Is Domino Magazine Going Bye Bye?

Shelter magazines are usually recession proof. But this isn’t any normal recession. Rumor has it that magalog (that’s the bastard offspring of a magazine and catalog) Domino might be on the ropes. This comes on the heels of O at Home signing off. Sigh. I still miss House & Garden.

Legendary Realtor Ebby Halliday launches new career as a writer

So typical for a 97-year-old. Not.

Be a Star on HGTV

New show Bang For Your Buck is filming its first season for the cable network and is looking for “fun and enthusiastic homeowners” in the greater Dallas area who would like to showcase their fabulous renovation on TV. The show needs homeowners who have spent $30-90k on their kitchen renovation and it must have taken place no more than three years ago. Interested? Contact Keri at 303-712-3137 or kgrogan@highnoonentertainment.com.

What About All Tho$e Bank$ ???

Peggy: there are now more banks than churches or gas stations in Dallas the USA, so what would we do if they had to shutter? You may recall I told you a year ago that Wachovia’s $451,000 monthly land lease at Preston and Mockingbird is one of the highest in the nation… wonder how much traffic they are losing with all that construction? (Now Wells Fargo pays the rent.) Anyhow, Preston Center is only getting busier what with the Staubach building and more development, including rumors that George Bush will office in that building (which have been denied) or in Trammell Crow’s redevelopment of the old Parkland Hospital. But read an article today saying that smaller and mid-size banks may actually weather this economic crisis and — you’ll never guess it — profit.

I’ll take Dallas

I asked earlier how the local design business is doing. A D Home blog reader sends this in: 

No insight on the Dallas design scene, but here is a market indicator from NYC/Upper East Side – the closing of the Charlotte Moss townhouse.

Dallas design business: what are you seeing?

Are we in sync with the economy? I talked to a prominent local designer late last week and he told me that he has more clients than ever. Went to Porthault and Yves De Lorme and business was about usual. Questions: 1) Are we in denial? 2) Is Dallas insulated? 3) Is it all too soon to tell? D Magazine has been around for almost 35 years now and we have seen it all, we know the strong survive, we know there is always a light at the end of the tunnel — but what kind of tunnel are we facing? What’s up in your world?

Scalamandre No Mas

Peggy leaves us for a week and all heck breaks loose in the Dallas Design Center. A couple emails from some very relaible sources (and the notice slapped on their front door) confirm the Scalamandre Showroom has failed to pay their rent and has been locked out by the management company. Uh oh.  Comments are on. Gossip if you must.

Come play the “D” game with us

Monday the whole company had its Q3 meeting and we talked about the D “Brand Study” that the Richards Group will be conducting for us over the next few months. They will be doing qualitative and quantitive studies all over Dallas to better understand how our brand is perceived. So here is the game: if “D” was a person, what kind of person would he or she be? My guess would be that when we are at our best our brand is a well-educated, stylish, knows-what’s-happening gay man, who is a foodie, great host, goes out on the town but isn’t desperate about it, keeps up with the Mavs, has a bit of attitude, and is the best friend you could ever have. OMG. I just realized: I work with that guy. Who do you think the “D” brand is?

Corey Pope is Fearless

Local designer Corey Pope is opening a new showroom at the International - just goes to show that we Dallasites aren’t afraid of some little thing called recession. Its exciting to me, because I think this is the first locally owned multi-line showroom opening in about 7 years. (Haroo & Haroo was 2001, am I right?) From experience, I can tell you that to open a showroom in a slow economy takes a lot of guts, creativity, luck and loyalty. Check later for a list of lines, but I love this Jakob Schlaepfer. I knew it was familiar, because they created some of the really cool couture fabrics for Creation Baumann.

Re: Blair Newport

The memorial service for Blair will be on Saturday, 10:00, at Highland Park Presbyterian Church. There will be a reception following at Dallas Country Club. Business will remain the same at The Newport Collection, as was always Blair’s wishes, under the capable hand of Dennis Kelley.

