Check out this Statesman article that I was featured in recently! You can read the article below, on the Statesman’s website, or in the printed REAL magazine!
Don’t forget to take a look at the picture gallery to see the items that I picked!
Treasure hunting with the pros
American-Statesman Staff
Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013
Where do the interior designers shop? We asked four Austin home decor experts where they get their ideas and what trends are hot right now. Then we let them explore their favorite store to pick out some great finds.
Amy Lutz
Amy Lutz is the owner of Butter Lutz Interiors, which specializes in custom home interior design and renovations as well as home styling. The daughter of a builder, she’s been designing spaces most of her life.
Where is your go-to place in Austin to shop for your clients?
My go-to place to shop for clients (and myself) in Austin is Loft Home at the Domain. Loft has been a favorite of mine for years because of their carefully procured product mix. Fantastic merchandising showcases how you can pair the new with the old and the rustic with shiny, and how a little flair can be refined. This store is a jewel to Austin’s growing crown — with amazing customer service and a style that appeals to the everyman. Whether you consider yourself traditional or contemporary, there’s a little something to wow everyone.
What great find have you picked up lately?
Lately I have been on an art hunt for a client with a lot of white walls. We have purchased several pieces from many sources, but I found some really beautiful old maps of Texas and am having them framed in segments to do a large installation of all of them in a group. I am also loving anything in satin brass; there’s so many amazing new fixtures in plumbing, lighting and accessories. So I tell my clients not to be afraid; we are back in brass.
What new home design trend are you most excited about? What style do you find yourself going back to again and again?
While in some parts of the country wall coverings have never gone out of style, in Austin we currently are experiencing a wonderful wave of excitement for wallpaper. Cole & Son and Schumacher are two of my favorite lines that I find I use the most. Wallpaper can add texture and dimension to a space that you could not achieve otherwise. Almost all of my clients regardless of their personal style are choosing one or more areas to utilize this fabulous detail and the impact is priceless.
My personal style regardless of trend is to create a cohesive design, creating a clean space that isn’t fussy, a comfortable environment for friends and family to relax and enjoy. I like to keep basic elements in the main pieces and utilize pops of color and pattern in art and accessories. I think this simple formula wins every time. If you don’t overcommit to a super bold trend, then when it phases out, you can change it with a lot less strain to your heart and pocketbook.
Kris Swift
Kris Swift has made a name for himself locally as owner of Future Design Now, but nationally he’s known for his time last spring on HGTV’s reality show “Design Star.” He’s done work for private homes as well as the Shore condominiums downtown and Nice Kicks shoe store on the Drag.
Where is your go-to place to shop for your clients?
I love Uncommon Objects because everything has character and a history.
What great find have you picked up lately?
An amazing barbed-wire chandelier and some oversized bullet casings (right) that we’re using as flower vases for Jacoby’s Cafe in Melvin.
What new home design trend are you most excited about? What style do you find yourself going back to again and again?
Trends come and go. What’s important is to distill a project or family’s character and exceed their expectations when executing a space. Good style is timeless and doesn’t fit any particular mold. Live with what you love, and don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise.
Stacy Paulson
Stacy Paulson of Stacy Paulson Design once owned Home Works in the Tarrytown neighborhood but has spent the past six years doing design and general contracting. Her primary focus is on residential work — window treatments, paint, space planning and kitchen and bath remodels. She also decorates apartments and condominium buildings for the holidays.
Where is your go-to place in Austin to shop for your clients?
I have several go-to places for clients. It really depends on the project. But one of my favorites is a consignment shop named Next-To-New Shop run by St. David’s Episcopal Church. They have a ton of antique and vintage home accessories and furniture. Merchandise is constantly being moved in and out, so every visit offers something new.
What great find have you picked up lately?
Recently, I actually picked up something for myself there. It was a lace doily with vintage crystals sewn on. I got a burlap coffee sack from Mozart’s and had a pillow made with the doily sewn on the front.
What new home design trend are you most excited about? What style do you find yourself going back to again and again?
Right now, I am most excited about Pantone’s announcement that emerald green is the color for 2013. I am a green person and can’t be happier! So much of my work is centered around color, and most clients are open to new ideas.
A style I repeatedly go back to is definitely this trend of repurposing vintage and antique furniture. I love making a room a mix of new and old pieces. Find a piece with great lines and (have) it reupholstered or faux painted — the sky is the limit. Source things at places like Next-To-New or use pieces that clients already have to make the home feel more like a lifelong collection of things as opposed to just walking into a store and buying everything new. The transformation is amazing.
Terri Symington
The work of Terri Symington of T. Symington & Co. can be found in homes from Austin to Houston. She strives to be original, inviting and comfortable without looking “decorated” or too trendy. Her clients helped her become named the Best of Houzz 2013 on the remodeling and home design website.
Where is your go-to place in Austin to shop for your clients?
One of my favorite go-to places in Austin is ReWorks. At their studio/workroom, I work with them directly for custom or find already made pieces. They do have vendors in Houston that sell their pieces, and they also sell out at Round Top. They make very interesting lamps, sconces and furniture pieces.
What great find have you picked up lately?
I found some vintage silver ex-voto hearts that I had custom framed on linen for a grouping. They look fabulous!
What new home design trend are you most excited about? What style do you find yourself going back to again and again?
One of the current design trends that I am enjoying right now is the use of brass. I am working on a new home where the dominant metal in the fixtures and hardware I selected is in high-quality brass that has a wonderful patina — not the shiny brass that we couldn’t wait to get rid of years ago.
One look that I always go back to and it never goes out of style is Chinoiserie. It always looks great mixed with contemporary or traditional interiors.
Congrats!