Happy New Year-2011 Calender now on SALE!

RURAL MODERN STYLE is colorful, contemporary painted hardwood furniture and home accessories FROM FURNITUREA out of Portland, Maine. A rural modern style is inspired by the traditional forms of rural Maine architecture and the decorative arts, re-imagined in a modern cast and imbued with a whimsical spirit. Custom designs and custom colors to order.

The company that would become Furniturea was started as a carpentry company in 1974 in Bridgton, a small town in rural western Maine. Brian Haddock, the 1st and for awhile the only employee, combined his formal design education and his interest in craft to found a carpentry company to repair and restore old houses. There were plenty of old houses that needed repair and restoration in rural western Maine. 

What I love the most about this line of furniture is the contemporary lines and colors that all are customizable for anyone who wants this fresh look in a unusual size or color--slight modifications and you have yourself a custom piece that literally sings a song to who ever walks by. As you know, details are everything to me and I love the kiln dried maple and birch hardwood and veneer harvested locally from the forests of New England and eastern Canada. Free of added formaldehyde and meet California’s 2009 clean air standards.

I have been so lucky to have FURNITUREA add my new line of pillows to this amazing space. I love love this style and hope to fill my house with it one piece at a time. I am so so inspired by these modern lines and shapes...amazing.

Attached are some photos of the store front that I happened to take the evening before MERRY MADNESS A Shop ‘til you drop event held downtown Portland Old Port!! Enjoy.

Year End

Hello and Happy Holidays! A quick post before the holiday break. Been a great year full of different opportunities and experiences. I loved my time at Maine Magazine & Maine Home Design Magazine + meeting so many wonderful people that are doing what I am doing---working at something that means everything to them and making a living at it. And of course all the people that came up to me during the few shows we attended that thanked me or mentioned how they love the pillow prints...I loved seeing people walk up to the pillows and smile. My heart melted. It was like a piece of my world was getting through the madness. So amazing how something can hopefully change a mood or bring joy to someone...color and texture can be amazing like that.

The girls are getting big fast and holding onto every moment! Pillows selling like mad and searching for another stitcher that will help us out--Loving adding new things to the existing line of home + kiddo prints---I also have 4 new designs I am excited to print that are multi colored bold abstracted flowers--one up per pillow. Simple but cool. So many ideas cooking--oh and Maslen and I are working on yardage now---so that I hope will be something that we will have come Spring/Summer! (Stacked Deco will be the first print we are trying..) Carol Bass who was the master mind behind MAINE COTTAGE FURNITURE And one more thing--AU's new print that I designed is coming out SUPER FAST for SPRING--We just approved the 3 new colorways. (LEMON DROP YELLOW/A SUPER CREAMY BLUE/ and super amazing ERIN OLIVE GREEN that will for sure be my favorite.  The new bag print will be on natural color nubby cotton fabric--(before they printed on white). Excited to see how this changes the look and feel and will be able to carry over to FALL nicely. I will post as soon as I can.

Freelance has been steady and always looking for great graphic design gigs that speak to me. Did a few websites this year and a lot of brand identities that I really loved...just excited to keep going and really take my work to new heights. 2011 will be about organizing the madness and streamlining things---fine tuning really. Life is crazy but lovely and I would not have it any other way. Very thankful to do what I love and be here in my studio. Life for me is bringing simplicity to our home and loving the girls...and showing them that dreams do come true everyday. 

A little blurp from LIVEWORKPORLTLAND that sums it up nice I think. I love being apart of this amazing working community. CHEERS to you all and hope to connect soon. xo e

LiveWork Portland – CreativePortland.Me Profile: Designer Erin Flett

HOLIDAY PICNIC

Mas and I had an amazing weekend at the HOLIDAY PICNIC SHOW. Since it was our third show ever, we were excited to connect with such amazing creative souls. The amount of great work was incredible and hanging out next to ZETI for two days would brighten anyones spirits! (see me and ZETI below...) I have to say that connecting with other little kiddos with the pillows was amazing. Seeing how they loved the pillows and really gravitated toward the little critters made me smile. We sold quite a few large pillows as well and met some very cool people. We sold the barkcloth frames which was well received and sold a ton of paper posters as usual...and even my calender was printed in time for the last day. Please enjoy this collection of images I put together quickly. I hope to post about all the individual artists I met. So so many! Thank you all of you for making the last two shows a great start to a new year for studio e! xo e

