Houston Design Blog | Material Girls | Houston Interior Design

Ahhh, desks… another piece of furniture I can never get enough of.  Come to think of it, I technically have three desks in our two bedroom apartment !

Above, in Aerin Lauder’s glamazon dressing room/office you will see my DREAM desk designed by Gabriella Crespi.  It’s soooooo gorgeous.  Here she is again below posing in her “real” office…again, the desk – fabulous!

Here is my round-up of my desks I’m loving this moment…

The “X-Base” Desk

{A personal favorite…I have a steel and glass version.}

Asheworth Campaign Desk by Hickory Chair

Natural Limed Oak Desk from Mecox Gardens

Channing Desk by Jonathan Adler

Jett Desk by Z Gallerie

Wenge Three-Drawer X-base desk

The Lucite Desk

Desk from Craig Van Den Brulle via 1st Dibs

Lucite Desk from Plexi-Craft

Lucite Desk from Pieces

The European Inspired Desk

Repton Desk from OKA

Trestle Base desk from Mrs. Howard

Gustavian Writing Desk from Chelsea Textiles

The Sawhorse Desk

Glass Top Architect’s Oak Desk from Mecox

Mason Wood Top Desk from Williams-Sonoma Home

The Art Deco Desk

Mannings Desk from Williams-Sonoma Home

The Parsons Desk

I couldn’t do a post on desks without mentioning the famed Parson’s Desk by West Elm.

The Living Room of designer duo Jessie Randall and Brian Murphy’s Brooklyn Apartment (as seen in Domino), immortalized the simple mass-produced white desk.

So, do you have a favorite?  Is it weird to practically have a desk in every room??

I was recently introduced to the company, Mirror Mate.  Their website boasts the ability to outfit your bathroom in minutes with a custom cut frame for your “builder grade” sheet mirror already adhered to your wall.  It promises easy installation and instant results.  You could also have a glass company cut and install a simple mirror and then attach the Mirror Mate frame after the fact.   

Before…

After…

So to get the look like this bathroom by Betsy Burnham, would you try out Mirror Mate??

Cassandra, from Coco Kelly posed the question a while back, “where do you drape your jewels?” At the time my dresser was A MESS – costume jewelry everywhere with no attention paid to order or aesthetic.  Keeping all my costume pieces in tact is a challenge for me.  I needed to create an “organized mess.”  The first order of business was finding a large bust for {some} of my necklaces.  I found this one at the Wisteria Outlet in Dallas.  I still might prefer a white ceramic bust but I guess I’ll have to hold out on that one…  I’ve had the brown coral dish for a while, it just needed to be cleaned and “organized.”  I also already had this piece of faux coral from Pottery Barn, so I’ve been playing with draping some of my cocktail rings on it.

P.S. the bust scared the beegeebeez out of my dog…she barked at that thing for like an hour.  I do think she’s kind of creepy…I don’t really care for her expression.

This Gold Manzanita Tree is on my wish list…I could really use it for my earrings.

{picture from here}

{cute DIY tutorial here}

{love this photo from the late Blueprint…wish I could just drape like 5 necklaces – it looks better “styled” but is not my reality.}

Unfortunately I have no idea where I got this photograph, but what a glamorous site for stashing your jewels!

{Tia Zoldan as seen in Cottage Living May ’08}

To me, summer means spending lazy afternoons by the pool or at the beach!  Okay, so maybe in my summer fantasy.  When the day comes when we have a pool in our backyard I know the hunt for the perfect chaise lounge chairs will be daunting.  I decided to round up some of my favorites at all price points.

I just love this image above (seen in Trina Turk’s Schumacher ads)…a nice modern lounger with bright fabrics.

If money were no object, this would be my pick…the Cross Chaise by Janus et Cie.

Amalfi II by Janus et Cie

Catalina Chaise by Restoration Hardware

Nantucket Chaise by Restoration Hardware

Extra Wide Chesapeake Double Chaise by Pottery Barn

Lucca Chaise Lounge from DWR

Tumbona Chaise by Gandia Blasco

Soho Designer Chaise Lounge by Frontgate.

Wimbledon Sun Lounger by Gloster

For the budget minded…

I love the simple lines of the Wood-Slat Single Lounger from West Elm.

Roma Lounger from Target

Kona Pool Lounger from Cost Plus World Market

Do you feel like outdoor chaises are a splurge or save item?

Bachelors can be pretty fun to design for.  Once you’ve gained their trust, you can really get experimental with their space.  Let me tell you, once you have their undivided attention – they’re hooked!  I do know one Bachelor client who would call to confirm his sock choice before a date.

Steven Gambrel designs the perfect Bachelor apartments.  The closet above is AMAZING.  Masculine or not I would kill for that closet!    

Another Gambrel designed closet.  I picture this one for a more conservative investment banker type client.  When I design closets, I always like the cabinetry (when possible) to be 24″ deep.

 

This bedroom is just gorgeous.  I love the deep, moody tones contrasted with a warm caramel color. 

 

I wonder if the black lacquered walls with yellow ceiling was a tough sell. 

Here are a few more bachelor-chic images to get you in the mood (all photos via La Dolce Vita).