Dallas Blog | Material Girls | Dallas Interior Design

One of my all time favorite movies ever is 9 to 5.  How can you not just love Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda, and Lily Tomlin?  I could seriously watch this movie every week!

I’ve been thinking about how these stellar heroines transform their working atmosphere by the end of the film.  They’ve been on my mind a lot lately, as we’ve been workin’ 9 to 5 (and then some), on tons of home offices for clients these past few months.  I’ve always believed that people work more efficiently in an environment that they’re comfortable in, so for me, an office full of  personal touches and some glam elements makes me work that much harder!

Our clients must be thinking the same thing because, they also want colorful inspiring environments to work in and we are having a blast designing them.

So without further ado…. meet our seven most recent office designs (including our own!).  All of these designs rock a different color scheme and have their own unique personality.

NAVY/SLATE/ORANGE/WHITE-

We knew from the start that we wanted deep rich navy walls in this home office and so when we found Oscar de la Renta’s amazing grosgrain ribbon fabric at Lee Jofa, it was love at first sight.  This gorgeous silk fabric comprised of slate blue, navy and white was the perfect fabric to pull everything together.  We added splashes of orange through her vintage butterfly chairs and abstract artwork while incorporating a gorgeous carrarra marble countertop desk and custom metallic snakeskin swivel chairs. The big gold sconces from Global Views and stone lamps from Currey and Company were a no brainer in this room!

GRAY/BLACK/WHITE/GOLD/PUTTY-

This client wanted a calming color palette that would flow with the rest of her house so gray, putty, white, black and gold immediately came to mind.  She had an existing black and white zebra rug that we were to incorporate over a sisal rug as well as beautiful white built-ins.  We found a scrolly Lee Jofa fabric that screamed perfect (there is that Lee Jofa fabric saving the day once again!) and we decided to do this fabric on the backs of two rounded French Louis desk chairs.  When you walk in, the patterned backs are the first thing you see which makes for a really dramatic entrance. We paired the French chairs with a modern lacquered lucite desk (love the juxtaposition here) as well as custom greek key pillows, mirrored twig tables, and a gray tufted settee. This one will be installed soon- I cannot wait!

BLACK/WHITE/BROWN/GRAY/BLUE/GREEN-

This office was also a lot of fun to work on because it was for a client’s commercial office.  This was his personal office and as a home builder, we wanted him to have a very aesthetically pleasing space with lots of cool pieces to reflect his taste as a builder.  We used items that had a slightly masculine mid century modern feel to them.  Most pieces were neutral and then we added a pop of color in the large scale artwork.  We made sure all of his neutral pieces had a lot of texture to them- zebra wood, cowhide, rippled leather, etc so it would keep your eye wandering from one piece to the next! How fabulous are those cowhide arm chairs from Palecek?

 

CHARCOAL/GOLD/TAUPE/CREAM/PLUM:

This office couldn’t be more of a focal point in this client’s home..it is the first thing you see when you walk up the stairs so of course, it had to be eye catching and fabulous!  We love this office because it’s traditional and classic, but with a contemporary twist!  I’m obsessed with the moroccan drapery fabric at top left and the tufted velvet gray sitting chairs.  Of course no office is complete without a wall mounted set of horns (for those UT longhorn grads)!  We picked up on the deep purple through the abstract landscapes from W King Ambler and were over the moon when we found this gold and black funky sunburst from Cyan. It’s a perfect marriage of masculine and feminine pieces- an office space that works for both hubbie and wife!

DEEP TEAL GREEN/CREAM/CHARTREUSE/CHOCOLATE BROWN/GOLD-

This office was a more of a library/sitting room area (not your typical desk/desk chair set up).  We painted the walls a deep green and incorporated four small cozy wingback chairs for curling up with a good book. I could stare at those Russian landscape art all day- they are some of my favorite prints!  This office was super calming but also really cozy.

 

GRAY/BLACK/CHARCOAL/GOLD/CREAM/BUTTERY YELLOW-

This office was definitely on the more dramatic and glammy side!  We incorporated a dark manly desk with modern artwork behind it.  The mirrored credenza was my favorite piece (actually, it’s a toss up between that and the herringbone patterned cowhide rug) And take a look at those lamps with the black shades from Arteriors- love!! We need those for our own office.  The sea urchin wall art from Global Views completes the look.

