I’ve always been a fan of Pier 1 Imports.  Growing up as a small town boy, there weren’t too many places to chose from when it came to interior decor.  But, Waco did have a Pier 1 (and I believe they still do).  It was one of my favorite stores to go into growing up.  That’s right.  I could have cared less for the toy stores and the sports places, I wanted to go to Pier 1!

So, when Pier 1 contacted us to see if we would be interested in a $250 designer challenge to introduce a touch of autumn into an interior space, I was overly eager to accept the challenge, and get started!

Store Front

As soon as I wrapped up at the office for the day, I headed straight to the closest Pier 1 I knew of!

Fall Table Setting Supplies

Of course they have all of their new fall items out on display, including everything form fabulous pumpkins & fall leaves, to napkin rings and wine glasses.  All of which are available in every rustic autumn color you could imagine!

Chic Mirrored Furniture and Screen

I really liked this set up of a mirrored chest with the “blinged” out crystal and metallic owls!  Check out that divider screen!  Perfect for separating a single space into two, or, an interesting way to fill up some area and add dimension to a bare wall.

Dorothy Draper Style Chest

When I turned the corner and saw this, I was reminded how fashion forward Pier 1 is.  Dorothy Drapery style chests are a highly sought after commodity in the design world, and very few people can afford the real McCoy.   Pier 1 has created an excellent imitation of the Dorothy Draper “Espana Chest”, and check out that awesome price!

Pillow Wall

Accent pillows are a perfect way to spice up a sofa or a bed.  It’s also an easy way to create a color palate change that won’t break the bank.  With the endless color, pattern, and textures that Pier 1 offers with their pillow selection, you’ll definitely be able to find what you’re looking for!

Candles and Smell Good Wall

Who doesn’t love candles?  Pier 1 has an assortment of candles that come in every color under the sun to compliment any decor, and they have the best scents ever!

Clearance Items

Another great thing about Pier 1 is that every store always has a clearance section where you can really find some great stuff!  These prices just can’t be beat!

Now, back to the challenge…. I quickly decided after I arrived, that my front living room needed the most amount of attention, and is usually the first room guests enter when they come over.  My next step was figuring out how I was going to choose from so many decor options!

Checking Out with Candise

After I made my selections, the fabulous Candise helped me bring it all to the cash wrap, and began to ring up my items.  Thanks for all your awesome and friendly help Candise!

Below are the “before” shots of my front living room.  Notice that it doesn’t really have much life to it, and nothing really matches.

Before2

Before1

While I was at the store, I decided that I wanted to go outside of the box a little.  Sometimes, when you’re readying your home or a room for a new season, you don’t necessarily have to go with the obvious choices of decor.  Which in this case, would be the traditional fall leaves and gourds.  I chose to go a little more of a sophisticated route, choosing items that incorporated a fall color palate.  Here are the “after” photos:

After1

After2

After3

Clock

How awesome is this over-sized clock?!  The moment I saw it, I knew it would be the perfect focal point for the room!

Pillow Close Up

After4

I chose a rich rust colored velvet pillow to introduce an autumn color pallet.  This is accented by a striped velvet pillow with different shades of orange, and also shades of blue.  I always try to add an unexpected accent color when I can.  In this case, it ended up being a deep cobalt blue.  That shade of blue is really hot right now, and I just had to incorporate it!  Blue is also the complimentary color to orange, so I felt that it was an appropriate choice.  Just the pillows alone added much needed life to this room!  I also added a cobalt glass candle stick and ivory candle on one of the clustered tables in the center of the room.  I still can’t believe I found all this great stuff for only $250!

After I was finished with adding all my new wonderful autumn inspired items to my living room, I sat down at my desk, and realized that it too came from Pier 1!  Even the chair and cushion!  I guess it goes to show, I’m definitely a fan of Pier 1 Imports.

Desk

Be sure to head to your nearest Pier 1 store, and find some fall decor of your own to spice up your space!

Looking for a great way to get some awesome Pier One items in your house for FREE?  Email Emily your favorite Pier One accessory at [email protected] for your chance to win a $50 gift card to Pier One to deck out your pad for free!  The winner will be chosen at random.

