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Is Blue The Fairest Hue? (+ You Have Six More Days To Enter The “Life In Color” Contest)

Author:: By Joslyn Taylor
Post date:: May 10th, 2013 2:20pm
Category:: Contests

I say yes.

Unequivocally, wholly, completely, and totally, yes. I am a proud blue fan. In fact, if I were forced to declare a favorite color it would be that particular shade of cobalt meets electric blue happening above. (But, in general, I refrain from picking “favorites,” as nothing good ever comes of it.) So as an ode to my beloved color, I’ve pulled together a little round-up of blue-tastic furniture and accessories.

But wait, there’s more. All of those beauties above are from, wait for it… JC Penny as part of their collaborations with design luminaries Sir Terence Conran, Jonathan Adler, Michael Graves, and Martha Stewart. (We’re so psyched with the home action happening at JCP that we even wrote about it in the latest issue of D Home.)

Herewith the standouts:

Oh and speaking of color, have you entered the Texas Paint & Wallpaper/D Home Life in Color Contest? No? Well get going, you only have six more days.

Need To Spruce Up Your Kitchen? Take A Peek At Hilary Walker’s Easy DIY

Author:: By Joslyn Taylor
Post date:: May 8th, 2013 11:46am
Category:: Design

Our lovely D Home blog contributor Hilary Walker is back to help inject a little glam into your pad. This time she takes on the kitchen (well, actually the fridge) with a fun DIY.

Enjoy!

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By Hilary Walker

By now you know that there’s no place in your “first nest” home that I consider off limits for a little improvement, and that includes your refrigerator door!

It’s been high time for some fridge door sprucing up around my own house, so, inspired by a similar idea on my DIY Pinterest board, I decided to take a few minutes out of my life for the easiest DIY project you’ll try all year. (Really.)

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Architecture360: Talking About Architecture

Author:: By Laura Kostelny
Post date:: May 7th, 2013 3:02pm
Category:: Design

Chris Grossnicklaus is editor for AIA Dallas’ magazine, Columns, and works as a designer at RTKL Associates.

As Architecture360 wraps up for the year, we have learned that people are extremely engaged and interested in architecture within our city. We saw this in the thousands of people who attended the myriad events organized by AIA Dallas and the Dallas Center for Architecture. These activities helped expose visitors to the creativity of architects working in Dallas while also giving behind-the-scene tours of our local landmarks.

Events like Architecture360 give architects the opportunity to have an effective dialogue with the public—an important accomplishment because we often don’t speak the same language. The practice of architecture often requires specific, technical terms and those don’t always translate well to the non-architect. We presume that everyone else knows what we are saying. Since few people outside the profession have a working knowledge of architectural terminology, our jargon and insider terms might cause a message to get lost in translation. So my advice to fellow architects is this: We need to lose the jargon.

As a first step, here is my list of 10 architecture terms I am striking from my everyday vocabulary. Instead, I’ll stick with the definitions and help de-mystify the important work we do.

1. Poche: The colored in parts of a plan.
2. Charrette: A period of intense design work.
3. Parti: The big idea.
4. Fenestration: Organize of windows in a wall.
5. Curtain wall: Glass exterior wall.
6. Plinth: A support or base.
7. Porte cochère: Porch over a driveway.
8. Parapet: Low wall forming the edge of a roof.
9. Vernacular: Traditional methods and style of a region.
10. Vignette: A quick sketch or view.

Obsessed: Helix Coffee Table at Design Within Reach

Author:: By Joslyn Taylor
Post date:: May 7th, 2013 9:41am
Category:: Design

I was flipping through the new Design Within Reach catalog last night when I was stopped cold by the above pic featuring Chris Hardy’s Helix coffee table.

The asymmetrical annealed glass number is all spare and sculptural while the matte brass and warm walnut give it a sense of warmth. It’s soulful modern if you will. And it’s utterly beautiful.

But truth be told, the Helix was only part of the reason for my design reverie. Can we talk about the gold carafe and playing cards action happening atop the Helix? Not being able to swing the table due to, you know, budgetary restraints, I’ve spent the better part of the morning trying to source the carafe and the cards in an attempt to get that vibe from the photo without breaking the bank.

