Showroom News

Tag Sale at Allan Knight

 Get it while you can . . . Allan Knight's highly-anticipated Tag Sale happens only once a year and it's open to the public. You'll have a chance to shop today and tomorrow, then that's it. Cearan Henley tells me everything is "at or below cost" and he provided the photos above from the cache of glamorous new and antique pieces for sale. Click on the Tag Sale link to view what's available and the prices! 

Cowden Bell's boxes at ID Collection

Everyone always told ID Collection co-owner Jim Williamson that he should have his own blog, and he finally listened. Irascible and witty, Jim has a way with words. He launched his new blog last week, aptly named Style Bastard. Here's a snipped from a new post he wrote on Weatherford artist Cowden Bell's gorgeous boxes, such as the undyed shagreen box with carved bone dragon fly, above: "Besides being lovely to look at and lovely to hold, they are also useful for storing things. And we all have things we need to store. Don't act like you don't. We have seen your place and judged you when you left the room." 

Circa 1960 Gucci tray, courtesy Jan's Notebook

Jan Showers did a riff on Gucci's 1960s era accessories in her recent Jan's Notebook that I loved. The Sixties, as seen through the eyes of Gucci, was decadent and glamorous and a little notorious at the same time. Jan alludes to the fact that she might actually have some of these rare Gucci accessories, so it's worth a trip to the showroom to find out, I think. 

Floor sample sale at Baker!

While digging around on the Baker Furniture website yesterday, I came across a little-known link that rocked my world. It's Baker's Odds and Ends, a link to all the floor samples on sale at every Baker showroom across the country. It's open to the public. There were hundreds of pieces, and yes, they included some of the top Baker designers like Bill Sofield, Thomas Pheasant, Tony Duquette, Stately Homes, Barbara Barry, etc. The photos above represent some of the actual pieces for sale from the site (these are not the actual pieces, but product shots that I pulled from elsewhere). The site is updated constantly, and I saw some  incredible bargains—most were marked 75% off list, with designers getting even more discounts. The prices are there, the dimensions, and they document all of the dents and dings carefully. It's really a lot of fun to peruse. 

Spring Design News in Dallas

Robert Dailey Designs

Designer Robert Dailey's crazy-beautiful, nature-inspired room at Neiman Marcus downtown has Tony Duquette's penchant for glamorous theater and Rene Magritte's dreamlike surrealism. But the mix is definitely all Dailey. Located in Gift Galleries on the 4th floor, the Dallas designer's showcase room is temporary; Dash out to see it before it all goes away.

Dallas artist George Sellers' astonishing gilt plaster
wasp sculpture is a part of Dailey's magical room design

 Jean-Michel Frank, now at Hermes Dallas

Jean-Michel Frank at Hermes: a limited selection of the great designer Jean-Michel Frank's furniture, reissued exclusively through Hermes last year, is now available in Dallas. According to my sources, the Highland Park Village store will begin renovations in 2013 and expand upstairs, devoting the entire second level to Jean-Michel Frank and other Hermes-designed furniture.

Frank's furniture, which until now had only been available at auction or seen in museums, includes   about a dozen exotic wood, shagreen, and parchment tables; club and side chairs covered in goat and lambskin; an exquisite marquetry screen; and fabrics whose designs were taken directly from rare Frank textiles. And while Hermes celebrates the French craftsmanship that is legendary to its leather goods and silk scarves, the Jean-Michele Frank furniture is hand-made in Italy, where furniture making reigns supreme. 

Jungle Fever, by Michelle Nussbaumer for Gracie 

Michelle Nussbaumer's new hand-painted wallpaper designs for Gracie, Jungle Fever, include two-dimensional renditions of her signature "splendora" jeweled brooches. The Dallas designer, who owns Ceylon et Cie, says she was influenced by historic Art Deco designs which take inspiration from Paris in the 1920s, Josephine Baker, and African motifs.

Van Cliburn is auctioning off collections from his Fort Worth home

Van Cliburn Sale at Christie's: the great pianist Van Cliburn is downsizing his massive, multi-million dollar collection of Russian and English silver, jewelry, antiques, and art at a sale on May 17 at Christie's in New York. Capera Ryan, VP of Christie's in Dallas, helped organize the sale. Read more in a story I wrote about it this month in Modern Luxury, here.

Borgias-inspired windows at Minton Antiques

Joseph Minton's Windows: Designer Justin Seitz of Fort Worth created these magnificent windows at Joseph Minton Antiques on Slocum St. in Dallas to promote Showtime's cult obsession, The Borgias. Read about why he did it, here.

Jan Showers new Tripod table

Jan Showers' New Spring Collection: just out, and it's prettier and paler than ever! The new Tripod table above has just the right amount of mid-century modern inspiration to give a room edge, without compromising glamour.  And, I love the unexpected funkiness of the Capri floor lamp with its curled feet and breezy island blue color. 

Carlton setee

Capri floor lamp

Sophia chandelier

Moonglow lamp

Interiors Texas debut issue

Interiors Texas: Modern Luxury's new quarterly home magazine for Texas made its debut this month. I have several stories in the issue (including the cover story featuring designer Sally Wheathttp://www.sallywheatinteriors.com./index2.php#/home/'s mod pod in Houston. There's also a stunning house by Dallas designer Allen Kirsch (page 84). Contributor Helen Thompson wrote about a spectacular house by architect Paul Lamb (page 100). Read it online now!

Glamorous New Rooms by Top Dallas Designers

Room by Michelle Nussbaumer of

Ceylon et Cie, inside Thrift Studio

All Photos by Lance Selgo of Unique Exposure Photography

Thrift Studio Preview! The doors will fling open on Saturday April 12 at 10 am to the glam shopping pop-up benefitting Dwell with Dignity. But before they do, you'll have a chance to buy ahead of time at a preview party Thursday April 12 from 6:30 - 9:00 pm, and again on Friday from 6-9. Go here to buy your tickets, in support of the local charity that has the whole design world talking.

Some of the top designers and showrooms in Dallas have donated furniture for the cause, including Emily Summers, Jan Showers, Laura Lee Clark, Antiques Moderne, David Sutherland Showroom, ID Collection, and Culp Associates. Thrift Studio, a bi-annual 30-day pop-up, sells the overstock of donated, gently used furniture, housewares, accessories, upholstery fabrics by the bolt, and high-end designer finds to the public.

See gorgeous room vignettes created by TLC Contract Group, The Container Store, Horchow, Michelle Nussbaumer, David Cadwallader Design, Melissa Woody, Peacock Alley, and Wisteria. Everything you see will be for sale, at a fraction of retail price.

The address is 1250 Slocum, suite 550, inside the Dallas Design District, next door to Culp Associates.

Here's a sneak peek inside some of the rooms:

MICHELLE NUSSBAUMER

HORCHOW

THE CONTAINER STORE

WISTERIA

TLC CONTRACT GROUP

MELISSA WOODY