Good Luck!

I’ve got to tell everyone out there about one of my favorite stores…. H&M!  The first time I had ever heard of it, or seen one, was while I was studying abroad in Spain the summer before my senior year at college.  I know, I know.  You’re probably thinking, “WHAT?! He had never heard of H&M before?!” However, keep in mind that I’m a country boy, and went to college at Baylor University, only 25 minutes from my home town.  So, needless to say, the only real shopping experience that equates to shopping mall doesn’t have much to offer.  Let alone something fabulous like H&M….. And, the best part about it is that it is SUPER affordable!  (and yes, if you’re wondering, I still have my first purchase from H&M in Spain, a shirt and some pants). Boy was I disappointed when I got back to states to find out that the clothes I brought back from H&M in Europe, were the same things on the rack in the stores here.  Oh well.

HM

 

About a year or two ago, H&M finally moved to Dallas!  Praise be to the fashion gods and my wallet! And now, (hold your horses, it gets better)…. they now carry a home goods line!!! Have I died and gone to fashion and home decor heaven?!

RoseGoldandBlack

You just can’t beat the all time classic black and white.  Ever.  It never will never go out of style, whether in your home or in your closet.  I love this little twist of rose-gold for an accent color.  It’s a little more exciting than the normal yellow gold or silver you might expect.  A great way to mix up a classic in a fun chic way! ‘Im completely loving the textured black leather accent pillow and the rose-gold candle holder!

 

Fall

Don’t forget that even though it’s hotter than blue blazes outside, Autumn is right around the corner! (and can’t come fast enough for those of us who live in Texas!)  When it does finally cool down, you’ll find me curled up in this fabulous Native American print throw blanket and lounging against that awesome cable knit pillow.  Chances are, I’ll have all three of the “Love”, “Joy”, and “Peace” candles burning at the same time, pretending I’ve got my own little chic campfire going on right in my living room!

 

Gold

This little number says “Watch out boys!”  The fierce look of black and gold is timeless, and definitively screams glamour and power all at the same time!

Emerald

They’ve even got bath accessories!  I’m loving the clean ivory ceramic containers with French lingo scrawled in a beautiful script.  I totally don’t speak French, but all of this is definitely “Oooh La La!”

Tonight I had another wonderful shopping experience at Target (much less to my husband’s chagrin).  Ben and I have always had opposing views on Tarjay (so much that it’s become a running joke around here) and I always get “the look” when I announce my departure for the red bullseye building of amazingness.

Ben thinks it’s out of the ordinary that I go to Target so often and not to mention, spend hours upon hours there (is it so bad that Target is one of my hobbies?) He doesn’t understand why I can’t go to Walmart (it’s that darn lighting) or The Dollar Store (just not enough options) and price compare every single one of my toiletries…or better yet he wonders- “why do you even need all those toiletries?  You need contact disinfectant AND solution??”

But alas, I admit, Target for me is the experience.  It’s the fact that I can toiletry shop, clothes shop, accessory shop and home shop (while picking up my groceries).  Target is probably one of my top ten favorite places in the world (it’s a close tie with Paris) and it’s become a family outing for my sisters, mom and I to “go to Target” on the weekend.  I mean come on, who doesn’t need stuff that they really don’t need?

So on each Target visit, I manage to discover SOMETHING new that I can take home with me and prove to Ben why Target is so great- whether it’s Nate Berkus’ new home line, a nifty pet lint brush, or disposable hand towels, Target is my place!

Tonight I discovered Threshold.  Maybe it’s an old brand there, maybe it’s brand spanking new, all I know is that this home brand never jumped out at me before like it did tonight.  I LOVED the concept of each one of their items.  They are the perfect pieces for an apartment or a smaller first home. My only complaint would be that I wish I could enlarge their pillows and end tables two or three sizes. They were quite small and really short, but the designs were so fun, I had to share!

