Girly as my tastes may be, I can’t help but be drawn to the classic patterns and cool colors featured in this collection. The interesting weaves and textures are reminiscent of classic men’s suiting. In fact, the line was inspired by traditional menswear textures, including houndstooth, glen plaid, birdseye, Donegal tweed and matelasse. There is something rustic, yet polished about these prints that I really dig.

Maybe it’s my Austin roots, but I am also totally intrigued by the burnt orange and grey colorways in which the collection is offered. I would have never thought to pair burnt orange with grey; it’s so chic! I even put together a Pinterest board inspired by the line.

Featuring textured solids, coordinating stripes, a midscale pattern, and two statement designs, this collection has a great variety to choose from and coordinate with.

To view more from the Gentleman’s Retreat Collection, you can visit the Pindler & Pindler Showroom located in Suite 715 of the Dallas Design Center or www.pindler.com.

Four months later, the sale is still going strong, offering up a constantly changing supply of designer furnishings.

This Wednesday, May 16, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. the Sample Sale Showroom will host an open house. Designers are invited to shop the sale while enjoying light refreshments that will be provided throughout the day.

It’s a great excuse to make your way down to the Design District to look for a deal and check out what’s new in the center while you’re here!

The Sample Sale Room is located in Suite 200 of the Dallas Design Center, between George Cameron Nash and E.C. Dicken.  

A few months ago, driving down Lovers Lane, I spotted a sign in the window of StellaDallas. “Coming soon to the Dallas Design District,” the sign teased. Because I very much live inside my Lower Oak Lawn bubble, I rarely make time to visit the hip, home shops in the rest of the city. A shop as cute as StellaDallas just blocks away? I was beyond excited! My excitement has turned to sheer giddiness as now we’re now just a few short days away from its grand opening.

Home décor junkies are invited to a rockin’ grand opening party from 7 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, May 15 at StellaDallas’ new shop in the Design District. Rockin’ you say? Yes, indeed. DJ Lucy Wrubel, a devoted StellaDallas customer, will be spinning tunes as caterers dish up spring-inspired bites and designer cocktails. Guests will enjoy a rare 20 percent discount throughout the evening.

Raffle prizes, including a design consultation with store owner and interior decorator Amber Frazee, will be awarded throughout the evening. In addition to being the first to step into their new space, party goers will be among the first to view the décor
 boutique’s exclusive collection of Lily Pulitzer Home.

StellaDallas is open to the public. It is the exclusive retailer in Dallas for Lily Pulitzer Home, and has a room in its new shop dedicated to the Missoni Home line.

With the move to the Dallas Design District, StellaDallas is also interested in growing the design services side of the business. The venture into offering design services came as a natural evolution, Frazee says.

“Our customers kept asking us for design advice,” she explains. ”Then they started asking for in-home consultations, and the design business just grew and expanded from there.”

Put it on your calendar to come to the grand opening on Tuesday to meet Amber Frazee and her staff and check out this fabulous new shop in the district. Click through the photos below to get a sneak peek of the space!

This weekend Art of Old India will be hosting its first ever warehouse sale, reducing prices by up to 75 percent. The sale will feature new and antique furnishings, as well as small decorative accessories. I’ve gotten a peek at the pricing, and, I promise, it is really good. For instance, the antique door frame bookshelf pictured on the right was originally $$5,800 and is now $840. That cute blue and white dhurrie was listed at $540 and is now only $165. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg!

Designers are invited to get an early preview of the sale on Thursday, April 19 and then the sale will open to the public on Friday and Saturday April 20 and 21. Sale hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

In addition to getting a good deal, you’ll be doing good as well. Art of Old India will donate 10% of all sales this weekend to Paws in the City, a local non-profit animal rescue organization.

A trip to the Taj Majal might not be in the cards anytime soon, but that doesn’t mean you can’t add some South Asian spice to your space. The Rug Company recently released a new collection of Indian Dhurries featuring vibrant colorways in bold graphic designs.

Part of a new entry-level line to be known as the Studio Collection, prices start at $310 and even the largest rugs will cost you less than a round trip ticket to Mumbai.

“As we continue to expand throughout the US, we felt it was important to create a collection that still upholds our philosophy of great design with traditional craftsmanship, but at a price that appeals to a broader customer” says Managing Director, North America, Amanda Price.

Unlike the company’s sought after Designer Collection, this line will not offer customization in size or color. The Dhurries will be available for purchase in all of The Rug Company’s US showrooms in November; and online from September, when it launches its new e-commerce website.

Each rug, hand-made from 100% cotton, is GoodWeave certified and comes in five standard sizes ranging from 4×6 to 9×12. These bright, beautiful rugs can bring a splash of color to any room and are perfect for Spring and Summer! Here are a few of my favs:

Download the Studio Collection PDF to see the full collection and pricing.

Have you watched The Borgias? Showtime’s latest historical drama comes back for its second season this Sunday, chronicling the corrupt rise of patriarch Rodrigo Borgia to the papacy. Featuring a based-on-a-true-story plot, scheming, murder and bribes, the show has all the drama and excitement of a historical TV drama hit, but, for some, the costuming and sets command just as much intrigue as the plot line.

Joseph Minton Antiques is celebrating Sunday’s premiere with the launch of a Borgais Unveiled window installation at their Dallas Design District showroom. Inspired by the Showtime Original Series, the show’s theme of Faith was interpreted into a visually stunning display created by top interior designer Justin Seitz and featuring products from Joseph Minton Antiques.

