11th Hour

While my client was away in Hawaii it was my job to get his sofa and two poufs reupholstered.

The upholsterer was right on schedule until he unrolled the end of the 24 yards of Peter Fasano's Venetian Velvet in Porcini. It was crimped and creased at the end. Bummer but these things happen. Thank god for Fed Ex. So...here I am driving 3 extra yards of velvet to the shop that was overnighted to me (thank you Salty Pete!).

This stuff HAS to be ready as he is having a party on Friday. A welcome home party. A Truman Capote ode to his fabulous self sort of party.

An 'as his decorator I would have to drape my martini fueled self over the missing cushions all night' sort of party.

Well, it all worked out. Cushions completed. The sofa looks like a silver mink stole. The poufs were repoufed with the back side of an apple green Groves Bros. fabric.

Done? No. It's funny how if you work on a room slowly...the room will tell you what it needs. I don't mean to get ouiji on you...but it's true. I think that is why MOST 48 hr makeovers don't get it right...because the decorators didn't get a chance to listen. To the ouiji. Ness. Of the room. Listen room. This is what you need. Next. A wool and silk Tibetan from Kelly W. at The Rug Company.

Pigtown

I went to Portland with some friends and we stayed at The Nines...a former Meier and Frank department store that has been converted into a hotel. I loved the public spaces.

You get a lot for your money here. The rooms were super glam.

Drinks outside on the top floor started off the weekend.

We then headed over to my former hairdresser and friend Ivan's pad. He hired a pianist. In a shoebox. WHO DOES THAT? My own private Tom Ford does that. That's who.

We needed food and Portland is full of it. This is a town where the origin of everything is printed on the menu...even the olive in your martini. I highly suggest taking a trip there...well, unless you are a pig. Pigs don't live long in the City of Roses.

We hit Beast...a restaurant run by a former vegetarian (hard to believe) and her friend.

The six-course prix fixe meal ended with chocolate covered bacon. Really.

The next morning was hard on my roommate.

I told her to get up. We were urbanites now. We had work to do. We grabbed breakfast at The Urban Farmer downstairs in the atrium at the hotel.

Bloody Marys came...

...garnished with caramelized bacon...of course.

After that, I headed out to get reacquainted with an old friend at Saks. Jen...Gucci. Gucci...Jen.

I wonder if any pigs were killed while making these shoes?

Shopping made us thirsty so we took a detour in our limo.

Hardcore shopping was rewarded with another incredible dinner. In a food coma from Beast but still retaining a pulse...we trudged on in our epicurean tour of Portland and enjoyed duck breast under melting duck fat at Castagna. Ducking ridiculous.

Poached duck egg with lardons.

Cabbage atop a pig embryo. Kidding.

I took one for the team and slept on the rollaway that night.

The next morning we were sensible enough to hunt down a more peasant meal. I couldn't look at another pig. Well, unless it was orange and came with a handle and a lock.

We had killer pigless Chillaquilles and pigless Bloody Marys at The Veritable Quandary.

I said goodbye to Ivan (single!!!)...

...and came home. Good times.

Oui, Please

Oh, Christ. I've done it again. Somebody says French Deco...

...and I say....where's my checkbook?

NEEDLEPOINT

THIS

PLUS THIS

EQUALS THIS

...AND THIS

PLUS THIS

EQUALS THIS

... AT JONATHAN ADLER

Paul McCobb

I just bought this vintage walnut secretary for my Dallas job from reGENERATION via 1stdibs. It is by Paul McCobb...

who never received any formal design training.

Sounds like somebody else I know.

Happy Valentine's Day

I meant to post this yesterday but at 7:30 am on my birthday (Valentine's Day)...and against my better judgement...I ran the length of 198 football fields in the rain with my most athletic friends and remained in a coma until cocktail hour. I think I have finally recovered. Think. What was I thinking?

Hallway My Way

Hallway? Check.

One sunburst mirror from Carver's Guild.

One shagreen covered gilded table from Julien Chichester.

Two vintage chinoiserie silk paintings framed in bamboo.

Two vintage reverse painted chinoiserie lamps.

