My friends over White Glove Storage and Delivery (a Design District newcomer) just shot over an oh-so blog worthy event. Last minute I know, but you’re not going to want to miss this one!

White Glove has teamed up with Elliston Systems and Lutron Electronics to host an exclusive Industry Social for Dallas’ top architects, builders, and designers this Wednesday, March 10. The networking event will be an opportunity for industry professionals to meet new contacts and tour a newly built, custom designed $7 million home.

There will be A/V and lighting demonstrations as well as full tours of the home. Appetizers and cocktails will be served and complimentary valet will be provided.

Late notice I know, but they’re asking that guests RSVP by COB March 9th (today!). Call 214-634-9525 or email rsvp@ellistonsystems.com to make sure youre name is on the list.

Indudstry Social
Date: Wednesday March 10, 2010
Time: 5:00 – 9:00 PM
Location: 5107 Kelsey Road | Dallas, TX 75229

White Glove Storage & Delivery 166 Howell Street Dallas, TX 75207 (214)748-1111 www.whiteglovetexas.com

The 6th annual Alley’s House Art Auction will be hosted this Saturday, March 6 at American Fine Art Gallery in the Dallas Design District. I learned about this great charity event from Toni Patterson, an Alley’s House board member who just happens to be a LowerOakLawn.com reader and art enthusiast. In researching for this post I’ve learned a lot about the work that Alley’s House does and I am thrilled to be able to promote an event of such a worthy Dallas non-profit!

Alley’s House’s mission is to empower teen mothers and their children to achieve independence through support services, education, and mentoring. They were recently featured on WFAA in a segment introduced by none other than Oprah Winfrey!

Saturday night’s event will feature appetizers, cocktails, a silent auction, and a live art auction hosted by Anna de Haro of Clear Channel radio. All of the art featured in the auction has been donated by local artists, including Joey Brock, Bob Munro, Catherine Gauldin, Jill Nonnemacher and Shawn Corbett. Each of the artists has donated one piece of which 100% of the proceeds will go to Alley’s House and there will be additional art for auction of which a smaller percentage will be donated. The artist will be in attendance so you can meet them and enjoy their art.

“Charity events like this art auction for Allie’s House create so much energy at the gallery,” gallery owners Ardell and David Zuger explained. “American Fine Art  has been open in Dallas for 28 years and the people of Dallas have been so good to us. We have had the opportunity to develop a strong, loyal clientele. Hosting this event is our way of giving back to the Dallas community.”

The artwork from the auction will be on display at American Fine Art Gallery the week prior to and after the auction.

What: Charity Art Auction benefiting Alley’s House
When: Saturday, March 6; 7-10 p.m.
Where: American Fine Art Gallery, Dragon Street
Why: To enjoy an evening of art and support a great cause!
How Much: $25 in advance; $30 at the door

Note: Your donations made to Alley’s House are tax deductible.

Today is the first Thursday of each month, signaling that it’s time again for First Thursdays on Dragon Street. Here are some quick FAQs about First Thursdays. More questions? Leave them in the comments and I’ll try my best to get the answer.

What are First Thursdays on Dragon?
On the first Thursday of each month the shops and art galleries of Dragon Street extend their hours, staying open until 8:00 pm so friends, art enthusiasts, shoppers and patrons can stroll the street and browse. The event is free and open to the public. It is organzied by the Dragon Street Assocation (DSA) which recently launched a new website, DragonStreetDallas.com.

Which galleries and shops are open for First Thursdays?
Since many of the galleries and shops on Dragon are locally owned, the shops that open vary month to month depending on the personal schedules of the staff and owners. Most of the galleries and shops will begin opening regularly for First Thursdays again after daylight savings time begins again. See below for a list of shops that I know will be open tonight. (March 4, 2010)

How do I get to Dragon Street?
To get to Dragon Street simply follow one of these 5 Easy Ways to get to Lower Oak Lawn then turn left onto Dragon Street!

Help make First Thursdays on Dragon a success and encourage more stores and galleries to stay open late by dropping in! Hope to see you out tonight!

Note: I tried my best to contact each of the Dragon Street establishments to ask if they’d be open late tonight. If you know of a store that is participating that I don’t have listed above, shoot me an email and I’ll update this post!

