Stopping by the Unruh Furniture showroom in Dallas, TX proved to be a very educational experience. I learned about the differences between various types of wood, in addition to learning about just why Unruh Furniture is so great. This Kansas City, MO based furniture company has recently opened their Dallas showroom where you’ll find a range of made-to-order wood furniture options available for order. One of my favorite selections available at Unruh Furniture are their live-edge walnut tables, shown above, which always add a touch of drama. Read on for more details on Unruh’s quality wood furniture!

One of the nice things about shopping with Unruh for wood furniture are the range of customizations available. I really like that they display all of their options for wood type and wood stain clearly on their showroom wall. Each wall sample is also quite large, perfect for getting a good understanding of what each type of wood offers as far as grain pattern is concerned before making your selection. If you want plenty of knots in your wood for a more rustic look, they have that available, and of course if you want a smooth finish they offer that as well!

Unruh also sells solid wood chairs to accompany their dining tables, in addition to allowing you to customize the thickness of your wood table top along with selecting the specific length needed for your dining table. And that is not where their customization stops. You can also choose the specific style of legs you would like for your table. I love the curvy table leg options they provide!

Also available at Unruh are furniture options like bookcases, beds, dressers, nightstands, and coffee tables. You will also have your choice of wood type and stain color (or natural) for their other furniture items as well. How fabulous is their hairpin-legged coffee table below?!

If you need new wood furniture, definitely consider stopping by the Unruh Furniture showroom in Dallas or Kansas City (or shop online!). They have a very knowledgeable team and all of their offerings are heirloom quality, timeless pieces of furniture. If you stop by, let them know that Jacquin sent you! Special thanks to Kaitlin Kusch for showing me around!

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Today we are launching a NEW, original video series called “The Design Lovers” series. This is travel segment in which I’ll show you the best shops and destinations for design lovers in a given neighborhood or city. We are kicking off the Design Lovers series with a special Fort Worth edition. I have hand selected the most unique and stylish locations for design lovers to visit in Fort Worth, TX and you will love these shops! Learn about what these amazing shops have to offer: Tribe Alive, Winton and Waits, Modern Lantern, and The Greenhouse 817. These shops are so, so good! Check out our video showcasing “Fort Worth for Design Lovers”!

Tribe Alive

Tribe Alive is a worldwide artistic collaboration and boutique selling minimalist apparel and accessories with a designer touch. Their passion is handmade products, and empowering women to raise themselves out of poverty across the world through the sale of their beautiful artistry. One of my favorite details about Tribe Alive’s is that their apparel is made of natural fibers and showcases unique, contemporary cuts for the modern woman. Their designs are not only natural and cutting edge, but they also partner with female artisans globally to bring their designs to life. When you purchase an item from Tribe Alive, you are supporting women artisans from Guatemala, Haiti, India, and Hondorus, as well as local Forth Worth artisans. Not to mention, the Tribe Alive boutique is beautifully curated!

Winton and Waits

Winton and Waits is a uniquely creative shopping experience that everyone should experience. They are community collaborators, they carry products that are intentionally designed to tell a story and are sold to create an impact both locally and globally. At Winton and Waits you’ll find affordable home decor, fashion accessories, apparel, baby clothing, candles, artisan soaps, and more! As you meander the Winton and Wait store, handmade products will capture your attention at every turn and their warm and friendly team will be happy to share with you the individual stories behind the products you are purchasing. When you stop by, tell owner Jenna Lee that Jacquin sent you!

Modern Lantern

Modern Lantern is a cordless lamp company that sells a large range of chic lighting for your home or business. If you’re the type of individual looking to achieve a magazine quality interior, then you’ll be glad to learn about the availability of stylish, cordless lamps. No more unsightly cords! Hooray! I love their colorful range of lamp options and there are so many unique shapes available. Fun fact, Modern Lantern can turn your vintage or existing lamp into a cordless lamp too! Their lighting products run off of rechargeable batteries and would be a fabulous addition to any space. For business owners, you also have the option to have custom lamp selections made in bulk in the color of your choice to cover your design needs.

