FABRICS AND FURNISHINGS: This Wesley Hall wing chair (shown in front and rear views) at Artéé Fabrics & Home features plaid wool upholstery with equestrian-accented leather banding on the back. Behind the chair is a selection of special leather samples. “This chair offers a modern silhouette and a unique look, with a classic style fabric, given a modern twist,” says interior designer and Artéé store manager Barbara Campbell.

By Jean Stratton

Color is key at Artéé Fabrics & Home!

Vivid, vibrant — in all shades, patterns, and textures — the fabrics create a vista of eye-catching combinations.

Opened last November at 102 Village Boulevard in Forrestal Village (the former location of Calico Corners), Artéé’s is one of 15 stores first established by Artéé and Shekhar Mehta 12 years ago.

Featuring fine fabrics for draperies, bedding, and more, the Princeton showroom also offers custom furniture and accessories, including artwork and lighting. Comforters, throws, decorative pillows, upholstered headboards, and other specialties are also available.

“The fabrics are the main attraction,” reports interior designer and store manager Barbara Campbell. “There is a great variety, and many have a modern flair and are imported from India.”

Help and Advice

“More and more customers are coming into the store,” adds Campbell. “They are feeling more confident now, and they want to actually see the fabrics, feel the weight, see the quality of the dye, etc. You can’t do that online.

”Also, people may not understand the best choice for their room and are glad to have help and advice. There are three of us here — Polly Balland, Molly Russo, and myself — and we are all glad to help the customers. They may want to try something different, and learn to think about something in a different way. In fact, they may come in with something particular in mind, and then walk out with something different altogether. There are so many choices.”

In addition to the vast selection of every type of fine fabric, the collection of draperies, window treatments, and bedding (throws, comforters, pillows, duvets, etc.) already finished is a great asset to those wanting a new look for their home decor. Ready-mades can be just the thing.

“People have been spending more time at home because of the virus,” points out Campbell. “They are interested in fixing up the house, and really want to make the home a sanctuary.”

Choices of fabrics are abundant: silk, cotton, linen, embroideries, and blends, and every kind of design, look, style, and feel. From pop-art geometric color combos to updated chinoiserie to an exotic Moroccan-style velvet embroidery on linen, there is something for every taste and need.

“We have wonderful embroidered fabrics, some hand-done in the traditional Indian style, with a very special look,” notes Campbell. “Our updated chinoiserie, the traditional Chinese-inspired design, is beautiful, and has a modern look, including, with cut velvet.”

Another Highlight

Bright colors are popular with customers, along with the extensive selection, she adds. “We are set apart by Artéé’s expertise and the length of time she has been in the fabric business, and the relationship the company has with the mills and manufacturers. She has an eye for and an awareness of different cultures and for the overall look, and she also understands the demographics here.”

Custom furniture is another highlight at the showroom. As shoppers enter the store, they encounter a small grouping of colorful chairs and coordinated decorative pillows, all featuring animal designs (giraffes, zebras, elephants, etc.). It is a bright, cheerful, and welcoming invitation to look further.

The selection of upholstered chairs and sofas is high-end to moderate, notes Campbell, and it includes a variety of appealing styles. A pistachio green love seat with coordinated pillows is irresistible, and a mohair sofa in a lovely shade of blue offers both comfort and style. Wing chairs and French-style chairs are also on display.

Customers at Artéé Fabrics & Home enjoy the extra advantage of Campbell’s design expertise. A longtime interior designer in the Princeton area, she is able to help Artéé’s customers with all their design needs.

New Look

“I can help them with one room or an entire house,” she explains. “Maybe they’ll get new drapes to give the room a new look. It doesn’t have to be an entire re-do. It can start by just sticking a toe in with smaller things — a new ottoman, chair, drapery. That way, you can live with it and see how it works within the room.”

“I have often worked with people who are downsizing,” she adds. “They may still want to keep some things from their former house. That is, to keep some of the past, but step into the future. So they can bring in old pieces, but have a new look in a new setting.

“There are two really important things to consider in design,” she points out. “First, find something you love. It can be just one thing — the fabric, shape of a chair, carpet, a painting. From that, you can design the rest of the room.

“Second, you don’t have to love every single piece of furniture or everything in the room. It’s about the finished look. The individual item is the keystone, but then it’s the overall ambiance.”

Customers can also witness Campbell’s design expertise which is evident in the store’s display arrangement, featuring convenient access according to style, color, and category. While filled with many items, the showroom is inviting in its ease of accommodation, with never a feeling of crowding.

The price range includes high-end and moderate furniture, but also discounted prices for discontinued items. Discount prices are available on designer fabrics, and decorative pillows start at $29.95.

Repeat Customers

The furniture can be customized, says Campbell, “and we also sell furniture off the floor, which is unusual. If someone comes in and sees it right away, they can take it home without waiting.

“We are very encouraged,” she continues. “We already have repeat customers, and I look forward to helping more people and seeing them enjoy the store. They are welcome to come in and look and browse. It’s fun to talk with them, and have the exchange of ideas.”

Whether it’s a trim, tassel, table skirt, decorative pillow, drapery, painting, or a new chair or sofa, Artéé Fabrics & Home will have just the right item to help bring your room to life.

The showroom is open Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and also offers online shopping at arteefabricsandhome.com. For further information, call (609) 212-2152.