So I’m going to a wedding tomorrow and it got me thinking, how does one choose the perfect diamond ring?

The diamond ring is something every woman has dreamed about, it is the epitome of our fantasies. As girls we’ve let our imagination run wild, what size carat do I want, what cut do I want, what clarity do I want, what setting do I want, white or yellow gold??? These are all questions ‘we’ve asked ourselves. Why, you ask?!?! Well simply because the diamond is an exceptional piece of jewelery, it must be shiny and stand out just as we do as women. A diamond ring has to be chosen in a way that is unique to the woman, fit with who she is as a woman, it should flatter her personality and lifestyle.

What better way to prove to your woman that she is one-of-a-kind, than giving her a one-of-a-kind diamond ring.  After all, ‘diamonds are forever’.

Louis XIV was the epitome of the absolute monarch. Appropriately nicknamed the Sun King, he demanded that France revolve around him. He ordered unconditional respect and ultimate authority and with unlimited power comes unlimited funds. Sure, he could have given something back to his people…but everyone has their priorities and this king had decorating to do!

Louis XIV worked with André Charles Boulle, one of the greatest cabinet makers in history. This age of design became known for its swank and splendor, where furniture was monumental and elaborate. Only the finest, most exotic woods were used. They were inlaid with shell and metal mosaics, and accented with ornate carvings and bronze touches.

Many of today’s great cabinet makers have been inspired by this period. A good ebeniste is capable of enormous detail and quality, but is far more accessible than they used to be. Anyone who works hard for their money is entitled to a little luxury.

So no, you may not be a king, but that doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to live like one!

]]> http://teampellegrino.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/fit-for-a-king/feed/ 2 teampellegrino Louis-XIV-of-France boulle2 louis-xiv-bed2 http://teampellegrino.wordpress.com/2009/11/13/going-green-part-2/ http://teampellegrino.wordpress.com/2009/11/13/going-green-part-2/#comments Fri, 13 Nov 2009 04:30:40 +0000 teampellegrino http://teampellegrino.wordpress.com/?p=203 ]]> How can furniture be green? And I don’t mean the color! Furniture manufacturers can become environmentally friendly by using options like certified sustainable wood, reclaimed material, bamboo, recycled and recyclable material or low-toxicity furniture. There is a lot of work and knowhow that goes into green furniture. For instance, when using bamboo you must make sure that the veneer is glued without formaldahyde. When selecting the paint and laquer you have to choose water based products or products whose toxins are released within 48 hours rather than a month. That’s why when going green you must make sure that you select a manufacturer that knows what they’re doing like Pellegrino Ebieniste who have been in business for 35 years.

The Little Black Dress: an essential piece in every woman’s wardrobe. It’s simple and classic, and can be worn anywhere because it is so easy to dress up or down. Throwing on a necklace or earrings can change your entire look. Going for classic? Wear pearls. Going for funky? Wear turquoise. Vintage or modern, big or small—the options are limitless. Accessorizing allows you to personalize your outfit and adapt it to any style. But you’re here to read about interior design…so where am I going with this? Well, accessorizing doesn’t only apply to fashion…

Hardware is like jewelry for your furniture. A drawer handle is a dresser’s necklace, and pretty hinges are your china cabinet’s earrings. You might think these elements are small and insignificant, but great hardware can make all the difference. Antiqued brass details can give your piece a Victorian look, curvy wrought iron fits well with Tuscan-style decor, and streamlined stainless steel is perfect for the modern home. An excellent furniture designer, like Pellegrino (www.pellegrinofurniture.com), pays close attention to detail and will use hardware, among other things, to incorporate their work into a room’s decor.

Buying furniture is an extremely personal investment, and if we put so much thought into accessories when dressing ourselves, why shouldn’t we be just as conscientious when dressing our home?

You know that level of satisfaction, when you walk into your house, and you just feel home, that comfort that you just don’t get anywhere else, well, interior designers can help you achieve that. Just place a little trust in them, and know that they’ll find that style that is unique to you, whether it be by the color of the walls, or furniture, it’s personal to you.  So, don’t be shy, allow yourself be expressed!

As I was watching the glorious sport of football this past Sunday afternoon, a commercial for the NFL fan shop caught my attention to the point I had to write about it. The commercial focused on new team apparel that are entirely custom-made from beginning to end, with choice of colors, numbers, name and logos. The customer has complete control of the design and style of the gear which makes the product as personalized as it gets. The NFL is not the only one using this concept of custom products.

 Dell has pioneered this concept with your build it yourself laptops, which allows the user to include programs, extra memory, different colors so that the laptop fits all the needs of the customer. Even Nike has created a program called NikeID which allows the users to custom design their own shoes.

As a future marketer, I have been taught that we must fulfill consumer needs and wants and we have moved from mass marketing to individual marketing. Custom made products give the user that special feeling that the product is unique, made entirely to fill his/her needs and in the end, is this not what every consumer wants. As we move towards individual marketing, we should also move to custom-made products to fit those needs.

With the increasingly advanced technology available, this will help us move to a new era of consumerism, where consumers will be able to design everything they want and need from beginning to end. The future is now. More and more companies are jumping on the bandwagon of custom-made products and some have been ahead of the pack for a few decades, building their entire business off custom-made products. Companies like Pellegrino (www.pellegrinofurniture.com) have been working for a few decades to fulfill their customers’ needs personally in giving them customized furniture. They are simply ahead of their time.

For centuries, people have always loved being dressed in haute couture, driving or being driven in the most expensive, luxurious cars, owning the most beautiful homes you could imagine, and of course, decorating these homes with lavish, one of a kind furniture. As times and people have changed, our definition of luxury has evolved  as well. We no longer see people walk around in ball gowns or tuxedos, or decorating their homes with gold-plated furniture.  Rather, people are buying rare Gucci purses,  and one of  a kind wall units for their plasma TV’s.

People love luxury items because they are unique, and the more unique it is, the more special it becomes.  Companies have now caught onto this trend, that people who are  buying the high end products, are buying them because they are very rare. Many companies now allow the consumer to personalize his products, which in turn makes them that much more rare, and therefore, more special. Some of the companies that offer high end products with customization are Longchamp for purses (www.longchamp.com), which let you choose everything down to the color of the zipper, and Pellegrino Ebeniste (www.pellegrinofurniture.com), which has an onsite designer to build you your dream furniture.  Having something designed just for you, is priceless.