I’ve come up empty on that exact carafe… (I’m thinking it’s vintage. Any ideas?) I did find the two insanely gorgeous gold numbers below, but, at nearly $600 for the Alfi Juwel on the left and a hair under $800 for the Frontgate number, it appears, at least for me, the carafe is a no-go too.

The cards, however, are totally doable…

Success!

D Home Life In Color Contest Weekend Inspiration: Paint Dipped Furniture

Author:: By Joslyn Taylor
Post date:: May 3rd, 2013 8:40am
Category:: Design

Yes, I know, paint dipping and neon, as trends go, are both a bit long in the tooth, and, yet, I’m still a fan. (Then again I’m also still a fan of antlers, sheepskin, Beni Ourain rugs, disco balls, stumps, and stacks of books, but that’s another post for another day.)

So to provide our weekly dose of inspiration for the Texas Paint & Wallpaper/D Home Life in Color contest (have you entered yet??) we’re bringing you a couple of easy weekend DIY projects involving, yes, paint dipping and neon.

First up, there’s that chair action on the left courtesy of the April 2011 Better Homes and Gardens spotted via Little Green Notebook (see…old trend). I’m actually most intrigued by that pink reverse paint dip number. I’d happily replicate it in a matte Yves Klein Blue (this Blue from Benjamin Moore would do the trick) and let it hang out in my living room as a little accent chair. I might even put a stack of design books on it. Bam! You can nab that chair at World Market…

Then on the right, there’s that fetching neon yellow dipped market basket via A Pair & A Spare. I love the idea of making several of these and using them to store magazines. Plus, it’s a super easy project that you could probably bust out in about an hour — a major bonus for the DIY challenged (i.e. me).

Happy painting.

A Collection of (Gorgeous) Reissued Gio Ponti Pieces Lands at Smink

Author:: By Joslyn Taylor
Post date:: May 2nd, 2013 2:17pm
Category:: Design

Gio Ponti lovers take note. Several pieces designed by the iconic Italian architect/furniture designer/artist are being reissued by Molteni & C in conjunction with Studio Cerri & Associates, and our very own Smink is presenting the collection here in Dallas.

To celebrate, Smink is hosting a Gio Ponti opening reception tonight from 5-8 p.m, enabling all you design lovers to get a first peek at the collection, which includes, among other sleek pieces, that otherworldly two tone leather and stain finish brass beauty above and the elm essence of drawers – a chest in two sizes featuring different wood handles in elm, Italian walnut, mahogany, and rosewood upholstery. The reception will also feature a hosted talk by Heritage Auction House on the work, style, and influence of Gio Ponti and aperitifs and appetizers by Local’s Tracy Miller.

In case you need further incentive to see the pieces in person, consider this tidbit from Smink’s lovely Jennifer Smink: “There are only six dealers worldwide who are showing the setup. In the US it will be available in NYC, Dallas, and L.A. So it should be a very collectible series…”

See you there.

Hilary Walker Susses Out Art and Design Books at Not So “Arty” Prices

Author:: By Joslyn Taylor
Post date:: May 1st, 2013 9:23am
Category:: Books

I am all about a good stack of art and design books. (You might even say I’m a stackaholic.) The challenge? Finding said books for said stacks without dipping into my daughters’ college funds.

Luckily, our lovely contributor Hilary Walker is here with a solution.

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By Hilary Walker

Some say a home is only as good as its book collection. I’d actually expand that notion a bit to include amazing art and music collections too. But in the interest of keeping things manageable, let’s focus on the tomes, shall we? After all, a well-attended book collection is certainly a beautiful and smart enhancement to any home.

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Michael Wilson Makes Gorgeous Furniture

Author:: By Joslyn Taylor
Post date:: April 30th, 2013 10:55am
Category:: Design

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be hosting a wedding shower and a rehearsal dinner…at my house, which means I have a ‘to do’ list a mile long. And, as is my M.O. when it comes to pressing deadlines and looming tasks, I’m surfing the Internet like it’s my job.

