I have a new facebook friend, it is always fun and interesting to connect with people with similar interests and creativity.
The world is a small place because of facebook, I am attending my 25th high school reunion this summer and found a classmate who lives near me; we have discovered that our daughters are in the same graduating class, how fun! My other new facebook friend is a creative soul who allowed me to interview her by phone a few days ago.
Venetian Décor (www.venetiandecor.ca) is a company run by Pamela Beattie in beautiful British Columbia. I felt an instant kinship with Pamela after a few exchanges on line and fell in love with her old world approach to style and design. As you know, I am passionate about classic homes and décor and the minute I saw Pamela’s designs I was determined to speak with her and get a more in-depth look at her creative process.
Venetian Décor utilizes vintage furs, supple Italian leather and retro bling to finish furniture and ultra diva accessories such as eye masks and ipod/ipad covers which are coming soon. Pamela has a desire to bring our past back to life and is fervent about using existing materials such as vintage furs to create one of a kind pieces for those of us who love glamour.
Now being a glamour girl is hard work, you must wear the correct sleepwear and slumber on satin pillowcases with your sheared beaver/Italian leather custom monogrammed eye mask. You must sleep in unnatural positions to not muss your hair and your lipstick must stay on at all times. When you rise in the morning you place your perfectly pedicured toes on a dainty ottoman upholstered in the most decadent chocolate mink. Sounds like a full time job, doesn’t it?
When you visit the web site for Venetian Décor you will see the old world glam and fashion at work but Pamela takes it a step further. She is also passionate about the environment and finishes her vintage or reproduction pieces by hand using VOC free paint and lavender beeswax.
I think even the furniture finishing sounds positively luxe! The pieces she creates utilizing vintage offerings are an excellent green story which keeps garments and furniture pieces out of our landfills.
The finished product at Venetian Décor is a more fabulous take on reusing and recycling and there is also a sentimental spin to her philosophy on design. You can have your vintage furs made into a fabulous footstool or accessory and preserve the memory of your glamorous mom or matriarchal grandmother.
Very few of us would actually wear the fur coat but having something gorgeous made from it still enables us to enjoy and stay connected to the memory of the piece.
From time to time I find valuable treasures that make me smile, the pieces offered by Pamela are an extension of her creative soul and reflect her love of time worn charm. The web site is beautifully developed and draws you in like a favorite antique shop where you linger in the lavender scented textiles and admire the rich wood cabinets.
Kim Lewis is an interior designer in Red Deer with Carpet Colour Centre. Feel free to contact her at 403-343-7711 ext 227 or email her at klewis@carpetcolourcentre.com.
