The Exchange at Annarella

File this under "you can't keep a good woman down."

For 9 years Pamela and I birthed, raised and then released Annarella. It was a great ride but it had to be closed. Now Pamela and 2 partners, Angie and Carly, are embarking on a new adventure. Meet The Exchange at Annarella - a design and consign boutique.

This is so exciting! An upscale consignment store for women's clothing, jewelry, personal accessories, home accessories and furniture. An opportunity to recycle and renew your closet and your home.

Along with the consignment component Pamela will continue to offer her design expertise in Annarella Home Studio. Currently she has several small continuing projects and is finishing up a project for the NARI tour. Go to website and click on image for tour. Her house is the one in downtown Georgetown.

So when you need design services Pamela will still be around and keeping everyone in style and comfort.

Lastly Annarella Girl will have a home at the Exchange. I'm excited to be part of this new concept and space which will be a totally unique mix of new and gently used items displayed and cared for in the Annarella way. I'm the first independent handmade business to be invited to have a presence ay the Exchange. Yhanks Pamela, Amgie and Carly.

Happy Birthday to Me

Guess what...this is my 100th blog. So it is my blog birthday.

When I started, this blog was going to be a window into the business of Annarella. Well, we've come a long way, baby. Annarella has closed. Pamela Skross is now solo with her business, Annarella Home Design Studio. Her physical space is still at 800 S Austin Ave in downtown Georgetown. For now she keeps all her samples and books in the same small design studio space just off the atrium. She also caretakes the atrium keeping it a calm and comfortable space to relax and talk. She is keeping busy with a variety of projects. Without any prejudice I recommend her as the best designer in central Texas and beyond. Call her, email, or check out the design section of Annarella online.

As you all know I've started Annarella Girl, a clothing line for babies to girls. I make limited edition and special order dresses and skirts. Check out my etsy page. This blog has becomes mostly about the development of this business as I work my way through the decisions of both the business and the design process. Occasionally family sneaks in. And more often I still support artists whose work I admire and love.

I wonder where I'll be in my evolution by blog 200. My life and my business have changed radically in the last year, and my forcast is that it will change more in the following year. Thanks for visiting with me. I hope you all will keep coming back. Rarely does anybody make comments, but when I'm out and about I'm always surprised by the nimber of people who tell me they read the blog. So I'll keep posting about Annarella Girl and everything else that catches my attention and I want to share.

Happy Birthday to me!!!!

Catching Up

It's been a busy week, so I've neglected all of my blog friends. Sorry. So I'll catch you up on a few of the doings.

First, there's been a lot of talk about a bill being introduced in the Texas legislature. As I understand it they are trying to tighten the restrictions for designers working on commercial projects by allowing only licensed interior designers for a commercial project. For a long time there has been a bit of friction between interior designers and decorators. In order to call oneself an interior designer, one must have a degree and state license which is renewed each year. They are qualified to work on projects that include changing walls, electrical, etc. A decorator is not licensed and can work on space planning, color ways, furniture placement etc. Typically an interior designer charges slightly more than a decorator because of the higher level of education. But a license does not necessarily make one a good designer when it comes to the aesthetics of a room. The emotional feel of a room is often from the color palette, type and style of furniture and its placement, the judicious use of accessories, window treatments and floor coverings.

Locally there has always been a peace between the two camps. We are careful not to refer to Pamela as an interior designer. She is a decorator with 14 years of experience. She is quite happy to leave any structural changes that a client wants in the hands of an architect and she has worked with many of the local builders and architects to incorporate her client's needs and wants. Her forte is in listening to a client and helping them get the home that function well for them and be aesthetically pleasing. She wants a client to enjoy going into the spaces they have worked on together. She is good at this and has many satisfied customers.

To change the law may be fixing a problem which is not there. (And we all know that can just create a whole bunch of new problems.) Keep the distinction between interior designers and decorators as it is now. Punish anyone who claims to be an interior designer but is not licensed. But allow a decorator to work with architects as a consultant for chosing fixtures, flooring, colors, placement of electrical outlets etc. Don't stand in the way of a decorator from working with the aesthetics of homes. There is a need for both of them in the world of design.

On a final note, at Annarella Home we encourage potential clients to ask for references and talk to people who have used Pamela for their design projects. We are proud of her talents and think she is special. She doesn't want to have to go through the licensing process because she doesn't want to know how to move walls. She would rather leave that to the architect. Her passion lies with the furniture, colors and textures of fabrics, the challenge of space planning, and accessorizing to create a mood.

