Kathe Holterman (right), Holterman & Co., anticipates her signed copy of Thomas Jayne's "The Finest Rooms in America." WithIt Vice President-Retail Shelly Parlin (center), PROFITSystems Inc., looks on.

A Fine Time

By Julie Smith Vincenti

Thomas Jayne, the erudite and affable decorator who has singled out 50 refined interiors in "The Finest Rooms in America," treated High Point Market attendees to an engaging tour of interiors that spanned centuries of style. Jayne was the guest of E.J. Victor and the International Home Furnishings Center during WithIt's spring educational breakfast April 3.

Jayne shared imagery and tales from his book, which he calls "a capsule in time for a fine room today." Attendees visited interiors from Thomas Jefferson's tearoom at Monticello in Charlottesville, VA, to the colorful dining room of a New Orleans chair caner. A book signing, for which all proceeds went to the WithIt scholarship fund, followed the presentation.

Since Jayne's book spans some three centuries, as well as examples from the 21^st Century, how did he narrow the millions of possibilities to just 50 rooms? It began by establishing the meaning of refinement--as well as having an appreciation for limitless budget. "I like rich people who spend money in the way I would spend it," Jayne joked during one of his presentation's many lighter moments.

Jayne continues the conversation about what makes a room fine at www.thefinestrooms.com. There, viewers can submit a photo of their finest interior.

According to Jayne, a fine room requires one thing that has meaning to the occupant, then this "object of focus needs the arrangement to support it." This is especially important at a time when decorators are being beaten down on price, he added.

More highlights from Jayne's presentation: 

Homage to Henry Davis Sleeper: "We owe him a great debt," Jayne said. "He was the first person to codify the idea of arranging by shape and color."

Jayne's muse, Henry Francis du Pont and the Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library in Delaware: "The museum has been a great influencer on my life ... and Du Pont is just now being identified as a great decorator." Jayne's book spotlights the Winterthur Chinese Parlor, which is characterized by a set of 18^th Century Chinese handpainted wallpaper panels, which du Pont acquired in the 1920s. Said Jayne: "Decorating on a du Pont budget in Paris is a lot easier." But the lesson from the room is an appreciation for symmetry, regardless of the price of the objects.

The art of collecting and display: One throwaway item in a room makes it comfortable, but that rule is thrown out if you have a connection to everything in a room, Jayne said. Here, he cites the successful grand living room of Candace and Frederick Beinecke's apartment, which is located in a historic being on Fifth Avenue in New York City. In this interior, fine and decorative arts and well-conceived decor co-exist.

Why it's good to be picky: "Sometimes it's worth being a picky patron," Jayne explained. For instance, Francis Lasker Brody commissioned Henri Matisse to create a ceramic mosaic for the interior courtyard of her and her husband's house. "Brody kept sending back Matisse's sketches for the mural," Jayne said. But the sketches would inform the master's most popular cut-out series.

On decorating his own space: "It's always fun to take risks with your own apartment," Jayne said. He employed a group of local decorative artists to decorate his New Orleans apartment living room following 2005's Hurricane Katrina. "It was a 'WPA project,' which means twice the amount of time and twice the expense," he quipped. But, no joke, Jayne found the room's object of focus at Sotheby's--he garnered a daybed that was slept in by the King of England. "I'm very interested in things that keep the tradition, and breathe life into historic forms," he said.

Wednesday, April 20, is the deadline to:

· Nominate a WOW Awards finalists by Wednesday, April 20th at www.withit.org. WithIt will award five awards in 2011, including the new Leadership Award.

· Win a free pass to an upcoming session of Textiles 101 at the Textile Technology Center in Belmont, NC. Like WithIt's facebook page, and post a message on the WithIt wall explaining why WithIt membership makes you a leader. Two passes will be awarded in a random drawing.

