Category Archives: Services

Services, Shop

Meet Our Newest Designers

You’ve been updated on our new logo and website which we started back in the spring. So here we are, plugging along on these major changes, as well as maintaining our retail store and design jobs. Unexpected in the midst of all this, Jean, one of the original Scouts, got a job offer she couldn’t refuse. She broke the news to the other Scouts and although we were desperately sad to see her move, we couldn’t help but be ecstatic for her. Next thing you know Dana and Debbie are swamped with reorganizing and thankful at the same time that new and old design clients continue to call. We decided we need help to continue growing. Enter our saving grace: Yoko and Lori.

You all may have heard us mention Yoko before. She was our intern last year and we fell in love with her. Yoko is from Japan and has traveled all over the world in her days as a flight attendant for Japan Airlines. Her worldly view and attention to detail make her a great addition to the Vintage Scout team. She is a recent graduate of design school with fresh ideas and a cheerful disposition.

Lori has been designing independently for 10 years. We approached her since her baby is off to college this year, thinking she may want to do a little more work and we are lucky she was thinking the same thing. Lori has done numerous kitchen renovations among many other projects, so she will fit in perfectly with us since it seems like that’s what’s happening so often these days at Vintage Scout.

Dana and I were laughing the other day, because as much as the two of us want to be organized at the shop, we are just a bit behind the eight ball and can’t get out. Well, Yoko and Lori are super organized and they have already stepped up and jumped in, helping us out tremendously; truly getting initiated at the French Flea Market. It’s funny how things work out. These two have taken off as Scouts already have design projects going and are filling in several hours at the Store each week. Stop by and meet them; we know you’ll love them as much as we already do.
Services, Shop

Look For It

OK, so last we caught up, the Scouts have come up with a new logo and tagline. We still need our new signage, but we decided if we were going to “get fresh”, our website was the next place to move. Let me let you in on a little secret about our website: I made it on a program I bought for $50 and you can probably tell. Our blog is hosted by Blogspot, and our online “store” is Etsy. Nothing wrong with those two sites- although I’ve had my battles with layout on Blogger (can you hear my frustration???) And I adore Etsy- it’s addictive and a great resource.

Some of you may remember when Design*Sponge launched their consulting branch. To start out, they gave away two free consultations.

From: Grace Bonney [mailto:consulting@designsponge.com]
Sent: Friday, June 18, 2010 1:56 PM
To: debbie@vintagescout.com
Subject: You’ve won the Consulting Session!

Hi Debbie,

I’m pleased to inform you that you are the winner of one of the two free Design*Sponge Consulting Sessions.

I can’t wait to work with you.

I’ll be announcing you as one of the winners to the list later today, but I wanted to let you know that when I say Debbie from Ohio, that yes, I am talking about you.

🙂

I’ll be emailing you next week to plan and schedule our time together.

Get ready to work!

best,
Grace

Grace and AJ were very organized and professional and had some super advice for me. I HIGHLY recommend contacting them to take your design online presence to the next level- whatever that may be. For us, we’re just barely starting out. We’re full time interior designers with a retail store. Not a heck of a lot of time for anything else if you know what I mean. I guess that’s why we’re a full year + forward from that lucky giveaway.

OK, so fast forward and we finally save up enough to contact a local company to help us launch our new site, incorporate lots of D*S Consulting ideas, and an online store. Yes, you heard it right, our online store. We’re psyched! But lordy, this process takes time. We were really hoping our new site would be up and running by now, but currently there is an issue with the shopping cart software. Stay tuned for the big debut.

So anyway, that’s big reason 2 you haven’t seen much of the Scouts online. We have been trying to keep up with quick updates on our Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest, so don’t miss us there.

Services

Shameless Plug


Just a shout out to our friends- three other local, women-owned businesses who teamed up with us for a recent ad. If you are in the Dayton area, the Scouts highly recommend stopping by and doing a little shopping with them.

Preen Apothecary: Owner Nicole Gianuglou has brought the big city to Dayton with the fabulous make up and accessories she carries. Not only does Preen stock great lines like Nars, but on occassion I have been lucky enough to find jewelry created by local artists. Plus, the staff is wonderful about sharing make up tips and, by appointment, make up application.

