Milieu Magazine Launch Party with Interior Designer Pam Pierce

{Interior Designer Pam Pierce; Photograph from a recent Interview with The New York Times about the debut of her new magazine, Milieu. Read more of the interview here}

I have had a serious design crush on Interior Designer, Pam Pierce for as long as I can remember and couldn't believe it when the opportunity came to attend the launch party for her new magazine, Milieu.

The party was held this past Saturday night at the High Point Furniture Market in a huge white tent adjoining the Verellen Showroom. You may remember meeting Tom Verellen here on the blog or my tour of the Verellen Showroom here. The Verellen showroom is one of those special places that oozes elegant simplicity and is one of my most favorite places to visit during market. It is not surprising that Pam Pierce selected Verellen as the venue for her launch party.

 I couldn't believe it, as we walked in the tent, we were greeted by Pam Pierce, herself and let me tell you, she is incredibly down-to-earth and such a lovely person. I am surprised I could even utter a word since, as I mentioned before, she has been my absolute favorite designer forever. I think I have a glossy dog-eared picture of every room she has ever published. In addition, the atmosphere of the tent beyond had me speechless. So simple, so pure and incredibly chic! White linen slipcovered hay bales pulled up to long tables draped with crisp white tablecloths. Buckets filled with white roses and candles in a neat row down the center of the tables. White ship-lap paneled planters held trees that were up lighted. Guests went through a buffet with a galvanized tin tray lined with wax paper and were given a white linen napkin that was monogrammed with the MILIEU logo, in white of course.

Please forgive the poor quality of my cell phone pictures. They truly do not capture the effortlessly chic atmosphere. The photos also can't capture the smells and ambiance from the wood burning fires. 

The days in North Carolina are so beautiful this time of year and the nights are crisp with a little chill, just the way I like them. 

The serene environment of the party was welcome respite after a long day of exploring the market. Everyone is on sensory overload from all of the bright colors and patterns. 

The all white decor was so fresh and inviting!

What did I like most about the event?

It is a great example to us all that luxury does not always go hand-in-hand with money. The events simplicity is what made it so special. Everyone felt comfortable and welcome yet it felt so special.

The evening presents a great blueprint for those of us planning special events:

white + roses + linen + candles + hay bales + trees + simple, good food 

I also love the idea of taking something so readily available and familiar - the galvanized buckets - and filling them with roses, something that would ordinarily be placed in a silver or crystal vase.

The evening was catered by Southern Roots, a chic little restaurant in Jamestown. Jamestown is a small historic town just a few minutes from High Point and about twenty minutes from Winston Salem. I first discovered Southern Roots through a good friend who took me there to celebrate a friend's birthday. My favorite thing on the menu when we visited was the homemade salad dressing ~ a granny smith apple vinaigrette. The restaurant epitomizes Southern farmhouse charm!

You can visit Southern Roots website here.

{Photos by Stephen Thrift for Southern Roots}

The New York Times article about Pam Pierce's new magazine is entitled but Why?

Everyone is questioning why Pierce would take on such a task as launching a new shelter magazine at a time when we have seen some of the best magazines fold.

I am mailing in my subscription form today in support of her endeavor because, to me, it feels like Christmas when I get my favorite new magazine in the mail. Like a good book, a favorite magazine lets us explore different cultures and share in others vision of home. I know the internet can take you there but, I for one, spend entirely too much time online and welcome a quiet evening with the glossy pages of a new magazine, a cozy blanket and maybe even a glass of wine.

From Pierce's own words, here is a little of what you can expect from the first issue:

“We’ve got a house from Geneva, Switzerland, and one from Belgium. We have a really great house from California. A wonderful loft from Houston. The fabulous house on the cover is a Dallas home. We’re doing a feature called “Fashion Meets Furnishings.” Angela Scott is a shoe designer I met in Montecito who had to move to Dallas because of her husband’s business. I thought it would be so much fun to take her leather and upholster some chairs. And we did.”

Pierce's Houston home was recently featured in Veranda and illustrates her passion for warm woods, white linen and rooms filled with bright sunshine. I have coveted the glossy tear sheets from the first time her house was featured in Veranda and find it so interesting to see how she has updated her home with celebrated modern pieces like the Frank Gehry Wiggle Chair, Eames lounge chair, and the Flos Arco floor lamp.

When we talked with her at the launch party, she commented that she wanted to show the latest generation that good design is always chic and if you buy quality pieces they will stand the test of time and can be effortlessly mixed in your home throughout your lifetime.

I can not wait for the next issue, due on newsstands the first week of December...it's an all white issue!

Let's all gather around Milieu and subscribe here!

{Pierce's living room featuring a Frank Gehry Wiggle Chair}

{An Eames lounge chair in a sunny corner of Pierce's living room}

{Pierce's famous kitchen; a stainless steel table replaces the french pastry table from my old picture of her kitchen}

I'll close this post with a small collage I made of some of my favorite Pam Pierce rooms. To see more, visit my Pinterest board dedicated to my favorite interior designer here.

Best wishes for much success, Pam! We are cheering for you!

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