Winter Woes Are Solved With a Little Light...

It's hard to believe that just yesterday winter officially began when you think about the fact that we started seeing snow last month! With the holiday season underway and end of the year festivities rapidly approaching, I start dreaming of an early Spring. Well...maybe Spring is a little too far in the future. However, in the winter and especially in the beginning of a new year, timing couldn't be better for freshening up your interiors by bringing nature and light into your home with new window treatments. Today's interiors are begging for simple, minimal coverings that do three things; provide privacy, control light and look beautiful. A simple way to do all three is to do one of the following. Use natural, woven shades made of bamboo, grass cloth or sisal mounted inside the frame of the window. The natural look is timeless and can be implemented in the most traditional homes to the most extreme minimalist contemporary abodes alike. For home owners who desire a more luxurious look, fabric panels that begin at the top of the wall and cascade down to the floor can be as casual or as formal as you want depending on the fabric chosen. Silk, velvet and damask add drama and glamour when paired with metal rods and finials. Linen, cotton and hemp are comfy-chic with natural bamboo or other sustainably harvested wooden rods. Panel track systems are excellent window coverings and functional room dividers in open floor plans and lofts if you're looking for that Asian-inspired aesthetic. For gadget and technology aficionados, remote controlled blinds and fabric panels are the perfect solution. Finally, we are all trying to be more environmentally friendly. Honeycomb (cellular) shades are not only beautiful, they also add an extra barrier between windows and the elements outside. They can help cut down on the cost of heating and cooling your home. When the holidays are over and the twinkling lights come down, let some light in and freshen up your window treatments.

Creating Interesting Table Settings For the Holiday Season

It can be daunting to come up with new and interesting holiday decor year after year. However, there are simple, inexpensive ways to spruce up items that you may already own and tricks and tips for purchasing new accessories. Weisshouse designer, Ron Reinheimer was featured in a segment on Pittsburgh Today Live discussing fun ways to interject your favorite pop of color into your own holiday table setting. Ron used yellow as his accent color and classic silver ornaments and dinnerware against a bright white table and chairs. Yellow can be a welcome alternative to the standard gold color. He also used edible items such as lemons and salt and glitter crystal covered yellow apples in the mix. Ron described how he put white paint in a throw away container and tossed pine cones in the paint to create adorable place card holders. He even placed loose evergreen branches collected from his own backyard on the table to create an eye catching backdrop for the other accents. The truly great thing about all of these helpful tips is that this type of table setting can take you from Thanksgiving to New Years with just a few simple tweaks. It's always a good idea to have some clear, glass vessels on hand. They don't have to be fine crystal. Vases from flowers and even antique glass jars and bottles work perfectly. Also, like Ron did, you can bring items in from nature like twigs and branches. With a can of white spray paint and glitter from your local craft store, beautiful things can be created for little to no money. Check out Ron's complete segment at http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2010/12/15/ptl-links-december-15-2010/. The photos below show some examples from Ron's segment as well.

Weisshouse Hosts a Fund Raising Event for The Sprout Fund

Last night, Stacy Weiss, Ellen Weiss Kander and Andy Weiss hosted a fund raiser at Weisshouse for The Sprout Fund, a local organization that generously supports some amazing causes. The night began with delicious hors d' oeuvres and great music. Cathy Lewis Long, co-creator of The Sprout Fund discussed the many wonderful ways that Sprout enriches the lives and neighborhoods of Pittsburgh. Many people know and have seen the beautiful murals around the city. However, last night provided a platform for a few of Sprout's support recipients to showcase their projects. Joe Zgurzynski of Burgh Bees discussed "the aims to introduce beekeeping to Pittsburghers in order to promote bees and beekeeping and in so doing, stewardship of the environment. In support of this mission Burgh Bees’ seminars and mentorship programs help teach beginning beekeepers how to responsibly keep their own hives. Additionally, Burgh Bees develops and maintains urban apiaries that serve as the location for hands-on beekeeping classes." Seema Patel from CTTEC (CMU''s Center for Technology Transfer and Enterprise Creation) enlightened the crowd about "Interbots, Inc., a high-tech spin-off company associated with the Carnegie Mellon University Entertainment Technology Center has teamed up with the Autism Center of Pittsburgh to provide innovative robot-based therapy for children with autism." Avid bicyclist, Lou Fineberg talked about Bike Pittsburgh. He also had a small replica of the three rivers bike racks that are seen throughout the city and initially funded by The Sprout Fund. Jon Rubin and his adorable six year old assistant Lilah discussed the super cool Conflict Kitchen, "a take-out restaurant that only serves cuisine from countries that the United States is in conflict with. The food is served out of a take-out style storefront, which will rotate identities every four months to highlight another country. Each Conflict Kitchen iteration is augmented by events, performances, and discussion about the the culture, politics, and issues at stake with each country they focus on." In addition to all of those wonderful causes, The Sprout Fund also supports an vast array of other projects. Check out their website at http://www.sproutfund.org/about/. The Sprout Fund is always accepting donations and greatly appreciates all support. It was a great night in support of a great cause. Check out the photos below to see some of the fabulous party attendees.

Photos (top to bottom): 1. Stan Adamik 2. Andy Weiss, Stacy Weiss, Cathy Lewis Long, Ellen Weiss Kander 3. Stacy Weiss, Ellen Weiss Kander, Andy Weiss, 4. Laura Karet, Will Carpenter, Kitty Hillman 5. Betty Rich, Joe Zgurzynski, Larry Rich 6. Mark Minnerly, Cathy Lewis Long, Steve Mosites 7. Ellen Terry Kaplan Goldstein, Seema Patel 8. Jack & Andy Weiss 9. Joe Zgurzynski, Cathy Lewis Long 10. Jon Rubin, Lilah 11. Lou Fineberg

Weisshouse Welcomes Italian Icons

Weisshouse is proud to welcome Cassina (Furniture) back to the showroom. Around the world, the name Cassina is spontaneously associated with Italian design. Since 1927, Cassina has been a preeminent design leader and manufacturer of original contemporary furniture. Cassina USA was established in 1994 to bring their contemporary furniture to the American market. Their modern classics include the Cassina I Maestri Collection by 20th century masters, as well as the contemporary designs of noted European designers. Many of these furniture designs are included in the collections of leading museums, and are found in the world’s best-furnished interiors.

Classic pieces like Mario Bellini's CAB and Gerrit T. Rietveld's UTRECT blend seamlessly into any home or office interior. LeCorbusier's LC3 collection consisting of an armchair and two seat sofa are stunning in black, white or ivory leather with chrome frames. An accent piece like no other is LeCorbusier's LC4 designed in 1928, is still current in the most stylish spaces. Stop in the showroom any day to see and fall in love with Cassina's incomparable furnishings.

Photos (top to bottom): CAB chair, UTRECT chair, LC3 armchair, LC4 chaise, MARALUNGA sofa