‘TIS THE SEASON

The home tour season is heating up (It’s global warming, I guess). If you don’t believe me, check out page 58 of our current issue. Not listed on that page, but equally entertaining, is the second annual Peak’s Addition Home Tour (between Munger Place and Swiss Avenue). The fun begins April 9 from 1 to 6 p.m. There will be an opening picnic, live music, an antique car display, a silent auction, and a cookout. But the main attractions are the six homes (one of which is featured in the photo at left) and the East Dallas Christian Church on the tour. You can walk the tour or enjoy a complimentary horse-drawn carriage or trolley car to see the homes. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased on the day of the event at 4315 Junius St.

IT’S A BIRD. IT’S A PLANE. NO, IT’S A BIRD.

Going for a run after you’ve been sick (”full of germs,” as Christine might say) is not all that fun. But when you’ve run for years, you just can’t take that many days off without feeling like a schmoe. So there I was, out on the trails at 6 a.m. I felt like I had the lung capacity of a four year old, and my head was spinning. But, 3 miles in, I came upon a little pond–the same body of water I cross every day–and was about to cross the bridge when a great blue heron erupted out of the cattails and flew past me at eye level, not four feet away. These striking water birds can be found all over Texas (and most of the United States). They are graceful when standing and hunting in the water, but they look a little drunk when the first take flight or when they come in for landing–swaying this way and that.
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I AM BLOGLESS

That’s right. I have nothing to say. Why? Because I haven’t been shopping in weeks. Oh sure, I’ve wandered through NorthPark, made a hard turn at HPV, and strolled Knox Street a time or six. But that’s not shopping — that’s merely habit. I crave new environments, exotic locales, and someplace where the chirpy salesclerks don’t know me by name. (”Ohmigawd, it’s so good to see you [ENTER NAME]. We’ve missed you so much. Did you bring your checkbook?”) Basically, I need your help, D Home fanatics. Some boffo boutiques. Scintillating showrooms. Something to excite me. So, email me your favorite stores and web sites for home and garden goodies. I’ll check them out and share them with the rest of your DH blog brethren. Shoppers unite!

BOLSTER YOUR ($1,200) BAGS!

Now grocery shopping is going to take even longer… A woman’s purse was stolen from outside of Whole Foods at Preston Road and Forest Lane in the middle of the day last week. As she got out of her car, there was a man in the passenger seat of the car next to her with the window open. He reached out the window, grabbed the purse, and sped away. How dare he, and if he got away with a Prada or Todds, I hope he rots in you-know-where!

Police advise you to be aware if there is a person in the passenger seat with the window open next to you as you park. If so, back out and find another spot.

Or better yet, just order take-out delivered to your door!

DESIGNER SECRETS

Designer Ron Guest is busy! He was at Best Fabrics buying for a new Taverna restaurant for Alberto Lombardi; he’s on his way to Barcelona to research a new Spanish concept also for Lombardi; and he’s doing a home show for the Hispanic market on television. He also recently opened his own restaurant San Miguel on Henderson Avenue. Of course, knowing that Rebecca and I work for D Home, he didn’t want us revealing his source for cheap fabrics on Harry Hines! Oh well, we must serve our readers! Much more on this later….

NM SHOWROOM

So, Neiman Marcus has a “showroom” at Willow Bend featuring all their home furnishings. I will definitely go for the Double Incircle Points sale April 6-8. I’m dying to see where Neiman’s has been hiding their home decor department, because it sure is lacking at North Park!

FLOWER THIEVES IN OUR MIDST

The DMN’s Kirk Dooley reported today on the case of the stolen pansies (Metro section, page 7B). According to the story, about $1,500 worth of flowers were stolen from the home Rob and Beth Rogers, which is located on the corner of University and Turtle Creek Boulevards.
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CHRISTIE’S GREAT ESTATES

Wow. A friend from Briggs-Freeman, Chari Singleton, left a large envelope on my doorstep a couple of days ago. The contents: the first issue of Christie’s Great Estates, i.e. a 3/4 inch-thick glossy mega-catalogue of listings from all over the world. Christie’s link calls it a magazine. It is not. It is a book of ads. But it is a book of ads you can really curl up with. Ask your B-F Realtor for a copy, or pay money for a quarterly “subscription.”

HORSE LOVE

You have exactly 14 more opportunites to see Cavalia. Gorgeous backdrops from the cave of Lascaux to Greco-Roman bas reliefs to the American frontier show the horse across history. But seeing ethereal white horses galloping across the stage, performing graceful dances, or gently playing with the riders, lets you witness the spiritual bond between man and horse. You will be moved!

SKIP THE CATALOGUE, GO STRAIGHT TO THE WEB SITE

Crate & Barrel’s new CB2 catalogue might be a drag to read, but the web site, I must admit, is fun. Things pop up and and dance around when you put your cursor on them. Todd, have you tried playing with the web site yet?

CIVILIZED

Check out Antique Harvest to find when Hedda Dowd’s next showing of antique linen and silver is. It will bring to mind the time when eating was a refined event, and serving utensils were not discarded. Better yet, attend the event that she and Sally Reynolds are sponsoring April 27, addressing all aspects of living well–not in the over-indulged big bucks kind of way, but living with meaning and manners. Go to thelifewellconsidered.com.

HOW GROOVY!

