Dallas Blog | Material Girls | Dallas Interior Design

“Why put off buying today, what you can sell tomorrow?” (is my new personal slogan).  It’s a revolving door over here at casa de Larkin.  It’s not uncommon for me to buy something and then the next week it shows up on Craig’s List.  I just can’t stop myself- I have furniture and accessory A.D.D.  I will buy something vintage and then get sick of it before I even have an opportunity to recover it.  With the new house, the addiction has only gotten worse.   I’m constantly lurking on Craig’s List, Ebay, estate sales, thrift stores, vintage shops, 1st Monday at the WTC, warehouse and sample sales for that unique find.  It’s gotten so bad that I just realized my whole house is filled with faux bamboo and I’m starting to look like the crazy “bamboo” lady. If you are interested in taking any of these off my hands, please email for pricing, availability and condition (I may have more photos too)!  (I’ll also post them on a link on the Dallas page)

 {Abstract giclee art from Dallas design district.  Framed in brushed nickel frame. 49.5″W x 73″H}

 

 {PAIR of vintage  butterfly back chairs- approximately 30″w x 25″d}

 

{Vintage white faux bamboo dresser with gold hardware- 54″w x 20″d}

{Abstract giclee art from Dallas design district- framed in black frame- 31.5″ square}

{Global Views faux malachite magazine holder from Dallas design district- never been used- 20″L x 14″W x 20″H)

{Pair of 24″ square pillows with Duralee artichoke print- green and gray; One rectangular gray/white greek key pillow in Duralee fabric}

{Vintage desk/vanity chair- needs to be re upholstered and legs re painted}

{Amazing octagonal mirror upholstered in light creamy taupe fabric with gold nailheads- 42″ x 42″.  Antiquing on mirror}

Close up below-

{Global Views drum shades- set of TWO white shades with gray trim- will sell separately- 25″dia x 12″h}

Can easily make them into gorgeous chandeliers! (this is what it looks like made into a light fixture)

{Gorgeous beveled Horchow mirror- fell off my wall so has two cracks on front and one on each side- but should be repairable.  Selling it for super cheap!- 32″w x 47″h}

{Pair of mercury glass lamps with white shade- 15x10L- shade size x 24″H}

{Wood pedestal table-  22″dia x 26.5″ h}

{Highland Court/Duralee fabric- blue and white ikat- 1.5 yards}

{Curvy/glossy black vase- 12″w x 14″h}

{White armoire with acrylic Anthropologie hardware- probably needs to be re-painted- 82″h x 41″w x 23″d}

{Dark wood floor length mirror- 18″d x 26″w x 70″h}

{Set of three tall jewel tone vases- will sell separately- Green- 19″h; teal- 22″h}

{Fairly new CB2 Acrylic Counter Stool- 16″L x 16″W x 33.5″H- Seat height- 23″H}

{Craft desk- dark espresso- very similar to the craft desk they sell at Pottery Barn- 48″L x 30″W x 36.5″H; Accomodates one counter stool}

{Small sunburst mirror- 14″dia}

{5 yards of Pindler and Pindler gray-blue linen fabric- from the Dallas design district- 54″ wide- still in its original packaging!}

{Global Views- turquoise oblong shaped bowl- 24.5″L x 7.5″W x 8″H}

{Vintage plates from Roundtop- a PAIR}

Also selling- two Pottery Barn natural rugs.  One is a 5×8 seagrass rug with neutral border and the other one is a 5×8 sisal rug with a black border, black iron patio dining set, tv stand, TV, white outdoor rocking chairs, wood table desk and more fabrics!

There’s a lot more where this came from…email if you need something specific. You never know, it may be collecting dust in my garage!

Although we’re always on the lookout for fun, creative showrooms, it’s sometimes hard to find one whose character truly stand out from the rest. But West Palm Beach, Florida-based resale shop Circa Who has done just that with its wild selection of colors, fun trimmings, and collection of whimsical pieces from artichoke lamps to dolphin candlesticks.