I loved the design of the white mirror below.  Also, the navy and white throw pillow with the greek key tape trim pattern was so chic!  Like I said though, I like my pillows BIG and if this pillow was a 22″ or a 24″ square instead, I would have scooped it up in a heartbeat.  But really who am I to complain, custom pillows with tape trim in this design can be a pretty penny in general, so I was really impressed that they offered this design at such a low price (no matter what size it was)!

The colors and patterns that they use are so fun.  I loved the little white bird canisters and chevron storage bins.

I would totally use these mirrored cabinets or tables if they were taller but they were just too short to be level with a regular height mattress or sofa arm.  I could see them being used in a smaller space like an apartment or a stylish kids room.

I thought this coral lamp was really punchy and could bring a lot of energy to a room-

(notice how they also have tape trimmed lamp shades too for all of your naked lamps at home)

 

I thought these metal tables were cute for only $69!  They reminded me a lot of Arteriors’ hammered metal accent tables which are a lot more expensive.

Ok how adorable is this coral x bench (WITH contrast white cord included already)?! Hello faux custom! I wish I had a place for this…

And this geometric painted tray….sorry for the horrible photo with the lovely Armstrong tiles in the background a la Target…but this one was an amazing find because it can be so hard to find a good tray (a square one especially).  I could see this on an upholstered ottoman (posing as a coffee table) with lots of pretty accessories gathered in it….books, bowl, vase….I can see it now!

Hope you enjoyed the new Threshold line!  Collections like these make shopping for contact solution so much more enjoyable! 😉

One of my favorite Christmas past times is driving around looking at all the Christmas lights this time of year.  When I was little, my parents would take my brothers and I out for a drive to look at all the holiday decorations and lights in neighbors’ front yards.  I’ve managed to keep the tradition each year, even if it’s just me driving around by myself, or with my partner Tim, or with a car load of family and friends!  I always bring along hot chocolate, and tune in to the best Christmas radio station I can find!  Here’s a few houses in my neighborhood of the Kessler Park area in Dallas this year that went all out for Christmas!

 Holy mistletoe Santa! What have you been feeding those reindeer this year?!  Prancer is as big as a house!

I love how this homeowner mixed blue and white LED lights to create a frosty look!  Well done!

Nice pose Frosty!

This is one of my favorite homes during the holidays.  I’m a sucker for traditional Christmas decor.  I just love the green lights with a few sprinkles of red, and that big gorgeous tree in the bay window is dynamite!  I’m in love with the use of their garlands and wreaths!

If you’re unable to string lights around your house and roof line, do what this person did!  They created a great little Christmas scene right on their fence!

There’s no need to explain this one… it’s already spelled out for me!

This house I found to be a little original.  Instead of stringing lights along their steep pitched roof with the complicated numerous lines of their eaves, they hung lit ornaments in their trees instead! Genius!

You just can’t help but love the simple elegance of the homes that are trimmed in clean white lights.  If you’re concerned about taking away from any architectural embellishments or features of your house, this is a great solution to accentuate them!

Check out these cozy little cottages!  Don’t they just look warm and inviting?! It’s like a ginger bread house come to life!

And now for the moment you’ve all been waiting for! The piece de resistance, the cherry on the cake, the STAR atop the tree! In Emily’s neighborhood each year, a true lover of all holidays, Liz Simmons, decorates her home to the max! Just take a look at this beauty!

Now when I say Liz is a true lover of the holidays, you can see what I mean!  This awesome display is made up of over 100,000 lights!  Liz powers so many lights, that she had to hire an electrician to install a separate 200-amp electrical panel just to handle the load from all those lights!  If it weren’t for the additional electrical panel, her lights would cause an electrical surge and it would black out Emily’s whole neighborhood! All that extra power comes with a price tag too.  Liz reports that her monthly electrical bill is three times larger than her normal billing.  Sporting an entire brigade of Santas, snowmen, penguins, and other holiday creatures, Liz’s house just can’t be missed!

Here’s a picture of Liz herself dressed as an elf at the annual Christmas block party! To read more about Liz and her awesomely extreme holiday exterior decor, click here!

After telling my father in law that I was on the hunt for a vintage sputnik fixture, it wasn’t more than two weeks before he texted me with a photo saying “Sputnik complete. Buy of the day.”  He found it at the Goodwill Auction in Athens, Texas for…..drumroll….$40!

