Dallas Designers Speak Out!

Abbe Fenimore, Studio Ten/25

It's not what you think . . . I didn't ask Dallas designers to talk about ponderous things, such as how high to lift the debt ceiling (although when it comes to ceiling heights, most designers I know prefer them lower, say around 10-12 feet). I asked instead about things near and dear to their hearts -- what's beautiful, what's new, and where you can get it. I reached out to some designers I don't hear nearly enough from, and this is what they had to say:

William Yeoward's Mirroed Brick Cabinet at ID Collection

"I am head over heels for William Yeoward's furniture, lighting, and pillows right now. ID Collection has a gorgeous display of his latest pieces in their showroom. My favorite piece has to be the Mirrored Brick Cabinet. I'm insanely drawn to the mirrored doors and sides -- I've never met a mirrored piece I didn't like. It's the perfect blend of masculine and feminine, and a piece that can be used as media storage, a swanky bar, and a conversation piece for any space. His casegoods are timeless, elegant, and bring an extra something to a room." - Abbe Fenimore, Studio Ten/25

Tiffany McKinzie, Tiffany McKinzie Interior Design

"I love Conrad's natural, handwoven shades. I am doing and installation right now and we did the entire house. They're made by hand, with one single continuous weave. They cut the heat and filters the light, but you can still see through them, except at night when they turn opaque. A subtle little bling for your windows. Men especially love Conran shades. When you mention window coverings to men, they conjure images of draperies with heavy, gaudy bullion fringe. But men gravitate towards their clean look. The new Daybreak weaves they just launched look like raw silk with reflective weave through them. They sparkle like diamonds when the sun hits them." - Tiffany McKinzie, Tiffany McKinzie Interior Design

Conrad shades

Beth Dotolo, PULP design studios

"I love the Greek Peak arm chair by Thom Filicia! The design gives a nod to the ancient Greek klismos while bringing it up to date for modern interiors. I especially love the sexy splayed black legs and how it's integrated with the t-back. The best part for me as an interior designer? It's completely customizable!" -- Beth Dotolo, PULP design studios

Thom Filicia's Greek Peak arm chair

Emily Johnston, EJ Interiors

"I recently attended the Home and Gift Market at the Dallas Market center and came across an amazing chest from Global Views. The Greenbrier Chest is a classic piece with a bit of contemporary flair. Its swanky metallic finish and bold geometric pattern are just some of the details that have put this chest at the top of my list of market must-haves! The best thing about it is that it's not only gorgeous, but versatile. It could be used in a dining room as a small buffet, in a bedroom as a dresser, or as a table in an entry hall." - Emily Johnston, EJ Interiors

Global Views' Greenbrier Chest

Susan Smith, Urban Interiors

"I love all of Donna Karan's home accessories at Neiman Marcus, especially the Rippled Wood vases in bold pieces of carved wood and quietly colored ceramics. They're all oversized and stunning. Use them in a grouping or a single placement. We used these in a recent project at the Azure, and the collection was a perfect complement to our soft contemporary furnishings and art." - Susan Smith, Urban Interiors.

Donna Karan's Rippled Wood vases at Neiman Marcus

Kathy Adcock-Smith, Adcock-Smith Design

"When I walked into the new Promemoria showroom on Slocum for the first time I was in heaven. Each item is well-designed, has staggeringly flawless craftsmanship, and just incredibly beautiful. Definitely furniture important enough to hand down through the generations in a family. Many of the pieces, such as the Margot, have an interesting double base that adds a sense of presentation. I love perfection, and the Margot is it! Just adore the simplicity of the lines, the organic quality of the pulls, the exotic look of the wood, and an interior that's as beautifully detailed as the exterior. And for a bonus, LED lights come on when the door is opened." - Kathy Adcock-Smith, Adcock-Smith Design

Margot Small Cabinet at Promemoria

Melissa Woody, Melissa Woody Interiors & Accessories

"I'm super excited about the introduction of Christian Lacroix's line of fabric and home accessories for Designer's Guild. Lacroix has managed to introduce the same colorful, rich, and textured chic to his new home line, as he has done in his couture clothing collection. Since my personal style leans toward the "modern traditional", my favorite pattern is the Vuelta pring, which was inspired by flowers thrown at the torrero after a bullfight. Its warm French blue background is sprayed with colorful flowers, full of texture and depth.