The Greenhouse 817

The Greenhouse 817 is NOT your average flower shop! This design studio specializes in unusual plant specimens and they will totally surprise you with their unique botanical arrangements. Shop owner Deryk Poynor gave me a tour and introduced me to some reaaaaallly unusual plant specimens. They can create specialized botanical arrangements around your home’s decor and they offer the type of arrangements that will grow and last for years, beyond the shelf life of your average floral arrangement. Watch the video to get a glance at my experience at this unique plant shop!

Stay tuned for our next “Design Lovers” video showcasing Oak Cliff for Design Lovers in Dallas! Until them, stop by and say hello to these lovely shop owners in Forth Worth!

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Hi friends! I am sharing a peek into my home today, specifically sharing my bedroom tour with you all. There are a lot of exciting features showcased, and I will share the links to all of the decor resources throughout this post. I have to give a shout out to my amazing (and patient) photographer Esther Huynh for making these photos really pop! Thank you, Esther! I have made a few changes to my bookcase styling since this photoshoot, but this blog feature still captures the essence of my bedroom decor. If you want to see how I’ve updated my bookcase styling, then head over to my Instagram stories to see what’s changed since then. Now back to the home tour details…

One decorative element I set out to include in my bedroom were matching mirrors above my nightstands. I wanted to brighten my room and I knew that reflective surfaces, like mirrors opposite of my windows, would do the job. These mirrors are from Hansen Wholesale and I just love their dreamy shape… and of course they are highly effective at reflecting sunlight throughout my bedroom.

You may have seen the blog post I did last year on company Flowerbox Wall Gardens, but if you haven’t the wall garden above happens to be from their company and is a preserved flower garden that can last over 2 years! I highly recommend their beautiful selections, although I must admit that I could have gone with an even larger wall garden. Nevertheless, they did a fabulous job and it is always a conversation starter in my room.

As an art lover I had to make room for a small gallery wall in my bedroom, and I am so glad I did! (see below) Having these warm and colorful works of art in my room is always inspirational and adds a little sunshine to gloomy days. The painting shown on the far left is my most recent artwork find, and is by the artist Isabelle Feliu. I went to the Michael’s store to have this work framed and had a lot of fun selecting colorful mating to make this work of art stand out even more.

Let’s also talk about statement outlet & switchplate covers! You’ll see that I didn’t miss a moment to even decorate my electrical outlets (see above). These painted glass outlet covers are from Knobs.co and are available for your light switch covers as well.

When it comes to books, this small showing on my bedroom bookcase is far from my full collection! One of favorite activities with my husband is visiting thrift stores to find books for our personal library, and let’s just say our collection has grown exponentially since picking up this hobby. These specific books however are some of my favorites right now. I specifically recommend checking out the books Matisse in the Studio (my favorite artist!) and as a speaker on negotiation related topics, I must also recommend the book Ask For It, which explores the negotiating power of women, and why we aren’t using it. For further training on the topic of negotiation tactics, I recommend participating in one of my upcoming negotiation training workshops! These negotiation workshops are available for both individuals and groups, virtually as well as in-person. Email me for details.

Thanks for joining me for this mini home tour! I will be sharing other unseen photos from my bedroom tour on my Instagram stories. Head over to my Instagram account for more behind the scenes fun!

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I am pleased to introduce you to Mekeka Designs, a textile brand working alongside expert weavers in Uganda to create beautiful products for your home and beyond. Showcasing and supporting globally inspired design brands is a large passion of mine, and Mekeka Designs embodies a brand that takes a philanthropic approach to working with native design techniques. Mekeka Designs is owned by Lesli Robertson, a textile expert in her own right, who has traveled to Uganda and utilized traditional weaving materials (grass cloth) to create stylish new products for the Western audience. During my video interview with Lesli she explains how Ugandans traditionally utilize woven grass cloth, and how she has developed products that put a fresh spin on how this material has been used traditionally.

I have divided this video interview into a Part 1 and Part 2 below. In Part 1 Lesli shares the meaning of ‘Mekeka’ and dives into the process with a behind the scenes look at the artisans in Uganda. Part 2 expands on Lesli’s unique background in academia teaching fiber arts while also sharing some of Lesli’s exciting travel experiences from Uganda to Armenia to Kuwait. You will definitely want to watch both short videos!

Part 1 – Getting to know the Mekeka brand and process:

Part 2 – Lesli Robertson’s background and exciting travel experiences:

Support the weavers of Uganda and the Mekeka Designs brand by purchasing one of their stunning throw pillows or clutch purses. Each product is sustainably sourced and handcrafted with care.