Agreed, Ms. Sherman. CB2’s catalog is dull as dishwater. But I still was able to find some goodies for my VISA to nibble on. In particular, I love these Andy Warhol Tacoma flower plates. They’re poppy, vibrant, and cheap, cheap, cheap. (Only $1.95 per plate.) Perfect for your next psychedelic picnic. Mushrooms not included.

WHY BOTHER?

Crate & Barrel has come out with a new catalogue called CB2, “A new destination from Crate and Barrel.” A new catalogue, yes. A new destination, no. This is a marketing idea gone terribly wong. An opening letter from CB2’s editor calls it “minimal that’s more livable, affordable, and durable.” Okay, so we open it up and see….Crate & Barrel furniture! Hmmm, that doesn’t make sense. Maybe they’re knocking themselves off, and doing it cheaper… nope. CB2’s Standard sofa is $999; while there are a bunch of similar styles at Crate & Barrel for $1,000 or less. We could forgive this unfortunate state of affairs, if only the catalogue were as fun to look at as Crate & Barrel. Or even West Elm. Alas, it’s deadly dull. View image

OVER AND OUT

I stand corrected and to correct again: Kim Gatlin is NOT Angie Harmon’s Realtor, at least not on Overhill. It is Tessa Mays Mosteller with Briggs-Freeman. A trust owns 4348 Overhill, (where Angie and Jason were building). It has been on the market three weeks, and Tessa worked seven of those days round the clock, marketing, flying to Atlanta, trying to get the deal done. And she has a contract on the property already…Asking price: $7,999,999.

So I lost the bet…to myself!

TOO MUCH

My daughter’s friend works in NYC at Vogue, and her roommate has a new dog — King Charles Cavalier, like Christine’s Buckley and our Polly — and they take it to Day Care. The Day Care has a nanny camera, so the girls can watch the pup at play while they are at work.

Well, these girls are going to make wonderful mothers!

OVER WHATEVER

I must correct my own copy: the home is on Overhill, not Overbrook and yes, I saw Kim’s sign in the yard en route chez moi from D Home. (PS: I counted more Brigg-Freeman signs than trees, almost!) That is so sad about the decorators, but I have heard that this does happen and another reason why you simply MUST hire a designer (or anyone, as we have learned) with scruples and a solid reputation.

BYE BYE ANGIE

I’ll take your bet, Candy. It’s Kim Gatlin, her cousin. More Angie news–she and her husband Jason Sehorn were taken advantage of by a couple of unscrupulous decorators. Even though the Sehorns paid over twice the amount of the invoices they received, the decorators say they are still owed money and even refused to pay E.C. Dicken. The most infuriating thing beside the fact it was a really terrible job is that it gives the whole industry such a bad name, especially with a high profile case like this. Angie is really a sweetheart, but she says she wouldn’t hire another decorator here.

BYE BYE ANGIE?

Unconfirmed report that Angie Harmon and hubby Jason Sehorn have put their un-completed, under-construction dream home on the market. Cy Barcus is the builder; Overbrook is the street. Dallas’ beautiful moviestar family is moving to L.A. Anyone by chance know who the Realtor might be? I’ll put my money on Doris Jacobs or Allie Beth Allman….

MITCHELL GOLD + BOB WILLIAMS COMING TO TEXAS

Advertising works. It’s why, when I received a press release from Mitchell Gold+Bob Williams about its May opening in Austin, I paid attention. You may also recognize the ads, which usually feature a very hunky often topless or tightly-tee-shirted guy with furniture. Not sure why I noticed those ads. Anyway, the bigger news is that MG + BW is coming to Dallas. They sound like family-loving, dog-minded, very cool peeps.
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WORK IN PROGRESS

This hand-painted Louis XVI style chair is one of many carved and hand-painted pieces that Stephanie Anne is including in the showhouse she’s designing at 4465 Rheims Place. The tour starts April 1 and benefits Dallas CASA. Click here for information on tickets.

BE KIND TO YOUR MOTHER..NATURE, THAT IS

Yesterday, I was walking through Lakeside Park, enjoying the pastoral setting of spring colors and sounds, going to my favorite meditation spot–a flat rock in the creek below the dam. It was horrible–the trees were strewn with plastic bags, underwear, and other unmentionables that had been uncovered by the storm. Just goes to show you, everything we do to abuse Mother Nature, she can just throw back in our faces–literally!

DOWN TO NATURE

Remember last weekend when the monsoons hit? This Sunday, while waiting for my allergy pill to kick in so I could enjoy the beautiful day, I was reading Dominique Browning’s critique of “House Thinking” by Winifred Gallagher. Though Dallas is not mentioned by name, Ms. Browning takes some Texas-sized jabs at Dallas’ home du jour, the McMansion:
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A WORTHY STEAL

Peggy, that table by Paul Mathieu is almost worth stealing…

GOOD TASTE…

Of course, we are all horrified to see the excesses of bad taste, especially when we paid for it. I’m with Candy, if you’re going to rob us, please do it well. But, since good taste is always a subjective matter, isn’t bad taste better than no taste at all?

PORTHAULT DESIGN

You don’t typically go into the Porthault store in Highland Park Village looking for furniture, but we noticed a perfectly lovely custom table by Paul Mathieu, the Paris architect who designed the space. Long and lean and made even more graceful with cabriole legs, the dining table is completely overlaid with sterling silver with tiny stitch-like nailheads on the joints to make it less precious. What fun in seeing a surprise find like this–and there is another one for sale. Silver dining table, 77 x 25 x 30h, $10,000.