Hello!

Thank you to my readers that e-mailed me about design advice.  I have a great post planned about color for this week, so be sure to check back.  But, let’s get back to showing you the sources for my high/low furnishings for the porch.  Here is what I put together when money was no object.

Sources, starting in the first row, upper left hand corner are: Authentic Provence, Mecox, Mecox, Restoration Hardware.  The second row is Mecox, Restoration Hardware, and South of Market.  The third row is Authentic Provence, Authentic Provence, Restoration Hardware and Authentic Provence.

Sources, starting  upper left hand corner, going clockwise:  Authentic Provence, Mecox, Mecox, Mecox, Authentic Provence, Tara Shaw Maison, Tara Shaw Maison.

Mind you, this is simply a collection of images I could find online.  I am SURE I could have spent more if I prowled my local antique stores and boutiques!!  But let’s chat about my finds.

This is a limestone table from Authentic Provence.  I sourced a number of wonderful things from them.  I love the aesthetic.  And it truly is authentic.  My time in Provence was about more muted colors, graveled courtyards, and fields of lavender.  Not a Pierre Deux fabric in sight!  Also, remember that Provence sits along the French Riviera – the two blend together, really.  So the more sophisticated tastes of the Cote D’Azure bleed readily into the hills and fields of Provence.  At the end of this post, I will show you a montage of photos from Provence, and I think you will see what I mean.  But for now, let’s look at design!

I love the finish on this table, also from Authentic Provence.  The lemon trees on it are so charming!  The shelf is a great feature and would look marvelous styled with stacks crusty old pots and romantic dripping pillar candles. The little side table also comes from Authentic Provence, as do the wonderful firewood baskets.

This antique sconce is one of a pair from Authentic Provence.  Imagine how fabulous it will look with candles….

More Authentic Provence.  This planter is ubiquitous in Provence, but what I truly admire is the gorgeous blue, as it reminds me of the color of the Mediterranean as it appears close to shore.  Dreamy.  The website doesn’t give pricing for any of these items, but I am sure that if you e-mail them, they will happily respond!

Apologies for the size of the image from Restoration Hardware.  I love this sofa so much.  I like the long bench cushion, which feels more sleek and streamlined.  The shape of the arms is traditional but not overly bodacious.  Just really a wonderful piece from the Corsica Collection.  It is priced at $1930.

I mentioned that I was obsessed with this chair from Restoration Hardware, priced at $1125.  It is so charming, such a statement maker, and so unexpected for an outdoor piece.  I would love to have a pair on my own loggia.  It reminds me of a chair that I saw at Lucca on La Cienega Boulevard last summer.  I wish I could show it to you, but Lucca’s image it too blurry for me to show you.  Here is the link so you can see it in all it’s fabulosity: http://www.luccaantiques.com/item/details/1446/

Here is the Restoration Hardware Provence wicker chair, priced at $510. If you read my blog regularly, you know that I use Mecox for sourcing a lot of unique and wonderful things.  So I went to the well again and found these great pieces.

This wonderful verdigris obelisk from Mecox makes a wonderful statement, and the hue of the aging blends beautifully with the Authentic Provence planter.  It is extravagently beautiful, and that’s reflected in its price tag of over $4,000.  But what a punch it packs!

I love, love, love this piece.  And for an antique in such great condition, I believe that the pricing is not bad – $800. If you found this in a store anywhere else in the Hamptons, it could easily go for double or triple the price.

I love the modern meets traditional feel of these lanterns.  The zinc tops are great, and the horizontal lines keep them from looking too retro.  $195 each.

This is a pillow made from linen and wide grosgrain ribbon, rather than striped fabric.  That detail really makes it special in my eyes.  $325.

These lovelies also came from Mecox, as did the fun oyster shell ball. Tara Shaw Maison was the source for the fabulous mirror and wooden finial.  I can’t show images for them because they are too blurry.  Now, let’s look at my budget options, shall we?

Source, starting from the upper left hand corner, first row: World Market, Pottery Barn, Target; the second row: Pottery Barn, World Market, World Market, Pottery Barn,  the third row: World Market, World Market, Ballard Designs, World Market.

Sources from upper left hand corner and clockwise: Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn, Ballard Designs and Pottery Barn.

