More is More, Especially with Malachite

As you might've read about a few weeks ago, I recently had the privilege of going to a luncheon hosted by SFERRA at Tony Duquette's Dawnridge estate. Touring the home that the late designer and his partner, Hutton Wilkinson, decorated was inspiring to say the least. Every inch of the property was captivating...every space was full of rich color, texture, and artistry. So when Hutton was giving the grand tour, my ears perked each time he mentioned that something was still in production. One of the items he noted was an insanely gorgeous malachite rug that Roubini produces. You can see it at Dawnridge in this photo.

Anyhow, I would kill to have the rug in my living room, but alas that's not in the cards at the moment. So, I'll be living vicariously through the following board...

Roubini Tony Duquette Malachite Rug
Currey & Company Blythwood Chandelier

1st Dibs (Paris Underground) Murano Lamps

Spectrum Portofina Dining Base

Home Design Accessories White Patent Dining Chair

Remains Lighting Tony Duquette California Sunburst Sconce

1st Dibs 1940s Lacquered Oak Buffet by Léon Jallot

You might've noticed that I can't get malachite out of my head lately! There's just something completely mesmerizing about it. Clearly, I'm not alone in my fixation on the material. Tony and Hutton's love affair with malachite certainly plays out in many ways at Dawnridge. It is featured on a variety of surfaces...floors and walls, case goods and soft goods.

To pay homage to his colleague's signature use of malachite, Hutton has produced a collection of Tony Duquette fabrics, which includes a malachite print.  Using some of Tony's original, hand-painted malachite fabric remnants, Hutton updated the design by including more colors and now the fabric - 3325 Gemstone - is available through Jim Thompson.

Malachite is also a staple in the Tony Duquette jewelry collection...apparently it was one of Tony's favorite stones to work with.

Finally, while we're talking about all things Tony Duquette, did you see that the sconces used in the board are from the Tony Duquette Collection by Remains Lighting? The set is based on original designs or fixtures created by the late designer. Besides the sconces used above, I especially love the Splashing Water lamps and sconces...

Whether you love it or not, you certainly can't be bored in the world of Tony Duquette! I'm grateful to Hutton Wilkinson for not only hosting me at Dawnridge, but more importantly for doing such a remarkable job of keeping Tony's spirit alive and relevant today. There is nobody in the world that could have done a better job of honoring the great designer's legacy. It's not often that creativity and ingenuity co-exist with exquisite taste and a formidable work ethic. Those qualities seem inherent in both Tony and Hutton and I'm so glad they had so many years of fruitful collaboration together. Cheers to Hutton for continuing to create, design, and beautify the world...and also for inspiring the rest of us to do so too!

Back in Big D

Just got back from Aspen...we went up there last week for my brother's wedding.Nuptials site...the famous Maroon Bells. It was gorgeous! Not sure what was so funny during picture time above...apparently I missed out :)
We hit our usual haunts and since there was a celebration of matrimony, the trip included lots of family time, which naturally led to plenty of eating, drinking, and shopping.

One of my new favorite shops is the J. Crew "At-the-Mountain" concept store. An outstanding interior made shopping there seem like a whole new experience even though J. Crew is about as familiar to me as Walgreens. Raw concrete floors were paired with bleached oak covered walls. The displays were perfection. The store truly showed how important it is to create a unique "buying theater." My only issue was that the design involved ample usage of furry/hairy/dirty rugs - my texture nemesis. To my horror, they were even nestled in the dressing rooms! Even so, I managed to avoid touching them and came out with some much needed loot. It was so nice to have cool weather to catalyze my excitement for their sweaters! In Texas, it's easy to brush them off as something not worth considering until October or November. Check out their special edition heidiskis...
Example of a display...I am in love with the oversized tufted bench, of course. Note the devilish hairy rug beneath...it's making me uncomfortable just looking at it.

They also had the luggage below that I lust over...
Before leaving my favorite mountain town, I stopped into Paris Underground and fell in love with a few things including the items below. The photos don't really do any of the pieces justice...especially the lampshades. They are all custom made in Paris and are nothing short of exquisite. Oooh la la...







Hopefully at least one of the above will grace the Knight residence with its presence!