We Say Merry Christmas

My last article for the Kansas City Star.

I’m confused. When did it become so wrong to say, “Merry Christmas”? Why has the fear of offending someone become foremost in our standard holiday greeting? I, for one, am more determined than ever to say “Merry Christmas” over “Happy Holidays” to a friend, stranger or customer in my store.

Being a retailer during the Christmas season is a daunting task. Not only do you have to put your personal faith in check (because, heaven forbid, you might offend a paying customers by mentioning the “Christ” word), but when you set off to plan your fourth quarter business, the variety of items to purchase makes you second guess the reason for the season.

When I opened my store in 2000, I remember taking a stand that I would never sell anything Santa Claus. Now, how stupid was that as a retailer? Although I was trying to make a loud and clear statement about my faith, it was also just bad business to not have a Santa or two for sale in the store. Little did I know that as I went to market to buy inventory, my desire to showcase Mary and Joseph over jolly St. Nick was shot down by aisles, floors and showrooms of the latter. When did we forget how we received this holiday in the first place? I blame manufacturers nowadays for caving to the easier and more politically correct Christmas icon, but are they only doing what we have demanded? I believe they are missing the mark.

Every year, I buy Christmas merchandise and design my store around many themes for the season. When I started to discover lovely, antique reproduction santos depicting religious Madonnas, angels and saints, I knew it was time to stop hiding the reason for the season. For four years now, the staff and I proudly design, display and sell from a large religious assortment of crosses, nativities and Christ-centered items. And guess what? They sell. They sell so well that many customers make a point to thank us for acknowledging the Christ in Christmas. It seems decorating with the baby Jesus (and Mary and Joseph and the others from that most famous birth) was what my customers wanted. They, too, were tired of hiding behind their beliefs and being bombarded with the jolly red suit.

Besides the typical red and green, using the regal colors of royalty is perfect for Christmas decorating. Fresh evergreens combined with dark coppers, burgundy and deep purples can support a design around religious decor. I personally prefer an all white Christmas with the Holy Family center stage. The ethereal look of sparkling lights or candles, mercury ornaments and objects, glistening deer or stars all mix perfectly with the Holy Family. Nativities or religious icons come in all sizes now, so larger figures can be arranged on your mantel while smaller figurines can be hung from a tree or tied to a small wrapped package. Larger nativities look perfect placed inside an unused fireplace. Scatter some straw and arrange the items accordingly, creating your own creche. Medium crosses would also be lovely tied to the inside of your front door wreath.

On the other hand, finding the childlike joy in Christmas certainly takes us back to our younger days — waking at the crack of dawn, ripping open presents under a glistening tree — and makes the red and white Santa fit in perfectly. But let us also remember the quiet calm of Christmas Eve, when we walk into our local church, hear the wonderful Christmas hymns and the message of how this holiday came to be. What a perfect gift. Hallelujah, indeed.

Reach Debbie Dusenberry, owner of the Curious Sofa, 3925 W. 69th Terrace, Prairie Village, at curiousdeb@curioussofa.com.

Posted on Sat, Nov. 14, 2009 10:15 PM See here.

The National Article, Dubai

This just in: an unusual place to find Curious Sofa:
( go here. to see the article)

The article by Stacy Downs

Although located in a cheery setting in the US heartland, the store’s interior reflects the offbeat pen-and-ink drawings of the famous author and illustrator who fancied morbid Victorian and Edwardian styles.The owner, Debbie Dusenberry, designed the space to look old, adding brick columns, decayed plaster, aged wallpaper and tin ceiling tiles.

One of the few pops of colour comes from the faded blue of antique globes in the stationery department, which also features vintage-inspired maps. Dusenberry has a penchant for paper, especially when it’s tattered and brown after decades of use. She often decorates the backs of cabinets with torn-out book pages and the walls with antique sepia photographs she finds at garage and estate sales.

The displays are always imaginative: for Halloween she assembled broken umbrellas, shattered windows, crusty antiques, battered bicycles, black crows and gnarly tree branches to create a dramatic, haunted opera theme.

The macabre-yet-magical aesthetic comes from Dusenberry’s previous incarnation as a photo stylist. She also designed sets for television commercials and worked on several movies.

