Dallas Blog | Material Girls | Dallas Interior Design

Dwell with Dignity’s fall Thrift Studio is finally here!

Dwell with Dignity is a non profit group of Interior Designers and volunteers that create homes for families that are struggling with homelessness and poverty. It’s a great organization to get involved with in the Dallas community and really benefits those in need.

The Thrift Studio is dear to our hearts as we were invited to participate last Fall as one of the designers of their vignettes-

This year they have a whole new lineup of designers creating fabulous room designs-

CYNTHIA COLLINS, COLLINS INTERIORS

BRECKINRIDGE TAYLOR

JOHN PHIFER MARRS

LAURA LEE CLARK

LISA LUBY RYAN

STELLA DALLAS

PEACOCK ALLEY

I can’t wait to see what they have come up with!  

As you might remember, the vignettes are mostly made from what Dwell with Dignity has in in their inventory and other donated items.The even better news? All of the products are for sale, benefit Dwell and can be bought on the spot!

And now onto the parties…every year, they host two “pre-sale” parties before the Thrift Studio officially opens to give designers and the general public first dibs on the amazing finds!

This year we were asked to be on the host committee for the Thursday night party.  Here’s info for that- we hope to see you there!

PREVIEW PARTY – THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2012

SPONSORED BY:
DOUG BOSTER CATERING, FROMENTAL, GEORGE SMITH,
KETEL ONE, LUXE MAGAZINE, PEGASUSABLON, POGGENPOHL

TIME: 6:30PM – 9:00PM

ADDRESS: Dallas Design Center, 1100 Slocum Street, Suite 280, Dallas, 75207

TICKETS: $125 per person

If you can’t make it Thursday, definitely be sure to pop in on Friday’s soiree for some fabulous music, food, drinks and of course SHOPPING!

SHOPPING EVENT – FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2012

SPONSORED BY:
LAURA LEE CLARK DESIGNS, LUXE MAGAZINE,
PEGASUSABLON, REPUBLIC TEQUILA,
SANTANDER CONSUMER USA

AND once again we will have fabulous finds from Marburger Farm!

TIME: 6:00PM – 9:00PM

ADDRESS: Dallas Design Center, 1100 Slocum, Suite 280, Dallas, 75207

TICKETS: $25 per person

Click HERE to buy tickets!

{all photos taken from prior and existing Thrift Studio vignettes}

Thrift Studio runs from October 13th until November 10th, so be sure to stop in!

Every woman’s home should reflect her style and attitude, right?

Sara Sugarman launched Lulu & Georgia on October 1st, the perfect line for young, sophisticated, trendy women. Sara, herself, is the granddaughter of Louis Sugarman, the founder of Decorative Carpets. With experience and know-how from the family business (and not to mention, Sara’s amazing style), Lulu & Georgia was born!

Inspired by the modern woman,  Lulu & Georgia has everything the modern day Material Girl would want.

What I absolutely loved about the site are the different ways to search.  You can search by type, style, and color, which makes it so user friendly and easy to find exactly what you’re looking for!

For the Bohemian woman:

Such a great design!

If you like Bold color…

For the Romantics…

Gives such a light feeling, but is absolutely beautiful!

If you like Vintage Eclectic…

Such a great way to add pattern!

For you Glamour Girls…

So much sparkle!!

If you like Coastal…

Gives such a clean, crisp look!

For those that like organic…

Absolutely love these candle holders!

If you like Regency style…

So chic!

And if you’re on a budget…

You can never go wrong with a Chevron pattern!

Grab some furniture along the way and art while you’re there!

This timeless cafe chair would look great in a breakfast room!

Perfect simple storage for you wine lovers!

Rouse and Jones

 Kent Youngstrom

For a better look at how everything can fit together, here’s a pdf of Style Tear Sheets for examples.