Circa Who manages to fulfill your wildest design fantasy, while not going tacky-overboard, and the store’s owner and buyer Tracy Deramus describes the pieces as “20th Century furnishings meets vintage Palm Beach.” We love the mix of fabrics and colors that the store offers, with more than enough pieces to satisfy even the most avid of bamboo-lovers.

Here are a few of our favorites…

Orange ‘X’ Benches

 

 Pair of Clam Shell Lamps

 

Hollywood Regency Mirror

Cyprus Root Console

Faux Bamboo Chippendale Arm Chairs

Greek Key Headboard

Faux Bamboo Barrel Chairs

Pagoda Mirror

William Haines Cabinet

Artichoke Lamp

We asked store owner Tracy a few questions:

When did Circa Who open, and what inspired you to open your own store?

 The store has been open since 2004. While buying things to put my own house together, I realized there is so much FAB merchandise out there with so much LIFE left. I started buying all the things I loved and hoarding them in my husband’s warehouse and he encouraged me to open up a shop.

What inspires you to find “20th century-meets-West-Palm-Beach” pieces?

  I love the 20th century design, and how it was interpreted through Palm Beach details, especially in the 1970s!

Do you have a favorite room in the house to decorate?

The entrance/ foyer.

Who would you say are your ‘typical’ customers?

DIY decorators.

What is your favorite aspect of owning your won business?

Doing something that I LOVE to do!

Anything else you would like to share with Material Girls readers?

 I always tell my clients that it is the piece I fall in love with, not the color or the fabric. It’s the new life that I leave up to them!

Check out the site for more information on the store and its playful pieces! http://circawho.com/

Although it’s fun to keep up-to-date with the latest and greatest in design trends, it sometimes pays off to look into the past for a little inspiration.

Campaign furniture as we know it has been in use since the traveling armies of Julius Caesar, but is most commonly associated with the British Armed Forces. Why the war-time trend? Because that’s where the ‘campaign’ name comes from.

 

 

Considered to be any type of furniture made to be easily broken down or folded for easy transportation, campaign furniture was initially designed for armies to pack up and carry with them on their marches. Demand for these portable pieces increased in 18th and 19th century England but now you’ll find them all over the globe (including in Dallas, on Craig’s List)!

A few weeks ago I stumbled upon an extremely affordable and chic campaign desk on Craig’s List that just needed a little bit of extra TLC. I had been wanting a piece of campaign furniture for a long time, but hadn’t come across “the one” yet.  Since we are moving into a new office and need another unique desk (I’m not one to buy office furniture from IKEA), I snatched this up from sweet Bonnie and immediately started searching for painted campaign inspiration.

{Desk looks very similar to this one here}

While the most common item of campaign furniture is actually not the desk but the traditional chest of drawers (also referred to as a military chest or campaign chest). These campaign cuties come in so many different shapes and sizes, the options are endless. Campaign furniture is most often made of mahogany or teak, and can be easy to distinguish because of their recognizable folding places, but others only have their standard brass corners and strap work (originally used for travel protection).

We love their worldly feel, and even though you may not be packing up your entire set of drawers for your next road trip, these pictures of inspiration show that you can still have lots of fun with them.

This kelly green painted campaign dresser quickly became an internet sensation-

 

Are these nightstands brown or black? I can’t tell…either way, I’m in love!

 

This deep blue color is stunning!

 

Other kelly green beauties…

 

Classic white paint always looks good and boy does it make the gold hardware pop!

Ok I don’t know if it’s the gold chair with the zebra print or what, but I’m completely obsessed with this set up here-

Va va voom coral!

This turquoise color is nice and fresh! Notice the black top for contrast…

And the best of every world- multi-colored campaign!

There are so many color options out there! Now I ask you dear readers, what color do you think I should paint mine? Leave a comment if you have a favorite bright furniture paint..would love to get your opinions!

Every designer in Dallas has their go-to vintage stores that they frequent for the best deals and hidden treasures. EJ Interiors would like to share one of our personal favorites for finding the best in vintage furniture and accessories – Antiques Moderne! (We are not alone, this is even Barbara Bush’s favorite spot for vintage furniture shopping!) They are a one-stop shop – you can pick your piece and they will refinish, restore, or reupholster for you as well.

