#french room

[kimkatstudio]

[abnormalsaint]

[edithandevelyn]

Our IKEA Sofas Three Years Later

Our IKEA Sofas Three Years Later

Almost every day I get questions about our IKEA sofas in the family room, so today I’m going to give you an honest review of these sofas three years after purchasing them. When we finished the renovation of the family room three years ago, I knew that I wanted two sofas with slipcovers so that I could remove them for washing. I wanted the look of the Pottery Barn and Ballard Designs slipcovered…

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[everythinghess]

The French Room

“It was something you wanted to be able to attain,” my mom explained to me, “you wanted to be able to buy a dress in the French Room.” Her sentiments are echoed by countless others who describe one of the most famous aspects of the store ("You dreamed you would be able to one day afford a dress from the French Room for $1000" says one woman in a documentary from PBS). Hess’s French Room sold high-end luxury fashion from Europe. Customers could book an appointment and meet with a consultant who would have models present looks specific to what the customer was looking for. Imagine peering through the doorway, just over the blue satin ropes, as you try to catch a glimpse of who might be buying that $3000 dress from Paris. Dresses hung on fat, pink, padded hangers around the room. Inside each garment: a special label with Hess’s French Room embroidered in script. 

I was fascinated by the details my mom described when I interviewed her. There are very few images of the French Room online, but I was able to gather a very vivid image based on her description. She emphasized the pastel colors, the presence of gold, and the fancy pink padded hangers all of the clothing hung on.

From a 1968 advertisement:

In a city driven by blue-collar industry, Hess’s represented an ideal: where the shopper going to the French Room and Bargain Basement could rub elbows entering through the same door and dine at the same restaurant. It represents a golden era for Allentown, which saw economic decline beginning in the late 1970’s. “It was the right people at the right time,” my mom told me, “it couldn’t have happened anywhere else and it was magical.”   

My sculpture of The French Room, featuring dresses inspired by actual French Room fashions. It’s worth noting that my grandmother obtained the dream and owned one dress from The French Room.

[thepaintedchateau]

…"women think of all colours...

…except the absence of colour...

…I have said that black has it all...

…white, too...

…their beauty is absolute...

…it is the perfect harmony"...

~Coco Chanel

[interrogate-the-cat-blog]

In retrospect, drinking those three cups of coffee in the French room was a bad idea.

[lecasepiubelle-blog]