And for all you Material Girls who love what you see, we have a little gift for you! With the promo code MATERIALGIRLS20, you can save 20% off your Lulu & Georgia purchase until October 9! Definitely take advantage of this special sale!

Fashionista and trend setter are just two ways to describe this new Queen of Bling!  If you haven’t already heard of this outstanding jewelry maker, there is a very good chance that you have unknowingly seen several celebrities wearing her fab colorful jewelry on the red carpet lately.  She is EVERYWHERE!

I have to say that I was so out of the Kendra loop until last weekend when my friends Lindsey and Beth gave me some of her earrings for my birthday (there is a Kendra Scott store in the West Village, here in Dallas apparently).  They were so adorbs that I had to put them on immediately and wear them out the rest of the night! It was such a fun surprise of a gift, and I should have known something was up when Lindsey called asking what my favorite color was earlier that day.  You see, Kendra doesn’t just make jewelry in a couple of colors, she has a RAINBOW spectrum of options! The colors in her jewelry are even good inspiration for a room design..I’m loving the green onyx and orange coral.

A little bit about Ms. Kendra…she got her start back in 2002, making her gorgeous creations out of the spare bedroom in her Austin, Texas home.  Today, you can find her fabulous earrings, necklaces, rings, and bracelets in three of her boutiques which are located in Dallas, Austin, and Beverly Hills.  You can also come across her items at Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, and Lord and Taylor or purchase her beautiful bling on her website.

Reese Witherspoon sporting a pair of Kendra Scott earrings on the red carpet.

Modern Family’s Sofia Vergara in a pair a Kendra’s gorgeous chandelier style earrings.

Heiress Paris Hilton showing off a stunning pink jade necklace.

Kelly Osbourne dazzles in these show-stopping lapis and 14K yellow gold earrings

One of the things I love about Kendra’s web site is the “color bar” feature.  Here, you can create your own custom pieces with endless possibilities!  What a marvelous way to complete an outfit, by making your own Kendra Scott custom jewelry!  Below are just a few that I made on her web site that are sure to be showstoppers!

My husband gave his groosmen “themey” cufflinks last summer as gifts at our wedding…but I think Adrian or Geoff would have looked much more chic sporting Kendra’s teal cufflinks! (Ben however, might beg to differ

Take a look at a few of the other jewelry pieces that are available on her website!  With her large selection of semi-precious stones set in gold or silver,  there’s something to surely strike everyone’s fancy-

A few weekends ago, my husband and I ventured out to Discount Home Warehouse in Dallas looking for vintage exterior pieces for the house.  I had never been there before but had heard great things from a few different people in the design district.  I soon came to discover that they were right- it is a random hidden gem off Empire Central!

DHW is perfect for finding those salvaged, vintage pieces that can make any room come together.  It is a local warehouse for building materials and architectural pieces that have come out of homes that are being remodeled or completely taken down in the metroplex.  They have everything from cabinetry and mantels, to outdoor accessories for your garden.  They even have a wishlist that you can make and they’ll give you a call when what you’re looking for comes in! If you’re looking for that one-of-a-kind piece on a budget, Discount Home Warehouse is definitely the place to go.

Here are a few of my “finds” when we were there-

Living in an old 1933 home, we definitely could use a few of these esutcheon replacements-

Adorable gold and crystal antique chandeliers-

Lucite, lucite, lucite! I was pleasantly surprised to find out that they had pieces like acrylic trays and coffee tables-

Tons of beveled mirrors at great prices-

Black granite remnants at a steal!

If you are looking for lanterns, this is your room!

White carrara marble remnant- only $150!

You really never know what you will find here…

Cute little twin headboard and footboard-

Salvaged door heaven-

And… a plethora of garden accessories and iron gates.  Ben and I went to look for a vintage gate and we couldn’t believe that we found the perfect size- 12′ wide x 80″ tall- what are the chances? Now I’ll just be spending the next few months refinishing it

New stuff comes in everyday, so start that wishlist and keep checking it out!