Hello hello. Maslen and I had a great show at the SHOP-A-DO event held out SPACE GALLERY, 538 Congress Street, downtown Portland. It was held Friday and Saturday night and it was amazing. Maslen and I were blown away. Friday was wall to wall people buying everything from cashmere rope necklaces, (had to trade for one) handmade clothes, felted critters (these little owls that were amazing!) and fine art---AND so thankful to say a lot of PILLOWS, PAPER PRINTS + everything else we had for sale. Once I dig out I will post on some of these amazing souls I met! It was a whirl wind of amazing people and stories and time to connect with fellow mates that are doing the same thing Mas and I are doing---making handmade goods because we love it and because it's our passion. So amazing to connect with so many people that totally buy in to BUYING LOCAL! LOVE IT and thank you so much for stopping by, saying hello, telling a story and picking up something. 


Another amazing thing happened this week. I had some great wholesale orders that came in which is always amazing and fun, but a special call out to CITY BIRD who mentioned to me that a couple of my pillows are going to be shown on a set in Detroit 1-8-7 (a show on ABC set in Detroit). The set designers loved them and bought them to be used in a home that will be featured in January or February. GO DETROIT! So I will hopefully have more on that once I receive more information! 


Okay and the last thing that I wanted to post was a great feature on the LIVEWORKPORTLAND BLOG
They were nice enough to do a blurp on me for a new section of the website featuring local people living and working in the portland area. Loved it, honored and so thrilled to be apart of such a life changing organization. So please visit the site often and really get involved. The best way we can thrive here in Portland and Maine is to seriously buy local, support local businesses. I for one buy where it's most economical and makes sense for my family--but I have to say that buying from local farmers, shops and everything inbetween feels better and ultimately better for my family. So bit by bit, even if  it's more expensive for us, we are going to make more of an effort. WE have to. We owe it to this amazing state and community that we love so much!


PS. A little video from SHOP-A-DO that was super amazing: 

Shop-A-Do 2010 Time Lapse

vimeo.com

SPACE Gallery annual Shop-A-Do event December 3, 2010. Portland, Maine. Music by Alias from the title track off "Resurgam" http://space538.org/

Flett House Series- My bedroom

I was taking photos for a up and coming catalog for the pillows--and I wanted to share some images of my bedroom to go along with the FLETT HOUSE SERIES. The bedspread is from PotteryBarn and the Las Vegas style headboard and furniture is from a near by junk/antique store that I love in Limington, Maine called the "Chicken Coop." The masks I bought at a auction a year or so ago and everything else is found either from my mom's house that is full of antiques or from local junk shops. 

I am loving orange and gray these days as you can see--and I have always wanted light blue walls in my bedroom--which have always been a creamy yellow... I am totally in love with the black frames with metal flowers I found in a antique shop in Saco. I have thought about painting them but I do love how the gold meshes well with my bohemian bed. The lamps are from my grandmother that I want to redo at some point and the chandelier was given to me from my father, aunt and uncle when my grandfather passed. It came to me in a huge wooden crate all the way from Eaton Colorado. It was in the dining room of my grandfathers house and when he died it was going to be sold so they took it down for me and sent it to me. I guess my grandfather gave it to my grandmother as a birthday gift and now it lives with me in my bedroom. I am so thankful that it came all that way to Maine in one piece! 

