Merry Christmas + Happy New Year!

In all likelihood this will be my last post of 2011. I hope you all have a happy and safe holiday break! I'll be celebrating Christmas with family and the New Year with friends and I'm really looking forward to both and to the break in general.

As a final sign-off, I give you the 2011 Knight Christmas card. It's a letterpress card with a fun striped envelope liner. I'm a huge fan of letterpressed goods...our wedding invitations were done by Missing Q Press and since then I've been hooked.

For the photo, we thought of trying to get one with just the dogs. We could get two to stay up on the car (my husband's pride and joy, an '84 Land Rover)...

During the photo shoot it started to rain...

So, we decided go the more efficient route and just hold the dogs for the final shot...

So from my family, to you and yours...merry Christmas and happy New Year!

Bed Facelift with Auto Body Paint

I just got the old wooden bed back from Again & Again and it sure does look pretty now! MAJOR improvement over the old look...it used to have a cheesy rustic/distressed finish and now it's all glossy and sleek. I chose to go with an aqua auto body paint color like I mentioned in this post. It turned out great and I love that the color plays nice with the painting on the nightstand. It was painted by my grandmother in 1934.

I'm so glad that the old bed could be revamped. It's always nice to be able to use what you already have! Here are some shots of the bed...I played around a bit with different pillows and throws. I think I like the last one best with the duvet. What about you?

Here is the bed made up with my beloved COCOCOZY throw...

Then I played with some of the pillows from the living room...

Finally, here's the duvet that I've had on the bed...

What do you think of the bed? I think it's super fun and breathes new life into the room. Thanks to Again & Again for doing such a great paint job!

Divine Fabric by Michael Devine

You might not know who Michael Devine is, but you've surely seen his exquisite hand-printed fabrics before. With unique designs and textures, Devine's bespoke fabric collection stands out from the rest and has been used in countless projects published in the major shelter magazines.

The following photos show a bedroom from an Atlanta showhouse from a few years back that was published in Traditional Home. This room will forever stick in my brain because of the dramatic window treatments. They are constructed with Michael Devine's Fretwork fabric and I think they look so sharp. They bring a little flair and exoticism to an otherwise sober space. To me, this room really illustrates how impactful window coverings can be.

Image via Traditional Home, design by Robert Brown, photo by Colleen Duffley

Image via Traditional Home,  design by Robert Brown, photo by Colleen Duffley

Image via Traditional Home, design by Robert Brown, photo by Colleen Duffley

Devine also offers interior design services and here's one of his projects where he used his Ashley (chair), Chantal (curtains), and Window Box (pillow) fabrics...

Designed by Michael Devine

 Aerin Lauder's bedroom, as featured in Vogue, is swathed in Devine's Gramercy fabric...

Image via Vogue,  photo by Claiborne Swanson Frank

Image via Vogue,  photo by Claiborne Swanson Frank

Here's Fretwork making a bold statement again...

Image via House Beautiful, design by Frances Schultz  

The whole collection of fabrics is wonderfully versatile and all designs can be printed in custom colors. Here are some of the other prints...

I like them all, but Dottie, Ashley, Siena, and Orangerie are the ones that I like best. What about you?

Arteriors Lamps in the Entry

While I was picking up some shades for a client, I spotted a killer pair of lamps at Arteriors Too, the Arteriors outlet that's located here in Dallas. Here's the thing about this pair of lamps...I've been wanting them for years now and just haven't wanted to spend the money on them. They were a steal at the outlet and I figured it was a now or never moment, so they're mine now!

Called the Vance Candlestick Table Lamp, the style is really classic. With a polished nickel finish and a height of nearly three feet, the effect is dramatic but not trendy. They are really versatile so I considered putting them in a few different places around the house, but ultimately the tired old hand-me-down lamps on the commode in the entry needed to be replaced so that's where the Vance duo will reside. The former lamps were spray painted brass with a (visible) horrible Gorilla glue repair job and cheap shades that would never sit straight and - a pretty pathetic scene. So in the spirit of the upcoming new year...out with the old, in with the new!

