Design - in the Texas Hill Country!

 

 I know, I know...... I just wrote a long post about changing my focus and not writing about Fredericksburg or the hill country as much any more.

Then....just yesterday, this fabulous, fresh new linen designer popped up on my radar (well, actually my side bar where the blog for red is featured among my favorites) .

Meet Theresa Heard. 

Lovely and talented Theresa Heard.

Theresa is not actually a new designer. She has tons of design experience from years at the Homestead and now at red.

 

However, she has recently created her OWN designs in linens and they are featured exclusively at red.

Her line is called Idlewild, and it is delightful.

Colorful, whimsical, and tons of fun to blend - either with other linen designs, or just all together!

 

If I have said it once, I have said it a million times, I am a color girl. 

I love the look of all white and cream - it's dreamy, calming, and ethereal......

BUT what turns me on, makes me smile, sets my heart aflutter, is great color and pattern.

I have long been a fan of John Robshaw and was thrilled when red began carrying his linens. 

His pieces look fabulous mixed with Theresa's. 

Her pieces look fabulous on their own.

Let me just say here, folks, John Robshaw better look out.

Here comes Theresa Heard.

George Nelson Bubble Light - A Design Classic at RED in FRED

If you have read my blog for a while, you may know that some of my nearest and dearest are the brains and brawn behind the fabulous Main Street store, red. The shop has continued to evolve over the last four years and I couldn't be more proud of my friends. It truly rivals any big city design emporium!

red is an amazing mix of vintage and modern, and has recently moved to an even bigger space, in a most notable location, I might add. The old Buick building is perfect for such an interesting mix of the best of contemporary design mixed with the charm of vintage treasure.

The big news today is the contest they are holding for a George Nelson bubble light. Read all about it here.

What I love about these fixtures is their versatility. Of course, any one of them would look fabulous in a contemporary setting, but would also add some punch over an old farm table or  even in a bedroom.

The George Nelson bubble lamps are part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York. They are just a classic - that's all there is to it!

Go take a look here - go now, and be sure to leave a comment to win a chance at a classic in the design world!

Congrats to My Pals, RED, ROOT, and SOMETHING DIFFERENT II

I am so happy to tell you of an award given to three of my favorite shops in Fredericksburg. In a vote by customers these three shops have been determined 3 of the 45 best stores in Texas!

One of my first posts was about my friend, Carolyn, and the amazing shop she manages , red, in Fredericksburg. See that story here.

I also did a story about Something Different II, here.

Not too long ago, I posted about my friend, Cassell, who owns Root and did an amazing auction using decorated Toms to benefit the charity work of Toms. Read that story here!

All three locally owned shops are either owned or managed by incredibly creative and hard working women. I want to congratulate them and say how proud I am to call them my friends!

Bird Love with Geoffrey Gorman, Duane O'Hagan, Billy Hassell, and Liz Steving

My wonderful new bird sculpture, "Alba", with her nest, created by Geoffrey Gorman, from the Jane Sauer Gallery in Santa Fe (I know, ya either love him or ya hate him - I love him!) inspired me to look around my house at all the birds I live with.


Oops, a dog on a wonderful Brunswig and Fils fabric I picked up once at Warrenton during the Round Top antiques fair................. now back to birds................


This tin bird is part of an assemblage created by Liz Steving, featured at other times in my blog.

This is an amazing painting by artist Billy Hassell. I have had it for a number of years and never tire of it.


One of my tramp art treasures that I also acquired a number of years ago. It is a favorite of mine.
I put different things in it. At times it has had some of the many bird's nests that I have collected, other times it might have shells in it. Right now it has some mystical herb bundles picked up in Taos, New Mexico.

Here we go - this is the same fabric from above. It has all sorts of creatures on it - I could only buy a few yards of it, so I made a window shade and covered a bulletin board with it.

An old Mexican blanket in my entry hall chair - looks like it's birds again!

My treasures from our last trip to New York - of course, when choosing my John Derian plates I was drawn to the ones with birds.


A sweet pillow from a favorite Nashville shop near Vanderbilt and Belmont
Universities called Pangaea.

Another John Derian plate, this one a Target edition that sits in my kitchen - love it!

I have collected old crockery, jugs, bottles, you name it..... over the years, both to keep and for re-sale, and it's no surprise, some of the ones I have kept have birds painted on them!

I love this one with the peacock, bought at Round Top, from one of my all time favorite antique dealers, Toni Perkins.

Another old crock with a sweet little song bird .......................

I love the amazing things of nature - bird's nests, wasp's nest, leaves, butterflies, shells.........I am in awe of the intricacies and details in something like a wasp's nest. I don't like wasps, I am always intrigued that they can build nests like they do! Birds are really amazing, building different shapes and sizes of nests, using different materials, depending on what kind of bird they are.




Two antique French weather vanes given to me as gifts years ago, one from my mother and one from my very dear former mother in law, Mary Webb (as in Joni !) . Both were picked up at a wonderful little French antique store in Houston, the name of which escapes me now. I loved them and both mothers surprised me with them, not knowing the other had the same idea in mind. Thank you to both for lasting treasures.


Another favorite little piece of tramp art, a wall pocket, this one has carved horse heads and on top, little carved birds!

I used to have a huge collection of old mercury glass, but have sold it at antique shows over the years. I kept my very favorite pieces, though, and they just happen to have birds painted on them! The pair, with the white water birds, were the first pieces I ever bought. I am very sentimental about them as they came from Martha Waldie, another all time favorite antique dealer. Martha was from Dallas and died several years ago. She had an incredible eye and was a well respected dealer in Dallas as well as in New Mexico, and of course, at Round Top.


As if I don't have enough pillows........this little hooked jewel came over during the red photo shoot and just never went back to the store!