In a more traditional setting, I would use this fabric as a toile. I can see it used in a completely upholstered bedroom (walls, headboard, drapery, etc.) -- traditional warmth with a kick. Pair it with a patterned wool carpet and some fabulous custom lamps and blue and white porcelain, and you have an updated version of the classic English bedroom." - Melissa Woody, Melissa Woody Interiors & Accessories

Christian Lacroix's Vuelta fabric at ID Collection

Dallas Design News: August. And Yes, it's Hot!

Jakob Schlaepfer's Quirell drapery fabric

Tulle and ribbons . . . imagine having Martha Graham do your windows. That won't happen, but Swiss fabric Jakob Schlaepfer has done the next best thing for drapery that almost dances across the glass. His new fabric, Quirell, is made from a background of tulle, which has been printed to match the ribbons, which are then hand sewn into the tulle. It frays naturally on the top and bottom, making it even more delicate and natural. It's sold in Dallas at Cory Pope Associates.

Jakob Schlaepfer's Luna Ginny

Also new from Jakob Schlaepfer, ethereal Luna Ginny mega-lightweight aluminum sheer fabric, printed with flowers. Jakob Schlaepfer recommends it for sheers, separation draperies, or sheers for glass panels. (Also from Cory Pope Associates.)

Vintage brass, designed by Ben Seibel at William Christopher

Book ends? Sculpture? They're a little bit of both. William Christopher has a dozen or more of these vintage 1960s brass sculptural bookends and boxes designed by Ben Seibel, whose works are featured on 1st Dibs. The bookends sell for about $495, with the boxes around $300 or less.

Vintage brass, designed by Ben Seibel at William Christopher

Vintage brass, designed by Ben Seibel at William Christopher

Crystal-embedded tumbleweed at Grange Hall

Bling or Bust . . . the lonely, lovely tumbleweed -- the flower of Texas. Not really, but what could epitomize our state better than a tumbleweed embedded with naturally grown crystals? A little bit of Lone Star bling to counteract the economic bust, as it were.

Grange Hall gets these emotional and beautiful sculptural pieces from an artist in France who grows the crystals onto the the tumbleweeds in her bathtub. It takes a long time, as you can imagine. Nothing is wired or glued on. The crystals grow in some kind of natural, organic process that this French artist has figured out. Interior designers have gone crazy over them, says Jeffrey Lee, co-owner of Grange Hall. $1,182.

Crystal-embedded tumbleweed at Grange Hall

Crystal-embedded tumbleweed at Grange Hall. $1,182

Also at Grange Hall: An antique brass owl mail clip and rock crystal under dome.

Pierced orb bowls with gold leafing by British artist Magie Hollingworth.

Etched glass votives at Laura Lee Clark

Naturally glowing . . . Hand etched glass votive holders from Laura Lee Clark evoke mother of pearl shell, or some other organically gorgeous crustacean. These have to be the best deals in Dallas right now, the most bang for your design buck. They're $18.75 each, and manage to enliven a room with their luster without even being lit.

Laura Lee Clark has some of the most beautiful and unusual naturalistic decorative items in Dallas, including this table-top cast resin sea urchin, and its large scale counterpart below:

Large resin sea urchin, $975 at Laura Lee Clark

Tibetan Buddhist monks making a sand painting

at the Crow Collection of Asian Art

Om . . . Research strongly suggests that Tibetan Buddhist monks, although still persecuted by the Chinese government, are among the happiest people on the planet. The Dalai Lama is always pictured at glamorous American cocktail parties, laughing. I suspect the real secret to their happiness is that the monks get to play in the sand.

Tibetan Buddhist monks from the Drepung Loseling Monastery will be at the Crow Collection of Asian Art for a weeklong artist residency from August 19 - 26, where they will construct an original mandala sand painting during museum hours, live. Admission is free.