After years of buying antiques for photo shoots and her home, Dusenberry opened Curious Sofa in 2000.
“I’m such a visual person and I appreciate the design in everyday things,” she says. “I knew there were others who must feel the same way.”

Initially, Curious Sofa was located in an emerging bohemian area of downtown Kansas City called the Crossroads Arts District. But four years ago, Dusenberry moved to a space more than twice the size in nearby Prairie Village. “It’s got the same stuff, but much, much more of it,” says Dusenberry.

Curious Sofa’s tagline “less than serious surroundings,” comes through in its unexpected vintage finds. Dusenberry recently sold an old metal hospital gurney that would make a perfect sofa table or kitchen island, and a three-metre zinc-covered oyster shucking table from a New Orleans restaurant. Artists buy the store’s apothecary cabinets for organising their supplies.

The architectural salvage includes doors to use as table tops, columns as room dividers and cast-iron accessories to add interest.Vintage chandeliers are a staple, both glitzy crystal pieces and streamlined metal fixtures.

“The antique furniture we sell is almost always painted instead of stained as I feel it’s easier to care for and represents a more casual lifestyle,” says Dusenberry. “We like a few chips on our chairs and a frayed edge on a lampshade. It’s just easier to live with items that are not so precious.”

Mixed in are new pieces: soy-wax candles by the Kansas City-based Pickwick & Co, Hillhouse Naturals home fragrances, Bella Notte linens, Echo France bath products, and costume jewellery.

And yes, Curious Sofa sells sofas – from the California-based Taylor Scott Collection (starting at US$2,770 (Dh10,175) – as well as furniture by Best Slipcover Company of California and French Grey, UK.Among it all Dusenberry is easy to spot – she’s the one wearing her signature newsboy cap and carrying her powder-puff white bichon frise, Pearl.

Prairie Village, Kansas, + 1 913 432 8969, www.curioussofa.com

The pictures they chose: go here.

Curious Sofa in Omaha

If any of you are in the Omaha area this Friday night please come to the Silver Bella Show at the Embassy Suites, downtown. Not only will Curious Sofa have a vendor booth but four other Miss Frenchie dealers will be there as well. All of us will showcase our new/old and handmade goods. It is quite a treat for all. Many vendors with original art, jewelry. scrappy supplies and paper crafts to die for. Curious Sofa will showcase many items by Wendy Addison as well as other curious goods.

Don't miss it!

Part Two

Some new pics just in and more to come this week.

Christmas 2009

'TIS THE SEASON...

Our front entrance adorned with frosted berry wreaths and topiary wrapped packages.

112 boxes, 150 yards of ribbon, 82 red bows, 16 glue sticks and 13 hours of wrapping- all to make it simple!

THE REDS

THE BLACK AND WHITES

THE RELIGIOUS

THANKSGIVING AND FALL

THE VANILLA ROOM

THE SNOWBIRD ROOM
More to come this week or next....

Without a doubt this was our easiest year getting Christmas together. Well maybe 'easy' is not the word for it but for the first time we left at 9:30 on Wednesday night! and were vacuuming an hour before the crowds walked in- this is unheard of. We edited the glitzy gaudiness that comes with retail Xmas decor, fine tuned the themed rooms and focused on quality over quantity. Our 3700 SF store is now a melange of vintage Santa, scrappy Wendy Addison, a grandeur of religious items I have been collecting all year, to our anticipated white area and creamy vanillas.

With the help of Beth (back from maternity leave), Carol Spinski from Raised in Cotton, my 'ol prop master buddy from my former film days, Bryan Mangan who was up and down the ladder so many times, I cannot tell you; to my regular, hardworking staff: Heather, Abby, Dana and Jess- we managed to transform, unpack, hang, clean, arrange, tag, wire, glue and create another holiday wonderment for you. Only one real tragedy when the new awning I built came crashing down just missing Beth's child in his crib! Where is my Jethro to handle these things? Electrical wiring is everywhere and heaven forbid Fireman Bob walks in- we must have four dozen power strips and extension cords throughout. We were eating carry-out, drinking lattes, searching for the right nail, cussing the satellite music selections, but all of this keeps us laughing or whining depending on the hour.