One of just ten U.S. showrooms invited by Showtime to create a display for the premiere, Joseph Minton Antiques will host an unveiling party on Thursday, April 5 from 6 to 9 p.m. Cocktails and hors d’oeuveres will be served. Guests are asked to RSVP to 214-521-8864 or mintonantiques@sbcglobal.net.

Photos of other show-inspired window displays and information on the designers who created them can be seen on borgiasunveiled.com. Support Joseph Minton Antiques by voting for them as best display, and there’s something in it for you too. Voting automatically enters you to win round trip airfare to Venice, Italy courtesy of Delta and 5-nights accommodations at The Westin Europa & Regina. Now that’s what I call a grand prize!

I come from a back porch kind of family. The back porch and back yard of my home growing up was our family’s most utilized space. It served as a dining room, living room, kitchen and bathroom. Okay, well the yard was a bathroom only for our dog Chica, but still, my point is that our back porch was more than a back porch –  it was an outdoor room.

The concept of an “outdoor room” has really taken hold in the past few years as more homeowners invest in their outdoor areas, creating spaces for entertaining, cooking, relaxing and family fun, year-round. HGTV has dedicated an entire show to this topic. Get Out, Way Out  focuses on making over homeowners’ outdoor spaces into incredible living areas.

That is just what Brown Jordan’s new Papillon collection offers. A top seller in the Dallas market, Papillon offers a fluid, contemporary take on woven furnishings. Designed by Michael Berman for Brown Jordan, Papillon is curvilinear, textural and cocoon-like in shape, with a subtle wing detail. Berman was inspired by the free spirit and individuality of the papillon (the French word for butterfly) – its beauty, grace, life of transformation and quiet harmony with nature.

Papillon is one of the many collections now marked down in Brown Jordan’s annual special savings event. Now through April 5, 2012 Brown Jordan is offering an additional 10 percent off special trade pricing.

Come in to

I just adore Beacon Hill’s contemporary take on the ikat pattern. Ikat is an Indonesian word that translates as “knot” or “to tie” and refers to the dye pattern on fabric. Beacon Hill’s ikat, inspired by original ikat silks from Uzbekistan, is unlike any I’ve seen. Their print takes the traditional ikat dying technique and weaves it into an updated striped pattern.

“Ikats are distinctive design motifs, and this collection celebrates their unique contours in outdoor constructions,” says Alexis Audette, operating vice president of design for Beacon Hill.

In addition to an on trend print, Beacon Hill nailed it with their colorways. Coral is everywhere this spring. The color has been particularly noticeable in fashion’s big spring look: colored jeans. Lauren Conrad pairs her coral colored skinnies with a crisp white top in her collection for Kohls, while the ever stylish Kate Middleton jazzes up her J Brand denim with a preppy navy blazer.

In addition to being stylish, Beacon Hill’s new collection is sturdy, durable and easy-to-maintain. All Beacon Hill Outdoor Ikats are woven with Sunbrella yarns, giving them easy cleanability and a sturdy construction.

Though intended for outdoor use, the soft and supple feel of the Outdoor Ikats enable them to transition to indoor application as well. Amy Armstrong from RSVP Design Services in Dallas recently commented about this on the RSVP blog, saying “These outdoor fabrics don’t feel like outdoor fabrics. They have a wonderfully soft hand.”

The Ikat Outdoor collection is available at Robert Allen Beacon Hill in the Dallas Design Center.

Photos via: HRH Royal Kate, 2012 Fashion, and Beacon Hill

Desk Clock from McGannon Showrooms

Tic Tac Clocks at Scott + Cooner 

Mission-style clock by Stickley available at Baker in the Dallas Design Center.

Airplane Clock from McGannon Showrooms

Sunburst Wall clock by BoConcept

I know I shouldn’t play favorites, but how can I resist? Not only does LINK produce the chicest darn fabrics, but they send me tons of beautiful images, allowing me to give LOL readers a sneak peak at their latest lines before they hit the major design pubs later this month.

With spring quickly moving in and warmer weather fast approaching, let’s jump right in and get to the good stuff!

LINK Outdoor’s new fabrics collection, Sheers & Stripes, is inspired by classic summer menswear fabrics – Oxford cloth shot through with beautiful woven stripes, Seersucker, pin stripes and adventurously colored stripes on basket weave grounds. “The look is distinctly American Ivy League,” their press release reads. And isn’t that the truth! Just looking at these chic stripes makes me want to sport some seersucker and break out my boat shoes!

The Sheers & Stripes collection features seven new stripe patterns plus two outdoor sheer designs, all available in a wide spectrum of colors. Seriously, the possibilities are practically endless! See the new fabrics in action below. They are gorgeously paired with LINK’s signature trim for a playful yet classic look.

In addition to their fashionable new fabrics, LINK has released a new outdoor furniture line, the “Echo Collection.” A follow up to last year’s “Sand Dollar Collection,” Echo offers a more modern look, mixing polished stainless steel with the a teak accent.

Designed by Doug Levine, the furniture ranges from architectural to sinuous in shape, emphasizing form and comfort.

Link Outdoor offers five optional powder coat colors as well as three different teak finish options which can be previewed on their website. My favorite piece in the collection would have to be the Echo dining table. Oh the outdoor entertaining I could accomplish with this lovely piece!

Both LINK Outdoor collections are currently on display in a new installation at the George Cameron Nash showroom in the Dallas Design Center. Drop by to see all these beauties in person!

Pictured: Women’s Angelfish Slip-On Boat Shoe by Sperry