Dallas Blog | Material Girls | Dallas Interior Design

Starts with Jackie von Tobel!  Our blogging buddy over at Jackie Blue Home is going to be debuting her new line of fabrics and pillows at Postcards Home, next week during the Las Vegas market.  Congrats Jackie!

Get all the deets here…

This week, the Dallas Total Home and Gift Market is taking place at the Dallas Market Center; however, this year is a little different from past markets, as the DMC has launched a new part of the show, the Dallas Hospitality & Contract Design Show.

This event will take place from June 24-27 and will showcase thousands of product lines and exhibits, as well as provide educational opportunities (think seminars, tours, and forecasts!) for those in the hospitality and contract industry.

I’ll be up at the DMC tomorrow getting an early start to Market..come join in on the fun!

The five finalists for the Wisk Laundry Room Makeover Contest are in and there’s only a week left to vote!

Click HERE to view the videos of the finalists and vote for your favorite!

Winner receives a laundry room makeover designed by Material Girls and a new HE washer/dryer set from Whirlpool!

Will the winner be Constance…

Kerry…

Julie…

Fayeruz…

or Kristen?

Just by voting, you are automatically entered into a drawing to receive a year’s supply of Wisk laundry detergent!

Voting ends Monday, April 19th at 12:00 pm EST.  (only one vote per person/email address please!)

Today is the first official day of the Wisk Laundry Detergent “Pimp My Laundry Room” video contest!  We are SO excited to announce that Material Girls is teaming up with Whirlpool’s DreamLaundry Solutions team and Wisk Laundry Detergent to help bring one lucky winner a laundry room makeover.

All you have to do is submit a video of your makeover plea between March 1 and March 29, 2010 and you could be the recipient of a laundry room makeover as well as a new Whirlpool High Efficiency (HE) washer and dryer set, a year’s supply of Wisk HE laundry detergent, and (drumroll please)…you’ll also be featured in a makeover segment on Designing Spaces, which will air this summer!

So how are we going to take your laundry room from drab to fab?  Well, let’s start here.

I’ve spent some time designing three distinct laundry room schemes that reflect three different laundry room personalities.  Which one are you?

1) Type A All The Way-

2) Constantly Connected-

3) Livin’ Large Lounge-

Decisions decisions!

Here’s a lil explanation to help you figure out what laundry personality you are-

• Type A All The Way- When you think High Efficiency, it’s not just HE washers and detergents that come to mind. High Efficiency for you means uber (but still stylish) organization.  From drying racks to cabinets galore, this concept will ensure your laundry room keeps everything, including your sanity, in check.
• Constantly Connected- Admit it – you love to update your Facebook status. And Tweet. And catch your favorite shows on-the-go.  Technology is a part of your life and you don’t have to check it at the laundry room door.  This concept is all about keeping you connected – from the flat screen TV to the charger station.
• Livin’ Large Lounge- You like to have a good time while you get things done and doing your laundry is no exception.  So, go ahead and have fun – blast some tunes while you load and sit back as you fold.  This laundry room is sure to set your pulse – and your spin cycle — racing.

So once your laundry personality is in check, all you have to do is enter!

To enter, submit a creative video of your makeover plea between March 1 and March 29, 2010 at Wisk’s website.  In your video, please tell us which of my chosen laundry room looks (above) fit your laundry personality and why you deserve a laundry room makeover.  (videos should be under three minutes and not exceed 100MB- see official rules here).

A panel of judges (Wisk scientists, myself, members of the Whirlpool DreamLaundry Solutions team, and the Designing Spaces cast) will choose the finalists between April 12 and April 19.  Then the grand prize winner will be chosen by popular vote!  (all voters will be entered into a drawing to win a year’s supply of Wisk HE laundry detergent.)

The contest is all about inspiring laundry room owners to re-think their laundry room routine and also educating consumers about High Efficiency washing machines and how you must only use HE Detergent for your HE machine.  (You can visit Wisk’s Laundry Line blog for more tips from me on how to update your laundry room.)

I’m eagerly awaiting your videos! Good luck!

I just got back from seeing Avatar (I’m a little behind on my movies as you can tell!) and was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it.  It’s nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars this year and it should be really interesting to see if James Cameron takes home the statue for this one!

{Neytiri- whom my boyfriend had a crush on throughout the entire movie- probably because she was only wearing a few necklaces and a small piece of cloth}

The Oscars is like my Superbowl.  I prepare a big thing of queso, drink a cold Bud Light and get ready to scream my head off when my favorite picture wins.  I try not to miss a second of it- from the initial red carpet segment to the closing credits.

How does this relate to interior design you might ask?  Well, there is a little private room at the Kodak Theater, where the Academy Awards are held, that goes by the name of the Greenroom.  Each year, this legendary room is designed by an interior designer chosen by magazine great, Architectural Digest.  This year, it was created by Roger Thomas and has a 1930’s Old Hollywood feel to it.  It was designed around shades of black and white, with touches of platinum, blonde, and silver added in for a glitzy effect.  Roche Bobois, Amadi Carpets, Sunbrella, and Restoration Hardware are just a few of the vendors whose pieces are shown in the room.

At 1,029 square feet, this hidden gem is where the Oscar hosts and nominees reside during the awards ceremony.  Unfortunately, only people like Meryl Streep and George Clooney will be allowed back  here, but we do have an all-access pass for you…to see the rendering!