So, I first found out about World Market from one of Joni’s Cote de Texas posts about wicker chairs.  I remember thinking that the look of her new breakfast room chairs was fabulous for the price.  Little did I know what a treasure trove of style that World Market would be.

The Laguna table is $299!  I love the finish.

This is the Laguna all weather dining chair and it’s ON SALE for $116.  Oh my goodness, really?  Dinner can cost more than that!!

This is my budget stand-in for the fabulous Restoration Hardware chairs.  I know that it doesn’t possess anywhere close to the style of that chair, but this Maldives armchair is lovely in its own right and priced at a jaw-dropping $69, I am not sure how you can go wrong.  It is also eucalyptus, which is sustainably harvested.  So it’s green and cheap!!!

This farmhouse console table is intended to be in a covered area.  Again, I think the finish is great and it’s $249.  Unbelievable.

Again, this belongs in a covered area, but the Aiden table costs $169.  So fun.

I got an e-mail about this great stool.  I intended them to be grouped as a threesome instead of a coffee table, to punch up the style quotient.  And yes, you can afford three, as they are a paltry $39.

The Anduze pots from Ballard are now on sale, with the largest at $102.  It doesn’t have the same luminous glaze and great color that I adore, but I know it’s a fraction of the price.

This is now on sale for $99 from Pottery Barn.  Most of the rest of the accessories for my budget friendly design are from Pottery Barn.  You simply cannot beat the high design/moderate price of Pottery Barn.

$49

$79

$199

$54

$39-$143.

Now, I know that the eagle-eyed readers amongst you will come up with some details that are different between the Pottery Barn versions of the accessories and furnishings and the higher-end ones. And that’s exactly the point, really.  Charming details tend to require the human touch, which is always more expensive, sometimes incredibly so.  I am sure that the Mecox antique birdhouse sitting next to the Pottery Barn version would cast the PB version in the shade.  But if you are more of a big-picture person, or on a budget, or both, then it is hard to go wrong with these more moderately priced versions.  As for the furniture, I am sure that the more expensive options are going to have better proportions, better finishes, and most importantly, better longevity.  But if you are young and starting out, or need to get a porch or loggia done on a tight budget, these considerations may well go to the backseat.  What I do know is that you don’t have to sacrifice great style to get a great look.  Now, as promised, here are some photos that I took while we were in Provence.

You know you are loved when you can go out and about with your husband and no makeup and he will still take a photo of you.  Aren’t the hills beautiful, though?

Have a great week.  Happy shopping!!

This will be quick.  I wandered into the new Wisteria Outlet today and chatted with a couple of friends who are now helping man the helm there.  They told me that the outlet sale that begins tomorrow is a really special one.  Wisteria runs this sale once a year, but this particular sale is a once in a five year sale.  They are selling samples and one of a kind items to make room for ever more delicious items in the future.  I got a sneak peek in the back room and all I can say is get there if you can!!! There are some seriously wonderful things at seriously fantastic prices. The doors open at 10, and here’s a link to the location.  So sorry to my non-Dallas readers for the tease…. I am going to be there when the doors open, so if you are too, come say hi!

Wisteria Outlet
6500 Cedar Springs Rd, Ste. 100
Dallas, TX 75235
(800) 320-9757

Show on Google Maps

Ready, set, shop!!!

Kristin

One of my favorite Veranda features in recent years is the home of Shannon Bowers here in Dallas.  I know that these rooms have been pinged all over the internet since the issue was published,  so I will not bore you with all the images, just a few of my favorites.  This has to be one of my favorite photographs of all time, the lighting is perfect and the styling sublime.

The greens in the shot really make the colors pop.  The green lantern is especially charming.  The skirted sink and open shelves are now sort of iconic.  The stone top of the breakfast table is wonderful and unexpected.  And I love the texture and depth of the white piece pottery.

This light fixture is so perfect over the grouping of Chinese porcelain.  Again, the quality of light is fantastic.

This room inspired so many people out there.  The garden stools, the white linen, and the feedsack pillows.  Of course, Joni had been blogging about this look for a while, but this room and the whole house reached a huge audience with the Veranda feature.

And this was the starting point for my recent Windows shopping at Wisteria ( pun intended ).  This dusty orchid accent color is starting to become quite popular.  At Mecox recently, we were chatting about the number of  clients who are looking to add this color to their interiors.  I decided to see what Wisteria had to offer, and I found this pretty little thing.

