Knight Moves: 05/11

5/31/2011

Stunning Sectionals

Ok, the adjective "stunning" might be a bit of a stretch for sectionals. These oversized sofas aren't normally considered attractive, much less stunning. I tend to think of pleather and recliners when I hear the term. I will say, however, that there are some really good looking sectionals these days which is fantastic because it's hard to beat the comfort and functionality that they offer. They provide lots of seating space and most importantly, plenty of room for lounging which is precisely why I put one in my own den.

Besides the one I have, which is made by Sherrill, these are a few of my favorite styles:

1) Sienna - High Fashion Home

2) Cobble Hill Tribeca - ABC Home

3) Clarke - Room & Board

4) Blake - West Elm

5) Agosto - Cisco Brothers

6) Jodi - High Fashion Home

7) Lampert - Jonathan Adler

8) Clifton - Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams

9) Hyde - Williams-Sonoma Home

10) Sidecar - Crate & Barrel

11) Roman - High Fashion Home

12) Jackson - HW Home

13) Cobble Hill Prescott - ABC Home

14) Phoenix - Z Gallerie

15) Brooks (Thomas O'Brien for Hickory Chair) - HW Home

16) Gramercy - High Fashion Home

17) Tristan - Cisco Brothers

18) Cody Slipcovered (Taylor Scott) - Layla Grayce

Hickory Chair is an excellent source for a quality, American-made custom sectional. I also love lots of styles from Room Service, but their product photography isn't conducive to my needs :)

Do you have a sectional in your home?

5/27/2011

Magazine Backlog

My plan this weekend is to lay by the pool and catch up on some reading. Besides diving into Starter for Ten, the new David Nicholls book I immediately downloaded after finishing One Day, I need to plow through my pile of magazines. I subscribe to a few old school paper versions and also read some digital mags, and those are the hardest ones for me to keep up with because sitting at the computer any more than I already do is typically not appealing. Nevertheless, there are tons of inspiring tidbits and photos so I'm making a point of going through Lonny, Rue, TradHome (even though it came out a while back), and House Beautiful
(I read it on my iPad via Zinio).

I'll usually do a quick flip through when each issue first comes out, but I need to circle back and take a deeper look now. On my first run at the latest issue of Lonny, I LOVED this shot of a New Orleans home they featured, mainly because of the fabulous painting by Aaron Collier...

Via Lonny Magazine, photography by Patrick Cline

On my first pass at Rue, I liked the color palette running throughout this Mindy Weiss spread...

From May/June issue of Rue Magazine, photography by Elizabeth Messina

From video by Floataway Studios

I flipped through House Beautiful on my iPad while working out this week and I loved this kitchen from the latest issue...

Design by Ken Fulk, Via House Beautiful, photography by Francesco Lagnese

Which mags do you read? Any on your agenda for the long weekend?

Hope you all have a wonderful, safe Memorial Weekend!

5/26/2011

Paule Marrot's Textile Creations

I love seeing artwork of the past celebrated in new ways. Besides creating new art, Christopher Wilcox's Natural Curiosities seems to be on a mission to make sure that the lesser-known artists of the past are not forgotten. By acquiring the oeuvres of a diverse set of artists such as engravers, painters, botanists, and architects, Natural Curiosities has resurrected their work by reproducing it in a modern context.

I'm transfixed by architectural drawings so I've long been a fan of NC's offerings in that area and I also love their maps and botanical illustrations. A relatively new release from NC, the Paule Marrot Collection, is one I've recently taken note of. Here is a piece from the collection called Swirl Set, which is comprised of four 22" square panels....

All images copyright of Paule Marrot Editions.

French artist, Paule Marrot lived from 1902 until 1987 and began her life in art as a painter and eventually came to focus on textiles. She became known for her inventive use of bold color and pattern and truly breathed new life into the world of textile design. Her work was fawned over by many in the interior design community including the iconic Billy Baldwin. One of Marrot's floral creations even prompted Jacqueline Kennedy to have an entire room of the White House designed around it. In short, Marrot's art was recognized by the savants of her time and happily, she enjoyed success during her lifetime. Read more about her life and work here.

