At Gracious Style, we love to bring you the newest, most unique handcrafted collections, and we’re excited to introduce these truly divine textiles by John Robshaw.

Painter and Pratt graduate John Robshaw began his art career studying block printing in China, when a quest for the perfect indigo dye took him to India. He fell in love with their strong culture of textile design, and began working with local artisans and their traditional printmaking techniques on designs that incorporate a fresh, modern feel while still retaining the essence of India’s master handcrafting.

John Robshaw’s newest offerings are inspired by his stay in Pondicherry, a South Indian tropical city full of magic and beauty on the Bay of Bengal. Formerly a French colony, the city is also home to Auroville, a famous spiritual center founded by the Hindu teacher Sri Aurobindo.

The bright colors of Pondicherry’s French colonial architecture, the deep azure blue of the ocean, the rich hues of organic indigo dyes, and the vibrant spiritual life of the people of India all combine to create these stunningly beautiful collections of fine textiles.

John Robshaw’s Nikolo Collection echoes the wonderful decorative tradition of kolams – intricate, abstract designs laid out in colorful rice powder by the women of Pondicherry, inviting the goddess of prosperity into their homes. 

Only the finest traditional Indian craftsmanship is used to create these stunning pieces. It takes a day and a half for a skilled artisan in Jaipur to paint each of these pillows.

Bring the romance and serenity of South India into your bath with this hand-screened shower curtain and exotic hand-cut bathmat.

What’s your favorite John Robshaw design? Browse our entire collection here, and let us know!  

We love reading Marisa Marcantonio’s sophisticated design blog Stylebeat, and were thrilled to see Christofle’s Kawali Green Crystal Goblet featured in today’s post! These richly hued glasses embody luxury with their saturated color and geometric design, and add a touch of bright elegance to any cocktail hour, dining table or nightcap.

For more stylish ideas from Marisa’s blog, click here.

And to see more stunning glassware, visit our Christofle Crystal Shop.

Muted by neutral tones, we love adding a touch of color with the beautiful citrus shades of lemongrass.

To see more throw pillows, click here.

Herend’s exclusive Reserve Collection features a limited selection of spectacular, hand-painted porcelain sculptures.  Collected by Herend connoisseurs worldwide, each piece is an extraordinary composition in white porcelain adorned with 24 kt gold accents.  And to make gift giving easy, every Reserve Collection masterpiece is elegantly wrapped in a  Herend presentation gift box – perfect for important clients and special anniversaries.

As guardians against evil spirits, this pair of Foo Dogs reflects multiple layers of history and symbolism. starting with their role as Chinese guardian lions and continuing down to their pattern of stylized chrysanthemum flowers to symbolize longevity.

Bison – America’s largest land mammal has always felt more hulking than handsome – until now. The artists at Herend have beautifully captured his virility and strength and covered it in a mantle of gold accents and dramatic chocolate fishnet.

After experiencing a Venetian Carnival firsthand, Imre Schrammel was inspired to create the Carnival Figurine series.  The Carnival Woman (and its companion, Carnival Man) is in celebration of the renowned Queen Victoria dinnerware pattern.

This proud Peacock is beautifully hand painted and embellished with 24kt gold accents.

A new symphony of fishnet colors in light orange, raspberry, and rust makes a worldwide debut on the stunning Flamingo Duet figurine.

A replica of an antique figurine depicting an elephant carrying goods along the silk road, Silk Road Elephant was reissued from the Herend archives to commemorate the Manufactory’s 180th anniversary.

Enjoy complimentary shipping on every piece from this collection.  To view the entire Herend Reserve collection, click here.  Which one is your favorite?

Chevron is a classic pattern that’s making a huge resurgence. With its dynamic, graphic zigzags, chevron is the perfect design element to give fresh contrast to both traditional or modern home decor.

A chevron rug gives new life to this otherwise understated living room:

We’re obsessed with chevron in the nursery:

A bright chevron rug gives monochromatic rooms the perfect pop of color:

Get the looks above with Dash & Albert’s Chevron Rugs, available in a variety of sizes and colors, and perfect for indoor or outdoor use:

Don’t forget the bath! We’re obsessed with this new Kassatex Chevron Shower Curtain:

Revitalize your bathroom with this Kassatex Linen Chevron Bath Rug:

These Quilted Chevron Pillows by Lacefield Designs will give an eye-catching hint of movement to any sitting area:

Wake up your home decor with a dash of chevron! Please view all of our chevron selections here.

Lighting is an important aspect of home design that often goes overlooked. It can make or break your environment, and create an atmosphere full of serenity and visual interest, or lead to feelings of stress and anxiety. Understanding how lighting works, and following some simple rules will not only enhance your decor, but will make every room feel more comfortable.

