A Day of Inspiration at ADAC Atlanta

Atlanta has a lot to offer in design inspiration and sometimes I just have to remind myself to get out there and see it in person.  I can get so comfortable working at home and stay in my yoga pants all day (and then I think about the traffic and really don’t want to get out), but there’s a lot to see if I just get out the door, so last week I did just that and headed down to ADAC for the morning. ADAC is the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center, a huge building and designer destination with several floors that house lots of beautiful furniture, fixture, fabric, and more showrooms.  It’s eye candy for sure and now that it’s open to the public, it’s a lot more accessible for the every day person to browse.  I still don’t know my way around  down there, but ADAC is constantly doing seminars, classes and tours and I like to get in on them.

It’s a gorgeous building with floors packed full of designer, to the trade showrooms.  You do have to buy through a designer if you decide to shop here.   It’s mostly custom designed pieces and the showrooms are just gorgeous.  Mostly out of my price range, but it sure is fun to look.

I actually do have some Schumacher fabric in my house (pillows), but these designer fabrics tend to be pricey, but oh so pretty.

One of the tours last week was led by my friend, Cindy Barganier, a very talented designer from Montgomery, AL.  I’ve featured her work before on my blog and she does beautiful designs.  I loved hearing the story of how she got started designing fabrics and this particular tour was all about that, showcasing different designers and their fabric designs.  All were so interesting to hear.

Another of my design friends, Steve McKenzie, who I met years ago when he was CEO of Larson Juhl frames, now owns a design shop (Steve McKenzie’s) with his wife, Jill, and Steve is a talented artist who also has a bold fabric line.  It was so fun to see his designs again and see how they are made from brushstrokes off his paintbrush.

He explained how his artwork is translated into digital designs which then get made into fabric in all sorts of designs and color ways.

One of Steve’s popular fabric designs on an upholstered chair is very pretty and appealing on this traditional frame.

Steve’s soft and subtle take on chintz fabric.  So pretty!

Walking the halls of ADAC, there is eye candy everywhere.  Tritter Feefer home collection.

Much more modern than my taste, but really pretty.

Our next stop was the Bradley showroom.  They have gorgeous fabrics and we heard from one of the designer/artists under this label.

Ashley Woodson Bailey is an artist from TX, self taught photographer who used to be a floral designer, but after a car accident where she broke her back and couldn’t do the work she previously was doing, she began taking photos of flowers with her iPhone. This led her to where she is today, taking those photos and creating beautiful fabrics, wallpaper, and even clothing out of her creative eye.

Her work is just beautiful and so moody and eye catching.

Dutch Love wallpaper, her most popular pattern. What a statement this would be in a small powder room or one wall.

Her greens caught my eye too.  So pretty!

Another designer at Bradley, Lindsay Cowles, out of Richmond, VA.  She is known for abstract wallpaper and fabrics.

Loved her fabrics too.

Next stop was Travis and Company, which is where Cindy’s fabrics are housed.

All of these showrooms at ADAC are just beautiful, so much to see everywhere you look.

Beautiful fabrics and pillows.

This show stopping brass light fixture in the Travis showroom caught my eye as I looked up.

Cindy introduced designer and artist, Carson and Co, out of Charleston, who creates beautiful silk scarves and also purses.

Cindy doing the introduction, notice the graphic wall behind her. These showrooms are really pretty.

Purses from Carson and Co.

And more silk scarves. These are really pricey from the website, so I doubt I’ll own any, but aren’t they pretty?

She was featured in Garden and Gun magazine.

Very Southern style purses with bright colors.

Cindy and I stopped for a photo together. She is such a dear and it’s always fun to see her. This is one of her fabrics.

Sort of watercolor effect.

And more of Cindy’s fabrics available through Travis and Company.

Graphic and water color effects.

Cindy telling us more about her fabric line.  I’m just so happy for her that she’s expanded her business and is doing more and more.

One more shot from the Travis showroom.

If you’re in Atlanta, stop by ADAC sometime and just browse around.  One of these days, I’m going down there with someone who knows their way around and just really take a look at more of the showrooms.  It’s a little intimidating to me because it’s so high design and more than likely way over my budget, but it sure is fun to look.  Maybe I could order something from there one day!

In fact, one of my readers reminded me that ADAC does a Sample sale every spring in their garage, so check out their website for the dates.  I haven’t been in years, but I think I’ll try to stop by this year.

 

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