Dallas Blog | Material Girls | Dallas Interior Design

Although we’re always on the lookout for fun, creative showrooms, it’s sometimes hard to find one whose character truly stand out from the rest. But West Palm Beach, Florida-based resale shop Circa Who has done just that with its wild selection of colors, fun trimmings, and collection of whimsical pieces from artichoke lamps to dolphin candlesticks.

Circa Who manages to fulfill your wildest design fantasy, while not going tacky-overboard, and the store’s owner and buyer Tracy Deramus describes the pieces as “20th Century furnishings meets vintage Palm Beach.” We love the mix of fabrics and colors that the store offers, with more than enough pieces to satisfy even the most avid of bamboo-lovers.

Here are a few of our favorites…

Orange ‘X’ Benches

 

 Pair of Clam Shell Lamps

 

Hollywood Regency Mirror

Cyprus Root Console

Faux Bamboo Chippendale Arm Chairs

Greek Key Headboard

Faux Bamboo Barrel Chairs

Pagoda Mirror

William Haines Cabinet

Artichoke Lamp

We asked store owner Tracy a few questions:

When did Circa Who open, and what inspired you to open your own store?

 The store has been open since 2004. While buying things to put my own house together, I realized there is so much FAB merchandise out there with so much LIFE left. I started buying all the things I loved and hoarding them in my husband’s warehouse and he encouraged me to open up a shop.

What inspires you to find “20th century-meets-West-Palm-Beach” pieces?

  I love the 20th century design, and how it was interpreted through Palm Beach details, especially in the 1970s!

Do you have a favorite room in the house to decorate?

The entrance/ foyer.

Who would you say are your ‘typical’ customers?

DIY decorators.

What is your favorite aspect of owning your won business?

Doing something that I LOVE to do!

Anything else you would like to share with Material Girls readers?

 I always tell my clients that it is the piece I fall in love with, not the color or the fabric. It’s the new life that I leave up to them!

Check out the site for more information on the store and its playful pieces! http://circawho.com/

I am a sucker for all things glass- especially glass chandeliers! Whether it be Murano or just your normal translucent beauty, I’m game for either.

It was pure luck that I found this glass chandelier for my dining room on a shopping trip to Canton for only $125 (ok, my sister in law found it for me) but either-or, we couldn’t believe no one had snatched it up yet!

Lately, I’ve been on the hunt for glass chandeliers for clients and have been sourcing every one from here to Europe. If you have been on a hunt for one for yourself, my favorites list below should make your search much more “clear”.

Of course, glass chandeliers can come in almost any color, but I do have to say that I like the clear ones best.  Whether your decor is modern or traditional, you really can’t go wrong with any of these beauties-

This one from Currey has a slight gray tint, but it’s not very noticeable at all in person.  I thought it was completely clear when I first saw it. I love the shape! It also comes in a larger version.

Currey and Co. Guilia Chandelier

They don’t ship overseas, but I’m seriously thinking about getting this chandelier somehow couriered over here for a client!  It’s at a great price and comes in three different sizes-

Graham and Green Italian Glass Chandelier

This chandelier is a classic and I recently used this in my client Angela’s gray-green dining room-

Visual Comfort- George Chandelier

Up until a few months ago, Z Gallerie had the Calais chandelier in clear glass, but now it only comes in black and aqua. It was such a steal at only $399.  If you are listening Z Gallerie, please bring it back in clear!

The Moritz has always been a personal favorite of mine…

Cookware.com

Now here’s one on sale..

William Sonoma Ashbury Chandelier

And of course we can’t forget to mention the queen of glass chandeliers…Jan Showers! Hers is the real deal-

Sophia Chandelier

Here’s a whole new look to the glass chandelier that would work well in a more contemporary setting with tall ceilings-

ShopTen25- 48″ C Chandelier

Vintage murano is always an option via 1st Dibs-

Vintage murano by Barbini

When you mention getting a “custom” piece made to a client, they are usually a bit skeptical at first because let’s face it- custom just sounds expensive and not to mention, can often be painstakingly slow.  It’s not uncommon for the lead time on a custom piece (like furniture or rugs) to range from 12-16 weeks.  It can often be hard to convince someone to want to wait that long, even if it would be perfect for the space.

But what if there was a way to order something custom with just a two week lead time?  Now we are talkin.  A designer’s dream, right?  Mark Moussa, of Arteriors Home has managed to put to bed any custom fears by offering consumers a custom-made ceramic lamp program that can all be created..online!