The flanged edge is so popular right now and I really like it as a design detail.  The smoky purple is lovely and would look beautiful in a neutral palette as it does above.

This seat cushion looks incredibly comfortable.  Where was this when I was looking for it for my patio chairs??? Love it.

I have this chair in my breakfast room.  I get so many compliments on it, and the finish is very, very good in person.  The price is really great, too!

My client and I looked at this piece – or its very close cousin – up at the Wisteria outlet.  It is so pretty.  I would love to see it filled with creamware.  The color contrast would be wonderful.

Here is another beauty and it is so versatile.  You could fill it a la Brooke Gianetti with lot of tobacco leather books and industrial accents.  It would be pretty filled with whites and sea glass blues.  I would love to see if filled with vibrant and muted yellows as I love yellow and gray together.  Or how about some great dusty red vintage books and crackled oxblood porcelain pieces?

This little guy is so feminine and comfy.  The gathered pleat detail is so cleverly placed and beguiling.

Pop this next to it.

And one of these on top of it.  I love these, don’t  you?  They are mercury glass bottles with an opening for a votive candle.  I think I may have to have some for the holiday.  Wouldn’t they be fantastic lined up on a mantle or marching up some stairs?  I do believe that as soon as I finish chatting with you, I may do some purchasing for myself.  You all are a bad influence!!

Speaking of the holidays and seasonal things, I love these gourds for both Halloween and Thanksgiving decoration.  I must confess that I am a lazy Halloween decorator these days.  My boys are getting old enough that they really don’t care one way or another.  My neighborhood is completely indifferent to decorating, so not much incentive to keep up with the Joneses!  What I do for Halloween, I like to keep for Thanksgiving as much as possible.  This year I am going to do a black and white Halloween decor.  I’ll just pull away all the black and add some great honey colors for Thanksgiving.  When I get it done, I’ll post some shots.

I am off to the races and next week may be light on posting.  I am going to be doing Kappa Tablescapes again this year at the beginning of the week.  Aren’t I mean for not showing you even a glimmer of a hint of what I am going to do?  Maybe I will relent over the weekend.  Next up is decorating for a Halloween party for over 300 8th graders – I know, I am crazy.  In between are luncheons, cocktail parties and fashion shows.  Why does everything happen in two weeks in October???  But I will get great shots of as much of it as I can for you all.

Take care and have a great weekend!

Kristin

For a long time now, I have had my eye on a store called Voila! Art for the Modern Eye.  Pun very much intended, by the way.  I first noticed this L.A. based gallery by their unique offerings on 1st Dibs.  While I did not have a chance to run into the store while I was in California, I do get their e-mails and they always have truly unique things.  And when I say unique, I do mean it.  Some of it is not my cup of tea – like vintage child mannequin heads- but a lot of it is fun in a very industrial chic kind of way.  They have just put all of their inventory on a new website, Voila Gallery, and there are a few things that caught my eye.

Sorry for the blurry photos – it was either this or ask you to use a microscope.  This is a set of 5 baskets for $50.  Great deal.

This piece of textile art by Gwen Samuels looks positively ethereal.  It’s actually photographs printed on transparencies and stitched together.  No price posted on this one.  The things that really caught my eye were the beautiful educational charts made by the same company that printed so many of the vintage charts we have seen.  These charts are just lovely with nary a body part in sight!  ( Not that there’s anything wrong with that, to quote Seinfeld, but cross-sections of anatomy are not my style.  If they are yours, then Voila has some of those, too.)  The best part is the fact that these are only $135!  For a chart that will fill a three foot by four foot space, this is a steal.  They all come with dowels for hanging, so they are ready to go.  Here are some of my favorites.

Apple blossoms with beautiful orchid accent colors.

More of that scrumptious orchid color, here in a cross-section of heather. Perfect for a bedroom, isn’t it?

This is so graphic, this hazel chart.  I love the pops of green against the black backdrop.  This would look fabulous in a family room over a mantel.

This is just so different from the charts we have seen.  The colors are great, and the split background is very striking.  And, I do just love bees. I could see this in a kitchen or breakfast room so easily, can’t you?