UNDERSTAND THE THREE TYPES OF LIGHTING

To maximize a room’s usefulness while adding beauty and drama, use all three:

-Ambient Lighting: Main source of light that illuminates the entire room, usually provided by a ceiling fixture.

-Task Lighting: Used for specific jobs like cooking, reading, or applying makeup.

-Accent Lighting: Brings drama and depth to a room, illuminates specific features like art, books, and architectural features.

LOCALIZE LIGHT SOURCES

-Avoid lighting an entire room with a single source, especially one overhead light, which leads to eye strain.

-Multiple points of diffused light that layer well with each other create the most visual interest.

-Use a variety of lamp heights to provide layered pools of light.

ALWAYS USE DIMMERS

-A single light source in the center of the room casts the same shadows throughout the day and night, creating tension. It’s more natural to have variations in light throughout the day.

-Reduce energy consumption and increase bulb life.

SCALE AND PROPORTION

Coordinate the size of table lamps with table height and furniture scale.

-A tall console table with a long piece of art above looks most appropriate with a tall, slender lamp.

-Low end-tables look great with shorter, more squat lamp designs.

Did you find this post illuminating? Begin personalizing your own space with our incredible selection of designer lighting.

If you love mixing prints or textures, layer neutral pillows to get an eclectic look while keeping a muted color palette.

To see more throw pillows, click here.

Love is in the air, and we want to celebrate the season! For a limited time only, enjoy free shipping on any order over $200, including sale items! Here are some of our new favorites for yourself, or for your sweetheart:

Caring for your bed linens can be easy if you follow some simple suggestions. In return, you will prolong the life of your bed linens and preserve their beautiful appearance. While we recommend always reading the care label on each item for best results, here are some other helpful tips that will keep your linens fresh and clean.

Washing – Prewash your linens before first use. Separate your linens from other items in the wash, especially those containing polyester, which tends to create pilling, and items with heavy zippers, which can damage the fabric. Separate light and dark colors. Avoid overloading the washing machine, which can cause fibers to break down from excessive abrasion and agitation. You can wash most linens in warm water on a gentle cycle with a cold-water rinse, but be sure to check the care label.

 Detergent – Use a mild detergent without added bleach, whiteners, or fabric softeners. Do not pour detergent directly on textiles; rather, add it to the water as the wash tub fills or dilute detergent with water, then add linens. Unless linens are very soiled, you only need to use half the recommended amount of detergent. We love LeBlanc‘s Linen Wash in Blue Violet, which has a pH-balanced, bleach-free formula with a soft, floral scent.

Bleaching – Chlorine bleach will weaken fibers and cause the fabric to yellow. If white fabrics need bleaching, use an oxygen-based bleach.

Drying – While line drying outdoors is gentle, safe, and imbues linens with the fresh scent of the outdoors and natural bleaching of the sun, it is not always practical. You can machine dry most linens on low heat, but be sure to check the care label. Shake out damp linens before placing in the dryer. Never use a high heat setting, which will weaken the fibers, damage the fabric, increase shrinkage, and shorten the life of your linens. Remove items from dryer promptly, while still damp, to minimize wrinkles. Smooth and fold, or press with an iron, if desired. For that natural, outdoor scent without the sunlight, try LeBlanc‘s Lavender Dryer Sachets for a subtle hint of fragrance.

Ironing – Check to make sure your steam iron is clean – mineral deposits could cause brown spotting. Iron linens while still damp. To restore the lustrous face of sateen fabrics, iron on the reverse side. For embroidered linens, iron them on the reverse side atop a towel to preserve the three-dimensional effect of the embroidery. Use a press cloth to protect delicate lace and cutwork.

Shrinkage – All natural fibers will shrink to some extent, but in most instances we generously overcut our products to allow for shrinkage. Do not wash or, especially, dry linens on a hot setting, which is most likely to damage the fabric and intensify shrinkage. Always follow instructions on care label.

Storing Linens – Store bed linens in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area. Linens stored long term should be wrapped in white cotton, muslin (old pillow cases work well) or acid-free paper. Avoid storing linens in plastic bags or boxes, which can cause permanent yellowing; natural fibers need to breathe. Cedar chests can also yellow or streak fabrics. To keep your clean linens fragrant, we love elizabethW‘s Sachets and Drawer Liners.

For more from our Closet Shop, click here.

For over 150 years, Moser has been mastering works of art in their stunning lead-free crystal. In an array of dazzling colors, Moser‘s collections for bar and table strike a perfect chord in the chillingly beautiful hue of Alexandrite.

For more colorful crystal by Moser, click here.