RE: MURANO GONE-O

Okay. I’ll answer my own question. What is already soooooo last year? Glam Hollywood accessories like this stacked sphere lamp from Williams Sonoma Home. I used to love this lamp — a former Jan Showers staple — until I saw it on every shelf from Z Gallerie to Target. Now it’s no longer special, simply ubiquitous. Still handsome though. Sigh.

RE: MURANO GONE-O

When I read in a recent Pottery Barn catalog — and, yes, a mail-order catalog counts as reading … perhaps it’s not Beowulf, but it’s a start — that one of their new chandeliers was “Murano-inspired” I realized the end was near. Like I’ve said before, I love my big-box retailers (who doesn’t love cheap knockoffs for the masses?) but leave it to those stores to run something into the ground. Lets take bets on what’s next: Coral is out. Murano is history. And don’t get me started on botanical prints. Any takers?

SPYING ON DAVID FELD

Someone suggested that he is at home trying on different outfits for tonight’s staff Christmas party.

SPYING ON DAVID FELD

Where is he today?

MURANO GONE-O

Michelle Nussbaumer, owner of Ceylon et Cie, who has more projects in Los Angeles and New York than Dallas (read: she gets out a lot) says Murano glass is out. “The authentic, older pieces will always have value, but the rest of it is over,” she says. The rest of it is everywhere. The Murano cycle has run so fast that it looks like Target will just skip it altogether. Nussbaumer predicts that 60s and 70s collectible pottery will capture the imagination in the years ahead. “You’ll see art pottery and over-sized ceramic lamps,” she says. We’ll monitor.

OUR NEIGHBOR NEXT DOOR

In case you haven’t noticed, there is a high rise going up next door to our offices – well, it’s not THAT high, nine stories. Anyhow, I was visiting the Drexel Highlander (Drexel Development www.drexeldev.com) and was totally impressed with the finish-out quality. Starters, they hired a first-class architect in Cole Smith and his iron work fences on the opera balconies are exquisite, as is his hardware throughout. No central hallways – a coded elevator allows direct entry to each residence and there is a service hallway to the freight elevator. Saving all those hallways gives the units expansive square footage — ranging from 2100 to 3500 square feet…but with the city views and high ceilings they actually seem much larger. Marble floors, counters, all the bells and whistles…and I particularly liked the view into the offices of D Home. So Rebecca, if you think you can keep tabs on David, I am considering buying one of the units facing D – no more excuses for being late to meetings!— and then, while you’re at lunch, I can keep an eye. On things.

GRRRRREAT GARAGES

The O/C garage is popping up everywhere — that’s obsessive compulsive, as in it-has-to-be-neat-or-I’ll-go-crazy. I wrote about this trend a few issues back (www.dhomeandgarden.com) and today visited GarageTek of Greater Dallas. Once again, I could empty the retirement fund and make my garage the most organized, functional room in the house – why waste square footage on mess? Here’s a stroke of genius: GarageTek offers a pulley system bike hoist to raise the wheels up and out of the way – if you let go, it self-locks to keep from crashing down. Also loved the folding hand truck designed for those huge filtered water bottles and a wall-mounted infrared heater which sounds great right now. (Or add that A/C deal we had in the Showhouse garage.) So yes, Christine, basements are in high demand but if you can’t pop for subterranean, these garage genies can give you a whole new space you never knew you had! www.garagetek.com

I LOVE A SALE

Just got an email for a “Multiple Dealer Antique Warehouse Sale” open to the public (unlike Mr. Wynne’s b-day party, LOVE that invitation) December 1, 2 and 3 (long sale) from 10:00 to 5:00 at 1404 Slocum Street, Dallas. The message promises antiques, art, rugs including more than 200 new and antique oriental rugs at 50% off. Country French furniture (sigh), Italian painted furniture (yawn), original antique oil paintings (this I gotta see), silver, china, porcelain, chandeliers, sconces and much more. Did not mention blue and white which is my soft spot. If you like antiques, check it out! (PS: Todd, I also love Tuesday Morning. The trick is, if you find something you really like and want more, pop into the various locations.)