Talk about color, isn’t this dreamy?  This has such graceful lines, it could really go into a more formal space, especially if it were framed.  If you didn’t want to spring for framing, then it would be a beautiful piece for an entry or bedroom, or more rustic dining room, even.  Again, for $135, these charts are such a bargain you could pair two that are similar for a huge impact over a sofa or an a large wall.

I am off to get dressed.  Blogging in my jammies this morning as I have been up since 4 a.m. with Miss Darcy, who is amazingly home from the hospital.  Her surgery was very successful and she is already on the mend.  Many prayers answered, for sure.  Thank you so much for all your well wishes, support and prayers.  I can’t tell you how much they mean to me.

Kristin

Hi,

I got an idea while I was reading Mona T.’s comment yesterday.  She is planning on being at Roundtop, and I think there are some of you that are going to be there, too.  As you  know I have my fingers crossed that I will be there, too.  Not so much because I can’t miss Roundtop but because it will mean that sweet Darcy is well.

I have hinted that I have some exciting new things that I am working on – new design services, new opportunities for my blog readers, etc.  One of my new design services will be offering shopping trips, a la’ Eddie Ross. My first planned trip was going to be this fall’s Roundtop.  I had organized  a fantastic experience to offer before Darcy’s surgery was re-scheduled.  Here is what I had planned.

Sept. 28th -Opening Day at Marburger.  Meet at Marburger Farms mid-morning to stroll and troll the stalls.  Clients may e-mail me with photos of spots they want to fill or rooms that they want to tweak and I will help them on the “hunt”.  All of my clients will receive my designer discount ( from 10% to 25% ) on any purchases.  We will break for lunch and then get right back to our shopping.  At sunset, we will have wine ( or water!) and conversation with one of my favorite Marburger dealers Janet Weibe Antiques.  Then it’s on to dinner for those that are interested before we go our separate ways to our hotels.

Sept. 29th-Opening Day for Roundtop and the Big Red Barn.  More shopping and strolling.  Break for lunch and by late afternoon head over to the fields and finish at the Love Train Antiques tent which will be huge this year.  We will have wine, etc. and a great browse with the delightful Brian Jenkins.

So why in the world am I telling you all about this?  I have decided that IF I get to go, it would be such a great learning experience for me if I met up with some of you who will be there and we did a dry run of this trip.  It would be free to anyone who joins me.  The catch, of course, is that I am not sure that I will be there.  However, if you will be there anyway, wouldn’t this be fun?  If you e-mail me and let me know what your plans are, then I can arrange a meeting place and time.  It may be that none of you will be there for the beginning of the show, but if you are I would love to see you.  And that designer discount can really add up….

See, I am feeling better already.

Kristin

I always seem to find myself inspired on vacation.  The change of scenery, regardless of where I am, provides me with a fresh design perspective and renewed inspiration at a minimum.  Great shopping cities are a treasure trove of inspirational vignettes, as are stylish hotels and restaurants. If the place where I am currently resting my head is beautifully scenic or richly historic, then my creative juices really start flowing.

I was in Los Angeles on family vacation a couple of weeks ago, and spent some time mentally rearranging my living room and bedroom.  I rearranged my living room my first day back and it is wonderfully transformed.  When I can, I will show you some pictures.   On my last full day there, I was able to steal away from the crew to spend a morning shopping.  My first stop was at Velvet & Linen’s Giannetti Home.  I had a chance to spend a few minutes with Brook, who is just delightful in person.  Her shop is truly lovely.  While she is always generous in showing images of her store, they somehow don’t do it justice.  I think it’s because you can’t capture on film that moment of walking into a place and having it sort of take your breath away.  And I am pretty confident that this is how most people feel when they walk into Giannetti home for the first time.  Brook recently did a post on some wonderful pillows that she has in the store, you should go and visit it here.  Since Brook is a wonderful blogger, photographer, and designer extraordinaire, I didn’t feel comfortable taking pictures of her shop.  She does such a lovely job of keeping her readers up to date on what’s new there.  So, for images of the store, visit her blog and feast your eyes.

