The Final Fabulous Flea Sale – Awwwww!!!!!

 

Like they say, all good things must come to an end.  I was shocked and so sad to hear from Mary, the owner of The Fabulous Flea, who emailed me tonight to inform me that the final antique sale at her house/shop will be this April 20 – 22.   Awww!   What a loss this will be!  

 

 

The Compound:   the house is on the left, the shop is on the right.  In between, behind the stucco wall is the pool and pool house. 

 

Mary, who lives in this gorgeous compound designed by noted Houston architect Kurt Aichler, also informed me that her house is on the market.  Gulp.  Quick, can someone loan me some money????  Seriously?   This is my DREAM house!   I truly have dreams of this house in my sleep!     If ever I wish I was a rich interior designer, this is the day.   Mary said she will continue selling antiques on the internet and at trade shows, but for now, the days of selling antiques out of her shop are over after her last spring show next weekend.   Mary shared why she is selling:   “I am coming to learn that the journey for me with the  home is much more  about the creating of the space, then living in it for a lifetime......Once completed and enjoyed, I am ready to let go and sink my teeth into something new, it has been that way with every house that I have lived in, and lucky for me, my husband is willing to go with the flow....”

Now, if only Mr. Slipper Socks Man would go with the flow and BUY me this house!!!!    I don’t ask for much.   I did ask him for this, though.  He did love it.  He did ask me if I had gone insane.   hehe.  Yes.  Insane for one of the most perfect houses in Houston!     Who will buy it?  What lucky family will get to live here?   I wonder…will they appreciate it?  I hope so.

 

The Fab Flea shop –two rooms - one indoors and one barn-like space in the garage. Kurt Aichler truly outdid himself with this house.  It’s name is perfect:  Fabulous.

 

 

 

The pool house, open air, with fireplace and kitchen area.   This picture was taken from a story in the local magazine Antique Shops and Interiors.  Photography by James Farmer. 

 

 

 

The pool house set for dinner.  I adore Mary’s aesthetic.  You can see the Fab Flea shop through the doorway.   I love the flat screen TV behind the bar!

 

 

From the HAR web site:   Behind the stucco walls, the house is to the left, while the pool house is to the right.   An office is located in the upstairs turret.  Downstairs, the living room, dining room, and family room are on an enfilade, one room after another. 

 

 

 

From HAR:  The building on the right is the Fabulous Flea shop.    The pool house is seen behind it. 

 

 

The family room, as featured in Antique Shops and Designers magazine.  

 

 

The same family room, today, featured on HAR.  Mary has updated the room with new pillows and rearranged furniture.  You can see the pool and pool house through the windows.

 

 

 

The living room as shown in Antique Shops and Designers magazine:  slipcovers, linen, and seagrass – Houston style decorating.

 

 

 

And today, as featured on HAR.  Mary has again rearranged the furniture and changed out art work and accessories.  Both the living room and family room over look the pool and pool house. 

 

 

The dining room, never seen before, on HAR.  The kitchen is past the columns to the left and the family room is on the right.  I love the ceiling treatment and the wide baseboards.    To the left of the long gallery hall, through a series of French doors, is a courtyard. 

 

 

The courtyard to the left of the house.  Through the doors are the long hall leading off the living room, dining room, and family room.  The kitchen is seen through the window. 

 

 

The kitchen shown in Antique Shops and Designers magazine.  I LOVE Mary’s kitchen:  farm sink, open shelving, and the antique chandelier is to die for!

 

 

The media room located upstairs.  Love the carpet!

 

 

The master bedroom with a vaulted ceiling and rock crystal chandelier. 

 

 

From HAR:  The master bathroom.  Mary has wonderful hanging fixtures throughout the house. 

 

 

The office in the upstairs turret overlooking the pool.

 

 

 

 

Looking into the garage/barn space of the Fabulous Flea, ready for its final sale.   The authentic carriage doors are wonderful.

