Dallas Blog | Material Girls | Dallas Interior Design

Interested in winning a $10,000 gift card from CB2?  Well now’s your chance!

CB2 has teamed up with photographer Todd Selby for “The Selby is in Your Place” contest.

To enter, all you have to do is this-

-Send in three photos of your most creative space.  The public will vote on it to determine the top fifty contestants.

-These fifty will then proceed to Round Two, which will be judged by Todd Selby and CB2 (judging will be based on originality and creativity)

-Grand Prize Winner gets….$10,000 in CB2 merchandise and a private photo shoot with Todd Selby! The shoot will be featured on his blog.

To get started as a contestant, enter HERE and also be sure to place your VOTE for your favorite room!

Contest ends September 15th at 11:59 PM CST.

GOOD LUCK!

“Visit William Sonoma Home” has been an item on my to-do list for some time now.  The home furnishings retail company opened up a Plano location a few years ago and I have been meaning to make the trek up north to check it out ever since its grand opening.

It’s funny how quickly time passes and up until last Friday at 12 pm, I hadn’t stepped foot in their door.  I was at one of my client’s houses (who lives in Plano) and she suggested that we go up to WSH to take a look at a chandelier that she had been eyeing.  I never realized how close she lived to the store (otherwise, I probably would have dropped by sooner!) but it was nice to take a quick unexpected trip to check out their lighting.

We came in for a chandelier, and left with a mirror! Isn’t that how it always works?

The store was beautiful.  You can tell that they put a lot of thought into their vignettes.

Everything at the store seemed to be of great quality.  There’s nothing worse than when you go to a new store (whose website merchandise you love) and then you come to find out that the merchandise in person is a huge disappointment!

This wasn’t the case with WSH at all. I was very impressed with how they presented their furniture and accessories.  They even had refined music in the background to boot!

I am a regular to their website, so it was fun to come in at long last, and see those mysterious pieces that I’ve always wanted to view in person.

They were right in the middle of their “White Sale”- 25% off bedding and bed essentials and 15% off bath towels and rugs.

Half the store’s walls were covered in a warm colored grasscloth and the other half was painted a really pretty light neutral color.  Of course I had to snoop and ask them what color the walls were (and the trim nonetheless!)

Turns out walls were painted Benjamin Moore’s Shaker Beige (HC-45) and trim was painted Benjamin Moore’s Navajo White (OC-95).

It was the perfect paint color to pose as the backdrop for all of their exquisite pieces.

They also had some great sales on furniture and accessories.  The chair on the left hand side of the below photo was only $299!

There’s nothing more captivating than a bold orange wingback!

William Sonoma Home

7300 North Dallas Parkway

Building A, Suite A-100

Plano, TX 75024

As you have probably already figured out by now, I’m obsessed with anything vintage.  I’m embarassed to say that I’ve dedicated the last eleven (yes, I said eleven!) weekends going to consignment and antique stores trying to find those unique pieces- ones that have a sense of “history” to them.

But let’s face it- sometimes we don’t want imperfections, small scale furniture, old fabrics and materials that go hand in hand with these antique pieces and we would actually prefer something new.

But how about something new that evokes a vintage feeling?  What a concept!  I found some fabulous pieces that have a vintage feel to them (but the beautiful thing is that they are all brand spanking new!)  Hold onto them long enough, and these pieces might eventually become vintage pieces themselves!

I just ordered these CB2 metal trunks for a client’s home office.  I completely fell in love with these modern treasure boxes when I laid eyes on them.  What a great idea for storing books and other random pieces.  Close them up to hide your junk or leave them half open to display antique books.

Anthropologie has tons of vintage inspired items..check out this Hushed Hours Bed.  It’s distressed and made to look like it came from an ancient clock tower.

And also this Cameo Wallpaper composed of Victorian silhouettes, elaborate frames, and vintage-like stamps.

Crate and Barrel did a great job of designing these Turner bar and counter stools to look like vintage industrial pieces.

I want some in every color!  Wisteria now sells stacks of Book Boxes- colorful books that resemble vintage French reads.

These AFK Art for Kids Barbie prints sold at Layla Grayce would make for a great series in a little girl’s room.

You can always count on Arteriors to produce something fabulous like this Fraiser Vintage Silver Desk Lamp.

I actually wouldn’t mind waking up to this alarm clock every day!

Mercantile sack pillows seem to be everywhere these days.  Take a peek at Restoration’s spin on it- with their French linen pillow covers.