I can't live with out my vintage scarves or the antique mirror I found in Buxton with my mom--we stopped and picked it up for $20 bucks. The best deal ever. The vintage red chair was the first chair Maslen and I picked up at a garage sale when we moved to Maine. I want to redo it too but for now it is still in the horse hair red wool which wears like iron! Thanks for looking! e

New Kiddo Pillows + HOLIDAY INDIE CRAFT SHOWS

I have been working on coming out with new kiddo prints and finally here they are. I have had so much fun refining these little guys and finally able to start taking orders and hopefully have these out in full swing by some of the holiday shows I will be attending in November and December. 

HOLIDAY SHOWS I WILL BE ATTENDING:

NOVEMBER 13th

Mistletoe Boutique Welcome to our first annual Mistletoe Boutique! Please join us on Saturday, November 13 from 9:00-3:00 for food, libations and fabulous shopping featuring vendors with locally produced jewelry, stationery, gifts, handbags, pillows, home accessories and the Pampered Pooch area!

DECEMBER 3rd

SPACE GALLERY SHOW-A-DO! 

Come revel in handmade bliss with one of our most popular events: Shop-A-Do! Browse through an inspiring collection of local crafters’ goods including prints, handmade clothing, original artwork, books, t-shirts, cards and more! Grab a hot beverage, don a cozy sweater and come on down for some good old fashioned holiday cheer.

DECEMBER 11th-12th

2nd annual Picnic Holiday Sale will take place on Saturday, Dec 11, and Sunday, Dec 12! This juried indie craft fair will be held indoors at the Maine Irish Heritage Center at 34 Gray St and State St. The Sale will run from noon to 8pm on Saturday, and noon to 5pm on Sunday, admission is free. 

Just a quick preview of the small pillows: Please contact me for wholesale information and pre ordering. They should be ready to go into shows SPRING 2010 and sooner on my ETSY SHOP! Stay tooned!

Flett House Series-Ary's Room

I have had a lot of people ask how I live with the pillows..and I decided to start a series of THE FLETT HOUSE..which is a little glimpse of our little world here in Maine...
I am going to start with Aryana's room who just turned 3. She is now in her "big girl" bed that Maslen and I found at a local church sale before she was born. Picking up two for $30 was a steal and I dreamed of the girls sharing a room one day. But due to the small size of the girls rooms once we moved in, they are solo. A fresh coat of white paint and a little love and here it is. (Mas sanded and sanded and painted while Breshia art directed shouting out placing he missed.) Found vintage linens and comforter that I have held onto for years. I think the comforter was a goodwill find and the linens at a charming old lady's home in Buxton. The comforter is handmade by some amazing soul that totally caught my eye...clearly hand stitched when you look underneath. I knew Ary's room would be different then B's which is pastel pinks. 


Ary gravitates to hot pink and oranges and loves bold and graphic pictures and stories. Her fire in her eyes and the obsession with old books that she drags out of my studio inspired the room. A buttery yellow paint on the walls that is a little too bright during the day but something we have grown to love. Little Ary picked out the large Home Economics lithograph, 1952,  above her bed of little girls playing house---sewing and ironing and playing dolls. It's in rough shape but I am completely and thoroughly enamored by it. We were  junking and picked it up at a local shop her in Gorham at TINSEL BRIGHT She points out all the details, the doll, the dresser and the window, and does not let you forget the big scissors and thread bobbins. Ary is facinated with sewing from her Nana's influence and always asks, "how you do that nana?" Breshia says she will be a good driver because she has practices at Nana's...(foot of the sewing machine..) I laugh out loud and feel thankful my mom is teaching them...Little ary loves her room which is clearly with out a ton of toys. We keep the girl's rooms pretty clear and have made one of the other rooms a nice play room that is super sweet and deliciously all about art, playing and movies. Stay tooned for that. I was able to pick up the cutest mid century sofa that is super petite for that space in TINSEL BRIGHT as well over the Summer. Another steal of $99. I could not say no and envision redoing it someday in a Erin Flett print...The Erin Flett DAISY THORN in Mango Orange  is Ary's new favorite and goes well in this sea of colors. B loves the same print but in the soft pink. which feels totally different in her little room. You get to see her space next week. e