TEAL/BLACK/WHITE/WARM WOODS/DEEP PINK/GOLD/EMERALD GREEN-

And last but not least…I’ve also been working on my own office!  I bought some new wall art while I was in Roundtop this week and I can’t wait to get it framed and up on the wall!  We also just had wall to wall seagrass put on the stairs, as well as the second floor!  I had the pink terracotta tiles downstairs painted white, (thanks Kelly Wearstler for the inspiration)  Now we’re just waiting for our deep teal morroccan style rug to come in!  We bought the gold Indian “hand” to hold our business cards (thanks Scout!) and will eventually do a gallery wall up the stairs. I randomly found some gorgeous acrylic and glass lamps from Home Goods for $49 each (who would have thought?) and am now just waiting on a black Dorothy Draper chest to magically appear at my local consignment shop so we can snatch it up and have a pretty place to hold our printer paper (who are we kidding?)

Hope you enjoyed our office design tour. And now off to utilize our own office design some more…with some late night work!

Traveling internationally used to be so glamorous.  I loved ABC’s TV show Pan Am, even though it only aired for a short while.  It depicted what traveling in style used to be.  I’ve always enjoyed travel, and the thoughts and possibilities of adventures and fabulous things that await in far off lands.  A few years ago I went to the movies with one of my best girlfriends, Katelin, and watched Sex and the City 2.  I was mesmerized by their flight to Abu Dhabi, and the airline they flew on….. Emirates!  I immediately had to find out all about it!  As it turns out, Emirates (I believe anyways) is the most fabulous airline in the world.  It’s reminiscent of Pan Am in it’s glory days, and they definitely bring back all the glitz and glam to international travel!

My Partner Tim flew to India two weeks ago, to start our journey into fatherhood.  He was there to meet with doctors, our egg donor, and surrogate.  Back in November, we were looking at flights for him.  I was shocked to find out that for just a little bit more than other airlines, he could fly Emirates!  Boy, was I jealous….big time!  The cabin design and amenities are incredible, and seem to be limitless!

This is the flight crew.  They dress in this uniform for every flight.  When I went to pick Tim up from the airport on his arrival back to Dallas, I got to see them get off the plane and exit the gate.  They all walked in perfect unison, and looked immaculate after working a 16 hour flight!  Not a wrinkle to be found on their uniforms and not a hair out of place, or a stitch of makeup smudged!  They even carried their matching purses all on the same shoulder!

Just take a look at the first class cabins!  Everything is trimmed in gold, and there’s burled walnut everywhere!  Each cabin encloses with sliding doors for privacy.  Check out the built in mini fridge!

The design of the first class cabin is really extraordinary.  It makes you feel like you have your own little hotel room in the sky.  Check out the cute little lamps they all have!

Each seat is designed to pull out into a small bed for sleeping.  Just ask one of the ladies of the flight crew, and they’ll bring out your sheets and make your bed up for you when you’re ready to call it a night!

Of course Kim flies Emirates!  She looks comfy and ready for her flight to Dubai!

Here’s Carrie and Samantha having a little chat and admiring their luxurious surroundings.

Need to relax?  Enjoy a cosmo at the in-flight bar and lounge!  All drinks are complimentary!

The in-flight bar and lounge appears to be super swanky considering it’s on an airplane!  It’s sleek design and attention to detail make it a beautiful place to relax and visit with fellow travelers while your flying to your destination.

And yes, you guessed it… There’s even a spa on the plane! A far cry from the tiny bathrooms that we’re used to on most aircrafts.  I don’t even think my bathroom at home has lighting this good!  It really is just like a flying hotel!

Business class isn’t too shabby either!  You can still fully lounge back in a large comfy seat and watch TV all the way to your final destination.  There’s plenty of storage built in for your carry on and other personals, as well as a large pull out desk area to catch up on any work while you’re in the air, need to email or chat via the web?  It’s no problem with complementary WiFi!

 It amazes me how they can get so much on something that flies 43,000 feet up in the sky!

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.

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.