1758 Empire Central
Dallas, 75235

I love discovering local artists in Dallas…and it’s especially fun when they happen to also be in your circle of friends!

I first met Carolyn Joe Daniel (“CJ”) through my husband Ben.  She is married to one of his friends from UT.  Of course I took an instant liking to CJ and who wouldn’t? She is one of those people who always has a smile on their face. Her energy and enthusiasm for life is contagious! Throughout the past few years, we’ve gotten to know each other pretty well but it wasn’t until recently that I was exposed to all of her amazing artwork.  Not only is she an amazing artist whipping out gorgeous paintings on the weekend (no big deal), but she is also a busy mother of two. How she does it all, I will never know!

We hope to collaborate on something soon together, but I thought in the meantime, you all might be interested in some of her current work. She does commissions also- any size or orientation!  Contact her HERE or at carolyn@carolynjoe.com

As a first time homeowner, the idea of filling your entire home with furniture (and filling it quickly) can be daunting and not to mention, expensive.  The case of my home is especially severe because a) I’m extremely impatient and want every room done yesterday (I’m still trying to comprehend the fact that I will live here for 5+ years and there is no deadline)  b) I am constantly changing my mind and switching out things so nothing stays in the same place longer than a month’s time.

{Zoey on the day we moved in…. thinking- “mom, how are we going to take this entirely pink painted house with gross peeling trim from drab to fab (and fill it with furniture) by next week?!”}

So where does this leave me?  Well, in Ben’s eyes it definitely doesn’t warrant buying all new super nice furniture for every room and honestly, I don’t think I could ever have a house of all new things. I love old things just way too much and especially giving pieces a whole new look through refinishing them. Lately, I have been doing a LOT of that.  Sometimes I paint the pieces myself and other times if it’s just too difficult, I hire someone to do it (ok, I admit, a lot of the time I  hire someone else to do it).  Remember the part where I said I was impatient?

Here are some of my recent before and after furniture projects and the info on the paint colors that I used-

BEFORE-

Antique secretary-

AFTER-

Antique Secretary-

Paint- Benjamin Moore- 689- Rhine River- Satin Finish

 {still needs to be accessorized!}

BEFORE-

Vintage Dorothy Draper-esque Nightstands-

AFTER-

Vintage Dorothy Draper-esque nightstands

Paint- Benjamin Moore White Dove with gold accents

(Need your opinion here dear readers! Do you think the gold is too orangey and should I go back to more of a soft/antique gold or do the outline of the drawers more of a yellow gold like the pulls?) Decisions, decisions!

BEFORE-Funky vintage sideboard with geometric detailing-

AFTER-Funky vintage sideboard with geometric detailing-

Paint- Home Depot- Behr- Custom Color Match

BEFORE-Fiberglass peacock chairs

AFTER-Fiberglass Peacock Chairs

Paint- Home Depot dark charcoal spray paint

{Excuse the flowers falling from the tree and our nice mess in the background }

BEFORE-Faux bamboo armoire (can’t seem to find the before photo so I borrowed this photo from Bazaar of Serendipity blog)

AFTER-Faux bamboo armoire

Paint- Sherwin Williams- Pure White

BEFORE-Faux bamboo dining chairs and table

AFTER-Faux bamboo dining chairs and table

Paint- Benjamin Moore- White Dove

So basically throughout the house I painted most of my furniture white and gray so they’d stand the test of time and then sprinkled in other pieces with more bold pops of color to add some excitement.

And stay tuned for the “afters” of these “befores”!

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.

We are currently working on a guest bedroom where we are specifying black silk drapes- oh the luxuriousness!   I know, not your typical drapery color, but I promise you black drapes can look tres chic and really add some drama to a space!

I’ll let you in on a little secret…the key to doing black drapes the right way is to pair them with white walls.  This ensures that they are the exclamation point in the room (and also that they don’t get too dark and dreary) Another way to achieve black drape success is to pair them with black and white graphic prints, metallics, and if you do color, only do tiny pops of color- or your room may end up looking like a bad black and white college dorm room.

