Burger King The New Trend In Home Furnishings?

Yep.   “Have it Your Way” is the trend this Market.  All style and fat free.  What is it with me? It always comes back to food!

This Market, in addition to scouting the newest items for Elaine Williamson Design  clients, I have the honor of being  the Sponsored Blogger for  CR Laine Furniture.  This has already proven to be such a great collaboration (more about that later).  

I toured their new showroom located at 310 North Hamilton yesterday afternoon.  I think you will agree that this showroom has something for your client and/or customer’s style.

I will take you on a photo tour to see what I mean:

First, up-to-date, bold and graphic…

Bold and Graphic FABRIC Covered Walls

 

Hello gorgeous!

 

Bold Color is Back!

   Saturated color is back!  A designer can help balance and temper your  bold wall color with the appropriate patterns and furniture finishes so that your room never feels heavy or too kitschy.

Red Tempered with Brights and More Graphics

This room could have come straight out of my childhood.  It is sooo my mother’s taste.   Bold yet soft. Bright yet neutral.  Graphic yet traditional. Mimi loves color. A lot.

On the other hand, my dad would think it was too soft and airy for his taste. Not to fear daddy!  CR Laine has something for you too……

Warm and Manly!

Or perhaps, somewhere in between…..

Refined Rustic

Oh wait…What’s that?  You have a  home near the Coast but still want an elegant yet whimsical?

 Noooo problem….

Perfection.

One of my personal favorites is the new take on the traditional equestrian feel.  I am all about the deconstructed chairs (the bones of the chair shows on the outside), paired with a traditional sofa, light rustic lamps and a fresh approach to the equestrian art.  So fresh, but had depth and dimension.

Feminine Equestrian

Let me just say that there is much, much more to come in the following days from this showroom and with their fun-loving, up for anything, Director of Marketing, Holly Blalock.

Oh, you want a hint…..Shoes….custom shoes…..

Remember, Life Happens…….Under the Chandelier

Elaine 

Follow us on Twitter @elainewdesigns and Facebook: Elaine Williamson Designs for all of the up-to-the- minute Market finds.

First day of Market.   First thing on my agenda?  Eating.  Anyone who knows me for a minute or hangs around me for a second knows I’m nothing without my food!

After lunch I kind of feel lost.  No speeches to give today, no appointments, no nothing.  I decide to take advantage of this moment in time and visit a fellow Decor Mentor and designer friend, Lisa Kahn-Allen.  Lisa is debuting her new furnishings and accessories at Chelsea House at 200 N.Hamilton.

Love Birds:  If you have never met her new hubby, Phillip S. Allen, please make a point to say “Hi” when visiting the showroom with Lisa.  These two are the warmest most in love couple I have had the chance to visit with  in a long, long time.  So supportive of each other.  Way to go Lisa

So Proud…..

 

Love Knots:  Love is in the air!  Lisa has incorporated the elegant design of a love knot into several pieces in her collection.  I do not want to spoil it by showing full shots but simply tease you and make sure you enjoy it in person as much as I did.

Sneak Peek of Etched Love Knot in Hall Table

 

Quatrefoils:  Lisa shared with me her love of quatrefoils and has incorporated them in their most beautiful and interesting fashion.  What is a quatrefoil you ask?    In art, architecture and traditional Christian symbolism, the quatrefoil is a type of decorative framework consisting of a symmetrical shape which forms the overall outline of four partially overlapping circles of the same diameter.  It actually means “four leaves”.  There, that is your design lesson of the day

Can you find the quatrefoils?

 

Lisa (and Phillip), I know you have put your heart and soul into this collection and I must say, it shows.  It is original, refreshing and classic.  There are many other special references Lisa has included but you just have to see them for yourself.

Remember, Life Happens….Under The Chandelier

Elaine

Just Groovy!

The Happy Hipster, Jonathan Adler,  himself has come to Dallas.  The Brandmaster has his new digs perfectly located at 4524 McKinney Avenue.  As if this street wasn’t already chic enough with the likes of Nest and Forty Five Ten, JA rounds out this “must frequent” street perfectly. If color is not your thing, take a deep breath and walk in anyway.  JA has always brought in color in such a way that it is never garish or harsh.  The furniture collection is highly patterned or structured yet always classic.  It is a great lesson for anyone scared of color and a great example of how to use it loudly yet sparingly.

