Open House

http://fairweatherhouseandgarden.com/

 

“The Angel of Waters” replica at Fairweather

Sculptor: Emma Stebbins (1815-1882)
Date: 1868; Placed in Park: 1873
Donor: City of New York
Material: Bronze figures, blue stone lower basin

In their 1858 Greensward plan, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux called the architectural heart of the Park “The Water Terrace,” for its placement beside the Lake and the grand fountain in the center. Once the Angel of the Waters fountain was unveiled in 1873, however, the area became forever known as Bethesda Terrace. At the dedication, the artist’s brochure quoted the Biblical verse from the Gospel of St. John 5:2-4: “Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called… Bethesda…whoever then first after the troubling of the waters stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.”

The artist likened the healing powers of the angel to that of the clean and pure Croton water, delicately cascading down the fountain, that brought health to the people of New York City. The lily in her hand represents purity while the four figures below represent Peace, Health, Purity, and Temperance. Stebbins, the sister of the President of the Board of the Commissioners of Central Park, was the first woman to receive a sculptural commission in New York City.

http://www.centralparknyc.org/site/PageServer?pagename=virtualpark_southend_bethesdaangel

http://fairweatherhouseandgarden.com/Whats_New/whats_new.html

 

emerging artist ~ lee garone

Lee Garone lives in Lake Oswego, Oregon with her husband and two teenage daughters. Trained as an interior designer, Lee’s opulent Georgian-style home has been featured in two publications. Her specialty is English and French style.

However, while visiting friends at their beach homes on the Oregon coast, she became interested in elegant ways to decorate with seashells. Her friends, birthday was coming up and she wanted to give a special gift, something with her initial. After a little experimentation, she found the combination of seashells, sparkling Swarovski crystals, and vintage jewelry (gathered from years of going to estate sales} to be a winning combination. As other friends quickly requested them one after another, she knew she was on to something special. One friend’s request was to incorporate a beloved grandmother’s brooch, which made it a heartwarming keepsake.

Lee’s design principle is “too much is never enough, meaning every surface and detail is considered. Nothing is overdone, but everything plays a role in each individually orchestrated piece. Each Sea Jewel initial is an original piece of artwork, signed and dated, and copyrighted by the designer. They are available in two sizes, small (approx. 6 inches) and large (approx. 9.5 inches).

http://fairweatherhouseandgarden.com/

 

Press Release Link

http://www.free-press-release.com/news/200906/1245969337.html

 

Q&A Desinger Showhouse

Q.
What is a designer showhouse event?

A.
Civic organizations partner with professionals to present shows in significant residences in cooperation with sponsoring companies. A limited number of the area’s top designers are selected to offer expertise and talent for the event. Designers participate as a group toward the restoration of an important house. The event offers many the opportunity to see residences that are usually closed to the public. Thanks to the generosity of participating designers and sponsors, the houses receive lasting improvements and working capital to help persevere their status as the great houses in America. A.S.I.D., the American Society of Interior Designers presents showhouses in partnership with regional benefits. Showhouses are featured often in the finer home shelter magazines like Southern Living, Architectural Digest and Veranda.

http://fairweatherhouseandgarden.com/Inspirations/questionsanswers.html

 

Q & A Visualizing Change

Q. I need help visualizing change. I know what I want but not the best way to get it. How do I find the best possible solutions?

A. Professional interior designers can do so much more than recommend furniture, fabric and colors. In addition to having an in-depth product knowledge, an accredited designer has the disciplined eye to help you visualize your ideas. One way to ensure you are working with a professional is if he or she is a member of the American Society of Interior Designers (A.S.I.D.). A.S.I.D. members must meet the profession’s education and experience requirements, as well as adhere to strict code of ethics and conduct. An accredited designer is one who has passed rigorous scrutiny and testing. You get the benefit of an experience professional who can solve problems, avoid costly mistakes, and most importantly, create an attractive, affordable space designed specifically to meet your lifestyle needs.

http://fairweatherhouseandgarden.com/Inspirations/questionsanswers.html

 

Going Green

Coast River Business Journal
10/1/2008 By Julia Mabry
Going Green
Packaging in peanuts is so passé:
modern home décor calls for modern shipping methods

My personal motto is: Why not?” said Denise Fairweather, owner of Fairweather House & Garden in Seaside. After losing her Gearhart home décor store to the storm in December, she settled in a new location in Seaside with the firm decision to make some business changes.
Originally, her merchandise arrived from the vendors wrapped in plastic. For recycling aficionado Fairweather that became unbearable. She called the vendors and asked them to wrap her wares in cardboard. “Why not do it like this for me, see if it works?” she asked.
“I had another company that shipped in [Styrofoam] peanuts and I said, ‘What can you do? Are you shredding office documents?’” Soon her products came packaged in shredded paper. (One mishap didn’t deter her: Fairweather unwrapped some merchandise that came cushioned in shredded paper: confetti. One little wind and she had confetti all over the garage.)
When a shipment arrived in countless boxes within boxes, “I called my representative and I said: ‘I think I paid more for boxes than I paid for the product. I’m not going to order again if that happens.’”
Her timing was right and it wasn’t difficult to convince suppliers to change their packaging materials. Fairweather placed her first orders for the new store in mid-winter, right after the big storm — and they were big orders. In the economic slow period of January, a big order was welcome and vendors were willing to accommodate her.
“There’s a world of vendors out there,” she said. With over one hundred in her store alone, she has made a significant contribution to waste reduction. So far, no vendor has asked her to pay extra for special packaging requests.
“And they liked my story, that I would come in here and really be more ‘green’,” she said. But even with different timing, Fairweather thinks there is no reason why other stores couldn’t follow her model.
“All they have to do is talk to their vendors,” she said. When she calls, she asks to speak to the production manager, or the supervisor. “I ask for acknowledgement on what their packing materials are.”
Other changes she has made are in the products themselves.
“There’s very little resin in the store,” she said. Instead, Fairweather sells re-purposed, recycled glass work from a local artist, garden benches built from found wood by a local landscaper, and a table made from old railroad ties. Many items have their individual stories. If not from local artists, Fairweather tries to buy most of her products from West of the Rockies. “There are very few items in here that are imported from China,” she said.
The customer response has been positive. “They love it,” said Fairweather. “They want to know the stories.”
Fairweather House & Garden is located at 612 Broadway in Seaside, and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For information on upcoming classes that introduce the craft of “re-purposing” found items into home décor.