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I took these pictures at a sale I went to last year.   That iron table is now in my daughter’s bedroom!   This area is to the left of the Fab Flea shop,  overlooking the house and pool.

 

 

The left side of the shop:   The ceiling is vaulted and Mary always has a great assortment of chandeliers.

 

 

 

These sliding wood barn doors connect the two rooms in the  Fab Flea shop.   The garage area also has a vaulted ceiling. 

 

 

  Mary has a great eye for antiques which she buys in France and Europe several times a year.   I can’t wait to see what she does next.  I’m sure it will be– fabulous!  

 

The final Fab Flea sale will be held this April 20 – 22, 2010.

Studio doors will be open
April 20-21   9:00am - 4:00pm
April 22  9:00am - 2:00pm

Along with the antiques will be the art work and jewelry by Jonie Jacomini Herring and a collection of Oushak rugs by Necati. 

For information on HAR about this property, please go HERE.

For information on the upcoming and final Fab Flea sale, go HERE.

To read the article and see the pictures of the Fabulous Flea home in the Antique Shops and Designers magazine, go HERE.

 

 

 

Finally:   Don’t forget to enter the Cote de Texas giveaway with Jardins du Jour.  To win this painting, go HERE.

 

And – be sure to listen to the new Skirted Roundtable with Scot Meacham Wood HERE.

Cote de Texas: Great Giveaway!!!

 

 

Last year I wrote about my friend in Dallas who had recently updated her living room – using the talented design team of Ray*Weitman.   My favorite item in her newly revamped room was the old Zuber wallpaper remnant that was framed and hung to the side of her fireplace.   In fact, I enlarged the picture of it and cropped it so that it would really shine and be the highlight of the story.  When you love something, well – it never hurts to exaggerate that feeling or emotion for effect.

 

  Close-up of my friend’s grisaille Zuber wallpaper remnant, framed. 

 

A few months after the post showing the Zuber wallpaper, I got an interesting email from Simon P. Scott who owned the retail shop and wholesale business Jardins en Fleur.   I had first heard of Simon when my partner, Megan of Beach Bungalow 8,  talked about him and his beautiful store on the Skirted Roundtable one night.   I had laughed at her pronunciation Jardins en Fleur, which she said in an exaggerated and affected French accent.  “Say it again Megan,  Jaardaan and flowwwer???” – I retorted in my annoying and whiny southern drawl (hey, I know my voice is horrible and I apologize to all who listen to the Skirted Roundtable.  I need to take some diction classes to tony it up a bit.)    I digress.   Simon emailed me with some interesting and rather shocking news.  First he said he had closed his shop and was moving in a different direction.  Closing it?  I never even got to visit it!!!!   Most surprising was his confession.   

Now, I get a lot of emails from people who read the blog, but none has ever played out like this email.  I was pretty shocked when I read what Simon had to say:

 

 

Simon confessed he had read about my friend’s grisaille Zuber wallpaper remnant, framed in her living room, and became inspired by it.  In fact, he said, that blog story with the Zuber had actually lifted him out of the deep funk he had been in after his store closed. Really?  Acting on the inspiration of the grisaille Zuber, Simon had created an  entirely new line of chinoiserie inspired drawings that he was going to sell, framed and unframed, at the Gift and Decor markets around the country.

 

 

 

I love to hear from fans of my blog.  It’s the best part of the job.  But truly, no one before has ever written me saying a post I had written had inspired a new business venture. I was flattered to say the least.  Actually, I’m not quite sure I believed Simon when he said that that ONE picture inspired his whole new line, but I’m desperate for positive feedback, so I lapped it up.   Simon’s new line is now complete and he has attended several shows where it was met with great success.  Of course.   He has a long history of success in the retail field.    Years before,  he had designed products that were huge sellers.  See if you remember some of his earlier designs:

 

  There were these bottles with metal tops, along with a line of shabby-chic white crusty accessories. 

 

 

His candles had rusted tops and were popular long before there were the plethora of candle lines now available.