My next destination was La Cienega Blvd, which is fabulous design district.  All of the names that you might be familiar with from the West Coast – Lee Stanton, Lucca Antiques, etc. are all there.  I only had an hour and so I was laser-like in my focus and desire to see Maison Au Naturel No. 819 which is where Dan Marty currently displays his wares.  I first became aware of Dan Marty when Megan from Beach Bungalow 8 wrote me that she thought I would love his shop.  I promptly did some research and fell in love with the images that I saw.  He recently relocated and I was anxious to see his things in person.  So that feeling I described having in Brook’s store was much in evidence when I walked into the shop.  Each vignette sort of unfolded upon the next and I loved walking that path of discovery between them and among them.  Even more fun is that I took lots of photos for you and here they are:

This is the first vignette that you see when you walk in the door.  It is so fresh and yet blue and white is a classic.  I think that the pillows made from vintage fabrics give this vignette a very of the moment feeling.  The store is full of vintage textiles, whether grain sacks, batik or ikat.  Heavenly, all of them.

More blue and white, displayed with great panache.   I really liked the trunk in the photo above,  which was covered in a great fabric stripe.

See how many vintage textiles they have?  You can buy them by the piece or roll, or better yet, get one of their pillows.

Like this one, or

one of these.  The painted doctor’s bag is a hoot.  They also have taken vintage look suitcases that are painted white.  I have no idea whether these are truly vintage and have been repurposed or are a new line, but they are fun.

But it’s the vignettes at the store that really make it magical.  Here are some that I think are just fantastic.

The placement of the pictures is just masterful, and you get to see more of those great pillows on the sofa.

A closer view.  That crane is fantastic.

This vignette really packs a visual punch.

I have never seen a chair back like this before.  What a contrast.  The whole scene works for me, though.

This is just wonderful.  I think that what makes these vignettes work is the element of fantasy.  This is a potting table as only a designer would have one!   If I could have just one thing from this store, it would be that crane.  Or maybe one of those wonderful pillows.  Although the trunk was pretty fantastic, too.  Hmmm.  Obviously, I am torn.  What would you get, and where would you put it?

More tomorrow.  Carpool calls…

Kristin

ps.  I don’t know why this site is garnering so much spam in the comments section.  I keep trying to adjust my settings more stringently to avoid it.  I know it’s irritating and I am so sorry.  I will keep working on it, though.

My love affair with Mecox began fifteen years ago when I was touring the Hamptons.  I had the privelege of going with a dear friend on a trip organized by Sotheby’s of the gardens and estates of the Hamptons.  It was an amazing trip with stops at Martha Stewart’s gardens, the studios of wonderful artists, and a trip to Mecox Gardens in Southhampton.  At the time, I think that this was their only location.  I was enthralled with the plant selection and styling.  There were wonderful garden vignettes everywhere, with fountains and arbors and garden urns and statues that were sublime.  In the middle of all this garden splendor sat a small and unassuming building.  I wandered in,  and my jaw dropped.  Instead of a slightly musty display of seed packets and pesticides, there was a wonderland of home accessories and furnishings.  It was heaven.  Unfortunately, we had to leave before I could purchase anything, but the impression was indelible.

Fast forward to 2006 and the construction and design of my home.  I was working with a bit of a handicap as some of my things were still in storage, some were being refinished and refurbished, and the house was still unfinished.  I was not very keen on ordering furniture for the house – barely sheetrocked at this point- as I hadn’t laid eyes on some of my furniture in literally years, so I wasn’t sure of proportions and shapes.  I was so excited to hear that Mecox was here in Dallas, but I had no idea what to expect when I walked in the door for the first time.  What I found was a group of the most lovely salesmen, although to call them that seems off, somehow.  They were incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and eager to please.  Did I like that chair?  Yes, but I needed 10.  And maybe in a different color?  Done.  Can I try it in the room?  Certainly.  Take it to the construction site?  We will clean it up when you get it back to us.  No request was too inconvenient and every transaction was truly a joy.  Now the store manager, David Lee was a sea of calm and zen as we were in the throes of finishing the house, trying to stay on budget, and get moved in.  Don Hicks and Jeffery Bell were always on hand to sherpa things back and forth from my Expedition to the store and had great design sense to boot.  It is sort of amazing to me that I have not done a post about Mecox, as so many of my favorite pieces were sourced here.  A partial list:  table and chairs in the loggia, dining room chairs, breakfast room cabinet, living room bench, garden stools, and harp chairs, entryway dressers, and more accessories than I can count.  You get the idea.