I fell in love with JA while visiting  The Parker Hotel-Palm Springs .  It is collected, chic, quirky and happy.  I mean, come on, a guy who uses ceramic bananas as an accessory is my kind of creative spirit.  By the way, the banana is now offered in brass.  Yes, a brass banana.   I die.  

There is something here for everyone.  His dinnerware is also full of pattern and color and a great way to bring in a little touch of Adler.  I recently purchased this collection for a client, pared them with a gold charger and completed the place setting with a black and white chevron placemat.   Kind of a Mary Mac and JA one, two punch

I was so hyped up while visiting the JA boutique that I decided to purchase one of his signature vessels.  Trust me, I needed one!

Happy Shopping! E

The Main Event

Like so many others in my industry, I truly believe in the art of collaboration. When I was approached by Joss & Main to curate a collection, needless to say I was honored and thrilled.

I love to balance the traditional with the transitional and the tame with the quirky

This Curated Event combines my love of the South with EWD’s polished signature style, pairing opulent chandeliers with chic tables, fashionable Missoni Home pillows with regal mirrors, and vibrant accent chairs with timeless rugs and ottomans.

This Flambeau chandelier is the essence of New Orleans styleDramatic, elegant and.. (345.00)!

So, as you can see, there are some fabulous selections and deals to be had at Joss & Main. While shopping for your own home, remember to stay true to what you love, mix and match and you can’t go wrong.

I want to thank Alexandra and her amazing staff for making this a truly enjoyable collaboration.

Live out Loud-Elaine

One Step At A time……

Oh, how I love shoes.  HIGH heeled shoes.  Loud shoes.  Bossy shoes.

Each time this year as I prepare to go the High Point Furniture Market to shop for clients and reconnect with friends and industry professionals, the first thing I think about is shoes. You see at Market one needs comfortable shoes.  The kind of shoes that can get you through the millions of square feet of furniture real estate and still leave you smiling at the end of the party that night.

Jimmy choo Spring 2012

But for me, there is only one problem.  I don’t wear comfortable shoes.  Never.  Ever.  My clients tease me about my heels each and every day.  My self-esteem somehow seems wrapped up in those six inches that lift my sole (soul) for 10 hours a day.  You see, if I wear flats, that’s when my arch starts to ache!  They simply aren’t used to it.

Brian Atwood Spril 2012

**For me, High Point Market is like the Mardi Gras of the home furnishings and design world and  I enjoy dressing for the fête.

Nicholas Kirkwood Spring 2012

REMEMBER:  Keep Your HEAD, HEELS and Standards HIGH!

**I ice my feet every night at market!

It’s Time to Celebrate!

Happy Birthday Elaine! Photo credit: Ansley Nguyen

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you Elaine! You are by far one of the most fabulous women I know, and I hope that your day is just as glamorous as you are! You are loved by so many and we love to see you succeed!

You have worked so hard to get where you are today, so take time to celebrate YOU! You truly deserve to take a break and just relax!

Remember that you are loved by so many! We all wish you the best on your very special day!

-Ansley

Living the Authentic Life

With every new year come new resolutions, many of which will fall by the wayside and be forgotten or given up on. So this year, I am setting a personal goal to wake up every morning and live an inspired, authentic life. But with advertisements overloading our brain with “authenticity” that is completely counterfeit, we must define it for ourselves.

Learn to breathe. Photo credit: unknown

Showing authenticity as a person is to show a genuine concern for others and to do right by them. Authentic is quality over quantity. It is being real with yourself and doing what makes you happy, not what is expected of you. Now, I’m not saying quit your day job and go completely off the grid, but it’s never too late to start completing that bucket list. Face your fears. Travel. Learn to take a deep breath and let everything go (even if only for a few seconds).

Learn to paint. Photo credit: Kathy Yu

While in High Point, I had the wonderful opportunity to meet some wonderful, genuine women. Meeting them showed me the importance of real  people in life, and how faux friends are as bad as a pair of pleather pants– they do nothing for you and leave others thinking, “Oh, honey no.”

Here’s to 2012. Here’s to having real friends. Here’s to the authentic life. Here’s to living.

Face your fear. Photo credit: Democratic Underground

Oh, Christmas Tree…

Oh Christmas tree! Oh, Christmas tree! Being bland is history!

