Gift Guide & Holiday Decorating from the Queen

It’s that time of year again . . . when everyone gets in the decorating spirit first and then moves on to choosing gifts for their friends and family second. Can you say, busy?

You might be the one in the neighborhood that “decks the halls” to the hilt, or the one that puts out your favorite decorations and calls it a day or what I like to call “Christmas Lite.” Since our boys are living out of state, we have found it very cathartic to pick out the decorations that mean the most to us and not bring down all 40 boxes from the attic. Don’t get it wrong, we thoroughly enjoy the holidays and love seeing all the decorations in our friends and family’s homes, we just take the more relaxed approach!

Now when it comes to gift giving, we might be over the top. Are you one that puts a lot of thought into it, or do you buy what is popular? Do you give gifts that you would like to receive yourself?

As you get older and wiser, we tend to give practical gifts. Some that come to mind are dishtowels, candles, glassware, and holiday themed decorations. This time of year inspires all of us to be creative with a little bit of practicality thrown in. The Queen is a great place to shop for gifts for anyone on your list!

Some of the decorating trends this year are checked bows in black/white, black/red and tan/black, frosted holly stems. Vintage Christmas ornaments and decorations are very popular this year, including those wonderful silver tinsel trees. 

How many ceramic Christmas trees do you have? Our book club holiday dinner was last week, and the hostess, Alice had three ceramic trees – all different, but what a nice look having them sitting around the room giving off the light from the tiny lights, reminding all of us our childhood.

Nature seems to be popping up in holiday decorating this year. Pine trees cut into rustic leaning Christmas trees are flying out the door to adorn mantels and tables. These paired with the checked bows make for a very homey, warm look in any home. Burlap is still in the mix pairing well with mercury glass deer and candleholders, rocking the rustic meets modern look. 

Customers always share with us their love for our wide selection of holiday décor.One dealer-merchant will display all vintage Christmas ornaments and collectibles while another will go more modern with all teal colored glass ornaments and silver bows. It is always a fun time at the Queen of Hearts with all 500+ dealer-merchants decking their booths with their versions of the holiday season!

Stacey Anderson is the owner of all three Queen of Hearts locations in Alpharetta, Buford and Marietta. Follow us on Instagram or Facebook to see more items for the holidays!

2018 Trend Alert: Mid-Century Modern

Flip through any furniture brochure or stroll through any home décor store and you’re bound to notice beautiful retro style Mid-Century Modern furniture and accessories. It may be 2018, but the nostalgic pull of the ingenious architectural designs of the 1950’s is taking modern-day homes back in time.

The enduring popularity of the Mid-Century Modern style is based on many factors. It's classic, beautiful and a little bit funky. Low-slung sofas, bold patterns and fabulous furniture pieces with simple, clean lines and tapered legs successfully combine to create rooms that are stylish, functional and comfortable. It’s no wonder people continue to be drawn to this iconic design style.

While there is some disagreement about when the period started, it roughly lasted from the mid-1930s to mid-1960s. Technological advances led to production and development of a range of new materials making it possible to explore new textures and effects, colors and even new form. The timeless quality of the style, however, continues to appeal to today's homeowners. 

   

Do you find yourself drawn to Mid-Century Modern décor? Dream of incorporating a little (or a lot) of this timeless style into your home, but not sure where to start? By understanding the distinguishing features of the style, you can pieces that echo that. Iconic pieces from this era have been adapted and copied endlessly, and chances are that you might be able to find pieces that fit your lifestyle needs and budget, if you don't want to spend a fortune on furniture. Here are some tips:

• Vintage Mid-Century Modern furniture pieces are the key to a fabulous Mid-Century Modern room. Start here by considering Boyhill, Lane, Kent Coffey, or Mt. Airy furniture. One large piece can set the tone for your room nicely.
• Build around it. It does not have to be a set, but avoid too many patterns and stay within a color range, especially for wood.
• Layer in pops of color with artwork or fabrics, just a bit of bold pattern and of course a little shine with metallic accents (star bust mirror anyone?)
• Try lighting fixtures like unique pendant lights and remember, mid-century modern is not a matchy,-matchy style, so no need to find lamp sets!
• Pull in a few plants and a chic terrarium & voila! You’ve got a timelessly beautiful Mid-Century Modern room.