So once I realized my omission, I hopped on down to Mecox to take some pictures of the store and wouldn’t you know it, left my memory card back home.  Rain check.  In just one week, the store looked completely different, which is one of the reasons that Mecox does so well.  You always have a sense of discovery when you walk in.  So, what is new at the Dallas Mecox?  First, and unmistakeably, is color.  While neutral pieces will always be a backbone for Mecox, the Dallas store has amped up the color with accessories, art, pillows, and occasional chairs.

They are displaying artwork by some local Dallas artists, and I am a huge fan.  The look is fabulous and the pricing is reasonable.  This is a new direction for Mecox and I really am a fan.  They are doing a lot of custom work with area artisans, and picking up great vintage pieces and “upcycling” them.  The look is very hip and yet very classic and the same time.  You may not see some of these pieces on the Mecox website as a result, but I am giving you e-mails and phone numbers to contact the Dallas Mecox directly.

These are very fresh and appealing, no?  They are painted on translucent glass and can be painted on any color backdrop and at any size.  These were each $525, which I think is a great bargain for an original piece of art.

Here is a more neutral palette.  I really love the organic feel of these pieces.

Funny story about these acupuncture sculptures.  I saw human size versions of these at another haunt, the White Elephant, and they were vintage.  I loved the look of them but thought they were a bit overbearing.  Some enterprising Dallas-based manufacturer must have thought the same, as here are these!  Again, notice the use of color.  It is here and there, but very powerful.

Here is my breakfast cabinet’s twin, styled with great bursts of color.  Aren’t those orange chinoiserie pillows fun?

Here they are in chocolate and tangerine.  Again, they make such a statement against the neutral sofa.  If you have bought a neutral sofa and have painted your walls in one of the new neutrals and are now longing for some color, take note.  Pillows and accessories can add so much drama and color to a room, as long as they are boldly sized.  If the pillows are too small or the object too diminutive, then the color looks haphazard and half-hearted.  If you are nervous, just try out a few different combinations before you decide which one works best in your room.

Here is another view of the first vignette in the post.  I just think this is dynamite.  The leather chairs are slipcovered!  And the steel gray pillows, with the stripes railroaded, soften their vibrancy and relate so well to the zinc coffee table.  And of course, the painting is masterful and brings the whole look together.

Here is another look at how a smallish piece of artwork, supplemented by some large and colorful accessories can transform a space.

This sofa is actually a lovely pale blue.  Here they have it dressed in a beautiful bitter chocolate, but it would be equally lovely with some bright colors on this, too.  Look just behind the sofa at the aquamarine Windsor chairs.  I love that unexpected twist.

An entirely neutral palette has not gone away.  Here is a serene bedroom vignette.  It is very similar in feeling to my bedroom, which is why I like it so.  I have so enjoyed my neutral, nature inspired bedroom as it is serene and restful.  This has a more sophisticated feeling than my bedroom and I really love it.

Here is another vignette that I really liked.  The artwork gives things a pop, but with more mellow color and I have always loved how Mecox displays their mirrors, layered one on top of the other.

These lamps are really fun, flanking the great artwork and turquoise shell obelisks.  Cote de Texas posted that gray might be the new turquoise, but at this store, turquoise is the new turquoise.

These vintage chairs, newly recovered, were featured in D Home magazine, which is also starting to show more color.  This could just be a local trend, but the new House Beautiful issue showed a lot of color, too.  We’ll see what happens.

These ethereal porcelain fruits and gourds are the steal of the year.  The most expensive piece is $75 and the smaller ones start at $40, if I remember correctly.  This is another part of the evolution at the Dallas Mecox, which is to offer more variety in pricing.  Yeah!

If you have questions or a sudden insatiable desire to purchase any of these things, e-mail David Lee or Don Hicks.  Or you can give them a call at (214) 580-3800.  They would love to hear from you, and I know that they are wonderful to all their clients.  I have a reader who sent me the most heartwarming e-mail about how lovely they were to work with in trying to get a table to her in Canada.

Enough vicarious shopping for me, I am off to back to school activities for the boys.  Although those porcelain figs and pears are dancing in my head….

Kristin

PS No, I don’t get anything from Mecox for mentioning them on my blog, except for lots of hugs and as much Diet Coke as I can chug down while I am there.  But they do that for everybody…..

