Dallas Install

Six months ago I flew to Dallas for 2 days to redo this

townhouse for a client. I took some pictures and

measurements, shopped a bit and flew home.

For six months I have been ordering things for it.

Justin Evans was the American Clay installer and my

general contractor. Justin and the iphone made it

possible to do it from Oregon. Well...and my

seamstress...and Chase Visa.

So, by mid-may almost everything had arrived at the

warehouse so I flew down to install.

Abdul picked me up.

We headed straight to Stephanie Anne.

Loved these alabaster lamps but we had

no place for them. Sad.

We bought lots of Match accessories and

table linens by Le Jacquard Francais.

Two of my favorite lines.

That was all that we had time for so we headed

to La Duni and ordered margaritas and flautas.

Really, really good.

We then headed back to the ranch for some sleep.

The next morning deliveries were scheduled early and were to last all day.

We got to the townhouse and started preparing...

Does this broom make my butt look big?

I unwrapped some Steuben glassware.

I made a tower out of the boxes.

Just for fun...and it was.

Okay...we all have occasional problems with scale.

My client ordered this for mouthwash.

We cracked up when we opened it.

Uh...can you just see this filled with a gallon of blue stuff?

Then things started to arrive. The first was this

Dabney chair by Hickory Chair that I had covered in

Bergamo's Yasmina. It is the prettiest chair in the whole

entire design world. I want. Eight.

I made Eddie sit in it.

His cheeks turned the same color as the chair.

Super cute.

Custom silk and wool rug from Tai Ping went down.

Vintage Italian parsons table from Ceylon et Cie

showed up. SO GORGEOUS!!!

These vintage inlaid Syrian panels made into tables make a coffee table.

Alabaster lamp by Vaughn on mirrored table.

This sofa from Cameron is possibly the most

comfortable thing that I have ever sat in. Truly.

Living room coming together... The wall on

the right will get a big Holly Hunt wall

unit which has not arrived, yet.

The painting from Gallerie Zuger

in Dallas is pefection.

We picked up these cute little vintage stools to tuck

under the stairs from Mecox. I love Mecox.

Plus, those guys are sooo handsome!!!

We even redid the fireplace and put in

some new river rocks.

Dining chairs by Julian Chichester covered in PLEATHER.

Lumbar pillows in fabric by Groundworks on

custom banquette by Cameron covered in silk

mohair from Holly Hunt's Great Plains.

Justin hung this giant old mirror from Mecox

after I left. It looks great.The Italian chandelier

won't be assembled until every contractor has left

the building because there are no replacement

parts for a 1950s vintage Venini.

Okay. Full disclosure. I think I did a pretty good job

considering I was doing this from Oregon...but here is

Mistake Numero Uno. I called Justin to give him the

chandelier placement before I arrived.

Apparently I was off. Way off.

Measuring. Not my strength.

Gorgeous vintage Paul McCobb secretaire.

Very pretty.

Entryway got a shagreen mirror by Made Goods,

vintage table and mirrored bench all from Mecox.

Crystal lamp from Circa Lighting.

The bench needs a yard of silk ikat, though. Badly.

Glass and sharkskin. Yum.

We tinted the clay on the walls in the powder room.

Custom vanity with Calcatta marble made by Hector!!!

The fixtures by Barbara Barry for Kallista are

really, really pretty. Jewelry. The bone box from

Ceylon et Cie is perfect in there, too.

Bathroom sconce. Not up, yet.

The kitchen cabinets were painted

Kendall Gray by Benjamin Moore.

Slab Calcatta marble on the counters

and backsplash. Slab is fab.

The old glass was replaced with German

new antique glass. I love this stuff.

New Sub Zero. Of course.

Cool alabaster sconce by Ylighting in the stair well.

OMG. This armoire took five guys to move upstairs.

They literally inched it up the stairs. I couldn't even watch.

Master bedroom coming together.

Mirrored vanity and stool by Julien Chichester.

Tuxedo armoire by Suzanne Kasler for Hickory Chair.

Stool covered in Nancy Corzine's cut velvet.

Bed and side tables by Julian Chichester.

