Furniture & Design

The STURDY Act, Betty Washington, and another American blue dress mystery.

: Furniture & Design : Written by Troy Broussard : 03-26-2023

Portrait of Betty Washington Lewis, 1750, by John Wollaston the Younger, Mount Vernon Ladies Association, public domain.

One of the topics in a recent morning meeting was the implementation of the STURDY Act. So what is this new law that no one has every heard of? The Stop Tip-overs of Unstable Risky Dressers on Youth Act mandates new guidelines and restrictions on the furniture industry to prevent top heavy casegoods from killing people. Colleagues sat aghast that Congress has nothing better on which to be working but to screw over our livelyhoods. “This must be a knee-jerk reaction to the death of George Washington’s sister,” I commented. “She was killed while rooting around in a highboy for …continue reading

Troy Broussard – 30 years of interior design

: Furniture & Design, TroysArt : Written by Troy Broussard : 06-20-2019

For Perrault Design Associates, all of my drawings and plans were done by hand.

Interior design forms the link between architecture and humanity. Anyone with a credit card can walk into a furniture store and fill a house. But without the proper understanding of scale and proportion and the right talent and resources to “pull it together”, it can be money poorly spent. Using an interior designer is not as intimidating as it sounds. In fact, it is guidance that is undervalued and underutilized. With 30 years of design experience and in conjunction with the launch of my new Troy’s Design (Click this link forTroysDesign) page on the TroysArt website, this essay is about …continue reading

Whoever coined “the customer is always right” was an idiot

: Furniture & Design, Goods & Services : Written by Troy Broussard : 06-12-2016

Done as a principal with Edward J. Perrault Design Associates, a bedroom in Pebble Beach, CA, featuring custom designed furniture with an antique Japanese screen.

It was the one year anniversary of Mother’s death and it was a quiet day at work (as explained in previous posts I do design work for a major American furniture company which also entails assisting any Tom, Dong, or Jugdish who wanders in off the street). Most of the design staff sat around the office that day wondering if the doors were unlocked. And I was grateful to make it through the day with calm and grace. It was also the night of the week that I am key holder charged with locking up. And evenings mid-week are rarely eventful. …continue reading

Remember that time I was on TV? The Big Switch

: Entertainment, Furniture & Design, Lifestyle, TroysArt : Written by Troy Broussard : 11-22-2015

Troy Broussard of The Big Switch, cover of OutSmart Magazine, November 2002.

Does anyone remember that time I was on TV? The Big Switch was a home design challenge sponsored by Houston PBS KUHT, Houston Chronicle, OutSmart Magazine, and Bassett Furniture. Emmy award winning Ernie Manouse hosted the two day challenge in which designers Jennifer Lowe and myself transformed the interiors of neighboring Habitat for Humanity homes. Not only did we have two days but we had a budget of $1,500, part of which we had to use at least one piece of Bassett furniture. The Big Switch was the most watched original program in the 2002 Houston PBS broadcast season. Incidentally, …continue reading

The art of the Trumeau Mirror

: Antiques, Furniture & Design, TroysArt : Written by Troy Broussard : 05-07-2015

Louis XVI style Trumeau Mirror, French c. 1850, 45 x 64”, $6,388, from Carl Moore Antiques.

You’ve probably seen one in the movies, in a museum, or in someone’s home but didn’t know the proper term. During the reigns of Louis XV and Louis XVI, large mirrors mounted within the paneling over a mantel or between windows would often have a painting incorporated above. This is what is referred to as a Trumeau Mirror. Trumeau is an architectural term designating space between vertical elements in an interior such as space between doors, windows, or pilasters. And in the century prior to the French Revolution it was much in vogue to fill the space with mirror in …continue reading