I got several e-mails about my kitchen chairs from my post on my kitchen, here.  A lot of you wanted to know where I got my kitchen chairs.  I tried to get back to as many of you as I could, but I thought I’d quickly do this post for those of you that I might have missed.  (Sorry!).  I bought my chairs at the Dallas Mecox.  So many of my favorite things in my  home have come from Mecox, and these chairs are no exception.  Here is the photo from the Mecox website.

These are the Prague chairs, and they retail for $295.  For more information, go here.  I can’t tell you how versatile these chairs are.  Without their cushions, I have sprinkled them throughout the house for various photos.  They are small enough to sit happily in any tight corner or spot, but they are large enough to be comfortable.  I have even used one of mine as a temporary bedside table.  But here is how they looked when I picked them up from the workroom.

The cushion is high enough to make these work for my breakfast counter, which is high, so we needed to add some extra height for comfortable seating.

While I do think that $295 for these chairs is a great price, for some of you that still may be too steep.  So I want you to see an even less expensive option.  This chair is called the Eco Bistro Chair and it is available on the Viva Terra website.  It retails for $145, so it’s a great deal.

These chairs ( on the right ) have a different shape than the Prague, but they share that same perforated seat.  It’s a charming design affectation for these chairs, as I don’t think either one would be happy in the rain, which is why the drainage holes exist in the original designs.  If you are interested in more information on the Eco, here is where you need to go.

Sorry for the short post, lots going on here.  I’ll be back soon.

Kristin

If my house weren’t furnished already, then I would not be writing this post.  Because, you see, this table would already be reposing in my home, getting to know the other tables, having an adult beverage with some accent chairs, and yucking it up with the accessories that it would be wearing.  It would be blanching every time a boy walked by with a lacrosse stick in his hand or Rocket the wonder dog went galloping by.  It would feel really special as Darcy went by, giving its surface a quick stroke with her hand, or as I fiddled and futzed with just the right vignette to place upon it.  But the sad fact is that there is no room for this beautiful piece in my home.  And the equally sad fact is that its current owner does not have the perfect spot in her home for it now, either.

We had high hopes for this piece, its owner and I.  We were going to use it to anchor an upholstered headboard and bedside tables in her bedroom.  But in the end, she did not love the way that it looked, and although I did, in the end the client is always right.  So, here we are with a table with great pedigree that needs a new home. Here is a photo, apologies for the poor lighting and styling – we had the room pulled completely apart and this was the best we could do in two minutes.

It has gorgeous clean lines and a wonderful patina.  I do think it is one of those rare pieces that would be happy in either a traditional or contemporary space.  It’s- shrug,eye roll- transitional. ( To get this inside joke, go here for my take on “transitional” It is a Ming console, purchased from Mecox Gardens, so you can trust its provenance and the fact that it’s gorgeous, as these folks don’t know how do do it any other way.  Here are another two shots, taken in a hallway.

A full view.

Great detail of the leg.

It is almost 120 inches long and almost 16 inches deep.  If you have a home for it, or think that you might, e-mail me and we can talk more.  I have to go, as my other furniture is getting upset over all the attention this one’s getting….

Kristin

PS This is not going to be a regular feature, dear reader.  This was a special case for a good friend – the client, not the table! Although I am awfully fond of it…

Hello!

I did NOT drop off of a cliff while out of town on a wonderful adventure.  My wonderful adventure consisted of two back to back lacrosse tournaments and the pleasure of watching both my sons play fine lacrosse in blazing heat and humidity.  I stayed at only the finest Motel 6 style accommodations and shared a bathroom with each boy.  Oh the joys of sharing bathing and grooming space with an adolescent! We dined at only the best pizza and burger restaurants, with one notable exception being a wonderful evening with old friends in Maryland.  However, I did manage to have a great time at each tournament, as I was surrounded by some seriously fun parents at one of them, and was in the shopping capital of the world at the other – Baltimore.  I know that the Baltimore-shopping-capital-of-the-world thing has been kept under wraps for a long time, but I am blowing the lid off of that, baby!  Actually, well, no, it isn’t the shopping capital of the world, or probably not even the state, except that a visit to Gore Dean in Baltimore makes you feel like it’s so.