See picture below for an example of what she can do.

If I have mispoke about the intent of the bill, it is my fault and lack of understanding, not Pamela's or anyone else. Feel free to set me straight.

Ellie

Change is good

On Inaugaration Day 2009 change is a key word. It's exciting to see such crowds and such enthusiasm. Even if America must face reality and a lot of tough work tomorrow, it is fun to celebrate change and possibilities today.

As a lot of you know already, Annarella is making some major changes. We've been selling our inventory at 50% off so we can consolidate into 2 rooms and become Annarella Home, Pamela's design services. This week we should be able to begin to move all the fabrics into their new home, our second room. We will be vacating the atrium and adjoining design studio. Although there is a little sadness, this feels more and more right as we progress. The current economic climate means we have to tighten our belt and find ways to trim the overhead without hurting the wonderful design services that we can provide. So we are reducing the gift items we carry as we reduce our retail presence in downtown.

Our new store hours are Tues -Sat 11-5. But Pamela can be reached on her cell for questions and appoinments 512-818-6026. We welcome appointments for before or after regular hours. For the time being we will remain at 800 S Austin Ave here in downtown Georgetown. We promise to keep everyone updated on all coming changes.

Ellie will expand her Hugs from Mimi girls handmade clothing line. Right now I'm working hard at developing new designs and looks for spring. I'm building up stock with an addition of two skirts. Meanwhile I'll be working with Pamela. My smiling face will still be the one behind the desk. So stop in and see me. Any questions about the clothes can be emailed annarella@thegateway.net as I work on a schedule of art fairs I'll attend and on a website.

So change is good here. Thanks to everyone who has had such good things to say to us. Thanks to everyone who has said they'll miss us. We're still here just morphing.

A Little Show and Tell with Pamela

I asked Pamela to tell this audience a little about her design perspecive. Those who know Pamela realize that by asking her to verbalize her vision, I'm pushing her outside her comfort zone. So if you enjoy this post, please let her know.

Nine years ago I approached my children about my idea to open a retail gallery. After discussing the idea and the possibilities my daughter-in-law,Pamela, agreed to be my partner in my dream. She had experience in retail and design from being a manager of Expressions Furniture in Austin; so we combined my love of art and crafts with her knowledge of furniture and eye for design to create Annarella Home. Now 8 years and two children later we are still partners, still enjoying our store and still following our dream.

Design projects have become a huge part of our business. Pamela's reputation as a talented designer keeps her busy. She is creative, innovative and most importantly responsive to her client's needs. Enjoy her words along with some pictures from several of her projects.

Do you have favorite elements of design that you enjoy the most? My favorite thing is putting it all together at the end. After the client chooses their big pieces of furniture, I get to shop for surprise accessories, pillows, art and rugs. I usually kick the homeowners out of their house for the day of the install. When they come back the look on their faces is priceless! That is my favorite part!!!How do you stay up with new trends and products? New products...Market and TV. New trends...in design they come shortly after fashion. Whatever the new colors are in the fashion world, you know that they will be out in home interior styles shortly. I do have to say that I don't like "trendy" though. My goal is to create something the client will enjoy living in for a long time...not just until the "trend" is over. Also I work with so many families that I think listening to what is functional for them and then making it beautiful is the most important trend of all.What designers do you admire? I like quite a few, but my favorite is probably Candice Olsen. We don't get to do a lot of modern design here in Texas so I love watching her put together her modern or classic contemporary rooms! Are there any home and design magazines that you recommend? Not really. I usually tell clients to look through them all and pull out pages of things that really speak to them, There might be one thing in a picture that they like, such as a window treatment or a sofa. It really helps to have a magazine portfolio to show the designer so we can all be on the same page and create the dream room they want.What style is your home? A bit eclectic but mostly comfy and kid friendly!!! I love neutrals punched with color and a lot of texture in everything.

Good news in a slow housing market

One of Annarella Homes' design projects has just resulted in a quick sale for the homeowner. Pamela worked on this house from the slab up picking wonderful colors in flooring, walls, and countertops. Notice the appealing lights and fixtures. Then she completed the project by choosing the timeless, comfortable, family friendly furniture and accessories. Feast your eyes on these photos which show how good design can create a liveable house that will show well when the time comes to sell it.