Shannah Frank and Casey Melton, the lovely ladies behind the Design District’s f. is for frank studio, will be debuting their 2010 jewelry collection at The Wooden House on March 10th from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Check out the video for a personal invite and to learn why they’ve chosen to donate 25% of all proceeds earned at the event to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Driving back from lunch today I noticed some new signs up over at The Meddlesome Moth (The Moth, for short). The Lower Oak Lawn  restaurant, currently under construction, was a bustle with activity as construction teams filtered in and out preparing for The Moth’s much anticipated opening.

Not much has been published about The Moth since Shannon Wynne’s interview with the D SideDish blog last summer, so here are a few little updates to feed your Dallas foodie gossip fix for the day.

1. The Meddlesome Moth launched its Facebook Page. Be sure to become a fan so you can get updates!
2. The website now features a “coming soon” splash page. Gotta love their domain: www.mothinthe.net
3. They’re hiring. Deets here and here.
4. The opening is set for April-ish pending any more weather related delays. (Source: Facebook)

That’s all for now folks. Light up the comments with your enthusiasm for The Moth’s grand opening.

Named Pantone’s color of the year, turquoise is 2010’s hot color in fashion and interior design. It’s everywhere — from the runway, to the blogs, and, inevitably, to the showrooms of the Design District.

The blue-green hue can be spotted at Anteks Home Furnishings where a new chair rocks turquoise in a big way. This hand-carved French Bergere chair is upholstered in turquoise crocodile and turquoise quilted leather. The unique mix of rustic and contemporary styles is exactly what I love about the furnishings at Anteks.

What do you think of the chair? And the color turquoise? Get your opinion on the record by leaving a comment below! And be sure to send me your other turquoise finds in the Design District to feature!

Anteks Home Furnishings
1135 Dragon Street
Dallas, TX 75207
(214) 528-5567
www.antekshome.com

According to their e-blast, Kreiss is having a sale. Here’s what you N2K:

• Dates/Times: Friday, February 26, 9:00am to 5:00pm & Saturday, February 27, 10:00am to 4:00pm
• Up to 70% off on all living room, dining room, bedroom and patio collections
• Open to the trade AND the public
• Immediate delivery available

Some sound advice: Visit early for the best selection and off-the-floor savings.

Kreiss Showroom
1628 Oak Lawn Avenue
(214) 698-9118
www.kreiss.com

George Tobolowsky poses in front of his newly installed sculpture "The Idea Factory" in Lower Oak Lawn

Little did I know when I got dressed this morning that I’d spend the afternoon outside in the freezing cold snapping pictures, tweeting and witnessing the installation of two spectacular outdoor public art pieces. If I had, I would’ve surely put on a heavier coat and something more appropriate than a dress, leggings and heels. Such is the life of the LowerOakLawn.com blogger! But braving the snow was completely worth it to be a part of the energy that surrounded the arrival of George Tobolowsky’s signature sculptures in the Dallas Design District.

The two sculptures, named The Wrong Direction and The Idea Factory, were brought from G. Tobolowsky’s Mountain Springs sculpture studio by truck and lifted ceremoniously onto their pedestals by a crane. So ceremoniously, in fact, that the event ended up drawing quite a crowd. From the showrooms across the street to the apartment dwellers and construction team working at The Meddlesome Moth, Lower Oak Lawners came out to see the Design District’s newest public art pieces. Even restaurateur, Shannon Wynne ventured into the cold to check it out.

The sculptures reside on Oak Lawn Avenue, in front of the 1900 Lofts apartments so come check them out for yourself! More on the artist and sculptures later so to hold you over until then here are some snapshots from the afternoon’s events:

"The Wrong Direction" being lowered by crane onto its pedestal in Lower Oak Lawn.

Filming the Installation of George Tobolowsky's sculpture, "The Wrong Direction"

"The Wrong Direction" - George Tobolowsky

The installation of George's sculptures drew quite a crowd. All sorts of people were stopping by to check it out, including restaurateur Shannon Wynne whose restaurant The Meddlesome Moth is set to open in Lower Oak Lawn in April.