This wonderful shop is located in a former mill.  It sits along a stream and is part of a complex of reclaimed industrial buildings.  It is an incredibly charming setting, although one that Deborah Gore Dean would find fateful.  Deborah opened her original store in Georgetown and it was a shopping mecca for DC’s interior designers and their clients.  She branched out to Baltimore.  Life was good.  Then she made a decision that a lot of us can relate to, she moved her family to Baltimore so that her daughter could attend a school that would further her athletic talents.  Again, life was good.  The the bucolic and extremely innocent looking stream that burbles behind her Baltimore store became a torrent, then a flood and then disaster.  The entire store was eventually a loss, although Deborah and her husband didn’t realize it at the time.  Painstakingly, they rebuilt the inventory and have consolidated all of their treasures into this one amazing store.   While this shop does not have a tony Georgetown address, the character and charm of the building is irresistable. Take a walk with me.

I have a hard time describing Deborah’s store, because she has curated a wonderful selection of so many things.  Beautiful china, crystal and flatware?  Check.  Gorgeous linens for the table and bed? Check.  Garden accessories and pots? Check.  Candles and home fragrance? Check.  Antiques and art?  Double check.  It sounds like it should be a veritable hodgepodge, but it is not.  Deborah is a wonderful stylist and all her merchandise flows from one vignette to the next.  She was apologizing to me for the disorder of the shop as she had hosted a book signing with Barry Dixon the night before.  To my eye, all looked lovely, but nevertheless as we chatted Deborah strolled and fluffed.  To say that she is a charming person and incredibly knowledgeable is an understatement.

Deborah is a shopkeeper after my own heart.  She does not have an inventory that is trend obsessed.  She buys what she loves and she hopes that you will, too.  So she has a delightful mix of high and low, European and Asian, rustic and refined objects on display.  It is possible to buy ready made curtains here of the highest quality while at the same time considering the purchase of an antique crystal chandelier.  I love that.

Here some vintage garden statues perch atop Asian inspired tables with a wonderfully crusty cabinet in the foreground.  Yes, that is screen mesh on the doors.

Old Chinese doors frame a vignette of Staffordshire and pottery.

Wonderful vintage table is for potting, I seem to remember.  It is festooned with an array of old wooden tools and that incredible root.

This table housed molds for candlemaking.  Just so full of character and charm.

I am stealing this idea.  This pretty Swedish style chair is covered not in linen, as we are seeing everywhere these days, but in a scrumptiously colored and buttery leather.  It is utterly lovely.

This quirky chair caught my eye.  How could it not?  Wonderful for a study or library, obviously, but it could also look fantastic in an entry hall with an umbrella stand (filled with walking sticks, naturally!).

This Moroccan lantern has been turned into a light fixture and I love how she has paired its bulbous shape with the topiaries.  Look at the wonderful walls in the background.  The whole store is just so evocative and it is a wonderful backdrop for Deborah’s selections.

The selection of pillows at this store is just fantastic.  They are perched everywhere and then still line shelves.

Just fantastic, aren’t they?  So, why am I showing you all this truly covetable (pun intended) merchandise when you don’t live in Baltimore, won’t have the pleasure of going soon, or frankly can’t imagine setting foot there?  Well, because Deborah has painstakingly added every single item in the store to her website, here.  So if you see it and love it, hop on over to the website and check it out.  Plus there are so many things on the website that are not on the floor of the store.  You could spend hours on this site, my friends, I promise you.  Deborah also writes a blog, which veers from incredibly informative pieces on antiques to quick descriptions of one of her evenings.  She is also working on a website strictly for the trade.  Deborah, I wish I had your energy.

I had the most wonderful time in the store, chatting with Deborah, getting some scoop on Barry Dixon, (Did you know that he is designing a new line for Fortuny?  Think all their traditional designs, but with some twists like trapunto stitching), looking at things for clients, taking all the above photos, and in general losing complete track of time.  I spent TWO HOURS there!  Which really takes me out of the running for mother of the year as my 10 year old son was with me the whole time, patiently waiting to go to the Inner Harbor.  However, he never once complained, as this was his pose for the entire time.

He wanted one of these basket chairs for his room.  I half wanted to buy it for him as a thank you to him and to Deborah!!  And here is the generous, warm and lovely Deborah Gore Dean.

She looks crisp and amazing, after being up until late the night before.  Somehow I think that this is the way she always looks.  However she is the friendliest person on the planet, so if you hop to the website, again here, and have any questions, don’t hesitate to call her or e-mail her.  She is a gem.

I will be back soon with another shopping opportunity.

Kristin