For the past month, we’ve been hard at work on a vignette for Dwell with Dignity’s new Thrift Studio store which just opened up in the design district here in Dallas.  Five local designers were asked to plan out a room vignette using Dwell’s vintage furniture and accessories from their warehouse, as well as other donations from the design community.  We had so much fun on this project because it was different from any other project we had done before. We really had to stretch our creativity on this one! We had a really short time to complete it in, limited resources, and virtually no budget, but we were definitely up for the challenge!

Taking this lackluster space from this-

{Before}

To this- in just a couple of weeks was a little bit of a stretch for EJ Interiors but somehow we managed to pull it off!

{After- EJ Interiors’ dining room vignette for Dwell with Dignity’s Thrift Studio opening}

Our room centered around bold orange and turquoise. The inspiration? A pair of these adorable chairs that we managed to dig up in Dwell’s warehouse…

The process was so unique that I had to take some photos along the way to document our Dwell journey!

Phase 1- All of the designers meet at Dwell’s warehouse to grab the pieces they want to use for their vignette.  I put everything in my little pile that could be a possibility for the space.  Now the question is- what in the world am I going to do with it all?

Phase 2- There was a lot to do in a little amount of time.  Since most of the things in the warehouse were older items, I knew that re-upholstering and re-painting furniture had to happen..and quick!

I couldn’t believe my luck in finding these four matching chairs in the warehouse…

And  then I was even more shocked to find the perfect turquoise fabrics hidden in a corner…

It was meant to be!

M&M Upholstery donated the upholstery labor and Nicole Horne of Modern Relics donated the painting labor for the chairs…what a fantastic team they made!

Phase 3- Time to get the room painted!  Twenty five Neiman Marcus volunteers came out to help us get our rooms ready and I must say that I couldn’t have done it without them!  They quickly helped my vision come to life and did such a great job painting the walls and trim.

I loved our little team! If any of you are reading this, thank you again so much!

The Thrift Studio starts coming together…

Loved the entrance!

Ok we are making some progress..drapes are almost up!

Phase Four- Completion! Everything is in place for the sneak preview party and so now we just wait for people to shop, shop, shop!

For those of you that weren’t able to make it for the great deals at the preview party last Friday, not to worry because the Thrift Studio pop up shop is open from now until October 29th- Monday through Saturday 10-5:30 pm at 1616 Hi Line Drive in Dallas.

So many great deals to be had and such an amazing way to help out a good cause!

So many volunteers helped make the Dwell with Dignity event such a success.  Thank you again!  Some of the sources below..

{Royal Old Fashioned Tumblers- Wisteria Outlet}

{Mirror- taken off from an old dresser and re purposed for the buffet.  Christian at Think Twice kindly helped us hang the mirror by decorative gold chain}

{Bust- Pettigrew Associates}

{Pedestal- Dwell with Dignity}

{Custom white drapes with turquoise band on leading edge- Stitches by Carmen; wood drapery rods- Williamson Supply}

{Crystal Sconce- Dwell with Dignity}

{Vintage Gucci bag- Dwell with Dignity}

{Painted brackets from Hobby Lobby, vintage New Orleans prints, wall sunbursts, antler horns- EJ Interiors}

{Chandelier- Visual Comfort, Taylors on Ten}

{Wall Color- Benjamin Moore paint}

{Flatware, dishes, wine glasses, decorative bowls- Dwell with Dignity}

{Dining table- Dwell with Dignity- base painted orange}

{Mercury glass vase- EJ Interiors}

{Sticks in vase- found in a pile of bulk trash-no kidding 😉 EJ Interiors}

{Chaise lounge- Dwell with Dignity- repainted creamy white}

{Custom 18″ pillow- Trina Turk fabric; chaise upholstery- Childress leopard print fabric- EJ Interiors}

{6×9 Sisal rug- Dwell with Dignity}

Photos by: Fort Worth Real Estate Photography

Yesterday marked the three month anniversary of being in the new office space.  It’s hard to believe that ninety days have gone by and I still have a  mishmash of furniture in there.  As a designer, this normally is something that would drive me completely bonkers, but we’ve been running around so much these past few months that we’ve barely had time to notice.

{the big blank space}

Last night I finally got serious about purchasing some new office furniture.  I did some extensive research and discovered that a lot of people were giving the CB2 Bubble White Office Chair really good reviews so I took the plunge and ordered one for Taylor’s desk.  Of course, then I stumbled upon the CB2 Vapor Counter Stool and its acrylic good looks (and the fact that I had been borrowing my sister’s stool for my craft desk) had me at first glance.  Before you knew it, the darned thing was in my shopping cart too!