John Bacile is the owner of this 20,000 square foot space that is packed full of furniture, art, lighting, and accessories. He has a workshop in the back where they are busy restoring, upholstering and lacquering unique pieces for their wide range of clients. John finds some of the most amazing pieces that you just can’t find anywhere else, and he’s always got the history behind each piece! This guy really knows his furniture.

Take a look at some of the furniture pieces our clients have purchased and the amazing job that Antiques Moderne has done refinishing them -

Wing Chair AFTER!:

We refinished the wood in a glossy white and reupholstered it in a fun gray and white fabric with shiny silver nail heads. Didn’t their team do a great job? Our client just loves it, and we do too!

This credenza stopped me in my tracks when I first saw it. I completely fell in love, and our client did too!

This is it BEFORE:

And here is the AFTER!:

We had John and his team lacquer this piece in a gray-blue color to coordinate with a fabric in the room. It looks absolutely fabulous now!

For the same client, we purchased two wing back chairs that were in need of a little T.L.C.

Here is the BEFORE:

And AFTER!:

We had Antiques Moderne reupholster the pair in a vibrant orange velvet to pop in the navy room. They turned out amazing!

If you live in, or ever visit, Dallas you must stop by Antiques Moderne to see their huge inventory of great vintage furniture. You’re sure to fall in love with something!

Their address is 1208 N. Riverfront Blvd. Tell John we sent you!

This past weekend we participated in the Hope for the Holidays event with Catholic Charities.

Pettigrew Associates in the Dallas Design District was kind enough to host the event at their fabulous new showroom off of Market Center Boulevard.

Back in September, we were asked by Catholic Charities to select a few pieces from their World of Goods store and revamp them using paint, fabric and other materials.  We love a fun vintage “Before and After” and also helping out a good cause, so of course we were more than thrilled to participate!

With the painting expertise of RetroChic Renovations, the upholstery skills of M&M Upholstery, and the mirror knowledge of Alamo Glass, we were able to take these pieces from old and worn to modern and fresh!

BEFORE-

AFTER-

BEFORE-

AFTER-

AFTER-

BEFORE-

AFTER-

(All furniture pieces are available for purchase via Catholic Charities, so email us if you are interested!)

EJ Interiors was also asked to decorate a Christmas tree in the theme of our choice that was to be auctioned off the night of the event. Our “Hollywood Regency Holiday Tree” incorporated a chartreuse and white geometric printed skirt, gold peacock feathers, damask ribbon, and an assortment of funky decorations including- white feathers, gold and silver sunbursts, crystal droplets, solid chartreuse, mercury glass, pearl and mirrored ornaments. We were lucky to find the “tree topper” at West Elm which we had created using silver feather-like fans.

On Friday afternoon, we toured the new Pettigrew showroom, which had lots of amazing abstract art, incredible chandeliers, rock crystal accessories, and luxurious pieces of furniture. I loved their mix of traditional and modern in each vignette.

The best part of all, is that Pettigrew makes their own lighting! We went back to the shop where all the magic happens. They showed us a chandelier from England that they are currently working on for a client in Dallas. The scale of it was pretty amazing. Taylor is standing next to it (so you can really see how humongous this thing was!) Now if only we could see the house that this incredibly tall piece is going in….

Some more of their lighting. Isn’t the piece on the right gorgeous?

If you are a local interior designer and haven’t visited Pettigrew’s new showroom yet, it’s a must! It’s a great trade resource for clients with lots of unique and diverse pieces!

1805 Market Center Boulevard, Dallas, 75207

For the past month, we’ve been hard at work on a vignette for Dwell with Dignity’s new Thrift Studio store which just opened up in the design district here in Dallas.  Five local designers were asked to plan out a room vignette using Dwell’s vintage furniture and accessories from their warehouse, as well as other donations from the design community.  We had so much fun on this project because it was different from any other project we had done before. We really had to stretch our creativity on this one! We had a really short time to complete it in, limited resources, and virtually no budget, but we were definitely up for the challenge!