I first spotted Marrot's work at the Calypso Home store that just opened in Dallas. Their walls are adorned with a few pieces created by Marrot, produced by Natural Curiosities. NC took Marrot's beautiful work and presented each piece floated on raw linen, housed in a fabulously modern acrylic frame. The one called Feathers, the vibrant pink piece shown in the number one position below not only caught my eye, it also got the attention of one of my clients and we're trying it out in her house today.

In addition to Feathers, here are a few more selections from Natural Curiosities' Paule Marrot Collection...

All images copyright of Paule Marrot Editions.

I'm thankful to Natural Curiosities for bringing Marrot's work into the light and for presenting it in such a fresh, current manner. While I'm generally not in favor of reproductions in art, I do think that Natural Curiosities produces its prints with a higher level of integrity and sense of purpose than some others in the business. Like I said before, I feel like they resurrect and share the works of artists past and I appreciate that.

What is your take on reproductions? Also, what do you think of Marrot's work? If you love it, be sure to check out NC's Paule Marrot Petites as well!

5/25/2011

Lamps to Love

I have a hard-core obsession with lighting, especially lamps. Table lamps are an essential element to almost every room in the house since they provide forgiving, low-level light and can be a game-changer in terms of aesthetics. Basically, lamps can make a huge difference in how a space looks and feels so it's important to choose wisely. Or you can become a lamp hoarder like me and change the ones in your home constantly (I don't recommend falling down that rabbit hole though).

With thousands of colors and styles out there, it can be hard to narrow down the possibilities. So, I've compiled a list of some of my recent favorites...

1) Prout's Medium Ball Lamp - Jill Rosenwald

2) Poston Cool Grey Faux Shagreen Lamp - Made Goods

3) Turquoise Foo Dog Lamp - Shades of Light

4) Maura Daniel Aladin Milk Glass Base - Layla Grayce

5) Arteriors Naomi Aqua Fluted Glass/Acrylic Lamp - Layla Grayce

6) Carnaby Talitha Lamp - Jonathan Adler

7) Gabrielle Table Lamp - Z Gallerie

8) Hayley Table Lamp - Crate & Barrel

9) Newport Teardrop Lamp - Jill Rosenwald

10) Jill's Key Lamp - Jill Rosenwald

11) Arteriors Vance Polished Nickel Candlestick Table Lamp - Layla Grayce

12) Marrakech Round Lamp - Horchow

13) Tomorrow Table Lamp - Currey & Company

14) Chocolate Cane Table Lamp - Horchow

15) Timeless Table Lamp in Blue - Currey & Company

16) Hampton Links Lamp - Jill Rosenwald

17) Hutton Table Lamp - Crate & Barrel

18) Kikar Balestro Lamp - Williams-Sonoma Home

19) Agate Table Lamp with Nightlight - Shades of Light

20) Lydia Gold - Made Goods

21) Glass Jug Lamp - West Elm

22) Modern Spindle Lamp Base - Shades of Light

23) Rock Crystal Lamp - Shades of Light

24) Square Vase Blue and White Lamp - Shades of Light

25) Turquoise Lamp - Dunes & Duchess

26) Miles Lamp - Jan Showers Collection

27) Contemporary Murano Robin's Egg Blue Lamp - Swank

Unfortunately most couldn't be categorized as bargains. I'm pretty good at finding deals, but it's really tough to get well-made, beautiful lamps at good prices. I've had great luck at HomeGoods where many are under $50. I've also seen some good deals at World Market and sometimes at Target. If you have any sources for more affordable lamps, please share!