In the past, he’s bought me a pair of bamboo chairs for $10, a glass top for my bamboo patio set for $15- all from either the local auction or garage sales.  The moral of this story is that you never know what you’ll find at these types of places.  One man’s trash could be another woman’s treasure (ie: me!) and I’ve never felt apprehension about parking my car on the side of the road and venturing into an unknown thrift store, consignment shop, garage sale, estate sale, or the like.

Last night I thought it might be helpful if I sent my father in law a list of the vintage pieces that I’m always on the lookout for (since apparently he is my good luck charm)..a vintage dictionary of sorts.  As I start typing out a LONG list of 25+ things with descriptions on each, (and wanting to send the list to everyone I know so they could be on the lookout too) I realize that there might even be people out there stumbling upon these pieces at garage sales, without even knowing their worth.

{image via Again and Again}

So without further ado, here’s my list of “trendy” vintage items that are hot hot hot right now! If you see one of these for $10 at a garage sale, it would be wise to throw it in the back of your truck bed and never look back..seriously….I guarantee that there are a bunch of people out there who will be glad to take it off your hands!

{All image examples via Circa Who, Again and Again and Gypsy Soul Interiors– just a few of my favorite go-to vintage sources. Circa Who- please move to Dallas!}

1) Faux bamboo- I’ve never met a piece of bamboo furniture that I didn’t like.  I often call myself the “bamboo” lady.  I love bamboo pieces because they are easily paintable and look awesome in bright colors.  Dressers, nightstands, armoires, dining and patio sets- you name it. Faux bamboo is everywhere now! Especially in my house.  I would say out of everything on this list, faux bamboo detailing is probably the easiest to find.

 

 I have this same style of patio set (and painted it glossy blue gray)- best find ever. Thanks Christian!

Circa Who has a set in this style as we speak!

2) Lucite/acrylic– This clear material can go by either name but I find that it’s most commonly referred to as lucite.  Lucite can be found in both furniture and lighting.  Finding acrylic is like finding GOLD! Snatch. It. Up.   Whether the whole thing is acrylic or just the legs/base, I’ve discovered that people are okay with even the slightest bit of acrylic heaven!  Post something on Craigs List with lucite in the name and it is gone in a flash! The ghost chairs of course are some of the most widely known acrylic pieces but as much as I love them, I’m partial to unique vintage lucite pieces.

Oftentimes, you will see people selling just the lucite base of a coffee table or dining table on Ebay or what not.  It’s so easy and affordable to get a glass top cut for one so definitely don’t overlook those pieces that solely include the base!

3) Rattan- It has a similar look to bamboo and is made up of stems of a palm.  I’m actually looking for a rattan hall tree at the moment with very specific dimensions which has been hard to find.  I saw one in Canton a while back and my husband convinced me not to buy it- the one time I listened to him, it definitely backfired on me! Rattan also makes great patio chairs like these below.

4) Elephant Garden Seats- People love these little whimsical garden stools and planters. I’ve always been a little on the fence about these. I think they are fun but I know if I brought one home Ben would give me the “why” look times a thousand..

5) Black lacquer ming chairs or ming style of furniture– People die over the black lacquered ming chairs! A pair will often go for $800-900.  I wish I had somewhere to put these in our house….still trying to make room!

6) Dorothy Draper chest- I’d sell my first born for one of these.  You will come across the Dorothy Draper impostors and the true Dorothy Draper’s. The impostors can go for $750 and the real ones in the thousands. A pair of these can be hard to find! Not too long ago I saw a pair on Dallas’ 24-7 estate sales website and so I raced to get to the estate sale right when it opened and the lady there told me that they were gone…someone had camped out in front of the sale since 2:30 AM waiting for them!! Although I pine for a pair of these chests, my beauty sleep is a little more important.

7) Pagoda- anything “pagoda”- esque goes- light fixtures, mirrors etc. Gold, white or a bright color is always nice!