Be sure to subscribe to the Interiors by Jacquin blog to receive updates on the upcoming Interiors by Jacquin x Mekeka wall art and rug design collaboration! More to come!!

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Georgina Hooper of Australia is a painter and art educator who creates delightful, yet meditative works of art from a calligraphic foundation. She is informed by a deep engagement with Eastern artistic traditions and the philosophies that underpin them. Hooper’s signature style synthesizes Eastern calligraphic strokes with Modern abstraction, developed through a meditative repetition of strokes. I truly enjoy Georgina’s warm, abstract paintings and I find that looking at them mindfully is a reflective and meditative exercise on its own. Learning of her works has peaked my interest in Asian calligraphic strokes as both a philosophy and technique.

Georgina creates vast and rhythmic matrixes in her artwork imbued with the forces and motion of nature. Her abstraction of landscape reflects her pursuit to represent the natural environment as a felt experience, where space is illimitable and incalculable, carrying a suggestion of the infinite. Inspired by the monumentality of nature and associated feelings of awe, Hooper’s work evolves as immersive spaces for audiences to visually escape into.

Jacquin: What do you most enjoy about having a career as an artist?

Georgina: There is a visceral pleasure about making art. The way that the eye responds to concentrating on wonderful colours, or honing the mind to focus on the steady hand or the pleasure of simply making is so wonderfully uplifting and extremely relaxing. I feel very fortunate to get to do this as my job. To immerse oneself in their passion and to follow that path in a way that takes you deep into yourself is such a rare thing. The work I do is also very introspective and philosophical. I’ve had the opportunity to learn about Eastern culture & history and work with my hands at the same time. As such I learn a lot about who I am too, which I think is a very healthy by-product of my work. It’s a hedonistic privilege that not many people have, and a particularly essential one for me as I am quite introverted and find alone time very restorative.

Jacquin: How has working as an art educator refreshed your perspective?

Georgina: When you are required to break down the process of creating for someone else it makes you highly reflective and conscious of the creative process. As a result, I became really interested in understanding the creative act and this has found its way into my practice and process.

Jacquin: How has Eastern/Asian culture and their artistic approaches influenced your work? How did your interest in Asian aesthetics in art come about (e.g. Chinese landscapes and Eastern calligraphic strokes)?

Georgina: The historical art of Chinese painting is tightly bound up with its philosophical and religious traditions. I had begun reading about Daoism and Buddhism as a teenager and strongly resonated with these belief systems. It was a natural progression that my art practice gravitated to the East though I am still amazing at the opportunities that have found me to make this possible. It has been the oscillation between academic study of art and the physical practice of it that has brought me to so much opportunity to immerse myself in Eastern art practices. It was almost a decade ago that I was offered a research scholarship by the University of Queensland to study Chinese landscape painting with Professor Dong Ya at Tianjin University. This set me clearly on my trajectory. I have been awarded artist residencies in China and Japan and have pursued higher research in Eastern Art with the University of Canberra. It has all meant that my career is something of a tango that steps towards my work as an academic one moment and then the next moment, back to my professional practice as a painter.

Jacquin: Tell us about your experience creating watercolor textile designs for your collaboration with fashion label Dogstar. What was most rewarding? How did your process vary for this collaboration compared to your typical process when creating a painting?

Georgina: When I started the project for Dogstar (above), creating paintings for textiles was a new artistic territory for me. Masayo and I worked very closely together on the process.  It had a sort of evolutionary path that began with talks and plans and then after I began the painting I met with Masayo, we would talk and then I would return to the painting and continue until we had it right.  I had a lot of artistic freedom but the compositional factors are different from that of a painting: the repeat, and the three dimensionality of the end product needs to be considered.  In a way I had to forget all that I knew and change the way I viewed the image. As a result, the collaboration brought my work into some new artistic spaces. I think that this is a very healthy thing to do as an artist not to mention what a great experience it was to work with such a wonderful person and creative as Masayo.

Jacquin: Tell us about what you’re working on currently.