Isn’t it lovely?  These are always so much fun to get a peek at!  I love the layering of flooring, crisp white furniture, mirrored walls, and colorful screens.

Only a week left until we find out the official winners of the 2010 Oscars! I cannot wait.  Who is your vote for Best Picture this year?

Check out this Furnish & Feed event at Nest, Dallas going on now through February 27th benefiting the North Texas Food Bank.

Voting has officially begun for the Bloomingdale’s Big Window Challenge!

These three room vignettes (currently on display in Bloomingdale’s windows) were each designed individually by Bloomingdale’s, Apartment Therapy, and Elle Decor.  They were required to use Bloomingdale’s furniture and accessories (including a three-drawer chest from Bloomingdale’s new Hudson Park Loft collection).  After they were done furnishing with Bloomingdale’s items, they were allowed to bring in some of their own favorite antiques and collectibles to add the finishing touches to the room.

You have from now until January 28th (at midnight EST) to cast your vote online HERE or you can vote by texting this number- 89800 and entering the number for your favorite window.

1- ELLE DECOR

2- Apartment Therapy

3- Bloomingdale’s

We just sent our vote off!  Here is the current tally-

Who will win?

Will it be Eileen Joyce for Bloomingdales?

Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan for Apartment Therapy?

Or Eddie Ross for Elle Decor?

We shall soon see!  If you live in NYC, you can stop by Bloomingdale’s at their 59th Street location and see these fabulous window displays in person.

Last night I had the great pleasure of attending the 21st ARTS Awards here in Dallas at the Dallas Market Center.  These awards recognize the best in the decorative accessories industry and are organized by Dallas Market Center and the Accessories Resource Team (ART).

It was especially exciting for me to attend because I was one of the judges for this year’s competition and for the last two months, have been anticipating finding out the winner for each category.  See Finalist List here.

In November, the intensive two-day judging process took place at the DMC in Dallas where myself along with David Cadwallader, Dixon Bartlett, Lynn Brandon, and Mark McMenamin reviewed countless products and upwards of eighty binders!

I had always heard how the Grand Pavilion at the Trade Mart gets completely transformed for the night of the awards gala, and it certainly proved to be true!  I barely recognized the usually brightly lit, wide open, four-story, showroom-inhabited trade mart.

Drapes from floor to ceiling were dropped over the showroom facades, large screens with colorful geometric prints inhabited the stage, and even a human peacock paraded through the audience at the start of the show!

They really do go all out for this event and it was certainly a sight to see!

A few of this year’s winners-

Home Accent Store- Grace Home Furnishings- Los Angeles, CA

International Retailer- Ma Maison, Mexico City, Mexico

Product Designer- Jason Phillips, The Phillips Collection

Manufacturer (Accent Furniture)- PALECEK

Area Rugs- Loloi Rugs

Decorative Accessories- Global Views

Home Textiles- Blissliving Home

Lighting Fixtures- Visual Comfort

Portable Lamps- Barbara Cosgrove Lamps

Tabletop- Beatriz Ball Collection

Wall Decor- Paragon

Academy of Achievement- Don McEvoy Ltd.

Congrats to this year’s winners!

(official list to come soon)

This is the madness that is also known as the Dallas Arteriors Warehouse Sale…

I’ve been counting down to the sale ever since I received the invitation a few weeks ago.  I had a chance to visit the sale on Monday before it officially opens to the public this Friday (AKA before everything is gone!)

I was really overwhelmed by the amount of inventory that was marked down!  It took a while to comb through everything.

Don’t tell my sister, but the lamps I bought her a few months ago are now on sale for $49!!  She would die!

Need a lamp shade to go with?  No worries because the Arteriors sale has them for only $10 bucks!

I was THIS close to buying myself a new coffee table or accent table.  My old glass top/black iron one is on its last life (and I can’t say that I’m too sad about that); however, I decided to wait and come back this weekend to see if prices were marked down even further (and if they are, then it must be fate!)

More and more accent tables-

Arteriors infamous folding screens! (the gold one being the inspiration for our MG Houston illustration)

I loved these modern “director’s chairs” but I’d want to recover them in a bolder print.  I think the light blue/gold fabric fades away too much and doesn’t make enough of a statement.

It’s baaaack! Remember when Lauren bought this table at the Room Service Outlet back in June ‘08? Who are we kidding, you probably don’t- only our parents were reading the blog back then.  Well, she got this table at a discount because it was missing the bottom piece.  Here it is at the warehouse sale in perfect condition- someone needs to snatch it up!

A large selection of dinnerware and decorative plates-

So many great lamps- all categorized by finish and color!  I didn’t even know where to begin to look…

Their accessory selection was nuts!  This isn’t even the half of it!

Mirrors galore!  They had this small, beautiful convex mirror (I have always wanted one) but alas, have nowhere to put it.  Someone needs to come snatch that up too!

SALE- 1/15-1/17

8 am-5pm

4430 Simonton Road

Dallas, TX 75244

Need some last minute gifts from a group of talented artists? Then visit Third Space (next door to Neimans) on Main Street in Dallas.

For one week only, nine local artists will be displaying their work priced to sell as a special holiday treat.

So go take a gander- you may end up finding the piece of your dreams!