Tibetan Buddhist monks making a sand painting at

the Crow Collection of Asian Art

Watch as Tibetan Buddist monks create a sand painting

David Collins' Under Eaves at Valley House Gallery

Unreliable . . . that's how New York artist David Collins describes his recollection of specific places, which he paints in complex and layered abstractions and geometric planes. Things look so much better for his lapses in memory.

Collins, who was raised in Dallas and went to Jesuit High School, received a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. He's exhibited all over the world, but this is his first solo show in Dallas at the Valley House Gallery. A prophet in his own land . . . well, you know how it goes. David Collins' solo show opens August 27 with a reception for the artist from 6 - 8 pm. The show runs through September 24.

David Collins' Clearstory Blue, at Valley House Gallery

David Collins' Attick at Valley House Gallery

If you haven't been to Valley House Gallery yet, well, all I can say is you're in for a treat. There's nothing else like it in Dallas.

Classic Georgian style door in Brent Hull's new

online Authentic Historic Door Catalog

Authentic, Historic Doors . . . Brent Hull's stunning new online Authenic Historic Door Catalog is so well done and much fun to peruse, it doesn't matter if you're not in the market for new doors at the moment. Just clicking through the pages opens a lot of doors to the imagination...

English style doors in Brent Hull's new online Authentic Historic Door Catalog

Brent Hull's doors are all hand carved, hand pegged and made from antique old growth woods using historically accurate or custom moldings and panels. His new online door catalog lets you browse through different sections that include the history of doors (I love that section) and doors by type, such as English, American, and French. A little bit of background and history of each style is included. So, if you're renovating or building a house that's a certain style, you can pick out doors you like that are in keeping with the style of the architecture.

French style doors in Brent Hull's new online Authentic Historic Door Catalog

Holden Art Painting

Gorgeous American Clay Earth Plaster walls by Holden Art Painting

Paint the Town . . . Marc Holden of Holden Art Painting is a new sponsor of my blog, and what an on honor it is to have such a talented Dallas artist as a part of my team.

Artist Marc Holden

In business since 1994, Marc specializes in creating decorative paint finishes for walls, woodwork, ceilings, and floors; hand-painted murals; trompe l'oeil; and custom faux wood, stone, and metal finishes. He's also one of the few in Dallas who have mastered the technique of using American Clay Earth Plaster on walls.

Spectacular ceilings painted by Marc Holden

Marc, who grew up in Irving, is a West Point graduate who served as a tank commander in Desert Storm. An artist at heart, "I was a round peg in a square hole," he says of his five years in the Army. "I was always artistic growing up, but I didn't know what to do with it." After making captain and returning to the States, Marc and his wife Tamra were stationed at Fort Knox in Louisville, KY, where Tamra came across an ad for classes in faux painting. She signed them up. It was the early 90s, when sponging and rag rolling walls were the rage -- Marc learned the basics in class, and the rest he perfected on the job.

"I've always been pushed by designers to develop new ideas," says Marc, whose repertoire quickly went from sponging walls to more complex and refined techniques, such as what you see below.

Marc gave the walls of this powder bath a faux parchment look.

A hand-painted bamboo pattern on top mimics gold leaf

This glamorous painted entry wall mimics silver leafing

After the army, Marc and Tamra returned to Dallas in the early 90s to raise a family. Tamra helped build their art painting business by cold-calling on stores with design teams such as Gabberts and Adele Hunt. Their three children now range in age from 12-18, with the oldest spending her summer helping dad paint. "She doesn't realize it yet, but she has an artist's eye," says Marc.

The mantle at left is done in American clay. At right, the faux painted mantle

was done to match the exotic Italian marble in the rest of the room.

"Take what you have and give it an updated look with a different finish," says Marc, who is often asked to turn wood into stone, brass into iron, or plain surfaces into patinated copper, or mimic silver and gold leafing. Trends are changing, he says, and although there's still a big market for decorative painting, younger designers ask for more simple finishes on walls and furniture that are also easier on the environment.

