There are two things I really love in life - a great design find and a great deal, and Traders Village Flea Market in Texas delivers on both. Traders Village is located just outside of Dallas, Texas in the suburb of Grand Prairie and it has been ranked one of the Top 10 Flea Markets in the United States.
I made the visit to Traders Village with my great friend Hina Amin, host of inspirational radio show Expressive Homes with Hina on Radio Azad. Hina and I were eager to see what this flea market has to offer and we were inspired by so many things we found while shopping. Watch our video above to see our experience at Traders Village Flea Market!
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One of the more exciting parts of my job at Interiors by Jacquin is having the opportunity to meet so many talented artists and designers. My recent studio visit at the home of artist Kat Cole has not only re-invigorated me, but also inspired me to bring you more behind the scenes artist interviews.
You will love the work of Kat Cole. She is a fine art jewelry designer and metalsmith creating work that uniquely mirrors the built environment. You will notice inspiration from industrial surroundings blended with Cole's colorful aesthetic.
An enjoyable time chatting with contemporary jewelry artist Kat Cole in her plant filled home.
'Boundary Lines Loop' necklace, steel, 2017. Kat Cole.
Kat Cole is currently a full-time studio artist based in Dallas, TX and is the co-founder of Jewelry Edition. She has been a presenter at Yuma Symposium and Craft Boston, she teaches workshops nationally and has exhibited internationally. You can watch our inspirational, on-camera interview at the end of this post.
'Built #2' necklace, steel. 2016. Kat Cole.
(Left) 'Boundary Lines Shadow' necklace, steel, enamel. 2017. Kat Cole.
(Right) 'Urban Color #2' necklace, steel, enamel. Kat Cole.
After admiring Kat Cole's jewelry design, we turned our attention to her amazing indoor garden!
Her one-of-a-kind work is sold online and in stores atJewelry Edition as well as other retailers. You can find a full list of Kat Cole's jewelry retailers here. I look forward to adding Kat Cole's creations to my jewelry collection in the future!
Kat Cole's stunning broaches were my favorite! I loved the originality, colors, and movement of the metal. (Above: 'Urban Color #1' broach, steel, enamel, 2017. Kat Cole.)
'Old Well' broach, steel, enamel, found object, rubber 2015, Kat Cole.
I had a lovely time chatting with contemporary metal artist Kat Cole in her plant filled home recently. It is always a bonus when you make a fabulous artist friend at the end of an interview! Follow Kat Cole on Instagram for further contemporary art inspiration.
I had the pleasure of attending the Dallas Decorator's Showhouse's PRESS Preview last week and I was beyond impressed! This year's showhouse was located in Southlake, TX and sponsored by Donna Moss and Traditional Home magazine. The designs showcased here are truly bold. I also had the pleasure to interview designer Scot Meacham Wood. Watch the video below to see this luxurious show home!
Video production & editing - Stephanie Alleva-Cornell
I loved the range of styles present at the Dallas Decorators Showhouse! The home transitioned seamlessly from the bold entryway with graphic wall paper (shown above), to the more traditional spaces like the bedroom below, which you'll note still features fun patterns. The upholstery choices were all so unique. Definitely a lot of inspiration to consider.
Artwork by Lindsay Cowles
As far as the details are concerned, the Dallas Decorators Showhouse designers certainly didn't miss any opportunities to make a big statement. I was truly elated by this staircase nook, which featured bold stairwells, bold chandeliers, and even bolder wallpaper. Just another illustration proving that sometimes more, really is more!
The outdoor space at the Dallas Decorators Showhouse was just as impressive as the interior. The outside decor was colorful and lush with a lot of surprising elements. Did you catch the butterfly patterned fabric on the outdoor curtains? And below you'll see an oversized butterfly and branch installation that you really have to see for yourself to believe. Check it out below!
Besides the luxurious pool, my favorite design element in the outdoor space was the colorful tablescape. There were multi-colored glass place settings with pressed flowers inside the glass. Truly unique. Sadly I wasn't able to learn who designs these amazing plates. Any one know? If so, write in below. I'd be so thankful to be able to buy a set of these unique plates for myself!
Photography credit: Stephanie Alleva-Cornell
Learn more about the Dallas Decorators Showhouse and the designers who teamed up to decorate this luxurious space at the website here. A portion of the proceeds from the public home tours and gala event went toward supporting the Alzheimer's Association. Looking forward to next year's event!
Exciting news!! I've been busy working behind the scenes to bring you a new VIDEO SERIES! Interiors by Jacquin blog will now present an inspirational video post once a week. These videos will range from sharing home decor tutorials, to behind the scenes at events and showcasing studio visits with artists & designers. Our very first video will show you how to create a gorgeous floral arrangement at home. This particular floral arrangement has a unique architectural look that we achieved with a combination of flowers from the grocery store and with branches from the backyard. It's really that easy, and now you can learn how to create this chic style of floral arrangement for yourself!
Thank you to Ambra Portillo of Query Events for joining me in this video tutorial and lending her expert knowledge. With Ambra's floral expertise and assistance, I am definitely feeling more confident with my floral arranging skills. Ambra is a floral designer and owner of Query Events based in Ft. Worth, TX. Here is our tutorial on creating your own architectural-style floral arrangement at home. We hope it inspires you!
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It was such a treat to tour the Blue Print store in Dallas, Texas! Blue Print sells unique, luxury home furnishings and original art. One of the things that makes this store so special is that it's located in a beautiful, historic home. The first thing I took note of when arriving was the store's welcoming and home-like feel. The Blue Print store has taken their historical residence and created a home-style shopping experience, not to mention the fact that the Blue Print team is incredibly friendly and knowledgeable. Visitors can walk around the entire home, both upstairs and downstairs and shop stunning and unique home decor in a home-like setting.
