Thursday Parties

Don’t you love Thursdays when there are cool new openings and events to attend? Especially when they are as compelling as these. JANUS et Cie is celebrating their first showroom here in Dallas at 1525 Dragon St. You will see some of the coolest, newest international designs in outdoor living. The collection is stunning - and the bright white showroom is such a contrast to the old Del Saxon space (but, I do miss him.) When you have been wowed by the originality of some of these pieces, walk across the street to the 40th birthday of Vivian Watson Associates , and meet some of their suppliers that have been along for the whole ride. And be sure and have a few drinks, Vivian (as seen on page 78 of October DHo me ) is there with you in spirit.

The Greening of Metrocon

I wandered through Metrocon yesterday and noticed two major influences - green and tile.  Almost every booth had some kind of informative blah blah about green, or eco, or sustainablity.  I don’t know about you but it is all starting to sound kind of like sound bites to me.  Maybe if we just look at this practically - re-use what you can, re-cycle what you can’t, and build with materials that aren’t endangered we can make sense of it all.  Or maybe I’m just dense. The other trend is tile and it is certainly compatible with the green issue.    Marble, glass, stone, and porcelain - tile is moving out of the kitchen and bath and will soon be part of your decor through out your house.  And the designs - linear, geometric and bold - taking influence from the large scale wallpaper patterns that are so popular now.  Check out Horizon, Ann Sacks,  Walker Zanger, or Arizona Tile to name a few.

Kelly LaPlante at the Fairmount

The Fairmount Hotel is hosting a book signing tonight for Kelly LaPlante’s new book “Ecologique”.  It is part of a eco-luxury marketing package marrying luxury with glamour - eco-green luxury hotels, hybrids from Lexus, and beautiful interiors that don’t scream organic.  LaPlante is quite the glamour girl, and this book is the latest step in the  glamorization of ecological design. Can’t wait to try the cocktails made of Veev - a spirit made from the anti-oxidant acai.  We’ll see how I feel tomorrow.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Mine is good, thanks for asking.

Last year, Mike the Landscaper, came up with a concept of having a kitchen garden.  Fresh herbs and veggies perfect for summer food and fare.  We had a problem, though.  Neither of us, in laying out the landscaping allowed any room for my veggies.  By the time we realized it, I was resplendent in azaleas and hydrangeas, but couldn’t squeeze another plant in edgewise. Or so I thought…

(more…)

Fab Finds That Will Brighten Up Your Day

If you loved the Bleu Nature driftwood floor lamp in the Editors’ Pick section of the July/August issue (on newsstands now!), then I am sure you will be crazy about these new lamps as well…

4510’s Vincent Lamp by Oly is made of wood and coated in a vintage gold color ($1,625). It is natural and rustic, yet ornate and fabulous all at the same time.

Mecox just recently got in two driftwood floor lamps that are quite impressive ($2,800 each). Variations of found, natural driftwood make each lamp very organic, and very unique. 

Needs More Color

I just had to show this vignette at Allan Knight. After all the stylish muted shades and golden bieges, this kind of hit me. I’m also personally in love with these pillows from Ankasa.

Introducing Kat Burki

Kat Burki, known for her brilliance in interior design in Connecticut, has turned her eye for design into a new line of home furnishings and furniture. Although she is based out of Connecticut, Dallasites are well aware of her talents. She was recently commissioned by Dallas entrepreneur and owner of ViB Beverages, Johnny De La Valdene, to decorate and furnish his 10,000 square-foot Dallas estate.

As of July 1, you too can furnish your home with Burki’s elegant furniture and luxe accessories. In fact, the majority of inquiries and requests about Kat’s new line have poured in from Dallas, which is not surprising at all. Kat Burki associates her line with the Dallas market, saying, “Dallas consumers are sophisticated with a strong sense of style. I think my new signature line translates perfectly into their lifestyle.” We think so too, Kat.

The website is up and running and ready for business. Catalogs will arrive in mailboxes nationwide on August 4th.

New Product Generates Water from Air Moisure

Coming in September from a duo of British Columbia entrepreneurs: the Water Mill, which claims it can extract more than 3 gallons of water a day from the moisture in the air and then funnel it to your tap, or fridge or water cooler, or wherever. It’s been designed for home use, connects to your household current at a cost of 36 cents per day, and is this innovative company’s answer to the world’s growing water shortages. Building a new home? Might want to incorporate a few of these.

Pure Genius. Duh.

Greetings, once again from the sugar sand beaches of the Florida/Alabama coast. 

Every once in a while, I find a treasure.  Duh is just such a place.

The brainchild of Quinn Stinson (Baylor University ‘88) and Jim Rigsby (who has no known ties to DFW, but is just as cute as a button), Duh is haven for the usually design starved greater Pensacola metropolitan area.  Duh has had its finger on the pulse of every design trend to roll out…  I’ve been a Duh fanatic for at least 9 years.

(more…)

Take the LED Tour at Lights Fantastic

Speaking of LED lighting, Lights Fantastic has just opened a new design studio upstairs that includes real-life examples of the latest in LED and “green” lighting, all installed in a variety of room settings. See what it looks like, try it out. Imagine it in your own home. I don’t know of any other place in Dallas where you can experience all the new lighting technology in such an interactive, complete way. Ask for a tour — you’ll leave being as excited about it as I did.

