Mrs. Howard Personal Shopper

We are hiring in Charlotte!

We have a job opening in Charlotte, and we thought what better way to find a fabulous employee than to let our readers know. It is a full-time position in our stores, Mrs. Howard and Max & Company.  We are looking for someone with a strong background in interior design – preferably a degree and/or experience in the industry. Retail experience will play a very important part, as well.

If you have this background and think you might be a good fit, please email me your resume: lkennelly@jmhoward.net and put "Charlotte Application" in the subject line. Please also include photos from your design portfolio. If you have applied with us before, please don't hesitate to apply again - we have so many applicants to go through, and we certainly don't want to overlook anyone!

This is a wonderful, rewarding position. We look forward to hearing from you!

Velvet dining room at Mrs. Howard in Charlotte

Weekly Q&A with Phoebe: Starting Point in Decorating

Question: I find it so overwhelming to decide where I should begin when decorating a room. How do you start? With a fabric or carpet or ...?

Phoebe's answer: Good question, and I can give you one perfect example. Often times, there is something that is existing within in the house – color, architecture, layout, etc – that cannot be changed. In this case of this house, it was the kitchen – it was preexisting. I was very pleased with the kitchen that had been done by the previous owners, so this room became the spring point.

This is the fabulous bright blue glass tile that guided all decorating decisions in the downstairs of this house.


In the breakfast room adjoining the kitchen, we found this blue glass chandlier to pull the bright blue out of the kitchen into this room. In keeping with the playful tone of the chandelier, we chose a fun fabric for the dining chairs.



In the formal dining room, we took the blue and watered it down and used the blue on the seat cushions. The client already owned the dining table and chairs. Then we layered in warm tones of gold and caramel and added rich mahogany antiques and touches of gold and crystal. While very formal, this dining room feels very warm at the same time.


In the living room, we used the same warm gold tone on the walls (Straw by Benjamin Moore) and used the same palette in a softer way – golds, caramels and blues. 

There is always a starting point – just have to keep your eyes peeled for it.
To see this entire project on, go to my web site here.

Before and After of the Week

Last week, we showed you the living room, foyer and dining room of our Atlanta client's home. Today we are sharing the master bedroom.

In this room, the client wanted a king bed and soft carpeting. The room had low ceilings and not very much architectural integrity, so we suggested this higher upholstered headboard and footboard (which is designed by Suzanne Kasler). In a small space, it makes a strong statement. Like in the other rooms of the house, we are using painted finishes and light woods and a soft palette. We hung a collection of architectural engravings around the bed to balance the large headboard and add even more height. The wall color is Alaskan Husky by Benjamin Moore. Take a look at the changes!

Before:


After:

Phoebe's Top Ten: White Paint Colors

"What are our favorite colors" might be the most common question we get. As part of our Top Ten series, we are going to share Phoebe's favorite paint colors. We'll be doing it once a month, and for our first post, we'll start with white. I feel like I can hear the cheers as I type this! In no particular order, take a look at the whites we turn to again and again:

Atrium White - Benjamin Moore



China White - Benjamin Moore



Cloud Cover - Benjamin Moore



Clunch - Farrow & Ball



Decorator's White - Benjamin Moore



James White - Farrow & Ball



Pointing - Farrow & Ball



Super White - Benjamin Moore



White Dove - Benjamin Moore



White Tie - Farrow & Ball

Take a virtual tour of Phoebe's work in Hearst's Designer Visions Show house

We wish we could take everyone to see Hearst’s Designer Visions show house that Phoebe and Jim decorated - it is incredible - and it officially welcomed its first guests Tuesday night at the opening party! Fortunately, there is a great interview with Phoebe and Jim you can watch online that also showcases the entire apartment. Also, for all of you subscribers out there, you should have the House Beautiful issue by now that features the Howard’s work on the cover (I got mine yesterday)! We’ll post the images here once it hits newsstands (so we don’t spoil it for those who pick it up each month).

For now, take a tour of the apartment by clicking here - you won't be disappointed.