Author: Kerry Ann Dame

Kerry Ann grew up in the chic beach town of Newport Beach, California. She has nearly 20 years’ experience designing interiors, furnishings and accessories. After completing a degree in Art History at U.C.L.A., she was recruited to work at a prominent Los Angeles Design firm, Indigo Seas.One look at the beautiful antiques, one-of-a-kind furnishings, and glamorous tropical style surroundings, and she was hooked. She spent the next three years learning the design business from the ground up, loving every minute of it. First came the opportunity to design store displays for the 5,000 square foot showroom, filled with 18th and 19th century antiques as well as vintage slipcovered pieces. Years before Shabby Chic and Martha Stewart, the British Colonial style of Indigo Seas was the inspiration for a dramatic change in the world of design, a movement to the eclectic, intellectual, personal mix of furnishings now popular today. Indigo Seas’ clientele included celebrities and studio executives, and decorating their palatial, sophisticated homes was the best training a young designer could wish for. Kerry Ann’s design work while at Indigo Seas has been seen in House and Garden, House Beautiful, and Country Living, as well as the books “The Floral Home” and “Country Kitchens”. As time went on, Kerry Ann had the opportunity to design a wide variety of furnishings, lamps, window treatments and accessories, supervising a large sewing and decorative painting staff. Fluent in French, she traveled frequently to Europe to buy antiques, enjoying the chance to further her education with visits to historic houses in England and France. In 2001, she and her husband Keith opened Bungalow Heaven in Surfside Beach. The name Bungalow Heaven originated in a charming California neighborhood of historic American bungalow homes. Evoking the casual spirit of life at the beach, the name Bungalow Heaven perfectly described the shop’s comfortable mix of slipcovered furnishings, one-of-a-kind finds, antiques and fine reproductions, and beautiful fabrics for curtains, slipcovers and bedding. After seven successful years, they decided to expand into flooring, lighting and area rugs, and Kerry Ann welcomed friend and longtime business associate Layla Altman as a partner. The new merchandise mix is reflected in the firm's new name, Posh Living, LLC.

Slipcover Chic Living Room Makeover

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The beautiful rug was to become the center piece. First, we chose a neutral paint color that’s a much cooler, oyster shade to eliminate the gold and lighten the space. The client decided that tailored slipcovers would add a comfortable linen look that would still be formal enough. The Bergere would be treated to new upholstery with ticking stripe trim and cotton fringe to add a bit of French country charm.

canvas slipcovered sofa and pillows

What Kind of Fabric Is It?

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Knowing your fabrics can be very helpful when shopping for your interior decorating project. If you’re familiar with styles and qualities of fabrics, you’ll know what to ask for or how to describe what you’re looking for at the fabric showroom. Here’s a helpful list of the most common types of decorating fabrics:

The Stewart Parker Designer Showhouse

The Stewart Parker Designer Showhouse in Georgetown is under way, and it's a whirlwind of activity at Posh as we pull together the elements of our room. We're decorating the Bride's Room,  an upstairs bedroom that serves as the dressing area for the bridal party when weddings are held at the house.  The room has large windows and a corner fireplace. None of the furniture in the room worked for our concept, so we started from scratch. New furnishings, bedding, window treatments and lighting all had to be either found [...]

French Shabby Chic Master Bedroom Makeover

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The bedroom had to be practical and comfy, but also beautiful – they were ready for a romantic retreat. They already had a beautiful wool carpet with a trellis of ivy in shades of taupe, and a slipcovered loveseat in khaki cotton I had done for them years ago. One of the problem areas was a bank of large windows, wonderful for letting in light but also a problem with summer heat.