Two vintage Baker chairs covered in Sea Cloth for Kravet.

Dallas is Heating Up

My Dallas project is moving right along. Hard to believe that a whole 3,000 sf townhouse can be completely redone and furnished with a client in Virginia and a designer in Eugene. Who do I have to thank? Mostly, the iphone. Thank you, iphone.

We are applying American Clay plaster all over the walls in the townhouse. It is going to give the place a modern facelift with an organic kick. I guess I might call it a really earthy Venetian plaster. I would know. I live in Eugene and I love Italy.

Justin Evans is my rockstar applicator. Here he is gettin' high.

Here is the fireplace before...clad floor to ceiling in limestone.

Here it is after the limestone was removed and replaced with clay. Hearth to be replaced with antiqued black granite.

The old traditional wooden banister was replaced with a more contemporary iron banister.

The little powder room is getting this vanity... Seriously.

...and this vintage Italian bubble flushmount from Orange via 1stdibs.

I asked Katherine from Matthew Studios to make a wider version of this Estelle sconce for over the mirror. Check her out. She has a house bunny. Seriously.

I think the economy is doing better. I tried to buy 4 different vintage Carlo Scarpa polyhedral chandeliers on 1stdibs for the dining room. All sold. I was nearly suicidal when I remembered that we had seen this one by Venini at Crow Chandeliers. Right in Dallas. I bought it and untied the noose. Designer noose.

This whitewashed elmwood dining table from Mecox will hug a custom tufted banquette from Cameron in Great Plains' Silk & Sexy mohair...

...with some Lucia chairs from Julien Chichester...

...covered in Joseph Noble's Faux Pleather Shagreen in Silt on the other side...

Don't look at me like that. Seriously.

There are two niches on either side of the bar. We pulled the traditional moulding off...

...and we are lining the backs with Phillip Jeffries' Rock Candy beaded glass wallcovering.

The living room is all ordered and on the way. Custom silk and wool Tai Ping rug, Hickory Chair desk chair covered in this red & gold Bergamo fabric, Cameron sofa in Cowtan and Tout's chenille, Nancy Corzine's Mayan Block pillows, Hickory Chair's Continental Club Chairs in Rose Cummings' Metallic Bird in orange, Hartmann & Forbes Papyrus grass shade in Ginseng, etc...

Give me five. I think that we nailed that room.

The master bedroom was easy... I just filled it with some of my favorite things. Julien Chichester's Anna bedside tables for starters to house a pair of Christopher Spitzmiller's single gourd lamps in Olive. The sleeper glaze in the collection.

Robert Kime's Ardagh. Dying.

It's going on Milling Road's Bamboo Lounge Chair and Ottoman. I would read People here... Seriously...

A girl has got to take a break from stuff like this.

Suzanne Kasler...her designs are so sexy. Her Tuxedo Armoire will do the trick....stuffed with a big tv right across from the bed. Channeling.

The guest room is coming along, too. Headboard from Lee Industries to be covered in Hodsoll McKenzie's Ocean.

West Paces end tables from Hickory Chair.

Hwang Bishop's Mandarine lamps...

...in their Lobster glaze.

Hickory Chair's Murano dresser in parchment.

A little tomato chaise for the corner from my boys at Mecox in Dallas...

...with one perfect little pillow in Jaipur from Peter Fasano. Pete. What do you say? Come for the weekend and we'll snuggie.

The moody den gets walls tinted with Benjamin Moore's Mohegan Sage. Silk and wool rug by Neisha Crosland for The Rug Company. Reed shades by Hartmann & Forbes. Kravet sleeper sofa in Great Plains' Silk and Sexy mohair.

A pair of leather and olive green linen lined bookshelves from Mecox...

Jasper desk...

Commissioned waxed oil by Allen Cox Studios.

The master bath...

is going to get some new bubble lights from Varaluz...

...and, hopefully, a whole wall of this Fleur Blanc tile from Artisitic Tile which will help to cool down the crema marfil marble.

Robert Bellamy of Dallas is redoing the little back patio. It is going to be hot.

Seriously.