We're still at it this weekend, adding more merchandise, fine tuning and doing all the little details that get away from us when there is so much to do. New gift items are arriving too and some Xmas is still not here. Please make a stop and if you don't know by now, this will change weekly so keep checking in.

It's always an undertaking but my staff is always 100% on board for this time of year without a moan or groan among them. Enjoy and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

BH&G Christmas Ideas

.
Curious Sofa has been extremely fortunate this year with receiving great press. First, the local Spaces magazine did a story on my home, then in August Romantic Homes did a great spread on my house and the store and now on the newsstands is Better Homes & Gardens Christmas Ideas. Would you believe all these photo shoots happened within a three week period last February?! One angry customer had to phone in a complaint this summer saying, "Every time I need something, Debbie is on a photo shoot!" Sorry, but it just happened that way. We are also waiting on some press from Dubai, Saudi Arabia! Are you ready for that? Don't ask me how that happened as I honestly do not know. A newspaper editor found us somehow so an extensive interview and photo shoot happened, but so far, it has not surfaced. I also got another call from BH&G last week and we just finished a Halloween story for 2010. Whew.

Seeing this issue of Christmas Ideas was one big wow. Yes, I styled it and was there during the shoot along with editor Ann Blevins and art director Shawn Roorda but each time an issue featuring the store comes across my desk I hold my breath; praying for great printing, lovely layout, good cropping and interesting text- and this has it all. It is perfect (if I do say so myself). The colors are soothing and I think there are some great ideas for you to use. One of my best customers called me from the local Barnes and Noble just screaming. I had to laugh at her, she loved it so much. Take a look below. On the newsstands until December 29th.

My infamous mantle above. How may variations of this poor thing have you seen? I started here with the fabulous Madonna picture so everything else I gathered I wanted to compliment that. I ran to Hobby Lobby for the hurricanes and black candles but all else is from the store. There was a black tree to the right along with kraft paper packages but they did not use it for some reason. Not shown below:

This is my linen slipcovered sofa above, two whisper linen pillows from Bella Notte and the vintage tapestry which set the tone for the arrangement. The giant painting has a small lamb in the center. I called the shop to rush over the sconce as it was all we needed to finish the vignette. That tiny little step stool is one of my personal favorite things as it is bleached raw from the sun and has tiny tacks up the side. It's a keeper (and I don't keep anything!) I love this overall palette.

The famous tufted headboard from Round Top. It is just leaning against the wall, the tree was a project from years ago originally white but sprayed with floral paint to make vanilla and my favorite white violin.

I have been collecting the spools of thread for our Xmas Open House all year. The cake pedestal and ironstone are my own.

And where would we be without the silver thing? Some of it is from my collection but most of it is from the store. Plate hangers or a little wire is all I used to hang them. The photo on the table is my grandmother and we rigged the buffet setting to make it look more purposeful. I love it piled up like this. Why are some customers still asking why we don't polish our silver?? Argh!

I have always wanted to do a Xmas porch thing. A big garden urn for the chilled champagne, the bird bath for candles ...all we needed was real snow!

Our most challenging shot above. The black and white lettering items are what we will premier at the store this Christmas from artist Wendy Addison. The folded paper art was borrowed from Julie Reed our own Miss Frenchie's artist. We ran to Whole Foods for the dry foods, again to make it purposeful for the season. The flocked green reindeer and giant bottle are from my personal stash. ENJOY!

ALSO!!!

THIS COMING WEEKEND, OUR CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE!
FRIDAY, SATURDAY & SUNDAY
OCTOBER 30, 31 & Nov. 1

.

OCT 13

.

Just a quick post to show you some new items just in.

A wonderful French style mantle mirror. 48" h x 54" w.

6' x 10' bamboo mat with floral design.

I was fortunate to score some great ironstone during my road trip through Kansas.

Some new fall table decor.

And again, our popular grain sack chair. The seat cushion cushion reverses to plain fabric for an optional look. The ottoman has wonderful string ties for tufting (instead of buttons) and I also love the small tacks we used.

As always, call the store or email if there is anything you might be interested in.
curiousstaff@curioussofa.com
913-432-8969

Also: all Halloween merchandise is now 20% off!! Lots of good stuff still left.
Christmas Open House October 30! (eegads!)
.