On The Road Again.....

On The Road Again…..

In case you are wondering where I have been……

I fell off the blog post train the past few weeks, as I have been living on the road and out of a suitcase.

We have been pretty busy with current projects, and with being out of town, my blog writing, the dog grooming appointments, and the cleanliness of my own house have fallen by the wayside.

Here is a glimpse into what has been going on with us…….

As I wrote here a few weeks ago, I was asked to participate in the Atlanta Home’s and Lifestyle’s Southeastern Showhouse in Atlanta, GA.

We spent two days in Atlanta installing the Mudroom, Mudroom Powder, and the Butler’s Pantry. Though it poured as we moved in, we had a blast.

Abbey at odds with the umbrella, and I think the umbrella may have won….

My goal was to make these small, but important rooms, feel true to the home. The house is beautiful and extremely traditional. Our rooms needed to blend into the architecture, but not at the cost of being boring.

I wanted to create spaces that are functional- a place to catch your keys, use the desk behind the cabinet doors, etc.

Layered, collected, timeless.

Here are a few pictures of our spaces for you to see.

Gorgeous console and lamp are from Parc Monceau. The Louis Philippe mirror is from Huff Harrington and the sculptural hands are from Travis and Co

Drapery panel covering a nondescript closet door. It also adds softness to the room while balancing the opposite wall.

I love the Tantalus and oil painting below from Parc Monceau. If you haven’t been to their shop in Buckhead, you need to stop by.

The Plateau is an architectural fragment I found at an antique store, and I had my marble guy cut a piece of Alabama White for the top. It’s one of my favorite serving pieces in my own home.

Royal Standard china and Baccarat crystal

The Showhouse closes May 14th so be sure to catch it.

After we installed our rooms, I vacationed in Miami for a few days with two of my girls. It was Lucy’s Spring Break, so we took a few days to get away. Feeling the sun on your back, and your toes in the sand, does a person good.

We loved DIRT in Miami- a fresh and healthy take on food

I came back Tuesday from Miami and left Wednesday for the opening of the show. Abbey went with me and we had a blast.

It was back to work for a day while I was back in Birmingham, AL. We had a site visit to select hardwood floor color, and we also began working on a living room design for a new client.

I then headed back to Atlanta for Design ADAC and for the Southeastern Designer & Architect Awards.

The Design ADAC panels were awesome as expected. I especially loved the one with the Editors of Veranda moderated by Carolyn Englefield. I think I could have listened to Lisa Newsom’s stories from the past all day long.

As I wrote here, I was thrilled to learn we were a finalist for the ADAC & Veranda 2017 Southeast Designers & Architect Of The Year awards.

*The Editor At Large* interviewing me at the party

Phoebe Howard took home the Residential Designer Of The Year award, and my Birmingham, AL, friend, Jeff Dungan, took home the Architect Of The Year Award.

I have to give my team a huge shoutout. They held down the fort while I was in and out of town, and I truly could not do all of this without them. They are the BEST, and I am grateful for each of their gifts that they bring to our firm.

I loved being in Atlanta this past month, and always said that if I didn’t live in Birmingham, Atlanta is where I would hang my hat. Not sure my husband would comply, but I can work on him…..

And while I have worked on projects in Atlanta in the past, I would love to do more work there. If you have a project and you like our style, reach out to us.

I am back in Birmingham for a few weeks before I head out of town again. I plan on catching up on work and cleaning my house :). If I am lucky, my hands will end up in the dirt planting a few things this weekend.

Stay tuned as we keep you filled in on some more exciting news….

Have a great day-

Dana

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Living Well

Thanks for the Article, Birmingham Home and Garden

Hi Everyone,

I hope you are having a great week.

I was excited to receive the January/February issue of Birmingham Home and Garden as there is a nice article on Jeff Dungan and me from the Antiques at The Gardens show.

They asked the Tastemakers a few personal and professional questions, and I enjoyed reading everyone’s answers. You can check out the entire edition here.

I hope the interview left you wanting to know more about how I approach each project. If so, here are few more of the questions with my answers that didn’t make it into the article.

BHG: Your work reflects casual, livable, elegance. First and foremost, your work leans towards the way your client’s live, but you do have some signature “Dana” pieces. What are some of your favorite pieces to use and why? Are they custom or purchased?

DW: I incorporate many custom-designed upholstered pieces such as banquettes, sofas, screens, dining tables, and ottomans into my interiors. My interiors are not shiny or trendy, and these type of pieces add uniqueness and subtle detail to a room.

Many designers can create a pretty home. I try to take my work a step further and create a pretty home that can change how a family lives.

BHG: When taking on a new client, what are some clues you look for to help determine their hopes for the project?