 {In Style Magazine}

 {Rue Magazine}

 {Darryl Carter}

 {Made by Girl}

{Vogue}

{Elle Decor}

The opening ceremonies for the 2012 Summer Olympics, was indeed quite a show.  We certainly enjoyed watching all the festivities, especially the Queen’s awesome entrance into the stadium! Another great highlight was watching the parade of champions.  This year’s summer games ushered in some fantastic inspiration from fashion.  Fashion can be a marvelous muse for creating an unforgettable interior space.  Here are some of our favorite inspirations from this year’s Summer Games:

Cobalt, Orange & White: Holland

This year, Holland totally rocked their bold color pallet of cobalt, orange, navy, and white.  Each athlete was exquisitely tailored in these designer outfits.  A wonderful touch and homage to their homeland’s national flower, can be seen here with a tulip pinned to each athlete’s lapel.  These colors are a fresh and trendy way to spice up any interior.  The contrast that these colors make next to each other creates a statement that is sure to impress.

Mixing patterns with these exciting  colors works well, and adds even more look to this stimulating mix of hues.

These deep navy walls with accents of orange is striking and at the same time, elegant and fun.

This luxurious cashmere blanket by Hermes is a definite must have statement maker.  The unmistakable, classic Hermes orange and white will not go unnoticed!  Also, these orange and cobalt painted vases would be fabulous on any mantle.

Aqua, Sunshine Yellow, & White: Sweden

Sweden’s athletes were definitely noticed at this year’s opening ceremonies.  Their bright yellow and aqua stripes with white pants were definitely “spot on” for summer fashion.  Even their sneakers made a statement, blue with yellow laces. Great attention to detail.

This delicious dining room makes great use of yet another bold color pallet.  Beautiful,bright bamboo chairs in a cheery lemon yellow are definitely a focal point.  The black accents of the doors and the chevron pattern rug help add a touch of chic to this fun dining space.

Add some colorful light and sparkle to your space with this amazing yellow chandelier from Cyan.  This piece brings fun antique whimsy with its classic shape that is sure to liven up any space.

Check out this brightly colored room! The yellow sofas and bright blue pillows are festively summer, and help give this room its own signature look.

Kelly Green & White: Nigeria

Take a look at these fabulous white and green outfits worn by Nigerian Olympic competitors.  Kelly green makes a luscious color statement against bright white.

This gorgeous green upholstered head board transforms this bedroom into a tropical retreat.  The simple bedding with a classic green stripe is simple and refined, making a calm compliment to the statement making headboard.  The bedside lamps with a clear glass base add interest to the room, without taking away from the clean, crisp feel of the space.

Another clean color pallet of green and white makes this living room feel swank.  The modern floor lamp and glass top cocktail table make this space feel expensive, without going over-the-top.

The metallic accent pillows and chrome side table really adds some glamour and flash to this tropical living room.  The palm tree is also a great touch of natural color.  We also like the white cow-hide rug turned on an angle under the cocktail table.  Definitively chic and modern!

Red, White & Blue: U.S.A

Who better than to dress our American Athletes than Ralph Lauren? This classic American preppy look was a fantastic representation of fashion directly from the USA.  Navy blazers, white trousers and knee length skirts with berets and ties definitely has an Ivy League spin.  Feel like standing up straight and saluting the flag?  With and outfit like this, I sure do!

Using red judiciously is key in this bedroom.  Red is a powerful color, and helps define the headboard, bedding and bench.  The gold pendant fixture definitely adds a designer touch to the room.

Adding adventurous patterns makes these living rooms come alive.

This patriotic painted chest with gold accents demands attention.  Finding unique furniture such as this, really adds a great deal of character to any room, and is sure to serve as a conversation piece!