John McCain or Barack Obama: Whose White House would you want to decorate?

I have been asking style gurus lately: who would you prefer as a client for the White House: John McCain or Barack Obama? Stacy Sawyer, ASID, of Stacy Sawyer Design would pick McCain. She envisions “classic elegance of course, but with a modern edge to it. They could bring such style back to the White House.” (Candy Evans gives us a glimpse of the McCain look – for at least one of their houses. ) So how about you: Whose White House would you want to decorate?

Blair Newport - In Memory

Where do I start?  The design world go a little less beautiful on Saturday when Blair Newport passed away.  He was one of the true gentlemen of the business; when he greeted you with that big smile and said “Hi, I’m Blair Newport”, you just had to smile back knowing that he really meant it, and that you were in for an enjoyable experience.  Even up to the last two weeks, he had that great sense of humor and enjoyed all the visitors, calls and letters that he received.  In fact, if a man is measured by his friendships, Blair was a great man.  The memorial service will be next Saturday at HPPC.  I will keep everyone up to date.  Please share your memories, thoughts, feelings in the comments below.

HaRoo & HaRoo September Sale

Up to 85% off all floor samples for the entire month of September. Except I am pretty sure if you want a decent selection, you better get there today. For sale: Baccarat, Philippe Starck, Modenature, and Driade furniture, lighting and accessories. Attention mere mortals: this sale is open to the public. HaRoo & HaRoo is in the Dallas Design Center at 1025 N. Stemmons Freeway, No. 749. 214.747.1700

Orange County: Where the grass is not greener

So last night some notables from D CEO, our sister book, came to the house and the conversation turned to real estate. One gentleman who arrived in Dallas a few years ago from Orange County said his California friends report that neighborhoods have become downright eerie. Houses that were $600,000 to $800,000 are now valued at $325,000 to $400,000. Many are abandoned. And not only are homeowners displaced, but the maids, gardeners, tree services and others who tended these houses are out of work. The big winner, he told me, has been the mosquito control companies, because all of the abandoned pools and fountains are developing huge mosquito infestations. Today, thank your lucky stars you live in Dallas-Fort Worth.

Joe Minton - the newest Rolling Stone

Okay, he’s not really playing with the band, although I’m sure the multi-talented Mr. Minton could take the stage.  (Joe, were you ever in a band?) But, he and Kevin Peavy were at The Rock and Roll Wedding of the Year at Wood’s Surrey mansion.  Just hanging out with Jerry Hall, Kate Moss, and Kristi Stubbs.  Read all about his English summer in the new DHome.

The new issue of D Home went into the mail today!

Everyone in town knows that people who subscribe to D Home are brilliant and good-looking. To boot, our subscribers receive the magazine before anyone else in the universe and they don’t miss a single issue — a feat in and of itself because with our new, larger format, the magazine has been flying off the newsstands. If you haven’t subscribed yet, look for the magazine next week in bookstores and grocery stores all over the city. I daresay it’s one of our best yet!

More On Tony Romo

Well Christine, word is that Jessica Simpson will help Tony with his decor. And even if he is not the world’s best tastemeister, Mr. Romo knows how to drive a mean bargain about as well as he handles a pigskin.

Trinity Lofts - Leased

Okay, I’m shocked.  Call me a naysayer, but I just didn’t believe that the Trinity Lofts on Dragon St. were going to be a big hit.  But, I just found out that all lofts are leased, and only 5 live/work spaces are empty.  That’s 5 out of 92.  Pretty impressive for the  pioneer, and maybe a good sign for the other residential developments going on down there.  I guess everyone wants to be designer cool.

Corey Pope at the International

We have a new showroom opening this fall at the International Design Center - a new locally owned multi-line showroom.  How long has it been since that has happened in Dallas?  I’m excited because local talent always created the best, most innovative showrooms - think about Allan Knight or George Nash.  Corey Pope is a local designer and his showroom promises to quite stylish - I know he’s ordering lighting from Italy for a finished ceiling.  And, he’s bringing in some new lines that have not been in the Dallas market - Savel fabrics, Tuell & Reynolds cast bronze, Lewis & James Fine Furnishings.  Also, some familiar faces - Michael Taylor, Micana, Victoria Hagan, and Jean de Merry.

