Dallas Blog | Material Girls | Dallas Interior Design

Sexy, sultry, soft…   . It’s Fabulous with a capital F…… it’s FUR!

Fur has long been a part of our homes.  Weather it’s part of our apparel, or a rug, or a throw blanket, a little bit of fur will go a long way.  Take a look at these great pictures.  Just one simple piece can make all the difference.

Jan Showers

 

West Elm- Mongolian Lamb Pillow Covers

In full vogue, West Elm’s Mongolian Lamb pillow covers definitely make a statement.  They’re fun and casual, yet are glamorous and chic at the same time.

Horchow Adrienne Landau Fur Pillows and Throw

Sally Wheat’s home featured in Cote de Texas’ “Stalking the Wheats- Part III”

Restoration Hardware- Faux Fur Throw

I just love my Restoration Hardware faux fur throw.   Sinking into its luxurious folds is the best way to spend a cold dark evening next to the fireplace with a good book and a glass of wine.

Target- Home Fur Toss Pillow

Check out these awesome fur toss pillows from Target!  Totally trendy, and affordable for any budget!

Lately, I’ve been decorating a lot of clients’ stairways in funky, eclectic patterns that will make the entryways of their homes pop! If you want to snaz up your stairs and create a bold look, a runner in any pattern can do the job.

I prefer to use a natural material (like sisal) when the client wants something textural, muted, inexpensive and versatile for the future.  Alternatively, if the client wants something with a unique pattern, durability, softness, and doesn’t mind spending more, a long lasting wool is nice.

Looking for a runner yourself? Take a look at these options- hopefully they will help you decide what look is best for your home!

Geometrics-

You can never go wrong with a bold geometric print.  Using a geometric for your stair runner is most desirable in neutrals (black and white, etc) because a bright color paired with a bold pattern, might be a leetle too crazy for something so permanent.

 

Chevron-

This trendy print would look great as a runner but I have yet to find a source for it! Anyone out there know where to find something like this?

Stripes-

Stripes are always classic and never go out of style.  I prefer wide stripes myself, but of course you don’t want to go too wide with your stripes, as your stairs are only so wide.

Animal prints-

Zebra, leopard, cheetah, antelope, you name it.  I LOVE a good animal print as a stair runner..and by good, I mean “not a nylon”.  Recently I went looking for an animal print stair runner and the nylons looked really cheesy to me, but the wool versions were heavenly! Jan Showers always makes the animal printed stair runner look super classy.

Natural

I adore a good natural runner…more specifically, Stark’s diamond sisal.

If you don’t want the pattern (or want something less pricey), a regular sisal will work just fine too (with or without the thick binding on the edges)

Solid with Banding

I love this clean, graphic look.  This is a great look for someone who wants to avoid getting too trendy.  Also, the darker background will wear really well for high traffic areas.

Washable/Uber Durable

Dash and Albert makes super durable rugs that can be made into runners.  They even have a diamond pattern that resembles the diamond sisal.

Just Plain Funky

Peacock! Enough said.

“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!

Spring has sprung! Besides getting ready for the beautiful weather, we’ve been busy asking our favorite Dallas showrooms about the top fabric trends for spring. This is what they said is big for 2012:

1. Ethnic/ Tribal Prints
Spring is a time to be playful, and these fun designs have been almost impossible to keep in stock.

 

2. Children’s Rooms
Grownups shouldn’t have all the fun- infants through teens are all enjoying the new designs this spring, especially the new line from Lulu DK that has been flying out of the Schumacher showroom.

 

3. Outdoor
Not too surprising is the popularity of outdoor fabrics.  Although we love spending time in our homes, there’s nothing like sprucing up a patio or porch for the upcoming warm weather!

 

 

4. Orange and Blue
Every season has its perfect palette, and this year, showrooms have noticed the popularity of bright orange and blue hues. Seen in almost every popular line from Modern Colors to Alexa Hampton, these colors are everywhere!

 

5. Colored Leather
One unexpected trend is the popularity of colored leather. Used for all types of spaces from bedrooms to offices to living rooms, this fabric is a fun little surprise, especially in bold colors.

 

Bonus: The anticipated trend for 2013? Kelly Green, and lots of it!

We’ve always been charmed by the beautiful, hand-painted Chinoiserie, Japanese, and Korean wallpaper created by de Gournay but, as impressive as these designs are, don’t think of this NYC company as a one trick pony.

In addition to admiring their knobbly slub silk, hand woven silk damask, Indian tea paper, and striking metallic wallpapers, we’ve recently been intrigued by de Gournay’s extensive fabric collection.

