Blueberry Meadows Interiors *GASP* at blogspot.com

So the Blueberry Meadows blog has a new home.  

I switched to Blogger because you can customize it more.  More options for comments, and tabs and links and that sort of thing.  Also, my big brother uses it for his bartending blog, Libations from Bar Vince, and I'm a big ol' copycat.

See, look how unoriginal I am.  He's smiling, so I'm smiling too!  No sense of individuality whatsoever.  That's an old picture, but nothing's changed.  He's still the one blazing all the trails, especially in the blogging world.  He's got 11 posts already! 
However, now that I've got a blog platform that I'm happy with, you can expect more updates more often.  Just don't accidentally visit this site instead.  Go ahead and click on it to find out what I'm talking about.  
Yep, a self-described angsty American teenager stole my blog title.  And that's why the URL is ridiculously long and I've planned to sneak in a quick breath when I say it outloud.  The thief claims to be from George, Washington, which is just ridiculous but is actually a real place.  Wikipedia informs me that the name is a play on the first American president, which was very illuminating.  
So unless your interests are more in line with the traumatic pregnancies of an 18 year old's computer game avatars, don't forget the 'interiors.'

I Love Lamp

Anyone who knows me fairly well could tell you that I have an unhealthy obsession with lamps.

Last year I dressed up as one for Halloween.  I wore a large shade around my waist like an inner tube, and I even rigged up a power cord and light-bulb that illuminated my *ahem.*  

When I started working at Blueberry Meadows Interiors, good friends of mine drove by the store, peered in the windows, and one said to the other, "Yup, I see a lamp, I can definitely see Ange working there."  

So, really, you must understand that I couldn't help myself.  I'm a little embarrassed that I couldn't narrow it down past sixteen, but there you have it.  Sixteen candles.  My all time favourite lighting.

16.  365+ BRASA Floor/Reading Lamp, IKEA

Sleek, modern, and very adjustable. Great for task lighting at a desk without claiming valuable work surface.

15.  Ubiquity Lamp, Anthropologie

Cute and rustic.  I wonder if you could carve names into the bark like high school sweethearts.

14.  Twin Links Table Lamp, Pier 1

I bought this for my brother's warehouse-loft conversion.  Looks great against the pale green walls and exposed brick.

13.  Alexis Ceramic Table Lamps, Pottery Barn

Great for a pop of colour that isn't too overwhelming.

12.  Foucault's Iron Orb Chandelier Large, Restoration Hardware

Pricey, but makes a statement!

11.  Loft Task Lamp, West Elm

I'm a huge fan of black lampshades, and I love how this version incorporates bookends.

10.  Long Hanging Capiz Pendant Lamp, West Elm

Oh so pretty!  Like jewelry for your house.

9.  Secret Silhouette Shade, Anthropologie

You'll have to pop over to the Anthropologie website to learn the secret!  Such a cute idea.

8.  Wire Cube Lamp, West Elm

I love the contrast of the bright red power cord and the square shade.  

7.  Camera Club Ensemble Lamp, Anthropologie

My boyfriend's a land surveyor so I'm always on the look-out for tripod lamps, this shade has a cool texture that makes it stand out.

6.  Eat, Drink and Be Merry Chandelier, Anthropologie

Doesn't this chandelier remind you of Beauty and the Beast?  It's my all-time favourite Disney movie, I can't help but imagine all those spoons jumping in a punch bowl for some synchronized swimming.

5.  Sewing Pattern Lamp, umbu on Etsy

Such a cool idea!  Definitely want to try DIYing this.

4.  Simplicity Base, Anthropologie

So simple, but so elegant!  Love the unfinished wood.

3.  Avila Table Lamp, Crate&Barrel

I think glass lamps are so beautiful, this one just appears to float, I'd love to see how it looks illuminated.

2.  Writer's Task Floor Lamp, Restoration Hardware

I hate gold jewelry, but I'm always drawn to brass/gold finishes in home design.  It seems very adult to me.

1.  Ingo Maurer Zettel'z 5 Chandelier

I adore this chandelier.  It definitely tops my list of must-haves.  When it comes to clothes or jewelry I'm not much of a 'brand' person, but I can't get enough of the Ingo Maurer Zettel'z 5 Chandelier.  Every time I see it in a magazine I tear out the page and file it away.  Part of me wonders if I really need a car and if I can't just make do with a bike and the Ingo Maurer instead...

Hold the phone, none of these lamps are sold at Blueberry Meadows!  

I know, it seems crazy that I would gush about other stores' products on a blog named after the store where I work.  The way I see it, design is all about sharing the love and getting inspired, even if that inspiration may come from 'competitors.'  There are some pretty big names on this list, and some pretty astronomical price points too (my absolute favourite, the Ingo Maurer chandelier, retails for $1,085!!!)  Blueberry Meadows is all about great design at affordable prices.  That means we won't charge anything that would make us (or you!) red in the face with embarrassment.  

So don't expect us to stock the Ingo Maurer anytime soon.  But do check in often to see what's new in lighting!  Because really, we just want you to leave our store with your new purchase saying, "I love lamp," and that means loving the price too.     

In a Perfect World...

