Home design, with a dash of whimsy
22.05.12
They're contemporary, but at the same time slightly retro. The fearless colors, the geometric florals, the Asian-inspired prints. The pillows imprinted with mischievous themes — a bento box of sushi, a series of Russian nesting dolls.
The Manhattan by way of Brooklyn by way of Connecticut designer, newly transplanted to Petaluma, is not afraid that having fun with design will somehow compromise the sophistication of her line. From a splashy new showroom in Petaluma's new theater district, Gardner brings a fresh perspective to Wine Country.
She made her mark first as a designer and wholesaler of vibrant, hand-knotted rugs made to order of Tibetan wool and Chinese silk in Nepal. But within the past year she and her business-partner husband, Patrick McDarrah, have added a retail line — Emma at Home — available online, through retailers across the country and in the showroom.
It's given a whole set of new surfaces and textures for Gardner's distinctive and modern creations. The light, airy and uncluttered showroom makes a perfect setting to punctuate her lively embroidered-on-linen pillows, pure baby-alpaca-wool throws from Peru and giclee prints (ink-jet prints) of her own paintings stretched on canvas. The couple also feature a collection of tables as well as custom-upholstered sofas, sectionals, ottomans and chairs, made in L.A. in neutral tones that best play up the splashy accents.
Source: Santa Rosa Press Democrat