Jakob Schlaepfer's Quirell drapery fabric
Tulle and ribbons . . . imagine having Martha Graham do your windows. That won't happen, but Swiss fabric Jakob Schlaepfer has done the next best thing for drapery that almost dances across the glass. His new fabric, Quirell, is made from a background of tulle, which has been printed to match the ribbons, which are then hand sewn into the tulle. It frays naturally on the top and bottom, making it even more delicate and natural. It's sold in Dallas at Cory Pope Associates.
Jakob Schlaepfer's Luna Ginny
Also new from Jakob Schlaepfer, ethereal Luna Ginny mega-lightweight aluminum sheer fabric, printed with flowers. Jakob Schlaepfer recommends it for sheers, separation draperies, or sheers for glass panels. (Also from Cory Pope Associates.)
Vintage brass, designed by Ben Seibel at William Christopher
Book ends? Sculpture? They're a little bit of both. William Christopher has a dozen or more of these vintage 1960s brass sculptural bookends and boxes designed by Ben Seibel, whose works are featured on 1st Dibs. The bookends sell for about $495, with the boxes around $300 or less.
Vintage brass, designed by Ben Seibel at William Christopher
Crystal-embedded tumbleweed at Grange Hall
Bling or Bust . . . the lonely, lovely tumbleweed -- the flower of Texas. Not really, but what could epitomize our state better than a tumbleweed embedded with naturally grown crystals? A little bit of Lone Star bling to counteract the economic bust, as it were.
Grange Hall gets these emotional and beautiful sculptural pieces from an artist in France who grows the crystals onto the the tumbleweeds in her bathtub. It takes a long time, as you can imagine. Nothing is wired or glued on. The crystals grow in some kind of natural, organic process that this French artist has figured out. Interior designers have gone crazy over them, says Jeffrey Lee, co-owner of Grange Hall. $1,182.
Also at Grange Hall: An antique brass owl mail clip and rock crystal under dome.
Pierced orb bowls with gold leafing by British artist Magie Hollingworth.
Etched glass votives at Laura Lee Clark
Naturally glowing . . . Hand etched glass votive holders from Laura Lee Clark evoke mother of pearl shell, or some other organically gorgeous crustacean. These have to be the best deals in Dallas right now, the most bang for your design buck. They're $18.75 each, and manage to enliven a room with their luster without even being lit.
Laura Lee Clark has some of the most beautiful and unusual naturalistic decorative items in Dallas, including this table-top cast resin sea urchin, and its large scale counterpart below:
Large resin sea urchin, $975 at Laura Lee Clark
Tibetan Buddhist monks making a sand painting
at the Crow Collection of Asian Art
Om . . . Research strongly suggests that Tibetan Buddhist monks, although still persecuted by the Chinese government, are among the happiest people on the planet. The Dalai Lama is always pictured at glamorous American cocktail parties, laughing. I suspect the real secret to their happiness is that the monks get to play in the sand.
Tibetan Buddhist monks from the Drepung Loseling Monastery will be at the Crow Collection of Asian Art for a weeklong artist residency from August 19 - 26, where they will construct an original mandala sand painting during museum hours, live. Admission is free.
Tibetan Buddhist monks making a sand painting at
Watch as Tibetan Buddist monks create a sand painting
David Collins' Under Eaves at Valley House Gallery
Unreliable . . . that's how New York artist David Collins describes his recollection of specific places, which he paints in complex and layered abstractions and geometric planes. Things look so much better for his lapses in memory.
Collins, who was raised in Dallas and went to Jesuit High School, received a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. He's exhibited all over the world, but this is his first solo show in Dallas at the Valley House Gallery. A prophet in his own land . . . well, you know how it goes. David Collins' solo show opens August 27 with a reception for the artist from 6 - 8 pm. The show runs through September 24.
David Collins' Attick at Valley House Gallery
If you haven't been to Valley House Gallery yet, well, all I can say is you're in for a treat. There's nothing else like it in Dallas.
Classic Georgian style door in Brent Hull's new 
Brent Hull's doors are all hand carved, hand pegged and made from antique old growth woods using historically accurate or custom moldings and panels. His new online door catalog lets you browse through different sections that include the history of doors (I love that section) and doors by type, such as English, American, and French. A little bit of background and history of each style is included. So, if you're renovating or building a house that's a certain style, you can pick out doors you like that are in keeping with the style of the architecture.
French style doors in Brent Hull's new online Authentic Historic Door Catalog
