I haven’t done one of my “I think I’ve Seen You Before” posts in a long, long time.  But, the other day my husband called me en route from one client site to another….and wanted to know if I had time for a quick lunch.  So, we met up at a great little Mexican place (I seriously am dreaming about my meal) and as I was leaving I drove by Z Gallerie who had this mirror on display in the window.

Z Gallerie Dynasty Mirror

Oddly enough, I had just been browsing for a mirror for our powder room the night before and had seen this mirror in the catalog, offered in a red and a white option.  (Often large companies will do an exclusive color….not sure if that is the case with this mirror or not…..but I don’t see black in the catalog.  They will do custom though so who knows?)  Incidentially, Horchow and Gumps appear to sell this mirror in the red and the white.

Mirror Image, Inc. 

Mirror Image, Inc. 

One of the contenders for my powder room is the below mirrored pagoda piece.  Horchow also sells it retail….and with free shipping….it isn’t a bad deal at all.

Mirror Image, Inc.

They also make this next mirror, Gumps had a gold leaf version that is listed as an “exclusive.”

Mirror Image, Inc. 

This company has a vast catalog…and I am just highlighting the ones I’ve seen out in the retail market…..there are lots more I recognize, but these are the “fun” ones.  Incidentially, in addition to the mirrored pagoda above, below is another mirror that I am considering for my powder room (I want a Venetian mirror look).  The “mirrored key” mirror is probably my favorite at the moment.  It is shown horizontally in the catalog but I’ve flipped it here to show how I’d hang it….sorry it looks a bit funny as a result.

What do you think?

See anything you like?

PS–Thanks to commenter Todd I was able to order the Venetian Key mirror through Gilt where they were offering it for a great deal (better than designer pricing).  They also had the top chinoiserie mirror in blue!  If you are reading this on the day posted….check out the sale over at Gilt that is about to end…lots of great mirrors!

It is nearly impossible for me to list all of the vendors I work with on my list of manufacturers.  And, if I don’t have an account I can usually set one up pretty easily.  You never know until you ask.  Recently, I had a past client email me to see if I could help her purchase DL Rhein pillows.  As it turned out, I did have an account set up with a company that manufactures both DL Rhein and Trina Turk Pillows.  Take a look at some of their offerings.

These images are just a small sampling of what is available through this vendor.  They sell embroidered cocktail napkins, tea towels, rugs, pillows and seasonal merchandise.  So what is the moral here?  You never know until you ask.

You may be familiar with Kellie Cashon, a Dallas based designer and blogger.  Well, she has been working on a new venture called Shop Curio, and it officially launched last night.  The party was held in the Penthouse Suite at the historic Stonleigh Hotel.  The venue was amazing, with a 550 square foot rooftop patio overlooking the city.  Here is a photo of Kellie and me from last night.  (Sorry, only photo I have….from my husband’s iPhone).

When I first moved to Dallas I had contacted Kellie to get the recommendation for a wallpaper hanger.  She met me for coffee and literally gave me EVERY contact in her address book.  Painters, doctors, vets, craftsman, trade only workrooms, etc.  She gave me the scoop on our neighborhood, the schools, etc.  I couldn’t believe how generous she was to a then complete stranger. 

I met up with her again when Elizabeth from Pretty Pink Tulips was in town.  After coffee at our local Starbucks, Kellie took the two of us back to her amazing office where preparations for her new shop were well underway.  Elizabeth and I kept looking at each other in amazement as Kellie showed us many of the items that were being photographed for the shop.  This lady has style.

So, what is Shop Curio?  Kellie has scoured estate sales, flea markets, the Internet, etc. finding unique objects for her shop.  She has given them the TLC they need to look fresh and new and offers them to those of us who may not have the eye or the time to find these diamonds in the rough.

I love this 1920s watercolor….

And this Aquamarine Pendant on a Vintage Chain….

I also love this sunburst mirror.

There are so many goodies in her shop, you’ve got to check it out yourself!  She is even adding her own line of beauty products and stationary to the store later this year.  This is one busy woman.  Thanks Kellie for including us in your launch.  I wish you much success in your new venture!

Happy Weekend Everyone!

