Wisteria outlet, March on!

Wisteria Lane

The first time I took a client to Dallas, the Wisteria outlet was definitely on the schedule, it was a small and tiny little place surrounded by very industrial looking buildings and sitting amongst the car garages and warehouses of Dallas.

Well, that has all changed.Last October, I was one of the last to step foot into the old space, trading up for new digs and new beginnings.The new place is located approximately near Love Field in Dallas.

The space is still in a little industrial and car warehouse location, but once you step foot inside you forget that you are in a warehouse.The building has been turned into a multiple vignette of rooms and little idea settings, and then just when you cannot take anymore, there is a long, dark corridor which leads to the flea market sale room in the back of the building.

Yikes!

So exciting, and what an adventure to find things for my clientele as well as the stockroom.

As for my client, well lets just say that no one left empty handed on this trip.

 

The front of the new digs of the Wisteria storefront.

Not only was the shopping trip a success from a design standpoint, the friendly staff and warehouse employees were very helpful and extremely knowledgeable with any questions.

 

 

Greeted as you enter the facade of the new entrance, this is one of a set of rams which acknowledges your arrival at the new entrance of the store.

 

 

Blue was in full swing, from accessories to case goods and finally etched in the Chinese porcelain and trays.

Looking very Hamptoness with light airy wood accents.

 

Loving the two elephants in the entrance, mixing tribal patterns and fabrics was evident throughout this vignette.

The elephant was life size and made from wood, riding a skateboard.. or maybe it was a long board!

More black and white, with tribal touches, bleached chest and stone figures.

The black and white backdrop is visually interesting, to hang a rug as a piece of art.

 

 

Mainstay in white, blk and white light and dark with a soft sisal under foot.

 

There is the burnt orange / tangerine color of the year, integrated in a tribal type fabric and scattered on throw pillows through out the store.

The candelabra in the back ground is a nod to Mexican iron work and adds a flair to the dark chest it sits on.I am also loving the ring detail on the demi lune table.

 

 

Gray cabinet of curiosity filled with white coral, lots of light and airy finished with touches of blue and white. Notice the dark stained floor with contrast to the lighter furnishings.

 

This transition is definitely moving forward and shows a touch of Dallas in the cow hides and rustic tables. The ceilings are gridded off for visual interest, also hanging lanterns fill the space below the ceiling line.

 

Another great looking space, the mirror I have seen in the catalog, a coveted piece.

I am also fond of the lighter fireplace mantle and limestone surround.

 

The view on the other side of the fireplace. Great looking sofa in a deep fitted manner,piled high with grain sack pillows mixed with dark chambray denim.

 

Swooning, after passing by this glass front cabinet.

Really crusted and aged in texture, but somehow it feels softened with the glass front doors.

Piled high with books, boxes, and bleached out wooded pieces.

 

Full frontal view of the cabinet and what is behind the glass.

 

 

This simplistic look had me thinking about sectionals, really sleek looking, paired with this tin table adds a bit of tropical flair. The bolster feels like the Caribbean water, a reflection in the hand hammered tin platter tray.

 

Loved is old worn settee hanging in the fabric section of the store.

Did we know that the outlet offered fabric by the yard?

 

 

The view into the dining vignettes. I love the skirted fabric at the bottom of the shelving in the back ground. Also, in the for ground, the mix of old and new chairs in divine, and really makes the table setting interesting. The metal detailing on the edges of the dining room table is really good looking.

 

A better view of this fabric skirting, Also, a sectional again, I have one of a smaller and cleaner look in the front media room of the house but these really look cozy for watching or reading or just hanging out with the fam.

 

 

Another view, a bit blurred, but loved the tied back slip cover on these armless chairs.

 

 

The poppies are so colorful in this vignette, against the bluish / teal color of the walls.

Hand painted trunk and tray look interesting against the rough hewn table top.

 

 

More gray, and orange pop of color.

Like the alabaster garden stool, gray caned coffee table and wooden shelving.

 

The other side of the room with chairs in neutral colors, metal table between the two chairs.

Love the pop of hand painted tole in the lamp, the inlaid design on the tray is also interesting.

The vase for the planting is equally interesting in shape and design.

 

More goodness, boxwood wreaths, black and white with red.

 

More blue and green with cream accents.

Really loving this look, and the painting in the background is really wonderful.

The feel of water is the focus in this room, the sand being the rug under foot, the blue sofa is a sea of color, as is the teal bluish garden stools and hand painted trunk.

 

Mirror mirror, snapping pics!

I really liked the texture if this room with the cream tones, raw wood table and concrete statues, very zen. The background id strips if wood, bleached and hung vertically, visual interest!

 

More pattern, but really restricted, fun and interesting here.

Love the cluster of visual vases, Chinese brushes and the trio of metal bells.

 

More stripes, some neutral and some in muted shades of color.

The spindle table base is interesting, topped in clear glass.