Preen Apothecary

2508 Far Hills Ave. Oakwood, Ohio 45419

(937) 293-1818

LaDeDa- le salon : I think you’ve already heard the Scouts rave about facials at this place. Christine Price is one of the few aestheticians in the country trained to perform the state-of-the-art Remodeling Facial. This procedure uses Biologique Recherche products and we are sold! Christine’s latest venture is LaDe SPA, featuring nutrition, yoga, and acupuncture. Make an appointment today, she books up quickly.

LaDeDa-le salon

2311 Far Hills Ave., Oakwood, OH 45419

(937) 293-5700

Gamine. : Although the Scouts terribly miss the convenience of having a boutique upstairs, we have tons of great selections at Gamine. Leigh LeBoeuf has the knack of selecting classic clothes with a little bit of an edge; a style we love! A personal favorite of mine- monogrammed wellies.

At Gamine, you can find Tom Ford sunglasses, DVF dresses, Big Buddha bags, and much more.

Gamine.

2504 Far Hills Ave., Oakwood, OH 45419

(937) 294-7463

And as Bartles and James would put it, “Thank you for your support.”

Services, Uncategorized

Thank You for Being a Stylish Friend




We Get By–and Inspired–With a Little Help From Our Friends
We love our friends: It is often through their lovely homes that we find graceful inspiration and thoughtful arrangements that stay with us long past our social visits. They provide us with the “aha” moment that sends us back to our own homes to edit, rearrange, delete and beautify our own surroundings.
For instance, we earnestly applaud Wendy Frederick’s earthy chic yet tastefully eclectic style. The home she shares with husband Ted and two sons in Oakwood is a glorious statement to her naturally good eye and world travels. The look is refined yet easy, with the right touch of animal prints, international intrigue and natural fabrics.
Undoubtedly, we love the overall look of each room, but it is also the attention to detail Wendy gives each room that we find fascinating. We were recently mesmerized by a pair of opera play bill plates by Fornasetti-Milano. Just imagine being at an Italian opera and soaking in the driving vigor of the music by such artists as Puccini, Verdi or Rossini. Hand her the theater binoculars and opera gloves!
Thank you, Wendy, for sharing! We love the earthy glam you bring to everyday life and your positive spirit.

Holidays, Services

Adios 2010

As the Scouts look forward to 2011, we must take a moment to recollect what we’ve enjoyed or been thankful for in 2010.
1. Those of you who made a commitment to shop and support local, independent businesses. We thank you from the bottom of our heart. 2. Our 3rd successful French Flea Market. We have really started to look forward to our annual anniversary celebration and the special things we scout for it. 3. Customers who come in from bigger cities and say they love our shop because it reminds them of, say, Chicago, Seattle, Atlanta or Boston. It’s a complement we truly appreciate.

4. Clients who trust us wholeheartedly; with design decisions and alarm codes.

5. Contractors who show up when they’re supposed to, do a good job for a reasonable price, and remain cheerful: the ones we’re proud to associate our name with and trust to be in our clients’ homes. You are few and far between and we would like to clone you. 6. The opportunity to do what we love, with people we love. And our families who support us in doing so.

Thank you all for a wonderful 2010! We look forward to a fun and successful 2011 and dragging you all with us!
The Scouts
Services, Shop

Think Pink

Pink doesn’t have to be sissy. Pink can be bold, sassy; soft and sophisticated; modern; girly if you want it to be; masculine if you try. I agree that pink walls can be intimidating- not for the weak of heart. In design school I was told that a prison study was done on wall color and the outcome was that pink invoked anger the fastest. Could that really be true? If so, maybe that’s what up with all our little girls, not hormones. 🙂 Don’t let that scare you away from pink, but if you’re nervous, start slowly. Why not try adding pink fabric in your home. Start with a pillow and work your way up to a chair or a headboard. Get brave and reupholster a vintage sofa. Yum! So, in honor of breast cancer awareness month and the brave, bold women and men who are fighting it, we have pulled together some of our favorite pink fabrics.

This cane print is actually an indoor/outdoor fabric from Duralee! One of my favorite fabrics of all time.

Gorgeous Kravet silk buffalo check. Can’t you picture some beautiful panels flanking your window? We all love this youthful oversized floral print from Duralee.Could this be hotter? Faux croc from Fabricut. I would put this on a traditional Louis IV chair for fun.

