Dishing It Out...

From Elle Decor

As if we don't know that interior designers are now hawking out their creative licences to furniture companies, fabric houses, lighting vendors and the such - we have now entered the next frontier, that of table top design. It should be fitting as well, with the long standing relationship that designers have had with the DIFFA organization, designing grandiose and elaborate tablescapes for the charity. It seems that fashion designers have long been exploring the medium, such as Versace (below), Kate Spade for Lenox (below), even bridal design guru, Vera Wang. Now interior designers are getting their chance to dish out some of the most creative patterns we have yet to see.

The ever classic Medusa Red pattern - Versace

Dedalo - Versace

Gorgona - Versace

And who else? Versace - I was going to post a single photo by the master but I could not NOT share these beauts with you...just paying a bit of homage to my Italian blood

Kate Spade for Lenox

From Elle Decor

Pickfair Collection

The fearless, unmistakeably interiors of Kelly Wearstler have now been represented in tableware for Pickard. She shows the most versatility in her collections, while still maintaining a sense of subtlety with the soft colors

Trousdale Collection - Kelly Wearstler for Pickard

Hillcrest Collection - Kelly Wearstler for Pickard

Muholland Collection - Kelly Wearstler for Pickard


Thomas O'Brien for Target


Jonathan Adler

Andrew Zega & Bernd H. Dams via Elle Decor

Queen of classic design - Charlotte Moss for Pickard

Charlotte Moss for Pickard

And while I could easily host a smashing (not my dishes!) dinner party with any one of the patterns above - this out of production line "Silver Greek Key" by HEINRICH & Co. is my constant. Simply timeless...

Daily Dose - Adventure

Life is a daring adventure or NOTHING

- Helen Keller

Photo Credit:

Flikr Wiked Diving Photostream

Fab French - Hanna Bernhard Jewelry

In the parting page of this month's issue of FD Luxe, I came across this insanely over the top jewelry, Hanna Bernhard, designed by the French couple Nathalie and Fernand Bernhard who have been designing the pieces that replicate something an Egyptian king of queen would have worn to call on their primal side. Each piece is loaded with glass and Swarovski crystal and is the replication and their interpretation of animals, reptiles, sea creatures and even the occasional insect or two. You either love them or hate them, but it seems as if America has caught the bug so to speak...

Photo Credit:

Hanna Bernhard www.french-bakelite.com

Presidential Architecture - World Cup Inspired Post

In honor of World Cup Soccer, I am posting some of the world's most interesting presidential palaces, jumping off with South African's own Pretoria Union building where state officials meet and the presidential head of state resides in this amazing palace designed by architect Sir Herbert Baker. The building was constructed using a light sandstone material with each stone being individually with the interiors being predominately in the traditional Cape Dutch styling of the area with dark wood floors, light plaster walls and heavy beams with shutters dotting the facade. I find it interesting with the level of beauty of South Africa and a close suburb of Pretoria named Arcadia meaning "Playground of the Gods" that they have the largest number of of embassies in the world outside of our own Washington DC.

Images from inside the Palace



Above two images from Tieske via Flickr

Albeit differing in style the remaining images are resounding in their own rite.

Italy

Argentina

India

Finland

Brazil
Pakistan

Ghana

France

Lithuania

Photo Credits: Huffington Post, Wikipedia

Just Dandy...Inspired by Nature

Photo from style/SWOON - FD Luxe by Manny Rodriguez

Weeds are popping up everywhere...but the most prettiest one just may be the dandelion. Bring back memories of your youth perhaps? Of plucking up the crisp green stem and exhaling a breath to release a cluster of white snow flurries across a sea of emerald green - or as your father says you have now just spread the growth of weeds over his domain...oops. Well, maybe these will suffice for the real thing...

Atlantis Sculpture
By Arteriors

Golden Dandelions - Available thru Shop Ten 25

style/SWOON - Photo By Manny Rodriguez for FD Luxe

Blogger and graphic designer, Samantha Reitmayer Sano who pens style/SWOON and creates the fab invites for the Dallas Cowboys parties, among other high profile events has revealed her personal affliction with the dandelion. Be sure to check out her blog to see the rest of the interiors

Above Credits

Corbett Lighting

And here is a terrible shot I snapped this morning (before my first cup of espresso) of an abstract dandelion photograph. I love macro photography because it takes something you see everyday and you can appreciate the beauty of it on another level entirely

And of course...our own 561 feet of sheer dandelion greatness....Reunion Tower

Bettinger Studio

Richard Bettinger is a capturer of light like most photographers, but in the most literal terms. Bettinger uses light as his medium to take the most ordinary of objects and transforms them into an abstract piece of art. His work is at once VIBRANT, ALLURING and SEXY. Bettinger’s line of photography and the newly launched furniture line that incorporates his artwork is rep’d at one of Dallas’ premier designer showrooms in the Dallas Design Center, David Sutherland.

Bettinger’s career into photography really took off with the technological advances of digital photography where his urge to realize the type of movement he can coax out a camera is immediately gratified. The just released “Moonshine” collection uses the contrast of the bright white moon against the dark void of the water and ink black night sky to create a visual that appears as if he has captured smoke with his lens. Bettinger’s work is showcased throughout the United States at various David Sutherland showrooms.