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Exotic Decor at Our Dallas store

Exotic Decor at Our Dallas store

We are fortunate enough to go on several trips a year to such exotic locations as India, China, and South America. During our journeys we stumble across unique items that might be vintage, antiques, or even the last one left. So, every trip, we're sure to bring our empty suitcases to fill with these rare finds so we can carry them back home.

Our Employee’s Home: Paige’s House

Decorative table accent

What is your role at Wisteria? I am the Senior Creative Manager, I manage all the photography for the catalog and web. I direct and edit the photography at the photo shoots and the styling on set.

Handmade Books in Jaipur, India

Making Books by Hand

This company was started when three young friends rented a booth at a trade fair 14 years ago to sell books and bags made of handmade paper. This Indian artisan has grown great lengths since then and now specializes in handmade paper, bags, books, and leather products. They are located in Jaipur, India and also have a small group of designers and workers from a small village outside of Jaipur.

 

Summer is upon us and it has me thinking about vacation time and where I would like to spend it. I definitely want to be close to the ocean. And I would like to go somewhere a little cooler, temperature wise, than Texas. So, I started a little virtual vacation for inspiration. First stop: California! I was awestruck when I saw this house. The windows, the ocean, the architecture, the gardens, the tile work; I could go on and on. Enjoy a little virtual vacation with me on this lovely Monday . . .


images Via C Magazine

Enjoy more of the home in the gallery below.

 

Paige
 

In the Creative Department at Wisteria, we love potlucks. It is a great time to make and try new things. For a recent potluck, I experimented with a grilled pimento cheese sandwich and I have to say it was pretty darn good! I am introducing it here in honor of National Grilled Cheese Month.

Grilled Pimento Cheese Sandwich

12 oz. extra sharp cheddar cheese
5-6 oz. roasted red bell or piquillo peppers
4 cloves garlic
1/2 c. Best Foods mayonnaise

Break the cheese into large chunks and place in the bowl of your food processor. Pulse until the cheese resembles gravel. Add peppers and garlic, process until mixture is finely chopped. Add mayonnaise and process until mixture is smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Image and recipe via Savour-Fare

Additional Notes from Paige: I added green chilies to the mix for a little heat. Chopped fresh jalapenos would be a great addition as well. I used a George Foreman grill to make panini style sandwiches, but a regular skillet would work just fine as well. Just don’t forget to coat the bread with lots of butter! Yum!

Paige
 

Today’s inspiring home comes all the way from Marrakesh. It is the home and guesthouse of designer, author, and blogger Maryam Montague and her husband architect Chris Redecke. He designed their home from the ground up, and she decorated it with finds from the local souk and her travels around the world. The home has such a great contrast between the grand architecture and the cozy feeling of the living spaces and also between the stark white interior walls and the colorful and vibrant decor. This home inspired me when I was designing my own home. I love the global influences and accessible design.

 

all images via Peacock Pavilions 

Paige
 

image via Floret Flowers

Today is Floral Design Day, a day to appreciate floral arranging and designs. I thought nothing better expresses my love for flowers like this quote from Anne Morrow Lindbergh:

“Arranging a bowl of flowers in the morning can give a sense of quiet in a crowded day–like writing a poem or saying a prayer.”

I hope you find yourself surrounded by flowers today!

Paige
 

Hello! Today I want to talk about design rules and why it’s okay to break them sometimes. There is a preconceived notion that dining chairs must be bought in sets and be matchy-matchy. Well, I am here to tell you it is totally okay to mix things up! It’s a great way to mix antiques with more modern pieces, and add interest and charm to your dining room. Below are some of my favorite examples of people who mixed it up and got it right. Mixed-matched chairs look best when they relate to each other in style, scale, shape, or color. But it doesn’t have to be all four at the same time. See below for examples.

image via Country Living

 A series of all antique chairs of similar style and color pallet looks just right. The scale of the chairs differs slightly, but together they all tell a pretty story. And I love the white dining table!

image via Bodie and Fou

Here is a more modern approach to the same idea. But the modern shape and scale of the chairs contrasts nicely with the rustic qualities of the farmhouse table.

image via Rachel Whiting

Here the chairs are all made of the same material (metal), but differ greatly in shape and scale. They still all work as a set and I love seeing stools pulled in for extra seating.

image via Better Homes and Gardens

Here is one of my favorite chairs of all time: The Eames chair. The shape and style is the same but they chose complimentary colors to mix it up. I also could see a black version of the Eames chair mixed with antique chairs looking super cool.

image via Design Sponge

And I couldn’t resist throwing in a shot of my own dining to prove I practice what I preach! I mixed my grandmother’s antique chairs with the Wisteria Wishbone Chairs and I love the results!

