M Designs

I just wanted to let you all know about a great on-line magazine that I really love!  It’s Lonny Magazine.  Lonny is celebrating their one year anniversary this month.  Happy anniversary!

It seems that I am always on the run between client meetings, kids activities and traveling.  I recently received an iPad, and I love having the ability to flip through this magazine on my iPad, while I’ve got a few minutes of “down time”.

Lonny covers everything from design ideas and tips, how to choose paint and colors for your home, how to select the perfect accessories….everything!  And the photography is just beautiful!

If you’re looking for great information, inspiration and eye candy, take a look at Lonny!  Below are just a few images from their October/November issue.

I saw these fabrics and fell in love! Call me if you are interested!

Love this mix! How fun is this!

See what I mean about great ideas?

By Eddie Ross and Jaithan. When I saw them at High Point I told them this is my favorite table EVER!

Another addition to my travel "must stay" list....beautiful!

I am excited that we at M Designs will be hosting the next NKBA TX North Plains Chapter Meeting on Wednesday, August 18^th.  The National Kitchen and Bath Association provides industry professionals with networking and educational opportunities that cannot be found anywhere else.

I, along with several of my colleagues, will be presenting “How to Add Finishing Touches to Set Your Kitchen and Bath Projects Apart”.  This presentation will cover the latest trends and offerings of fine finishes, kitchen and bath furnishings, innovative plumbing products, decorative hardware and accessories and lighting, along with tips on using these items to set your projects apart.

The event begins at 5:30 and will be held at M Designs Studio, 1801 Royal Lane, #810, Dallas.  Please click here to register…..you do not need to be a member to attend, but we do need you to pre-register.  We’ll be providing delicious food and drinks, and lots of opportunities to network with others in the industry.  PS – I made my famous M Chicken Salad and we will have cool and refreshing drinks and a fun dessert!!  We look forward to seeing you Wednesday!

I am excited to profile my friend and associate Kevin Procaccino, Owner/Architect of Kenandom Design Consultants, LLC, an award winning architectural design firm with a reputation for excellence across the country for the past 20 years.

I first met Kevin at a Dallas Homebuilders Association luncheon.  We found out that we were close neighbors and had mutual friends.  His warmth and talent make him such a great fit for our clients and I am most impressed with his listening skills.  As a designer, I find this is the most important asset to a design consultation, and Kevin takes in every detail of a client’s desires, translates them effectively, and with accuracy.

Kevin and Kenandom incorporate a wealth of experience and skill into a company that has gained a reputation as a leading design firm.  “The experience we bring is evident through our work ethic, innovation, and enthusiasm to each project and every client”.

For over 23 years, Kevin has been creating award winning designs for both individual clients and national corporations.  Throughout his career, Kevin has received numerous national and regional design awards such as McSam Design Award, Best in American Living Award, and Mirm Design Award.  He has also been appointed to numerous judgeship positions including:  Judge, 2009 Ft. Worth Spring Homes Tour and Judge, 2010 International Builders Show. 

I know each time Kevin works on a project with M Designs, he incorporates his fundamental design philosophy of innovation, livability and distinction, and it is always exciting to see what he creates for our clients!

Thanks to all of our blog followers and readers.  When you are here reading, please feel free to leave us a comment.  We love to hear from our readers!

We are also on Twitter.  Be sure to follow us there as well.

M Designs is proud to introduce our new Construction Project Manager/Designer, Karen Stillwagon.

Karen is a graduate of Texas A & M, and holds a Bachelor of Environmental Design degree.  She began her career in retail and restaurant architecture, working with a couple of architecture/engineering firms.  Karen says it was her work at Sawyer Design Associates that caused her to fall in love with interior architecture while working on leasing centers for multi-family residences.  She especially loved working with the interior designers to create fun and exciting designs for clients all across the United States.

After two years at Sawyer, Karen moved to Wilson Associates, a large interior architecture firm that specializes in hospitality design, and has projects across the globe.  Karen’s portfolio of projects included hotels in Las Vegas, Florida and China.

At M Designs, Karen will be managing construction projects and designing spaces for residential and commercial clients.   Karen enjoys her new job and says, “It’s great to see a smile on a client’s face, and know that you are making their living environment more enjoyable.  I am really excited to be working at M Designs”.  Karen has completed her NCARB hours and will soon be sitting for the Architecture Registration Exam.  We wish her the best of luck on this endeavor!

Karen and her husband Ben live in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area and have a Siberian husky named Archie.  When she’s not working she enjoys watching movies, shopping and traveling.

