Thoughts on Home Improvement: A Good Time to Remodel?

Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies has issued a press release predicting a downturn in demand for home improvement. Homeowner remodel spending has shown signs of easing over the last two quarters. This is likely a result of the cooling housing market, but may play to the advantage of homeowner's in markets that have not, and probably will not, see major declines in home values (markets like Dallas).

The D Home blog is suggesting that the decreased demand for remodeling will put contractors out of work and therefore will make their rates much more negotiable.

If this is the case, what are your best bets for remodeling? I've heard a million times that home buyers put the highest value on kitchen and bathroom remodels, so those are probably a great place to start. I know our 1950's home could use some new fixtures (we still have all original sinks, faucets, and tubs and they are not lookin' too good). Another good bet is hardwood flooring.

In my personal opinion, the Dallas housing market is experiencing a very brief slump, mostly due to seasonal demand (most people buy in the spring). We should see sales back to normal soon, especially considering that Dallas is now the nation's 4th largest city with over 350 new residents moving here each day!

Thoughts on Entertaining: Wine Recommendation

I recently tried a wonderful and inexpensive Merlot imported from Chile. Wine Spectator describes the Santa Ema as, "Nice, clean, creamy texture, with mixed berry, toast and dried herb notes," and rates it an 85. The bottle sells for about $10, but is available in only a few Dallas stores. The easiest place to find it is at World Market.

World Market, www.worldmarket.com for locations.

Printing Photos on Canvas

We have a huge blank wall in the entry way which we have decided to cover with large scale photographs printed on canvas. We love our photos of the sea from our trip to Turkey. The price for a 36"x48" print ranges from the high $100s to the high $200s. Here are a few online resources I found. Please let me know if you have tips or recommendations.

Canvas on Demand
Shutterfly
Printed Big

The Reason Behind the Storehouse Closing

Erika at Dallas Modern Design alerted me to the real reason Storehouse is closing. Apparently this is part of a bankruptcy liquidation by its parent, The Rowe Companies.

Thanks for the tip Erika.

Turkish Color

I really admire the Turkish use of saturated blues. These are colors that I have always avoided in my decor because any attempt to use them has met with dismal failure. I've done a dark blue room only to find it looked childish, like a box of crayons. I was unable to accessorize the room properly. It just seemed nothing matched.

The Turks manage to use blue with a sophistication I envy and blue is a color that shows up in nearly every household because of it's prominence in traditional tile design, as well as the prolific use of a symbol called the Nazar, or Evil Eye. The Nazar is meant to ward off envious thoughts of others which might damage you, your family, or your property. Please don't let this description of the Nazar make you think the Turks are backwards or uneducated. I know a university professor and a civil engineer who insist on having a Nazar in their cars, and keep telling me I need to wear one.

In Turkey, everything that is loved has a Nazar, be it a car, a house, a baby, or a bride and groom. The Nazar, the large blue glass pieces in the picture below, is a bright blue eye with a black and white center. This example is truly unique. It is a hand-made piece we saw on the side of a Mansion in Datca that had been converted into a hotel.


Despite my best attempts, I couldn't find anything like this Nazar in any of the local shops. Most of the Turks I have asked are unsure of the origins of the Nazar, but a tour guide once told us that it is the eye of Medusa. If you are looking for a simple Nazar in Dallas, you might check Another Time and Place, a Turkish-owned gift shop located on Henderson.

Another Time and Place
2815 N Henderson Ave
Dallas, TX 75206
(214) 824-1875

A Decanter for the Dark Season

This black Italian crystal whiskey decanter by Vellum looks like it should hold a poisonous brew, but still feels so elegant. At $190, it's a little rich for my blood, but probably quite a good deal for the quality. Vellum also makes a Noir wine decanter. Both are available at Vivre.

Via Productdose

Storehouse Furniture Going Out of Business

No one seems sure why, but Storehouse Furniture is going out of business. If I had to guess at the cause, I would say high prices. All merchandise is currently 20-40% off.

Decorating for the Dark Season

I love the feel of Halloween. Maybe it's because October is the first cool month after the long Texas summer, but this has always been my favorite time of year. I would love to capture the dark but comforting feeling of Halloween all year long as a part of my decor. I've mulled this idea over for the last few years, tried various dark paints and accent pieces, but my rooms always fall short of my expectations. For the rest of the month, I am going to keep a sharp eye out for decorating ideas with a sophisticated Halloween feel.

Every dark room needs a few candles and curiosities. Here are some I spotted at Z Gallerie .


Illusion candle holders. $19.95


Lacca pillar holders. $9.95 - $17.95


Buffalo horn on stand. $49.95


The Bedside Book of Birds. $29.95

Listpic

I was just tipped off on a great new way to search Craig's List. If you've spent any time trying to search for anything on CL, you know that you have to search, then sort through text links, and then click a text link before you see a photo of the item.

Listpic cuts right to the photos, allowing you to search your local Craig's List items as a series of thumbnails organized by date with price and location info attached. Look for what you like and click through to see the item details.

Thanks to my brother, Dan, for the heads-up.

D Home Blog's Review of West Elm

The D Home blog has given the new West Elm a glowing review. I hope to check it out this weekend, but don't know that I have the patience to surf the crowd.