Have fun mixing it up!

 

Paige
 

One of our favorite looks is the French Industrial look. Combinations of steel and wood in contemporary shapes hint to an earlier time and place. I can see these pieces in an industrial loft, a modern apartment, or even a more traditional home, propped with an antique camera collection, old film cases, and lots of design books. And the great news is all these cool pieces are on sale and clearance! See the new low prices below and get the French Industrial look for your own home.

1. w4100 Pendant Cage Lamp $62.55   2.w4427 Iron Trussing Bookshelf $599.00   3. w4732 Right on Track Coffee Table $479.60

4. w4457 Well-Travelled Trunk Coffee Table $659.45   5. w5179 Industrial Steel Chair $74.50   6. w6118 Rusted Iron Bistro Table $89.50

Paige
 

A few months ago, our office was all abuzz with excitement over the launch of Pinterest. For those who don’t know, Pinterest is an amazing site where you can catalog all your favorite images straight off the web. By “pinning” it, you can organize all your images by theme. For example: home, design, fashion, recipes, DIY. The possibilities are limitless! It is also a great social network, where you can share your images and are able to view others images as well. It is so much fun! And it is a great design tool for logging all your inspiration in one organized space AND it links back to the original site the image came from. Extra cool! It has lots of fun surprises and lots of categories to search. Below are the images I was most inspired by this week. I encourage you all to go visit their site and get busy pinning!

 

Paige
 

I love when natural elements are brought into more formal arrangements. So when I saw the work of Amy Merrick, a Brooklyn based floral designer, I was thrilled. I came across her work through her posts on Design Sponge and her blog An Apple a Day. On both sites you can see her mixing things like fresh cut branches and fruit on the vine into lush arrangements. I love how she chooses a color pallet and builds an arrangement around it. In the photos below, she adds limes and pomegranates to arrangements, and the last arrangements are all different shades of rose and pink. The color combination is both elegant and organic. She also just revamped her website and it looks amazing. Check it out here.

Paige
 

Maizie is the loving K9 of our Senior Creative Manager, Paige.

What’s your favorite pastime?

Sleeping. Followed by some sunbathing. Then more sleeping.

What’s the one thing that really makes your hackles stand up?

I’m pretty mellow, a pacifist really. I don’t chase squirrels or cats, and I’m nice to kids. But I do not like it when strangers walk up on the porch. I do not like it at all. Watch out, strangers!

What’s your favorite toy?

I like tennis balls and my Kong, but my favorite toy is my new bed. So comfy!

Who’s your favorite snuggle buddy?

Paige is my favorite snuggle buddy at home. Miles (Paige’s cat) tries to snuggle with me, but I am resistant and confused by this. At my grandparents ranch, I like to snuggle with Buster and Duke, my dog cousins.

Favorite treat?

I like an egg on my dog food occasionally. But for a treat, I love anything human. I’ve even been known to get in the trash for leftover yogurt and ice cream. I like sweets; what can I say?

What is your favorite kind of mischief to get into? 

I love to get on the furniture when Paige isn’t looking. Aforementioned dumpster diving. I also really love to howl when ambulances go by. I get all the dogs in the neighborhood riled up. And my pitch is near perfect!

If you had to describe your perfect day, what would it be?

It would probably start with sleeping late in my new bed. Waking up, going outside for breakfast, and then hopping in the car to go to the ranch. I love riding in the car, and I am a good passenger. I just lay down and sleep or put my head on Paige’s shoulder while she drives. Once at the ranch, my dog cousin Buster would come over, and we would play and chase horses. If we are lucky, we might get to go swimming and chase tennis balls into the water. At night, all the humans would come out to watch the sunset, and we would take a long walk down the gravel road. And then before bedtime, we would get treats! That would be a perfect day.

 

Paige
 

Like most of you, I am gearing up for the holidays and getting my gift list together. Below are my favorite picks for this year!

Paige Gift Guide

1. Every time I give the Monogrammed Cocktail Napkins as a gift the recipient always asks where they can get more!

2. The Starflowered Votive Holders are so beautiful. They look great as decor after the holidays too.

3. For all the wine lovers, the Coronation Jute Wine Bags are a great gift as a set or broken up as hostess gifts. Just add a bottle of wine!

4. Stylist PIa Jane Bijkerk Books are a great gift for anyone who loves to look at beautiful, inspiring images.

5. The Chinese Garden Stool glams up any space and looks great with almost everyone’s style!

6. I love a touch of humor. The Harmonica Necklace is a cute and funny little piece of jewelry.

7. Santa will probably be handing out a lot of iPads this year and the iPad Messenger Bag is a great way to tote it around.

Paige