I have to share some amazing new fabrics faves available via www.housefabric.com
And Latika from Kravet
Latika makes this classic Kravet toile below (lutece?) look fresh and yet still classic in my opinion!
add a little geometric and we are in fabric heaven!
Duralee’s amazon hot pepper!
These fabrics are all Kravet AND available for under $30 a yard at housefabrics.com and I wanted to share…They dont pay me or advertise with me and they arent even my fave site but i wanted to pass along these fun and classic fabrics!
oh and can i just add..i am weirded out that Pottery barn is selling suzanis for $1200..I know it may be hard for the average non world traveller to get their hands on one but i just find it interesting that a big box store is doing this..would love to know the backstory on how they are getting them and production etc..i guess its no different than things Pier One and World Market (and dealers hello) have been doing for years, or is it? Remember when World Market did that weird Eat Pray Love sales campaign?? I want to be consistent in my views but this just bothers me…
they ARE gorgeous.
The description on the PB suzanis says :
Each of our exclusive limited-edition suzanis was carefully selected from a collector who buys the elaborately hand-embroidered textiles from homes throughout the Middle East and Asia. Each vibrant panel is handcrafted and completely unique with artful patterns created by piecing together scraps of fabric.
- Pieces range in age from 50 to 80 years.
- Comes with a certificate stating the age of the piece and the region where it was originally created.
- Panels bear the rare character and beauty of handmade, vintage cloth; they may include patches or other signs of wear accumulated over time.
- Each piece is unique, let us choose for you. (which is another thing that bothers me..give me $1200 and let me choose FOR YOU..for $12 i am examining things to get the best one..do people really go for that??)
this one is gorgeous, love its color, except its sold out…just curious, would you buy something like this from a big box store like Pottery Barn? A part of me likes that it makes things accessible to people who dont get to travel etc but something feels strange about it..anyone agree? Or is this being unfair to Pottery barn considering items of similar nature that other stores or antique dealers have been selling for years..maybe it is the scale that makes their marketing and business so unique!??
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20 Comments
Comment by Pam — January 23, 2012 @ 12:07 am
Yes, there is something “weird” about these wonderful products being offered by big box stores. PB also calls some “found objects”. Yeah: They buy up old “objects” they “find”, then up the price sky high! And I also am totally put off as you are by their “let us choose for you”; even if the price tag was under $100, for every $ I spend, I (capital, capital, capital “I”) want to know what I’m buying!! But then there is the problem on their part of trying to sell to the public items that are each unique. That would be a lot of photos in a catalog or on a website. Yet still, I would want to have the choice of choosing the item with the colors/patterns that would work in my rooms. I guess they could offer free return shipping on those particular items??? Maybe they do??? I haven’t checked because the prices are too exorbitant for my wallet… You are bringing up some good points! I bet someone can find out the answers.Inquiring minds want to know….
Comment by a little luxe — January 23, 2012 @ 6:00 am
They are beautiful, but I would not pay $1200! You can look on Ebay or Etsy and get one for a few hundred or even less! Equally as authentic. Plus choose for me? No thanks! I hate it when I see these big box stores do this. Good that is is accessible but I don’t think it is priced fairly.
Love that Duralee Hot Pepper!
Jennifer
Comment by Angeline — January 23, 2012 @ 8:06 am
They seem like awfully personal pieces, being obtained and sold in a rather impersonal manner.
Comment by SuzyMcQ — January 23, 2012 @ 9:24 am
Here’s my take on the Suzani rugs being sold by Pottery Barn. Jennifer, you are right, the mark-up is substantial. Having worked for PB for five years I can tell you that their furniture was sometimes marked up at least 500%, sometimes more. They have to pay for the glossy catalogues, lavish retail store rent costs, and product placements on Nate Berkus’ show, etc.
When they go to the Middle East to buy these pieces in bulk you can bet they get rock-bottom prices. Their purchasing may even screw up the little guys who have been selling on Ebay, which, to me is unfortunate. They are a huge corporation. Anytime they go into a “market” to purchase, be that furniture, home dec or fabric, they are going to change that market. Most times, not for the better.
Comment by maggie — January 23, 2012 @ 9:25 am
I would have a hard time justifying spending $1200 on an item sight unseen. Paying a big price for something just so you can say ‘It’s from Pottery Barn!’ makes no sense to me.
Comment by Katherine @ Grass Stains — January 23, 2012 @ 9:43 am
The thing that bothers me about it is that I’m sure the original sellers got MAYBE 10% of what Pottery Barn is selling them for. The thought of that kind of makes me sick. I think they’re beautiful, and if the original artisans were receiving at least 50% of the retail price, that would be great. But I think we all know that doesn’t happen!
