Wednesday morning with Robert Allen

 Marshall from R.A. visited us today and wowed us with an inspiring trunk show. Robert Allen is one of the leading fabric houses in the interior design community.So many fabulous fabrics, for every room, in all the trendiest weaves and colours. His visit was very timely, as we are in the midst of our Fabric Sale.

This geometric patterm would be great for a chair makeover, or for dining seats. Also would make a fun pillow on a sofa.

Dots are not for everybody, but these dots are large scaled and not so dotty looking. They don't remind us of polkadot dresses from the 60's, which is a good thing.

Trellis pattern is hot hot hot. Sofa, chair, chairseats, pillows, you name it, it would work well on any piece of furniture. It works well with floral patterns, solids or stripes. So if you are trying to freshen up your space, reupholstering a piece of furniture in this fabric would be a sure hit!

Fabric designers are inspired by ethnic influences, and we welcome these fabrics in our homes because they remind us of our travels. This Suzani in fresh colours on a lightweight cloth is easy on the walet at $46/yd on sale.

What dramatic drapery panels this fabric would make!

Love the colour combo on this pattern, the soft mauve, yellow and earth colour make a great combination. If you have a beige or camel coloured sofa, this fabric would be a nice choice for a chair or drapery.

This Ikat is another enthnic print in gorgeous shades. At $42/yd it's an unbelievable value.

Sheers are a big trend for drapery and roman shades. The timeless embroidery details and subtle colour choices make this a favourite of ours.

Damask pattern originates from the Middle Ages, named after the city of Damascus, part of the Silk Road trading and manufacturing. It's safe to say, damasks will never go out of style.

Since sheers and stripes are one of the hottest trends this year, we love this fabric. The wide stripes and the play of textures makes this a winner.

Another great sheer!

If we were in the fashion industry, we would make a pair of pants of this glam fabric. But a pair of glam chairs would be even more fun.

The scale of this pattern makes this fabric ideal for draperies. 

This textured fabric is so romantic. Bedding or draperies would be sweet in any of the four shades it comes in.

Mad for plaid!

 Every cottage can use a little bit of plaidness. Is it that time already? This unbelievably warm weather is making us think of cottage time already. Welcome spring, so glad you are here!

Thanks to Marshall for a great visit with us!

Sleep in style

Spring is in the air, and with that comes the desire to refresh, renew. It's time to banish winter coats & boots and revive our closets with spring wardrobes. I don't know about you, but I always feel that my home needs refreshing too. Ideas of room makeovers, new paintcolours spring into my mind. The easiest tweak is the bedroom, with a change of new bedding a whole new feel can be created. See below what inspires us at Rousseaus this spring for our bedrooms.

Beatrice Linen duvet cover & shams. King duvet cover and shams: $475. Queen $429.

This is the closeup of Beatric Linen. Isn't it so springy?

Meet Constance, a more colourful set, with soft blues and neutrals.

This is Constance in black and taupes.

 And Constance in romantic red.

Here is Irene in sky colours.

Audrey in shades of spa.

Natalie in khaki and reds.

This is a new line of bedding we carry from SOUP Home. Laundered, french look in a fun combination of textures and cottons.

This is the Iona collection in white.

A closeup of the intricate details.

This is how it's packaged. Isn't it neat?

For those who like to live on the colourful side of life, Arabella is a lot of fun.

Queen duvet cover with two shams: $240.

 The purple, turquoise and green tones in this duvet set can liven up any bedroom. It is also a  fantastic value at $240.

Are you inspired to revive your bedroom?

Get the look!

This fresh take on the refined farmhouse look has gained popularity due to its cozy, timeless feel.

Surrounding ourselves with furniture that have a sense of history makes us feel right at home.

No need to move to Europe to get the look though.

The mix of distressed finishes, medium tone wood stains, worn grey & taupe & cream painted finishes make up this endearing look. 

Here is the Rousseau's kit to living the European way:

Cane armchair. Now $659 each

54"D round table with 20" leaf.  Now $1949

Treste table sized 5' & longer in choice of stains. From $2750

Glass door cabinet. Now $3059

Sideboard & hutch in choice of stains and paint finishes. Now $3929

Bayside chandelier. Now $798

 The fabrics incorporated for this look are pure and simple. Grey, oatmeal, taupe shades in linens and cottons are used for upholstery. For window treatments, think light & airy, feeling the breeze sort of fabrics. Simply pleated linen sheers, soft embroidered linens hang casually in windows.

Kazak pleat in three shades. Now:$55/yd

Linen slub in 19 shades. Now: 36/yd

Eight square in three shades.  Now: $88/yd

Thom Filica 30818. Now: $99/yd

The right shade of paint colour completes this look.

Benjamin Moore's Escarpment, Silver Fox, Stone, Revere Pewter are our

favourite shades of greys for your walls.

  When in doubt, come & see us. We'll help you create the home you love to live in.

Honduras Threads Pillows

Honduras Threads, a nonprofit organization, started the first co-op in Santa Cruz Arriba as part of a missionary trip in Honduras. There are now 6 co-ops, where women have opportunities to work, learn business skills, practice applique and embroidery skills in a safe and pleasant work environment. The co-ops have made a big difference in the lives of these rural households where the average annual income for a family of six was $1800.

The beautiful designs are the work of artists Pamela Nelson and Barbara Velhum.

The Honduran women bring their own artistry to the basic design concept with their choices of colour, fabric and embroidery stitches.