Taking this lackluster space from this-

{Before}

To this- in just a couple of weeks was a little bit of a stretch for EJ Interiors but somehow we managed to pull it off!

{After- EJ Interiors’ dining room vignette for Dwell with Dignity’s Thrift Studio opening}

Our room centered around bold orange and turquoise. The inspiration? A pair of these adorable chairs that we managed to dig up in Dwell’s warehouse…

The process was so unique that I had to take some photos along the way to document our Dwell journey!

Phase 1- All of the designers meet at Dwell’s warehouse to grab the pieces they want to use for their vignette.  I put everything in my little pile that could be a possibility for the space.  Now the question is- what in the world am I going to do with it all?

Phase 2- There was a lot to do in a little amount of time.  Since most of the things in the warehouse were older items, I knew that re-upholstering and re-painting furniture had to happen..and quick!

I couldn’t believe my luck in finding these four matching chairs in the warehouse…

And  then I was even more shocked to find the perfect turquoise fabrics hidden in a corner…

It was meant to be!

M&M Upholstery donated the upholstery labor and Nicole Horne of Modern Relics donated the painting labor for the chairs…what a fantastic team they made!

Phase 3- Time to get the room painted!  Twenty five Neiman Marcus volunteers came out to help us get our rooms ready and I must say that I couldn’t have done it without them!  They quickly helped my vision come to life and did such a great job painting the walls and trim.

I loved our little team! If any of you are reading this, thank you again so much!

The Thrift Studio starts coming together…

Loved the entrance!

Ok we are making some progress..drapes are almost up!

Phase Four- Completion! Everything is in place for the sneak preview party and so now we just wait for people to shop, shop, shop!

For those of you that weren’t able to make it for the great deals at the preview party last Friday, not to worry because the Thrift Studio pop up shop is open from now until October 29th- Monday through Saturday 10-5:30 pm at 1616 Hi Line Drive in Dallas.

So many great deals to be had and such an amazing way to help out a good cause!

So many volunteers helped make the Dwell with Dignity event such a success.  Thank you again!  Some of the sources below..

{Royal Old Fashioned Tumblers- Wisteria Outlet}

{Mirror- taken off from an old dresser and re purposed for the buffet.  Christian at Think Twice kindly helped us hang the mirror by decorative gold chain}

{Bust- Pettigrew Associates}

{Pedestal- Dwell with Dignity}

{Custom white drapes with turquoise band on leading edge- Stitches by Carmen; wood drapery rods- Williamson Supply}

{Crystal Sconce- Dwell with Dignity}

{Vintage Gucci bag- Dwell with Dignity}

{Painted brackets from Hobby Lobby, vintage New Orleans prints, wall sunbursts, antler horns- EJ Interiors}

{Chandelier- Visual Comfort, Taylors on Ten}

{Wall Color- Benjamin Moore paint}

{Flatware, dishes, wine glasses, decorative bowls- Dwell with Dignity}

{Dining table- Dwell with Dignity- base painted orange}

{Mercury glass vase- EJ Interiors}

{Sticks in vase- found in a pile of bulk trash-no kidding EJ Interiors}

{Chaise lounge- Dwell with Dignity- repainted creamy white}

{Custom 18″ pillow- Trina Turk fabric; chaise upholstery- Childress leopard print fabric- EJ Interiors}

{6×9 Sisal rug- Dwell with Dignity}

Photos by: Fort Worth Real Estate Photography

I’m so excited to share an invite with all of you to the sneak preview of the Thrift Studio pop up shop!

This Friday, September 30th, Lisa Robison and Kim Turner of Dwell with Dignity (as seen on Nate Berkus!) are hosting an event here in Dallas to unveil the vignettes that five Dallas designers (including EJ Interiors) have created! The other designers participating include Abbe Fenimore, Beth Dotolo & Carolina V. Gentry, Sam Reitmayer Sano, and William Baker. I am so honored to be included in such an talented group of designers.  The vignettes seriously look amazing, and the best part is EVERYTHING is for sale and all proceeds go to benefit Dwell with Dignity – an organization dedicated to helping families escape poverty and homelessness through design.