THE FRANCHISES ARE COMING, THE FRANCHISES ARE COMING

Dinner with Rebecca O’Dell and Lloyd Scott (of Scott+Cooner fame) last night was as enjoyable as it was disturbing. Enjoyable: the THE GREEN ROOM. Always. And of course the company. (Rebecca and Lloyd are hilarious.) Disturbing: Crow Holdings’ refusal to articulate its vision for the Design District, which pretty much has all of the tenants beside themselves. A Gap is rumored. A Restoration Hardware is rumored. Condos are already going up. The trade only showrooms and antique shops which have been shuffling between the Design Center, Decorative Center, Slocum Street and Dragon Street for years, may well be in for the shuffle of their lives. We’ll monitor.

KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL

Okay. I realize I’m not the first to discover Tuesday Morning. But I always thought of the discount retailer as a place for wide-eyed figurines, floral print linens, cheap crystal, and lace for days. Fine if you’re into the whole Laura Ashley thing. Not so much if you’re a downtown type of guy or gal. But leave it to my dear old Mom to show me the error of my shopping ways (once again). If you love your kitchen cookery and gourmet gadgets — as I do — check this out: Emile Henry pie plates, Le Creuset cookware, Calphalon pots and pans, and even that Jenn Air Attrezi blender — in bronze, no less — that everyone went ga-ga for at 2004’s KBIZ show. Inventory turns over quickly and you won’t always find the brands you love. But my attitude has changed toward Tuesday Morning. I guess mother knows best. Just don’t tell her I said so.

DOWN UNDER

Recent discussions with local builders and contractors confirm the growing number of requests for basements and underground four-car garages. Advancements in engineering make the whole subterranean idea possible, if you’ve got the money. The impact, for places like University Park, could be substantial. It might mean locals won’t have to build out to the middle of their backyards to get their beloved square-footage. Nice.

YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED

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A beautifully engraved birthday invitation just arrived from Shannon Wynne for David (I stole it off his desk). At first you’d think the traditional elegance of the invite was a bit unusual for a guy like Shannon, who is an iconoclast to say the least. Read it closely, however. The rebel restaurateur doesn’t dissapoint.

P.S. you’re not allowed to show up at his house just because you read it on the blog.

Don’t Bug Me

Being the OCD I am, the story about bedbugs resurgence in NYC made me cringe. The manager of the NYC hotel we stayed in assured me they have had no cases reported. I’ve called Scott Sawlis, Dallas County’s entomologist, for a report on any sightings or reports locally. His number is 972.225.8993 but he is OOT till Wednesday. I wonder if you can get them from taxicabs — my physician husband says no but he usually tells me anything to keep me from freaking out. Anyhow, we love the Big A but that’s just one more reason why it’s a nice place to visit (scratch scratch) while Dallas is the best place to LIVE!

ROLLO WILSON?

The African-American sports writer? Edify us, Peggy.

NEXT, A WET NURSE!

I know we are in Turkey mode, but I ran into a good friend/graphic designer at Tom Thumb while gathering food for the feast. Just gotta share this: he is making a bundle freelancing for parents of Hockaday and St. Marks students who hire him to…get this… design their child’s yearbook pages. I kid you not: one mother paid Jason $500 because she just “could not deal with all this”. Then the Daisy told her boyfriend and now Jason (my pal) is up to his eyeballs in layout design. This reminds me of the Hockaday mom during our era (Peggy, you know who I mean) who hired a professional to pull a marathon scrap booking session to get her daughter’s book complete by graduation day. Word was that cost her a pretty hefty penny.

OK, I confess I have not opened the scrapbook supplies since graduation (in fact, where are the scrapbook supplies?) but still, isn’t the whole point a trip down memory lane…YOUR memory lane, not a client’s?

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Since food is more important than blogging, and family is more important than food, we will close down for the holidays and resume chat on Monday, November 28. Blessings to one and all.

CLUB MONKEYS

A new chair at Allen Knight’s is bound to make its way into the club circuit. By Cote d’ France, the black leather traditional frame wing chair has French photographer Maurice Renema’s black and white photos of monkeys screened onto the fronts and backs of the chairs. Eek, they sort of glow in the dark, it’s like sitting on some erie negative of a Rollo Wilson painting.