In a perfect world, I rent a bright, spacious apartment that boasts a large bedroom, generously sized living area, cozy den, in-suite laundry, four piece washroom and modern kitchen.  For less than $450/month.  (This is a perfect world, remember.)
And in that perfect apartment, located in Vancouver, (yes, I know I'm far beyond delusional) I have plenty of space for all my favourite pieces from the Bramble catalogue.
These pieces make me go weak at the knees.  I get a dopey look in my eyes as I fawn over them.  My boyfriend actually gets a little bit jealous when I talk about them.  He asks me why I don't look at him that way.  It gets awkward.

Here, in all their distressed-painted-mahogany glory, are my Bramble Top Ten:

Sigh.  Aren't they beautiful?  My mind races when I think about all the possibilities these babies offer.  

10.  Barley Twist Candlesticks:  Such handsome fellas.  These candlesticks, shown here in black, have just the right amount of rustic charm.  I like how they have some weight to them, and at ten inches high, they would make a strong statement as a table centrepiece or on a fireplace mantel.  (Yes, my dream apartment also has a wood-burning fireplace, did I forget to mention?)
9.  Provence Three Drawer Dresser:    This feminine dresser has plenty of curves in go-to black with delightfully over-the-top drawer pulls that remind me of the statement jewelry that makes an outfit.  I love that the finish isn't-too-perfect, like wearing your hair down and loose for a big night out.
8.  Farmhouse Bench:  This bench reminds me of the very teeny tiny bit of 'country' that exists deep down somewhere in my soul.  It's hard to tell from where that came.  All I know is I seem to end up at the Fat Pig Saloon every summer when the AgriFair rolls 'round and I inadvertently find that I know the words to at least half the songs that are warbled out.  Just a couple weeks ago I attended a wedding reception where the night's festivities included a mechanical bull.  I guess it comes from living in Abbotsford, the "city in the country."  There's no point fighting against it.  Besides, this bench does have wonderful possibilities for shoe storage in a crowded entrance way.  Ye-haw!
7.  Montego Coffee Table:  Ohh, the beauty of a round coffee table.  If you have the space for it, it helps create a sense of flow in the living room, and saves your shins from nasty bruises.  And it's always nice to have a shelf under the tabletop for books and magazines.  I like that this one is done in caning so it feels really light and airy for a solid mahogany piece.  Surprise, surprise, I've chosen it in black.
6.  Louis XV Bergere:  This is another super-feminine piece.  Queenly even.  I can imagine this becoming my "tea-drinking chair."  Or my "cat-petting chair."  Although maybe I should nix the cat because it would almost certainly become the "cat-shredding chair."  It would be a well-trained cat indeed that could keep its claws off that gorgeous detailing.
5.  Standing Tray Display:  I love how unconventional this storage piece is.  I picture it brimming with freshly cut flowers arranged casually in various vases and pots on a garden terrace, or stocked with fresh herbs, baking ingredients and spices in a casual eat-in kitchen.
4.  Shutter Divider:  I find that even the most perfect apartments suffer from an undefined entrance way.  You open the front door and all of a sudden you find yourself standing in the living room.  It's much nicer to have a gradual transition at the thresh-hold, which is why I think this room divider is perfect.  I would prop it up by the front door to create a foyer where there isn't one, or use it in a corner of the room to soften the architecture and create interest.
3.  English Bookcase:  This stately formal bookcase is so much fun!  I think the sliding glass panelled doors would make anything stored within seem priceless, rare and important.
2.  Drake 4' Round Pedestal Table:  We're coming up to my very favourite favourites.  I love this table.  Love love love.  It's so substantial and sturdy looking, but with lovely details that pretty it up.  I picture it paired with modern white chairs that pop against the warm mahogany.
1.  Homestead Day Bed with Trundle:  This is at the top of my list.  I must buy this day bed.  I will buy this day bed.  Just as soon as I move into a place where I have a guest room/den.  I have it all planned out.  It will be piled high with an assortment of patterned pillows in graphic, floral and ethnic prints that don't necessarily 'match' but nonetheless 'go together.'  I imagine this day bed is perfect for snuggling up to watch a movie or taking a quick nap, and so convenient to set up for impromptu overnight guests.  I love that there is a little trundle to pull out too, which I bet I would have out all the time for extreme slouching, it looks like it would be a great footrest, and so soft!

MahogENVY

I have a problem.

I work in a shop full of beautiful mahogany accent tables, sideboards and cabinets and I can't take any of it home with me because I just don't have the square footage for even ONE more piece of furniture.  

It saddens me.  

How do I cope, you may ask?

I make depressingly long lists of all the things I absolutely adore and would buy if I could.  And then I sell all my favourite things to other people, which is more than a little heart-wrenching.  

I imagine it's a little bit like working in a pet shop.  Although I hear you should always buy puppies from families with large yards or from reputable breeders so that the little mongrels get used to kids and new people and don't become basket-cases from living in glass boxes.  So I guess it's like when your dog has puppies.  Though I don't live at the store, so it's more like my neighbour's dog has puppies...

This analogy is rapidly breaking down.

My point is, you get so used to having the beautiful little things around, it makes you sad to see them go off to live with somebody else.  You just have to be consoled by reminding yourself that your time will come too.  

It also helps to remind myself that the more I sell, the closer I am to moving out of my parents' house and obtaining that long sought-after additional square footage.


Ahh, the beauty of commission.  

And ahh, the beauty of mahogany.