What a dream shop. I would so love to shop here. Thanks for the inspiration!
    joan

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  21. I love the collection. I can't stop spazzing over the ceiling lamps! I love hanging decors like wind chimes and gazing balls.

    I am so inspired to go to that shop!

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  22. Road Trip !!!
    hey, New Orleans isn't that far from Houston and the food is to die for........
    thanks for the eye candy!
    Beth

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