A few Crate and Barrel gift cards later, my order was processed.  Mission accomplished!

But wait- blank walls, a counter stool that practically disappears into thin air and a white desk chair didn’t scream “interior design office'” to me.  It was more along the lines of “chic sterile hospital”.

Luckily, visions of kelly green and shiny metallics started to pop into my head and soon after, this inspiration board was born-

Now for the reality of it all- (what I have and what I still need to make this happen)

HAVE:

• My own desk chair is currently upholstered in the blue Duralee geometric printed fabric and sits in front of a glass and chrome sawhorse desk.
• The artwork above that used to be in my home, is a perfect way to incorporate the color from my desk chair fabric as well as bring in the jolt of kelly green.   I also love how the black and cream in the art provides a nice graphic punch.
• I had the EJ Interiors logo bags made for client projects (off Vista Print) and staggered about twenty of them on Container Store brushed nickel hooks down a long, unused and really boring hallway when you first walk in the door.  You’d be surprised how interesting this looks with the repeated logo coming down the hallway.

NEED

• Touches of metallic in mirrors and furniture hardware
• A smidgen of animal print- like Jan Shower’s favorite Snow Leopard fabric
• Would like to paint Taylor’s desk a funky Kelly green color with brass hardware
• Would love to eventually have more comfy seating- four lounge chairs sitting around a round coffee table
• A very large sisal rug

We desperately need a little more color and pattern in this place.  All in due time I suppose!

But for now I’ll just have to settle with this black and white printed fabric that our EJ Interiors mascot brought in- 🙂

I can’t wait to start watching The Nate Berkus show this fall, premiering next Monday, September 13th on NBC.

It is going to be filmed in NYC, so Nate had to relocate there from the Windy City.  The word on the street is that he moved into a rented two bedroom, 1700 square foot apartment in the Chelsea neighborhood.

I was perusing through Us Weekly the other day (my end of the week ritual) and there was Nate’s new apartment featured in an article.  I love when Us Weekly derails a little to the interiors side!  You don’t see it enough in gossip mags!

The article proves Nate’s not afraid to mix high and low either.  The designer’s Pottery Barn jute rug (that he takes with him from home to home) is among more pricey items such as a gold leaf hand sculpture by artist Pedro Friedeberg.

For an official tour of Nate’s new abode, click HERE to watch the video that was featured on Us Weekly’s website (and I have to say that their sneak peek is MUCH better than my poorly scanned photos from their magazine!)

Back in June, I went out to Baton Rouge to complete the Wisk Detergent laundry room makeover design for winner’s Kristen and Matt Maurel.  EJ Interiors partnered up with Wisk laundry detergent, Whirlpool, Star Exhibits and Environments, and TV’s Designing Spaces to give Kristen and Matt the laundry room of their dreams!

The design will be revealed on Designing Spaces Monday, August 30th at 8:30 am CT and Friday, September 10th at 8:30 AM CT on the We Network.  You can also watch the episode HERE.

Oh to be in college again! <Sigh>.  As my intern Kim gets ready to go back to school, I’m left living vicariously through her start of a new semester.

It feels like a million years ago that I lived in the dorms, but no matter how much time passes, I don’t think I’ll ever forget that decrepit building, the long trek up four flights of stairs to get to my room, those “pain in the neck” shower caddies (not to mention the awful community bathrooms) and the Laura Ashley floral EVERYTHING that I decorated my room with.

“Kids these days” are so lucky that there are such stylish and affordable decor options out there to make the dorm room the comfortable home away from home that it should be.

I recruited Kim (the recent dorm residing expert) in helping out with my top picks for cheap (but not cheap looking!) small space/dorm must-haves.

Airgo Chair- currently on sale!

Small Double Bell Alarm Clock- White

Twin Cherished Garden Quilt

Girls’ Solid Canvas Bins

Desk Lamp- Green

Tranby Mirror– only $19.99! A mirror at this price is pretty unheard of

Coming and Going Coat Rack

Knitted Poufs- beanbags with a twist!