The talent behind these romantic designs can paint any of their looks onto fabrics of different qualities and weights. Upholstery, bedspreads, curtains, blinds- whatever your need- the designers at de Gournay will help you complete your room in the best possible taste. Even porcelain can be used as a canvas to create the harmonious interior of your dreams!

Take a look at just a sample of their hand-painted work!

For those of you in NYC, look out for the re-opening of their showroom on 59^th and 2^nd avenue in the design district before the summer months!

Every now and then two powerful and talented forces come together in collaboration and make us wonder- why didn’t this happen sooner?

Combining FABRICUT’s  dependable name in residential fabrics with the luxurious visions of Southern-born Charlotte Moss, couldn’t be more brilliant.

Charlotte Moss’ philosophy to “live passionately, decorate luxuriously and entertain beautifully” shines through in her recent partnership, resulting in some beautiful designs. Check them out!

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 year has been a pretty fast-paced one for EJ Interiors- we moved into a new office, added some fresh faces to the team and have worked our tails off!  It’s hard to believe that it’s already December and 2011 is coming to a close.  We’ve been really lucky to have worked on a lot of exciting projects this year (and have been having so much fun with our clients in the process) that we thought we’d give you a sneak peek at what EJ Interiors has been up to for the past eleven months or so…

Living Room

Dining Room

Breakfast Room and Kitchen

Office

Dining Room

Kid’s Room

Family Room

Wine Room

Living Room

Guest Bedroom

Family Room

Family Room

Living Room

Office

Game Room

Living Room

Master Bathroom

Piano Room

Dining Room

Guest Bedroom

Master Bedroom

Our Material Girl dreams are coming true… Schumacher has announced that they are collaborating with THE Mary McDonald to create a fabric collection for 2013!! It is such a shame that we have to wait so long, but we thought it would be fun to predict what her amazing line will look like!

For those who don’t know, Mary McDonald is an acclaimed interior designer based out of L.A. and was recently on Bravo’s Million Dollar Decorators. Her signature style is timeless, elegant, and modern all in one! There will definitely be some greek key, bold colors, black & white, luxurious silks and velvets, and funky animal prints in her line (at least we hope so!!)

There’s a little greek key in almost all of her designs. As you all know, we can never have enough greek key! She uses a lot of bolster pillows with greek key tape trim on the ends.

More Greek key pillows!

Gorgeous navy and pink room. Did you spot the Greek key bolster?

Her line is sure to have some bold geometric prints- possibly in black and white? She is the master of black and white color schemes with bright pops of color!

She uses black and white chevron patterns a lot too! See the rug above and the amazing floor below-

This is a room Mary designed on Million Dollar Decorators. I am so obsessed with that floor.

Another great example of Mary’s layered black and white patterns.

She’s not afraid to throw in a little animal print here and there, and we hope she includes some in her line!

She really loves that zebra, and we do too!

Leopard wallpaper, so fab! Just wait until you see the whole room…

Wow, lots of leopard!

She includes stripes in a lot of her designs, so there are sure to be some in her Schumacher line. (And I do believe I see Schumacher wallpaper in the background!) I would just love for her to create a wallpaper line as well.

This room is girly in pink with chinoiserie accents. She frequently travels to Europe and the Far East, so we’re guessing that her line will contain ethnic prints and global influences.

We like to think that we’ve got her all figured out, but Mary McDonald is full of surprises.  All we know is that her line is sure to be ahhh-mazing! I guess we will just have to wait and see in 2013!

We are so excited to announce that the winner of the Peacock Alley Soprano sheets giveaway is Ashley from Midland, Texas! Congratulations!

She is a girl after our own hearts…she graduated from OU with a degree in Interior Design! She is also a new mom of a two week old baby girl, so these luxurious sheets will provide a great getaway to sneak in some Z’s!

Ashley was also kind enough to provide us with some info on her favorite design material: fabric! This girl really knew what she was talking about!

“I love fabric because you can really make a space special with it. It’s easy to toss in a few new pillows or a throw on your couch, or change out your curtains with the season to make your space seem fresh. I love mixing graphic prints with stripes and solids with interesting textures.” – We couldn’t agree more!

She also told us that her major inspiration when it comes to fabric is Sarah Richardson. “I love that she doesn’t just use bolts of fabric in obvious ways, but can sew interesting tea towels into accent pillows or frame an interesting print fabric as artwork.” We love her work too!

Thanks so much for sharing Ashley, and congratulations again! We hope these sheets provide you with some much needed R&R! Also, thank you to all of the MG readers who participated.  Be on the lookout for the next MG giveaway coming soon!