Daily Dose

"Failure is the opportunity to begin again, more intelligently."

Henry Ford


"Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes."

Oscar Wilde


"I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying."

Michael Jordan


PHOTO CREDIT:
Linda Treash Photography 2003

Dallas Area Builder Sharif Munir Presents New Model Home

Luxury home builder Sharif Munir Uncustomary Custom Homes will be opening it's new model home shortly. The family building team of Mickey, Michelle and Michael Munir have been building homes since 1978. The Mediterranean home is located in Preston Hollow at 5107 Kelsey Rd., just North of Walnut Hill off of Inwood. The home boosts an under roof square footage of right under 14,000 square feet - featuring a floorplan suitable to entertaining with its expansive gourmet kitchen, open to a large living center. Off of this area is a formal theater, bar and den and least but not last a huge outdoor kitchen and covered veranda.

The home is detailed with interesting tile patterns in luxurious marbles and other stones, exquisite wallcoverings - including the formal powder bath complete with custom handpainted David Goldberg Wallcovering sold to architects and designers through Dallas Design Center showroom ID Collection and features some of the newest designs in lighting. If this hasn't sold you yet - the his and her master baths will. Her's features white onyx counters and a new stone, "Bamboo marble", sold through Materials Marketing, accented with multicolored mosaics for a soft and elegant approach. One of my favorite pieces is the Murano glass inspired chandeliers and sconces. His bath is rich and warm with a modern edge with it's black, amber and gold color scheme stained in mahogany woods and wallcoverings from Osborne & Little also from ID Collection.

In the estate there is also a formal library inspired from Renaissance Italian architecture, formal dining & wine room, 3 bedrooms upstairs, a detached guest suite or "casita", game and card room. And every new construction home isn't complete without an office off the kitchen, mudroom and 9 bathrooms and elevator...!

The home will be a furnished model opening this month so stop by to see all of these fab accouterments in person... more photos to come!

Click here for detailed specs

Builder:
SHARIF MUNIR
6009 Beltline Rd., Suite 200, Dallas, TX 75254
Sales: 972-788-1234 • http://www.sharif-munir.com/

Interior Architecture & Design:
Dallas Design Group, Interiors
100 Glass St. Suite 201
Dallas, TX 75207
214-752-9005
http://www.dallasdesign-group.com/

Photo Credit: Sharif Munir

Showroom Spotlight - Leslie Taylor

In the coming months, a new addition to the Dallas Decorum design blog will feature a "Showroom Spotlight" article - showcasing some of Dallas' best designer showrooms and venues including "to-the-trade only" and also those that sell to the public as well. This is a great way to present these showrooms that keep the Dallas design economy thriving to designers that are new to the area and design scene and also to those that are not in the immediate vicinity.

A fairly new addition to Slocum St. includes Leslie Taylor. Nestled in between two other renowned antique dealers - Le Louvre & Legacy Antiques, Leslie Taylor brings a new concept to the designer showroom where furnishings are not just thrown in to a warehouse space with no rhyme or reason but where complete room vignettes are created - showing designers and retail shoppers alike creative ways to use the merchandise to create a one of kind look - not like big box retailers where vignettes are generic without personality and character. The creators of the showroom are a mother and daughter design duo topping DHome's "Best Designer" list every year and use their experience of shopping for their own clients when purchasing merchandise for the showroom. There is a heavy emphasis on painted and distressed pieces & French antiques but they are more often than not paired with an original abstract piece of artwork or modern glass lamp to keep the look fresh and unfussy. By mixing different period pieces, old and new and glam and distressed they have created a beautiful showroom.

Antique wood candlesticks in clusters.

This is one of my favorite pieces in the showroom - this huge organic looking "monkey wood" table.

A shot of the soft and elegant showroom - love the daybed complete with keyhole cutouts at the ends adorned with nailheads.

Stop by and see showroom manager Debbie Plimmer - who is just as vibrant as her headful of fiery hair!
Antique Lithographs - This is a great way to split up a grid artwork grouping. It creates some depth in an otherwise flat arrangement.

Handpainted French style dresser

Handpainted settee - these embroidered pillows are fab!


Antique Chinese chairs - I want these! Great to use a pair in an entry way on each side a console.

Curvaceous chairs - there is a pair with the other going the opposite direction

A pair of Barry Dixon side chairs. The graphic back in punctuated with nailhead detailing. Love the green for a pop of color this spring!

The much photographed, publicized Mansion chandelier. I don't think you can open one design magazine from 2009 without seeing this showcased somewhere. Well you can buy it here! Comes in 3 sizes which can be ordered or purchase the largest off of the floor.

Wall Sconce

Handpainted wall plaque. Use above a ventahood or as an overdoor.

Majolica Urns

For more information on any of the pieces showcased contact info below...

