design on the road with steve

COOL QUICK MAKE OVER IN FELLS POINT

2010-04-30T16:32:00.002-04:00

Today we had the privilege of doing a quick HGTV style make over in a gorgeous Fells Point condo. Our customer Pam Cornejo, was brought to us by a long time customer Oscar...she was in need of a hip-quick make over. Since she is only in town 2 days a week we had to move fast. We went to her new home condo and took some pics, came back to the studio and brainstormed...then invited Pam back in to some Australian chardonnay and a design meeting. Within a hour she picked out what she liked from our choices and today we did the deed. Take a look at before and after! Thanks Pam.

Valentine's gifts, Big Weekend Sale, The Circus is coming!

2010-02-12T14:35:00.002-05:00

We all know after being snowed in for a few days there is nothing like a good bargain to get the blood running again. Nouveau is having a President's Day Weekend Sale with our entire inventory, including special orders at 20% off*, plus lots of really cool Valentine's gift ideas (see picture) including perfume bottles, jewelry boxes, love potion, decorative ornaments and even a few naughty gifts for the more daring......

Also just arriving in Nouveau are our new Circus items, including lettering, pillows and art. Never a trend goes by that we don't snag upon.

Print this blog and receive 25% off one item this weekend (ending President's Day eve at 7pm) from our in store inventory. Celebrate this weekend that the snow has stopped(for now) and we have a chance to get out and unleash that pent up shopping demand. Be Safe!

My favorite media writers are leaving

2010-02-09T17:14:00.002-05:00

Two of my favorite writers are making major changes in their lives and they didn't get approval from me! Elizabeth Large, the Sun food critic (but also in the old days involved in fashion, style and many years of features) is retiring. So very sad...EL has been a Baltimore fixture of the writing and later blogging scene forever. She has written Nouveau up countless times over the years...always so kind, clever and a true friend. I hear she will write in occasionally...we love you EL..
Next is my favorite biz writer, Julekha Dash of the Baltimore Business Journal is leaving and going to Bmore Media. An online publication fairly new to Baltimore. I have enjoyed reading Julekha's columns in the BBJ for years. She mostly covered retail, always engaging and kind. Though I did get in trouble a couple of times for saying too much! lol I saw Julekha the other evening at a Bmore event and she seems like she wants to work less...I have always known she really lives in Lewes DE, close to where my family has a home, so the commute must get tiresome.

Both of these women are so incredibly talented...and with the print media shrinking so, it really is a loss to not be counting on their quarterbacking everyweek in the Sun and BBJ.

If I wore a hat...it would be tipped to both of you.
Steve and Lee...the Nouveau guys

OPEN SUNDAY

2010-02-06T20:07:00.002-05:00

Don't fret you Sunday customers...just look at my kittys. Nouveau will be open Sunday from 12-6 will a 25% store wide sale so that cabin fever melts away!! We love our customers!!!

Missy and Joan strike again!

2010-01-04T16:58:00.002-05:00

Missie and Joan, our liberal ladies from Cross Keys struck again over the holiday. Joan bought the very cool "guitar pick table" and benches while Missie purchased a gorgeous golden Asian wall mirror. This time did they not only greet us with perfectly cold French Champagne, but delicious salmon croquettes, hummus and pita chips, roasted peppers and small pizzas. How tough can this job get?? Everything was great except for Joan's small blip on the top of her table which we will surely replace in a couple weeks. More champagne?? Thanks to the best in Baltimore..what great support to Nouveau and it's team. Cheers to Missie and Joan!!

Woodberry Wow!

2009-12-10T14:11:00.002-05:00

Bill and I have the pleasure of re-designing a wonderful home in Woodberry that has all the gorgeous makings of a Moroccan castle. Our clients Robin and Claudia have collected luscious pieces from all their travels and now it's time to put a shot of W&A Design to the mix. We are primarily working on the first floor redesigning the layout and adding new furniture to help make the living room and kitchen more comfortable and guest friendly. These clients have a super sense of humor and great appreciation of art..not to mention some beautiful cats...my weak spot. Stay tuned for the final outcome after the new year!

Nouveau Is Busting At The Seams!!!!