· Register to attend WithIt's annual New York Design Tour at www.withit.org. This just in: The tour will include a visit to the Kips Bay Showhouse on Saturday, May 14; a cocktail party on Sunday, May 15, at the Sutton Place apartment of McMillen Interior Design's Betty Sherrill; and a studio tour of Alpha Workshops, the only not-for-profit organization in the country that trains and employs people living with HIV/AIDS in the decorative arts.

Nicole sectional from Outer Limits

Some of the trends discussed during this season's program included:

• Organic/sustainable
• Made in the North America
• Lighter/exotic woods
• Wood grains featured
• Menswear inspired fabrics
• Smaller scale furniture
• iPads for sales reps/designers
• Featured colors - hot pink (Pantone's Honeysuckle), sulfur yellow   

Ellen Gefen, Gefen Productions and Trisha Bellocchio, Outer Limits

WithIt thanks the following companies for their generous support of the April 2011 Competitive Intelligence program:

Outer Limits, TemaHome, 220 Elm, Ellen Gefen, Gefen Productions, and Edward Nader, Nader's Gallery, Shreveport, LA

Visit Gefen Productions at thehome.com for more trends and market videos.

By Stephanie Lowder

Amid 16-hour days of commerce, how to carve out time for nourishing one's own creativity and learning? WithIt members leveraged the organization's first-ever Learning Circuit at High Point Market, a progressive dialogue with leaders of four diverse companies, to do just that. A quick sharing of what we learned:

Mary Leigh Howell, Howell Communications and Seasonal Living CEO Gary Pettitt

Stop 1: Seasonal Living. Marketing earth-friendly outdoor lounging furniture, brightly colored ornamental vases, outdoor lighting, and leading a small, self-funded, non-profit initiative: Parasol Kids.™ The organization works in the tiny village of Chiang Mai, Thailand - beyond the reach of traditional aid organizations - to help educate orphaned children, stimulate and support local handicraft trades, and help give the community a sense of hope for the future. Led by ceo Gary Pettitt and vp sales Bruce Hirschhaut.

Stop 2 - Twin-Star International. Marketing the latest in electric fireplaces, refrigerated wine cabinets, and media consoles, plus a new license with DuraFlame©. Twin-Star shared high-level lessons in leadership developed and honed through the company's work to supply and fulfill the demands of big box retailers and the consumers they engage. Led by president Mark Asofsky and marketing/pr director Alexia Rouquette.

Attendees at the Twin-Star Int'l showroom tour (left to right) Mary Frye, HFIA, Jody Baade, Twin-Star Int'l, Donna Barlett, ViewIt Technologies, Alexia Rouquette, Twin Star Int'l, Barbara Miller, Barbara Miller Design, Stephanie Lowder, Rare Bird Creative, Amy Van Dorp, WithIt.

Stop 3 - LPK International. A 4th-generation family business designing and manufacturing smart, fashionable, affordable furnishings marketed through leading, high volume retail channels. LPK is transforming the design process by investigating, analyzing, and aligning with the unique sales drivers of their various customers and "generation next" users. Led by vp sales Kimberly Kroll and vp market development Annie Balonick.

Stop 4 - Hotel Maison is a new line of home furnishings bringing the chic hotel experience to home spaces. And a compelling story of discovery, opportunity, and courage. One life journey of caring, learning, and responding to the deep human desires to surround oneself with beauty and personal meaning. Another lifetime search for and insistence upon pure, soul-nourishing inspiration in order to give back to the world and marketplace something of personal worth. Led by principals and partners, Judy George and Kim Salmela.

WithIt members were asked at the WithIt Facebook page to choose one word to describe WithIt members. Here's what the membership said:

Connected                           Mentors 

Determined                         Phenomenal 

Doers                                  Relevant 

Dynamic                             Savants 

Futurist                               Strong 

Gurus                                 Tenacious 

Incredible                            Thinkers 

Influencers                          Valid 

Inspirational                        Visionaries 

Leaders

 For more information and to register, go to www.withit.org.