Maine Women's Fund-Product To Passion

I was honored to be asked to kick off the  Maine Women's Fund, Leadership Series in PASSION TO PRODUCT along side two amazing women. Beth Shissler, one of two women who started SEA BAGS, which turns recycled sails into fashionable bags; and Charlotte Levitt, founder of CHART metalworks, which turns nautical charts embedded in resin into stylish jewelry; and me. I was a good mix in this group of women because I am at the very beginning at developing my name and my own passion and was honored to be among these two amazing women entrepreneurs. The talk was informal and personal and we all talked about our sources of inspirations, challenges of running design companies..I also talked about mommiehood, having a dream, making goals and putting one foot in front of the other. 
I wanted to thank MAINE WOMEN'S FUND for including me and letting me be apart of something I really believe in. This program is about engaging and enriching women at every stage of life, encouraging confident strides, supporting emerging leaders, and creating lasting change that improves our communities and the world for generations to come.
I am in that mode right now figuring how I navigate from here. Launching for the first time my own line and moving forward...life is so nuts trying to do what you are really meant to do, but all the years doing design work for other companies is helping me down that road. I am still working doing surface design and have many design clients that are patient with my new crazy schedule, as well as working part time at Maine & MH&D Magazines...it all fits into this amazing package I am calling my life these days.

I have been asked by bloggers what is it that keeps me going and how it works...all I can say about that which could be a book someday I think, HA HA..but honestly, it's about keeping yourself focused on one thing, then another and making a ton of lists...and letting go of things that are not important--only focusing on things you must do and eliminate all the fluff---fluff fluff fluff---

Anyway, I think this is another post for the future. My head is still spinning from all the things on my plate at the moment and I thought yesterday I had an amazing moment where I was in a place of calm, and today a place of insanity. But that is the heart of a designer. It is what keeps it real and keeps me growing. I don't think I will ever figure out the perfect balance but maybe the perfect storm. I love what I am doing, love my babies and husband...who really is my partner in this ever changing story...and of course doing custom designs for clients, and my self. It really does not get better then this...just have to figure out how to keep my house clean in the mist of it all...:) e

NEW FOR FALL & WINTER

Okay everyone, I have been a busy bee picking and choosing what is next for WINTER. Some old and some new, but a peek at the NEW small KIDDO line! I added "BRUISER" the puppy, "PUFF" the kitten, and "FROGGIE" well, you guessed it, the frog:). I also have officially added "ARIA FLORAL", a sunflower collage inspired from the miles of sunflowers and a dear friend which has  been out but not really pushed till this FALL, "ASHLEY PINE" inspired by a MAINE CAMP WEDDING celebrated just recently at a local Sebago Camp here in Maine. And "HANNAH" designed inspired by a another dear friend who asked for a floral to go in her historic home that is amazing and beautiful and was calling out for something in cranberry! Another print that I am playing with is "MATCH BOX" a abstract modern inspired repeat print that is super layered and linear...to compliment the other more modern prints...such as "MOD GEO", "WIND" and "COFFE RINGS". 

Just a little peek--I am producing my WINTER flyer and catalog as we speak and will be updating my website to reflect the newest of the new. Still tweaking colors--I am in love with caramel browns, grays and rich browns, and olive greens for Fall as well as this yummy yellow that I did for Ashley's recent wedding...and the kiddos colors are inspired by B and Ary who insisted the kitten be in purple and the doggie must be red or orange or both, and the frog, well it must be green Ary said, (just turned 3!). So stay tooned!

e

PORTLAND PICNIC arts + music festival

For those of you who came by my booth, thank you so much. Maslen and I were so grateful that you stopped by and loved that we were able to sell out of a lot of screened paper prints and sold a ton of little kiddo pillows and quite a few large pillows! Thank you thank you! A few pictures that capture the day! xo e

