Dear Reader,
In this year’s D Design Book, we see that rather than hide from the world and our economic challenges, the marketplace says that it’s time to face up and get real. We particularly see this in the furnishings and textiles on page 10, where the look is anchored, sharp, and assured, no round corners and chintz in this design season. In another feature, the idea of getting real goes quite literal: we showcase Eve Reid’s midcentury modern house in University Park. The house is for sale but Reid will sell only on the condition that the buyer promises to give the house the care it deserves. Preservationist to the core, we liked that. So our Mad Men obsessed editorial staff, along with stylist Cliff Ellman, installed true-to-the-period furnishings. After spending some time with the fully stocked martini cart, I’m ready to make an offer! (Okay, that’s not real.)
In a third feature, written by Peggy Levinson, we delve into the influence and affluence of the Mexican aristocracy, who for decades have been a very real force in supporting the local economy of trade-only showrooms in the Dallas Design District and, of course, many members of our Dallas design establishment. I loved Levinson’s account of beautiful Mexican women nonchalantly toting valises filled with thousands of dollars in cash, picking out this and that from every Dallas showroom, as if it were, well, just what one does. Find the story on page 18.
Finally and with great pride, we have our collection of the first-choice designers, builders, galleries, showrooms, and stores that make Dallas the design capital of the Southwest. If you are a designer or architect, you will find the D Design Book invaluable for specifying the finest resources and talent in the city. In the profiles, you’ll get personal stories about each company or individual, as well as information that will be priceless in making your design decisions. If you are a client, you’ll find the finest builders, designers, and architects in the city, along with treasures that await you in our wonderful local showrooms. So enjoy the “œreal story” on design in Dallas 2009. And from all of our staff, best wishes for health and happiness in the year ahead.
Cordially,
Christine Allison