WEST ELM WOWED US

Hannah and I are awestruck from our jaunt to Mockingbird Station. The biggest West Elm opens tomorrow morning (see you at 10 a.m.), and, boy, is Dallas in for a treat. A few highlightsÂ… jump with us

Bamboo throw (less than $50), hip holiday ideas (animal ornaments--goldfish, owls, grasshoppers; mirrored tree garlands; sequin stockings; all in vivid colors), Enchanted Forest line (silver, white, black, and oh so glam), British Eccentric line (dark greens, blues, peacock motif), Wabi Sabi red Asian line (love it).

Be sure to grab a cart because you'll need it. Check out the chair wall with all their latest looks and colors. There's a 10,000-square-foot storage area, so bring the cash and carry out the look.

FYI - the West Elm site is also having a Fall sale on select items.

West Elm Finally Opens in Mockingbird Station

"Coming this Fall" is finally here! West Elm has opened their new store in Mockingbrid Station.

West Elm
5307 East Mockingbird Lane (at Central Expressway)
1-866-westelm or dial the store directly at 214-821-3999
Monday-Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m., Sunday from 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Neat Trick

This is our last weekend in Istanbul, but there is still a little time for gathering new ideas. We just saw an inexpensive lighting solution in a local bar. The owners had simply wrapped a round wire wreath frame with strings of white-corded Christmas lights. It's neat trick for a patio or party.

In the original version of this post I forgot to mention that they then hung the wreath frame from the ceiling with chain like a chandelier. A slightly important detail...

Cool Home Tour in D-Luxe

D-Luxe recently featured a color-saturated tour of the home of Anna Walker, founder of Anna Sova Luxury Organics. It's definitely worth a look if you are interested in adding an exotic note to your own decor.

A Tree Grows in Marrakesh

Apartment Therapy Chicago recently posted about My Marrakesh, a fascinating blog about an American family moving to Morocco and purchasing an olive grove. I just got the chance to read through it a little, and I was hooked.

My Marrakesh also covers the design, style and culture in Morocco.

Dallas Nation's 4th Largest City

I can just barely believe it, but Dallas is officially the 4th largest city in the US.

Crazy.

Via the D Home and Garden Blog

Living Green in Istanbul

Istanbul has an average daytime temperature not much cooler than that of Dallas, though the sea certainly provides for cooler nights. Though it's October, the last few days have been down-right hot - temps up to 90 degrees and cloudless skies. A bubble of pinkish haze has formed over the city because there has been no wind. The sunsets have been gorgeous, lighting the smog in golds and purples so it glows from within like a halo over the highrises and mosques.

Despite the heat and stale air, we have been nothing but cool and crisp in our temporary apartment near the Bosporus although we don't have an air-conditioner. Almost no one here does.

The cool apartment is courtesy of steel, concrete and cinder-block construction, which is standard for most buildings here. The thick stone walls keep the interiors cool in the summer and are heated with radiators in the winter. An added bonus: buildings here are fire resistant - no wood, no drywall, gorgeous red tile roofs.

Too bad we don't build this way in Dallas.

Turkish Tile

Turkey is famous for its tiles and beautiful examples can be seen everywhere you look in Istanbul. An interesting use of tile in some of the more modern hotels and homes is to make a frame border the full height of the wall out of 2"x3" tiles applied directly to the wall in a series of tall rectangles or around a window or door in place of wood trim. This idea could be copied in any type of tile.

Turkish tile patterns are incredibly bright - a mix of blues, reds, and greens which might not fit into just any home - but should any take your fancy, there are many beautiful traditional mosaic patterns which can be purchased in Turkey or via the internet. The patterns remind me of some of the wallpaper prints which have become so popular in kitchen decor recently. I can easily imagine an all white kitchen with a backsplash of Turkish tile or a mosaic featured over the stove as the only splash of color.

I'm not able to upload my own photos until I get back home, so I had to swipe this from Google images. It is a copy of an authentic Turkish tile.

Random Thoughts

I got the Brocade Home catalog a few weeks ago and I was a little disappointed. I'm not sure if it was that the prices were a little higher than I had hoped or that there wasn't much more in the catalog than I hadn't already seen on their site, but it left me feeling ho-hum. I do love the idea of hanging a chandelier low over a coffee or end table, but the over-all Brocade style is a little too frilly for my tastes. I probably should have been tipped off by the word "brocade," but I was still hoping for something with less Victorian iunfluence.

Still in Turkey (hooray), but on a dial-up connection (boo).

Modern-Roost in Turkey

I'm spending the next three weeks in Turkey, Istanbul and the Mediterranean coast, I've already seen some great innovations for living in tight quarters and some beautiful things. Hopefully I'll have access to a computer where I can upload photos soon. Until then, I'll post when I can.

New Designer at Target: Victoria Hagan

A few items from Target's new collection by interior designer, Victoria Hagan (from top):

Faux Stingray Nesting Tables in buff, $179.99
Ashley Vase, $14.99
Equestrian Sculpture, $29.99
Tate Lamp, $99.99
Equestrian Pillow in blue, $29.99