Last year I wrote about my friend in Dallas who had recently updated her living room – using the talented design team of Ray*Weitman. My favorite item in her newly revamped room was the old Zuber wallpaper remnant that was framed and hung to the side of her fireplace. In fact, I enlarged the picture of it and cropped it so that it would really shine and be the highlight of the story. When you love something, well – it never hurts to exaggerate that feeling or emotion for effect.
Close-up of my friend’s grisaille Zuber wallpaper remnant, framed.
A few months after the post showing the Zuber wallpaper, I got an interesting email from Simon P. Scott who owned the retail shop and wholesale business Jardins en Fleur. I had first heard of Simon when my partner, Megan of Beach Bungalow 8, talked about him and his beautiful store on the Skirted Roundtable one night. I had laughed at her pronunciation Jardins en Fleur, which she said in an exaggerated and affected French accent. “Say it again Megan, Jaardaan and flowwwer???” – I retorted in my annoying and whiny southern drawl (hey, I know my voice is horrible and I apologize to all who listen to the Skirted Roundtable. I need to take some diction classes to tony it up a bit.) I digress. Simon emailed me with some interesting and rather shocking news. First he said he had closed his shop and was moving in a different direction. Closing it? I never even got to visit it!!!! Most surprising was his confession.
Now, I get a lot of emails from people who read the blog, but none has ever played out like this email. I was pretty shocked when I read what Simon had to say:
Simon confessed he had read about my friend’s grisaille Zuber wallpaper remnant, framed in her living room, and became inspired by it. In fact, he said, that blog story with the Zuber had actually lifted him out of the deep funk he had been in after his store closed. Really? Acting on the inspiration of the grisaille Zuber, Simon had created an entirely new line of chinoiserie inspired drawings that he was going to sell, framed and unframed, at the Gift and Decor markets around the country.
I love to hear from fans of my blog. It’s the best part of the job. But truly, no one before has ever written me saying a post I had written had inspired a new business venture. I was flattered to say the least. Actually, I’m not quite sure I believed Simon when he said that that ONE picture inspired his whole new line, but I’m desperate for positive feedback, so I lapped it up. Simon’s new line is now complete and he has attended several shows where it was met with great success. Of course. He has a long history of success in the retail field. Years before, he had designed products that were huge sellers. See if you remember some of his earlier designs:
There were these bottles with metal tops, along with a line of shabby-chic white crusty accessories.
There were also various sconces and chandeliers and lamps in his product line.
But, the biggest success was this: The Bombay Co. came calling asking for 30,000 lamps for which they would pay $14 each. In order to make the lamps at that price, Simon was forced to go to China, which is how he ended up doing business there. The natural progression of things lead from making lamps to designing hand painted wallpapers on silk that was then made in China. Simon has been creating these chinoiserie inspired wallpapers for years now, selling them through Jardins en Fleur. While he still creates those wallpapers, it is his new collection, inspired by my friend’s grisaille Zuber remnant, that has really taken off at market. Today he works under a new business name - Jardins du Jour and to celebrate his new line, Simon has offered a giveaway to a lucky Cote de Texas reader!!
This framed item from Jardins du Jour will be given away to the winner! I absolutely adore this!!!!!
Simon was sweet enough to even send me one of his new grisaille wallpapers, framed, which I hung in my family room.
Here’s a close up!!
Here are some more examples of the new line at Jardins du Jour. I love this combination of the grisaille background with bright color accents.
There is a series of chinoiserie figures. Here are two examples.
There is also a nature series with different birds.
Here’s another chinoiserie inspired painting.
This Jardins du Jour wallpaper can be installed on a screen.
This wallpaper can be ordered on panels, framed.
All the papers can be custom colored. In fact anything in the line can be custom colored or sized. To see the entire line of available papers, please go here: www.jardinsdujour.com
Rules for the giveaway:
In order the win the painting above, all you have to do is go to Simon’s web site Jardins du Jour at www.jardinsdujour.com – look around at the Portfolio, and pick out what YOU like best. Come back to this comment section and leave me a comment with your choice. A winner will be chosen this Friday night at 11:59 pm. That’s all! The prize is the framed painting above. Be sure to leave your name on the comment or if you post anonymously – leave your email so we can contact you if you win! Good luck!!!! And thank you Simon, so much, for your generous giveaway!
