Muffin + Katie's Story: Save A Dog Sudbury's Biggest Fans

Hi friends! It’s Rocco, here! Many of you know me from working hard at the store, but you may not realize that I’ve started blogging in my spare time. I want to tell you about something very important to me and my friends. Did you know there is a local rescue organization that does some amazing things? Save a Dog Sudbury is close to our hearts. Even closer to our Interior Designer, Andrea’s. With it being National Animal Cruelty Prevention Month, we would like to share what this incredible organization means to us and our community. Listen to the journeys of Andrea’s two fur-babies and how Save A Dog Sudbury played a role. We will be making a donation to https://www.saveadog.org/ this month, and invite you to do the same.

Muffin’s Story.

“Muffin is a 4-year old pure-bred miniature poodle, and was surrendered to Save A Dog when her elderly mom could no longer care for her. We were told she was so terrified she would never come out of her crate. My sister, a Save A Dog volunteer, brought her home and opened the crate door - the next thing we knew, something flew through the air, landed in my lap and clung to me, as if to say "you belong to ME now" (clearly, not the other way around)!

Muffin loves to have bows on her ears, play dress up, and wear blingy collars. She is now 8 years old and very possessive of me, her toys, and her spot on the sofa but is very gentle with her sister, Katie, and will tolerate foster doggies in her home while they wait for their fur-ever homes, too.” - Andrea R.

Katie’s Story.

“Katie was found behind a school in Texas, blind in one eye due to some sort of trauma. She came to Save A Dog and we fostered her while she waited for a new family to choose her. Katie had several applications but unexpectedly had a seizure and then no one wanted her...but we were in love so she was already in her forever home! We were told she was pure poodle but we didn’t exactly see that, so after a DNA test we discovered she is 25% cocker spaniel. Katie has had puppies - no idea how many litters - so she bonded with this green beanbag frog and carries her “baby” around, snuggles, and takes good care of it.” - Andrea R.

Have you ever considered hiring an Interior Designer?

Have you ever considered hiring an Interior Designer?

For some people hiring an Interior Designer can be intimidating for several reasons:  It will be too expensive.  The project isn’t big enough to bring in a designer. What the designer proposes does not fit my taste.  The reality is, all the reasons to not hire a designer can be overcome during the initial consultation. You will quickly learn, by hiring a designer, you will ultimately save money in the end by avoiding costly mistakes.  

I love telling the story about a customer at Darby Road HOME that declined our Design Services.  We explained that we would measure her space, create accurate space plans and be on site when her products were delivered.  She repeatedly declined our offer.  We provided a check list to assure she was taking into account the doorways, the stairs…. will the delivery company be able to get her items inside the home?  She assured us, yes, yes, yes.  On the day her items were delivered, she called to let me know they could not get her custom sofa through her door.  There is a solution for every problem.  In this case, the sofa was broken down by a professional company and reassembled in her house for an additional expense of $500.  That became an expensive sofa!

Darby Road HOME offers exceptional Design Services without the added expense of hiring an outside designer.  Come directly to us as your Design Resource.  We are here to help! We have four experienced Designers on board, with over 25 years of experience in the industry, covering everything from rugs to window treatments.  What makes Darby Road HOME stand apart from other design firms is our 5,000 square foot retail showroom.  We have over 100 established relationships with home décor industry trendsetters.  We offer a personalized and inspired shopping experience like no other studio can provide.

CONSULTATION: Schedule a visit to your home to discuss your dreams and goals for a special space or your entire home.

CONCEPTUALIZATION: Accurate measurements and space plans will be created.  Custom upholstery, case goods, fabric, finish, and accessories will be selected and presented for your approval.

COMPLETION: The end goal is for you to be completely happy! We will receive, inspect and deliver every item for your home.  Sit back, relax, and love the end result.

Darby Road HOME is an award winning Interior Design firm and retail destination in Metro-West Boston.  We have serviced homes on the Cape and Islands, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Rhode Island, and beyond.

Holiday Prep Facts You Need To Know

Holiday prep is important, especially during these crazy times. These days, items are taking longer to produce and ship.  We believe, now more than ever, your home during the holidays will need to be a special space.  So, it’s time to start planning people

Start at Darby Road HOME, during our triple tax sale!