8) Fretwork– Snatch up anything with fretwork on it!  You usually see this interlaced detailing on cabinets, armoires, and dining tables.  I saw a big white rectangular fretwork dining table at a warehouse sale a while back for pennies and was so sad that it wouldn’t fit in the EJ Interiors office.  Maybe it was a sign I didn’t need another vintage piece!

9) Caning- I personally love anything with caning. My dining chairs have cane backs and I love them, but you do have to be careful that you don’t lean too far back into them (I have stretched a cane back or two). My favorite are cane back benches…

Bamboo AND Caning combo?  Cha ching!

10) Wicker or fiberglass fan chairs- I have a pair of these in my backyard (courtesy of Gypsy Soul).  They have such a great shape to them. My fiberglass ones survived the legendary Dallas hailstorm in June so I’d say they are pretty sturdy little things!

11) Blue and white porcelain- Timeless. Enough said.

12) French Louis chairs- These have caning which I love, but the most sought after ones have an upholstered back with either a round or square shape.  The square ones can be especially hard to find!

13) X benches- A pair of these is definitely worth picking up! Most of the time they are all upholstered, but sometimes only the top is upholstered and the base is metal or wood.

14) Shell back chairs- ever since I saw one of these chairs in Leslie Pritchard’s home (of Again and Again), I have daydreams about these!  When I saw six of them on Circa Who’s website, I was like a kid in a candy shop.

15) Brass- It seems most of my clients either lean one way or the other- silver or gold.  I tend to gravitate towards gold.  Anything with brass is a must in my book!

 
16) Mirrored- I always say that every space needs a touch of mirror. I have a hard time finding vintage mirrored pieces (I find more new mirrored pieces) so it’s extremely exciting to stumble upon something like this every now and then-

 

17) Bar carts- Finding my $40 brass bar cart was the highlight of my year!  People LOVE the brass bamboo ones, but lucite bar carts and chrome bar carts are also other bar cart must haves.

 

18) Greek key- I know it’s something we see everywhere, but greek key still seems to be going strong!  I especially heart a pair of greek key wooden nightstands like so-

19) Elephant desks or elephant consoles- People go nutty for these consoles and desks with elephants on the legs!  I must say…I’ve always wanted one! My favorite is when they lacquer them a bright orange.

 

20)  Tassel or rope detailing- on furniture/mirrors is very popular right now!  We’ve blogged about this before but this motif seems to be here to stay!

21) Animals- are the perfect home accessory!  Elephants, greyhounds, foo dogs, owls, lions, horses, zebras- you name it! These adorable creatures are definitely man’s best home decor friend-

22) Garden stools- it can be hard to find a good vintage garden stool (especially a pair of them!) You often see them in ceramic or metallic form.

23) Campaign furniture- How to identify these?  From the brass hardware.  The burl wood is more desirable than the oak but both make pretty statement pieces and can always be lacquered up in a heartbeat!

24) Fiberglass outdoor dining set- These are so adorable and are a great space saver (with their small chairs and round table) for small backyards/patios.

25) Quatrefoil- This motif (aka the four leaf clover) can turn an otherwise basic furniture piece into a true gem!  Gypsy Soul had this super cute wooden chair with quatrefoil accents.

26) Faux bois- Love a good faux bois detail! It always looks great on a dining chair or arm chair.  Look at these with cane- perfection!

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”!

“Why put off buying today, what you can sell tomorrow?” (is my new personal slogan).  It’s a revolving door over here at casa de Larkin.  It’s not uncommon for me to buy something and then the next week it shows up on Craig’s List.  I just can’t stop myself- I have furniture and accessory A.D.D.  I will buy something vintage and then get sick of it before I even have an opportunity to recover it.  With the new house, the addiction has only gotten worse.   I’m constantly lurking on Craig’s List, Ebay, estate sales, thrift stores, vintage shops, 1st Monday at the WTC, warehouse and sample sales for that unique find.  It’s gotten so bad that I just realized my whole house is filled with faux bamboo and I’m starting to look like the crazy “bamboo” lady. If you are interested in taking any of these off my hands, please email for pricing, availability and condition (I may have more photos too)!  (I’ll also post them on a link on the Dallas page)