Last, but not least, my birds perched on sticks, created by Duane O'Hagan of the Taos Blue Gallery in Taos, New Mexico. I just love his work, and if Geoffrey Gorman is too funky for you, these little guys will just steal your heart! As for me, I love them all!!

The Pleasure was Mine!

If you have visited Hill Country House before, you know I am quite fond of the store red in our town. Recently I was treated to hosting a photo shoot at my house featuring some of the wonderful linens that red carries. I am also honored to be featured on the latest red blog post written by the creative and talented Nikki!



First, my bed was dressed in luxurious Bella Notte linens. Wow. I love the elegance and softness they add to my Italian designed iron bed.


My daughter's room was transformed with a wonderful slipper chair in a bright, modern fabric by Lee, metal picture ledges, whimsical posters, a sweet appliqued pillow and her own vintage telephone - actually purchased from red months ago!

Bella Notte linens mixed with a Denise Schmidt quilt add a young and fun sophistication to a teen girl's bedroom. I love the hooked fish pillow mixed with the chocolate velvet and linen shams.

The bedside table is ours, but the turquoise cat is from red. Too fun!!

Thank you to Carolyn, Theresa and Derek for an inspiring day. It was like playing "dress up" with my house rather than clothes! If you haven't visited red's blog lately, check it out. They are now also carrying Plover Organic linens, a wonderful line of bedding full of great pattern and color.

Hot Off the Press.......Almost!!

A while ago, I wrote about a local shop in Fredericksburg called red.

Created and managed by my good friends, the Moore girls, (Carolyn and very talented daughters, Nikki and Sam), the store has evolved over the last year. While it is a fun and whimsical place to pick up a great gift or a new pillow if one needs a decorating fix, it has also become a wonderful place to buy serious furnishings - good upholstered pieces, classic chairs and sofas, dining tables and beds.

In addition, the unusual or quirky vintage piece makes the visitor smile, and adds interest to a room. These are often finds from the great Texas antique shopping excursions the girls go on. The store is a happy place to visit, with the ever present smile of sweet, creative display talent, Theresa, greeting me when I stop by for a visit to see what's new!

Designers and homeowners come in to order rooms full for new homes in the area. (Did I mention the hill country is booming with new construction and renovation?!)

On another note, but definitely related to this story, Fredericksburg has been known for many years for it's abundance of charming bed & breakfast accommodations. Carolyn built a sweet cottage next door to her house years ago - in fact, friends of mine stayed there even before we moved here and Carolyn and I became friends! The cottage has been published several times in various home decorating magazines, and has taken on a new look in the last year as Carolyn has grown as a designer and store manager, as well as b&b hostess. Abby's will be recognized soon in a national magazine and I am here to share the news !

Abby's will be featured in the next Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion and here is a preview of the article. I am afraid we will all have to wait for the magazine to hit the news stands to actually read the fine print, but what a great feature it promises to be!

For the full scoop, go to www.redinfred.blogspot.com and read Nikki's comments on the whole event.

Way to go red!! Puttin' Fred Patch on the map once again!!

Shopping in Fredericksburg - red in fred!!

One of my favorite stops when I have the pleasure of shopping our main street is red, a fresh new face on the block. My good friend, Carolyn, manages the store and is the creative genius behind a lot of the store's new, trend setting style. She has a talented staff and is fortunate to also get to work with her two daughters on many projects. Check out the website for more information on these talented women and on the store.

red carries a lot of great new home accessories, dining and occasional tables, chairs, as well as upholstered furniture. Remember, we are a small town, and in the past it was necessary to travel to to San Antonio or Austin to find a variety of design sources.

So, one of the things that is now available here is that anyone, not just designers, can come in and choose a sofa or chair and then choose from a vast assortment of fabrics to custom design their own piece. Of course, designers come in, too, and the staff is happy to meet their needs as well as those of their clients. While the store has a contemporary feel, many of the upholstered pieces can be designed in either a traditional or contemporary style, depending on the fabric chosen.

Carolyn has a long history designing and working for the famous Homestead stores and still consults and occasionally works with Carol Bolton of Homestead and EJ Victor fame. This is a small town and creativity runs rampant here. While the look is completely different from Homestead, and the intent is to be different and fresh, I still see regular local design customers shopping at both stores! It is all about creativity, style, new ideas, and some tried and true ones, too.

red has loads of new, modern pillows, bedding, lighting and accessories, throwing in all kinds of funky, vintage goods, creating a lively mix!

Love the hour glasses and the great zebra pillows behind them.

My weakness - anything faux bois - these are slender little vases of china or porcelain - delicate, and just lovely.

I want the lamp and the mirrored chest beside the chair! Oh, and you can throw in the leopard pillow too! Love it with that blue mixed in the spots!

Don't miss the fabulous limestone walls as you are looking at everything else. This is one of the great old historic buildings in Fredericksburg. It was restored for the store on the ground floor and a residence an the second floor. It is one of the prettiest buildings in town.

Oops....... Carolyn was happy that a mirror had just sold before I took this shot, but sorry for the bare spot above the shelf - that's okay, there is still plenty to drool over. Notice all of the great lighting scattered about the store - some modern and some vintage.

A beautiful old chest with a great display of blue items, new and old, and great hanging lights above - so pretty.

Couldn't you just curl up in this big cozy chair for a snooze - the pillows are appliqued with fun, bright fabrics.
Too funny and too cute! The big cushions are made by Fat Boy and the background pieces are old carnival cut outs for photo ops!!

An assortment of goodies and one very cool lamp. The art work above is actually a torn paper collage by Nikki Moore.

Visit red next time you are in the hill country or check out their website and give them a call if you see something you can't live without! I will be back with more shopping in Fredericksburg soon.