COTTAGE-STYLE

Best buys for empty nesters who aren’t ready for the high rise thing: the M Streets and Devonshire area, west of University Park. Savvy real estate agents are showing these houses to boomers, touting a happily-ever after vibe in one-story cottages. Which I guess is agent-speak for dinky six-figure ranch houses. In any case, D.W. Skelton, a top local appraiser, predicts these neighborhoods will be hotspots in 2006, “real neighborhoods,” with young couples, elderly people and baby boomers. I like it.

GET LATHERED UP

If you’re wondering what happened to Avocado Tree — that fresh and fragrant purveyor of handmade soaps and lotions on Henderson Avenue — fret not. The name’s changed to Apothecurious but the same sudsy fun and can be found at its old location as well as its new West Village boutique. Great gifts ideas abound at both shops with — thankfully — nary a soap on the rope to be found.

SPAM AND THE FAM

We are back in Big D after a delightful NYC weekend – saw Spamalot, laughed so hard my cheeks hurt, shopped on Fifth and enjoyed the “Safety: Design Takes On Risk” Exhibit at the MOMA…..loved a large plastic hat/umbrella that I would seriously buy…also liked the portable, inflatable housing bubbles for the homeless in see-through apple-green plastic because the homeless do not like to be invisible. My husband’s medical school stomping grounds in Washington Heights have REALLY changed — ironically there’s “Dallas BBQs” and “(Malcolm) X Caffe”. “These young med students have it so easy,” he grumbled.
We saw how redevelopment is heading further uptown, and the neighborhoods in the 106’s where I dared not venture years ago now look pretty inviting. The whole city is pretty inviting and yes, after perusing prices – half a million buys my old studio apartment on 119th and Morningside Drive, maybe — Dallas high rises sure do look like a bargain.

ONE..MILLION..DOLLARS

We recently were musing about D Home’s annual Million Dollar Home issue, wondering in this day and age whether “million-dollar” wasn’t just a quaint throwback. Sort of like calling something the Cadillac of its class. And indeed, the recently released Census Bureau’s 2004 American Community Survey found 1,034,386 homes in the U.S. valued at $1 million or more. You can’t get a decent two-bedroom apartment on New York’s Upper East Side for a million dollars, and in Orange County, more than 46,000 houses are valued at $1 million and up. But Dallas, lovely Dallas, is still undervalued. Tax appraisals for Dallas, Denton, Tarrant and Collin counties combined list only 5,700 homes valued at $1 milllion plus. For now, our Million Dollar Home issue sounds just right.

STARS AT KNIGHT

Allan Knight’s new showroom opened with a bang - dancing Foo dogs (that were a little aggressive with a pretty friend of mine), Chinese drummers, and the lovely “Divine” covered in ivy walking around on stilts. But, that is nothing compared to the impressive array of incredible artistic talent Knight has amassed. New lines that have not been seen in Dallas like Sun, a Korean furniture designer from Los Angeles, and Sabina Fay Braxton whose painted and stamped velvets are so beautiful they will make you cry. As exotic as Knight’s ambience is, he has two new lines that are almost local - First Circle from Oklahoma City uses the most marvelous craftmanship with different woods, and Cowden Bell from Weatherford, Texas does gorgeous hand-studded leather and upholstery. Knight is an incredible talent that has this jaded editor in awe. But, I don’t understand the human pyramids that were at the opening - canvas pyramids with a body inside gyrating and pressing against the fabric. Anyone get it?

GREAT GIFTS: OLIVES!

You now have only 37 days left until the big day. So, here’s another idea for the gift-giving challenged. Oil & Vinegar at the Galleria Dallas is known for … well … oil and vinegar. (Duh.) But it’s also a treasure trove of spices, cruets, and — my personal favorite — olives. Sweet olive jam. Salty tapenades. Fat green olives stuffed with garlic or paprika. O&V’s selection is a nice alternative to the usual waist-expanding holiday assortment of chocolates, candies, and — worse yet — fruit cakes. Don’t give a gift that keeps giving (pound after pound). Give a gift of good taste this Christmas.

CROW BAD CHOICE

Hmmmm…. this sounds distressingly familiar - high rents and low margins is a very unhealthy combination, actually lethal as I can attest to. Perhaps a shot of reality along with that flu shot for those brilliant landlords? Well, at least we will finally get our Starbucks, and maybe even a Gap or 2 in the District.

BACK TO THE BIG APPLE

My field trip to New York City was so much fun, I am back to the Big Apple for a few days. Catch you guys later — behave!