The Mayers Chair

Help us name a Spring 2012 J Banks Collection new introduction!

How would you like your name to be represented on a fabulously stylish piece of J Banks Collection furniture? Imagine editorial press featuring you, only in furniture form!    All you have to do is answer two fun little questions in the comments section below –

What is your favorite J Banks Collection piece and why?

The Details:

We are preparing to launch the Spring 2012 J Banks Collection in just a few months and are heading to the Stanford Furniture factory in Claremont, NC this week.

As we finalize the design and detailing of each piece, we want to invite you to be part of the process.  The winner of our special contest will get an insider’s peek of our new introductions, get to choose their favorite and then to name the piece after themselves!

Entry Info:

Provide your answer to our questions by 5pm on Monday, January 30^th.   On Tuesday, January 31,^st we will randomly select and announce the winner!  Make sure that you are our friend on Facebook or Twitter so that we may contact you.  If not, like or follow us now by clicking on the icon links to the right.  Only one entry per person please.

The J Banks Collection:

The J Banks Collection is a line of chic, transitional upholstery and casegood pieces designed by Joni and manufactured by Stanford Furniture.  Launched during the Spring 2007 High Point Furniture Market, the collection has received numerous editorial features, appearing in publications including VERANDA, Coastal Living, Hamptons Cottages & Gardens and Interior Design – just to name a few!  Joni’s inspiration for the pieces comes from her continuous travel to different regions for J Banks’ interior design projects. Combining distinctive shapes, fashion-forward lacquer finishes and luxurious textures, the furniture line is fit for any vernacular or design style.  By merging over-sized structures with whimsical details and rich, vibrant finishes, the J Banks Collection breaks the mold of conventional furniture design.

Visit Stanford Furniture to view the entire collection.

Anna Sofa and Catherine End Table

Edmond Dining Table and Banquette composed of Wendy, Dana and Bella Dining Chairs

Cubbage Sofa and Jessica End Table (far left)

Deb Chair and Mary Jane Demi Lune

Diane Sofa

Deb Wing Chair and Amy Ottoman

Darcie Chair and Catherine End Table

Wilkins Banquette and Edmond Dining Table

Slice Chair

Aaron Console and Natalie Stool

Kristin Bed and Lemieux Stool

Van Plew Swivel Chair

Again, you can view the entire collection on the Stanford Furniture website.

Good Luck!

JB

Anna:  Repurposing at its best! These throw pillows made of vintage Hermes scarves add the instant chic factor to any decor.

Kelly: I fell in love with the Greek key serveware by The Mane Lion.  This beautiful colorful collection of Italian ceramic tabletop gets me really excited about Spring and Summer coming up!  And I LOVE  LOVE LOVE the chips and dip platter.

Anna: A fresh approach from Pulvermacher Designs. I love the global influence, patterns and vibrant colors in these decoupage accessories.

Hannah: I love Waylande Gregory’s newest additions – mirrored everything!

Kelly: Ame & Lulu is one of my favorite “go to’s” for fun bags and accessories for all different activities including the beach, tennis, golf, etc. They are offering great refreshing colors for Spring and Summer!

Anna: This Stray Dog paper mache demi lune is the coolest. I think a pair of these would be glamourous yet playful  nightstands.

Kelly: Peter Alan Designs had great new table top items for interior/exterior use.  They are casual chic and always in style for entertaining.

Anna: This is statement artwork that doesn’t cost a fortune.  I love the simplicity of the silhouette on the reclaimed wooden backdrop.

Hannah: These Sugarboo enclosure cards have witty sayings for any occasion.

Anna: Joni and I loved these canvas and leather totes (so much that we purchased them for ourselves and the store). They are nautically inspired yet have fashion detailing that make them a Spring must have!

Hannah: Vietri’s new Italian Stoneware collection Lastra has great organic lines and is very durable. The pitcher is particularly stunning.

Kelly: Nancy Price has introduced her collection through Design Legacy.  I love the whole color palette with soft blue-grays, taupe, brighter blues and some metallics as accents. It is a beautiful twist on ordinary furniture pieces.

Anna:  This quirky ottoman also by Design Legacy just delights me! I imagine it in a funky yet hip beachside retreat.