Splendent Suzani Pictures

Perfectly Prepped Hair Accessories Organizer

Brocade Desk Accessories

Bredgrund Shower Curtain

Kim sent me photos of her dorm room from a few years ago and I had so much fun taking a peek into her hot pink, black and white dorm room world! Truly a designer in the making…

Last week, I had the pleasure of working in the charming city of Baton Rouge.  I was in town to accessorize the laundry room belonging to the winner of the Wisk Laundry Room Makeover contest and also to watch the filming of the makeover (which will be featured on Designing Spaces in August).

Kristen and Matt Maurel entered the contest back in March by submitting this video.  If you haven’t already seen it, you must watch it!  Their video was so creative and so entertaining, I found myself laughing out loud at parts.  Kristen and Matt found out that they won the Wisk contest mid April, and then I had about two weeks to select the finishes and accessories for their laundry room while coordinating the makeover process with Whirlpool and Star Exhibits.

When I first went out to Baton Rouge for a site visit in April, I made sure to take tons of photos and measurements while I was there, to document their existing laundry space (and I knew I’d want to hold onto the original photos for some interesting Before and After comparisons!)

Their laundry room seemed even smaller in person than it appeared on their video (if you can believe it!)

{BEFORE}

Outdated vinyl flooring, an old washer/dryer, lack of good storage, and a poor room layout were just a few of the things that stood out to me on the site visit.  I knew that the room had a lot of potential and that it could look SO much better with more color, a little bit of pattern, and updated finishes.

Probably the most awkward part of the room was the window between the office and the laundry room.  This room was originally a sun porch, which explained A LOT.

The Maurels needed a new laundry room and needed it fast.  EJ Interiors to the rescue!

My intern Katie and I arrived in Baton Rouge on Tuesday and coincidentally enough, had our first meal two doors down from the Maurel’s house (I promise, we weren’t stalking!) Bistro Byronz came highly recommended and it did not disappoint.  Their blue cheese chips were a great start to the trip.

Wednesday morning we arrived at the Maurel’s home bright and early to start the decorating process.  The renovation had already been completed based on the finished we had specified a few weeks before, so all that was left was the decor.

The electrician finished installing the light fixture that morning, just in time!

And Katie (my awesome intern) measured the walls and cabinets in order to plan for the accessories.

The Maurel’s dog, Marty, was just a little overwhelmed by all the chaos and visitors, but was a great sport about it all.

After spending almost twelve hours putting the finishing touches on the room, we retired for the day and got ready for the big shoot that was to happen the next morning. Designing Spaces showed up bright and early Thursday morning along with Kristen, a scientist from Wisk.

{The Maurels, Katie, and Kristen}

At this point, Kristen and Matt had not seen their new laundry room yet and the big reveal was going to soon be on camera.

{Kristen and Matt two seconds away from seeing their new laundry room}

{Kristen from Wisk, showing them their new Whirlpool stackable washer/dryer and explaining to them that they must only use HE detergent in their HE washer/dryer}

All in all, it was a success and Kristen and Matt were overjoyed with their new room.

The color palette in their laundry room was taken from the rest of the house and its existing colors so it would all flow.   If you noticed in the previous photo, their kitchen is painted a grayed out blue/green color so this was the jumping off point for our design.  I chose a fabric from Duralee for the flat roman shade that incorporated this color and also a creamy white.  The creamy white color was then used on both the beadboard and built-ins (Benjamin Moore’s OC-13 Soft Chamois).

The flush mount light is Alexa Hampton for Visual Comfort (this fixture was love at first sight for me) and the ceiling is painted Benjamin Moore’s Gray Wisp (1570) to match the shade color.

Since Kristen and Matt told us their laundry personality was “Type A All-The-Way”, I made sure to include organizational pieces such as the numbered jars and woven baskets from Pottery Barn.  I decided to go with a lucite stool to add a bit of excitement and also since it takes up less visual space.  Towels are from West Elm and just happened to match perfectly to the window treatment and laundry basket.  The jute leather rug is also from West Elm and has flecks of blue/green in it which coordinated nicely with everything else.

I decided that yellow would be the accent color in there to add that extra bit of pop among all of the subdued colors.

Kristen and Matt- hope you enjoy your new laundry room half as much as I enjoyed working on it!