The Dream House Thinks Pink

The Dream House is going green.  The Trophy Husband and I have spent the last few days in a pink fog.  After last summer’s electric bills were edging up to amounts closer to a mortgage payment, we declared war.  The first thing we did was switch our electrical provider.  I picked this one…and I was tickled pink by their name. But I didn’t stop there… (more…)

Paradise Found.

I was so inspired by the latest issue of D Home , I set out to find the best outdoor living spaces in my neighborhood.  It took all my strength to keep from diving into summer… (more…)

Come Here Often?

A few weeks ago, I noticed my neighbors doing something odd.  They painted patches of color in various areas all over their brick.  Since I have Gladys Kravitz tendencies, I did what any of you would do.  I waited until I saw them leave, and went over for a closer look.  I assumed they were getting ready to paint.  (I like to have input in these kind of decisions…after all, I will be the one looking at it.)

It was then I discovered a pile of discarded food peelings: cantaloupes, bananas, cucumbers in the flower bed right by their front patio.  Hmmm…that’s an odd place for a compost pile.

Yesterday, the mystery was solved.  And, it brought back some childhood memories… (more…)

La Cuesta Farm

This falls into the Who Knew? category. Beautiful goat’s milk cheese is produced on La Cuesta Farm, about an hour and a half outside of Dallas near Lake Whitney. Order online, or find their cheeses and other goat’s milk products in one of the groceries listed on the website. York Street Cafe and Parigi both serve their cheese.

Nuclear Blast

I’ve really had it. Spider mites and aphids attacked my indoor palms and a large braided money tree four months ago. I tried everything organic to kill them, including soap spray and $80 mail order, microscopic “predatory mites” that allegedly feast on the buggers. All I got from that was a house full of corn meal — because you can’t see the things, the mites come packaged in corn meal so you can spread them around. I also tried spraying the plants with a solution of rubbing alcohol and water, from a recipe on the Internet. “It really works!” the gardening blogs exclaimed. All that did was burn the leaves. Soon after, everything keeled over and died, so I replaced them all a few weeks ago with big bushy plants from the Farmer’s Market. Again, they’re infested with mites and aphids. A few days ago, I thought I’d try something new: live ladybugs, guaranteed to keep aphids and mites under control, and be fun to boot. So, after a trip back to the Farmer’s Market, I released a package of 1,700 ladybugs onto my plants. Yes, inside. They immediately flew onto the draperies and onto the floor. Most of them died by the next morning, and the ones that didn’t are still flying randomly around. I’ve gotten sick of the whole thing, and only just got back from buying a bottle of real insecticide, the kind with a yellow warning label on it. It’s pointed at a plant right now. And I swear I’m going to use it.

An Evening with Neil Sperry

Texas horticulturist Neil Sperry is a household name in our backyard. Last spring, with the help of Calloway’s, we choose indigenous plants that returned strong this year, thanks to Neil’s Complete Guide to Texas Gardening. Like perennials, his book comes up again and again as a solid reference. Meet the man behind the book, and the gardener’s voice on KRLD (1080 AM) since May 1980, at the DMA on Thursday, May 1, at 7 p.m. Join him for Green Landscaping–Facts and Fantasies–and the latest trends in Texas gardening. Call 214-922-1826. $15.

Eco-Moms

Seems that Mother Earth is networking through a national group of dedicated “eco-moms.” They’re learning how to save the world, one household at a time. BRAVO. Read all about them in The New York Times.

Waterless Toilet

I’m not here yet. But, I am very impressed if you are.

A Healthy Valentine’s Gift for You!

Love this!

Roses are Red, Violets are Blue…

Here’s a little more info for you.

Stainless Steel with Eco-Sense

When evaluating a product’s real environmental merit (or lack there of), the true bottomline takes into account material sourcing and lifetime use. The more I learn, the more I value a company like Julien. They have designers who create beautiful stainless steel products - and executives who insist on using 100% recycled and recyclable stainless steel. Last year alone, the company sold over 1,000 tons of stainless steel to steel reclaimers for reuse. Treat yourself to a gorgeous new sink from a company with a conscious.

What Has Kenneth Blasingame Been Doing?

Helping Laura Bush freshen up the White House, as documented in the new March issue of Architectural Digest. And we know Laura loves green. In fact, the Green Room is her favorite.

How Green Will You Go?

I love the new technology in showerheads from Waterdecor. It lets you customize the waterflow instead of being set to a fixed GPM (gallons per minute). Low flow is anything under 2.5 GPM. These showerheads can be set in a range from .5 to 2.2 GPM. Considering that a typical household of four people consumes approximately 9,000 gallons of water per month or 108,000 gallons per year –enough to fill a bathtub more than 2,500 times – every gallon saved counts.

Laura Fiffick in the News

Dallas’ very own Director of Environmental Quality was quoted in The New York Times today. The article discusses why it is so hard for some communities to go green. Read Laura’s comments on the bottom of page two.

Going Green with Daltile

The Dallas-based tile manufacturer and distributor (the biggest in the country, by the way) has launched a website where consumers can find out the recycled materials content and other green facts about the company’s products. Check it out here.