travel | chicago!

A long-awaited return trip to Chicago has just been booked!!  In a few weeks I will have the great pleasure of visiting my online obsession called Jayson Home and Garden... (it has been quite the love affair these past few years).  This inspirational shop is a go-to source for all things fabulous for your home.  I LOVE to browse their website for great finds and unique ideas.

And today we are all in luck!  The "Floor Model and More Sale" is on, and it is awesome.  Here are some highlights...

the CLINTON CHAIR

two of these leather chairs would be amazing paired in a study... 

the CYNTHIA SOFA

what a classy shape...

the JULIETTE CHAIR

the whimsical curves and nailheads had me at hello...

the ROCKEFELLER SOFA

one of my long-standing favorites, the color is like a yummy piece of dark chocolate...

the TABAC CHAIR

yes, that is hide...

the CLARKE BENCH

wow.  just wow.

the CLARKE CHAIR

love the modern lines & plush fabric choice, a great way to warm up a modern look

BUTTERFLY PILLOWS

this "dark nostalgia" look always draws me in...

LIZARD DESK CADDY

because beautiful desktop items are hard to find...

FLEA:  ANTIQUE ARMCHAIR

cheers to one-of-a-king treasures, without the hot summer-time flea market perusing...

FLEA:  ANTIQUE ARMCHAIR

unqiue contrast of the african kuba cloth upholstery...

FLEA:  ANTIQUE CREME SETTEE

if you don't mind the (seriously) worn look (we don't)...

FLEA:  ANTIQUE LEATHER VALISE

how darling in a little boy's nursery filled with toys...

travel | found. what a find!

During my quick-trip to Houston yesterday, I managed to hit one shop before heading to the airport.  And it was a winner!

My client took me to Found.  A unique (and friendly! they let us sneak in after the 5pm closing) home goods store that has one-of-a-kind antique pieces, classic coffee table books, and loads of local art.  This is a must-see if you are looking for interesting finds.  This darling shop even has a "guide to our favorite shops, restaurants, and art galleries" they hand out to visitors.  And the list is jamb-packed with great local stops, and I plan to hit every one!  Houston is my new stomping ground for the next few months... already planning my next trip down!

Shop Found @ 1st Dibs

THE SHOP

A SAMPLING OF GOODS...


french garden urn

vintage industrial hanging light

napoleon III style settee

vintage industrial desk/work table

corbel lamp

faux bamboo stool

french/flemish composition tapestry

vendor highlight | artist andrea costa

While updating our library of vendors this weekend, JMI came across Lacefield Designs... and the talented Atlanta artist Andrea Costa.

Lacefield Designs is a home accessory line that focuses on high quality, artisanal products with a hand crafted feel.  A peek at their collection of pillows and textiles...

While exploring their website we were reminded of an incredible artist whose work caught our eye at both Round Top and High Point.  Andrea Costa creates hauntingly beautiful original oil paintings that I would LOVE to see in my own house, and of course in a client's abode as well.  Hopefully I can obtain a few for the shop, and maybe take one home with me!  Her collections of paintings below have just been added to THE VAULT (my personal home wish-list).  Perfectly serene for a bedroom or study....

million dollar decorators!

FINALLY had a chance to start my DVR stockade of Million Dollar Decorators!  LOVE it.  It is in a race with Selling New York for first place in high-end living television.  I only wish I lived in California so I could hit up all of the amazing places and vendors they visit!

The decorators are complete caricatures....

MARY MCDONALD, the budget-eating glamazon designer.  Her way or the highway.  Love her, but not sure her clients do when she blows through their budget!

JEFFREY ALLEN MARKS,  hot-pants with hot-pants South African boyfriend.  And he holds the best quote of reality TV... "Sometimes I think my job is more important than the President of the United States."

MARTYN LAWRENCE BULLARD, the delicious DIVA.  We share a common addiction to chocolate, and also a design philosophy that a client's home should reflect the CLIENT!  He's got my vote... oh, wait.  This isn't a competition show?

NATHAN TURNER, the darling.  Can we please be BFF?!?!?

KATHRYN IRELAND, the freewheeling designer who loves her wine (a girl after my own heart).  Something about her confidence and non-apologetic manner makes me like her.  A great entertainment to watch, but I don't think I've actually seen her decorate yet and I am on episode 3.

nature's beast | petrified wood

Ever since I saw Monique Lhuillier's home featured on the Jan/Feb 2008 cover of Elle Decor, I have been fascinated with petrified wood.  The melted smooth top of grays and whites, combined with the rough outer shell of that side table... LOVE IT!  I cannot wait to one day find a beautiful piece to fit the perfect place in my home.  If you go after this updated au-naturale look, you better decide where it will go because these stumps (stools) and slabs (table tops) of stone can weigh a TON.

My local go-to spot for checking out the beauty of this wood-turned-stone is Dallas' Big Mango Trading Co. on Riverfront Boulevard.  They have some amazing pieces!  Check out the items below that we found from some online sources...

Petrified Wood Stump Tables, 1st Dibs

Roost Petrified Wood Console Table and Side Table, Velocity Art and Design

Neiman Marcus Janice Minor Petrified Wood Table Lamp, $485

Gado Gado International Petrified Wood Sink

(one of our FAVORITE ways to bring this look home!)

Roost Petrified Palm Wood Cheese Trays, Velocity Art and Design

proximity hotel

I had a little hiccup during this week's trip to North Carolina... my phone was lost for 2 days!  Luckily my travel companion let me use her phone to take snapshots of all the FABULOUS FINDS from High Point market.  Stay tuned over the next few days for full vendor reports plus photos.

In the meantime, I have to rave about a little hotel in Greensboro, North Carolina.  The Proximity Hotel is not only one of the coolest that I have visited, it is also LEED certified (GREENsboro!) and has one of the best restaurants in NC, Print Works Bistro.  The excitement continued for this market hot-spot when I had my own little celebrity designer sighting... the super suave THOM FILICIA.

Enjoy these photos of the amazing interior design, and if you happen to find yourself in the vicinity, book a night at The Proximity!!!