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend and this one from Duralee doesn’t disappoint.

Such a beautiful fabric from Highland House. This pink geometric needlework would make stunning pillows.

Delicious silk stripe from Fabricut. Think outside the box and run it horizontally.

More needlework detail from Highland House’s Marrakesh collection. Wingback chair, anyone?

Can you go wrong with a classic toile? No. This Wedgwood toile from Kravet is simply beautiful. I could see it in a completely modern room as an unexpected accent.

Can you do a list of pink fabrics without a floral? I think not. This linen from Lee Industries is sophisticated and updated.

And lastly, but not least; because when is a velvet ever least; a sumptuous pink velvet with a slight texture. Where wouldn’t this go?
All of these fabrics are available through Vintage Scout Interiors. Start your project now and you could have it done by the Holidays.
Accessories, Artwork, Furniture, Lighting, Services

Western Springs Living Room

4 Comments
For awhile now, I’ve mentioned on and off about working on my sister’s living room. Her home is in the Chicago ‘burbs and by chance I have a dear friend from high school who lives there as well and just happens to be an amazing photographer- Tricia from TriciaLee Photography. Score! A chance to have the first professional photos done of one of my spaces. So now is the time I get to share them with you, along with some insight on one of the most fun jobs I’ve ever worked on.
The room started out with a mish-mash of furniture from a partial overhaul a few years ago on a tight budget. Toss in an antique Duncan Phyfe sofa (can you say uncomfortable?), a giant television armoire, and some dark walls and you had a room screaming for mercy.
The job began with my sister making a quick trip to my studio in Dayton for some preliminary planning and scouting, and before we knew it, she had decided to take the plunge on a real statement piece- an amazing indigo sofa/chaise sectional. From there I was lucky and privileged enough to have them say, “We just want you to do it.” Sometimes those can be a designer’s favorite words, and sometimes they can be a nightmare. Thankfully, with my sister, they were an honor and she really meant it. I had pretty much full reign to do whatever I wanted. Of course being a professional, I took the wants and needs of the client first and foremost. Comfortable seating, privacy, and their three animals all were big factors, as well as I knew they wanted to lighten it up and have a fun, casual space.

First things first; my brother-in-law wanted a wall mounted television. I told him to shop for it first and we’d work around it- boys will be boys you know. I didn’t have to work hard to sell him on the idea of a vintage piece to house the A/V equipment. Our original idea was to use an old radio/turntable console, but after striking out there a few times, we headed over to one of my favorite shops, White Attic in Andersonville. Bingo! We found the perfect-sized mid century credenza and quickly brought it home with us.

Back to that statement piece- the sofa. We chose a substantial well-made custom sofa, although the scale of the piece doesn’t read oversized. The fabric is Crypton™ microfiber, able to withstand Dave and the animals; and bonus- it was reasonably priced. The pillows are a mix of custom (sticker shock for my sister), TJ Maxx bargains, and vintage needlework.

The only existing piece we used in the space was the leather club chair. It had just started getting to that wonderful aged leather point and I didn’t want to toss it. Instead we updated it with the sheepskin ottoman and the darling throw.

We lightened up the room by using Ballet White by Ben Moore on the walls and using a bright and fun thomaspaul fabric for the window panels. The inside mount roman shades provide privacy without darkening the room. The zig zag rug from West Elm grounds the room without being too dark; it’s probably one of my favorite things in the space.

And finally, no outfit is complete without jewelry, and that’s how I look at the accessories of a room. An original oil hangs over the fireplace flanked by inexpensive glass pieces. The subway art is original as well- no reproductions here- they’re from New York probably dating to the 30’s. Vintage miniature bowling pins are such a fun addition to the large coffee table. My sister found them years ago at Sandwich Flea Market. The fresh flowers are from her back yard, quickly picked that morning right before the shoot. Nice, huh?

The finished product is something that they are very happy with and I’m proud of, as well as a little jealous, too. It’s true what they say about the cobbler’s children: they’re the ones without shoes. Shhhh, don’t tell anyone; my living room is unfinished.

photo credits: 1,3-7: TriciaLee Photography; 2: designer’s own