Here are the facts:

1. On average, it takes a person about 6 weeks to make a decision on style, fabric, and finish. We want you to make the right decision regarding your chosen pieces and take your time where it’s needed because you will have these items for a long time. However, we are here to help you make up your mind! You may still make Thanksgiving but it’s getting tight. You should book an appointment today.

2. Speaking of Thanksgiving, it's 14 weeks away. Are there any rooms in your house that you’d like to update before your family members arrive? Our manufacturers are taking about 12 weeks to process and ship our orders. What does that mean for you? Well, ordering anything you need in August gives you the perfect amount of time to have your items in and ready for Thanksgiving.

3. We have quick ship options for semi-custom upholstery. Thanks to Vanguard, one of the finest furniture companies in the country, we now offer quick ship options for sofas and lounge chairs. You can choose from 5 different fabrics. These fabrics have been carefully selected to fit the needs of everyone, and we can get these items in 3 weeks!

4. Our warehouse products are available for pick up or delivery today. If you’re worried that you won’t make the holiday order deadline, we have other options for you. We have a sleeper sofa, tables, chairs and much more to choose from in our Warehouse.

5. Our home accents, tables, and case goods in our showroom are up for grabs, too. We are not just a “showroom”. All of our fine case goods, artwork, lighting, and accessories are available to take home the same day. We receive new products weekly, but things move quickly. If you like what you see, grab it!

Event Recap: Uncommon Threads!

As a female-owned small business, we always try to support other local business by partnering with them through fundraisers. This last week, we partnered with Uncommon Threads and the event we hosted was a great success! Uncommon Threads, a Lawrence based non-profit that provides high quality clothing and styling services to women from low-income households, domestic violence survivors, disabled women, female veterans, homeless women, women in recovery, the elderly and more.

We connected with Susan, the owner, via Instagram (@themidlifefashionista) and felt it would be mutually beneficial to host a fundraising event. Uncommon Threads is a business like no other in the area. They specialize in styling women for work, home, and every day life. They take clothing and monetary donations, particularly name-brand clothing, so we felt we could have a successful event by pooling together our clients! Darby Road HOME hosted the event which included a silent auction, donations and kick-started a fundraiser! For every FLIKR individual fire place we sell, 20% of the proceeds will go to Uncommon Threads, always. The event was a great success, and a night full of laughs, support, friendship and admiration for one another. We hope to host another event like this in the future! Below, enjoy pictures from the event!

Interior Design 101: Mixed Metals

It’s no secret that brass is back in, and has been back in for a while. Looking for a way to stay with the trends but are looking for longevity? This is why we love mixing metals! It’s recent trend that we are loving though, is mixed metals! Why settle for one when you can make multiple work together?!

We’re going to tell you a few key ways to successfully mix metals in your interior space! Now remember, these is just our two cents, the most important part of design is keeping your space you!

DO:

Choose a Dominant Metal!
We said this in our post about pattern mixing, and it stands true with any kind of mixing! A good way to decide is basing it off of your overall style. For example, if you’re more interested in traditional interiors, use gold or brass as your main metal, accenting with other metals. Into contemporary design? Dominate with chrome or stainless steel, accenting with brushed nickel or oil-rubbed bronze. There are so many options! When mixing metals, we recommend matching finishes. (We’ll talk more about that next!)

Mix Finishes!

Not sure if you’re convinced about metal mixing? Try mixing your finishes of the same metal! For instance, if you’re into copper, great! Go with it! But try displaying it in different ways. Use a glossy finish in one part of your space, but balance it out by using an antique finish elsewhere. Not into the antique look? Try using hammered metals as well! The point being, mixing up the finishes might just be your perfect recipe for a mixed metal interior.

DON’T:

Go Overboard
It’s easy to get carried away with any aspect of design. General rule of thumb here is stick to two metals. If your space is really large, you can probably get away with three choices, though. With two, you have a dominant one (yay-we talked about dominant metals earlier!) and an accent. For instance, your coffee table has a brass trim and brass is your dominant metal; maybe a mirror on the wall is silver and the case good hardware is as well. Boom- perfect recipe!