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Line Vautrin mirror in gold talosel, France, circa 1960 from |
Spring Fever
8 Fresh new reasons to shake off those winter blues, dust off those charge cards, and START SHOPPING
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| Jacques et Dani Ruelland orange ceramic vases. |
Mid-Century Maven
Dallas collector and philanthropist Sally Rosen’s new collection of 20th-century art objects includes silver, sculpture, glass, and mid-century ceramics from renowned designers William Spratling, Alexandre Noll, and Ruelland. Rosen, who has long been admired for her sense of style and knowledge of fine art collectibles and fashion, hand-selects each piece which she offers for sale at private shows around the country and on her handsome website, www.20thcenturycollections.com (check out the terrific links to other sites). Her new spring finds include a modernist white ceramic vase by Suzanne Ramie, c. 1955 and mid-century sculptures in ebony by Alexandre Noll.
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| Armani Casa chaise longue |
Armani, at Home
The sisters Smink, purveyors of stylish sleek, have snagged the entire Armani Casa collection, which makes Smink the only store in Dallas to carry the coveted brand for the home. Pieces began arriving in the store in February and have been selling almost as fast as they get uncrated. “His fabrics have an incredibly luxurious hand,” says Autumn Smink. “The woods are high gloss, and the look is sultry.” Best-sellers include a low, 51-inch square lacquered coffee table in bamboo and a bamboo folding tray table. Look for tailored sofas in wool felt, bamboo blanket holders, gridded wood side tables, and a 14-foot-long oak dining room table. Accessories such as acid-etched glass vases, which must periodically be rubbed with Vaseline to maintain their golden glow, provide a lot of bang for the buck at $29 to $95. Table-top pieces, including china and crystal, will be available this summer. Smink has also nabbed the exclusive rights to sell Knoll International’s iconic designs for Knoll Space. Pieces are trickling in now, but the bulk will be out in early May, says Jennifer Smink, who’s ordered Mies Van der Rohe’s Barcelona chairs, the Bertoia chair, and Saarinen pedestal tables.
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Gum Drops >>
When jewelry designer-to-the-stars Dorian Webb talks about her new collection of chandeliers, she doesn’t just mean ear candy anymore. Her handmade Venetian chandeliers and sconces dazzle like jewelry for the home. Made from handblown Venetian glass beads and drops (many dusted in 24-karat gold), crystal prisms, freshwater pearls, and other semiprecious stones, her pieces are small to medium in size and perfect for bedrooms and baths. Webb introduced her Viaggio collection at the Dallas Gift Market in January. Available at Enchanted Lighting, 6909 Preston Rd. 214-521-9623.
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<< Mix-n-Mod
With pattern names like Mac Daddy Blue, Paris Poodle, and Jitterbug Red, subtly isn’t something you’d expect from Slip, a two-year-old North Carolina based lighting company. And these bold, brash lamps don’t disappoint. Available in 30 colors, 40 fabrics, and 50 different bases, you’ll be lucky if you ever find two identical Slip lamps. Kind of like snowflakes. That is, if snowflakes were tangerine and chartreuse with a floral motif. Slip lamps are new to the Dallas area and can be found at Legacy Trading, 3699 McKinney Ave. 214-953-2222; Lisa Luby Ryan…At Home with a Past, 6712 Snider Plaza. 214-696-9991.
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Make Yourself at Home >>
Nobby Cobby’s not your usual showroom, but then there’s nothing ordinary about its owner, Dawisee Lam, a Thai-born, New York University MBA who designs all the furniture and accessories she sells. Examples of Lam’s made-to-order furniture is displayed inside her Plano house and is available to see by appointment. The look is smart and clean-lined, and the colors are pretty. Furniture is made entirely by hand in Thailand by many of the craftsmen whom her family has known and used for decades. Her white wood Billy Box cubes, which come with colorful faux leather boxes to use as drawers, are lots of fun as side tables and storage. Prices for upholstered pieces range from $500-$2,400. Also, she’s taken over an uncle’s antique export business in China, so check out the beautiful Tibetan and Chinese antique and reproduction cabinets on her website under Possessions of the Magi. Nobby Cobby, by appointment only, 800-381-3193; 6521 Village Springs Dr., Plano. www.nobbycobby.com
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Flower Power >>
Sisters Robyn and Rachael Wise have just opened Cymbidium, a pearl of a flower shop that embodies their “dreams and travels.” Named after the peerless cymbidium orchid, the shop sells hand-tied, fresh-cut flowers from Holland and gift items such as candles, fragrances, fashion jewelry, and bath products from markets in New York, Paris, London, and Italy. The shop itself is ultra mod, a study in pure white, to showcase the floral hues. A staircase features clear-glass balustrades trimmed with stainless steel rails. Walls are white leather, and a computerized lighting system transforms the sheers covering them from white to pink to purple depending on the day and the mood. Tulips and lilies and orchids in a riot of color are flown in fresh from the Netherlands. Their signature bloom, the cymbidium, is sold by the stalk, each stalk some 40 inches long flaunting a profusion of flowers. Located in Mockingbird Station.
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Cocoa Crush >>
If you’ve graduated beyond the simple sugar rush of the convenience store candy counter, prepare your mouth for the satiny, rich appeal of NOKA Chocolate. Made with the rarest cacao from plantations in Venezuela, Ecuador, Trinidad, and Cote d’lvoire, NOKA’s truffles are hand-crafted from single-origin dark chocolate and organic cream. Owners Noah Houghton and Katrina Merrem also provide an online valet service, with which they can provide personalized gift recommendations. 2040 W. Spring Creek Parkway, Plano. 214-764-4077. www.nokachocolate.com.
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<< Historic Hardware
Dallas-based artist and hardware designer Brad Oldham has launched a company, Studio 3-0, that specializes in creating hardware and other architectural elements for historic buildings. He’s already got 13 landmark structures under his belt – including the Kirby and the John B. Wilson lofts in downtown Dallas – plus nine historic Texas courthouses. Everything is historically accurate and includes door hardware, cabinet knobs, stairwell banisters, chandeliers, and bathroom fixtures in brass, bronze, copper, zinc, porcelain, and ceramic tiles. Open to the public and to the trade. Studio 3-0, 1551 Edison St. 214-239-3993.
