With Summer comes the important task of refreshing and giving things a new look. One of the easiest ways to do this is with paint. Whether it be picking up a piece of furniture with good bones and adding a personal touch with some paint or even painting a whole room. 

Recently, we completely redid our Naples location; we tore out the old sisal carpet and exposed the cement floors. We tore down some of the obtrusive walls, and we painted the whole store. By doing this, it completely revived our Naples locations and brought more life into the space. 

We wanted to do something similar in Cincinnati, but we also wanted to keep our cozy sisal carpet, as it looks so good with all of the different wood finishes in our store. After a day of going back and forth to the hardware store with multiple different paint samples of shades of white, we finally decided on a color and got to work. The old shade of tan was scuffed, a little bit dark, and hadn't been touched since we moved back to our O'Bryonville location a couple years back. 

With a store as eclectic as ours, it's difficult to move things around-- it's like a puzzle. We had to figure out exactly how everything in the store could be moved from against the wall and into the middle. After a quite bewildering rearrangement of everything in the store, we exposed every wall and called the painters. 

The list goes on about why we chose the off-white color to put on our walls. For one, it's brighter. Brightness is always refreshing. When light bounces off of it, it creates a feeling of airiness and ease. Also, white, being a basic color, looks great against everything in the store. No matter what wood finish or fabric, white walls will bring out the best in every piece. It's less distracting and draws attention to what is really important-- the fine details in the beautiful antiques that we all fall in love with. 

Not only does this paint revitalize our store, we are also so excited to rearrange everything into new spots, revamp the window displays, and create a space that is a fun place to shop in and a comfortable environment for our customers. 

We hope you love the new paint as much as we do! Stop in today and check out this transformation!

Check out some of the NEW stuff from our next shipment that we can't wait to implement into our refreshed store! 

NEW SHIPMENT PHOTOS!

Great news! We have a shipment coming hopefully late May to early June, and we couldn't be more excited. Strictly French pieces, this shipment contains some really cool things that we think will look great in any home they're placed. Here are some of our favorite things from this past trip to France. 

These bamboo chairs have fantastic lines and are surprisingly comfortable. They're effortless, charming, and can be easily accessorized. Bamboo is also a classic summer material; perfect for the porch, the dining room, and especially the living room. 

How about these rattan chairs? Their structure is sturdy and firm, but their shape allows for so much comfort and ease. Their unique coloring also adds to their handsomeness and charm, as it's classic and beautiful and is sure to look great against almost anything.

There is something so special about antique grandfather clocks. They provide so much to awe at; an amazing grain, beautiful coloring, and of course, a gorgeous clock face. We picked this one up at a fair in France and we're so excited for it to find a home!

We're suckers for little finds like this. This piece carries a beautiful wood grain and an amazing finish. It's simple, yet charming-- one of the best combinations. 

Yahoo for Bamboo!! Every time we see bamboo furniture like this with unique lines and good bones, we snatch it up as fast as we can. Pictures above is a chair set with a matching side table and a wall shelf. Bamboo is classic and looks fantastic anywhere it's put. The egg shape of these chairs makes them stand out from the crowd and makes them definite conversation starters. 

Although the setting in which this photo was taken is not so glorious, this vanity-chair set is absolutely adorable. It's miniature and would look amazing in a kid's room. 

Once again, not the most beautiful setting, but this bamboo desk is nothing but amazing! It has such unique lines and combines varying textures so well. The disconnected drawers that are supported by the base definitely make this desk stand out from the rest. 

At English Traditions, we are drawn to so many different types of furniture and we love to experiment with this furniture to see where it works. We are drawn to lines and bones and we love finding the most unique pieces that we can find amid the craziness from these fairs. Stop by today and shop our cultivation of unique, timeless quality.

Our fantastic Thibaut rep came into the store the other day and dropped off a packet that holds some very useful information on their favorite Sunbrella and Crypton fabrics. It features which patterns and textures work on certain styles and applications and why. It also includes how many colors are available and which Thibaut book they can be found in. We've summarized this information below!

According to Thibaut, "Our knowledge comes from real life experience. We try all of our fabrics before we bring them to the market by upholstering furniture for product photography and our showrooms. We aren't afraid to make changes to product based on what we learn."

All information comes from our Thibaut pamphlet.

TONAL TEXTURES

           Bailey                               Zara Texture                          Mosaic                          Available in 14 colors         Available in 5 colors         Available in 10 colors

We love the visual interest and flexibility that these tonal textures provide.

- Soft and organic on feathersoft cushions

- Crisp and tailored on tight seat

- lend a casual, yet sophisticated style

Why? It works because the fabric is...

- Dimensional without pile

- Adds interest and have multiple shades of color

- Has enough body without being stiff

SLEEK & CHIC

            Mirage                                  Aura                     Bronwyn Herringbone               Available in 7 colors          Available in 16 colors        Available in 7 colors   

We like it for a crisp and tailored look on any size frame. 

- Tight seats with firmer cushion

- Curved lines

- Buttoned backs

- Waterfall skirts

Why? It works because the fabric is...

- Light weight, doesn't hide fine lines

- Subtle sheen accents gracious curves

- Soft, luxurious, and refined appearance             

SOFT & SNUGGLY       

       Beachcomber                   Alpine Chevron                        Orion                             Available in 3 colors          Available in 5 colors          Available in 5 colors

We especially like soft and snuggly fabrics on larger frames.

- Sectionals

- Sofas

- Comfy chairs

- They don't lend themselves a crisp or formal look. 

Why? It works because the fabric is...

- Soft to the touch and inviting to sit

- Adds surface interest without being distracting

- Has enough body without being chunky

There are a lot of factors to consider when pairing fabric to frame. We've categorized these best selling fabrics into four groups to highlight their unique characteristics according to application and aesthetics. We hope this helps!