No Bubble to Burst

According to the D-Home blog, financial types have finally concluded that there is no housing bubble in Dallas. An article on CNN.com has declared that homes here are undervalued by 18.8% and are considered a best buy (interestingly, all of the undervalued home markets are in Texas). Our area's median house price tag is $129,000, which is roughly the cost of walking past a house in areas like Naples, FL, San Francisco, and NYC. I'm not sure if this means we'll see a bump in the value of our homes as people in over-priced markets rush to invest in Big-D, but it's good to hear a little good news once in a while.

Treehouse News

June 14 through December 31, the Dallas Arboretum is hosting Ultimate Treehouses, an exhibit of 13 extreme treehouses. The 13 designs constructed were chosen from among 55 submissions by local architects. Relive your Swiss Family Robinson fantasies minus the zebra/ostrich derby.

Trend: Wallpaper

I never thought I'd see it, but wallpaper is back. Don't worry about a resurgence of ivy borders and hearts and bears, the new wallpaper is heavy on geometrics and arts and crafts revivals. There is also a leaning towards interactive wallpaper. 2 Jane features four wallpaper-by-numbers designs that take the paint by numbers concept to the max. I'm not too keen on the idea of painting in all these little designs myself, but it could be relaxing to some.



Another interesting product is Graham and Brown's Frames wallpaper, created by artists Wood and Taylor. This paper allows you to completely customize your room design with art and photos. If you hate dusting picture frames, but are tired of listening to your family complain that you don't have their pictures up, this may be for you.

Crate and Barrel Summer Sale

Crate and Barrel is having a summer sale beginning this Friday, 6/16.

Tips on Painting Stripes

How many home improvement shows have you watched in which a room is given a modern update with a painted horizontal stripe? How many times has the show actually shown the process of placing and taping that stripe? I can't remember one demonstration.

Just in case a team of flunkies hasn't appeared in your living room to do all the dirty work, here are my tips after actually taking on this project:

1) Get a level. Lord, please get a level. You cannot eyeball this unless you have laser-leveling eyes. You don't need a fancy level, just the run of the mill type from your local hardware store. When considering the placement of the stripe, think about the golden ratio, which may be roughly two-thirds. Whatever the case, two-thirds of the way up the wall is a good height for a stripe.

2) Use string to create a level line to tape against. We decided to use string and thumb tacks. This resulted in a lot of hole-filling, so you might try tape. Give the walls a dusting with a tack cloth to get rid of any crud that will keep the tape from sticking properly. Use a measuring tape from the floor up to set the string. Tape each end and then test the span of string with the level, making adjustments as necessary. Use the blue painter's tape to tape along the outside edge of the string. Repeat around the room for the top, bottom, and edges of the stripe.

3) Don't waste money on glaze. I heard on a decorating show that rolling a coat of clear acrylic glaze over the tape would prevent seep through when you put the paint on. Not true. This technique was just a wasted step. I did see on another tip segment that you can use the back of a plastic spoon to push the edge of the tape against the wall. That will definitely cut down on seepage, and it is easy to go back with a small paint brush and touch-up the original wall color along any leaky edges.

4) Score the tape before you pull it off. Wait until the paint is dry and use a razor to lightly score the tape's edge. This will prevent the stripe paint from being pulled off the wall with the tape. It also helps to use flat latex paint. Any thing with a sheen tends to pull off more easily in my experience.

Here's a photo of what we did. This is a 70s bathroom with cream walls and a turquoise counter. The chocolate stripe gives it an updated cool. It's not all put together yet, but we're getting there.

Dreams of Flying

This collection of photos by Jan Von Holleben reminds me of Peter Pan and all things magical about childhood. The imperfection of the illusion is so beautiful that you want to believe. Via Apartment Therapy.

Great Glass at CB2

I got the CB2 catalog again this week and the new products include some beautiful hand-blown glass tableware at rock bottom prices.

This hand-blown glass "Infinity" bowl is currently on sale for $14.95 at CB2.com.

This minimalist, micro-thin barware runs from $1.50 - $2.50. The best news is that they are dishwasher safe. Marta barware at Cb2.com.

Weekend Shopper

Dallas has shopping options this weekend, whatever the weather.

Sunny Day:

Head over to the Make Urban Bazaar starting Friday, 6/2 at 5:00 PM and running through the weekend. Everything at this street sale is hand made. 2632 Thomas at Boll, Dallas.

While you're uptown, stop by Forty Five Ten for their once yearly sale featuring mark downs on select clothing and housewares. 4510 McKinney Ave., Dallas.

Overcast:

Make the drive up the Dallas North Tollway to Ikea. There's no better way to spend a grey day than in a bright blue box, especially if that box is not a drug induced fantasy, but a store filled with furniture and home decor. Oh, and they are having a sale through 6/11. 7171 Ikea Dr., Frisco.

Downpour:

Forget dodging parking lot puddles and let your mouse do the shopping. Hold Everything, the site featuring perfectly designed solutions for everyday messes, is having an online sale. Up to 75% off on products for every room in the house.