Christopher Spitzmiller lamps.

Chinchilla throw by Adrianne Landau.

Bench from Mecox recovered in

an ikat by Hodsoll McKenzie.

The olive glaze on these lamps are

sooooo beautiful. I want them.

Monogrammed shams by Leontine Linens.

They are the absolute best.

Master bath really just needed some spunk so

we put up this wall of glass tiles by Ann Sacks.

The guest room...Mistake Numero Dos.

I forgot to add grommets on these shades.

They were supposed to look like this one.

Ordering 21 shades with about 20 different

variables for each was no fun.

I almost saw this mistake coming.

Awesome headboard covered in Ocean by

Hodsoll McKenzie and lamps by

Hwang Bishop were dynamite, though.

Mirror from Mecox and the Murano

chest from Hickory Chair.

The den upstairs. We tinted the clay on the walls the

same dark as the powder. We threw down this silk and

wool rug by Neisha Crosland for The Rug Company.

A sleeper sofa by Kravet is coming...

which will be covered in Turkish blue silk mohair.

Of course.

The shades by Hartmann & Forbes are sooo beautiful.

Motorized, too.

These leather and canvas shelves that we bought at Mecox will house the tv.

This is sooo pretty. A little nook in the den for a desk

and chair from Hickory Chair, lamp from Vaughn and

commissioned painting by Allen Cox. I love.

I reserved one day for installation and one day for

shopping. No trip to Dallas is complete without a trip to

Mecox Gardens and Ceylon et Cie...Michelle

Nussbaumer's store. It is now official.

I have a big girl crush on her. She was fabulous.

We have a little bit in common. My hoarding...

...and hers... Look at these gorgeous yellow silk slipper chairs.

Eau?

Dug the rosiness of all of this.

Suzanis and red lacquer.

Great blue and white display. LOVED IT.

This was pretty and sweet. Love that olive green.

She needs my clients' Spitzmillers in there.

Opium den.

Get inlaid here.

More blue and white.

LOVED this olive and cinnabar together.

Suzanis. They are still around my friends.

I still dig them, too.

Okay...see this yummy punched tin vessel?

Michelle put them around a client's

pool for the kids to throw their floaties and pool toys in.

At $3,000 each I was thinking side table but

you've gotta love a client like that.

Old Louis chairs with vintage suzanis. I liked.

Died over these vintage bone pagodas.

These are very, very pretty in person.

We then hit The Mews 1 & 2.

Saw these ostriches there. Super random.

We hit Mecox Gardens again. Of course.

Bought some more stuff. Of course.

They make it very easy there. Last time

we visited they drove us to lunch.

I'm sorry that I didn't take pictures here

but I had lapsed into a retail coma.

We walked into Restoration Hardware

and the girls at the counter asked me if they could

help us. I asked them if they had

shopping carts. They laughed. I didn't.

WHILE at Restoration Hardware I

commented to my client how quiet my phone had

been for the last 24 hours. I thought...

leaving my husband at home with 3 kids and

a sitter is great. I must do this again sometime soon.

Palm Springs...Seattle...

Literally, 30 seconds later my phone dinged.

Message from husband:

I CANNOT DO THIS AGAIN ANY TIME SOON

...POSSIBLY NEVER.

Okay...then.

We headed to dinner at Abacus. Fabulous.

Well, that was all that I had time for...

I jumped on a plane the next day.

Headed home.

Here I am with all of the essentials in the

Denver airport. Les fromages, une glasse

de Sauvignon Blanc et la iphone.

I dowloaded Auntie Mame for the flight home.

One of my gay friends told me that was very gay of me.

What a compliment.

He also asked me to find him a rich cowboy.

I found a cowboy...who may be rich...

but definitely was not gay.

My flight attendant, though, was definitely...

...rich. Seriously, his name was Rich.

I picked up a ballerina for my little girl. I named her Evelyn.

I told the pilot she was with me...

...not to mention too young for him.

Well...that was it. Back to the real world.

It was time to come home. I wish I could have

seen the project TOTALLY finished but

I'm already planning a trip back there.

Maybe July? Shhh...don't tell my husband.