So I figured the least I could do is pretend said Internet surfing actually is my job and share some of what I’ve been ogling online with you guys, yes?

Ok, here goes. For the past hour, the object of my online affection has been one Mr. Michael Wilson, woodworker extraordinaire. The California native was a detail-obsessed sushi chef for seventeen years before focusing on handcrafting modern-organic, sculptural pieces of furniture. A self-taught woodworker, Wilson is involved in every aspect of creating a piece, from hand selecting materials from local suppliers to milling his own lumber and making his own non-synthetic oil and wax finish. Each finished product is a true work of art, branded and dated upon completion.

Wilson now resides in Wimberley and offers his one-of-a-kind chairs, tables, lamps, and sculptures locally through Scott + Cooner.

You can learn more on (yep, you guessed it) the internet…

Artful Decoration Book Signing at Ceylon et Cie

Author:: By Joslyn Taylor
Post date:: April 29th, 2013 4:20pm
Category:: Design

I am a sucker for a good design tome. (Given my chosen profession, not such a surprise, I suppose). And Artful Decoration, the new book of (insanely gorgeous) interiors by Fisher Weisman designers Andrew Fisher and Jeffry Weisman, most definitely qualifies as a “good design tome.” In fact, with all the stunning photos detailing the San Francisco–based design firm’s traditional meets exotic interiors, I might even consider this bad boy a “really great” design tome.

Tomorrow, April 30 from 2-4, Fisher and Wiesman will be on hand to sign copies of their book at Ceylon et Cie. Pop by to ogle designer Michelle Nussbaumer’s goods, buy a book, and then ask the dynamic duo how they mange to create rooms that feel at once opulent and restrained.

RSVP to info@ceylonetcie or call 214-742-7632

Done and done.

D Home Life In Color Judge Todd Fiscus Talks Orange, Blue, and Bucket Lists

Author:: By Joslyn Taylor
Post date:: April 26th, 2013 11:57am
Category:: Contests

We’re checking in with another illustrious tastemaker judge of our Texas Paint & Wallpaper/D Home Life in Color Contest. (Have you entered yet? There’s still time!) This week event maestro Todd Fiscus was kind enough to answer a few quick color questions…

What colors to you gravitate toward?
Obviously orange. But I love blue all shades.

How do you use color in your own home?
At home I’m all about blues, lavender, chocolate brown, and neutrals.

What is the most inspiring use of color that you’ve encountered?
Images of the monarch migration through Mexico. It’s on my bucket list to be surrounded in living orange!

Shay Geyer On IBB Design’s Dwell With Dignity Thrift Studio Vignette

Author:: By Joslyn Taylor
Post date:: April 25th, 2013 4:55pm
Category:: Design

I hit the Dwell With Dignity Thrift Studio preview party last week, and the designer vignettes were even more fantastic in person than they were in those sneak peek photos we showed you. In the midst of sipping cocktails and ogling the goods, I ran into the lovely and talented Shay Geyer of IBB Design hanging out in the stunning cobalt and emerald green space she’d designed. (Chinoiserie, Ikat, and Malachite, oh my…) Smitten with all the details, I asked her if she’d share her inspiration and process for the vignette, and she kindly obliged.

Per Shay:

“The inspiration for the space came from a bracelet I purchased from CUSP at Neiman Marcus. Using the sensibility and color palette of the bracelet as the jumping off point helped the design come together quickly, and IBB designers Mary Helen Peters, Brandy Scott, Kari Woods, and I had a great time pulling it all together.

We sanded, refinished, and reupholstered many of the pieces in the vignette, and I love how they turned out. In fact, my three favorite furniture pieces in the space (the bench with silk and velvet wide stripe fabric, the green lacquered chest with chrome Greek key hardware, and the navy zig zag chair and ottoman) were all repurposed pieces. Then it was onto the details (the best part). For artwork, we framed posters and prints from the Chagall: Beyond Color exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art. And to bring the wow, we used Mary McDonald’s new Schumacher fabric for two upholstered wall panels handcrafted by Mary Helen Peters and her father.”