2009-11-23T18:39:00.002-05:00

We are busting at the seams here at Nouveau! With 45 new pieces of furniture, art, lighting, and you just name it we are ready for Black Friday. Remember we do 25% off floor items the entire day, serve you booze including Dirty Martinis and Pink Panties......ooohhhh...so NASTY! HA

Never the less...get down here for free gift wrapping, lots of cool gifts and a store that looks like it could give Gergdorf's a run for it's display money. Come in Baltimore...enjoy, shop, and get NASTY!!

Connecticut Ave Style

2009-11-06T11:36:00.003-05:00

Our long time loyal customer and wonderful friend Laura Staro paid us a visit this Fall to get some design advise for her new Connecticut Ave pad. We delivered, hung and arranged everything yesterday just in time for her girls weekend visit from friends. The town home has it's challenges with it's many floors and many rooms. Laura started by having her parents help her layout her current furniture on paper before she moved and we came in after and not only brought in many new pieces, but hung and helped arrange of the current ones. The out come is a gorgeous, well thought out home with rich style and quality pieces. We hope she and her friends have a great time this weekend and thank Laura for all her support. Hopefully you'll see more pictures of Laura's home in a DC magazine...wouldn't that be cool?

High Point Furniture Show Delivers

2009-10-24T14:39:00.002-04:00

We got back Tuesday from the High Point furniture show in North Carolina and it was great. Even though the economy isn't the greatest, the creative minds in the fashion and furniture industry don't despair. Acid blue and red were hot colors. A lot of walnut and medium tone woods are reemerging and prices are falling into a much more reasonable price point. Two of my favorite pieces are shown in this blog. Queen Elizabeth in a acid tone blue frame Andy Warhol style, and thie metal/ reclaimed wood artist doing great cabinetry out of Kentucky. Both we have coming in....very exciting!

Missy Beattie gets new threads...lets go of the leather

2009-10-08T17:15:00.002-04:00

Missy Beattie...the infamous Southern liberal Bell of Cross Keys and her amazing friend Joan had Bill and I over today to deliver her new sofa and two Tiger chairs while disassembling her stained red leather sleep sofa bound for Kentucky via pick up truck. This delivery was especially fun because not only do we get to set up and design a space, but drink French champagne at the same time! Always a pleasure....Steve/ Bill

The Smith Girls Move Into The Promenade Towson

2009-10-08T17:00:00.002-04:00

Francis Smith and her wonderful Daughter's Emily and Megan asked us to bring a boat load of cool furniture to their new Towson Promenade Pad this past Monday and it turned out to be Towsontastic!!! They were great sports and Francis letting us use her wheels to move stuff through the garage to the pad was a life saver. Thanks all!! Enjoy the new digs. Steve/ Bill

How Cool This City Is

2009-09-30T16:39:00.002-04:00

It amazes me how many cool people we are surrounded by in our store at Belvedere Square. When I go out to our customers homes I am amazed by what I see. I grew up in Columbia, attending one of the first years of a open space school. I attended Hammond High School (Lee did to) and I am so grateful for attending such a racially mixed school so I learned to appreciate people different then myself. Now as an adult with this business in this community we get to enjoy all kinds of different lifestyles. The good part is that I think the customer knows we do and embraces us back. I used to think this area (not knowing it at all) was mostly old blue hair woman. Once we moved here I realized that it is rich not just in beautiful homes, but beautiful souls too.

Michael Phelps Commercial for Subway

2009-09-25T17:16:00.002-04:00

Check out Laura Vozzella's column today in the Baltimore Sun talking about Michael Phelps and the Subway sandwich commercial he shot Monday....they rented furniture for the set from Nouveau.http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.vozzella25sep25,0,7957801.story

Canton Beauty

2009-09-19T13:47:00.002-04:00

Our long time friends and very loyal customers Danny and Michele Barnycz who live in Canton have hired us to decorate their newly refurbished living room. This couple has be painstakingly replacing and remodeling every square inch of their home with custom made crafts, furniture and cabinetry. It is truly amazing to see what they have been working on over the last few years. The pictures you see are just a small sample of what they have accomplished. Bill and Lee should be starting on the project this week. Stay tuned!

BIG LABOR DAY WEEKEND SALE

2009-09-01T17:06:00.002-04:00

We are having a crazy 25% off everything in the store sale now through the weekend. It is good on all floor pieces but not on special orders. Come in and check out our sale, we have lots of new products!!

