Complete Saturday Shop Randomness

Hi everyone, Scout Debbie here. Here in the Studio, we take turns being the shop girl on Saturdays so we can each occasionally enjoy a weekend away from work. I'm sure you have deduced, it's my turn this week. There's been a lot going on at Vintage Scout, so I thought I'd take this opportunity to ramble on and try to fill you in.

Since spring is desperately trying to make it's debut here in Dayton, we thought we'd help it along by doing some spring cleaning. We had an ulterior motive, but more about that later.We even freshened up the paint! So come on sunshine and warm weather- the Scouts are ready for you!

Since we had everything pulled out, we needed to liven our windows as well. We put our intern, Yoko, on that task and she did a wonderful vignette. Kind of Harry Potter inspired, don't you think?Hey, we're ready for the Royal wedding, are you? Well, here's the real reason behind our fluffing up the shop...We had talented photographer, Tracy Abston, in to shoot some photos of our studio for our new website which should hopefully be up and running by May. We met Tracy on our Marie Antoinette photo shoot and were thoroughly impressed by her work. Pictures by Tracy

Some quick photos of the shop in all it's new glory.We took a chance and pulled the vintage Coleman mansion cabinets out of their corners.

A whole table full of our vintage silver and glass. We are excited for flea market season to start to scout for more.

Our ever popular Soy Vey candles- new ones just in. We love displaying them on this stand made from old tobacco lathe strips. It's now 3:00 and time to close the studio for the rest of the weekend. Thank you for putting up with the randomness of this Saturday afternoon blog. Scout Debbie signing off.

Wine (Whine?) and Design

The Scouts have coined the term "wine and design", an evening dedicated to friendship and fresh ideas, where we all convene at one of our homes for uninhibited design inspiration and brainstorming. The wine and the creative juices both flow oh-so-freely, as we tackle difficult design dilemmas plaguing each of us. You all know the saying "the cobbler's kids don't wear shoes", right? Well, as designers, we are often so busy helping our clients, we neglect keeping our own homes on the cutting edge of interior design, and eventually one of us will whine about it. That's when a night of "wine and design" is called to order...whining not allowed. Good things always transpire during these sessions, and while the hostess (the one who was whining to begin with) benefits from a new outlook on her home, the other Scouts enjoy the chance to be collectively creative (and enjoy their favorite wine and hopefully a whine-free work environment...at least for awhile).

Enjoy some more literal interpretations of "wine and design" and let us know your thoughts:

This tablescape is beautifully executed and the clear bottles allow for good views and conversation with the dinner mate across from you. I love the different candle heights too!

Above: Elle Decor photo via Happy Mundane.

Yet another way to use a wine bottle as a candle holder...cut down to size:

Above: Design Sponge photo Or as beautiful vases... Above photo from Green Wine Bottles by David Guilfoose "Wine and Design" always has a good end-result, whether we simply polish off a perfect Pinot Noir or perfect a pleasing color palette (or both). Cheers! And lastly, a favorite quote:

"What contemptible scoundrel stole the cork from my lunch?"

- W.C. Fields

Can Spring please be just around the corner?

The change to Daylight Saving Time has snuck up on us! Its a reminder to switch out your heavy winter bedding for the lighter fabrics of spring. Stop by Vintage Scout Interiors and let the Scouts help you choose new sheets from Pine Cone Hill. Annie Selke has created a wonderful line at reasonable prices. We're happy to help you customize a look of your own with quilts, pillows, the works!

Show House Sneak Peek

Well, the cat, err, the horse, is out of the bag on Vintage Scout's design for the 2011 Dayton Philharmonic Show House & Gardens. The "Bare Bones" party was held this past Saturday, where patrons get a look at the house in it's "before" state, and see the designers' design boards for what it will look like "after".

Here's some shots of our space "before". We have the upstairs hallway.All the wallpaper will be stripped and the walls will be painted Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige.

Yep, it's just a long narrow hallway with a bunch of doors. What's a Scout to do?

Phenomenal gallery wall, that's what!

With that in mind, the Scouts always create a "client" for their Show House projects. This year we imagine our client is a chic woman who has a passion for horses and riding. We have a whole story about her in our heads.

One of the difficulties that arises from doing a series of personal photographs in an application like this, is how to make it seem like someone lives there without being too personal. Does that make sense? As cool as our "client" is; she is make-believe after all. Our dilemma was solved when we met Jennifer Muncy. She is a professional photographer who perfectly captures the excitement of the equestrian world. We are thrilled she agreed to let us display her work.

Make plans to attend the Dayton Philharmonic Show House and Gardens opening May 1st to see the finished Scout space in all its glory. Want a fabulous gallery wall in your own home, but don't know where to start? Call Vintage Scout Interiors at 937-312-9461 and make an appointment for one of the Scouts to come out and help you figure it out.