DW: A home is most likely the largest investment made in a lifetime, and any improvements should only increase its value.

Communication Is Key.

When taking on a new client, it is important they are as comfortable with me as I am with them. There has to be open dialogue and trust for the end result to be the desired outcome.

Have a Budget in Mind.

I won’t take on a project without knowing a budget. It is extremely important from day one for all to have an understanding of what the budget can buy so the design process can evolve accordingly.

Show Me Anything You Can to Convey Your Taste.

Communication is key, and as they say, pictures are worth a thousand words. I love walking into a client meeting and being handed a notebook full of pictures that inspire them. Pictures, whether of certain rooms or landscapes or colors or artwork, give me great insight into what can sometimes be difficult to communicate.

BHG: You work on a lot of family homes. What are your five family-friendly go-to fabrics/ finishes / furniture?

DW: Leather, velvets, waxed woods, natural stones, and crusty antiques only look better with age and a little wear and tear. When choosing fabrics for upholstery, I emphasize to my clients it isn’t just the color of the fabric that matters, but more importantly, its content.

BHG: What are your favorite two coffee table books and or design books in your collection?

DW: I am constantly reading personally and professionally, so it is hard to say my favorites. I love Kelly Hoppen’s Interiors, Axel Vervoordt’s Timeless Interiors, and John Saladino’s Style by Saladino.

Thanks again, BHG!

dana

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Living Well

What A Fun Week- Part Two

Hi Everyone,

Here is the final post on the Birmingham Botanical Gardens’ Antiques at The Gardens show from a few weeks back. If you haven’t seen the pictures of our space installed, here they are….

So…….

From envision

To fruition

I think our vignette turned out pretty well (click to see a panoramic of the space).

To all of our friends who helped us in building and installing our space, we send a great BIG thank you….

Have a great day, everyone-

Dana

Living Well

What A Fun Week- Part One

Hi Everyone,

What a great time Jeff, Grant, and I had last week as Tastemakers for the 2013 Birmingham Botanical Gardens’ Antiques at The Gardens show. So much time, preparation, and work went into creating our space that I couldn’t decide if I was sad to see it end or ready to move on.

So how did all of this come to fruition?

After agreeing to serve as Tastemakers for the show, Jeff and I met several months ago and came up with the theme, “Fireside Chat”. During a meeting one afternoon to see how we envisioned the space, Jeff drew this on a random piece of paper as our inspiration…

Sorry for the quality being so bad, but it was copied a few times over the course of the project. Apparently, Jeff is known for sketching out some pretty incredible things on a napkin or two. If you haven’t seen where some of his sketches have turned into reality, you can visit here.

Once we had the dimensions of our space and a vision we wanted to achieve, it didn’t take long to pull it together. We tried to create an authentic space while watching what we spent. Honestly, since this was for a charitable event versus a client, this is where the challenge came in. It is easy to choose what I see in a space for a client-paid project, but to create a high-end look for a charitable event is a little more challenging. Fortunately, several companies, vendors, and friends helped by lending us pieces, giving us special pricing, etc…

Thanks to Grant’s planning, move-in day went surprisingly smooth. It didn’t take us him long to put together the structure of the room.

Jeff and Grant filled the fireboxes ever so perfectly. We had lots of comments about how nicely the wood was stacked, so their attention to detail paid off.

This is how we ended the first day moving in…. Structure is up, curtains are hung, and tomorrow is the installation of the fireplace surround, upholstery, case goods, accessories etc….

Stay tuned for pictures of the final reveal…..

Have a great day, everyone-

dana

Living Well

Memorable Monday…… It’s Here!

Hi Everyone,

It’s here! I am so excited to see all of our hard work finally come together this week for our space in the Antiques at The Gardens show. I feel like I have been pregnant for nine months, and it is finally time to birth this baby. The anticipation is mounting, making it today’s Memorable Monday…..

As much time as we have put towards creating our space for this fundraiser for The Gardens, I think I am going to miss working on it ~~a little~~. Jeff Dungan is an amazing architect and his creativity never ceases to amaze me. Not only is he super-talented, but he is a really nice guy.

And Grant Trick???? Grant and I grew up together in Tuscaloosa, and believe it or not, I used to babysit him. Yes, I am that old….. With Grant’s talent of creating beautiful window treatments/upholstery and his past experience in designing window fronts for stores in New York, I think he was heaven-sent. No joke. Grant is extremely organized and not afraid of a little hard work.

While I cannot show any pictures of what we have planned just yet, here is a little glimpse…… Do stay tuned this week to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc… as we will post pictures as progress is being made. Or better yet, stop by and see us. The show opens up Thursday at 1:00 and closes Sunday at 3:00.

Hope to see you there!

Dana