Brocade Home

We've all got walls and stuff to display and store, so who can argue with a wall shelf? Especially a beautiful one that's on sale. The Brocade Home Ruffle Frame Shelf ($199, reduced from $299) is my kind of shelf. White. Ornate. Feminine. And wood, to boot. The great thing is that even if you're displaying a plastic toy horse or a fortune cookie (i.e. not something particularly chic), the frame shelf will do all the glamorous work. Even a note from a creditor will look sexy on this baby . . . let's just hope you don't have any of those.

Brooding and full of teen angst, the only good thing that came from my trip to Cleveland when I was young was a visit to the I.M. Pei-designed Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Thus, I have a soft spot for the music-eum, and I'm delighted to hear that it opened an annex in NYC late last month. Of course, the museum celebrated with a slew of celebrities in tow, but it's open to all of you regular folk seven days a week. If you're in SoHo, you can stop by to enjoy multiple galleries spotlighting
hundreds of music revolutionaries, as well as key cities that have helped shape the history of rock and roll. The annex called in one of its sponsors to design the VIP room, which should be a familiar brand to you Casa readers, Brocade Home. Brocade's glitzy, polished look was a shoo-in for the VIP rock star lounge. But if you're not a "very important person," you can surely pick up any of these furnishings for yourself at Brocade Home. To see more photos of the space, read more

So, I told you recently that Brocade Home is back after a Summer respite, with sadly only one notable new item. But, did I mention that it's offering killer discounts? The Brocade Home Silhouette Coffee Table ($99, reduced from $399) is discounted a whopping 76 percent. The table is made of solid oak, and with a basic square shape updated with classic, feminine curves. It's not a piece that will be out of style in a few years, like mirrored furniture. So, for 100 bucks, it's really a steal. Let's just hope Brocade Home has gotten their act together and will ship it to you promptly with no problemos.

We discussed last week how Brocade Home is back, but with little fanfare and no new Fall collections to show for all the time it spent on its grand vacance this Summer. But, I did notice something nice, new, and appropriate for Fall in the shop. The oversized Brocade Home Brushed Metal Vases ($129) in high-gloss bronze have a warmth that faces off with the rapidly decreasing temperatures these days. At 22 to 30 inches high, they're also statement pieces that will demand attention whether or not you fill them with fresh flowers. If bronze isn't for you, though, they're also available in silver. What do you think?

If you remember back to September, I mused about how Brocade Home pulled a Houdini on us, temporarily going out of business after it was blindsided by the success of its semi-annual sale. I was skeptical about this, and certainly disappointed . . . not to mention concerned for its reputation. But, I heart Brocade Home and I can be forgiving. It turns out that the shop is back, with a slight website remodel, and I'm certainly relieved to see it return. Although the sale items seem to be more organized, there don't seem to be many new products; not good! It's Fall now, a new season, and all of Brocade's competitors have new collections. We'll have to wait and see, but I'm hoping Brocade can get back on its feet quickly and present me with some more feminine and modern products to fawn over.

If you've decided to finally splurge on that crave worthy furniture piece you've been eying at Brocade Home, you're out of luck. Surf over to the retailer's website, and you'll find the note below. Apparently the shop's July semi-annual sale was such a hit, it put the retailer temporarily out of business. Brocade Home has only been in existence for a little over a year, so some bumps in the road are to be expected. But, seeing as it's owned by Restoration Hardware, a retailer with a great reputation that's been around for nearly 30 years, I expect more from Brocade Home. This has certainly tarnished the brand in my opinion, and I've read reports (here and here) that orders are shipping late (or not at all) and there are a slew of other issues with customer service. Some bloggers are also speculating that the company might simply be going out of business, which is the real explanation for all of the shipping and customer service issues. Have you had any problems with Brocade Home lately? What do you think is going on?

Brocade Home is currently hosting their Semi-Annual Sale, offering savings of up to 50 percent off furniture, wall décor, lighting, bed and bath, window and floor, accessories, and upholstery fabric items. There are lots of beautiful products to choose from, if girly baroque furnishings are your style. All sale purchases are final, though, so you'd better be sure. Here are a few items I wouldn't mind taking home:

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For all of the fashionista gardener girls in the world (and yes, they do exist), this Brocade Home Patterned Garden Tool Set ($34, marked down from $69) is made to order. It's more than a little bit over the top, but how fun would it be to break out this tool set when you need to replant some wisteria, lilac, or other similarly shaded flowers with these matching tools? I may not always love matchy matchy, but in this case I will make a definite and enthusiastic exception.

This solid oak, hand-carved side table from Brocade home ($99, originally $299) has a rugged sensibility that makes me think it might have been found in the abbey from Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose. There's something both medieval and simplified about it, but with its small embellishments of carved detail, it stands out, much in the same way that it might if it were found in that book's labyrinthine medieval library. Whether you associate this table with Eco's novel or not, you will have to agree that this is a fantastic deal for a pretty table, yes? And the perfect place to put that novel, if you were so inclined.