Gail Green's New Book: “An Insider’s Guide to Interior Design for Small Spaces”

Gail Green recently released her new book: “An Insider’s Guide to Interior Design for Small Spaces.” Gail Green is the founder of Gail Green Interiors, an interior design, architecture and decorating firm specializing in upscale residential and commercial projects in the United States. She has over 30 years of design experience and her work has been published in House Beautiful, House & Garden, Elle Décor, Florida Design, Architectural Digest and The New York Times Magazine. Her book details her suggestions for decorating small places and shows that the process does not have to be time-consuming or costly. Her book focuses on four areas: color and paint, furniture arrangement and selection, lighting, and architectural changes.

The reviews for Green’s book have been glowing. Here is an example:

"How many of us only dream of having an interior designer in our back pocket? For more than 30 years, New York interior designer, Gail Green has been transforming splendid spaces on a grand scale for clients (her work has been featured in House Beautiful, House & Garden, Elle Decor, and The New York Times Magazine) and now she's sharing trade secrets for us small-space dwellers in a new book, AN INSIDER'S GUIDE TO INTERIOR DESIGN FOR SMALL SPACES: How to Create a Beautiful Home Quickly, Effectively and on a Budget. Green's tried-and-true, small-space design strategies are expertly explained whether it's furniture selection and placement or how to choose the best colors to make a petite room look and "live" larger."

-Living in a Nutshell

If you're thinking of buying the book, check out a sample here.  

It is available in several formats, including PDF and paperback versions. You can buy the book here.

With tips from this book, you can become your own expert designer. If you are looking for a custom wool carpet made to your order, check out Langhorne Carpets.

Labor of Love

As the longest continuously operated Wilton carpet mill in the United States, Langhorne has had many years of successes and struggles. Langhorne is a family run business that has had to continuously prove its worth for 85 years. However, after 85 years in its red brick mill, Langhorne’s direction and goals are still clear and in reach. Making its carpets is a labor of love and this fact shines through in all of Langhorne's work.

Because of Langhorne’s dedication and skill, it has had its fair share of noteworthy customers and important tasks. Its ability to reproduce the most complex of designs is unmatched and widely admired. Langhorne has created carpets with designs ranging from simple patterns to family crests to historic reproductions. For example, Langhorne has made reproductions of historic carpets for the Frederick Douglass house in Washington, the Congress Hall of Philadelphia, and the Rutherford B. Hayes home in Fremont, Ohio.

However, behind the extravagance of Langhorne’s carpets and customers lies a rather humble story. The Wilton carpet mill was born when Henry Ford sold some unused looms to the great-grandfather of Langhorne’s current president, Bill Morrow. Even now, Langhorne buys a lot of its machinery from other companies that have closed down. But although the equipment is old, it produces wonderful carpets. Langhorne only uses wool of the highest quality, imported from Britain and New Zealand. Furthermore, the craftsmanship of Langhorne’s specially trained employees is unparalleled and these factors combine to produce superior carpets.

Even though Langhorne is known for its history and traditional way of doing things, Langhorne has learned the importance of adapting and growing. In a world where most carpets are made of synthetic material and are mass-produced, it can be hard for mills like Langhorne to remain in business. However, Langhorne constantly makes the effort to be flexible and learn new things and has seen great successful. For example, Langhorne in recent years figured out how to die Kanecaron, a fake fur produced in Japan, for one its projects. Langhorne is proud to keep its traditions, but it is also proud to learn and grow.

After 85 years in the business, the love that Langhorne’s employees have for their work continues to grow. They continue to ensure the highest quality in every phase of the carpet and the highest quality of customer service. Langhorne’s story is both humble and extraordinary, traditional and changing, which is what is required for a labor of love.

Carpets of Caring

Langhorne Carpets is a company that believes in giving back and is proud to do so through its unique “Carpets of Caring" program. The program first gained national attention following the events of September 11, 2011, when Langhorne collaborated with the Memorial Fund of the Fire Department of New York to weave its first commemorative fundraising tapestry, “We the People.” The project was very successful and paved the way for a wide range of other non-profit organizations to work with Langhorne to support their charitable causes. Since then, Langhorne has created custom tapestries for fundraising premiums, outstanding employee recognition, alumni and faculty recognition, distinguished civic or charitable organization volunteer recognition and historic preservation excellence recognition.

"Hand in Hand" Commemorative Tapestry

In 2011, Langhorne teamed up with Lanny Sommese, a graphic designer and instructor from Penn State University, to create the “Hand in Hand” tapestry. The net proceeds from the 36” x 27” all-wool Wilton tapestry go to support the Penn State Micro Loan Fund. This fund is operated by the Penn State University Office of Financial Aid and provides small loans to students in needs. This initiative is ongoing, and if you would like to own a Langhorne-Lanny Somese Original, and support the Penn State Student Micro Loan Fund, you can purchase a “Hand in Hand” commemorative tapestry here.

In the summer of 2013, an electrical fire started near the shipping dock by Langhorne’s mill. While most was left untouched, Langhorne was required to restock its wool inventory even though no wool had been damaged in the fire. With its “Carpets of Caring” campaign in mind, Langhorne took this opportunity to gift two tons of the finest wool from New Zealand and Britain to charities. Examples of its charitable wool distribution include the shipment to the Textile Center of Minneapolis, Minnesota for creation of a “green” work of public art for the new light rail Green Line and the shipment to the Textile Design classes at Philadelphia University.

Pictured (from left to right):

Hand in Hand – designed by Lanny Sommese for Penn State Emergency Student Micro Loan Fund

Tree of Life – designed by Alex Papachristidis for Habitat for Humanity of Bucks County

We the People – Memorial Fund of the Fire Department of New York

If you are interested in learning more about this one of a kind opportunity, contact Bill Morrow at 215-757-5155 or billjr@langhornecarpets.com.

Langhorne in "House of Cards"

Have you heard about House of Cards, the primetime show everyone is raving about? It has won multiple Golden Globe awards and primetime Emmy awards.  If you haven’t gotten the chance to see this show, you have to check it out. The main character strives to gain status after he is passed over for the position of Secretary of State.  The online-only television series plays on the ruthlessness and manipulation in the political scene on the path to power and perfectly satiates your appetite for drama.  I will leave it at that so I don’t give anything away if you have not seen it. 

Here at Langhorne, we are extremely excited and honored to announce that one of our carpets is being featured in the third season of this popular show.  PR Newswire got a quote from our president Bill Morrow that sums it up perfectly: "Our 19^th century Jacquard-based style of carpet making – in which the elegant woven design is guided by a deck of hand-punched cards (Jacquards). The five-color wool carpet border is a superb reproduction that is exactly what the Set Decorator Tiffany Zappulla was looking for.” You can read the article here.

Langhorne's specially woven carpet for House of Cards

Our custom carpets do not only appear in fictional political scenes on tv.  They also appear in real politicians’ homes and workplaces, including the White House, as well as several celebrities’ homes, such as Michael Jackson.  Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick, of the eighth district of Pennsylvania, was actually able to personally witness the making of this very carpet to be in House of Cards in our Philadelphia factory. 

We pride ourselves in being able to make each carpet perfect in the eyes of our customers down to the last seam whether it be a completely original design or a reproduction needing to be brought back to life.  We accept nothing but the best quality to cross from our factory to consumption with a goal of always leaving our customers with smiles on their faces.