 

Press Release: The Gilbert District

The Gilbert District, a group of 21 businesses located in the historic part of downtown Seaside, will initiate an advertising campaign showcasing its upscale boutiques, art galleries, dining establishments, and north coast lifestyle shopping.   Many of the merchants here showcase their offerings in beautifully preserved, turn-of-the-century buildings located on the east side of downtown Seaside, three blocks from the beach.

The initial ad piece will be a pamphlet placed throughout the area’s premier hotels, at the Convention Center and be made available at the Seaside Visitors Center.  This campaign will give the Gilbert District a permanent presence, raise historic awareness, and support the businesses within this unique area.

According to Craig Dietrich, Director of the group, “The Gilbert District has name recognition within the local area but many visitors to the North Coast are not aware of the district’s upscale persona and sophisticated vibe.  We feel that raising awareness of what we have to offer will result in visitors asking about the district when they tour the North Coast.”

This ad campaign has been orchestrated by a committee comprised of four core members of the Gilbert District, each from one of the four blocks within the district.  Each member represents a different business entity within the district.  Cathy Cates is owner/operator of the Natural Nook, (www.seasidenaturalnook.com) a picturesque fresh flower and gift shop.  Denise Fairweather owns Fairweather House & Garden, (www.fairweatherhouseandgarden.com) a wonderful collection of unique house and garden goods.  Corey Albert, owner of Yummy Wine Bar and Bistro, (www.yummywinebarbistro.com) operates a one-of-a-kind very hip dining experience.  Craig Dietrich, is the owner/operator of Beach Puppy Dog Boutique, (www.beachpuppy.net) a unique boutique for four-legged tourists and their humans.  Kathy Peterson of KP Graphic Arts is performing the graphic design of the pamphlet. (www.kpgraphicarts.com)

 

A Beach Relationship

Column as featured in the Spring 2009 Coast Style

 

Everyday People

Gearhart woman utilizes recycling
In all aspects of her life

By NANCY MCCARTHY 5/4/2009
The Daily Astorian

SEASIDE – It could be said that recycling is in Denise Fairweather’s DNA.

Growing up on a dairy farm in Clark County, Wash., that her family homesteaded in 1854, Fairweather hasn’t known a time when nearly everything she touched didn’t fine another use.

Even in her Seaside business, Fairweather House & Garden, Fairweather recycles so much that she discards only a handful of garbage every week.

“Instead of finding vendors back east, where they have to come across two mountains – every time they come across the Rocky Mountains it costs another one-third in freight costs – I found west coast vendors. The products are recycled, reclaimed or reused,” Fairweather said.

She has educated her vendors, too. Instead of wrapping products in Styrofoam before shipping, they now use shredded paper. Furniture that used to arrive in shrink-wrap is just protected by larger cardboard. Freight pallets are taken back by the shippers; broken pallets are chopped into firewood. Shards from damaged glass accessories are given to a local artist that works in mosaics.

Fairweather even uses her envelopes again by stapling them shut and writing “recycle” across the front of them.

She credits her father and family history for her recycling habit. The oldest daughter of seven children on a farm where seven generations of the family had already lived, Fairweather said she had a strong connection to the earth.

“We grew our own food. There was a neighborhood grocery store, but it would be rare for us to buy anything except mayonnaise or silly things like that. We baked our own bread, canned our own fruit, canned our own vegetables, picked berries, picked corn, picked potatoes. Each of us had a crop we had to raise.  We had acres of strawberries that I was the field boss of.

Fairweather and her husband also lived on a farm, where they continued to nurture the environment. She operated two flower shops and sold only regionally grown flowers. Even as chairwoman of the Portland Rose Festival float committee in Battle Ground, Wash., she avoided exotic flowers and used other natural products on the floats instead, such as a bed of straw or patches of lawn.

In her professional life, Fairweather continued to follow her philosophy. She worked for Drexel Heritage, which uses only American-made products. Her job with Ralph Lauren also was a “perfect fit” she said because the fashion designer works only with natural textiles.

Fairweather moved to Gearhart in 2002. She decided to take “all my passions” and open a storefront. Her Gearhart store was destroyed when the roof blew off in the “Great Coastal Gale” 2007. Fairweather opened her current store in the Historic Gilbert District on Broadway in February 2008.

But when she received her first heating bill, Fairweather was surprised at the cost. A heating expert told her the full, empty basement under her store was sucking up the heat. Fill it with inventory, the expert advised, and the basement would be warmer.

Not one to carry more merchandise than is needed, however, Fairweather had another idea that better reflected her philosophy of finding a use for everything. She asked the owner of the Natural Nook if she wanted to store her seasonal stock in the basement.  It’s all part of finding another way to cut waste, she said.

“It’s saving me on my heating bill,” Fairweather added. “It’s insulating my basement.”