Georgina: I am currently looking at applying for my PhD in Philosophy to deepen my understanding of Chinese painting through theoretical research. As a practitioner I have found that theory informs creative output and that there are times to collect knowledge and ideas that will later inform and shape the creative work. This oscillation between the rational and creative, and the theoretical and the practical is what allows me to expand my work into new territory and keep my work exciting and innovative. I have another collaboration with Dogstar in the works and am always continuing my work with ink and rice paper as daily mediation.

Jacquin: Tell us about your training in Asian style calligraphy as you developed your signature style.

Georgina: The calligraphic strokes that underpin much of my work was part of my training in Chinese landscape painting. One of the first things my Lao Shi (teacher) explained to me was that those calligraphic strokes were the foundation of all Chinese landscape painting. Painting and writing were inseparable historically, with painting giving birth to writing. In my practice over the years since working with Master painter Professor Dong Ya at Tianjin University I had moved away from the tradition to explore it in a contemporary way. But during my honours research with the University of Canberra I explored Chinese landscape painting in relation to the European philosophy of the sublime. Part of my research engaged deeply with the treatises from Chinese painter-critics dating as far back as 34AD and these texts reminded me of the importance these calligraphic strokes. I took my honours year to focus on them, synthesizing Modernist abstraction with the calligraphic underpinnings of Chinese painting and became so familiar with them that I realized they held limitless potential for expression. 

Jacquin: What would be a dream project for you as an artist?

Georgina: I want to see my work on a grand scale and to see what affect it has on audiences when it is received at that scope. To paint an immersive matrix floor to ceiling in an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York would be a dream. 

Learn more about Georgina Hooper and her latest works on her website.

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Loloi Rugs has a reputation for quality and luxury in the design community and after a recent visit to their showroom I am reminded of how unique their product is. Their rugs are handmade in India with great attention to detail and color, and their brand offers hundreds of design options to choose from. They have truly created a rug to suit every aesthetic. Their newest collections on display will suit the color enthusiasts and traditional tastes alike.

Loloi’s showroom is quite large so when Jose Ramos, visual merchandiser for Loloi, offered to show me around I gladly accepted. He explained that one of Loloi’s theme’s for the newest collections are shades of French Blue. They are currently offering stunning ice blue rugs in traditional motifs, which have an unbelievable sheen to them. Then on the other end of the spectrum, the Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines rug collection showcases deep blues on neutral backgrounds, which were equally impressive. There are also boldly colored rugs available from Loloi’s collaborations with Justina Blakeney (above) and Rifle Paper Company (below).

One of the more surprising collections at the Loloi showroom were the rugs and throw pillows from their Rifle Paper Company collaboration. This collection is based off of the illustrated artwork from Rifle Paper Company and translated into textile format. This collection was definitely different from the other selections in the showroom, showcasing just how broad Loloi’s offerings are. There is really something for everyone!

Loloi has also succeeded at creating bold and expressive rug designs showcasing neutrals and earth tones. Above you’ll find a small sampling of their neutral colored rug offerings, all of which provide major impact. On the far right, the linear rug design showcased is from the Magnolia Home collection, and it’s one of my favorites! Has Loloi peaked your interest? If so, visit www.LoloiRugs.com to browse all of their fabulous offerings!

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After spending the day at the Total Home and Gift Market in Dallas I left very inspired! I would definitely recommend this event to other design industry professional, and it may even be worth traveling to for design professionals outside of the Dallas area.

The Dallas World Trade Center, which hosts this event annually, boasts over 14 floors of showrooms so I had to narrow down what to showcase on the blog for you today. I selected three specific showroom experiences to share with you. I must admit that choosing only three showrooms to feature does not even scratch the surface of everything available at the Total Home & Gift Market, but it is a great representation of the range of goods available. Below you’ll get a behind the scenes look at the following showrooms: IMAX Worldwide Home, Expressive Homes, and UMA Home Decor. You will love these showroom’s home decor collections!

IMAX Worldwide Home

Expressive Homes

UMA Home Decor

Learn more about these brands at their websites: IMAX Corporation, Expressive Homes, and UMA Home Decor. The next Dallas Total Home & Gift Market will take place in June 2019. Open to members of the trade to enjoy and shop!

