I first met Gwendolyn when she sent me a very sweet and thoughtful thank you note about my Second Spaces DSN package. Then, a week or so ago, she contacted me again to let me know she has opened shop, and she sent me a review folder to check out. She's starting small, which I think is a great way to start, but she has a big vision. In her words, she has "...plans to grow into a full interior design space with texture packs for walls, fabrics, and wood work, and home finishing kits with housewares and accessories." I'm excited to see where she goes from here. :)
Right now, Gwendolyn has a few living room sets, definitely worth checking out if you're looking for fundamentals to decorate your space. She and I had the chance to visit when I came by her shop, and we talked about her style. She says it's shabby chic, and I can see that -- I suggested it's more of a contemporary shabby chic...and as I take more time to consider her pieces, I'd venture to say it's contemporary cottage, even. For example, the Lucy Sofa and Chair - I love the pink & green combo, and can't you see this in an open, airy, sunlight-filled beach cottage? The curves on the coffee table are just right for a little bit of whimsy.
She has already ventured in to a more modern and masculine genre, too, and we do love diversity. :) Below we have the Ricardo Set and the Sheridan Set. I really like the Sheridan coffee table (with the red sofa/chair) -- the design is an unexpected twist on a fairly common table style.
Gwendolyn and I also talked about textures -- she's fairly new to the texture creation game, and I certainly understand (firsthand!) the learning curve involved. :) I think she's doing well, and the Alice Sofa and Chair texture gives a really nice, soft, velvety feel.
(Please note that the plants you see are not Gwendolyn's creations, and are not for sale -- they're accent pieces for the shop.)
In the review folder was a copy of the Danna sofa. I really like the fabric used on this, and the details are very nice: the little wooden feet, the curves of the back cushions, and the rolled arms. You'll see that the dimensions on the sofa are rather large - this can be good for really large open spaces, and can also be a bit awkward for smaller AVs. I'm pretty average in size, and still look a bit dwarfed by the sofa...certainly not a showstopper, though, and I think some folks expect their SL furniture to be a bit larger than life.
Gwendolyn isn't using menu-driven animations, but she does provide a nice selection of poses in each piece. What's really cool is that she also provides a sit diagram with her pieces so you know which anims are in which prims. I think it's a great idea. :)
Be sure to stop by Gwendolyn Bieler Interior Design to see the rest of the available items and try out the pieces for yourself.