Marc uses mainly non-toxic, water-based, low VOC paints. "Fifteen years ago, I'd be doing a glazed ceiling with the oil paint dripping on my head, and I felt like I had paint thinner coursing through my veins. Now the only noxious thing I use is a primer for wood, because it's the only thing that will provide a good adhesion for stain. I mostly use Benjamin Moore Aura paints, and their new Advance paints are actually water-soluble oil."

Faux copper, iron, and stone finishes

"I'm half artist, half engineer," says Marc. "I look at the stone, or the wood, or whatever the natural material is and I mimic the colors exactly. I have an analytic mind, which helps. And I don't use anything fancy, just cheap brushes, rags, or sponges. It's really about getting the color right and building up the depth with glazes."

Marc Holden's hand-stenciled walls

A faux painted side table, brilliantly mimics inlaid mahogany.

The technique Marc uses to paint over existing wood finishes eliminates the need for stripping the furniture first, which is toxic and time consuming. Think about that the next time you want to refinish something -- which technique would you rather use?

Out-of-date, white-washed oak cabinetry in this kitchen

was painted to look like polished mahogany.

In an economy where people are cutting back on renovations, Marc is getting more and more requests from designers to refinish cabinets in kitchens and baths for clients. He never strips the wood, but uses a combination of painting techniques to mimic just about any wood or color you can imagine, from polished mahogany, to rustic pine, to exotic zebrawood.

Marc created an antique finish on all of the wood cabinetry in this kitchen

In builder houses where interior architecture is sometimes an afterthought,

Marc often gives rooms a more finished look by faux painting plain white molding to go better with rustic beams on a ceiling, as he's done here.

"My specialty is imitating what goes on in nature," says Marc, who recently redid a Henredon bed for a client that had a dated whitewashed oak finish. "She wanted it to look stained dark, not painted, so I put a layered toned glaze to allow you to see the existing wood grain. I applied it softly until it changed the color of the piece. It takes a certain touch to be able to get it to look right. We created the look of a stained wood without ever stripping it."

Gorgeous American Earth Clay Plaster walls

Marc is one of the few local artisans who have perfected the use of American Earth Clay Plaster, a non-toxic natural plaster made in New Mexico. Said to emit a negative ionic charge that purifies the air around it, the clay also buffers humidity and sound. It can be custom tinted, and Marc can create a matte or buffed finish that looks a lot like Venetian plaster. Says Marc: "I'm also playing with decorative applications for the clay, such as creating different designs on the wall in a bamboo or floral pattern."

American Earth Clay Plaster walls with decorative patterns created by Marc Holden

A trompe l'oeil mural painted by Marc Holden for the entrance of a home theater

"I want is to bring something creative to people's homes, something they will love," says Marc. "It gives me a lot of satisfaction when a client says 'I love this piece of furniture now, or I love spending time in the room now that you've done those walls."

The biggest compliment of all comes when someone can't tell the difference between the real thing and a faux finish that Marc has painted. "I've had people ask me, 'That's such a beautiful wood, what is it?' not realizing that it's not wood at all, but painted."

Holden Art Painting

Gorgeous American Clay Earth Plaster walls by Holden Art Painting

Paint the Town . . . Marc Holden of Holden Art Painting is a new sponsor of my blog, and what an on honor it is to have such a talented Dallas artist as a part of my team.

Artist Marc Holden

In business since 1994, Marc specializes in creating decorative paint finishes for walls, woodwork, ceilings, and floors; hand-painted murals; trompe l'oeil; and custom faux wood, stone, and metal finishes. He's also one of the few in Dallas who have mastered the technique of using American Clay Earth Plaster on walls.

Spectacular ceilings painted by Marc Holden

Marc, who grew up in Irving, is a West Point graduate who served as a tank commander in Desert Storm. An artist at heart, "I was a round peg in a square hole," he says of his five years in the Army. "I was always artistic growing up, but I didn't know what to do with it." After making captain and being returned to the States, Marc and his wife Tamra were stationed at Fort Knox in Louisville, KY, where Tamra came across an ad for classes in faux painting and signed them up. It was the early 90s, when sponging and rag rolling walls were the rage -- Marc learned the basics in class, and the rest he perfected on the job.

