Million Dollar Decorators: My Take Episode 6

Ok, firstly, I want that house in the English countryside that Kathryn was working on this episode. Wasn't it absolutely picture perfect? But for this post I want to focus on the house or rather Taco Bell meets Vegas meets Airport Bathroom meets Hotel Lobby that Mary was showing this episode.

Interesting right? Now, I haven't had much time to sleuth, but I think I heard the woman say 8500 square feet, didn't you? In fact, I checked, and she did say 8500 square feet. So when I found this realtor tour of the house without furniture that said it was 3800 square feet, I thought where is the other 5,000 square feet, and why would you tell a designer that the house was larger than it really was?

I watched the rest of the episode which really should have been called how many ways can Ross style his hair, wondering what would Mary do in that house with that budget?  And I began to day dream about her taking this space:

and make it a Mary McDonald Interiors masterpiece? Let's play shall we?

I figure she'd tear up the carpet, and the existing wood to lay down a new floor which she'd have painted dark charcoal and then layer on a white geometric design atop. Something sorta like this:

Then the stair spindles and railings would be painted a high gloss jet black. Then I think she'd hang this chandelier:

You feelin' it? Anyway while I was dreaming about what she might do, it turns out that Mary didn't take the job, and I don't think that "Drew" bought the house either, seeing as how Zillow shows the last time there was an exchange was 2004. Another "funny" truth after some investigation. Was this a staged event?

Speaking of fake, Martyn and his accent were shopping in London, with the girls from One Kings Lane. I wonder if I'd be able to stomach it, myself. I mean, the idea of shopping beautiful spaces in London for things that I "think" other people might buy is enticing, but with MLB - the draw drops exponentially.

What about you? Would you book the flight knowing that you'd be stuck?

TUESDAY: Inspiring Spaces by Martensen Jones Interiors

I sometimes find pictures that I can't immediately find a source for. In fact, it happens a lot. But when I do, as I have today, I like to put them on my Tuesday Inspiring Spaces posts. Back in May, I posted 29 rooms that I had fallen in love with on my 29th birthday. One of those images was this one:

I found the picture on a blog, which they credited to DMagazine, but no credits to the designer. I loved the white sofa, the seagrass rug, the soft blue silk drapes, and the Swedish chair in the corner in front of the window. I craved more photos from this room, even dug through the archives of DMagazine where I found that the house was actually the Dallas home of the designer and her husband. The magazine did a wonderful interview, and showed eleven other photos of the house:

Ok, so are you in love with the chinoiserie handpainted mural as much as I am? I read ... ok, absorbed ... the article. Lisa is a collector of fabulous things, including Indian miniatures, neoclassical creamware, Wedgwood basalt, all things plaster, and ... well, the list goes on. But perhaps the most interesting thing about her own home is that it's filled with collections she acquired almost exclusively at estate sales, flea markets, live auctions, and garage sales. Of course, she mixes in high-end pieces; but it's the mix and the art of it that I find so beautiful, and showcase her true talent.

But she's not alone in her business, in fact, she's got a wonderful partner, and together they make a fabulous team! Lisa co-owns the firm with Jan Jones, with whom she worked when they were both stylists at Neiman Marcus. Together, they've been in creative industry for over 25 years as make-up, fashion, and interior stylists. The eclectic approach of Martensen Jones is classic, contemporary, global, and comfortable which often results in pairing a pedigreed antique with an economical piece. The final product can result in rooms that are timeless, have style and are fresh and personal.

You can view their portfolio here: http://www.martensenjonesinteriors.com/portfolio.html and, please, enjoy the photos above and these below. Enjoy your day!