Additionally, there will be donated items from Jan Showers, Peacock Alley, David Cadwallader, David Sutherland, and more, at discounted prices! This is your chance to get some gorgeous furniture and accessories at amazing prices AND help out a great cause!

The Thrift Studio sneak peek event is open to the public Friday, September 30th, from 6-9 p.m. at 1616 Hi Line in the Dallas Design District. Admission is $25 – all proceeds go to benefit Dwell with Dignity.  If you miss the grand opening, not to worry because the pop up shop is open throughout the month of October!

Such a glam invitation, I had to include pictures-

Next week, we’ll unveil the designers’ vignettes on MG and how a little paint, DIY, upholstery and creativity can go a long way with vintage furniture!  These are truly our favorite types of makeovers!

Looking for fabulous home accessories, vintage furniture, clothing, jewelry or even some free goodies this upcoming weekend? Then be sure to stop by the Dallas Flea event taking place at South Side on Lamar here in Dallas on September 24th! It only comes around four times a year, and trust me you do not want to miss it! Here are a few pictures I snagged from their website…

Mary’s Finds is one of my favorite vintage stores here in Dallas, and her booth looks just as great!

Loving the neon!

They have some seriously amazing accessories. I am in love with these large rock crystals and nature-inspired artwork.

Graphic artwork done by local artists, so fun!

This place is huge, and they really do have everything!

Pillows made from recycled bags… green and chic! (And how cute is that little girl?! Loving her whole outfit.)

And finally, a booth after my own heart… Geometric fabric, turquoise accessories, and a glam quatrefoil mirror, love it!

Bring the whole fam and come to the Dallas Flea for new and vintage finds, tasty food, and live music! See you there!!

The other weekend I randomly stumbled upon the most fab vintage shop, called Think Twice, which is located inside Hollywood Floral in Dallas.

The owner of the store is big into collecting so a lot of his inventory are things that he has accumulated over the years.  His furniture obsession was bigger than mine if that’s even possible.

And talk about a small world- when I got there, I realized that I had been to one of the sales that he has had at his own home before, so this wasn’t the first time we’d met!

This store is a hidden gem off highway 30 and Grand Ave and prices are amazing here.  The regency chair below was selling for $30, if I remember correctly! It needs a little TLC, but hey, what vintage chair doesn’t?  I must say, that the best part of buying something used is the PLANNING process!  What fabric, what finish, do I do tufting or nailheads, and will it be skirted or have legs…the world is your oyster with vintage chairs! (especially if the chair is only $30, it leaves room to spend more money on amazing fabrics!)

They had a bunch of great pairs of chairs..

And some good looking singles too-

This tufted deep pink chair is only $95-

This glass top piece used to be a floor lamp…but why not use it as a metallic accent table instead?  (and I have to admit that is what I originally thought it was anyways!)

This channel back chair is in great condition and selling for $125…

Last but not least, I couldn’t leave without showing you one final image! It’s on their Facebook page and is my favorite- a quirky orange bamboo chair and table set that I regret to say has already sold! ($300 for the whole sha-bang) I’m a little jealous as I would have loved this for my patio! (but probably would have switched out the table for a bright white piece to prevent it from looking too orange) Sigh- a girl can dream!

I suspect that there are lots of great things to come for Think Twice!

Be sure to visit them at-

5611 East Grand Avenue

Dallas, TX 75223

The Material Girls would like to introduce you to our newest advertiser, Pomegranate!

The ladies of Pomegranate Accents and Gifts bring you fabulous finds ranging from glam mirrors and funky coffee tables to vintage and antique pieces from all over!

Some of our personal favorites…

{Emerson Beveled Mirror}

{Driftwood Coffee Table}

{Lorella Mirrored Front Cabinet}

{Analiese Chair}

{Leaf Study- Set of 9}

See these and more at their website HERE!