Mottega is the name and custom ceramic lamps are their game.  I’m especially loving their Mandarin and Peridot color options.  With these lamps, you can choose your shape, base and shade (so pretty much everything down to the finial).

I just designed one online and here is my favorite combo-

Finial- Acrylic Sphere

Base- Acrylic Round

Color- Peridot

Shape- Tresana

Shade- Linen flat drum

Made Goods just launched seventy new styles today, including table lamps, furniture, sconces, chandeliers, fun objects, and of course mirrors!

Check out some of MG’s faves!

Dallas’ own Lisa Luby Ryan (interior designer and owner of Vintage Living) has just launched her collection for Arteriors at Highpoint.  A few days ago I received the catalog in the mail with photos of her European inspired pieces and they really are stunning and such a great addition to Arteriors!  I can’t wait to get to ordering some of these pieces for my own clients!

I think my favorite would have to be the Nelson Metal/Brass French Safety Deposit Box- tres chic!

I ordered a mirror from Made Goods for a client of mine and we have been anxiously awaiting its arrival ever since.  It came in last week and let me just tell you, it’s PHENOMENAL in person!

The Isabella (above) is so intricate and the level of detail really exceeded our expectations.  I knew it would be beautiful, but I was seriously wowed when I saw it up close and personal.  (excuse the iPhone photo- the mirror and wallpaper is not pink in person, I promise!)

Made Goods just launched a  new collection of more than sixty products and mirrors that will blow your mind!  If only I could see them all in person…

MIRRORS

LIGHTING

FURNITURE

OBJECTS

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?

When not out on the lake getting sunburned, I spent the holiday weekend shopping the sales! Today, most sales came to an end (and so did my weekend unfortunately); however, there is still one online store that is in full-on sale mode, and that is our friends over at Barn Light Electric.

You can take 10% off your order through Tuesday, July 6th, just by entering USAJULY4 at checkout (excludes already discounted or clearance merchandise and gift certificates).

So take advantage of the last 24 hours of guilt-free holiday shopping and click HERE!

Congrats to the New Orleans Saints!

In honor of their win, I’ve dedicated a post to the amazing work of New Orleans lighting designer- Julie Neill.  The lighting she designs is nothing short of gorgeous!

It is also no coincidence that most of the names of her lighting pieces match the names of her clients.  These are pieces that she specifically custom-created for them and then added to her lighting line.

{Arrow Sconce}

{Sheldon Sconce}

{Fleur de lis Sconce}

{Mollie Chandelier}

{Allyne Chandelier}

{Champagne Side Tables}

{Burst Coffee Table}

Yesterday Julie posted a chandelier on her blog, Bayou Contessa, that she designed in the spirit of her team going to the Superbowl.  So much fun- take a peek at it!

Julie really did light their way to winning the Superbowl!

I can’t wait until the next time I go to New Orleans so I can visit her shop for the first time!  I’m sure her lighting is even prettier in person.

There is nothing better than a gourd lamp.  You just can’t go wrong with them!  They look great in any style interior- traditional, transitional or contemporary and they come in all shapes, sizes, and colors.

I do have to say that my personal favorite are the colorful ones.  When a room begs for a splash of color, using even just one gourd lamp does the trick.

I’ve gathered some of my favorites below.  This selection is all over the map!  From high to low price points, colorful to neutral, transparent to opaque, and matte to glossy, there are certainly gourds for every design personality!

Tonic Home Octagon Gourd Lamp

Inside Avenue- Barbara Cosgrove- Silver Gourd Lamp

Modern Dose- Elayna Lamp

Home Accents- Quinn Gourd Lamp

1stdibs- Eric Appel White Ceramic Triple Gourd Table Lamps

Macy’s Robert Abbey Table Lamp- Triple Gourd- Peacock

Horchow- Bronze Gourd Lamp

Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams- Marilyn Table Lamp

Circa Lighting- Mini Fang Gourd

Layla Grayce- Arteriors Regis Glass Gourd Lamp

Pottery Barn- Alexis Ceramic Table Lamp

West Elm- Gourd Table Lamp

Williams-Sonoma Home- Porcelain Urn Lamp

Shades of Light- Triple Gourd Ceramic Table Lamp

Christopher Spitzmiller Medium Three Ball Lamps

Robert Abbey Pink Ceramic and Silver Table Lamp

Hayden Table Lamp

And if you are so inclined to make your own, Martha Stewart has a DIY guide to the Gourd Lamp on her website here!