Friends, you are going to want to see this action in person…trust me. And luckily you still have a little time as the Dwell With Dignity sale runs through May 18. Get all the details at thriftstudio.com.

Obsessed: John Derian’s Faience Wall Hanging

Author:: By Joslyn Taylor
Post date:: April 23rd, 2013 9:28am
Category:: Design

I tend to believe that even the most mundane of items (glass bottles, rocks, inexpensive white dishes, embroidery loops) can become wildly chic when massed together (collected if you will).

I’m not talking twee, dust-attracting collections here friends… No, the look you’re going for is something more “merchandised” and intentional. (Think the amazing store displays at Anthropology and Forty Five Ten, and you’ll nail it.)

The plate wall is a perfect example of this many = awesome formula. I mean plates, in and of themselves, are pretty pedestrian objects. But a mass of plates, arranged just so, against a dark charcoal wall (à la Kelly Wearstler’s killer Viceroy Hotel masterpiece above), feels downright inspired, yes?

Ok, so recreating the look with a little IKEA, a smattering of Crate and Barrel, and some vintage would be easy (and inexpensive), but let’s say you want to take things up a notch and you want to do it fast (i.e. the perfect plates magically appear at your doorstep). Well for that, I would highly recommend heading to neimanmarcus.com and procuring John Derian’s 12-piece “Faience” wall hanging. It’s pricey at $1,795, but thinking of it as a room-transforming work of art makes the price tag infinitely more palatable. (At least that’s what I’m telling myself.)

Happy hanging.

BelAir Home Has New Digs On Lovers Lane and They’re Throwing A Party To Celebrate The Move

Author:: By Joslyn Taylor
Post date:: April 15th, 2013 2:05pm
Category:: Design

In last year’s March/April issue of D Home, we told you about BelAir Home’s inspired mix of handsome case goods, vintage finds, and refurbished treasures. Well since then, Shannon VanBeber, the designer behind the glam meets classic meets earthy home store has packed up the Greenville Avenue location and decamped to new digs on Lovers Lane (next door to Cabana).

To celebrate the move, BelAir is hosting a “Grand Opening” party this Wednesday, April 17 from 6-8 p.m. Stop by to grab some bites and bubbly while you ogle all the lovely goods just waiting to be snapped up (I have my eye on a fetching set of gold coffee spoons).

Be prepared to go home with something new. Just sayin’.

The Details:

BelAir Home Grand Opening Party
Wednesday, April 17 | 6-8 p.m.
4715 W. Lovers Lane, Dallas, TX 75209

To Celebrate Our “Life In Color” Contest, We’re Revisiting Some of Our Favorite Rooms

Author:: By Joslyn Taylor
Post date:: April 11th, 2013 2:47pm
Category:: Contests

We’re pretty excited about the Texas Paint & Wallpaper/D Home Life in Color contest around here (check out the full details on how to enter). So excited in fact, that we all wore black today.

(Oy vey… We’re a sad bunch.)

But despite our sartorial subdue, we are color lovers, I promise. And to prove it, we’ve spent the morning digging through the D Home archives in search of our favorite color-drenched spaces from past issues.

It was a throwdown (think name calling, obscene gestures, hair pulling), but we all managed to come out of it alive (barely), and we eventually achieved consensus on our hue-tastic favorites.

First and foremost, there’s the technicolor high-rise from our November/December 2012 issue. Holy color Batman!

See the other rooms that made the cut after the jump

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Obsessed: Jan Showers’ Ocean Inspired Sconces

Author:: By Joslyn Taylor
Post date:: April 8th, 2013 9:53am
Category:: Design

My family just returned from our annual vacation to Florida, and after eight days of sun, sand, and surf I am desperately trying to recreate some of that beach vibe here at home. Not wanting to resort to the cliche jar-o-shells, I’m instead burning Jonathan Adler’s Shelter Island candle like it’s my job (it’s the closest I can get to recreating that particular ocean meets pine forest scent I’m longing for) and seriously coveting these Jan Showers Alexandra and Evangeline sconces. With all their aged-plaster goodness, they feel like treasures unearthed from some hidden beach paradise.

Count me in.