Hannah: I could think of a MILLION fabulous arrangements to do in Camilla House’s oversized woven urns.

Anna: I am addicted to color so this lacquered turquoise dining table from Roberta Schilling made me swoon.

From Left to Right: Hannah Fulton, Retail Designer, Kelly Caron, Retail Associate and Registry Coordinator, Anna Ruby, VP Creative and Kathleen Mayers of KPM flooring enjoy a much needed break after a long day at market.

Right now, there’s something about a white kitchen that I’m really drawn to visually.  Maybe it has to do with the New Year – starting fresh, making resolutions to declutter and organize, eat better and lose weight.  Or maybe it’s the crispness of white that makes anything paired with it more vivid like the polish of cabinet hardware or a bowl of bright green apples sitting on the counter.

For those of you who know me well, you know that I love spending a Saturday afternoon reading cookbooks.  I’m no chef by any means, but I love to read new recipes and think of ideas on how to put a spin on the typical week night meal.  Check out these kitchens that are cook’s dream.

This kitchen shows how small amounts of black can create such an impact.  With the horizontal butt board and rough hewn columns, this kitchen would be right at home in the Lowcountry.

This kitchen has big windows that frame the hood, and the white creates such a contrast to the ceiling detail.

I love everything about this space.

I can picture all my girlfriends crowded around this island, laughing and helping prepare the big meal.

The simplicity of this kitchen really grabs my attention.  There is a ton of storage, but it’s still so open and airy.

This kitchen has so many elements I love including big windows, butt board and a cooktop that while large and black does not seem heavy because of all of the white in the room.

A white kitchen can still have a lot of personality and does not have to be plain.

The industrial elements coupled with the white bring a lot of character to this space.

Most importantly, kitchens are for cooking! Here are a few of my favorite cookbooks:

Bon Appetit,

We recently had the opportunity to sit down with Joni Vanderslice to discuss her experiences at the December 2011 Showtime ITMA (International Textile Market Association) textile, leather and trimmings market. The Showtime market, located in High Point, NC, is a biannual event and is the largest trade show for textiles, leather and trimmings in the Western Hemisphere. It is a pre-eminent upholstery event and showcases the latest and greatest in new product introductions and color trends. The show boasts more than 113 professional exhibitors and is attended by more than 800 international trade visitors with direct buying power. Showtime is essentially the beginning of any fabric’s story.  If you have ever owned a couch, sat in an upholstered booth at a restaurant or purchased window treatments of any kind, the fabric used to make those items first appeared here.

JB: What was your primary reason for attending the fabric market this year?

Joni: My primary reason for attending the market this year was to select fabrics for the upholstered pieces of my Spring 2012 J Banks Collection.

JB: What particular fabric patterns, textures and materials were you looking for?

Joni: I was focused on finding ikats, suzannis, trellis designs, boucles, flocked velvet on linen and Belgian linens.

JB: Speaking of being focused, how did you prevent yourself from getting overwhelmed with the multitude of choices?

Joni: I think it is important to go into these situations knowing what you are looking for and keeping your focus narrow.

JB: What particular trends did you see that you were impressed with? 

Joni: There were so many beautiful new fabrics but I really loved the pieces with tribal influences. I was also very excited to see more true Belgian linens being offered.  This was a very rare option just a few short years ago so to see these fabrics readily available is really exciting for designers.

JB: You brought some fabric samples to share with us.  Can you tell us a little bit about those? 

Joni: Sure. Of course I was looking for suzannis and ikats. These Valdese (top left) fabrics were great and I loved the flame patterned  fabric and the Missoni inspired fabric. I found this great Robert Allen (below right) flocked velvet.  The trellis design (above left) particularly appealed to me in that it features a pattern composed of X’s and O’s which has become a recurring motif of J Banks.

JB: We can’t wait to see how these fabrics look on the new J Banks Collection pieces that will be unveiled at the April High Point Furniture Market.  Thanks for sharing with us Joni! JB

When Life Gives you Lemons….Make Limoncello!

Ciao Tutti! (Hi Everyone),

Maybe it’s due to all of the warm weather we are having around here lately, or perhaps the New Year has me feeling especially optimistic, because I am totally into YELLOW right now. Check out these inspiration pictures below featuring my current favorite hue.

