GLOBAL WARMING SOLVED!

No, no, no, no, no! But yes. Loyd, you’re going to want to sit down for this one.

WHY CRIMINALS BREAK IN TO CARS

Received this LH homeowner’s association crime report today. All looks pretty standard until the third paragraph.
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RE: JOE MINTON

In Betty Blake’s apartment, you will also see a spectacular collection of art. Notice, I didn’t say artwork. When I complimented her on her artwork, Betty’s friend from the up East said, “Now why did you say that? That’s stupid, it’s art.” I guess I have to agree–artwork is redundant. I learned something, and I can’t wait till I’m old and eccentric enough to just say anything I want to complete strangers.

JOE MINTON’S BIRTHDAY

John Bobbitt, who is known for a wicked sense of humor, gave fellow designer Joe Minton a copy of Decorating For Dummies Monday night at his birthday party. “Thanks for giving it to me after you’d finished reading it,” Joe shot back. The bash was full of decorating types and their clients, including Loyd Taylor, Anne Bass, Betty Blake, Oatsie Charles (visiting from Newport, RI), Ted Pillsbury, Claire Barry, Nancy Dedman, Jacque Wynne, and Nancy Lemmon.

Joe and Jacque stayed up until 2:30 in the morning Googling various people and topics, including the Titanic. Betty Blake’s mother was on the same lifeboat as Mrs. Astor, it turns out. According to Joe, Google has the life boat numbers, the people who were on the boats, and what time they left. Until that night, Joe hadn’t Googled anything before. Next morning, Joe got up at the crack of dawn, as did Betty, for our photo shoot at Betty’s spectacular Gold Crest apartment. There’s no souvenirs from the Titanic there, but there is an amazing collection of Syrie Maughm and Jansen furniture, which Joe reupholstered. Check out D Home’s March issue for the story and photos.

RE: REALITY DESIGNERS

Several readers have commented on my choices for judges in our imaginary reality design show. One very emphatically said that all these people are just too nice, don’t I know some really snarky ones? As a matter of fact, yes, I know some really mean designers. But, I think I’ll just keep that to myself. You know who you are.

COOL MOD LIGHTING

Shopping for a new chandelier for my dining room, I thought I’d try something unconventional and checkout MoMA store (one of my favorite sites for way-cool contemporary finds). This IQ light shade by Holger Strom is a great 1970s design for the DIY generation: The kit contains 30 interlocking modules of translucent white PVC, allowing for more than 20 different designs when you piece the shade together yourself. It’s like art class for the tragically hip. (No, it’s not right for my dining room–but I’m still buying it.) While you’re at the site, check out MoMA’s winter sale and deep discounts.

SATURDAY NIGHT IN THE CITY

I have wanted to go to one of these Saturday outings since the Nasher opened, and this one sounds like a stand-out: a three-course French dinner catered by Wolfgang Puck Catering, a stroll through the galleries and garden, a tour of Matisse: Painter as Sculptor, and dancing to big band music. $50/person includes a red rose, too. Art, music, and dining–love it! Feb. 10, 6-11 p.m.

U.S. HOME SALES FALL BIGTIME, TEXAS STILL A-OK

U.S. home sales fell bigtime in 2006, the biggest plunge in 17 years according to real estate gurus at Texas A&M University. Texas, as Steve Brown tells us at the end of all his stories, did okay. No huge gains, but we actually sold more homes in Texas in ‘06 than ever before. Which makes you wonder: Could we have done even better with lower property taxes?

DALLAS GLAMOUR ON DISPLAY

Everything is coming up glamour in Big “D” at the moment.

First we have the ‘In the Pink’ Dorothy Draper exhibit at the Women’s Museum through Mar. 31.

Then Feb. 4 starts the Balenciaga exhibit, which has a hot pink dress worth walking on hot coals for. (I know. I’m obsessed with pink. It’s just my nature.)