What Would Mr. Marcus Say?

I think it’s pretty obvious that he would not approve of the tear down of his historic house in Lakewood. Especially since the owners had applied for historic status when they bought it; and I think we all are aware of Mr. Marcus‘ level of taste and quality. The owner’s reason?  Make it more energy efficient.  I’m sorry, that just doesn’t work for me - tear something precious down to build again?  Not exactly green thinking.  I’m reminded of the tear down of the stone and slate masterpiece at the corner of Rheims and Armstrong that had been  last year.  When Susan Palma went up to the demo contractor and asked what in the heck they were doing, he said, “The inside was bad.”  She brought herself up to her full 5′3″ height and said, “Excuse me. The inside was not bad, I did it.”

Hable Construction at ID Collection

One of the true media darlings in the fabric industry right now, Hable Construction is now available at ID Collection.  Maybe they are just returning to their roots - Susan and Katharine Hable were born and raised in Corsicana, and when they decided to pool their talents and start a business in 1999, they named their fabric collection after their grandfather’s construction company.  They combined Katharine’s salesmanship and Susan’s artistry with a heavy dose of Southern charm and heavy Texas accents, and took New York by storm. They are still very visible at their shop in the West Village in New York and Susan still draws their fresh, graphic designs by hand.  Welcome, ya’ll.

Truth in Advertising

In the paraphrased words of Morris Day…this post ain’t for everyone, only the sexy people… Cue this.

Let me say from the “get-go” I don’t care who anyone “sleeps” with…as long as it isn’t me, it’s consenting, between adults, and as long as it doesn’t affect kids.  That being said, can’t “DOING IT” look better than this?

Frontburner has been all over this story from the beginning. It has all of the hype you can imagine…SEX…DRUGS…ROCK & ROLL, and according to Eric Celecste, fondue! However, no one in the “mainstream” media has dared to touch where I dare to touch (and I say that as a non-member of neither the mainstream media nor Dallas’ most notorious club). Dirty minds, all of you…

We here at D Home are in a constant quest to bring you the inside story (literally), the interior motives. Today is no different. I’m not sure what I was expecting from the inside of The Cherry Pit…velvet drapes? A smoke machine? Candles? Chick flicks? Comfort food? A cozy afghan? A bubble bath? Snuggling? (more…)

Blair Newport with a Little Help from His Friends

Blair Newport, as many of you know, is fighting a pretty ferocious battle with cancer right now at home. Call him, 214-691-6641, or go see him (6641 Desco) because he still has that great smile and sense of humor. And when you go, you’ll probably sit in some pretty tired club chairs that Blair inherited from his parents. That is getting ready to change - courtesy of David Sutherland and George Cameron Nash. When Blair asked me if they could help, the response was basically “how much can I do, and how fast - whatever you want.” So, expect to see some Cameron Collection chairs recovered in a Classic Cloth fabric from Dessin Fournir at Sutherland. It sort of wrecks that national stereotype of the warring, backbiting design divas of Dallas, doesn’t it?

Domestic Art

I love beautiful houses, I especially love beautiful Dallas houses - and, there are a multitude that you’ll see in the September issue of DHome.  So, when my dear friend (and competitor) Rob Brinkley writes a book about beautiful houses in Dallas, I have to crow about it.  It is being published by the distinguished Assouline press, and is due out in October.  Look for local editors at Paper City to host lots of fetes in honor of this one, the grand opening is scheduled at Neiman Marcus on October 21.  Rob, does this get me an automatic invitation?  Remember, I knew you when….

Think Pink: Mary Kay’s Pink Palace On TV

All the rose quartz  Sherle Wagner and a completely pink marble commode on this great piece narrated by Ebby Halliday herself!