Art-Deco influenced lamp at Horchow…

I remember when this Antoinette fainting sofa was all over the blogosphere!

Z Gallerie’s Cafe Chair collection looks like it could be pulled straight out of the 1950’s.

“Industrial chic” pendant by Barn Light Electric-

And how about a new book about old vintage treasures?  (available at Amazon)

Candice and I keep running into each other EVERYWHERE.  It’s so strange, it’s been a while since we’ve seen each other, and then BOOM!  She keeps appearing out of nowhere.  I find myself in a showroom asking the salesperson “who is the designer of this sofa?”  Candice. “Who is this fabric by?” Candice again.  ”You don’t happen to know whose rug this is, do you?”  You guessed it…Mrs. Olson.

We’ve just had too many good run-ins lately, that I’m beginning to wonder if there is a place out there that doesn’t carry something with the Candice Olson name attached to it.

“Candice” is like the decorating BFF that you never knew (in person at least).  She seems so down to earth and friendly…qualities that could make a homeowner feel at instant ease.  She seems easy to relate to and perhaps that is why the Canadian interior designer has done so well in her career.

Most people (especially my clients) are familiar with her through HGTV’s Divine Design but I must admit, I’ve never seen a full episode.  This is the one place we haven’t run into each other (just yet anyways).  I know, a designer never having seen Divine Design?  Unheard of, right?  But 1) I rarely get to watch TV and 2) when I do get the rare chance to watch TV, I try to fill my mind with anything but design.

One thing I know of for sure is that Candice has made herself into a household name.  Through her extensive lines in various showrooms, she has created an empire that I can’t help but be jealous of.

In the recent past, Candice has teamed up with Kravet, Paragon, Silestone, AF Lighting, Surya, Revco, Norwalk, Thermador and York Wallcovering to make the Candice look available to designers and the general public.  I’m curious to know as to when this woman sleeps?  I feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day for little ole’ EJ Interiors, so I can’t even imagine Candice’s workload, all of the places that she has to be, and all of the decisions that have to be made day in and day out for her business.

Some of her pieces that I drool over…

I actually just recently purchased this sofa for my own living room.  It’s the Tina sofa (in off white) from Norwalk and I’m loving it!

I just purchased this Milton sofa for one of my clients…and she’s loving it!  (well, from the tear sheet at least..it hasn’t arrived just yet)

We also purchased six of these Margot chairs for the same client’s dining room (and we selected these without even knowing that we were picking out even more Candice furniture for her house)

Candice’s fabric line for Kravet is just as chic!

I had another client who requested that we use a textured Candice wallpaper in her master bathroom.  We used the Sisal Twill paper and it turned out beautifully!  Now if only the backordered mirror and rest of the bathroom furniture would magically appear to top off this scenario!

{Sisal Twill wallpaper}

{Lattice Wallpaper}

Ok don’t make fun of me for Candice overload, but I want to use this dining table in another client’s home.  I haven’t been able to find a table (at this pricepoint) that has lines and a finish as graceful as this one’s.

{Fitzgerald Dining Table}

I saw this chandelier at The Patricia Group the other day and thought it was the coolest thing.  This would have looked great in my other client’s “man cave”.  Ok, ok I’ll stop!

{Metro Chandelier}

One more…this is my favorite lamp of hers…

{Opulent Table Lamp}

Now I’m curious to know…what’s next for Candice?  I have a good suggestion- how about a paint line?

Nest, the home decor boutique in Snider Plaza is now carrying Mid-Century furniture for tots created by the company, Little Nest.  These adorable pieces of mini furniture would work well in any modern home or small kid-related commercial space.

Can you imagine how cute these would be in a pediatric dentist office?  I have started doing more and more pedo offices and I think a few of these modern unexpected pieces would look amazing in them.  Now to convince the clients how chic these would be!

Again and Again is celebrating their five year anniversary tomorrow at their adorable shop on Bonita Avenue in Dallas.  There will be hot dogs, champagne, and a big tent on their front lawn.

The best part? EVERYTHING is 50% off!!  I am so excited to see what other treasures I can find for my home.

Goodbye this week’s paycheck!  It’s been nice knowing ya…

I’ve been buying up a storm lately for my new home since there were so many things that I didn’t have to begin with when I moved.

