Dallas Blog | Material Girls | Dallas Interior Design

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!

I was so excited when I received this email from Wisteria! It is finally time for their Warehouse Sale this Thursday, Sept. 22nd through Saturday Sept. 24th! (I will be there tomorrow with bells on!)

Their warehouse is located just outside of Dallas in Farmers Branch (see map HERE). I highly recommend heading out there sometime this weekend for some great deals on fab furniture, home accessories, jewelry and more!

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 two W’s have been taking over my life lately (Work and Wedding planning).  I have been having a hard time finding time and energy to do anything else these days (including cleaning my house and blogging!), as there always seems to be another decision to make or another email to send out.  Whoever said there weren’t enough hours in the day, definitely knows what he/she is talking about!

The two W’s are constantly on my mind.  I go to bed at night dreaming of marble slabs and fluttering peonies and wake up with a to-do list as long as Veruca Salt’s Christmas list.

It’s funny how many similarities there have been between planning a wedding and planning out a client’s project.  Both require lots of attention to detail and decision-making. Color, texture, materials, furniture, accessories, and a deadline (!) have all come into play mimicking a lot of my own projects for EJ Interiors.

If I could sum up my dream wedding design in one virtual color board, it would go something like this….

We’ve gathered all our “junk” (and unique finds) for a one of a kind garage sale in Dallas TOMORROW!

Sam Sano of style/SWOON, Kristen Dowd of Gypsy Soul Interiors, Megan Masoner of ReFINEstyle, and myself have put in our stuff and are ready to sell!

Sale will be tomorrow, May 21st, starting at 8 am, for you early birds!

Here’s a preview-

Address-

7406 Hillwood Lane

Dallas, TX 75248

See you there!

Last weekend was the bi-annual Roundtop Antiques Fair, in Roundtop, Texas.  You might remember my trip out to Roundtop last September, which I blogged about here.

Anyone who has been to Texas in September, knows how unbearably hot it can be, so after my last trip down there in the Fall, I promised myself that I would go back for better weather (85 to 90 degrees) the next March.

Well, the weather cooled off and March 2011  rolled around.  I couldn’t wait for my adventure to Roundtop to begin!  I had my room measurements and fabric swatches ready to go; however, there was just one small detail that had to be ironed out before the show- I had to bribe my sister into going with me!  Now let me just tell you about my sister, Catherine. She has always had an amazing eye for fashion, but has never really been much into interior design (which is the complete opposite of me).  I could care less about saving up for the “it” bag or switching out my winter wardrobe for new Spring clothes.  I instead, look forward to the new “it” fabric and switching out my pillows for Spring.

I never thought in a million years that Cath would come to Roundtop with me, so was extremely surprised when she said “I will come with you, if you promise a beer, a bathroom, and some unhealthy food”.   Substitute bathroom for “porta-potty” and she had herself a deal!

{No trip to Roundtop is complete without a visit to Royers! Above, picture of Bud Royer}

When we got to Roundtop, I told her my list of things that I was trying to score on this trip.  Here is how the conversation went-

E- “I am looking for an animal head for my wall”

C- “A what?”

E- “An animal head!  Don’t be silly, I don’t want one with a face!  Just one that’s cast in resin.”

C- “Who would want that?”

E-  <Sigh> “People like me.  I also want a bust.”

C- “Excuse me?”

E- “You know, a bust.  But only a woman bust, not a man bust, or Ben might get creeped out.”

C- (shakes her head in confusion)

So thus began our trip to Roundtop!

It dawned on me that the things I constantly see in magazines, on blogs, and in showrooms (things that most of us bloggers/designers are already tired of), were all new concepts to a design newbie like Cath.  I decided to make it my mission to get Cath out of her retail, mass produced, interior design bubble and show her the things that (whether you hate ‘em or love ‘em) people are putting in their houses….

#1- Ginormous Foo Dog- Ok, I can’t say that this would be the first thing I’d choose to put on my doorstep to greet visitors, but it was fun to see the look on her face when she saw this enormous red Chinese guardian lion.

#2- Elegant Bust (pearls included?)- Cath had to get a pic with her new lady friend….

#3- Oversized Crown- Cath admired a crown accessory fit for the Jolly Queen Giant (he he)

#4- Animal Head- I think this was the thing that shocked her the most (and she is still skeptical to this day…)   I promised her that she will think it’s normal once it reaches Pottery Barn next summer.

#5- Cowhide- Cath got “Cowhide 101″ and literally had to “pet” the rug

#6- Suzani- Cath enjoyed taking her time checking out this Suzani (I got excited thinking that she and the suzani might have connected, but I think it more had to do with the fact that this was the only booth with A/C)

#7- Clam Shell- If there was a cartoon bubble above her head, Cath would be thinking “You don’t see these mammoth clam shells lying on the beach every day in Cabo…”

#8- Mystery Glass- Here Cath is, weighing in on the mystery glass (literally).  I actually bought one of these for myself to put on my entry chest and am so in love with it.   Granted it’s not Kryptonite like the booth owners originally told us, but it comes in close, as colored glass from a glass plant overseas.

#9- Nude Figure Drawing- Another piece Cath had a hard time understanding.  I think at this point, she’s not liking this blog post game anymore and is begging for me to stop thumbing through original art sketches brought over by an adorable French couple at this booth here.

Now she’s thinking…”We’re finally done!  Take me somewhere in Roundtop that I really want to see.”  So off we went to the worlds’ smallest Catholic church!

{Thanks for coming with me Cath and for being a great shopping buddy! I’m putting you down for next year’s tour.. }

And make way for Ty Pennington and the Great Big Texas Home Show!