True Mid-Century Modern furniture and accessories are highly sought after, and finding good pieces can be difficult, but we can help! We have over 500 dealers in 3 locations and during February, the Buford Queen will be featuring Mid-Century Modern furniture in their dealer consignment area. Chances are, we’ve got some fantastic items just waiting to become part of your fab new Mid-Century Modern room!

Follow us on Facebook or Instagram to see more from our dealers, including this recent post featuring Mid-Century Modern pieces!

Meet Dealer Alan & Sandy Kelley (Dealer Code KRAZY) of Krazy Al's Music

Each month we feature one of our dealer-merchants from each of our three stores that offers unique, one-of-a-kind antiques and merchandise for your home and garden. We have a lot of creative, savvy and talented dealers and we thought you would enjoy getting to know them!

Alan and Sandy Kelley (Dealer Code KRAZY) of Krazy Al's Music specialize in unique and vintage musical instruments and accessories. They've been dealers at the Queen of Hearts Buford for four and a half years, and love the great people they meet every time they're in the store.

Alan and Sandy love the "old is new" and rustic trends, which you can see in their home through 50's and Disney collectibles. Outside of filling their booth on S. Battery St at the Queen, their hobbies include picking and collecting unique items for their home. Their favorite items to sell are guitars and they love seeing them find new homes with Queen customers. Alan and Sandy also have one daughter Shanna, and Alan works at Guitar Outlet in Commerce, GA. 

Be sure to stop by KRAZY on S Battery St and say hi! 

Are you a dealer? If you want to be featured on our blog, email us at queenofheartspr@gmail.com!

Dealer Feature: Romancing the Home, Cindy Collins

Each month we are featuring our great dealers in our blog, to give a little background on them, how they got started at The Queen, and what trends they are seeing! Meet Cindy Collins, a dealer who has been at the Buford Queen of Hearts for three years, and is located on Broad St, dealer code RHT1. Visit her Facebook page Romancing the Home at the Queen of Hearts, to see all of her gorgeous items and Like her to be updated on new arrivals!

As an interior designer, I always enjoyed the pursuit of “the look” as much as the finished project. Room by room, house by house, it was a quest...a quest to match client lifestyles and personalities with uniquely designed interiors. After years in the field, I took a long sabbatical to care for my seriously ill, teenaged daughter. After eight long years, a few trips to the Mayo Clinic, and the Grace of God, she got her life back and so did I.

I wasn’t sure how to get back into the game, but strangely enough, the game found me. I was asked by my church to join the building committee to advise and consult on our new three-story addition. Suddenly, I found myself entrenched in carpet and tile samples, paint chips, fabric swatches and 3,000 opinions. Serving on a church committee means three things. No pay, long hours and a tight budget (and did I mention 3,000 opinions?). Working under these conditions made me realize how much I enjoyed the pursuit (again) but this time, the challenge was finding the “look” and being frugal at the same time. It takes a lot more creativity to do more with less and I was loving it! As the church project neared completion, I was well on my way to becoming a dealer/merchant at Queen of Hearts Antiques and Interiors in Buford. I had a short stint with a partner, then expanded to two booths, and ultimately in my current location at the front of the store. 

Combining my experience as an interior designer and picker, I have found my passion for painting and repurposing furniture, creating that “one-of-a-kind find”. Often times, I paint furniture that some revere as blasphemy. Yes, I paint antiques. Is there a support group for this? “My name is Cindy and I paint antique furniture.” I also “saved” a lot of pieces that were so far gone, refinishing was out of the question, but a coat of paint breathed new life into it. Painting can transform furniture from the ordinary to the extraordinary and most assuredly making it unique. 

               

When asked what’s trending today in furnishings and design, my best answer is the “pursuit of unique”. Seek that one-of-a-kind piece that reflects your personality and lifestyle. Shop vintage and antique. Don’t be afraid to mix finishes, stained with painted, old with new. If you love it, that’s reason enough!

Visit me at the Queen of Hearts in Buford, dealer code RHT1 on Broad St, and Like my page Romancing the Home at the Queen of Hearts! I'd love to help you find the perfect piece for your home and help you find your "look." - Cindy