And finally, over at the Dallas Theatre Center the play Moonlight and Magnolias opened tonight to rave audience reviews—and not only for the script. The set is late Art Deco, early Hollywood Regency, set in producer David O. Selznick’s office the week he created “Gone with the Wind.” Mom and I were ogling the very cool gold and teak doors and built-in bookcase with ladder; tres fab. And funny! The play is a riot. A must see!

PRESERVATION ALERT

Just had a meeting with Michael Pumphrey, chief planner for preservation, City of Dallas, and he had some disturbing news to tell…well sort of.

While lamenting the loss of Lincoln Hall, Pumphrey said he has heard another treasured building was about to be bulldozed, but he wasn’t ready to say which one. All he told me was that it is a historic building on McKinney Avenue.

Anybody out there know or want to venture a guess?

KUNG PAO COOL

Okay. So we at D Home prefer to tout local boutiques over the big-box boys. But Pottery Barn’s new Asian takeout collection of dinnerware is too cute not to mention. The white stoneware boxes are a clever take on classic Chinese to-go containers, and the metal handles are removable, making them dishwasher friendly. True, they’re trendy and not the type of servingware you can regularly trot out for dinner guests, unless you enjoy a seranade of yawns. Still, they are fun and different. Better yet? No MSG.

WILLIAM YEOWARD IS STOPPING BY

When I was in London, the rented flat I stayed in was above William Yeoward’s store on the King’s Road, and I remember staring in at his beautiful designs while waiting for the bus. But why go all the way to London, when the noted British designer and man behind the eponymous line of crystal is coming here? Meet him at Madison on Feb. 8 and get him to sign and date the bottom of any piece you buy. And relief, they’ll be carrying some of his Country collection by then, which is less expensive than his traditional pieces.

DESIGN DISTRICT PRICES

Was talking to Ward Richmond last night and he told me that he’d recently sold space on Dragon Street for $120/sq ft, resulting in a million dollar-plus deal to an architecture firm.

Hey Peggy, how does that price compare to your days in the DD?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JOE

Rebecca and I went to Joseph Minton’s birthday last night at his home on Windsor. Rebecca has long told me it’s the best house in Dallas. It is perfectly lovely, a paneled living room with just the right scale and an oval dining room with original painted wallpaper. Wilson McLure built it for himself. It’s not surprising that such a supreme gentleman as Joe Minton would have such a gracious home, but it is surprising (and gratifying) that it wasn’t torn down with an 8000-square-foot faux French villa built on the creek side lot. Thank you.

RE: TOP CHEF

Finale, Todd? I guess you haven’t heard the news.

Top Chef Finale Spoiled Again (Eater LA)
Between 3 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. EST, a “Top Chef 2″ article was posted on the Food & Wine magazine Web site, but was quickly taken down. Why? Because it’s a full-on interview with the Top Chef winner. (MediaBistro)

So, whatever you do, DO NOT click this link if you want to be surprised. And if you do peek, mums the word.

But who am I kidding? It’s not like chefs are known for keeping their mouths shut.

ENERGY LOBBYISTS THROWING AROUND BIG BUCKS

According to an analysis conducted by the DMN, Texas utility companies are ready to offset enviornmentalists by backing their lobbyists with more money than any other industry this year. New coal plants and environmental standards are on the table. The director of a watchdog group is quoted as saying, “What it means is that the average citizen’s voice is drowned out.” Seems to me the average citizen will be heard when they switch over to sustainable energy products. Check it out here.

RENEWABLE RETAIL ENERGY

Candy, if Wal-Mart begins selling renewable energy (aka wind or solar) to its customer base in Texas, we’ll have to drop the word hate altogether.

TOP CHEF R.I.P.

