Hand-Smocked Window Treatments

I recently wrote this little fact sheet for ehow.com on hand-smocked window treatments. My article was limited to 200 words (I think I wrote about 250; what can I say, I'm verbose!) and it got me in the mood to expound a little on the subject. I can't say I didn't know what smocking was, I did – I even own a few sun dresses with smocking details on the front (and my Aunt Barbara added a hand-smocked embellishment to a dress she made for me when I was little). Maybe because its somewhat familiar, I've always sort of overlooked it. Well, this little blurb, which I wrote in exchange for some money, piqued my interest, so here I am, modifying my fact sheet for the blog in order to quench my knowledge-thirsty readers' questions. A version of the article also appears on examiner.com).

First things first: what is smocking? It is an embroidery technique used to gather fabric to create a ruffled repeating diamond pattern. In curtains, it runs the length of the header.

Smocking detail via The Shabby Nest

Unlike other embroidery methods that are purely decorative, smocking is unusual in that it was often worn by laborers. Developed in England in the 13th and 14th centuries and used extensively in apparel through the 18th and 19th centuries before elastic was available, smocking allowed practical garments for farmers and other workers to be both form-fitting and flexible. It was also employed in garments like cuffs and necklines, where buttons were undesirable.

Painting by Ambrosius Holbein, 1518, showing smocking on garment; Image courtesy Wikipedia

The use of smocks declined among farm workers in the late 1800s, but the embroidery technique later became a popular specialty detail added to high culture dresses and tea gowns. Decorative English smocking resurged in the 1920s and became even more popular in 1940, when the smocking pleater was invented, saving time and making it possible to use the technique on a variety of fabrics. Soon designers were inspired to add smocking embellishments on a variety of garments and, finally, curtains. I believe we saw a lot of smocking in the 1970s, which lead to our current terrycloth-ish-beach-cover-up-with-stretchy-smocking-fad

Due to its intricacy, smocking is best used on light- or medium-weight fabrics; solid silks and cottons are most common, but those with small or simple patterns work well without overshadowing the delicate details, and historically cashmere, pique and crepe de Chine were also smocked. According to Good Housekeeping: The Illustrated Book of Needlecrafts, “any fabric can be smocked if it is supple enough to be gathered.”  

A variety of patterned smocked curtains are available at Elizabeth's Embellishments:





Luxurious hand-smocked curtains in different embroidery styles, from Varang

Hand-smocked curtains evoke an old-world, casual elegance that coordinates with many decor styles, but is most often combined with dressy feminine country or cottage-style decor. For best results, hang smocked window coverings with a decorative curtain pole or track using drapery hooks.


Check out Pottery Barn's options:

After poking around the great wide interwebs for smocking photos, I realized smocking is all over the place right now! Isn't it funny how something can be right under your nose but you don't see it until you're forced to really look at it?

Hand-smocked pillow cover by artfire.com


DKNY's Watercolor Field Daisy and Willow Flowering Print smocked decorative pillows





Juicy Couture's smocked purses


Smocked pleated silk lampshade from Besselink & Jones in a recent World of Interiors 

We end this tour on a country casual interior, featuring Bella Home Fashion's Chandler Collection smocked curtains:

Detail


In situe

Harlem HOUZZ Tour

I don't usually post on the weekends, but I couldn't resist publishing this right away because I'm so excited! I recently wrote a quickie post on houzz.com, the site that allows you to find ideas from designers and DIY-ers all over the country. I'm so honored to share with you the wonderful story about our New York apartment (prior to our Austin move), Houzz Tour: Killy and Oliver's Hip Harlem Apartment: Color, Clever Storage and Editing Turns a Tiny Apartment Into a Gem, written beautifully by Houzz contributor Lily Gahagan.

This is by far the most in-depth look at our (beloved) former apartment, complete with small-space decorating tips and explanations of the driving forces behind our design decisions. Sending out a huge thank you to Lily and the Houzz team!

All photos by Frisson

Spring Has Sprung

I couldn't resist taking a few photos yesterday of little buds I'm seeing on the trees around our house. It appears that spring has sprung, although I understand it's possible that we will have one more freeze before winter is officially over in Texas. But here's what's going on in the front yard:

And in the back:

It must be time for new growth because today I did the unthinkable: I created a Twitter account for The Studiolo (aptly named @TheStudiolo)! I didn't think it would come to this, but  alas, it has. I have NO idea what I'm going to do with it, but it seemed remiss of me to not jump on the ever-expanding social networking bandwagon to increase awareness of our little business – gotta stay in the loop, keep my finger on the pulse, and all that other corporate jargonry. My first post will probably say something like what I just said. It's going to be a slow journey, friends. No doubt I'm disappointing some of you (Brian? Sorry. I can no longer repeat my favorite quote of yours, "I don't tweet; I don't twiddle!") but I'll try not to be too annoying about it.