Comment by Susan — January 23, 2012 @ 10:03 am
Thank you for posting the link to House of Fabrics. Our masterbed room’s bedding is in a fabric almost identical to the Latika fabric and I have been looking for a coordinating pattern for the window in our master bathroom the past few months. I was looking for a geometric pattern that would bring out the reds and coordinate with our grey walls but had never found anything that said, “I’m the one you want”. After a few minutes on the House of Fabrics site, I found The One, the Galvani Tango–so once again, thanks for linking!
Comment by Holly — January 23, 2012 @ 12:18 pm
Love the HouseFabrics deals – thanks! And I couldn’t agree more with the PB suzani issue…I was also sort of scratching my head when I saw that PB is also now selling ironing board covers too? Not really a priority for me and I thought it was kind of a strange item for them to show in the catalog. I’ve been scratching my head for a little while about a few of their choices but the suzani is a definite question mark.
Comment by diane — January 23, 2012 @ 12:34 pm
I am conufsed when I find one of a kinds in catalogs like Pottery Barn and Grandinroad and I would certainly not let them choose for me but I also understand their desire as a business to capitalize on the desire for a global chic look that many cannot obtain on their own. Sadly, mark up is just something we have to deal with in a capitalist economy.
Love your fabric choices and wanted to let you know that we also carry Kravet’s toile patterns along with many others. BTW..I enjoy your blog
Comment by Annie — January 23, 2012 @ 3:17 pm
Love the fabrics and totally agree with you on PB! I like Pottery Barn just as much as the next girl but I personally like the hunt for unique items like the suzanis. I also don’t think I would want to answer the question of “where did you find that amazing piece?” with… pottery barn for $1200. Yikes.
Comment by kelly in georgia — January 23, 2012 @ 5:36 pm
Choose for me??? They must be crazy! For $1200 I would need to see every square inch of it, but then again I wouldn’t pay that for much of anything – especially not a textile item…furniture – maybe, cloth? no way. It seems out of line for them to be selling a “one of a kind” piece like that to me.
Comment by LLH Designs — January 23, 2012 @ 8:28 pm
No way would I pay $1200 for anything I can’t see in person! You’re right to be a little suspicious and hesitant. I’d rather them offer a reproduction than “high end” originals from artisans. Breaks my heart to think of how little they probably paid the artisans. Sigh.
Comment by Katie — January 24, 2012 @ 8:24 am
Yes, I agree about the PB thing … there was something else not that long ago that I saw when I was peeking through a catalog (rare event), and they were offering some other items that were each unique and they were going to pick one out for the buyer. Hmm… I just don’t like it. I think some people like to have items because they are old, valuable, and they paid a lot of money for them. I belong to the school of “I buy it because I love it, and I have selected it myself…with little regard to value and cost, more to the beauty and history of a piece.” To each his own…
Comment by Tara G. — January 24, 2012 @ 10:09 am
I think I’d pay $ for a plane ticket to go visit myself and make the purchase of one more meaningful.
Comment by Sarah B — January 24, 2012 @ 10:12 am
So Pottery Barn really chooses for you? There is not an option where you could pick yourself? I agree with you Holly, if I am going to pay $1200 on something I would want to see it first for sure.
Comment by Cheryl — January 24, 2012 @ 11:06 am
Those “found” one of a kind objects are circumspect for sure. What are good global sources? Serena and Lily? Etsy? I would love to know. E
Comment by Cheryl — January 24, 2012 @ 11:08 am
Those “found” one of a kind objects are circumspect for sure. What are good global sources? Serena and Lily? Etsy? I would love to know.
Comment by Paige Head — January 24, 2012 @ 6:33 pm
I love the Latika festival in all three colors. So beautiful.
Comment by Kellie — January 25, 2012 @ 8:11 am
I agree with some of the other comments. I hate to think that PB might have paid someone in another country pennies for these items. Yuck. It makes me feel kind of weird about their business practices.
Comment by Courtney — January 25, 2012 @ 7:52 pm
I’m sure PB is doing something similar to what they have done with all the “found” European items they have been selling in their catalogs for the past year and a half. I just moved from Europe and would purchase all kinds of items at flea markets and then find them extremely marked up in their catalogs, such as apothecary bottles, bread bowls, large wine bottles. For instance those oversized wine bottles cost 5 – 30 euros a piece and the catalogs would charge up to $300 for them. Its crazy.
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