I didn’t even have a dresser!  (and lots of drawer storage is a must in a house this small, with no closet space) I am always on Craig’s List looking for vintage finds (which can certainly be hit or miss), but a few weeks ago I tried typing in the search term “regency” juuuust to see what would come up.  Turns out, there is a whole booth at White Elephant Antiques in Dallas that is Kelly Wearstler-esque!  Most of the booth’s listings were on Craig’s List and I was pleasantly surprised to see furniture pieces that stylish on there (no offense Craig’s List, but you can get pretty outdated looking at times).

I joined the booth’s email list and got the sweetest email from Kristen, the owner and buyer for the booth at the WE.  She asked me what I was looking for and of course, I proceeded to tell her my entire house list!  It turns out, she had just the pieces for me.  I ended up buying a white bamboo dresser and four cane back dining chairs (and I didn’t even desperately need dining chairs, but who could pass up such a good deal!)

Kristen sells out of her finds very quickly (her prices are very reasonable), so it’s best to hit up her booth before the weekend.  She has done so well at White Elephant, that she is now acquiring the booth next to her existing one, so she will have double the space (and double the goods!)

Below are some of her current pieces in her booth (but I guarantee they won’t be there for long!)

I had to admit to Kristen that I’ve been to White Elephant for the past four weeks in a row (and multiple times in one week).  Antique shopping really has become an addiction.  I felt better when she admitted that she was a consignment store stalker too and am pretty sure there must be more of us out there!

White Elephant Antiques

1026 North Industrial Boulevard

Dallas, TX 75207

Booth #1121

I’ve always known that I’ve had a complete and utter fascination with chairs.  It began in college when 1000 Chairs was on our required reading list.  While others were complaining that we had to memorize the names, designers, and years of 1000 Chairs, I just fell in love with the course.  I also become more aware of my chair obsession whenever I visit consignment stores.  My design radar immediately zooms in on a vintage chair and my mind starts racing.  What fabrics would look good on this chair? What finish do the legs and arms need to be?  Does it need nailheads? Tufting?  Self cording or a contrast welt?

I would much rather prefer to start from scratch, as opposed to settling for a fabric that a chair comes in at a retail store (and you know these generic solid colors are never what you want anyways!)

Not to mention, how I just love giving an old chair new life with a bold printed fabric.  A lot of times, after I’m done re-upholstering a piece of furniture, the new piece is almost unrecognizable from the original.  Who would have thought that a lounge chair with a nice big outdated floral print could look so chic in a white linen?  You may want to think twice before putting that hand-me down piece of furniture on Craig’s List!

Here are some before and afters of chairs I re-upholstered for clients.  As you can see, new fabric can make a HUGE difference!

BEFORE

BEFORE

AFTER

(Vanity Chair- Kravet fabric; Stool- Pindler and Pindler fabric)

BEFORE

AFTER

(Vintage lounge chairs- Pindler and Pindler fabric)

BEFORE

AFTER

(Vintage Chair- Robert Allen fabric)

BEFORE

AFTER

(Vintage Chairs- Duralee fabric- with and without added cushion for height)

BEFORE (summer slipcover)

AFTER (winter slipcover)

(Chair- Duralee fabric)

BEFORE

AFTER

(Antique Chair- Kravet fabric)

BEFORE

AFTER

(Vintage chair- Robert Allen fabric)

BEFORE

AFTER

(Dining chair- Kravet fabric)

I have this wing chair out on approval from Again and Again.  It has great lines and lots of potential as a desk chair..so hopefully once I find the perfect fabric, you will see a “Before and After” of it very soon! (by the way, does anyone else use a wing chair as a desk chair?  How is the comfort factor?)

At just 27 years old, Jason Phillips has already attained a lifetime of experiences and accomplishments.  He took home the 2010 ARTS Award for Product Designer of the Year, has traveled the globe in search of inspiration, is the VP/Creative Director for The Phillips Collection, has a B.F.A in Interior Design, is the founder of the Jason Phillips design brand, and is the youngest recipient ever of the Prized Pinnacle Award given by ASID.  His talent, drive, and creativity just continue to amaze me!

I first became aware of The Phillips Collection last year when I designed a room for the Home for the Holidays showhome at the DMC.  I used one of the chairs in their collection (dubbed “The Seatbelt Chair”) as a vanity chair for the bedroom.  Let me just tell you…that chair was the star of the whole room!  People kept coming up to it and touching it, wanting to know what showroom it came from and what it was made out of.  The chair was also used in the Showtime and Metropolitan Home exhibit in the “Dexter dining room”.

After discovering the fabulous Seatbelt Chair and viewing the rest of their furniture and accessories, I fell head over heels in love with all of the pieces from The Phillips Collection and Jason Phillips himself.

