Hot Off the Press.......Almost!!

A while ago, I wrote about a local shop in Fredericksburg called red.

Created and managed by my good friends, the Moore girls, (Carolyn and very talented daughters, Nikki and Sam), the store has evolved over the last year. While it is a fun and whimsical place to pick up a great gift or a new pillow if one needs a decorating fix, it has also become a wonderful place to buy serious furnishings - good upholstered pieces, classic chairs and sofas, dining tables and beds.

In addition, the unusual or quirky vintage piece makes the visitor smile, and adds interest to a room. These are often finds from the great Texas antique shopping excursions the girls go on. The store is a happy place to visit, with the ever present smile of sweet, creative display talent, Theresa, greeting me when I stop by for a visit to see what's new!

Designers and homeowners come in to order rooms full for new homes in the area. (Did I mention the hill country is booming with new construction and renovation?!)

On another note, but definitely related to this story, Fredericksburg has been known for many years for it's abundance of charming bed & breakfast accommodations. Carolyn built a sweet cottage next door to her house years ago - in fact, friends of mine stayed there even before we moved here and Carolyn and I became friends! The cottage has been published several times in various home decorating magazines, and has taken on a new look in the last year as Carolyn has grown as a designer and store manager, as well as b&b hostess. Abby's will be recognized soon in a national magazine and I am here to share the news !

Abby's will be featured in the next Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion and here is a preview of the article. I am afraid we will all have to wait for the magazine to hit the news stands to actually read the fine print, but what a great feature it promises to be!

For the full scoop, go to www.redinfred.blogspot.com and read Nikki's comments on the whole event.

Way to go red!! Puttin' Fred Patch on the map once again!!

Shopping in Fredericksburg - red in fred!!

One of my favorite stops when I have the pleasure of shopping our main street is red, a fresh new face on the block. My good friend, Carolyn, manages the store and is the creative genius behind a lot of the store's new, trend setting style. She has a talented staff and is fortunate to also get to work with her two daughters on many projects. Check out the website for more information on these talented women and on the store.

red carries a lot of great new home accessories, dining and occasional tables, chairs, as well as upholstered furniture. Remember, we are a small town, and in the past it was necessary to travel to to San Antonio or Austin to find a variety of design sources.

So, one of the things that is now available here is that anyone, not just designers, can come in and choose a sofa or chair and then choose from a vast assortment of fabrics to custom design their own piece. Of course, designers come in, too, and the staff is happy to meet their needs as well as those of their clients. While the store has a contemporary feel, many of the upholstered pieces can be designed in either a traditional or contemporary style, depending on the fabric chosen.

Carolyn has a long history designing and working for the famous Homestead stores and still consults and occasionally works with Carol Bolton of Homestead and EJ Victor fame. This is a small town and creativity runs rampant here. While the look is completely different from Homestead, and the intent is to be different and fresh, I still see regular local design customers shopping at both stores! It is all about creativity, style, new ideas, and some tried and true ones, too.

red has loads of new, modern pillows, bedding, lighting and accessories, throwing in all kinds of funky, vintage goods, creating a lively mix!

Love the hour glasses and the great zebra pillows behind them.

My weakness - anything faux bois - these are slender little vases of china or porcelain - delicate, and just lovely.

I want the lamp and the mirrored chest beside the chair! Oh, and you can throw in the leopard pillow too! Love it with that blue mixed in the spots!

Don't miss the fabulous limestone walls as you are looking at everything else. This is one of the great old historic buildings in Fredericksburg. It was restored for the store on the ground floor and a residence an the second floor. It is one of the prettiest buildings in town.

Oops....... Carolyn was happy that a mirror had just sold before I took this shot, but sorry for the bare spot above the shelf - that's okay, there is still plenty to drool over. Notice all of the great lighting scattered about the store - some modern and some vintage.

A beautiful old chest with a great display of blue items, new and old, and great hanging lights above - so pretty.

Couldn't you just curl up in this big cozy chair for a snooze - the pillows are appliqued with fun, bright fabrics.
Too funny and too cute! The big cushions are made by Fat Boy and the background pieces are old carnival cut outs for photo ops!!

An assortment of goodies and one very cool lamp. The art work above is actually a torn paper collage by Nikki Moore.

Visit red next time you are in the hill country or check out their website and give them a call if you see something you can't live without! I will be back with more shopping in Fredericksburg soon.