 

I was not kidding about the long, dark corridor.....

Here an employee is carting off a find for a clients home project.

 

 

Rows of tables, chest, cabinets....

The ultimate flea of materials and items.

Fun, fun!

 

 

Lots of boxes, treasures scattered about.

 

 

More finds await the creative mind..

 

 

Last leg of the tour, but promising digs!

 

Probably the best part of the store was the backroom where you never know what is lurking behind every turn.

Definately worth the trip and always custom shopping is available through  my design services

here:leslierowlands.com  

 

 

WISTERIA

Dallas

Across from Love Field Airport
6500 Cedar Springs Rd
Dallas, TX 75235
214-350-3115
click for map

Hours

Monday-Saturday: 10-6
Sunday: Closed

We accept cash, checks, and all major credit cards

We offer delivery services starting at $129. Pricing will vary based on purchase and location

 

 

Spring artsy things.....

Springing About...

Last week was Spring Break around these parts, a little jaunt down south was in order.

Here are a few highlights from one stop in big "D" while roaming thru North Park Mall.

This was one of several windows as you entered NP.

Love the palette inspired windows, against the EP couture.

Of course a little modern art is always in order, here you are greeted by this larger work upon entering the N entrance, and as you enter the large atrium you hear the faint playing of the piano as you wind your way to the annex of the mall.

The next thing upon entering were these statues, which I must have passed several hundred times, without ever snapping before, I must have been having one of those ah - ha moments when I saw this display.

Youth

Middle age

The End, or the beginning...

interesting display all the while the contrast of the stone sculpture is surrounded by living plantings which are vibrant and look extremely inviting.

From one end to another, there seems to be a circle of life in place, from beginning to end to beginning again...

Another interesting Anthro window display,

These letters are carved into the facade of the stone, a work of art in itself.

The Gucci window was gold plated, simply done with a strong exuberance.

A trip to NP would not be complete without winding past the ducks and turtles.This spring there were many babies swimming and splashing about!

Getting ready for the visitors, and there were way many people catching a glimpse of these little guys.

Too cute, spring has definitely sprung down south.



Weaving seagrass rug repair..

R & Repair....

A recent Reno room(s) redeux had an interesting and looming (no pun intended)

question?

Seagrass rugs, can they be repaired?

The answer is yes! And with a little invention they can be as sturdy and secure as before.

I have to admit, I am a admirer of the seagrass rug.

 

Who can forget the kitchen of Ina Gardner, the barefoot contessa?

They wear like iron, look ever so uptown or downtown chic, hold up to kiddos, paws and puppies!

Alas, they are like any other type of underfoot weaving and will over time show wear and tear.

Case in point:

The dilemma...

The before of a little bit of pull away and fraying

The after:

A shot of the same frayed corner, after some stitching and a little time and attention, with the first layer of fibers added.

Add another layer going the opposite direction and to make the weave tighter and more secure.

When weaving the fibers together, I felt like using a natural sisal as well as a hemp and jute based fiber worked well and provided stability between the natural weaving of the fibers.

After a little more weaving, there was a nice tight seam which provided a good weave, similar to the manufactured weave and then some Rhino carpet seam tape was applied to the underneath side of the rug.

 This was done not only to provide stability, but to keep the edge from any future fraying.

This rug covered an entire room, and taking it up to send out for a repair would not have worked, so repairing on site was the way to go.

Fortunately, I can add sisal repair to my resume (j.j.)

Really, the end result looks pretty good, and is in an area where there is also furniture.

Remember to use a big eyed needle to weave the fibers in and out of the natural pattern.

The repair on this took a couple of days in between a kitchen redeux, once to lay the underneath smaller fibers and then another day to lay the top wider fibers of sisal.

To match the worn and naturally darker look of the newer fibers I tea stained to fibers after with an artists brush and let it dry naturally.

If you have a place where wear and tear has taken a tole, I suggest you try to repair before sending the rug out or getting an entire room re carpeted.

_________________________________

Last week was also Spring Break here, many roads were traveled North and South.

Great design and some shote of some inspiration to share, coming soon.

A new venture was also entered into as far as home design goes.

More on that, but for now:

Enjoy this:

A great looking utility room redeux.

Changing the color of this room from light to a dark and chic gray / almost black custom color.

The before was great, but we elected for a darker rendition for this ceiling.

The adjoining bath is staying fawn, it just so happens to coordinate with the homeowners pair of pugs.

 So, the ceiling went from this:

The before state and the fawn colored bath which transitions well now into this:

As far as the color went, the gray in an adjoining room was used and custom matched with black to get a darker color but a look for the same hue tone of the gray, just richer in tone.

The darker room really transitions from one room to another, leaving the color in the adjoining area and transitioning into the next room.

Oh what a fun and fresh looking place to do the laundry, and also host to a pretty cute pair of pugs!

Leslie Rowlands Designs.