While house hunting I was drawn to a home in our desired neighborhood that was really way too small for our family.  I don’t think our dining room table would have even fit in the dining room and at 8 months pregnant on the last house hunting trip, I had to turn sideways to exit the kitchen because the family room furniture was so tight it practically invaded the kitchen space.  Add to this that the owners were trying to make a hefty profit in a time period when most prices had remained flat at best, and it wasn’t meant to be.

Each time I’d come back to this house on my short list my realtor would remind me to look past the “Lucy Luby Ryan” decorating.  At the time, I didn’t get the reference but you can be sure I looked it up on my iPad when I got back to the hotel room.  Turns out Lisa Luby Ryan is a well known interior designer in Dallas with a fabulous shop called Vintage Living.

Lisa Luby Ryan

Lisa Luby Ryan

Lisa Luby Ryan

Lisa Luby Ryan

So, imagine my interest when I heard that Arteriors and Lisa Luby Ryan were debuting a new line at the fall 2010 High Point Market.  To see the full line, visit here.  Below are a few of my favorites.

What do you think, are you a fan?  Is your interest peeked?

If you need help with pricing or want more information on the line, feel free to contact me.

I apologize in advance that my posting may become a little more intermittent and brief in the next few weeks.  I am officially in the third trimester, business has really picked up, we list our house right after Labor Day and still have to find a house in Dallas.  Finding a preschool there that will take a 2.5 year old child mid-year has been next to impossible (any Dallas readers have any leads in the Park Cities?); and oh yes, I am trying to potty train Maddie before baby #2 arrives…..and progress is slow at best!  How is that for keeping it real around here?

So, at the moment I am busy decluttering and trying to work my way through my ever growing “to-do” list while keeping my sanity.

But, I wanted to share this beauty I saw on Facebook earlier this week.  This chandelier is in new product development at Niermann Weeks and will reportedly hit showrooms soon.

Coquille Chandelier, Camel & Gold Leaf Finish

Now, this image lifted my spirits.  Isn’t it beautiful?!?  I think I’ll dream of it today as I am in my dark basement storage room sifting through and organizing what seems like more stuff than it should be humanly possible for a family to collect!

Fromental was established in 2005 with its main office and design studio in London and a team of artists in China.  Founded by Tim Butcher, previously the creative director at de Gournay, and Lizzie Deshayes, a textile designer, Fromental seeks  “to create the world’s most beautiful wallpapers.”  Based on the images below, I think they are well on their way….

Photograph by Colleen Duffley for Traditional Home

The above image from Traditional Home Magazine was taken at a Showhouse in Atlanta.  This image has been all around blogosphere, so this is likely not the first time you have seen it.  Below, I love the close up look at the paper.

Photograph by Colleen Duffley for Traditional Home

From Fromental’s 20th Century collection, the “Chinese Sparrow” paper comes in a number of standard colorways.  It is also available in custom colors, as above.  It is available in a number of different ways, from simply painted to part-embroidered on silk or painted backgrounds.  The sky is the limit (and, truthfully, perhaps the budget).

The below image is also from the 20th Century collection and is called “Prunus.”  Can you think of anything more luxurious than the texture that the embroidery on the petals would provide?

Photograph via Financial Times

The below image has been dog eared in my inspiration files for some time.  I love the entire Georgetown townhouse designed by Allesandra Branca.   I absolutely love the yellow in this living room, and how cheerful and cozy does this little corner look?

Photograph by Thibault Jeanson for Southern Accents

Fromental currently has three wallpaper collections available, in addition to custom work.  First is the Chinoiserie Collection.  This collection includes images of birds and flowers, lotus & carp and Singerie, where monkeys are “engaged in various human pursuits set in a fantastical landscape of mountains, rivers and pagodas.”  (All subsequent images are from Fromental).

I featured a couple of images from the “20th Century” collection at the top of this post.  And finally, Fromental offers a “Roomskins Collection,” which features plain paper backed with silks and velvets.  And, while they are unique on their own, they are also suitable for use above and below chair rails in coordination with other Fromental papers.

Geometric Roomskins

Textured Roomskins

Strata Roomskins

Finally, Italian silk and velvet are paper wrapped to be hung on the wall.  Available in 20 colorways.

I could have kept going on and on about how fabulous these papers are.  I have literally spent hours on their website reading about the various techniques and processes behind the various papers.  They are truly works of art.  What do you think, if money were not an object could you find a place in your home for one of their papers?  I’d love to hear about it.