Beautiful objects often leave
Designer's Nest in Flourtown

by PAT STOKES

Who would have thought that if one created a nest, of sorts, that the nest would turn into a niche? Explanation coming up.

In October, it will be just two years since Beth Robertson opened her interior design shop, Designer's Nest, at 1215 Bethlehem Pike in Flourtown. Why does a tall, good-looking, talented gal (married, husband Richard, three children) take such a step?  The love of lovely things is at the bottom of it, augmented by the know-how to put stuff together to produce a harmonious, beautiful setting anyone would enjoy living in.

Beth always had a feel for textiles, having had a grandfather who started a textile business in Philadelphia. She, too, found she enjoyed helping people decorate their rooms, and soon recognized interior design as her forte.

So when the building at 1215 became available, with its two show windows, off-street parking and drive-by visibility, she lost no time in buying it, filling the space with tempting décor samples from a wide variety of manufacturers, and hanging out her shingle, with its appealing feather logo.

She chose well, and the nest is now a niche business, attracting customers not only from Flourtown and Chestnut Hill, but from as far away as Bucks County and the Main Line.

Beth tells me that one of the most frequent requests for help relates to window treatments: curtains, draperies, valances. People come in sometimes without a clue -- and go home with plenty of ideas. For a reasonable two-hour consultation fee, one of the staff will visit the customer's home, take pictures and give advice, including suggestions for two rooms and a floor plan. Everyone who works in the shop is very personable. They get to know their customers and try to make the experience fun.

The business has developed to the point of needing three full-time and three part-time helpers, plus an in-house seamstress and an off-premises workroom for upholstering, etc.

Then there's manager Jo Greenawalt, who has been with the Nest from the start, to handle the paperwork. Coming up with a design scheme for a totally bare room is not her idea of fun, but just give her a stack of papers covered with numbers in columns, and she's a happy camper.

What they sell at the Nest: basically anything and everything fabric-related for the home. Fabrics, wallpapers, upholstery, slipcovers, accessories and most recently, area rugs. Some of the items can be seen in their newly opened second floor showroom. Popular, these days, are prints and solids mixed in a room. Chintz, an old favorite, is hard to find; large or small botanical prints are taking its place.

I asked Beth about the current trend in colors. "Oh yes: chocolate for walls, nice with white woodwork trim, and aqua tones in the furniture. Brown is the new substitute for black. Accents are bright green or orange. Trims are big now -- braids, fringe. Coming up, in November, we'll have 'Trim Night,' a presentation to show people how to turn a simple item into something very special. Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, 6:30, date to be announced." Designer's Nest can be reached at 215-233-1000. Hours: Monday - Friday, 9:30 - 4:30; Saturday, 10 - 2. See you on the Avenue.