Gorham Times

Okay Gorham, Maine residents, I was so so excited to see this little blurp in GORHAM TIMES. My local newspaper here in Gorhan, Maine...I was interviewed a while back from Linda Morris..a very talented designer herself who also writes for the GT. It was a sweet little write up that really was the first blurp that touched upon my background, bark cloth and my mom’s antique store..and basically that a grew up in a home that embraced everything old---my mom and I still love the hunt and find amazing treasures everywhere we go! I recently found some amazing funky old costume jewelry at the FLEA MARKET down the coast in ARUNDEL, MAINE. Every weekend until it gets too cold outside! Tons of crazy finds but recent loves are a few necklaces I could not live with out. $5 bucks each. Yes I will take both please:) Just in case you don’t know what I am talking about--head down to Antiques USA- Route 1- Arundel, ME 04046 & Arundel Antiques- 1713 Portland Rd- Arundel, ME 04046-7938--this FLEA MARKET is in between these two antique stores!

Home & Decor Magazine Feature

RUTH CHAN from HOME DECOR MAGAZINE out of SINGAPORE just told me the feature artical is out on ERIN FLETT pillows! (SEPTEMBER p. 120) Thank you so very much Ruth! The write up looks great! Two great pictures were featured with a little write up. I was told I could not show the actual spread. But here is a peek at the cover. Home & Decor Magazine is Singapore’s leading authority on design and decor trends. Chic and design-savvy readers keep tabs on the beautiful homes and stunning furnishings they feature. They make stylish living easy. Here is the cover pic!

A week of running around and printing!

A recent stop in Kennebunkport in Daytrip Society: http://www.daytripsociety.com/ was fun on Tuesday. I took a few shots of the pillows in action. Karen Sigler, the store manager and visual designer showed me her amazing display of the pillows mixed with vintage books and paper! I was so excited I about melted. The vintage Peter Rabbit book next to Bunny Boo. Very sweet. I love how she mixed the colors and textures together. This has given me so many great ideas on how to display my pillows with other elements to tell a better story. Just a few sweet shots of the shop. Please do go in when you are in town. It's a gold mine for great great finds from artists like me just getting going and then you will find others that are well known mixed in. Such a great place for gifts and of course for things like doormats (As seen on Daily Candy! These are the coolest doormats ever. Not only are they indestructible and cute - they help save whales and provide financial assistance to our friends, the Maine lobstermen! The Float-rope is a rope used by lobstermen to tether multiple traps together on the ocean floor. The problem with float-rope is that it can entangle whales, which may lead to their injury or death. Now, Maine lobstermen are required to replace float-rope with a new silk rope. Instead of throwing all the old rope in landfills - The Maine Float-Rope Co. makes amazing mats out of them. http://www.daytripsociety.com/index.php?c=featured&product=DDWBG I bought this one---black and teal or the color I call porter pottie green! Very very cool.

Maslen my partner in crime have taken the printing in house--literally these days. It has been really fun and Breshia and Aryana really get into it--minus the drama of putting fingers in the ink and the few pushing arguments trying to get a better view (B is 6 and Ary is 2) it's been such an amazing experience producing them here. Paul at state of mind has been amazing and is still a silk screening God, seriously has printing on the bark cloth down to a science--but schedules and time are not on my side these days. So so busy and I wanted to print when I had time---and be there to help. So Maslen my muscle and me the neurotic ink mixer (I mix for hours literally finding the right color). Been using my pantone process guide to help which has been super amazing and so so needed since my colors tend to not be easy--ha ha. So walla. Here we are in our kitchen doing it up. I had to take a few shots in the middle of our "printing fest". Maslen like most husbands of crafters and artists get sucked in to doing manual labor (Or maybe just sucked in with me because I could literally destroy the house in a matter of seconds with out adult supervision) :)

I also wanted to show you Paul's site that I designed for him: turned out nice I think and the color palette is my favorite part. He is a busy man and with his crew and his beautiful mom by his side, he is machine and doing really sophisticated high quality printing. http://www.stateofminddesign.com/ 

I am so in love with doing websites these days and also been working on some great wedding packages--all letterpressed by Mark at Dunstan Press! http://www.dunstanpress.com/ He is a dear friend and I just love what he does with metal and ink! I will post pics soon. Until then have a great week! e