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

For some reason I feel like all of my projects lately have had one thing in common… ottomans! Random I know, but it seems like these multi-purpose pieces have solved some big design dilemmas for us at EJ Interiors! Whether we are working on a family room, bedroom, home office, or even an outdoor living space, ottomans have been the perfect solution when we are tight on space or need the room to serve several functions! I searched my go-to sites (Pinterest and Decorpad) for some fabulous examples of how ottomans can transform ANY room.

IN THE MIDDLE OF FOUR CHAIRS-

I must say that my favorite use of the ottoman is a square ottoman set on the diagonal placed between four chairs.  This seating arrangement makes for a very cozy conversation area-

{Traditional Home}

IN PLACE OF A TRADITIONAL COFFEE TABLE-

Sometimes you just want to put your feet up when on the couch watching TV, but this is never as relaxing with a regular coffee table.  With this layout, you don’t have to feel guilty kicking back and relaxing and it’s super comfortable too-

{Elle Decor}

In this situation, I like a tray on the ottoman- one that can hold books, vases, and other random accessories-

{Elle Decor}

BETWEEN TWO CHAIRS-

J Lo chose to put a coordinating ottoman between her two two matching chairs.  This ottoman can serve a few different purposes…it can be pulled up in front of one of the chairs as a foot rest, could be an extra seat, or if it had a tray, could pose as an accent table to hold drinks.

{Veranda}

This ottoman poses as a foot rest and/or coffee table between these two chairs in this gorgeous gray library-

UNDER A CONSOLE TABLE-

You never know when you are going to need extra seating at a party, so the placement of this ottoman is a great solution for when you have to accommodate larger groups. Not to mention, this ottoman just looks good as an accent under the console table and softens the lines of it.

IN FRONT OF A CHAIR-

This is the most obvious place for an ottoman, in front of a chair..however, where the chair and ottoman are, couldn’t be more unexpected- in a master bath!

AS EXTRA SEATING IN LIVING ROOM-

These round and oval ottomans are pretty fab and are a great way to add extra seating to your living room. Usually placed right in front of a coffee table, these ottomans provide a place for guests to perch and enjoy their cocktails!

Jamie knew what he was doing when he added this huge round hot pink ottoman-

{Jamie Drake}

And here he did it again!

{Jamie Drake}

AS A BED BENCH-

Ottomans in the bedroom are perfect for breakfast in bed! (or more realistically, a good spot to sit and put on your shoes!)

{House Beautiful}

{Tobi Fairley}

OUTDOOR OTTOMANS-

Ottomans in an outdoor living area add seating without blocking the beautiful view OR they could serve as footstools for days when you just want to lounge!

{Architectural Digest}

{Windsor Smith}

AS STORAGE-

How amazing is the Rousseau storage ottoman from Lilly Pulitzer?? 16 storage pockets inside for shoes!! This is seriously every girl’s dream…

IN A CLOSET-

Well actually, maybe THIS is every girl’s dream. Great use of it, wouldn’t you agree?!

And another…just so I can live vicariously through these women with their big closets!

So I guess the question is- is there anything you can’t do with an ottoman?!!

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!

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!

Enough said!

{new from MADE GOODS}

One of my clients brought this Verner Panton chair to my attention yesterday.  Dubbed the System 1-2-3 Dining Chair, it’s currently for sale at Design within Reach and was just recently brought back into production-

What’s the verdict? Love it or leave it?

Personally, I’m not loving it.  I much prefer the good ole basic Panton chair without the leather and fancy swivel mechanism.  I don’t doubt that the 1-2-3 chair is more comfortable, but I’m an original Panton chair girl at heart..sigh.

While shopping at the trade center the other day in Dallas, I kept stumbling across furniture with acrylic legs.  Two different showrooms, Home Style and Doris Sanders now offer dining chairs, wing chairs, ottomans, and benches with lucite legs!

Gone is the day where the Jan Showers bench was the only upholstered+acrylic furniture combo-

These furniture manufacturers are now making affordable options and have just about every type of furniture piece available with acrylic legs-

I’m loving these barely there legs- especially on the tufted benches.

{furniture pieces courtesy of Pebble Hill Designs and Grace and Blake Home}

This past weekend, one of my absolute favorite furniture consignment shops, Again & Again, opened a new, improved, and HUGE location near the Dallas design district.  Leslie Pritchard continues to expand her stores around the Dallas area, and I could not be happier that she is doing so!  This lady is building a vintage furniture empire here…

Honestly, I wanted to take home everything with me, but didn’t think my fiancee would appreciate that so instead I snapped a few photos to share with you. Take a look at some of these amazing pieces!

I was really digging this tufted leather chair-very unique!

Leslie has a similar pair of chairs in her own home- sadly, these ones below are sold!

I stumbled upon these amazing acrylic bar stools that would look perfect with a reupholstered seat-

And speaking of acrylic, I found a coffee table that I almost died over (sadly it’s another one of those pieces that was already spoken for).  The person who has this on hold, is one lucky little shopper-

You can never go wrong with a chrome shelf unit-

I fell in love with this bold pink lacquered buffet.  Now whose home can I squeeze this gem in?

If you are worried your dining room doesn’t have enough personality, I have the table for you-

Brass coffee table- yes please!

A pair of sculptural table lamps-

And finally, an interesting acrylic pedestal and two funky bamboo stools-

I could go on and on about the rest of the treasures I found but I don’t want to spoil it for you! There is so much to see at their new location- plan to stay at least an hour like I did

On another note, if you find a piece you fall in love with but it is not quite the color or fabric you want, Again & Again will refinish, reupholster, and even rebuild the piece to create exactly what you are looking for.  They just finished refinishing a console for one of my clients as well as building new legs for another client’s mirrored console.

Aside from refinishing, they also build custom furniture. The possibilities are endless!

141 Howell Street

Dallas, TX 75207

Are you loving the sound of this collaboration as much as I am- Allegra Hicks + West Elm?

Mmmm…I think yes!

When I got an email that Allegra Hicks had teamed up with the modern retailer, it had to be the most exciting thing since…sliced bread? (or to put it in designer terms, the best thing since Suzanne and Ballard)!

This totally made our day knowing that someone with such great taste has whipped up some fabulous designs for one of our favorite retailers (and one that’s just half a mile away to boot!) I can’t wait to see these in person, but for now, feast your eyes on Allegra’s newest designs for WE-

And to top it off, if you are an Elle Decor reader, you get an exclusive opportunity to shop the new collection before it hits stores and the online shopping world.

Click here for the sneak preview- now through July 12!