Tiny Art

If you are interested in putting something on your walls that won't show up at your neighbor's, you cousin's, and your sister-in-law's next week, check out Tiny Showcase. This site features a new limited edition run of an original artwork each week. Oh, and did I mention that the prints are about 4"x5" and cost $20? You can get a whole wall of tiny limited edition prints that pack a serious design wallop for a fraction of the cost of that sad 90s CD collection you keep in the back closet. As a bonus, most of the prints will fit in prefab frames. Most pieces seem to sell out quickly, so sign up for the free e-mail alert.

This week's print, shown above: "Buildings on Nicollet Island, 1921 - 1944" by Rebecca Silus. 4.25"x5.75" $20.00 (sold out).

Grasshopper Chair from CB2

An affordable and toned-down modern chair from CB2. The frame is powder-coated steel and the seat is made of woven plastic.

The Grasshopper
$59.95

The Art of House Keeping

Thought I might give this book reviewed on Apartment therapy a read. If something can claim to make housekeeping more enjoyable, it must be good. Plus, who can resist the opportunity to have spotless whites and the freshest fruits and vegetables while simultaneously giving old-school feminism the finger. ;)

Home Comforts: The Art & Science of Keeping House

Weekend in Austin

I spent the holiday weekend at my brother's house. He's renovating and needed a hand painting a stripe around the wall in his bathroom (more on the details of that project to come), but we managed to make a few shopping stops while in town. Our first stop was the new Whole Foods flagship store downtown.

Low Down on the Whole Foods Flagship:
Good: They have a great parking lot, which is a big deal in downtown Austin. The store has a great selection of produce and wine. They do have a small selection of housewares and clothing which were not particularly impressive but were very pricey. Towards the meat section, there is a shelving unit of kitchen wares that carries the typical fare with a few pleasant surprises like the dishes pictured above (Blue Roses tray, teapot, cups, and dessert plates by Rosanna: $29.99 - $39.99).
Bad: Whole Foods is super paranoid about their merchandise. I was politely told that it is against Whole Foods policy to write down the names, prices, or item numbers of their products. I guess they need to rethink their prominent yellow product labels, which featured all three pieces of protected info. Luckily, they did not see me snap this picture. I get the impression that photos are frowned upon.

Overall Store Rating (from a home-decor point of view):
Quality: 4 out of 5
Selection: 3 out of 5
Price Reasonability: 3 out of 5
Service: edgy

Our second stop was Mercury Design on 2nd. I stopped by to visit their Artomat (photos of the Styrogami art I bought from the machine below), but we stayed to shop their beautifully merchandised selection of accessories. Items ranged from Juliska glass candle sticks to a Roost carved deer head. The prices were extremely reasonable and the service was polite and helpful, despite the fact that I was toting an entourage of bored, disgruntled men making snide comments and my mom.

Overall Store Rating:
Quality: 5 out of 5
Selection: 4 out of 5
Price Reasonability: 4 out of 5
Service: commendable

Dean and Deluca Update

From the DMN's Shop Better Here blog:

Is Dean & DeLuca coming to Dallas? Well, we heard just now from D&D CEO Pat Roney, who tells us:
"The only thing we're saying at this point is that we're interested in Dallas. We're looking for a new location there. We don't have a location ID'd at this point, but we hope to be there sooner rather than later."
Of the hot Oak Lawn-Uptown area, he says: "The demographics of that area are strong," especially given its proximity to the disposable incomes of the Park Cities. Mr. Roney acknowledges that because Dallas is so well known as a foodie town, "We'd definitely like to be there -- that's an important area for us."
So ... more on this whenever there's something more to know.

Sale at Forty Five Ten

Starting June 1st, Forty Five Ten will host their once-a-year sale. The upscale Knox boutique will feature markdowns on select clothing and housewares.

4510 McKinney Ave.

Inexpensive Solution

I saw these brick hangers featured on Apartment Therapy. They're great for people with exposed brick inside their homes, but their also great for for the outside of your home. You could use them to hang lights, a wreath, or any other decorative item with out drilling. $9.99 for a set of 4.

Memorial Weekend Sales

Ikea: This sale is happening starting today and running through 6/11. 7171 Ikea Dr., Plano.

Horchow: Memorial weekend sale. 111 Customer Way, Irving.

Scott+Cooner's Warehouse Sale

What: Items like this Cassina sofa on sale this weekend.
Where: 1308 Dragon St.

Via the D Home and Garden Blog.

Ikea Summer Sale

I can't find any details, but Ikea's May calendar lists a Summer sale starting May 26 and running through June 11. A web reference to the Summer sale in the UK boasted 50% off.

Good Idea

Ikea drawer pulls as hooks...
Courtesy of Apartment Therapy.

Walls with Stuff

Textured wall tiles seem to be one of this year's trends. I have to wonder if this affect could be replicated directly on the wall or on a large piece of plywood to be installed as wall art? My best guess would be papier mache and some baubles from Sam Moon... I may have to give it a try.