We recently hosted a welcome reception for Karen and introduced her to our vendors and construction clients.  Below are a few pictures from this event.   Thanks to everyone who came out to meet her…it was great to see everyone.  If you weren’t able to come to the event, please stop by the studio to say hello.

Karen is very talented and is an asset to our existing team.  We are excited to have her join us.  Welcome Karen!

(Left to right)  Thomas Whitehurst, Dianne Tacker, Paul Tacker, and Scott McGaha

Karen Stillwagon and Debbie Harper

Richard Gadwood and Ralph Stow

Adria Pearl and Karen Stillwagon

Denise McGaha

Karen and husband Ben

I just wanted to take this opportunity to congratulate Mark Fadden on being named one of the winners of Saks Fifth Avenue’s Father’s Day Honors as a “Top Dad”.  This event co-sponsored by 360 West, honors men of style who are making an impact through their dedication to their children and their communities.  Click here to read the full article about Mark and see a great picture of him and his two sons, Jack and Grant.

Mark and his wife Jennifer are clients of M Designs, but more importantly he is a great friend.  My husband, Scott and I, have had the opportunity to see his “father skills” in action, and he is truly a super dad.

Mark is a stay-at-home dad and an author.  He has authored and self published three novels:  “Five Days in Dallas”, “The Campaign”, and his newest release, “The Brink”.  Barnesandnoble.com has awarded Mark their Rising Star Award for “The Brink”.

Mark, congratulations on being named “Top Dad”.  You are truly an outstanding example to your children and your community.

When we are asked to design a space, we often start with a great fabric or pillow as a foundation.  Pillows are often overlooked for the value they bring to a room.  Pillows have personality, texture, color and comfort – all wrapped up in one package. 

By adding this important accessory to the mix, you can completely change the look of the room and make a statement too.  It also allows you to change your look with just a quick pillow switch. 

Select pillows in bright colors, rich textures and interesting patterns, and feel free to mix them up to add interest to the room.  When using pillows on a sofa, be sure to use at least 2 pillows, in contrasting colors, textures and sizes, creating a warm and inviting setting.  The number of pillows in your space will be dictated by the depth of your sofa or chair, and how often you sit  in the piece.  With beds, I always prefer at least two bold decorative pillows for a visual punch.

A word on Forms and Fillers:

We prefer 100% down fill in all of our pillows.  If you have an allergy, we have a great faux-down that offers the amazing fluffiness and loft of real down – just ask for it and we can make a switch.

A few of my favorites that we have in the studio are below:               

Pillows by Barclay Butera

22” Hand-painted scrollwork detail on linen with contrasting welt cord

22” Zebra print – animal print is hot in fashion for home and runway

Great basic – 22” chocolate linen with cream flange – note the detail on the flanged corners

Navy linen with orange Greek key border – my favorite color combo as only Barlcay can do

Pillows by Dransfield & Ross

A statement in velvet  – with silver beaded welt cord – a “must see in person to appreciate” pillow

Lumbar pillows are fun, fun, fun – varying ribbons from velvet, to satin, to grosgrain

Bright yellow linen with charcoal/white grosgrain ribbon detail…..graphic and a statement for your chair

Raffia with grosgrain ribbon flag – great for a kid’s bedroom or front and center on your sofa

In the interior design industry, I work with many people in various positions from real estate agents, home builders, painters, carpenters, furniture and drapery suppliers…. the list is endless! I wanted to take the opportunity this week to profile several people whom I have had the pleasure of working with and getting to know. These people are some of the most outstanding professionals in their fields, and I want to share them with you! I’ll be blogging about a new person each day this week, so be sure to check in here daily!

Today I wanted to start my profiling series with Jan Baldwin, Realtor with Briggs Freeman Real Estate, Dallas’ leading boutique firm for premier properties.

I met Jan Baldwin while designing homes with her husband, the fabulous Barry Baldwin, of Waterford Construction Company. We immediately hit it off and had so much in common and Jan knows EVERYONE in Dallas……you can’t even imagine the friends she has accumulated through the years.

What I love about working with Jan is that she incorporates each buyer’s lifestyle into the equation, whether moving within the city or to Dallas from out of state. When listing a property, Jan’s analytical expertise has gained her the reputation among her peers as “someone who knows how to price a house to sell”, while ensuring that the seller gets the highest price possible in the shortest amount of time.

Jan knows houses. For years, she has been an integral part of her husband’s award-winning home building company, Waterford Construction. She and her husband bring her clients a wealth of knowledge, from what it would cost to update a prospective home to lot availability. Jan was able to sell one of her clients a prime property she found through sheer tenacity that was not yet on the market.