 {Abstract giclee art from Dallas design district.  Framed in brushed nickel frame. 49.5″W x 73″H}

 

 {PAIR of vintage  butterfly back chairs- approximately 30″w x 25″d}

 

{Vintage white faux bamboo dresser with gold hardware- 54″w x 20″d}

{Abstract giclee art from Dallas design district- framed in black frame- 31.5″ square}

{Global Views faux malachite magazine holder from Dallas design district- never been used- 20″L x 14″W x 20″H)

{Pair of 24″ square pillows with Duralee artichoke print- green and gray; One rectangular gray/white greek key pillow in Duralee fabric}

{Vintage desk/vanity chair- needs to be re upholstered and legs re painted}

{Amazing octagonal mirror upholstered in light creamy taupe fabric with gold nailheads- 42″ x 42″.  Antiquing on mirror}

Close up below-

{Global Views drum shades- set of TWO white shades with gray trim- will sell separately- 25″dia x 12″h}

Can easily make them into gorgeous chandeliers! (this is what it looks like made into a light fixture)

{Gorgeous beveled Horchow mirror- fell off my wall so has two cracks on front and one on each side- but should be repairable.  Selling it for super cheap!- 32″w x 47″h}

{Pair of mercury glass lamps with white shade- 15x10L- shade size x 24″H}

{Wood pedestal table-  22″dia x 26.5″ h}

{Highland Court/Duralee fabric- blue and white ikat- 1.5 yards}

{Curvy/glossy black vase- 12″w x 14″h}

{White armoire with acrylic Anthropologie hardware- probably needs to be re-painted- 82″h x 41″w x 23″d}

{Dark wood floor length mirror- 18″d x 26″w x 70″h}

{Set of three tall jewel tone vases- will sell separately- Green- 19″h; teal- 22″h}

{Fairly new CB2 Acrylic Counter Stool- 16″L x 16″W x 33.5″H- Seat height- 23″H}

{Craft desk- dark espresso- very similar to the craft desk they sell at Pottery Barn- 48″L x 30″W x 36.5″H; Accomodates one counter stool}

{Small sunburst mirror- 14″dia}

{5 yards of Pindler and Pindler gray-blue linen fabric- from the Dallas design district- 54″ wide- still in its original packaging!}

{Global Views- turquoise oblong shaped bowl- 24.5″L x 7.5″W x 8″H}

{Vintage plates from Roundtop- a PAIR}

Also selling- two Pottery Barn natural rugs.  One is a 5×8 seagrass rug with neutral border and the other one is a 5×8 sisal rug with a black border, black iron patio dining set, tv stand, TV, white outdoor rocking chairs, wood table desk and more fabrics!

There’s a lot more where this came from…email if you need something specific. You never know, it may be collecting dust in my garage!

Although it’s fun to keep up-to-date with the latest and greatest in design trends, it sometimes pays off to look into the past for a little inspiration.

Campaign furniture as we know it has been in use since the traveling armies of Julius Caesar, but is most commonly associated with the British Armed Forces. Why the war-time trend? Because that’s where the ‘campaign’ name comes from.

 

 

Considered to be any type of furniture made to be easily broken down or folded for easy transportation, campaign furniture was initially designed for armies to pack up and carry with them on their marches. Demand for these portable pieces increased in 18th and 19th century England but now you’ll find them all over the globe (including in Dallas, on Craig’s List)!

A few weeks ago I stumbled upon an extremely affordable and chic campaign desk on Craig’s List that just needed a little bit of extra TLC. I had been wanting a piece of campaign furniture for a long time, but hadn’t come across “the one” yet.  Since we are moving into a new office and need another unique desk (I’m not one to buy office furniture from IKEA), I snatched this up from sweet Bonnie and immediately started searching for painted campaign inspiration.

{Desk looks very similar to this one here}

While the most common item of campaign furniture is actually not the desk but the traditional chest of drawers (also referred to as a military chest or campaign chest). These campaign cuties come in so many different shapes and sizes, the options are endless. Campaign furniture is most often made of mahogany or teak, and can be easy to distinguish because of their recognizable folding places, but others only have their standard brass corners and strap work (originally used for travel protection).