 

 

There were also various sconces and chandeliers and lamps in his product line.

 

But, the biggest success was this:   The Bombay Co. came calling asking for 30,000 lamps for which they would pay $14 each.   In order to make the lamps at that price, Simon was forced to go to China, which is how he ended up doing business there.  The natural progression of things lead from making lamps to designing  hand painted wallpapers on silk that was then made in China.   Simon has been creating these chinoiserie inspired wallpapers for years now, selling them through Jardins en Fleur.    While he still creates those wallpapers, it is his new collection, inspired by my friend’s grisaille Zuber remnant, that has really taken off at market.   Today he works under a new business name - Jardins du Jour and to celebrate his new line,  Simon has offered a giveaway to a lucky Cote de Texas reader!! 

 

 

This framed item from Jardins du Jour will be given away to the winner!   I absolutely adore this!!!!! 

 

 

Simon was sweet enough to even send me one of his new grisaille wallpapers, framed, which I hung in my family room.

 

 

  Here’s a close up!!

 

 

Here are some more examples of the new line at Jardins du Jour.   I love this combination of the grisaille background with bright color accents. 

 

 

 

There is a series of chinoiserie figures.  Here are two examples. 

 

 

There is also a nature series with different birds.

 

 

Here’s another chinoiserie inspired painting. 

 

 

This Jardins du Jour wallpaper can be installed on a screen.  

 

This wallpaper can be ordered on panels, framed. 

All  the papers can be custom colored.  In fact anything in the line can be custom colored or sized.   To see the entire line of available papers, please go here:  www.jardinsdujour.com

 

 

 

 

Rules for the giveaway:

In order the win the painting above, all you have to do is go to Simon’s web site Jardins du Jour at www.jardinsdujour.com – look around at the Portfolio, and pick out what YOU like best.  Come back to this comment section and leave me a comment with your choice.  A winner will be chosen this Friday night at 11:59 pm.   That’s all!     The prize is the framed painting above.   Be sure to leave your name on the comment or if you post anonymously – leave your email so we can contact you if you win!  Good luck!!!!  And thank you Simon, so much, for your generous giveaway!

The Skirted Roundtable: Scot Meacham Wood

 

 

This week, The Skirted Roundtable welcomes Scot Meacham Wood of SMW Design.   An interior designer and noted musician, Scot surprised us with an a Capella serenade!   That’s a first, for sure!   Scot tells us all about his start in the business working for Ralph Lauren and we discuss how Lauren’s influence can be seen in some of his projects.  Scot is also a popular blogger who writes Tartanscot, a play on words for his love of all things tartan.   During the interview, Scot tells us about his interior design business, explaining how he works and his creative process.  As always, it’s so interesting to learn how other interior designers handle their jobs – it’s such a learning experience and an opportunity to compare and connect with others in the business.  We thoroughly enjoyed our talk with him, he’s such an old-fashioned southern gentleman, although he has lived all over the world and is definitely a Scotsman at heart!!

 

  A project in East Hampton that we all loved.  What a gorgeous and grand entry hall.

 

 

The master bedroom in the Hamptons house.  This is a favorite of mine and I really see a Ralph Lauren vibe in this room.  Love the slips and wallpaper, and I love that blanket!!

 

 

Scot describes this room in a Californian house where he had to duplicate the sofa because the owners only had one.  Notice the tartan blanket, of course!

 

 

Scot’s apartment is well known to the blogosphere.  He told us that he is in the midst of a complete remodel and these pictures are now obsolete.  Here is his bedroom, which is also a study.  

 

 

The other side of his bedroom.  Scot tells us all about that fabulous picture behind the sofa, Ralph Lauren, hint, hint.   Notice the tartan blankets, pillows, and curtains.   I can’t wait to see what his redecorated place will look like!

 

To listen to the Scot Meacham Wood interview, go HERE.  To visit his web site, SMW Design, go HERE. 

Must Be Nice!

