WHAT'S IN A NAME

IR: The process of rolling out new pieces in the shop involves many fun steps, and may it be a small side table or a full sized overhauled couch in full patchwork leather, always it deserves a name!

Often, the inspiration for title name comes in a fleeting second from a spark of inspiration, like striking a match. Whether Johnelle herself does the deed, or one of us gets to dub a piece, a gut feeling is always where it begins.

And like the strike of the match, a good name can be a fire-starter, beckoning new inspiration. We like to think our furniture radiates personality, that pieces converse, and a room filled with love and design comes to life. Thus, a name can be another part in the process of making those connections.

Our 'TAHOE' ottoman is upholstered in a vintage wool blanket, accented with herringbone buttons, and a green velvet piping, along with the recycled materials that re-iderateing the 'Keep Tahoe Blue' statement, the nature of the cozy wool and color scheme on 'TAHOE' recall us of relaxing cabin stays in the local oasis of its namesake.

Let a name spark your imagination, you may find that you just can't get that flame out of your head.

As always don't hesitate to shoot us any questions about our furniture, upholstery, revamps and other interior design services! Just email us at 

quotes@mignonnedecor.com

xoxo mignonne

EVOCATION

IR: Our recent post about the naming process got me on a long trail of thought. How things can often remind one of anything from a movie, to a memory and so forth. It's worth exploring concept of evocation in a broader sense than naming alone, it occurred to me. Making connections can be a great jumping-off point for a brainstorm on design projects small to large, not to mention a big help when styling, after you bring home that statement piece you've been coveting! 

To evoke is to call on, may it elicit a reminiscence, or create memory anew. These occurrences are what create soul in an object or a piece, and often, what makes us fall in love with furniture.

A recollection of a past era, a nod to a place one's traveled (or dreamed of traveling), or a design that pleases the senses, these are some evocations that can all help us make valuable choices when coordinating.

Though perception may differ from one person to another, the power of evocation is nonetheless undeniable, and we think, that this is when personal style becomes truly alive. 

One of designer Johnelle Mancha's newest creations is her lovely kilim ottomans in small and large (available on our website), evoking in many, images of a bohemian atmosphere, with influences of eastern art and tapestries draped on the wall. The inspiration photos below can be found here, here, here, here, here, and here!

Something clever about an evoked emotion, memory or idea is that it can be physical, or emotional, may it be in a piece found, custom designed, or a combination thereof. The connections we make could be personal or general, shared with like minds or held by us alone, but whatever they are, they are a large part of what we see when looking at a design. At Mignonne, we cherish pieces and the feelings they evoke in us, believing when you're open to the idea, it can lead to further inspiration. 

Don't hesitate to shoot us an email with any questions. We offer design services large to small, in addition to finished furniture, and decor items! We're reachable at 

quotes@mignonnedecor.com

xoxo mignonne 

THE EMERALD STUDY

IR: Green, the color of freshness, of nubile elegance, free of gender, and synonymous with nature. Adding a little green is never a bad decision, whether it's in a room with few colors or many, the color adds an organic shine. As a hue, we never tire of green, from lime, to kelly, to forest, and so it's always a pleasure rolling out a green piece (pun most certainly intended)! The natural hue brings life into a room that no other colors can rival.

Art Deco desk 'SAFARI' (available here) has both class and wit in an emerald green a flapper gal would envy. There's a plethora of inspiration for the use of green furniture, and don't even get me started on the infinite styling options. I could drone on and on about how you can pair green with black and white, natural wood, a rainbow of colors, metallics or leathers... but rather than that, we thought we'd just getting the ball rolling with some inspiration! Photos sourced from The Kept Life, attic., Plateful of Love, and Plascon Trends.

At Mignonne love to hear from our friends and customers! If you have any questions about any of our projects or services, or would like to get a conversation started on a custom piece of your own, just shoot us an email at

quotes@mignonnedecor.com

xoxo mignonne

THE STUDIO, A STUDY

IR: There are no small ideas, only small spaces. Defunct are the days of grandeur, and we say: be gone with them, anyhow! Small spaces have practicalities which facilitate a modern life, unfettered by tedious upkeep and a heavy bill pile.

So lets talk about how to make the best use of a small space. With some practical solutions devised by lead designer Johnelle Mancha and her ever-innovative Mignonne team, we'd like to present some examples of just how we've conquered the dilemmas of the small space, and helped this client make the most of their more petite abode.

Customized pieces can be the best route in making the most use of a space that's dimensionally challenged. Dual use decorative and storage pieces, like an entryway hall tree can provide the feeling of a hall or foyer, without the real existence of one. 

Multi-use pieces designed for a dual purpose space, like the kitchen island designed by Johnelle and husband Brian Hill from a vintage dresser, which provides service as a storage unit, a kitchen surface space, and even a table on which to enjoy your home-cooked meals, can make your home into a swiss army space! 

Partitions like the vintage door room-dividers made here to order, can be used however you like, providing more space to hang paintings, privacy in study and changing areas, or just something to break up the space, which is an important factor when residing in limited quarters. There's only a short period of time in most peoples lives where living in a dorm room is appealing, and as adults, most of us can say those days are behind us.

Next comes styling, wherein storage is king! Every space should be utilized, and the challenge for the Mignonne crew, when re-vamping a small space, is to combine storage needs with the desire to minimize clutter and overpacking. In this space they utilized side-tables, shelving and vintage repurposed crates to optimize (and beautify) the storage capacity. They styled with the Mignonne touch, a bright and modern eclectic style, giving the small space some much needed vivacity. To get the full understanding of the project, I've included some before shots, take a look.

Johnelle ultimately executed her intent for the studio apartment, that being to break the space up into usage areas: living room, bedroom, and entryway, etc. By doing this she gave versatility and variety to what was, on its own, a stale living quarters, if not a great blank canvas.

And…please have a look at the feature Mignonne received on APARTMENT THERAPY of this studio revamp, we are so thankful for the post!

Design consults can be scheduled with our lead designer by the hour, and pieces can be made to order. For whatever the extent of your re-decoration, we can help! Have questions? Don't be shy, shoot us an email at quotes@mignonnedecor.com

xoxo mignonne