A Tour On the Art of Reclaimed Wood & Upcycled Pieces

We have been quite pleased and excited about some of the new Reclaimed Wood pieces we've been getting in the store. The movement of using reclaimed wood, which is wood that was previously used in the building of another structure, has been growing by leaps and bounds over the past few years.
 For obvious reasons, reclaimed wood is a "green" alternative to furniture that uses new woods.  But from a design aesthetic, reclaimed wood furniture offers a rustic and blemished appeal that gives each piece a bit of charm and character.  Your imagination can run wild thinking of all the possible exciting origins your reclaimed piece may have been born from.

The pieces we are featuring in our store are from Indonesia and are hardwood, with a waxed finish.  The finish means each piece's unique coloring will be protected, and the ease of care is superb.
Take a look below at some of the newest Reclaimed Wood pieces we are featuring in our showroom.  We have a bit of everything, including coffee tables, interesting benches and dining room tables. 

In addition to unique Reclaimed Wood pieces, we have some other interesting up-cycled pieces including this amazing one-of-a-kind antique art storage box.  The signs of distress add an instant vintage flea market appeal.

Last on our up-cycled tour are these amazing hypo-allergenic decorative pillows fashioned from vintage feed sacks.  The artwork is pure French chic and adds a bit of old-world feel to any room. 

We hope you've enjoyed this tour of the latest pieces we are loving in our store.  Please contact us with any questions, or stop on by and have a look for yourself.

Trunk Show at Chartreuse

Come to the store this Thursday, May 6th from 11 am -7 pm for a very special trunk show featuring 3 unique and distinct local artisans.

Lisa Faye Dawson is a Long Beach artist best known for her mixed media pieces featuring interesting papers, quirky and witty sayings, and artistic touches such as deers and sumo wrestlers.  Preview a sampling of her artwork and take home a one-of-a kind piece for your home or for a gift.

"The Plant People" will be on hand to design a gorgeous custom silk floral arrangement perfect for any setting.  Bring in your favorite vase or container and they will fill it with a fabulous arrangement made of the finest, most life-like silk flowers available. 

Leisa Johnson is the creative genius behind Soul 2 Silver jewelry.  Each piece is handcrafted using various metals and natural stone elements.  Preview her latest collection of necklaces, bracelets and pins and take home a perfect Mother's Day gift.

We hope to see you tomorrow! 

Art Workshop

Last Thursday April 22nd, Chartreuse hosted an Art Workshop featuring local Long Beach artist Lisa Faye Dawson.  Lisa is best known for her mixed media art and many of her pieces are featured here in our store.

Art enthusiasts flocked to Chrartreuse with little more than a pair of scissors and the desire to create a fun piece of art.  Lisa supplied the canvas, some unique and interesting papers, a bottle of glue and some Minwax.  Oh and loads of encouragement to us budding artists.  We of course supplied the wine and cheese.
Here are some pictures from the fun evening.

The budding artists hard at work

here are the Chartreuse ladies hard at work.  The application process required a bit of concentration!

An hour later, Wendy was still creating her masterpiece.  She had a lot of dedication!

Happy Artists with their completed masterpieces!

Thanks to everyone who came out and created!  It was a fun and inspiring night and we can't wait to do it again.

Upcoming Art Show Featuring Local Long Beach Artist

Need a fun night out?
Want to create a great piece of art similar to this?

Then you need to attend the next Art Workshop

Thursday, April 22nd, 2010 from 6-9 pm
Chartreuse Home Furnishings
Workshop led by local Long Beach artist Lisa Faye Dawson

Just bring $25 bucks, your favorite pair of scissors, and CREATIVITY!

Space is limited so give us a call to reserve your spot.
Chartreuse, LLC
3938 Cerritos Ave
Los Alamitos, CA 90720
(562)493-5899

We started a Blog!!

Chartreuse has now decided to catch up with the 21st Century!!! So we have started a Blog and Facebook this week. We have been discussing starting one of these for awhile now, but we finally bit the bullet. We will be giving design ideas along with showing new products as they arrive. Check in often to see whats new and improved at Chartreuse.

Meet Allison, Owner of Chartreuse!

This story begins with Allison working at a law firm while going to design school.  She is 18 and she does not like working at a law firm.  A fellow student in design school tells her about Wendy and her fab store Chartreuse.

The young girl that she is, Allison shows up at Chartreuse to meet Wendy without an appointment and with portfolio in hand, patiently waits three hours to speak to her.

Wendy is hesitant.  The girl is young, with braces, but to this day claims "there was just something about her."  She hires Allison because she knows that one day she is going to be fabulous, and keeps her behind the scenes doing office type duties while she shows her the ropes.

The day finally comes for Allison to work with the wonderful clients of Chartreuse, and with the help of Wendy, her taste in design is polished and refined. Thirteen years later, Allison and her husband, Matt, purchased Chartreuse as Wendy moved on into a life of travel and quality time spent with her husband, sons, family, and friends! Allison appreciates clean lines and monochromatic color schemes mixed with pops of color and interesting artwork.  You can contact her at allison@chartreuse.email

Meet Wendy, Founder and Owner of Chartreuse Home Furnishings

Wendy founded Chartreuse on the fundamental principles of offering unique furnishings for your home at great prices, while providing outstanding customer service. Chartreuse was opened in 2001 in a 1500 square foot office space, and within a year grew beyond even Wendy's wildest dreams. She runs the store with the same passion she has for life, seeking out unique and funky pieces that will add charm and style to her client's homes and lives.

Wendy is a self-taught interior designer, graphic designer, sewer, photographer and world traveler. She has lived in fourteen different places and traveled to far off places such as Bangkok, Indonesia and Bangladesh. She has always followed her interests with zest and zeal, and because of that she has a well-rounded outlook on interior design. Wendy's design aesthetic tends to lean towards monochromatic, neutral color schemes that have a calming effect. She adds a touch of whimsy to a room in the unexpected attention to details, be it a re-purposed bird cage or a unique statuette. She likes it fun, funky and functional. Actually, don't we all?