Nothing New Under the Sun & Stripe Roundup

I had a professor in graduate school who used to listen to us ramble on about how unique and cutting edge our designs were, then in his deep, guttural-yet-sing-song-y voice, he'd bellow, "Well, there's nothing new under the sun, that's what I always say." Thanks, Gus. You know we haven't slept or eaten in, like, WEEKS, right?

But he's right. Sort of. I submit there are new things under the sun, but they are often informed by old things. Ya' feel me? Gus has been practicing architecture since the year one, and has worked at Pratt for something like forty years, so he's pretty much where everything today derives from.

WELL! I was poking around the interwebs last night when I came across this interior shot of a hallway on Country Living:

Home of Jane and Billy Pritchard of Stray Dog Designs; photo by Victoria Pearson

And it reminded me of our own hall in our last apartment:

I certainly didn't think we reinvented the wheel with our navy stripes, but yowza! At least we know our instincts are on the right track ... Maybe Country Living is going to come knocking on my door soon. Fingers crossed :)

If not, at least Apartment Therapy gives us some love. As I poked around for more stripes images, I came across this "Get Striped: All Kinds of Striped Inspiration" story, featuring our home office (#13)!

I'm loving that turquoise chandelier with tiny striped shades in the Pritchards' hall–that's a great detail! Their's is clearly neither a rental nor an apartment, and I believe they shoot the catalog for their store in their home, so let's just say they have more resources. No matter! I think we did a lot with a little!

Obviously, its no secret that we love stripes, but clearly we're not alone.

Jeremy and Kathleen showcased their own striped hall on Apartment Therapy and their blog

The brown stripes in this galley kitchen are quite sophisticated:

Photo by Simon Upton for Elle Decor


Photo courtesy Anne Coyle Interiors


Mixing a pattern and a stripe at Elle Decor

If its good enough for Carolina Herrera, its good enough for ME:


Coral + Yellow = BOLD

Via Elle Decor

The tiny settee with small-scale stripes against the wide-striped wall, the mini-lamp, the abstract art surrounded by other work, gallery-style – this is a beautiful vignette:

Photo by Thiebault Jeanson for Elle Decor

Another perfect vignette:

Source Unknown

Oh my, that copper tub!

Photo courtesy Elle Decor

This is just too much fun, with the varying pinks, the formal silhouette of DOGS and the ornate picture frames (that I suspect were formerly mirrors with Syroco frame. We have an identical mirror!)

Photo courtesy House to Home

Oh, hello, gorgeous burled wood table with lucite legs!!! The stripe pattern behind you is lovely, too:

Photo courtesy Lonny Magazine

Designer Markham Roberts jazzes things up by putting the stripes in this room on a diagonal:


Designer Ned Marshall mixes silvers and golds to create this elegant stripe-infused room:


I'm loving the wide stripes on this sofa:

Source Unkown

Got some money to burn? Then upholster your walls in Osborne and Little fabric:

Design by Collette Ward Interiors

Photography John M. Hall captured the beauty of this opulent coral bedroom:


But stripes aren't just for walls. They are fantastic on floors and ceilings and exteriors.

Beverly Hills Hotel photo courtesy Second Floor Living


Jenna Lyons' nursery, via Domino


Umbrellas at The Viceroy Hotel, by Kelly Wearstler

Or just put them everywhere, as in this hallway from Domino:


And they don't have to appear only on soft things: paint them onto floors, create them with tiles:

Design by David Mitchell Interior Design


Photo courtesy Decor Pad


Design by Jeffers Design Group; Photo courtesy House Beautiful

This image (from Domino Magazine) sparked my love of horizontal stripes in small spaces offset with whimsical florals:


All this eye candy is fun, but Gus' insistence that there's "nothing new under the sun" still applies:

Mosque of Cordoba (Spain); completed in 987; Photo courtesy Ian Pitchford via Wikipedia


Notre Dame de la Garde, Marseilles, France; completed in 1864; Photo courtesy MJA Studios

Notre Dame de la Garde, interior:

Photo courtesy Wikipedia