"Mastering the Modern Mix" Seminar

Metropolitan Home has been sponsoring a series of seminars recently (there was an event at the Lovers Lane Storehouse in May), and the next installment will be at Kreiss on October 6th.

Join Mike Kreiss, design visionary and CEO of the Kreiss Collection and Jo-Anne Pier, Metropolitan Home's Retail Merchandising Editor as they discuss "Mastering the Modern Mix." Mike will explain the Kreiss design philosophy while Jo-Anne will showcase the latest trends in modern design. Together they'll demonstrate how Kreiss products can be woven into your home by creating beautiful room vignettes with different design elements.

Kreiss is located at 1628-30 Oak Lawn Avenue in the Dallas Design District. RSVP to the store by 9/29 for the evening event. Munchies, gift bags and possible prizes are promised.

Ochre Design

Ochre, a London-based design group, is opening a SoHo retail store, its first American location. The New York Times has a nice slideshow featuring "distinctive modernist accessories and furniture constructed of offbeat natural materials". Designer Andrew Corrie explains, "We're not about stark minimalism. We're part of a trend away from that hard-edged commercial aesthetic. We're warmer and softer, with organic forms and earthy colors." This lamp combines a simplicity of line with a sinuous shape. Love it!

North Dallas Design District

One of the first places I found for furnishings when I moved to Dallas a few years ago, the area labeled the North Dallas Design District is off Alpha Road near the Galleria and features a wide assortment of furniture styles and pricing. Some of these stores have been open since the 1970s, but in the late 1990s the dealers came together to for the District. Selection varies from bulbous overstuffed leather club chairs to sleek ground-skimming European platform beds, and prices vary widely. Eurway offers European design at a modest (think "innovative, affordable") price, with some assembly required. Cantoni and its outlet are just mere blocks apart, and Roche Bobois beckons to those with splurge-ready modern tastes. The Preferred Buyer card is a secret you can't afford to miss: for $25, you get a year's worth of discounts at 22 stores in the District. A full list of perks is here. You should also know that the District's First Saturday events offer special savings in addition to the cardholder discounts.

Dallas's West Elm opening October 18th

There's a new banner up on the Central Expressway side of Mockingbird Station announcing the opening date of West Elm's newest location: Wednesday October 18th. I'm curious to see how the converted Virgin Megastore features the furniture. Now there will be one more option for approachable and affordable modern furnishings. I've never been the type to order large pieces without kicking the tires, and the new additions give a few more chances to test out firmness of upholstery and look and feel of the finishes.

The fact that the store is in close proximity (Google says 0.2 miles, or 29 seconds travel time) to Horchow Finale means this area is getting more are more intriguing to savvy shoppers.

Dallas eBay Finds

Inspired by Blue Ant's eBay trolling, here's a few Dallas-area listings:

Danish Antique Credenza, 50x18x22 inches, $150







1960s Simmons Hide-a-Bed, 74 inches long, $99





Oxford rolling file cabinets, $9.99







Jofco 1960s desk, $9.99





3 metal frame tables, $9.99






Brandt Ranch Oak table lamps, $75









Update: The orange Century Modern couch I blogged about before is now down to $600 on Craigslist and starts at $100 on eBay (reserve not yet met). It turns out its back reclines to serve as a daybed.

Blue Ant Studio--Miami

Blue Ant Studio (Joel and Maria Pirela) has a new fun blog that is a combination of nice online finds and local design resources. It's a mix of design inspirations and executions from a family of industrial designers. Their goal is to provide a

place where I can post, discuss and reveal our everyday challenge to make our homes and lives more modern and interesting, with tips, DIY's, modern furniture sources, photos and links to all related to modern spaces. That includes MCM, minimalism, modern, arquitecture, furniture design, art, pottery, graphic and industrial design

The DIY projects around their house inspire my creative side to go find the circular saw, and the recurring feature is the Catch of eBay encourages me to continue to reach beyond Dallas to find the right pieces. I'm looking forward to seeing more!

Modern creeps into mainstream

When I wrote my first post, I wish I'd been able to quote this article from the October 2005 Wall Street Journal. Turns out, they too have been noticing the mainstream embrace of modern and minimalist design.

Just a few years ago, good taste was overstated, defined by ornate Oriental carpets and sofas dripping with tassels. Dining tables came with pedestals and crystal-chandelier sales were booming. Now, in a reaction against the clutter of tradition, designers and furniture makers are emphasizing a more minimalistic look. With its insistence on sharp lines and shiny surfaces, this style in the past has sometimes been a hard sell for consumers. But this time, there's a soft twist: In place of cold or stiff materials like metal and leather, the new versions come with fuzzy fabrics, plush stuffing and more forgiving edges. The goal? To bridge classical and modern looks and make the furniture easier to live with.

What the main outlets are producing caters to those seeking chic creature comforts: a soft, cushy, padded-up version of the hard angularity of modernism. All of this is geared towards improving approachability and decreasing the intimidation of the modern design classics. Kinda like the California Roll is approachable sushi, that shows you're still hip enough to get into the raw without risking the unagi.

Austin Modern

Maybe the biggest national exposure for Austin's hip and modern design came from the Season 16 of MTV's Real World. Downtown Austin has tons of other reasons to be both hip and modern. The views and svelte loft-style design offset more traditional or edgy furnishings. The nightlife and the music scene complement the design aesthetic.

Scott (recently moved from Dallas to Austin) has a fabulous Blog called Mies and Carrots that covers nice design in Austin and beyond. His most recent post features the Ultimate Tree Houses exhibit at the Dallas Arboretum! Even better, he's from the same mindset that I am: good, modern design is in evolution, meaning that we're always on the lookout for something new, and even better if it's a bargain. The modern eye appreciates the interaction between man-made and natural beauty and the contrast of crisp lines and organic forms. As Scott writes, "beautifully simple, and on sale". The savvy design fan's trifecta.

ModernAustin.com is another fabulous site that is devoted to cataloging the modern homes in the Austin area, as a way of documenting and preserving non-McMansion architecture. While some of them are for sale, others are presented for appreciation.