 

 

Unlike everyone else in the United States, my daughter’s high school is just now celebrating Spring Break.  We are always off schedule because our break comes during Passover week.  One bad thing about being on our own schedule is Passover always falls so close to the end of school and summer vacation, that the kids have a hard time getting back into the groove of school after their long break.    This year,  Ben and I got to spend Spring Break alone at home, while our soon to be graduated and just turned 19 year old daughter took off for a Spring Break to end all Spring Breaks.  One of her classmates invited three friends to tag along with her parents to Anguilla, staying in accommodations Elisabeth’s father and I only dream about.  Like I said, it Must Be Nice!  That’s Elisabeth with the hat on, of course.  

There’s no cell phone on the island unless you want to pay exorbitant international fees, so we are Skypeing each other.  I think I’ve talked to Lizzy more on Skype than I do when she’s in the same house.   Most of her conversations have been about how beautiful the house is that they are staying in.  Talk about rubbing it in!!!!    And speaking of Skype, why does everyone look so horrid in the video?  They need to do something about that!   

 

 

Here is where the gang is staying.  Yeah.  OK.  I could probably get used to this.   They have the house on the left.  Another family from Chicago is staying in the house on the right.    Both sides are available for rent.  I get lustful feelings just looking at this picture!!  I hope Elisabeth is grateful and appreciative, especially vocally to her hosts.  She sent me the URL to the rental company so I could see how beautiful the beach house is – I think she is really just showing off a little.  Ever wonder what 19 year old girls think about?   She told me she would love to have her “destination wedding” at this beach house.  Trying to act like this is a reasonable topic for discussion, I replied that she might need to find a boyfriend first, then graduate college, then we’ll worry about her where she’ll have her “destination wedding.”  And why are those so popular today anyway?    My idea of a destination wedding is when the reception hall is across town from the church.

 

 

 

The back of the house overlooking the ocean.

 

 

The view of the ocean.  Anguilla is closest to the island of St. Martin/St. Maarten.  The stone steps divide the pool between the deep end and the baby pool.  There’s a hot tub too.  I wonder if the girls are swimming  here or in the ocean? 

 

 

At dusk:   walking in through the front door, you can see all the way through the house, out to the ocean.

 

 

 

There is a small pond in the front, which you walk over on the stepping stones to get in the front door.   The front pond mimics the footprint of the back swimming pool, which is also situated up against the glass windows.   Inside, rocks are placed at  the window to create the illusion the pond continues into the house.

 

 

Looking out towards the entry court and front pond.   Elisabeth excitedly told me “ Mom, there are lanterns everywhere – you would love this!!”   Of course my dear, of that, I have no doubt.

 

 

The middle section of the large living area.  On Skype, Elisabeth showed me the two garden stools  “just what you love, Mom.”  Aw, she noticed the interior design!  Maybe there’s hope yet for her to join me in my business.

 

 

 

The main sitting area – white leather, which is so beach friendly.  I would like this better, though, with a blue and white striped rug ala Something’s Gotta Give, but you already knew that, I’m sure. 

 

 

 

The dining area has large, comfortable gray tufted chairs.   The table is trendy limed wood, but – I’m not sure what to make of the white iron base??

 

 

 

The view at night.  The kitchen is on the other side of the wood wall. 

 

 

The kitchen has aqua countertops and stainless appliances.  I love that refrigerator.   

 

 

One of the bedrooms with a white cowhide rug. 

 

 

The media room upstairs.  I imagine the  girls are spending most of the time at night in this room.  Hopefully they aren’t bar hopping!!

 

REAL LIFE FOR ELISABETH WEBB:

 At dusk, the view from our rental on South Padre Island, Texas.

