Romantic Memoirs
Experiencing aspenhome’s European Memoirs collection is almost like sharing vacation photos with a dear friend. That’s because the new group is based on furnishings and architectural elements the design team has seen during its travels.
“The inspiration is real. It’s an accumulation of a lot of places I’ve seen or places I’ve stayed,” said Jena Hall, aspenhome’s vice president of merchandising and design.
Hall said the collection draws upon an old, seldom-used notion of Continental furniture and is based on pieces found on the European continent outside of Great Britain.
“European Memoirs is really a kind of romantic notion of pieces from various places in Southern France and the Pyrenees Mountains. Very few of the pieces are real reproductions; they are more inspired by pieces in shops or small B and Bs and inns that either I’ve stayed in or saw on a trip. Even those who have only dreamed of a European adventure will feel well traveled with the charm that these classic pieces reflect.”
Hall said she is delighted with the collection, both for its looks and the fact that it stems from her passion rather than to fill a hole in the marketplace or company’s product line.
Furnishings are noted for their sweeping curved lines, carved details, arched and raised-panel doors and parquet lattice tabletops.
“I think the carvings and shape will add a lot to otherwise bland architecture,” she said.
Even though the pieces were created with great care not to match perfectly, Hall said they coordinate well with each other as well as other traditional and transitional furnishings.
“It comes from my background in architecture and interior design, and working with real antiques for so long where nothing matched. Matching pieces of furniture was just a convenience to get us through the industrial age,” she said.
As an example, she cited one of the bedroom pieces that features three different-size doors, all requiring customized hinges.
“They are so close to the original things and add such a touch you could think they are antiques. They give more of a decorator look.”
In all, there are more than 100 pieces in the collection. It includes furnishings for the entire home including the bedroom, dining room, living room and home office as well as accent and occasional pieces. Pieces are crafted of birch and pecan solids and veneers, and are offered with warm cognac and crème fraiche finishes. They are completed with aged-steel handcrafted hardware and iron accents. Upholstery and leather pieces also are featured.
Among Hall’s favorite pieces in the collection are the Madame Bonnard’s armoire, which has raised panels and is “as pretty with the doors open as it is with the doors closed,” and the secretary with iron grid work. “I use a secretary myself as a dressing table. I can plug in my hair blower and makeup mirror. You can use it for almost anything, and it also goes great in a dining room or kitchen or bedroom because of all its functionality.”
She also appreciates the variety and beauty of the desks offered. “The thing I like about them is that so many home office desks are made as if only men used computers. We have a very romantic desk in this group with soft curves, yet I don’t think a man would be put off using it.”
As with all of the company’s furnishings, pieces within the European Memoirs collection are filled with “ah” features such as integrated electrical components including an iPod docking station, cord management, built-in lighting and hidden storage areas that make them more versatile and functional.
European Memoirs should be available on retailers’ sales floors within the next few weeks, Hall said.
Aspenhome is distributed by Furniture Values International and is headquartered in Phoenix.
For additional information, visit www.aspenhome.net.