At Castello di Casole, the Limonaia was where they kept  the lemon trees during the winter. Later this year this building will be transformed into 5 Loft style suites with private terraces. Check out the site photos (below) along with a rendering of the completed space (above).

Each suite in the Limonaia will feature an original lemon painting from Tuscan artist Cassandra Wainhouse.

Check out the onice miele marble slabs that will be the flooring in the hotel entry. I had an amazing trip to Carrara to pick these slabs with Luigi, one of the construction managers in Italy.

FAB chairs! I found these last summer at the Pandolfini Auction House in Florence. I also found this great lamp with a reclaimed terra cotta base.

My stepson Aiden rocked a yellow shirt in Rome. I love this picture of him.

Outdoor floor lamp by Aresill!

Yellow keeps popping up everywhere for me including the pages of Veranda, Elle  and other fashion and decor magazines – like these two that I liked so much I tore them out to keep them!

The quintessential Italian diva, Sophia Loren!

One of my favorite Italian drinks is Limoncello. Let me leave you with this easy and quick recipe by Mario Batali:

Mario Batali’s Limoncello

Ingredients

• 4 cups vodka
• Zest of 10 lemons, no pith at all, may substitute 15 limes, 6 grapefruits, 10 blood oranges, 12 mandarin oranges, or 8 regular oranges
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 1/2 cups water

Directions

Baci (A Kiss),

Enjoy the aroma of a Matouk candle or Jardin de Rochelle diffuser.

Remember to be adventurous, inspired, good to yourself and more with this Tamara Hensick pewter piece.

Snuggle up with a luxe blanket from Midipy and pillows from Bliss Studio (left) and Tourmaline Home (right).

Sip tea from a beautiful mug from Antheor while listening to a soothing mix from wave music.

Keep an uplifting message like this one from Sugar Boo in your sights to remind you to enjoy each and every day.

It’s time to surround ourselves with little things that make us happy and grateful. This year resolve to take more “time outs” to grab a book, light a candle and sip some tea.

Happy New Year!

JB

As most of you know, J Banks is passionate about being environmentally responsible – whether designing, doing business, building or  living,  the choices we make are determined by how they affect our environment and community.

This life approach also encompasses what cars we drive, what clothes we wear and even (our favorite) what we eat – which is why J Banks is very excited to be a “drop spot” for local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).   When becoming a member of a CSA you purchase in advance a “share” of the crop from a local farm, helping them pay the expenses of growing & harvesting for the season.  This upfront investment pays dividends in freshly picked, packaged and delivered produce each week!

Our CSA is grown & delivered by Gruber farms out of St. George, South Carolina and we can attest from our experience with the harvest last fall as well as this past spring; their farm produces top quality fruits and vegetables.  Our boxes of vegetables varied each week but would include five or six selections that ranged from green beans, squash, zucchini, potatoes, corn on the cob and butter beans to okra, melon, radishes, beets, cucumbers, tomatoes and grapes!  The most fun part was channeling our creativity into the kitchen as we experimented with new recipes, combined flavors and attempted new cooking techniques.  (we all know that culinary expertise is just another form of great design!)

Get your grill fired up and jump on board – the fall delivery will begin September 7th & will continue weekly for 11 weeks. Delivery takes place right here at the J Banks building on Main Street, so it couldn’t be easier to stop in and pick up your box filled with the fresh local harvest!

Click on http://gruber-csa-farm.com/ for more information & to sign up!

This project began when design assistant Nicole Fransen was working with designer Cindy Munn on an over-flow cafe space for the Lowcountry Community Church in Bluffton, SC.  The proposed name of the space (“The Driftwood Cafe”) made Nicole curious to explore the form and essence of driftwood… how does nature form it? are there patterns in the random twists and turns of the wood’s figuring?

“I didn’t want to think of driftwood literally,” Nicole explained, “I thought of how driftwood is created rough and interesting by its journey… and that’s kind of how we are formed as people too…”

The concept led to a logo design, and the logo translated into a dramatic feature wall. But they weren’t sure what the center piece should be….

For such a time as this, it is good to know someone in the business of interesting materials. Timberstone was the perfect company to consult. They specialize in reclaimed and/or antique building materials. When the J Banks designers showed their sketch to Tom from Timberstone, he had an idea!

