From the minute we first spied best-selling Chairish Print Shop artist Angela Chrusciaki Blehm’s spectacular Gainesville, Georgia home, we knew she’d be the perfect partner for our first-ever Chairish furniture collection. Cloaked in color and filled with quirky finds both purchased and of her own making, Angela’s home radiates personality and artistic gravitas. Pulling inspiration from her own home and artwork, Angela whipped up two fabulous prints for us, which Chicago’s Cloth & Company then turned into gorgeous textiles, adorning everything from poufs to banquets! Go inside Angela’s wow-worthy home to see how she styled the new Angela Chrusciaki Blehm for Chairish pieces, and get the story behind these designs!
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A Modern Meets Classic Approach
Before Angela got her hands on her now-house, it was nondescript suburban trad. To up the drama, Angela lifted inspiration from a Dwell magazine spread featuring architect Gae Aulenti’s Milan apartment. “I immediately ripped it out,” she says. “There was just so much color, as well as a mix of contemporary art and classic elements.” Just as her home merges classic and modern elements, à la Aulenti, so does Angela’s collection for Chairish. Bold and graphic, her best-selling Ribbon pattern packs major post-modern vibes, and when paired with the collection’s classic silhouettes, some mashup magic is achieved.
Going Big
In the kitchen and eating nook, Angela found herself confronted with a surplus of space. To make the space feel full, she decided to dial up the scale of the furniture. A table, sourced from Grey Furniture in Atlanta, was customized to make it into a longer, racetrack shape. In the corners of the room, Angela constructed two massive architectural columns—or “totems” as she calls them—to lend even more scale. “I like that they’re a spin on the architectural columns that some people have in their homes, but more graphic” Angela says. To keep the large-scale theme going, Angela exchanged the dining chairs on one side of the table for a stunner of a banquet from the new collection. Weighted by the totems on either side, the banquet feels like a custom built-in, just the look Angela was hoping to achieve.
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Custom Central
When asked how she seemingly always finds the perfect piece, Angela sums it up in one golden phrase: “I go custom.” On the first floor landing, for instance, Angela had the red credenza made by her contractor Chris Lund (she appreciatively calls him “the key to her house”). The yellow chandelier was constructed of metal pieces made by her brother, then powder-coated by a local shop. And, of course, the wood ribbon cut-outs are crafted by Angela’s own hand. For Angela, among the most compelling aspects of the her line for Chairish was this ability to customize. In addition to featuring two different patterns applied to a variety of furniture pieces, each print comes in two different color-ways. There’s also block poufs and soufflé poufs—We’re just sayin’.
Ready to Mingle
On the second floor landing, a mural hand-painted by Angela’s three kids and a friend of her daughter’s takes center stage. (When they got bored, Angela stepped up to finish it). She also painted the black and white graphic that hangs on top of the paper. “It literally took about ten minutes,” she admits. “I painted it over an old painting!” Given her familiarity with making art off the cuff, it’s no surprise that Angela’s prints, especially her ribbon print, have a fun, unconstrained feel. Their extemporaneous vibe makes them perfect for syncing up with other patterns and textiles, just as Angela did here, partnering the Pink Ribbon Block Pouf with a pair of furry Richard McCarthy chairs. A collection of graphic black and white vases easily joins the party as well.
Pop In (And Out) Prints
When asked what her favorite piece in her Chairish furniture collection is, Angela is quick to call out the Soufflé Pouf. While pieces like the banquet and slipper chairs can require some consideration (and measuring tapes!), the Soufflé pouf is an easy way to inject some of Angela’s Pop Art aesthetic into your own home without it taking over. Easily movable, the Soufflé pouf will add a punch to any dull corner. Courtesy of its versatile shape, it can also be used as an ottoman, side table, or even extra seating. The collection’s pillows function much the same. Just like Angela did in her daughter’s room, you can pop one on a solid-color chair for a jolt of pattern that will wake up any room.
Spot-On
For Angela, turning her artwork into fabric is a life goal actualized. “I have dreamed many times about drawing up some fabric when I couldn’t find what I wanted,” she says. Among those times? When she was on the hunt for a print to complement her master bedroom, which features a grand indigo Deerfield Rug by Stark. Among the prints she thought would be a suitable mate was a dot pattern she’d been repeating since her art school days. “I think it’s pretty cool the dot print ended up being one of the final prints because that just feels really authentic to me,” she says. “I also really like in it the tan,” says says, noting that the neutral hue really helps to put the print’s animal-like qualities on display.
Joining the Chairish Family
In addition to being an inaugural member of the Chairish Print Shop, Angela is also an avid Chairish shopper. For instance, a sculptural white sofa from Chairish seller Gillian Bryce takes center stage in her kids’ playroom. “What I love about Chairish is that you can get in there and dig,” she says. “I’m just looking for those odd, offbeat pieces that will really do double duty on serving their purpose—like a chair that you can sit in, but it’s also something beautiful to look at.” Clearly motivated by the same sentiment, the Angela Chrusciaki Blehm for Chairish collection is a literal manifestation of chic and unique.
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All photos by Sarah Dorio