New Products I've Found

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The Stray Dog Shop says they have 'fetching home accessories ........ ' and that they do. I loved the whimsy of this pendant lamp. To find some silliness today, check them out.

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Recently my family traveled to Laguna Beach and we found a new art gallery to add to our favorites: Fingerhut Gallery (they also have a location in Sausalito).

What drew us into this gallery was a seven foot tall bronze Cat In The Hat, and then we were greeted by hundreds of beautifully-framed serigraphs of Cat In The Hat art.

Green Eggs and Ham - 50th Anniversary
Hand-Pulled Serigraph on Paper
Limited Edition of 295 with 155 Collaborators’ Proofs

Said Dr. Seuss, "I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living; it’s a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, and that enables you to laugh at life's realities.” I so love this quote and concept! Rock on, Dr. Seuss artwork fantasyland!

With this in mind, go here to savor more time with more wonderfully Seussian characters, linger with each, recal your own connection to these lasting messages, enjoyable memories and life principles passed along through them.

Click here to see more of Cat In The Hat artwork from Fingerhut Gallery and remember, they have a shop in Laguna Beach and Sausalito.

But in the above very same Laguna Beach, California Fingerhut Gallery I found the following artpiece. This exquisitely-painted folded screen by Chinese artist Jiang Tiefeng is on display in the same shop where I found the comical and crazy but noteworthy Dr. Seuss art, I found artwork by Jiang Tiefeng including his painted folded screen.

I personally stopped in my tracks and snapped away with my camera: here it is:

In fact however I apologize for just being able to give you an image from my digital camera. I would much prefer to bring you the artist's own professional photographic representation, but I wasn't able to come up with it.

I love folding screens and I love this one. (Click here to see one of my previous articles about folding screens, including some in world-wide-known, historical locations.)
With permission of Ms. Marguerite Bartel of the Fingerhut Gallery of Laguna Beach, I include the folding screen here. The shop's phone number is 949-376-6410; Fingerhut publishes this product for artist Jiang Tiefeng (the screen is priced very reasonably).

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If decorating isn't easy for you or if you are in need of some particular interior design assistance, our designers at the Something Beautiful Shoppe will be happy to work with you - working with professional helps assure you get the look you deserve while helping eliminate costly mistakes.

Folding Screens Do Double Duty & More

It has just been announced that designer Michael Smith has been selected by the Obama's as the decorator for the White House so I wanted to include an example of how this hugely talented designer has used screens in his work.

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"Pheasants Under Cherry And Willow Trees," is an exceptional folding screen on gold leaf paper from the 1600's, and a beautiful example as we consider folding screens as elements of interior design.

Seen above, the Scott Fitzgerald Suite at the Ritz Paris Hotel hosts a beautiful painted folded screen; elegantly finishing off a corner of this distinguished room, it exemplifies how folding screens can serve as pieces of moveable art.

Folding screens are perhaps limitless in serving as interior design elements. They finish off corners as shown at the Paris Ritz, they screen off and hide storage areas, or as they have been used for centuries in Japanese homes, screens can add important areas of privacy.

It is believed that in Japan screens achieved their full aesthetic potential as important aspects of interior decoration. The resource center of the Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection of Asian Art tells us that screens originated in China, and that later as folding screens they entered Japan as gifts from the Korean Silla kingdom in 686 C.E.

During the late 16th century the use of a gold foil background for painted screens became extremely popular, allowing the owner to display his wealth and status, and serving a practical purpose as well. In late medieval Japan the construction of stone fortifications made the bright effect of the metallic panels an asset in dark castles.

Japanese homes, whether they were house, temple, or palace, had few permanent interior walls - as much as possible, interior space dividers were kept movable. Folding screens were used as temporary space dividers since they are relatively lightweight, easily folded to portable size and easy to move or store away. In addition, they were used to create private areas in- or out-of-doors, as gifts, as backgrounds for concerts or dancing, and as backdrops for important ceremonies, including Buddhist and other rites. Further:

"When decorated with a painting, a screen also became an object for visual pleasure and a symbol of the owner's wealth and power. And, check this out - screens were usually made to suit the needs and tastes of a particular individual."

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Below, the Folding Screen by Proulx shows how a screen can nicely divide between two distinct functioning areas. We see first a dining area with a beautiful mahogany table and apple green upholstered chairs, the screen also giving off an elegant show of light and shadows. On the other side, is a office work area, with a great combination of textured design pieces including a dramatic rug. While screens can help hide the harried work space - which in many home offices is a vital screen need - here the decorative folding screen is merely an alternate, but moveable, wall.

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Here are some tips on using a folding screen as an interior design element:

* For larger spaces a room divider can create two cozy rooms within one big space (i.e., add a dressing area to your bedroom by sectioning it off with a room divider).

* A room divider that is used kitty corner can double as storage space between the screen and the wall.

* A painted scenic room divider can be like a huge painting in the corner of your room.

* Need to hide the kids toys? Put a folding screen divider in the corner and just shove the toys behind it!

* A unique use of a room divider is to use it as a headboard.

* A room divider makes a perfect backdrop for plants.

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Let your inspiration guide you as you use folding screens creating beauty and function in your home.

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Incorporating folding screens as moveable art, or as a cozy room divider can sometimes be a challenge. If you are in need of some professional interior design assistance, our Directory of Designers can help you locate a professional in your area. Working with an interior designer helps assure you get the look you desire while helping eliminate costly mistakes.