 

Truthfully, my daughter is really not used to such luxuries as the beach house in the Caribbean,  so I hope she is really appreciating her trip!   As most of you know, we don’t travel a lot and leaving Texas is not my husband’s favorite thing to do.   Consequently, we vacation at the beach on South Padre Island, at the very tip of the United States, where Mexico meets Texas.  In fact, the international border is only 3o minutes away by car and probably 5 minutes by boat.    We don’t own a condo there and nice hotels are pretty scarce on the island, so we rent.    The problem with renting condos is most available aren’t really fancy, to say the least.   The one we rent is about 25 years old and has seen better days;  it’s had very little remodeling or updating done to it over the years.   I know we could find one nicer, but it’s right next door to my friend’s condo, so the location is perfect.   

 

 

Our rental last summer.  Ouch!

 

Do your eyes hurt?   We rented this unit last summer.   We chose this particular unit over the other ones available in the building because it has white tiled floors which means it would at least be cleaner than the carpeted rentals.   Last summer we stayed here a month so I did try to make it a little more homey.   Each summer I go through a little drill when we arrive at our rental:   I walk through the unit and hide all the pillows, accessories, paintings, fake plants, area rugs and assorted clutter  in the guest closet.   I can’t do anything about the paint job, so I just pretend it’s not there.   Over the years I have accumulated an assortment of ready made slipcovers for the rentals, along with throw pillows, drop cloths, and Indian bedspreads which make great cover ups for nasty condo furniture.   The picture above is off the rental web site – isn’t that couch a beauty?

 

 

 

 

Here’s what it looked like after I cozied up our unit.   I used blue and white ticking ready made slipcovers for the sofa and love seat.   We bought the pillows on sale down in Padre at the best (and only) decor shop on the island:  Park 100.   I brought the Dash and Albert rug with me.   I’ll buy flowers at the grocery stores and add candles to atmosphere.  The books come from home to read while we are there.   I ruined by Saladino Villa on the beach and ended up having to replace it.   The wicker coffee table was actually kind of cute – about the only cute thing in the condo!

 

 

 

I moved the blue and white lamp from a bedroom to make it look a little nicer, and came THIS CLOSE to buying a new shade for it.  Sad, I know.  The white tiled floor is a plus.   Whenever we are choosing a rental, we always opt for tiled floor over carpeting because at least you know it will be clean then.    I learned my lesson one summer when I had to personally have the carpets cleaned the day after we arrived.  Yuck!!!   We take a SUV down to the beach, so we have a little extra room to pack up all the decorating materials.   After doing this now for over 22 years, Ben is resigned to my summer condo redecorating.   It took a few years, but I finally broke him in.   Now, I think he actually appreciates the clean slipcovers over sitting on old upholstery. 

 

 

 

In the dining area, I put a Dash and Albert blanket over the wood table to try to soften it up a little.   I added the cute Vagabond Vintage bucket bag from Olivine.  The “captains” chairs – well, there wasn’t much I could do about those and just had to forget they were there.   I don’t have pictures of the bedroom, but the Indian bedspreads sold at Urban Outfitters do wonders for quick makeovers.    You can actually use one for a make-do dust ruffle and layer another on top for a coverlet.    I also put down a few more cute throw rugs in the bedroom and bathroom, which really add a lot to the decor.

 

 

 

Even beach towels and bags can become a decorative element. 

 

South Padre is home for us.   I’ve been going since I was a little girl and our entire family loves it.   It’s a laid back, very casual beach town, with not much night life, which is exactly how we like it.     But still, a Spring Break  holiday in a gorgeous contemporary  Caribbean beach house Must Be Nice!!!!  I just hope Elisabeth doesn’t get spoiled.   This summer, she’ll be back in the land of vintage tufted cream sofas and vivid blue painted walls.

Do you do summer rental decorating?   My sister-in-law does the same thing I do, she even brings her own  kitchenware and sheets – I’m not quite that sick – yet!   I would love to see pictures of your own summer rental decorating.  I need some new ideas!!!

 

P.S.  Check out the new Skirted Roundtable – San Francisco interior decorator Scott Wood is interviewed.  AND he even serenades us!!!  hehe – that is NOT to be missed.  HERE.

  

 

And finally, here’s hoping everyone had a wonderful Easter Weekend!!!