Jan has a background as a corporate executive in the Dallas area, including positions with Baylor Health Care System and Texas Scottish Rite Hospital. She works tirelessly as an outstanding leader in the community as well. Jan has been President of the Junior League of Dallas, President of the Leadership Dallas Alumni Association; served on multiple boards, including the Women’s Council of the Dallas Arboretum, The Genesis Women’s Shelter, and the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas. She is the immediate past chair of The Linz Award Luncheon and is chairing the 2011 Rancho San Miguel Parish Party at Saint Michael and All Angels Church.

Jan is one of the most dedicated, sincere professionals I have had the pleasure to work with. Whether you are looking to sell your home, or buy a new home, Jan can help you find that perfect fit!

As you may know, a designer and the real estate agents she serves are a very tightly knit team. I can assure you that the clients we share love working with Jan and I know you will too!

Jan can be contacted at:

jbaldwin@briggsfreeman.com
www.Briggs-freeman.com

During the month of January, we have had an opportunity to spend many hours inside.  We have had the coldest month on record here in Texas and we’ve even seen snow several times. 

As a result of many hours spent inside this month, many of my clients have decided it’s “out with the old and in the with the new” when it comes to the upholstered pieces in their family rooms.

We often have questions about how to buy these pieces, so here are a few of my favorite tips and furniture styles.  We are offering 10% off through the end of January on select pieces, so if you’re looking to purchase, now is the time.

Style: Timeless is the key here.  Look for a classic style that will fit you and your family for years to come.  This is an investment, so spend wisely.  Go trendy on pillows, not on the entire sofa.  Think neutral for the base and add pop with the accents.  Below are a few of my favorites from Pearson Furniture.

Fill and Frame: I recommend that you don’t go with 100% down fill - too much fluffing and not much satisfaction in the end.  I prefer a foam core with a down wrap.  This gives you the comfort and the form you need to keep that piece looking fab through the years.  We sell 8-way hand tied frames and always will recommend quality over price.

Trust your salesperson: If you aren’t asked your seating preferences or height of family members, this person doesn’t know what they’re selling.  If the seat is too deep, you will feel like Alice in Wonderland.  If it’s too short, your husbands’ knees will be up around his ears…..buy from an experienced firm when purchasing your investments.

Dating 101: When you are pairing sofas and chairs, it’s important that they can live together comfortably.  Style, back height, arms and legs are all important.  An experienced designer will combine skirted pieces with legs and coordinating finishes.  The same goes for the accessory pieces such as lamps, tables and ottomans.  A well coordinated room “sings” – you know it when you see it.  I love these pieces from Barclay Butera, Hickory White and Visual Comfort as companions.

When to buy: Often January – March is one of the best times to buy upholstery.  Manufacturers are preparing to launch their new fabrics and styles for Spring and there are deals to be had.  It will also allow you to have a fresh new look come spring and give you that update that is well deserved.

Give us a call to answer any other upholstery questions you might have.  I would LOVE to assist you in breathing fresh life into your rooms.

As  you can see, I took a blogging sabbatical during the month of December to make some exciting changes in our business.  You will be able to access our blog now on our website – so easy to do, it’s just taken me time to focus on getting to this.  We have also restructured some positions in our firm so that we are able to provide a higher level of service and turnaround times for our clients.

We installed 2 homes with new furnishings, drapery and art just before the holidays.  I am also excited to show you our latest project which should install in February.  I will send a few sneak-peek shots once we complete the accessories on both jobs.

I am most excited about the multiple requests we have received this week for updated furnishings.  I have said it before, but its worth repeating – OLD WORLD IS DEAD.  In our market, we often see a trend that wears out it’s welcome in the suburbs and I would say Old World is it.  By that I mean:  Brown everything – drapes, leather sofas, hardwood floors and then adding more dark details and fake floral arrangements.  Stop it!!  You know who you are.

What we see clients wanting is a lighter, fresher look and we have included some of our new favorites when it comes to changing your look for 2010.

I love this light airy direction we are headed in for 2010.  These are our new favorites and they would look amazing in your space.  Stay tuned for more new favorites in fabrics and upholstery.  We have lots of new vintage finds to share with you.

Paxton Sofa- Clean lines and great hardware detailing

Pair this Bel Air Ottoman in front of a sofa or at the foot of a bed

This great King Size upholstered bed bridges the gap between clean lines and aged finishes - love it!

Try this nightstand next to your bed for a little light and lots of storage

A little traditional tufting and clean lines bring the chaise into NOW. This would be great next to the fire or in your master sitting area.