Studio McGee for Target

Shae McGee for Target

Perennial design favorite Studio McGee has some pretty great pieces with Target’s Threshold collection.  I’ve long loved the fun collaborations Target has had with higher end brands from Shabby Chic to John Derian. I recall many years ago that their collab with Missoni caused a near stampede!   Studio McGee has brilliantly turned their design … Read more

Bentwood and Bistro Chairs For Cozy Dining

Bentwood and bistro chairs are always a classic. From sidewalk cafes and Paris to small apartments anywhere else – they certainly add a bohemian flare to most any interior or exterior. Perhaps I’ve got the travel bug, but Paris is calling! What is a bentwood chair? Per the Encyclopedia Britannica: Bentwood furniture is made by … Read more

A Visual History of Sitcom Sofas

HomeAdvisor recently put together this compendium of Sitcom Sofas (and chairs) that I thought would be fun to share, as part of my long-standing Silver Screen Surroundings movie and television set design series. If you click here you can see a bigger version of this. Thanks again  HomeAdviser for the trip down upholstery lane! You … Read more

Six Upholstery terms you NEED to know

Linda Merrill design Norwell MA 02060 floral red and white chair dressmaker details upholstery

When it comes to straight up decorating, I think the most mis-understood aspect is the selection of upholstery. Why is this? Because there are three distinct parts of a piece of upholstered furniture and the least important part, the fabric, is the only one that is visible. We see a pretty chair (this above from … Read more

Design Glossary – Gustavian Style

Often, we hear terms relating to design styles and are not entirely sure what they refer to. In the second of my ongoing Design Glossary posts, I wanted to explain the Gustavian Style, which is a personal favorite of mine. I asked Tricia Mitchell of the fabulous Avolli – Scandinavian Antique Furnishings – in Maine … Read more

Design Glossary: Biedermeier style

Biedermeier style (1815-1830) came about after the end of the Napoleonic wars in Germany, Denmark and Austria as a turning away from the French inspired over-the-top Rococo style. There was no Biedermeier; the name came from a combination of names that sifted down to mean Beider (Plain) + Meier (common German name, think Smith). Furniture … Read more

Ikea & the tyranny of bland beigeness

Ikea has launched an interactive website Brave Not Beige, that’s loaded with films, interactive devices, tips, links to products and a rallying cry to “end the tyranny of bland beigeness”. I’m all for ending bland beigeness myself, so I encourage you to have a look! You might also enjoy: Why I don’t like Beige and … Read more

Missing my Daddy, the real DIY guy

  If you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time, you may recall that my father, Bob Merrill, passed away a while ago. In fact, it was three years ago today. A hard day that time has most certainly softened, as is meant to happen. I don’t cry every time I think of … Read more

How to reupholster a chair seat

I don’t know why, but the weekend around the 4th of July always finds me tackling some unexpected DIY project. Today, I wanted to share how to reupholster a chair seat. I bought these chairs several years ago and the fabric on them (see above) was fine – would never show wear and mostly matched … Read more