We love their worldly feel, and even though you may not be packing up your entire set of drawers for your next road trip, these pictures of inspiration show that you can still have lots of fun with them.

This kelly green painted campaign dresser quickly became an internet sensation-

 

Are these nightstands brown or black? I can’t tell…either way, I’m in love!

 

This deep blue color is stunning!

 

Other kelly green beauties…

 

Classic white paint always looks good and boy does it make the gold hardware pop!

Ok I don’t know if it’s the gold chair with the zebra print or what, but I’m completely obsessed with this set up here-

Va va voom coral!

This turquoise color is nice and fresh! Notice the black top for contrast…

And the best of every world- multi-colored campaign!

There are so many color options out there! Now I ask you dear readers, what color do you think I should paint mine? Leave a comment if you have a favorite bright furniture paint..would love to get your opinions!

This past weekend we participated in the Hope for the Holidays event with Catholic Charities.

Pettigrew Associates in the Dallas Design District was kind enough to host the event at their fabulous new showroom off of Market Center Boulevard.

Back in September, we were asked by Catholic Charities to select a few pieces from their World of Goods store and revamp them using paint, fabric and other materials.  We love a fun vintage “Before and After” and also helping out a good cause, so of course we were more than thrilled to participate!

With the painting expertise of RetroChic Renovations, the upholstery skills of M&M Upholstery, and the mirror knowledge of Alamo Glass, we were able to take these pieces from old and worn to modern and fresh!

BEFORE-

AFTER-

BEFORE-

AFTER-

AFTER-

BEFORE-

AFTER-

(All furniture pieces are available for purchase via Catholic Charities, so email us if you are interested!)

EJ Interiors was also asked to decorate a Christmas tree in the theme of our choice that was to be auctioned off the night of the event. Our “Hollywood Regency Holiday Tree” incorporated a chartreuse and white geometric printed skirt, gold peacock feathers, damask ribbon, and an assortment of funky decorations including- white feathers, gold and silver sunbursts, crystal droplets, solid chartreuse, mercury glass, pearl and mirrored ornaments. We were lucky to find the “tree topper” at West Elm which we had created using silver feather-like fans.

On Friday afternoon, we toured the new Pettigrew showroom, which had lots of amazing abstract art, incredible chandeliers, rock crystal accessories, and luxurious pieces of furniture. I loved their mix of traditional and modern in each vignette.

The best part of all, is that Pettigrew makes their own lighting! We went back to the shop where all the magic happens. They showed us a chandelier from England that they are currently working on for a client in Dallas. The scale of it was pretty amazing. Taylor is standing next to it (so you can really see how humongous this thing was!) Now if only we could see the house that this incredibly tall piece is going in….

Some more of their lighting. Isn’t the piece on the right gorgeous?

If you are a local interior designer and haven’t visited Pettigrew’s new showroom yet, it’s a must! It’s a great trade resource for clients with lots of unique and diverse pieces!

1805 Market Center Boulevard, Dallas, 75207

Now that we have entered the month of November… tasty holiday drinks are back on the menu, stores are stocking shelves with holiday decorations, and it is finally time for the once-a-year Dallas Sample Sale!! Trust us you don’t want to miss it!

This fabulous event starts with a preview night this Thursday, November 3rd, from 6-9 p.m. and lasts all weekend! The Dallas Sample Sale takes place at the Dallas Market Center (see directions here).  This is your chance to get a head start on all of your holiday shopping and get amazing gifts at wholesale prices! There is something for everyone on your list… Jewelry, toys, children’s clothing, home accessories, holiday decorations, furniture… you name it there’s a showroom for it!

Also, the Salvation Army Angel Tree program will kick-off during the preview event on Thursday! Shoppers can make selections for their angel and drop them off that night, if they’d like!

The sale takes place Thursday evening from 6-9 p.m., Friday-Saturday 10 a.m.-7 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Last year’s sale drew more than 15,000 people! Tickets are only $20 at the door so don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity! See you there!