I’ve been wanting to sit down with Jason and interview him for some time now and that time has finally come.  I am so thrilled to share his interesting story on MG.   Enjoy the interview and all of the fabulous eye candy that encompass Jason’s designs as well as those from The Phillips Collection.

How long have you been designing furniture and how did you get your start?

I’ve been involved in the family business from a very young age, taking trips to Southeast Asia, Europe, and throughout the Americas.  This developed a great appreciation for global design, and inspired me to pursue an artistic path.  But I would say it’s been close to ten years now since I first sat down to design a piece of furniture.

Were you formally trained in design?

My training may sound formal but was really quite exciting and I was free to explore my own creativity.  My high school did not give me enough of the tools I wanted, so I studied after hours at the Huntington School of Fine Arts in New York, where I was exposed to sculpture, oil painting, photography, and live figure drawing.  I was fortunate enough to be selected to study in the South of France for a summer under the direction of renowned American Sculptor Joseph Mack, where we quarried our own limestone and turned it into art.  I then went on to The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where I concentrated in Industrial Design.  This is where I became a digital artist, learning photoshop and 3d softwares, graphic design principles and design theory.  I fell in love with modern art.  I visited museums.  My training was a progression but very focused all the while.

{Starfish Table}

All of your designs are so unique. Where do you get your inspiration?

In an industry that so often references historical design, I find myself of a modern generation, pushing the boundaries of what is appropriate.  My designs, however different, do have a balance to their form, a refinement of the details and an appreciation of the material and finish.  I like to absorb fashion, current events, car design, luxury goods, architecture, and so many other things and can tap into my own creative pool for on-the-spot inspiration.  I imagine this how the creative thinking of any generation go about conceiving new ideas and themes.

How have your parents inspired or influenced your work and what was it liked to grow up in the business?

They are my biggest fans and have been the platform to make my ideas a reality.  I’m sure words wouldn’t do justice to the profound influence they have had on my life.

{Slant Mod Shelving}

Do you travel a lot? If so, how have your travels influenced your design process?

Traveling lets me experience raw materials, international trends and sophistications, but most importantly it has shown me how amazingly interconnected we all are.  Seeing an Apple ad in Malaysia really gets you excited about the global influence and impact design can have.  It’s amazing how good design speaks a universal language and can make everyone smile.

What materials do you use the most of? What is your favorite material to use?

I love woods with figured grains.  I am also very into metals and glass.  There is a constant shift for me between materials; shiny to rough, natural to plastic, dark to light.

{Curtain Console Table}

How does the Phillips Collection motto, “every piece a conversation,” describe your work?

We want our pieces to have a meaning behind the form.  For us it isn’t enough for it to just be beautiful.  It is an appreciation of the details and the story that we love to extract.

How do you find harmony between artistic form and functional furniture?

That is a fine line, making your design a piece of furniture and at the same time a piece of art.  Go too literal and you find yourself a furniture maker.  Too far off the deep end and you are a pop artist!  I try to take an idea that could float off like a balloon and anchor it to reality with functionality.

{River Stone Cocktail Table}

Where can you see yourself in the design world in ten years?

I hope I never become predictable, especially not to myself.  I hope in ten years I am pleasantly surprised at where I am and that it is not where I thought I’d be but rather where I ended up.

Do you use your own furniture pieces in your home?

Yes.  A perk of the family business is I can furnish my entire place in Phillips Collection!  I am a big fan of design houses like B&B Italia, BO Concept, DWR, but am not in that economic stratosphere!

{Burled Bowl- Gold Leaf}

What is your favorite piece of furniture that you have designed?

My Continuum Dining Table, to be released end of this year.  A very complicated piece from a manufacturing standpoint but in the end it will be quite playful.

What type of projects are you working on now?

I am working on a collection for a dynamic west coast company using the most renewable materials possible and local manufacturing for a truly eco-chic collection for 2011.

{Martini Table Black}

What are you currently listening to on your IPod? What are you currently reading?

The Black Eyed Peas latest album.  Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell (on my Kindle).

What do you do for fun?

I have three young Dachshunds.  They keep me and my wife Karen thoroughly entertained.

{Bubble Leg Dining Table}

What is your advice for young, aspiring designers?

Don’t wait around.  Go out and grab it.  Stay confident in your talents and listen as best you can; I know it’s not a designer’s greatest quality J

(*If you will be in New York City this weekend, you can see his work at the Phillips Collection space at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair- space 2070 from May 15-18*)