5/24/2011

Another Inspiring Space via Nuevo Estilo

I wrote a post a while back about a newfound obsession, Spanish shelter mag Nuevo Estilo. Sadly the Spanish language doesn't fall onto the small list of languages that I am able to read, so I just cruise the site like an illiterate child and look at the pretty photos.

Since I've been feeling a bit bored with with American design lately, NE is an especially refreshing and inspiring resource. Below is the latest inspiring home that I stumbled upon created by "interiorista" Eugenia Soler Roig. She masterfully blended styles and colors to create a dramatic, yet livable apartment. Took a look at her handiwork...

Photo via Nuevo Estilo

Things I love in this room include: the wild sculpture behind the sofa (is it some sort of coral??), the twin coffee tables, and the dramatic floor-to-ceiling super wide mirror (also behind the sofa).

Photo via Nuevo Estilo

Oh yeah, and I like the mix of colors...especially the peacock blue pillow on the dark sofa..

Photo via Nuevo Estilo

Simple, stunning entry - great combination of old and new aesthetics.

Photo via Nuevo Estilo

Dying to know more about the artwork in this shot!

Photo via Nuevo Estilo

Pretty cool doors to the dining room, aren't they? Would love to know if they are custom or some sort of antique or salvage find.

Photo via Nuevo Estilo

I love the soft gray wall color against the gilded bed.

Photo via Nuevo Estilo

Pretty linens and unexpected accent pillows. Also notice the draperies...I wish there was a better shot of those because they look pretty interesting.

Photo via Nuevo Estilo

What do you think of the space? Do you have a favorite room or element?

Although the space isn't 100% to my liking, I'm certainly intrigued by it. As you might've noticed from my comments above, I'd love to have more information on a few things. If only I could speak Spanish and read the text that goes along with the photos!

5/23/2011

Fresh, Affordable Fabric à la City Craft

City Craft is not only the best place in Dallas to take sewing classes, it's also one of my favorite local sources for affordable fabric. Lucky for all of you, City Craft sells their unique fabrics online via The Shop on their fab website (also be sure to check out the CC blog).

With popular designers like Ty Pennington, Joel Dewberry, and Amy Butler, plus to hard-to-find Japanese lines like Hookoh, the selection is amazing and the prices are hard to beat. For instance, the chic blue print shown in the #1 slot below is a home decor weight fabric called Palazzo C and is only $7.50 per half yard! Believe it or not, the rest of the ones shown below are under $15 per yard too...

What do you think? Any standouts?

If you're like me and love all or some of the above, be sure to add City Craft to your resource list! Their fabric stock is especially fantastic for nurseries and kids rooms. CC also has fabulous ribbon and trim...I couldn't pull it up on their site, so if you're local be sure to stop by and check that out. The store is located in Inwood Village off of Inwood and Lovers.

5/18/2011

Layla Grayce Custom Furniture

I just found out that one of my favorite online sources, Layla Grayce, is now producing its own line of American-made furniture. With a focus on comfortable, classic pieces that can be customized through a huge variety of fabric options (or COM), the line is sure to be a success. Many of the styles were familiar which leaves me curious about which manufacturer they are using. In any case, I'm excited about the line because a) I love furniture that's made in the USA, b) the price points are good, and c) the overall style is timeless and transitional. Here is a sampling of what is available:

5/17/2011

Blue Print Bliss

Dallas is blessed with lots of beautiful shops but I must say that relative retail newcomer, Blue Print, might be the fairest of them all. The luxe furnishings boutique is set up in a gloriously old, quaint house in uptown on Fairmount. It is the ideal locale for their elegant yet modern goods that range from furniture (both antiques and a private label line) to original artwork, and from monogrammed linens and jewelry to lighting.

The merchandising is absolutely impeccable. The whole store looks and feels like a super chic home so shopping there is quite a lovely experience. With a constantly changing inventory, Blue Print should be a monthly stop for the decor obsessed. Take a look and prepare yourself for some ogling!

Grand entry...