All of Blue Print's furniture and decor is stunning! The Blue Print team sources much of its luxury furnishings from Europe and abroad, including antique furniture and vintage fine art. It is really nice to see all of these home furnishings in a true, homestyle setting. The contemporary decor and vintage finds blend perfectly with the Blue Print team's expert interior styling.
Blue Print has maximized their space by refreshing the home's original details and maintaining its historic charm. Beautiful decorative molding and ornate sky blue doors are around every corner in this store. With the exception of the eye-catching molding, everything in this store can be purchased from the furniture to the artwork on the walls.
In addition to home decor, Blue Print also sells stunning jewelry accessories. I absolutely love these earrings shown from Nicole Bathie Designs! (See below)
Loving these earrings from Nicole Bathie Designs! Fantastic vintage finds and curiosities like these Victorian calling card holders can also be found at Blue Print. (see below) These would be perfect for our modern day business cards and ink pens!
The Blue Print team was kind enough to show me around the store and tell me about the amazing original artwork they carry. While they sell artwork from Europe and abroad, much of their impressive artwork is created by artists local to Dallas. Some of the notable Texas-based artists they carry include Arienne Lepretre, Megan Adams Books, and Brenda Bogart. Blue Print also regularly hosts art shows in their incredible space.
Gallery wall featuring the figurative artwork of Brenda Bogart.
I loved how the Blue Print team has decorated every room so distinctly. I especially love this gallery wall (above) and these gorgeous vases with tropical palm leaves, shown below. I learned that they redecorate on nearly a weekly basis to keep the designs fresh and to make room for new inventory. Their regular redecorating makes for a one-of-a-kind experience every time you stop by the store!
If you're a lover of coffee table books, then you would have loved this oversized dining table filled with a range of chic and highly interesting coffee table books. Each room of the store holds exciting interior decor and accessories, and every inch of the house is lined with colorful original artwork, and more!
All of Blue Print's furniture is high-quality and truly unique, just the type of selection those of you with discerning taste will appreciate. For example, how fab are these unique, yellow chairs!? (shown below) If you'd be interested in adding Blue Print's lovely decor to your own home, you'll have to come by the store in person to shop. However, Blue Print's luxury and bold decor selections are certainly worth the trip! I definitely plan to come back again when it's time to redecorate my own space. Their team is also extremely warm and welcoming, which is always the cherry on top of a great shopping experience.
After an enjoyable visit to the Blue Print store, I'm looking forward to my next visit already! This is definitely THE place in Dallas for luxury furnishings. The Blue Print store is located in downtown Dallas at 2707 Fairmount Street, Dallas TX, 75201. If you pop into the Blue Print store for a visit, let them know that you learned about the store from this blog. Happy shopping!
Summer weather is finally here and that means it's party season! I'm excited to launch the summer season of my "Entertaining with Style" series, which is on schedule to be an epic summer of featured parties! If you have a party or specal event that you'd like featured, be sure to send me an email. Today we're popping over to Dallas, Texas to get a glimpse at the chic and intimate brunch of hostess Natalie Knowlton, blogger and macaron baker extraordinaire at We the Birds.
My
name is Natalie Knowlton, owner and macaron-maker behind We
the Birds Macarons and
co-curator of We
the Birds,
a sister-duo fashion and lifestyle blog. Coming from a
transient background, we called ourselves “birds” because we were
always on the move. Our blog continues to embody our zest for
traveling, fashion, and food - mostly macarons. :-)
Natalie's party theme is "Bucket List Brunch"! Check out how to make these DIY placecards at the bottom.
I
am an adventurous food and travel lover. My recent trip to Hong
Kong inspired the theme for this Bucket List Brunch. The Bucket
List Brunch featured an international breakfast buffet and included a
fun destination trivia game highlighting everyone’s bucket-list
destination. I invited my two sisters, mom, aunt, and three
close friends. I adore everyone that came and loved that all my
favorite women were able to meet and mingle in my home.
My
apartment style is minimal, simplistic, and chic. I love to mix
modern and traditional elements and re-purpose glassware and dried
flowers to decorate my apartment. With my minimalist style, the
food and company stole the spotlight at this brunch.
Making
guests feel at home is my number one priority when hosting. This
includes: prepping as much as I can days in advance so that I can be
at total ease when my guests arrive; lighting candles in each
bathroom with a delicate bouquet in each room; welcoming each guest
with a hug and offering them a beverage, and as my mother says, “it
is better to have more food than not enough."
ENTERTAINING TIPS
Time
Saver Tip: Prepare ahead of time! This includes grocery
shopping 3-4 days in advance, cooking and freezing menu items 2-3
days in advance, making gift bags, prepping/setting the table 1-2
days in advance, and making flower arrangements the night before. Leave a very small to-do list for the morning
or day of the event.
Money-Saver
Tip: Make your own flower arrangements. Start by
choosing an accent color then add greenery and one or two
complimentary flowers. I chose fuchsia pink as my accent color. My apartment consists of “cool colors” including grey,
white, wood, and metals. The fuchsia added the perfect “pop
of color” to my neutral aesthetic. Another great way to save
money is by re-purposing empty glassware as vases. I used a
combination of mason jars, wine bottles, and glass milk bottles. Place the arranged bouquets throughout your home. Flowers
bring life to a room and serve as a cohesive element in every room.
DIY
TIP: Gift bags are the perfect take-away for your guests and can
double as place holders on your table setting. For this Bucket
List themed brunch, I found cute luggage tags for each guest and
customized each with their name on the tag. I wrapped them
in small
muslin bags and
adorned each with a pretty name tag. See below.
To learn more about Natalie Knowlton, her blog, or these delicious macarons, head over to the blog We the Birds. Thank you for reading!
