More News From Dallas Winter Market

More News From Dallas Winter Market

When I visited market in January I checked in on some friends from the Houston area, Doni Langlois and Phyllis Palmer, both wonderful faux finishers I have used before on projects. They have branched out and now both have product lines they are selling through a showroom in the World Trade Center, Doris Sanders, Ltd., Ste. 631, http://www.dsandersltd.com/.

Doni, photo on top, makes beautiful tapestries. I photographed her with one of her favorites. Phyllis makes stunning trumeau mirrors with all kinds of finishes, even patterns in the antiqued mirror. Phyllis is going to be doing a mirror with a scene of a client's home painted at the top. Anything is possible. Both will do custom work, and have some standard pieces offered. They are very talented and have a wonderful attention to detail that really makes or breaks a finish. I hope to use some of their art pieces in my projects in the future. Check out their websites below for more images.

Doni Langlois, Artful Life, http://www.itsanartfullife.com/

Phyllis Palmer, Transformations by Phyllis, http://www.tfbyp.com/

Dallas Market Winter 2010

Dallas Market Winter 2010

I attended market in Dallas in January and had a really special experience while I was there. I had received an invitation for a luncheon on the top floor of the World Trade Center for the Friday of market and RSVP'd last minute, thinking I might or might not be able to get up there. There's lots to see in such a short period of time!

At about 15 till 12:00 I started thinking about my aching feet and how I'd love to sit for awhile. When I realized it was almost lunchtime, I made my way up the top floor for my luncheon. What a lovely surprise! A beautiful 3 course meal was laid out with gift bags and interesting designers to talk to at my table. Joe Ruggiero was the guest speaker, discussing his inspirations for his designs for Sunbrella fabrics. What a lovely respite. If you've ever been to market at lunchtime, you know that if you get to sit at the "cafeteria" on the first floor, you crowd in with everyone else and as soon as you get through eating, people with their food trays are standing there staring at you to get up so they can have your seat.

Joe Ruggiero looked just like he does on tv. Having hosted a show on HGTV for 16 years, he definitely has charm and charisma. He has travelled all over the world and draws from those experiences to come up with colors, textures, and patterns for the incredible Sunbrella fabric line. Sunbrella fabrics are not just for outdoors anymore! They are plush, soft, and have a wonderful hand. I particularly liked the velvet and the sheers, you would never know they were indoor/outdoor fabrics. The best thing about them is that they are practically indestructible and really easy to clean. You can spill red wine, bleach, just about anything and they clean right up. These fabrics are perfect for families with children, pets, and even husbands who like to eat on the sofa. Many fabric lines are coming out with these type fabrics now. There are just so many lovely choices, there is no need to sacrifice style for durability.

I had a lovely day at market this year. With this great respite in the middle of the day, meeting some new people including Joe Ruggiero, and learning all about Sunbrella fabrics, it made coping with the crowds and all that walking much more enjoyable.