He had a giant trunk (8 feet in diameter) in Venezuela. What if they used a center slice out of the tree? BRILLIANT!

The next problem they faced was how to cut a slice out of it without breaking it?

The best option seemed to be a two man hand saw… you know, Paul Bunyan style!  For this task Tom called his Amish friend Dan Raber. Dan worked at the hand saw for about an hour before giving up and switching to a chain saw. That did the trick!

Now the beautiful slice has been shipped from Venezuela to Savannah. It is in place and ready to be installed. We can’t wait to see the finished product!!  When you see the end result, you will know the story behind it…

Inspiration can take us down roads we never dreamed of before… we hope you enjoyed this little walk down Designer Adventure Avenue!

JB

Blair is a senior interior design major at SCAD Savannah. This summer she worked in the design studio as a design assistant. Just a few of her tasks included expediting orders, calling for memos, approving samples, talking with reps, finding furniture, drawing plans, photographing client’s homes, installing new projects, AND… dun, dun, daaah… adding sparkle to the J Banks blog!!  The blog is a team effort that could never reflect the true nature of J Banks without everyone’s creativity and input, but Blair’s graphic design magic has created pizzazz and visual interest!  Using her publishing skills to to pull together all the parts  - photography, interviews, and concepts – have been a fabulous asset to developing our story.

We asked Blair to pull together a few things that she loves to give us a snap shot of her design style and personal flair.

JB: What is your design style?

Blair: Classically Quirky!  I love the formal qualities of traditional design, but I have an irresistible pull to the eclectic and bohemian. It’s all mixed up with my love-hate relationship with color… more love than hate, obviously.

JB: What are some of your goals?

Blair: Design! Design! Design! Interior design puts the pep in my step every day. No matter where I live, where I work, or what particular job I’m doing, I will be doing interior design. One day I’d LOOOVE to design a hotel or a museum. Or a Balinese hut on stilts? A girl can dream…

JB: Is interior design what you’ve always wanted to do?

Blair: Actually… I graduated with a degree in political theory!  I worked in Washington D.C. for The President’s Council on Bioethics and wrote a thesis on bioethics in public policy making. Weird, right?

JB: Wow. Neat experience! And what is one of your biggest accomplishments?

Blair: Well… I got my black belt in martial arts… and I’ve traveled to over 24 different countries… I think diversity is the name of the game. I’m proud that I’m a very diverse person, and I think my design reflects that sensibility.

JB: What’s one of the biggest lessons you’ve learned at J Banks?

Blair: I can’t pick!  It’s been the whole package deal!  This summer I learned how to be a real (as opposed to “school”) interior designer…. and I learned that I have a LOT MORE TO LEARN.  J Banks has been the perfect School Of Life… Having the chance to be here was worth more pure gold.

If J. Banks is the School of Life, Blair has made the grade! Thanks for all the cheerful help, and best of luck as you round out your final year of school…

JB

The future is bright!

JB

Hosting events in our beautiful facility is one of the things J Banks does best… and we were delighted to open our doors to the next generation of aspiring designers for Fashion Camp. 

Under the instruction of the very talented Sandra Fitzsimmons, the girls learned how to develop a concept, gather inspiration, sketch their looks, shop for materials, and sew their creations.

The girls learned that resources are everywhere! They even re-purposed old t-shirts into fabulous frocks.

As they developed their looks, they were careful to “edit” so that one element did not overwhelm the whole garment. Sometimes the editing process would lead to new inspiration and totally new looks!

Another big lesson of fashion camp: No collection is complete without brand development and a fashion show!  The girls developed collection names and custom tags for each item. Next they picked a venue location and planned the day down to the last detail (furniture, music, sound system, etc). Finally they produced announcement fliers and personalized invitations for family and friends to the big event.

J Banks hosted the event in the courtyard in front of our beautiful LEED certified building.

As the crowds of family, friends, and curious visitors took their seats for the show, the girls put the finishing touches on their looks.

When the big moment arrived everyone was so surprised by how much the girls had accomplished and learned in one short week.

Are we looking at the next design stars?  Our vote is – YES!

Fabulous work ladies!  Creative… Bold… Professional… and Beautiful!  We are already looking forward to next year!

JB