Dallas peeps should definitely check out Arteriors Too...it's on Lovers Lane just past Inwood. They have all kinds of lighting, furniture, and accessories and the inventory is always changing. It's also a great source for lamp shades, finials, and harps.

For those who don't have access to the outlet, you can shop Arteriors product line at tons of different online retailers. And for the next two days, you can shop One Kings Lane's Arteriors Home sale and get prices like you would at the Dallas outlet! These cool green ceramic lamps are one of my favorite styles and they're included in the sale...

A Little Bit of Christmas at Our House

Not going to lie...I did not put 100% effort into decorating for Christmas this year. We aren't hosting any parties at the house and my schedule has been so full that it just wasn't a huge priority. Nonetheless, I still did a tiny bit of trimming...

In the den, I got out my mini white tree that has cute little turquoise and silver ornaments...

And a huge wreath hangs over the mirror...it was hard to get a good pic of this but it looks really pretty at night because of the reflection. I used large frosted globe lights from Target.

Close up of the little mini...

In the front, I used a lit magnolia garland and waxed pinecone wreath...

Birch spray...

The way-too-skinny tree and some cinnamon pinecones...

I'll confess that I didn't even get out all of the ornaments...such a Grinch, right?? I did put my favorites on the tree though, including this hand-blown glass one...

So there is Christmas-lite at the Knight house! Nothing too exciting or elaborate. Next year maybe I'll do better when I'm not preoccupied with pool construction drama!

What about your holiday decor...did you go all out this year? Buy anything new?

Gallery Spotlight: Kathryn Markel Fine Arts

I try to keep tabs on what's going on in the art world, but it's tough because there are so many artists and galleries out there. Little by little, I discover new artists and thereby find the galleries that represent them and vice versa, sometimes I discover new galleries and come across newfound favorite artists that they represent. It's a time consuming, but fun process and curiosity is the key to success.

One the galleries I keep up with is Kathryn Markel Fine Arts, which is located in New York and Bridgehampton. I found the gallery after falling in love with a Deborah Zlotsky painting and I really like the other artists that the gallery represents too. Besides the interesting offering of artwork, I also follow KMFA's inventory because the price points aren't outrageous, which is a shallow but necessary factor to keep in mind. If you're seriously looking to buy, there's no point in shopping a gallery that sells work priced out of your budget. Anyhow, here is a sampling of my favorite pieces from Kathryn Markel Fine Arts...

All pieces can be purchased through Kathryn Markel Fine Arts

All pieces can be purchased through Kathryn Markel Fine Arts

Do you like any of the pieces above? Are there any artists or galleries that you keep tabs on? What is your art shopping strategy?

William-Christopher Design on Gilt City!

One of my absolute favorite shops in Dallas, William-Christopher Design, is running a 50% off offer with Gilt City Dallas and I wanted you all to know about it. They have the most fabulous selection of vintage and bespoke furnishings and with the Gilt City offer, you can get $300 worth of merch for only $150! Plus, you can even buy multiple vouchers if you're looking to buy something more expensive than $300.

At W-C, you'll find a curated collection of things that will make your home cool and special...seriously. They have the most amazing lamps, pillows, furniture, artwork, books, candles, and unique accents like vintage Waylande Gregory ceramics and bejeweled fire screens. Have a look at what's up for grabs as of yesterday...

This is my favorite vignette...I just love all of the blue and the fretwork chairs and end tables. Oh, and the bone card table is to-die-for!

Love these Loyal Loot log bowls..

 

Here are the vintage Waylande Gregory pieces...

The chrome x-base stools shown here are SO cool...they've been reupholstered in vintage fabric.

These brass bookends are awesome and would make a great gift!

Accessories that you won't find anywhere else...

Pillows galore!

I love this vintage secretary...

Did you see anything you can't live without? If so, the offer ends on Monday at 10am, so be sure to cash in on it before then! If you aren't a Gilt member yet, just click through on this invite link.