Update on July 23rd blog about new place downtown

2009-08-29T10:10:00.002-04:00

Holy madmen Robin!! The owners of the old Tysons restaurant in Mount Vernon that I blogged about on July 23rd from this Summer showing a place in complete chaos, like the bomb went off now looks like the hot new trendy spot soon to be finished in time for the students return. The new name is Nadd's, it's a gorgeous restoration of a old place behind Leon's that has me wondering how the hell did owner Ron get all this done so fast!! And amazing colors and finishes thanks to our W&A Designer Bill Goudelock.....check out my pictures here and stop in after Labor Day to witness this amazing place...wow!

Tooting our own horn...store looks hot!

2009-08-28T12:00:00.002-04:00

We have such talented display people here. We just received in a lot of new merchandise and after a full day of moving everything around, a bit of cussing and a lot of sweating the store looks amazing for the weekend. The power of display and visual merchandising is unreal! Thanks Billy Bob and Lee.

August Catch Up

2009-08-26T15:38:00.003-04:00

Sorry for not being a good blogger this month...things have been crazy with my in-laws in Michigan not being well so many miles have been driven in the last couple of weeks. In preparation for our client Stones Phones in DC to be press ready for a possible story on their new office on F street I took Baltimore's top photographer Patrick Ross who shoots all of our portfolio pieces to gather some cool pics. The photos you see are of him and the Stone's staff

getting photographed.....We're hoping for a story in Washington Magazine or the Washington Business Journal...we'll keep our fingers crossed and see.....

Grad Student gets a dose of design!

2009-08-06T17:36:00.002-04:00

We traveled to Washington DC today to deliver and set up Andrew Bond's new pad in Logan Circle....he and his Mom were in a couple times this week and we settled on some pieces to give his place a new look. Check out the groovy carpet, pillows, green chair and entertainment center. What a cool neighborhood and a beautiful building...we hope to help this guy more, but we know school starts soon. Good luck and thank you Andrew and Amy (mom)!!

Ameriprise Financial gets some incredible art

2009-08-04T16:28:00.002-04:00

My friend and wonderful customer Dave Repko asked me to bring some pieces over to his new office today. We looked the space over last week and choose some signed art, a groovy chair for his own office and incredible pieces for their conference room. Financial Advisor Alan Vassar and Dave's assistant Mark were incredible help...Alan choose a painting for his office which gives it a whole new look. We also dressed the lobby some and common spaces. Dave's home in Canton is all over our web site...he has impeccable taste and loves to listen and talk about design.

Holy Harbor View with the text...

2009-08-01T06:57:00.002-04:00

This computer challenged designer posted yesterday some gorgeous photos of our new client, Mitch and Dolores Warner who have purchased a incredible pad on the 14th floor of Silo Point. Unfortunately the text didn't make it so here it is....the photos you see are of their new place, they bought one of the models....but soon to be changed by W&A into a hip retreat in the sky. I've been friends with the Warners for years and now I get the pleasure to do design work for them...I thank them tremendously.
Back to the Bat Cave!!

Holy Harbor View Batman!!!!

2009-07-31T14:32:00.003-04:00

Belvedere Square Sidewalk Sale This Fri-Sun

2009-07-28T21:57:00.002-04:00

Ok guys and gals...this isn't going to be pretty, Belvedere Square is having a kick butt sidewalk sale this weekend Friday through Sunday. A lot of stores are participating, we're dragging out furniture, rugs, lighting...maybe even Kristy if she drives me crazier this week!! We'll have sales inside the store as well...so blow off the beach and the gorgeous weather...come to the Square...

TravelClick has cool new office in Baltimore!

2009-07-25T11:03:00.000-04:00

A new client from the Spring is getting some cool stuff delivered. TravelClick has opened an office on Key Highway earlier this month, the people I have worked with, Jeff and Ann, have been extremely kind and appreciative of our services. They say Mid Western people are nice and it's true. So check out the pictures of this groovy office as it evolves and tip your hat when you pass them on Key Highway!

Funky little spot downtown

2009-07-23T15:39:00.000-04:00

Leon's Bar downtown has been a staple in the community of Mount Vernon forever.... in the back of the bar has always been a restaurant called Tysons that has been a bit on the worn side....well just recently the whole business was sold to Ron and Elyse Singer who have tons of experience rebuilding spaces in Mt Vernon and what guts do they have! Our designer Bill Goudelouck has been working with them designing a new restaurant that will soon open with a new name. Take a look at these shots of the construction going on and keep up with their neck breaking pace!! Go Ron and Elyse and Bill!!