"I've always been pushed by designers to develop new ideas," says Marc, whose repertoire quickly went from sponging walls to more complex and refined techniques, such as what you see below.

Marc gave the walls of this powder bath a faux parchment look.

A hand-painted bamboo pattern on top mimics gold leaf

This glamorous painted entry wall mimics silver leafing

After the army, Marc and Tamra returned to Dallas in the early 90s to raise a family. Tamra helped build their art painting business by cold-calling on stores with design teams such as Gabberts and Adele Hunt. Their three children now range in age from 12-18, with the oldest spending her summer helping dad paint. "She doesn't realize it yet, but she has an artist's eye," says Marc.

The mantle at left is done in American clay. At right, the faux painted mantle

was done to match the exotic Italian marble in the rest of the room.

"Take what you have and give it an updated look with a different finish," says Marc, who is often asked to turn wood into stone, brass into iron, or plain surfaces into patinated copper, or mimic silver and gold leafing. Trends are changing, he says, and although there's still a big market for decorative painting, younger designers ask for more simple finishes on walls and furniture that are also easier on the environment.

Marc uses mainly non-toxic, water-based, low VOC paints. "Fifteen years ago, I'd be doing a glazed ceiling with the oil paint dripping on my head, and I felt like I had paint thinner coursing through my veins. Now the only noxious thing I use is a primer for wood, because it's the only thing that will provide a good adhesion for stain. I mostly use Benjamin Moore Aura paints, and their new Advance paints are actually water-soluble oil."

Faux copper, iron, and stone finishes

"I'm half artist, half engineer," says Marc. "I look at the stone, or the wood, or whatever the natural material is and I mimic the colors exactly. I have an analytic mind, which helps. And I don't use anything fancy, just cheap brushes, rags, or sponges. It's really about getting the color right and building up the depth with glazes."

Marc Holden's hand-stenciled walls

A faux painted side table, brilliantly mimics inlaid mahogany.

The technique Marc uses to paint over existing wood finishes eliminates the need for stripping the furniture first, which is toxic and time consuming. Think about that the next time you want to refinish something -- which technique would you rather use?

Out-of-date, white-washed oak cabinetry in this kitchen

was painted to look like polished mahogany.

In an economy where people are cutting back on renovations, Marc is getting more and more requests from designers to refinish cabinets in kitchens and baths for clients. He never strips the wood, but uses a combination of painting techniques to mimic just about any wood or color you can imagine, from polished mahogany, to rustic pine, to exotic zebrawood.

Marc created an antique finish on all of the wood cabinetry in this kitchen

In builder houses where interior architecture is sometimes an afterthought,

Marc often gives rooms a more finished look by faux painting plain white molding to go better with rustic beams on a ceiling, as he's done here.

"My specialty is imitating what goes on in nature," says Marc, who recently redid a Henredon bed for a client that had a dated whitewashed oak finish. "She wanted it to look stained dark, not painted, so I put a layered toned glaze to allow you to see the existing wood grain. I applied it softly until it changed the color of the piece. It takes a certain touch to be able to get it to look right. We created the look of a stained wood without ever stripping it."

Gorgeous American Earth Clay Plaster walls

Marc is one of the few local artisans who have perfected the use of American Earth Clay Plaster, a non-toxic natural plaster made in New Mexico. Said to emit a negative ionic charge that purifies the air around it, the clay also buffers humidity and sound. It can be custom tinted, and Marc can create a matte or buffed finish that looks a lot like Venetian plaster. Says Marc: "I'm also playing with decorative applications for the clay, such as creating different designs on the wall in a bamboo or floral pattern."

American Earth Clay Plaster walls with decorative patterns created by Marc Holden

A trompe l'oeil mural painted by Marc Holden for the entrance of a home theater

"I want is to bring something creative to people's homes, something they will love," says Marc. "It gives me a lot of satisfaction when a client says 'I love this piece of furniture now, or I love spending time in the room now that you've done those walls."

The biggest compliment of all comes when someone can't tell the difference between the real thing and a faux finish that Marc has painted. "I've had people ask me, 'That's such a beautiful wood, what is it?' not realizing that it's not wood at all, but painted."