Compendium

Mark Watts has come full circle in his 20-some-odd years as an interior designer - growing up in Wichita, and then moving to Dallas, Texas, and then Scottsdale, Arizona, before coming home again to Wichita to be near family and friends. While in Dallas, Mark worked with Country Hall of Fame singer Charley Pride and his wife Rozene on their Dallas home. In Scottsdale, Mark lived and worked in what has been described as a desert version of Miami's South Beach.




Wichita is a far cry from big city life, but to Mark, his family and friends, it is home. Dorthy couldn't have said it better.

Mark describes himself as a Modern Traditionalist. While this might seem a contradiction in terms, to Mark, it simply means that he appreciates a broad range of classical influences with an eye on comfort. To achieve this end, Mark works with Vanguard's Compendium Collection designed by John Black. A compendium can be defined as a short concise summary of all that is known. This collection strikes a balance between crisp and clean simplicity and traditional roots. To Mark, this epitomizes today's life style.

Style

The Compendium Collection by Vanguard Furniture.

Eva Sofa by Vanguard Furniture

The Compendium collection balances traditional styling with crisp and clean simplicity.

Color

Color in design is personal. What evokes a reaction in one person may evoke a very different reaction in somone else.

Mark works extensively with earth tones -  colors that draw from browns, tans, greys, greens, oranges, whites, blues and some reds. Colors are muted and flat, emulating the colors of nature. These tones help create a warm, aesthetic feeling.

Mark complements soft colors with the use of simple geometric designs.

Accents 

Pictures

Lamps

Accents

"Less is more," Mark believes. Accents should be used sparingly to set the mood, always retaining the same color scheme as the furniture. A classic sculpture, a book to read, and a coffee table on which to rest your feet can fit the bill. The room is polished off with lighting that both warms and provides adequate lighting.

Mood

Close your eyes and imagine a sandy beach, blue skies and palm trees waving in a balmy breeze.

"Dorthy, you are not in Kansas anymore."

Blue skies and the Eva Sofa

Compendium

Click the heels of your shoes together three times and open your eyes. You are home again.

Eva Sofa, part of the Compendium Collection by Vanguard

View the entire Compendium Collection in a PDF format.

The stuff of which dreams are made on

Prospero:
Our revels now are ended. These our actors,
As I foretold you, were all spirits, and
Are melted into air, into thin air:
And like the baseless fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capp'd tow'rs, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve,
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff
As dreams are made on; and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.
The Tempest Act 4, scene 1, 148–158

The Traditions gang has just returned from Atlantis, the Bahamian resort and mystical namesake of the island mentioned by Plato. Like Prospero of Shakespeare's The Tempest, the writer knows that the any trip is but short entertainment that soon melts "into thin air". The palm trees, the golden sun and white sand, the gentle stir of a balmy breeze all fade in time. Life's quickening pace calls us back too soon.

Yet, we can still dream on in a Stressless recliner. Our dreams magically transport us to Atlantis and those sweet memories of sun and sand. At a younger age, the writer would hum himself to sleep with the words of his childhood, "Merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream."

College Hill House of H.W. Darling

H.W. Darling House, 3755 E. Douglas

We loved Barry Owens' article in the College Hill Commoner, July 2012, on the Lumberman's Big Brick House, A Look at the Life, Times and College Hill House of H.W. Darling.  The College Hill Commoner is the neighborhood paper for College Hill, one of Wichita's oldest and most historic neighborhoods.

The two and one half story Colonial home, 3755 E. Douglas, was built in 1907 for lumberman Howard Wetmore Darling. Darling was a self-made man, engaging in numerous occupations, including the furniture business, something near and dear to us, before finally making his money bringing lumber to the broad treeless plains around Wichita and the Arkansas River Valley.

The home has been re-purposed by Victory in the Valley, a non-profit cancer support organization whose mission is,

 “To encourage cancer patients and families on their journey by offering HOPE through emotional and spiritual support, while providing practical services to improve the quality of their lives.”

Thanks Barry for a great article.

College Hill Homes on the National Register of Historic Homes.

Want to learn more about Howard Wetmore Darling?

Bless us O' Lord

What is in a word - Traditions, for example? Traditions is part of our name, and we chose it for a reason. Traditions implies something cultural, something shared by family and friends. Literally, it is  the handing down of beliefs and customs from generation to generation.

