for
A collection is a visual narrative of sorts. It is a way that a designer is able to tell a story. Like stories, collections have a plot, a theme, characters and a beginning and an end...well, almost. A couple of years ago, I started work on this collection with the incredibly talented team at Fabricut; each person contributing their own rich layer to the story. As the plot lines shifted, themes evolved, as did a palette. The relationships of all the fabrics and trims we have thought about for years began to emerge, and a collection with its own unique personality came together. What follows here is a sampling of what we spent so many hours discussing, imagining and then creating with strike off after strike off. Every curtain needs a lining – every sofa needs a pillow – and every chair needs the perfect trim. Select, select, select. As designers, that is what we do. I have designed this collection not as a group of fabrics that just seem to nicely go together, but rather as rooms, because that is what I have been doing my entire career. We have assembled this group in a way that lets you scheme an entire bedroom or living room. Select a print to be accompanied by a stripe, a woven made more sumptuous with a chenille, or a linen softened with a matelasse and all, of course, finished with beautiful passementerie. Get inspired. Listen to the story unfold and allow yourself to be guided by it. Let the colors, the patterns, and the textures speak – create your own fantasy. Here are some ideas to get you started – and wait, there will be more; that's what I meant when I said it never ends. Each month on the Fabricut website we will be talking decorating and adding new ideas...so stay tuned to www.fabricut.com. Most importantly, remember this: Decorating is about breaking all those silly rules... GET INSPIRED. Try something new, WHY NOT?
Charlotte Moss
“Setting the table is
everyday decorating.”
Tap it, let it go,
“There is a place in all of us where creativity brews.
don't fear it; I promise it will never let you down.�
the author.�
“An empty room is a story waiting to happen, and you are
“What makes a room •
wonderful
If a room is warm and inviting, it’s because someone has thought about how the room will open its arms and be ready to receive guests, just like a good hostess. The arrangement of furniture should encourage conversation because the interaction is what brings a room to life. • Ambiance is the presence of good books, flowers, fragrance, personal objects and collections that are more important than decoration itself. • Decoration is composition – the house, the house in a landscape, each room, each surface – how everything relates and communicates. It’s about the placement and details and the challenge of finding just the right object. •
is nothing you can see. It is something you •
el.”
You must understand people – how they dress, what they read, how they entertain; then and only then, can you create a home where all of these activities can be carried out. • Beauty is always the driving force; but without joy and delight and the knowledge that living is what truly matters, beautiful rooms are simply volumes of space filled with inanimate objects. •
Oftentimes a lot of planning precedes what appears to be a moment of casual, effortless spontaneity. Trust your instincts. Trust your eye. Trust yourself. •
soul, seduction and serenity.”
“Give me atmosphere – rooms that have
–
Create a fantasy – anyone can do a floor plan.” “Use your imagination. Be creative.
live, play, wander, dream, see, explore.
“You must learn how to
Then creating beauty is just like breathing.�
Why Not... • Curtain a room to give it glamour and softness? Any fabric will do – muslins, cottons, linens and sheets. • Envelop and saturate a room by layering pattern on the walls? • Create a maximum impact with just two fabrics by reversing their order on a tablecloth and curtains? • Hang pale curtains against dramatically darker walls? It allows maximum light into the room and creates drama by contrast. • Unify a small space with a bold print used everywhere, from curtains to cushions? • Enliven a color scheme with a brilliant accent, such as chartreuse, orchid or Granny Smith apple green? • Leave your curtains unlined to allow for maximum light and graceful movement when a breeze blows in? • Experiment, explore new ideas, explode boundaries. •
fascinates me.�
“I am a romantic, and I make no apologies for that. Every last detail
Embrace Charlotte Moss’ philosophy to “live passionately, decorate luxuriously and entertain beautifully.” She is a trusted voice on achieving a discerning elegance that is at the same time comfortable and informed. While Charlotte draws inspiration from her extensive travels, avid reading and the legacies of great women of style, she attributes her southern heritage as the most significant contributor to her own personal style. In addition to decorating luxurious private homes worldwide and designing products for the home, Charlotte has written seven books, lectures widely and has been the recipient of numerous awards. She is also a Contributing Editor for the
Wall Street Journal. Excerpts from: Charlotte Moss Decorates, Rizzoli 2011 and Charlotte Moss: A Flair for Living, Assouline 2008
charlottemoss.com • fabricut.com • 800.999.8200