Debblie Plimmer
1404 Slocum St Dallas, Texas 75207
Phone: 214- 760-8325 Fax: 214-760-8345
Email:debbie.leslietaylorhome@gmail.com

Gingerbread Houses

An interior designer should be able to fabricate a pretty kick booty gingerbread house right?! Well my six year old daughter did much of the decorations on the above house which turned out great - while I was in charge of the construction aspects of it...note the gingerbread tree to the right...it became a support to the collapsing roof. I stuck it in the fridge to let the frosting harden and that helped out some, but we had fun anyways so that's what counts! A few more houses via Martha Stewart's website for some holiday inspiration...

I really like this one, it's fresh and different

Too cute...

Are you kidding me...it has LIGHTS! Who can do this...?


Gingerbread manse....maybe the gingerbread man from Candyland lives here off of his royalties?

Traditional gingerbread house, my inspiration for next years attempt...

I can't wait for the "snow" here in D-Town today...I will be traveling after Christmas where even more snow will accumulate so wish me luck in my travels!

God Bless America and send a prayer to the troops who sacrafice so much for all of us, while we aren't fighting the wars that they are in the physical sense we can continue to fight our own war here in America - the recession. We have to get back to the root of what America was built on in the first place...hard work, community, and plain old American values.

Merry Christmas and to a prosperous New Year for all of us!

My Journalism Debut

Plinth&Chintz editor and founder Laura McDonald Stewart, ASID, IIDA extended a much grateful invitation to me to contribute to this month's article. Plinth&Chintz fills a much needed void in the interior design industry with it's relevant content and always up to date info as to what is going on in both the residential and commercial sectors of interior design. The web has of course increased coverage to designers and resources, whether it be via blogging, twitter, or facebook - but Plinth&Chintz remains to offer a sound board for professional designers and industry partners alike.

As I become much more long winded when I write versus when I am speaking (well...some may say differently!) the article has been broken up in two articles - so be sure to check back for January's issue! I wanted to show people - students, aspiring designers, and even clients - that our job is not all glam and glitter. To be an interior designer (a profitable anyways) you can not afford to NOT be a detailed oriented, compulsive multi-tasker with a keen eye for fabulous interiors and a plus if you have a psychology major when dealing with, ahem...eccentric? clientele. It also doesn't hurt to have a thick skin, you work with big, burly contractors who think this little designer with her heels clicking down the driveway doesn't know dirt from mud. It didn't take long for them to find out otherwise...sorry, my "competitive spirit" will come out real quick...!

Feel free to send me a line if you want an even deeper understanding of what you can expect in the "glamorous" world of design - and hey, at the end of the day - I wouldn't want to do be doing anything else...

Click here to read the article

And thanks again Laura! :)

Longhorn Orange

As a tribute to the Texas Longhorns coming out on top of that nail biter game last night at Cowboy Stadium I am posting a few beautiful images of the color orange, a vibrant, showstopping color, it brings vitality and freshness to its medium without being too jarring. (Orange also happens to be Lady Luck's color of choice...hmmm, I find that interesting...) Anyways, enjoy!

Inked

What could be more glamorous or romantic than an ink black Murano glass chandelier, either dripping in embellished teardrops and arms topped with black silk shades or simply letting the silhouette speak for itself with its curvaceous, fluid lines?

Glass blowing became popular in Venice, Italy in the 9th century, with heavy influences from Middle Eastern countries. Due to the close proximity of the homes on the islands of Venice and fear of fire outbreaks, the glass blowers were sent to the island of Murano, a short ferry ride from Venice. Here, they perfected their craft and became prominent citizens of Venice, attaining wealth and popularity. Today, the craft is still revered as ever. Murano glass chandeliers and sculptures became envouge especially in America in the 1950's and 60's and are now showing face again.

The gorgeous piece above was used in the Palomar Hotel in Dallas at the Brut Champagne bar, after closing in 2007 the chandelier has now found it's way to Griffin Trading Company down in the Dallas Design district. This piece calls for a space like an entry way or any place you want to stop people in their tracks, measuring in at 52" in diameter. You are able to own this piece of art for a mere $5400. For more information contact Stephen by clicking the link above.

Renowned designer Larry Laslo created the above space for the Kips Bay Showhouse in New York. The chandelier marries both the femininity and masculine personas of this room. He used a Baccarat chandelier pricing in at over $80,000.

Another shot of the opposite side of the room. I love how Laslo choose to paint the ceiling stark white for a bold contrast.

This piece is from Cyan Designs, we used it recently on a design project for a plumbing and bath showroom in Fort Worth, Morrison Supply. We created the vignette below hoping to evoke a glamorous, Manhattan vibe. I simply sum it up as Audrey Hepburn embodied in a bathroom.

Another beautiful example of a more elaborate Murano and crystal chandelier.

Kravet has introduced a new lighting line - pulling out all of the stops with this modern Murano chandelier, utilizing both black and clear glass to create graphic, bold statement.