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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

Photograph by John Bessler for Traditional Home

Photograph by Jenifer Jordan for Traditional Home

Photograph by Michal Venera for Traditional Home

Photograph by Nick Johnson for Traditional Home

Photograph by Phillip Ennis for Traditional Home

Photograph by Nick Johnson for Traditional Home

Photograph by Michal Venera for Traditional Home

Photograph by John Bessler for Traditional Home

Photograph by Gordon Beall for Traditional Home

Image via Apartment Therapy

Image via Apartment Therapy

Image via Apartment Therapy

Did you guess it?  The carpet in each of the above images is from Stark Carpet.  Stark has been around for over 67 years and the name alone conjures up images of luxury.  It is a family business that has grown over the years to include fabrics, wall-coverings and furniture, in addition carpets under its large umbrella.

From natural textures like sisal and seagrass, to more contemporary designs by current designers, antiques and reproductions, to completely custom works that have graced such places as The White House and the Smithsonian, Stark has something for everyone.

Below are some images from the various carpet and rug collections at Stark.

Alexa Hampton Carpet Collection

A Favorite from the Alexa Hampton Rug Collection

David Hicks Carpet Collection

I have a sample of the Logo, Desert Night colorway here with me and I am dying to find a place to use it.  I am thinking a man’s office, the colors remind me of a pair of gray dress pants.  The actual sample does not read as black as the image above.

Other designer collections at Stark include Bilhuber, Diamond Baratta, Geoffrey Bradfield, Howard Slatkin, Nina Campbell, and Sherrill Canet.

Of course, Stark has a plethora of animal prints available for any number installations.  Having seen larger samples,  I am loving the antelope and the brown zebra loop.

I am also loving the Ebbe & Flow collection, which is a combination of wool/viscose/cotton.  It almost feels like shag carpet and looks like corduroy, the sheen is to die for.  It is another one I am dying to use.

And, at the risk of providing too much information (maybe I already have) I also love a few of these from the New Oriental Tibetan stocked rugs.

Stark Carpet has a fairly good consumer website.  And, the trade site is excellent (I didn’t even begin to touch on antique rugs, fabrics, furniture or wall-coverings here!)  So, if you are looking for something particular or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.  I am always willing to help.

Growing up we moved around a lot–and my parents built two custom homes.  My mom always had a designer, and Stark was a name I heard at various times.  My mom used a lot of their wall to wall carpets in the bedrooms.  So, when I first visited with Erica from the Stark Washington DC showroom, my preconceived notion was of products that would be very traditional and a bit predictable.  That notion was certainly dispelled for me–my sample library is brimming with inspiration from Stark.  I hope you like what you have seen as well.

**Note, my original post included links to the full collections I touched on here.  When checking all of the links, I realized they broke when I was not logged in to the trade portal.  So, if you want to see more, shoot me an email, it is no trouble.**

Brooks Brothers via Wall Street Journal

Reportedly, the line will include pillows, towels, lampshades and sheets made out of the same materials and fabrics that have rendered Brooks Brothers clothes classics.  Look for the line to debut in the Fall 2010.

Could this be another foray into the mensware-inspired accessories for the home?

Photographed by Lucas Allen for Metropolitan Home

What do you think about the idea?  Do you have any great mensware inspired products we should check out?  Maybe I should not be so quick to rotate out my husbands worn shirts…….perhaps a pillow or two are in order?