2012 Komen NC Triad Race for the Cure
April 16, 2012
In just a few weeks our office, along with countless friends and family, will be walking in the Komen Race for the Cure. Will you join our team? If yes, please click the logo below or here for a direct link to sign up.
We will be walking with thousands of others to raise awareness and funds to find a cure for breast cancer. This year we dedicate our team to honor our friend and colleague Anne Barnhardt and in memory of our beloved friend and mother Michal Miller.
The race is Saturday morning, May 5th. Please consider sponsoring our team with a donation or signing up to walk with us. We would love to have you, and we mean that from the bottom of our heart(s).
xo Christi
PS. We would like to give special thanks to our friends at IMC for sponsoring the Barbour Spangle team this year. Thank you!!!
The City Project ~ Part II
April 13, 2012
I wanted to follow up to my earlier post about the High Point City Project since we just completed an exterior “ReVision” for one of the City Core buildings.
Meet the High Point Fine Art Guild.
“The HPFAG is a 501(C)3 non-profit organization, which was formed in 1965. The Guild is designed to bring together a network of artist and art lovers. Their interest is the advancement of arts through art shows, art education, art workshops, art programs and collaboration with other cultural groups. Some of their focus areas will be to encourage the production of paintings, sculptures, photographer and other objects of art.”
We were approached to take a run down building on Centennial Street and turn it into a space that could host retail shops, offices, restaurant venues, showrooms and a coffee shop.
The building as it currently is from the North.
The building as it currently is from the South.
The entrance to the building - facing Centennial Street.
The design we developed:
The response we received when we presented the new design:
Wow!!!!!!!!!!! I am SPEECHLESS!!!!!!
That my friends, is music to our ears.
xo Christi
International Market Week
April 12, 2012
If you have been wondering where we are and why it’s been a little quiet its due to the frenzied-break-neck-crazy-fun-filled days we are spending preparing for the High Point Furniture Market.
Each Spring and Fall, visitors from around the world come to our little slice of heaven in the South and see some of the best designs of furniture, accessories, lighting and art – i n t h e w o r l d.
We consider ourselves very lucky to not only be buyers for this annual show but we also get to work with some really incredible companies to create the displays for their products. This Spring will no doubt be one of our most exciting markets ever with the addition of several great showroom projects! Most importantly, we are privileged to continue to work with our many clients who have become our friends over the years. Lucky us.
Both our inbox and our mailbox have been filled each day with invites to the many great companies who call High Point home each spring and fall. We can’t wait to see our friends from all over the globe and we hope we will see you there too!
Just a sampling of some of the invitations we received this week!
xo Christi
Meals On Wheels
April 5, 2012
The other night while at dinner with friends, we started talking about the increasing popularity of food trucks, especially those that are specialized. I quickly took a look online and came across Saturday Night Foodies a blog written by husband and wife team Jason and Kim. Their travels have taken them all over and in the process they have experienced some fun and (ahemm) u n u s u a l food trucks.
There is the Burger Bus.
The Crepes Bus – Oui Oui!
The Waffle Truck.
The Scottish Truck.
The Greek Truck.
Then there is the (confused) Sushi Burrito Truck.
Patrons flock to these trucks for both the food and the experience.
As we talked about the increasing popularity of these trucks we came up with the idea: What if someone created a really cool restaurant experience and combined it with the mobile ability of specialty food trucks. We were convinced this was a genius idea! All we needed was a motor coach, a great chef and a good design team (hmmm….wonder who?)
Sadly we were much too late. The very next morning I was flipping through a magazine and you are never going to believe what I spotted! No, Brad and Jenn are not getting back together.
A mobile restaurant!! Wow oh Wow!
xo Christi
Mirror Mirror, Sparkle Sparkle
April 4, 2012
Congratulations to one of our favorite go-to lighting suppliers – Sharon Marston Studios!
We have used her products in the past and the end result is always stunning. This is a lobby we completed last year where we used one of her chandeliers over the front desk. Spectacular light isn’t it?
Sharon just sent out an email blast with the following information:
This week welcomes the UK launch of the film Mirror Mirror which features Sharon Marston’s gigantic Laelia chandelier.
Providing a dazzling backdrop to the Queen’s Palace in the film, the 4 metre tall Laelia chandelier sparkles elegantly over Julia Roberts’ throne. Sharon’s team spent several days on set delicately assembling 6’000 pieces of hand blown glass leaves and overseeing the full installation.
To view stills from the newly released film and view further projects by Sharon Marston please click on the below link to the website:
http://www.sharonmarston.com/Projects/Mirror_Mirror_Film.html
xo Christi
Outdoor Living Room
April 4, 2012
Are you looking for some additional square footage but not sure where to get it? Look no further than your backyard!
We are working on a project in Pinehurst, NC, golf capital of the world. The project includes creating an outdoor living room – we are pretty excited about the progress so far and thought we would share.
Keep in mind this is mid-stream and we have not installed the new furniture, planters or greenery. Even so….it was too good to keep to ourselves!
This is the back of the house before we tore out all the walls and screens to open up what was a dark and small porch. Our contractor (and model) is explaining the process.