The home show starts tomorrow, March 11th and goes through Sunday, March 13th at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX.   Anyone who has visited Cowboys Stadium before, knows what a huge monstrosity it is, so you can just imagine how many great things there will be to see in all that space.

Some of the highlights include-

-Gorgeous gardens by Texas Nursery and Landscape Association

-Tours of an “Idea Home” by Sandlin Custom Homes

-A room contest in which local designers have teamed up with celebrities (with proceeds going to The Salvation Army)

-Celeb presentations on the main stage

-Tours of Starpower’s Ultimate Man Cave

-Also….everyone’s favorite TV personality, Ty Pennington, will be at the show all day Saturday (his only scheduled home show appearance this year).

For more info, click here!

Ohhhh January market…what could be better than you?  The thought of strolling through eleven floors of showrooms (that normally aren’t open on the weekend), seeing the latest and greatest in design, while munching on food so good, you’d think you were at the Texas State Fair, gives me goosebumps (in a good way).

While at market, you really do lose all sense of time and reality.  Those three hours that you originally had to spare, have suddenly vanished, and you can’t remember the last real meal that you had, before your body was taken over by delectable ice cream bars, greasy popcorn, cotton candy and sliced salami.  The overwhelming feeling of excitement upon seeing beautiful new products is almost too much to handle.  But not to worry, you know that a glass of wine from Global Views or a warm cookie from Two’s Company will numb the pain of not being able to take home every fabulous piece that you lay eyes on.  Each new showroom that you stumble upon brings the promise of finding another “wow” piece for a project and ends up catapulting a plethora of exciting ideas.  (am I giving you goosebumps yet?)

Showrooms start preparing for the Dallas market months in advance….and who can blame them?  It takes a lot of time and effort to get ready for a seven day visit by thousands of buyers and exhibitors from all over the country!

So needless to say, what started as a normal Saturday for me last weekend, where I was “just going to run up to the trade center to select a finish for a client”, soon turned into a shopping extravaganza with my mom, as market was just too tempting to pass up!

Here are some of our favorite stops along the way-

CURREY & CO-

Currey and Company is one of the most sought after lighting companies by designers. I tend to use them A LOT in my projects (as their lead time, product design, and customer service seriously can’t be beat!) There is honestly something for everyone at Currey (whether you lean more traditional or contemporary) and I do have to say that the showroom manager there is awesome (hi Lori!)

I purchased this chandelier for a client having never seen it before in person (only through their website), and just like we had hoped, it’s even more unbelievable in person!

TAYLORS ON TEN-

Right next door to Currey is Taylors on Ten, the showroom that sells the infamous Visual Comfort lighting line (among other great lines such as Phillips Collection, Soicher Marin, Emissary and Bliss Studio).  One of the newest additions to the Taylors showroom is the Ralph Lauren lighting line, which debuted there at market.

GLOBAL VIEWS-

I have a serious addiction to Global Views.  As we walked through all of their amazing vignettes, I proceeded to tell my mom which pieces I’ve used..and how…and where in my projects.  Gotta love mom for still appearing interested after ten minutes of this mind-numbing history of my projects.  As I told her how many pieces I’ve used of theirs in the past year, it dawned on me that I, Emily Johnston, am obsessed with Global Views.

Global Views always has the best presentation at market.  Whoever comes in and does their visual merchandising, has got it down to a science!

TWO’S COMPANY-

I love this showroom, and not just because of their warm cookies!  Two’s Company has some of the better (and more affordable) accessories out there.  They are really on top of their game here with the latest trends and providing designers with stylish furniture and accessories that will really make a statement.

I really want this oversized wall bracket (on the right!) Now to figure out where to put it…

IN DETAIL:

In Detail has everything from Arteriors, to Lazy Susan, to Best Slipcover Co, to Go Home, Ltd. I always have good luck here!

Arteriors’ latest designer to come on board is Dallas’ own, Lisa Luby Ryan.  I hadn’t seen her Arteriors pieces in person before Saturday, and I must say that they are very impressive!

And congrats to Arteriors for their mention (and visit) from the Kardashian sisters on the premier of Kourtney and Kim Take New York.  (I hope I wasn’t the  only one watching that show Sunday night!) Click HERE to see what they used from Arteriors in their DASH New York store.

CYAN DESIGN-

I really want a pair of these mercury glass lamps for my bedroom. Enough said!

BELLA NOTTE:

It’s always exciting to see what new linens and colourways the folks over at Bella Notte are coming up with.  I am in LOVE with this gray-purple and icy blue bedding that they had on display.  If this entire set could somehow transport itself into my bedroom, that would be great!

On Saturday, everyone was rushing around getting ready for the big ARTS Awards gala, that was that night.  I went to it last year and it’s amazing how they transform the trade mart into this spectacular event.

Of course, we can’t forget to show you the list of the night’s big winners…click here for the deets!  A big congrats to some of our favorites who took home an award this year- The Phillips Collection (Manufacturers category), Arteriors Home (Portable Lamps category), and 18 Karat (Decorative Accessories category).

Serena and Lily’s Bazaar is now officially open!  Featuring one-of-a-kind goodies from around the world, this unique display of furniture, art, textiles and accessories closes in just six days (Thursday, 1/27).  I already went looking for art on there and a bunch of it is sold already!

Here are some pics of what’s still available for the taking-

{Bamileke Stool}

{House with Purple Sky}

{Kuba Pillow #1}

{Upholstered Foot Stool}

{Austrian Schnapps- Gift Set}