Speaking of reality shows with a home slant, the finale of Bravo’s Top Chef is this Wednesday. When I was recently taking a local cooking class (which you can read all about in the March/April issue of D Home–yes, that’s a shameless plug), my instructor told us that she went to culinary school with show finalist and resident villian Marcel. Is he as obnoxious as Top Chef portrays him to be, we asked? Her exact words: “Yes, and I wish he would die.” Ouch. “Okay, maybe not die,” she countered. “But he’s the most vile person I’ve ever met.” Mmmm… should make for a juicy finale.

CHEAPER ELECTRICITY COULD BE AT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD WAL MART, ALONG WITH EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE WORLD…

I hate them, I love them. $4 prescription drugs… next up health care insurance and weddings…

INTERIOR DESIGN ON REALITY TV

Finally, reality shows get style. Bravo’s “Top Design” starts Jan 31 with 12 designers scouting the immense halls of the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles. Teams are chosen by paint chips, and each team is assigned an “interior design task” to pass or fail. Judges are celebrities like Jonathan Adler, Kelly Wearstler, and Margaret Russell of “Elle Decor” fame. I just can’t help but picture this in Dallas–but with bigger showrooms and nicer people. So, who would judge? I’m thinking Richard Trimble for his historical knowledge, Jan Showers for her glamour, Allen Kirsch for his sarcasm, and Christine Allison for her Libra-esque ability to judge and be kind about it. What think?

PATTERN BY TRICIA GUILD

A word from our in-house design sleuth, Eugenie McCarthy:

“Known for her bold, brazen, and beachy fabrics, Tricia Guild has published again. I am reminded of Palm Beach’s Lily Pulitzer colors—namely pink and green—when I look at the book’s cover. Drawing classic from the Caribbean, Tricia Guild reminds me of Gauguin’s Primitivist years—his strong hues depicting Tahitian life shine forth in Guild’s patterns. Combine Lily with Gauguin, and you get Guild. Pattern by Tricia Guild. Buy here for $27.60.

You can find all patterns and the collection of Guild’s fabrics and wallpapers at ID Collection 1025 N. Stemmons Fwy. 214-698-0226.”

WHEN A VULTURE IS A WELCOMED VISITOR

A vulture on your roof doesn’t usually bode well for the day, but for homeowners around the Dallas Zoo, it could mean a little free publicity. An African white-back vulture wiggled her way out into an open-air holding pen (not much of a holding pen for a bird, but I digress) and then flew the coup. She dodged a tranquilizer dart and was last seen perched on the roof of a house near the zoo.

But there’s no need to worry: She’s not an endangered species, has no known predators in North Texas, and is a danger only to dead animals. She does have a wingspan of some 5 feet, though, which can be a little intimidating to the boat-tailed grackles (and the patrons) at the Corner Bakery I like to visit. Let’s hope she doesn’t like bread bowls.

NEWEST MUST-HAVE FOR DALLAS RICH: URINALS

The elite are only now discovering something many high-end Dallas homeowners have known for years: Urinals are not only practical, they can be downright glam. Phil Romano installed a urinal in the master of the Strait Lane home he has on the market (David Nichols, Erin Mathews, Briggs-Freeman) and at least two Dallas families of immense home and fortune installed urinals. I may be wrong, but there may also be one in Fred and Lisa Baron’s Preston Hollow estate. Urinals make perfect sense, and Praise The Lord, now they are good-looking. I’d have urinals in every bathroom if I could.

So Tim, we can save you a long drive up to Plano, unless you wanted to go up there to play, anyhow. And no Plano-bashing — I’ll bet there are more urinals in 214 than 972.

NO BARE TREES

If you are as tired as I am of seeing bare trees against cement colored skies (except today), go check out this show “Painted Woods” by Lilian Garcia-Roig at Valley House Gallery. The images are oil on canvas and show trees of all kinds, in all seasons, in all their glory. Kind of makes you dream of spring.

RE: ALL THE BEST BLOGSPOT

Rebecca, That is an amazing web site (and book). How cool that they are on to our fabulous local designers–and what a gorgeous shot on the opening page!