Houston Design Blog | Material Girls | Houston Interior Design

This weekend I flew to Oklahoma for a friend’s wedding.  Well, I just can’t go to Oklahoma City without a “quick” trip to my favorite store, Mockingbird Manor.  M.M. is a treasure trove of antique, vintage, and new finds displayed by various vendors but without the antique mall feel. The above picture is the of the entry (it is a converted house) and I wanted that parson’s desk soooo badly (alas it was already sold).

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I’d been itching to stop by Memorial Antiques and Interiors for some time, but naturally, what finally got me in there were the huge “SALE” signs in the windows.

Now that’s what I call an Antique Mall!  It is over 9,000 square feet with more than 45 antique dealers and decorators with their own vignettes, so come prepared to spend some time and $$$.

I really like the wall color in this vignette.

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I’m fresh off a trip to Sub-Zero’s fabulous Westye F. Bakke Training Center in Fitchburg, Wisconsin for a Designer Pow-Wow.  I thought I’d share a few photos because the center really is very inspiring.  Jamie Drake and famed Kitchen Designer Mick deGiulio were instrumental in the creating surroundings that are difficult to forget.  In the picture above you can see a Chihuly glass installation.  Each piece of glass was wrapped and shipped individually.  Two  Artisans flew in to actually create and install the pieces.  Below is another Chihuly installation, this time in Mick deGiulio’s “East Meets West” concept kitchen…

Innovative sink idea.  It looks as if Mick wrapped the sides of a Franke sink in granite…there was much debate as to how this was accomplished.  I’ll be trying it out on an upcoming project.

Jamie Drake’s sitting area of the”Fire and Ice” Dining Room…get it?? Wolf is the “fire” and Sub-Zero is the “ice.” He’s a clever one, that Jamie Drake.  Apparently, Jim Bakke, the President/CEO about flipped out when he saw the red striped venetian plaster walls with nothing else in the room (you really can’t tell from the picture how MUCH red there really is). Jamie Drake pulled through and now Mr. Bakke uses him on his personal residences.

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I was perusing the West Elm website after I spotted the bar tray table on I Suwannee

and found these little jewels…

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Jayson Home and Garden is having a pretty decent sale…here are my favorite furniture picks:

“Celeste” Settee $1299

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I stumbled upon this handy glossary while dinking around on the Williams Sonoma Home website. I have a feeling even the most professional of professionals stumble on their terminology from time to time. Thank you, WS Home!

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Upon learning that the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show was in Chicago I immediately started thinking about all the great Chicago shops I wanted to try to squeeze in (as if the show and parties wouldn’t keep me busy enough) and then it hit me, Jayson Home & Garden is in Chicago! I adore their website and was determined to get there no matter what! Three phone calls for directions (everyone was very helpful), one seedy city bus and one wobbly train ride later and I had actually made it. It is located in what seemed to be a very young, urban, hip part of Chicago- Lincoln Park. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint. Oh, and p.s. the CB2 is also in the neighborhood.

The eye candy that greets you at the front door… zebras, and greek key, and orchids oh my!

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I absolutely love getting new resources, especially since I have not lived in Houston very long. My friend, Katherine (shout out!) let me in on a now fairly well-known treasure trove…The Guild Shop. This is actually a consignment shop (with some donations) packed to the brim with anything and everything you can imagine…vintage jewels, purses, clothing, dishes, furniture, you get the drift. If you use your imagination you can really pull a “Ruthie” and make something fab out of something drab. Here are some of my finds…

Pair of Caned Chairs for $60…I think they could be so cute painted white with a fun graphic print.

Granite Table with Metal Base $450

Regency Chair, love the shape! $600

I normally do not care for sunburst mirrors, but for some reason I like this one, $150

Knoll side chair $150

The one that got away! NEVER walk away from something at a consignment shop! Chrome bar cart…$99 – no longer available

I picked up this pair of sconces for $90.

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