Photography & video: Kendall Zapoli

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Today we venture into the world of slow textiles with Dallas brand KUFRI, owned and created by the talented Mili Suleman. The term “slow textiles” captures the essence of a fully handmade, woven fabric created in a slow, artisanal manner as has been done for hundreds of years. Powered by handlooms, Mili Suleman’s company KUFRI is keeping alive the traditional weaving techniques of India with a contemporary spin for the modern design lover. Mili was kind enough to welcome me into her home for an interview where I learned about her foray into entrepreneurship, her creative spirit, and the process behind her one of a kind textiles.

Founder and designer Mili Suleman was born in Mumbai, India and raised in Oman. A graduate of Texas Christian University, she sees KUFRI as an amalgamation of her multi-cultural background, her explorations in design, writing and art, and her passion for natural spaces.

At the core of the KUFRI textile brand is the idea that your home’s textiles should compliment the other items in your home, which is best accomplished with a neutral textile palette. However, when it comes to Mili’s textile designs, you’ll find that KUFRI’s neutral textiles are anything but boring and in fact, are quite exciting! The textures truly POP, which she accomplishes through the handwoven process.

Throughout Mili’s home you’ll find evidence of her vast creative inspiration. She shared with me that she is creatively inspired by the visual arts, travel, books, and ceramics, all of which you will find interwoven among her home’s decor. I had to snap a photo of Mili’s inspiration board in her home studio (shown above) because it truly captures Mili’s aesthetic and creative interests.

When Mili isn’t working on the KUFRI brand, one of her hobby’s is oil painting and browsing her collection of inspired books. I had the opportunity to see one of Mili’s latest paintings (below), placed above the dining table in her home. It’s the perfect pop of color to complement the KUFRI textiles in her home!

The KUFRI mission is to help preserve handloom weaving, to provide employment to women and aging weavers, and promote a conscious, beautiful life at home through their products.  When you buy KUFRI textiles you’re supporting an amazing cause that is both mindful and sustainable, while adding a touch of timeless beauty to your home. Visit the KUFRI website to shop their amazing textile selections!

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After working on the Interiors by Jacquin blog for nearly 5 years, it was incredibly exciting to be nominated as a finalist at the Amara Interior Blog Awards. I can’t believe I hadn’t shared about the experience on the blog until now, but I suppose better late than never. I was selected as a finalist for their “Best Interior Designer Blogger” category which landed me at their London awards event this Fall. I was only able to stay in London for 2 nights due to a speaking engagement in Dallas immediately upon my return (I had to teach a negotiation training workshop!), but the trip was absolutely worth while. So many great memories and new friends made!

Walking up to the venue at the Marylebone Hotel in London was quite grand and set the tone for a fabulous evening. There were passed hors’d’oeuvers, custom cocktails, and networking galore. They really went above and beyond to make us feel special for a fun night of celebration. One of my favorite parts of the night was seeing my name on the big screen during the awards event, which I had to capture on camera of course!

While I did not win the final award, attending the event was still a wonderful opportunity to reflect on what I’ve accomplished with my business over the years. Also notable, I had never before been in a room with so many designers and design lovers at once! Sharing in our accomplishments and exchanging experiences was truly the highlight of the night. These lovely ladies and I hit it off so well that we ended up being the last ones at the event! Congratulations to new friend Simone Baur (shown far left, below) for winning in her category for her inspirational work at blog Global Inspirations Design. I also had the pleasure of meeting Siobhan Casey of Casey & Fox and Chantelle Purcelle of Amar Gallery. Interestingly I connected with Chantelle via the Shapr networking app before I even landed in London and she was my amazing plus 1 for the night. On a sidenote, Amar Gallery in London features some truly impressive artists! (Interiors by Jacquin will be doing an entire feature on this gallery soon so look out for that!)

The gift bags were also spectacular and seemed to weigh a good 20 lbs. each! They were filled with small home decor items ranging from Tom Dixon, to Missoni and beyond… pretty great!

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Meanwhile back at my hotel in London, I enjoyed the best fish & chips EVER in addition to enjoying a casual selfie with my giant gift bag post event. 🙂 I stayed at the Corus Hotel right in the heart of the London and the customer service and restaurant cuisine were excellent. They also had an amazing breakfast buffet and are walking distance from the V&A museum and Hyde Park gardens. Now that I’m back home in Dallas I’m enjoying my souvenir program, party Polaroids, and amazing luxury home decor freebies. Not a bad trip at all! London always has so much to offer. Thanking Amara for their hospitality and the amazing memories!

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