"Making History"

An Art Event and Party

March 21, 2009

Chamberhouse is very proud to have been a part of this wonderful event hosted by the Cherokee County Historical Society. Local artist Ann Litrel exhibited a series of her original art featuring historic places in Cherokee County at Chamberhouse. The proceeds from the sales went to benefit the Historical Society. Around 150 people came to enjoy the beautiful art work and feast on appetizers and dessert courtesy of Downtown Kitchen. And lets not forget the free wine and beer. A great time was had by all! Enjoy these photos from the night and visit Ann Litrel's website to learn more about her art. http://www.annlitrel.com/

A view of the exhibit

Banana pudding cups, chocolate mousse and peach cheesecake. MMMM...

A spread of yummy gourmet appetizers

Steak Won tons

The drink station

A guest enjoying Ann's beautiful artwork

The Cherokee County Historical Society actioned off handmade Civil War reproduction quilts and handmade hats to wear to their upcoming Kentucky Derby Party.

The Guest Book

Historic Photos of Downtown Canton, GA

We wanted to share these photos kindly provided to us by the Canton Historical Society. Click on the Photo for a larger view.

Eastward view of Downtown Circa 1949. The Chamberhouse building is just outside the photo to the right.

Inside of the Main Street Garage that stood where Chamberhouse is today

Circa 1936

Main Street Garage Circa 1952

Main Street Garage Circa 1956. Next time you visit Chamberhouse, notice the windows and curb. These are the same original windows and curb seen in this photo.

The Main Street Garage Circa 1960

Budget Decorating

Part 2

Go Shopping in Your China Cabinets

Why keep all your dishes behind glass and hidden away in cabinets? Why use "the good stuff" only a few times a year? There are many ways to use these pieces throughout your home that will allow you to enjoy them in a whole new way- not to mention adding character and charm to your home decor.

Plates and Platters

Plates of all sizes look great hanging in groups on the wall. Don't be afraid to mix different sizes and patterns. Here are some ideas to get you started...

*Plates and saucers look great when mixed in with a grouping of artwork. It's common to hang china in the kitchen, but it will work beautifully in any room of the house.

*Use plates on stands on your shelves, mantles, bookcases, and accents tables.

*Plates and Platters can serve as trays to corral a collection of small decorative items in your living room or soaps and toiletries in your bathrooms.

*A single pair of plates get elevated to a work of art when displayed in a dramatic way, such as in this picture taken from Mary Carol Garrity's book "Feather Your Nest." (All of Mary Carol's books are great, and we carry her line of home goods here at the store)

Saucers, Cake Stands, and Everything Else

*Saucers make a great soap dish in either your bathrooms or the kitchen. A saucer placed on a bedside table with a little hankerchief in it makes a charming place to put your jewelry at night. They can also be a unique alternative to drink coasters in your living rooms.

*Use cake stands as risers in your displayes. Put a potted plant on a cake stand to give it some height. Put a stack of wash clothes on a cake stand in your guest bathroom.

*Sugar bowls, creamers, and teapots can be displayed anywhere in the house. They especially look good when grouped together.

We hope we've given you some ideas to inspire you to dig through your cabinets. We have a variety of plate stands and hangers here at Chamberhouse to help get you started. We also have a variety of antique and new china and serveware. Mention this blog post and get 50% off one plate stand or hanger! Take a look at the picture below and notice the variery of ways that china and serving pieces are used in the room...

Free Pandora Bracelet Promotion!

How to Get Your Free Pandora Bracelet!

Promotion Dates: 3/26 to 3/27

Spend $25 on Pandora and you will recieve a free lobster claw Pandora bracelet (A $35 Value!). If you would like to upgrade to the Pandora clasp bracelet, it will only cost you $15! The $35 value can also be applied towards the purchase of any Pandora necklace.

This is an amazing opportunity to start a new bracelet for yourself or as a gift for someone else!

Budget Decorating Part 1

Part 1

Everyone is watching their pennies during these uncertain economic times, but that doesn't mean that we don't crave new styles and items for our homes. We here at Chamberhouse want to offer some advice for beautifying your home without blowing your budget.

Rearrange What you Already Have

Take an inventory of the large furniture and art pieces that you already have. Rearranging the art in your home is great way to to make your rooms feel new again. For example, switch a painting or two from your living room with those in your bedroom to give both rooms a different look without spending a dime.

Also, take a good look at your furniture arrangements. We tend to arrange our furniture one time and then leave it for years without considering if there might be a better way. When arranging (or rearranging) furniture, first determine what the main purpose of the room is. Do you want your living room to be a place that promotes conversation and interaction? Or is it's main purpose to watch television? The purpose of the room will dictate the best layout. Arrange seating so that people will face eachother to promote conversation. If you're working with a large room, you might want to create two different furniture groupings to make the large space seem warmer and more intimate.

If watching T.V. is the main activity, then make sure every seat has a good view. A rule of thumb is that no seat should be more than 45 degrees to the left or right of the front of the T.V. Most people want to prop up their feet while watching television, so examine the placement of ottmans to make sure that at least most of the seating has a comfortable place to put your feet.

Another rule of thumb that applies to all seating arrangements, is to make sure that every seat has a comfortable place to put a drink. Make sure every seat has access to either a coffee or an end table. One thing we see a lot of are floating coffee tables. A coffee table placed three feet away from the sofa doesn't serve any purpose. Make sure the coffee table is close enough that a guest can comfortably lean over to pick up their mug of coffee (Hence the name "coffee table"!). According to Interior Design principles, the coffee table should be about 18" away from the front of the sofa.

Next, examine the foot traffic patterns in your rooms. Try to arrange furniture so that no one has to walk through the middle of a seating arrangement (or walk between a husband and a football game). This often means letting your furniture out of "jail," as Oprah's interior designer Nate Berkus says. He's refering to the fact that we tend to push our furniture up against walls. Doing this creates traffic patterns that go through the middle of the room. Don't be afraid to pull your furniture, especially your sofas and chairs away from the walls and towards the center of the room. Doing this will allow traffic to flow around instead of through the center of the room.

In your bedrooms, make sure that the paths from the bed to the door, and from the bed to the bathroom are clear. You should be able to wake up in the middle of the night and walk to your bathroom without tripping over an accent chair or bumping into the side of the dresser. Make sure the sides of the beds are far enough away from the wall. I heard one woman in the nail salon say that she was back for the 2nd time to get her broken nail fixed. Both times she broke her nails trying to make her son's bed. Making the bed should not cause minor injuries! Make sure that there is at least "18 between the side of the bed and the wall. If someone needs to walk between bed and the wall, then make sure there is at least a 3 foot clearance.

Take another look at the picture above. This picture is taken from Jane Seymour's book "Make Yourself At Home." Her Malibu living room exemplifies many of the principles we've talked about. Notice how she has created two distinct seating areas. The large living room feels warm and inviting and is conducive to mingling and conversation. Also notice that every sofa and chair has access to either a coffee table or end table. And not a single piece of furniture is up against the wall!

Rearranging your furniture according to these principles can make your whole home feel new again. Don't be afraid to experiment. You can always move it back!