Lori's Broadway Tree, Photo credit: Ansley Nguyen

This season is all about celebration and decoration, but sometimes being traditional is just too blah. What better way to decorate your home than something with a splash of your personality and event-themed accents? Don’t know where to begin? Start with something your family does together, and hit the ground running! Here’s one of my favorites from my dear friend Lori!

I spy the "horse" from Monte Python! Photo credit: Ansley Nguyen

The idea for her Broadway themed tree came about after she and her family started going to musicals, most of which are presented by Dallas Summer Musicals. Each year they attend several shows, always saving the Playbill given when entering the theater and usually purchasing at least one souvenir. Lori cleverly turned the Playbills into ornaments by copying and shrinking the cover, then laminating them before adding them to the tree. She and her family have even turned souvenirs into tree decorations– Chitty Chitty Bang Bang flies low in the branches, joined by a few characters from How the Grinch Stole Christmas! How fun is this tree?

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Photo credit: Ansley Nguyen

Ok, so now you have the dilemma of finding your own niche to make your tree truly personal. Keep it simple and important! Take a cue from Lori’s husband Nam, who has his own Star Trek tree in his office (complete with speaking replica of Captain Kirk). Or from the zeal of rivalry between colleges and their “House Divided” tree– half University of Virginia, half Virginia Tech (I smell family a family feud this season)!

But most of all, it’s about the heart you put into it. It’s not the gifts beneath the tree, or even the tree itself, but the people who gather around it! So gather round, keep warm, and have a very merry Christmas!

Cabin Fever

Drexel Heritage, Photo credit: Ansley Nguyen

With cold weather moving in, it often seems like a better idea to curl up by a fire with a good book and a cup of warm coffee. To make an escape and seclude yourself from the chill and get cozy and comfortable. To make a getaway to a cabin high in the mountains where snow and trees abound and city lights disappear.

Drexel Heritage, Photo credit: Ansley Nguyen

 

 

No, I’m not talking about roughing it out in the wilderness– I want a lush, luxe, rustic cabin that doesn’t skimp on the details. Warm colors and textured fabrics with elegant escape appeal, like what we saw in Drexel Heritage’s  showroom at High Point Market. Drexel has this amazing capacity to turn what is so masculine into something every woman can love. The bedroom has a masculine build and strength about it, but the fabrics are so inviting and even feminine. The living room has a similar appeal, with warm, rich colors and a masculine coffee table, contrasted with a sleek, curved armchair in a soft, neutral gray.

Ok, so maybe I can’t just up and leave for a winter cabin retreat high in the mountains. But the inspiration that can be drawn from the idea is unending. Plus, there’s no Starbucks in the woods and they’ve got Peppermint Mochas back on the menu!

The First Ride of Winter

Photo Credit: Tack and Pet Supplies

It’s the first ride of the cold season. His coat is getting longer and fuzzier, his nostrils flare with every breath he sucks in. The first steps onto the pavement leading to the trails breaks the silence of the afternoon, and we make our way to our hidden valley where we ride calm and free.

It’s been a month since my last ride with him. I can feel his excitement surging with every step as his body moves beneath the saddle. Something about the cold air always gets to the horses, and it sends a giddy feeling from my toes up through my spine. His excitement makes me even more happy about riding this winter, even though I usually hate the cold. But on the back of a horse, even the cold weather and chilly breeze becomes liberating. As we walk the trail to our favorite spot, I begin to relax into the seat of the saddle. I slouch and let his walk move me. I breathe in the frigid air and relish this moment even though it happens every year. That first ride of the winter that makes me anxious for my break from school, so I can run to the freedom of my saddle and escape to the trails with my horse.

Julie Browning Bova for Stanford Furniture, Photo Credit: Ansley Nguyen

Riding is my passion. It is what drives me and what soothes me. And up until now, I have been rather disappointed with the selection of interiors that fit my style. This past Market was my first, and I was elated when Elaine told me about the collection Julie Browning Bova did with Stanford Furniture. The collection has equestrian elements throughout and has the small details every rider like myself would adore. It is elegant and livable; it is warm and lush. The collection models the lifestyle of riders, and mixes in the textures of the sport with the elegance of luxury living.

–Ansley