One custom my family had while growing up was to say grace before dinner. It began, "Bless us O' Lord ..." It was a good traditions, one that I carry on with my own family. Whoever gives thanks, add a special thought asking for extra care to be given to those less fortunate.

While at the Atlanta market, we came across many unusual items. One such item was a collection of handmade crosses in a wide assortment of colors, sizes, and shapes. We think that these crosses remind us of our traditions and the reasons we have for giving thanks for family and friends.

We hope that you enjoy them too.

Fine Dining

Fine Dining

Sorry, the two of us are in a bit of a rush. We are here in Atlanta shopping for the best and newest in home furnishings. All we have time to do now is to give you a taste of what is to come. 

 The Legend of Blue Willow Pattern

Once there was a wealthy Mandarin, Tso Ling, with a beautiful daughter, Koong-se. She fell in love with her father's humble clerk, Chang. The father was angry and dismissed the young man, building a high fence around his house to keep the lovers apart.

The Mandarin then planned for his daughter to marry a local Lord. Bearing jewels as a wedding gift, the Lord arrived by boat to claim his bride. On the day the blossom fell from the willow tree, the wedding was to take place. On the eve of the wedding, Chang the clerk, disguised as a servant, slipped unnoticed into the palace. The two lovers escaped with the jewels, running over a bridge, chased by the father, whip in hand.

The lovers fled on the Lord's ship to a secluded island, where they lived happily for years. But one day, the Lord learned their secret. He sent soldiers, who captured the lovers and put them to death.

The Gods then transformed the lovers into a pair of dove.

.

 

 Follow us on Facebook.

 

Art is Expressive

Science magazine researchers report that a red disk painted in Spain's El Castillo cave is 40,800 years old - and possibly older - making it the oldest known European cave art. Could Neanderthals have painted it?

I confess that I am an NPR Science Friday fan. Listen to the entire story on NPR's podcast.

The point is that mankind's need to express himself artistically goes back a long way. Here, at Traditions, we love our art work. We have hundred's of subjects, sizes, colors, and figures that touch on our human need to express ourselves. And like the cave art of Spain's El Castillo, the images do not need long explanations. Art touches our emotions in a unique and individual way.


Here are just a few:

Aspen Trees

Harbor Boats

Beached Boat

43rd Annual Kansas City Symphony Designers' Showhouse

There is only one week left to see the 43rd Annual Kansas City Designers' Showhouse, located, just off of the Kansas City Plaza, at 47 W. 53rd Street.

The historic house was built in 1909 for businessman and civic leader Wallace Goffe and his wife Beverly. The style is English Tudor Revival. The home was designed by famed Kansas City architect Henry Hoit and later remodeled in 1937 by his successor firm, Hoit, Price and Barnes. In 1984, the house was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The walls of the Showhouse are even rows of coursed limestone. the roof contains a steeply pitched gable and there is half-timbering on the central bay which projects from the second story, supported by curved volutes.

The houses of the district were built to the natural contours of the landscape.Thus, many of the houses in this district are located on rises with steps leading to the main entrance. There are uniform setbacks from the street of 40 feet.

Read the full story of the house. Kansas City Symphony Alliance. 

The Showhouse is a project sponsored by the Kansas City Symphony Alliance, a volunteer organization dedicated to promoting classical music throughout the Kansas City area, and in particular the welfare of the Kansas City Symphony. Hundreds of volunteers and the area's top designers work together to create something magical. Traditions Furniture is proud to again participate in the decoration of the sun room.


Traditions designers, Linda, Kathy, Julie, and Carol went for a coastal theme. This is in keeping with the naturalness of the setting and lightness of the sun room, which catches the afternoon sun. The upholstery is by Stickley Furniture. Stickley is perhaps best known for American Arts and Crafts, but, as the room demonstrates, there is a softer side to Stickley. The art is modern, pulling in a blue shade to complement the azure blue of the sky. The sideboard is Pasadena Bungalow by Stickley. The matching lamps are faux stone.

There are many other designers who have contributed to the beauty of this year's Designers' Showhouse. And, while we would like to show you everything, we will give you just a tease. Better that you come and see for yourself, and support a great cause, The Kansas City Symphony Alliance.