You know we don’t like to give away too much prior to the true “finish” of a project. The photos below were sent by our contractor and give you a glimpse into what we have been able to create without giving too much away, wink wink.
The new patio extends beyond (what was) the old porch to create a wonderful entertaining space. The house received a new coat of paint, brick columns, new lighting and a new concrete patio.
Can you figure out where our contractor was standing in the before photo? It’s hard to believe this is the same house!
The new porch area.
We will be furnishing and accessorizing this new living area soon. Once we do we will be sure to share the “official” after shots!
My search for new furniture has turned up some really cool new products on the market. If you are looking for outdoor furniture be sure to stay tuned, I’ll be highlighting some of my favorite outdoor finds soon!
xo Christi
Barbour Spangle Gives Back to High Point
March 30, 2012
As part of our continued efforts to give back to the community that we reside and conduct business in, we have teamed up with High Point’s The City Project to provide building makeover’s to business owners in the Core City areas. This is very exciting because it gives us the opportunity to share our creative vision with the businesses we patronize and drive by every day.
Our very first project was self selected. We wanted to show The City Project an example of what we could provide to local businesses that would both inspire and excite them to invest in an exterior renovation. We selected local health food store The Only Earth to use as our example.
This is the store as it stands today:
The Only Earth, High Point
Image taken 2011
Inspired by what is going on around us in the world today – the focus on organic and sustainable living and raising our children with healthier standards – we believed that this store could continue to service it’s existing clientele yet at the same time attract an entirely new generation who is focused on healthier lifestyles.
Additionally, we felt like this could potentially be a destination to enjoy the beautiful weather we are so fortunate to have in North Carolina by creating a place to sit down outside and have a drink, snack and read your favorite health based magazine. These thoughts and inspirations led us to design an organic design with elements of urban lifestyle living {think about walking over to pick up your vitamins, fresh produce for dinner and enjoy a bottle of juice before walking home}.
Organic elements were used to update the existing facade without making major structural changes.
Greenscaping around the perimeter - both with pots and with plantings -
provide a softer visual as well as shade.
Dimensional bold letters on the face of the building provide good signage and a clean aesthetic.
The welcoming entrance includes an awning over the doors flanked by fresh greenery planters.
The signage wall to the right of the door is a rock wall accent with a built in planter.
All design elements were intentionally selected to have an organic look and feel.
The side patio provided an opportunity to to sit down and enjoy the NC weather as well as shade for what is otherwise a sun-beaten parking lot.
This of course was a hypothetical design to visually demonstrate what can be done with a building located in the Core City project area. This was not provided as a final drawing or rendering design that The Only Earth plans to implement….not yet anyway!
The March/April 2012 Volume 2 City Project flyer What’s Up High Point states the following:
Property Makeovers
The City Project and local design firm, Barbour Spangle Design, have teamed up and are ready to makeover local businesses in the Southside, Washington Street and Uptowne districts. The Property Makeover Program, created by the partnership, offers a property makeover opportunity for local businesses. Barbour Spangle Design, a boutique design studio whose approach is to create exceptional solutions for their client’s environment, will complete building makeover drawings at a nominal price to The City Project. The makeovers, which are normally in the $750 – $950 plus range, are available to property and/or business owners of the target areas.The City Project funded program is available for up to 10 businesses. Interested? Call or email Wendy Fuscoe NOW 336/883.8547 or
If you know anyone who is interested be sure to share this link!
xo Christi
Trend Spotter: Equestrian Inspired Interiors
March 19, 2012
Lately it seems that I am surrounded by all things equestrian.
Close to home for instance, is our very own Madison Spangle (Christi’s daughter) who recently won the title of Sedgefield Showgrounds Medium Pony Division Year End Champion (way to go Maddie!). Her horse Gracie goes by the clever show name of “Connect The Dots“, can you guess why?
I adore this photo of Madison (and Gracie) ~ at just twelve years old, I find her grace and dedication awe inspiring.
Spring flowers and warmer temperatures remind me that hubby’s birthday is right around the corner and every year on (or about the time of) his birthday is the Kentucky Derby at the beautiful Churchill Downs. About eighteen months ago our office had the pleasure of visiting the Churchill Downs facility. When you combine the grandeur and history, the wager process and the mint juleps ~ its an experience you will never forget!
As I was shopping the High Point Furniture Market last fall I came across a number of equestrian inspired designs.
Images 1-8 above were taken by Barbour Spangle Read the rest of this entry »
Before & After ~ New Life for an Old Desk
March 18, 2012
One may think that when you hear the words lobby renovation, especially when the renovation includes a transformation from traditional to urban luxe, you would need to ditch the old desk and create a new one. Not so.
With a little creativity and a lot of elbow grease, this week we witnessed an old desk receive a new life.
The old desk:
The old desk with a new life! Obviously signage, lighting and finish details to come. Stay tuned!
Happy weekend everyone.
xo Christi
St. Patty’s Day
March 16, 2012
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day (and my daddy’s birthday) I thought I would put together a little “GREEN” inspiration for you! Enjoy your weekend everyone…and don’t forget to wear GREEN!
1. Green table lamp by one of our favorite vendors Bungalow Five
5. Clover Table by another top pick Regina Andrew Designs (available through us)
Happy Birthday Dad!
xo Christi