"The Idea Factory" is lowered by the crane onto it's pedestal

Relax and energize your mind, body and soul tonight at the Alexan Design District’s Yoga Chi class. Classes are held on Monday evenings from 6:00 to 7:oo pm in the Alexan Design District fitness center.  If you have a yoga mat, bring it! If not, the Alexan stocks a handful of mats for you to borrow — just remember, it’s first come first served!

It’s a good idea to arrive 5 to 10 minutes early to check in and get your mat set up. Also, guests and prospective residents must enter through the leasing office which closes at 6 pm.

Check out pictures from last week’s class after the jump!

Alexan Design District
1551 Oak Lawn Ave.
Dallas, TX 75207
www.alexandesigndistrict.com

Today’s designer spotlight features Nest Interior Design in the Dallas Design District. I discovered Nest through their fabulous design blog so when Beth, the blogger and VP of Interior Design, began posting before and afters of her recent design for Bradley Agather’s Uptown Dallas condo I couldn’t help tracking down both designer and client for a little Q&A. Keep reading after the jump for interviews with both ladies.

Q&A with Bradley Agather {The Client}

How would you describe your personal style?
{Bradley Agather} Eclectic. Very feminine, but with an edge. I like to mix old and new, traditional and modern, high and low.

As a fashion intern at W Magazine and a fashion blogger, you have a strong sense of personal style. How did your fashion taste and knowledge of fashion trends affect your interior design style?
{B.A.} There is such a strong relationship between fashion and interior design. Dressing yourself and dressing a room are equally creative tasks; and they have one major thing in common: they’re personal. I believe in investing in timeless pieces (the perfect LBD or a neutral couch) and then accessorizing these items with your own personal touches.

Nest Design worked with a lot of your existing furniture to create your new design. Where did you get the unique chairs and furniture pieces?
{B.A.} About 50% of the pieces actually came from the home I grew up in. My parents were looking to de-clutter their home, and I was happy to take some pieces off their hands! I believe that your home should be a collection that represents your past, your travel, your experiences.  For instance, two of the chairs were in my aunt’s house in the 1950s. We took them from the turquoise print they once were to a more sophisticated gray and white.  I did a lot of browsing through consignment shops, including Again and Again (one of my favorites), and vintage stores.
 One of my favorite finds was the vintage Pucci fabric used for the couch pillows. I found the Pucci fabric at Zola’s, a vintage store located in the Bishop Arts District. The fabric was actually the leftover pieces that were used to make the Braniff Airline uniforms in the 1970s!

What is your favorite part about the look of your condo?
{B.A.} I love that every room has a nod to vintage style. Beth did such an incredible job of taking some of my favorite antique pieces and making them fresh and modern.

Q&A with Beth Dotolo {The Designer}

How would you describe the look of the redesign?
{Beth Dotolo} Feminine, yet modern. We accented with fun pillows and pieces, but at the core of all the pieces is a neutral that can grow with Bradley.

What was your inspiration?
{B.D.} As always, the client is my inspiration. She is fashionable and feminine, and lethally organized! Her new condo reflects that by being stylish and girly, yet still modern and clean.

Bradley describes her taste as “girly.” How did you maintain a feminine feel while also creating an environment suitable for a young professional?
{B.D.} We kept clean lines but added softening touches. It’s all in the details! Her furniture is such that she could simply trade out her pillows for a completely new look!

Because you recovered and repurposed much of Bradley’s existing furniture, this project could be considered very eco-conscious. Was that the intention?
{B.D.} Absolutely! I am a LEED Accredited Professional with the US Green Building Council, so environmentally conscious design is always important to me, especially when I have clients that are willing to re-purpose. It is also much more budget friendly! It gave us the opportunity to splurge on other items.

It sounds like you spent a lot of time working with fabrics. Where do your source your fabrics? Are any of them available retail?
{B.D.} Most of the fabrics I use are trade only sources. I love Osbourne & Little, Robert Allen, Kravet. I always want to try to give my clients the advantage of having trade-only sources available to them.

What was the most fun part about this project?
{B.D.} I loved working with Bradley! She’s fun, energetic, and willing to take risk. She has her own sense of personal style, so she keeps me on my toes. It was also a fun challenge to breathe new life into her old pieces. One of my favorite parts of design are the before and afters!

How can other young professionals work an interior designer into their budget?
{B.D.} Hiring a designer is like hiring any other professional. If you are making an investment you want to be in good hands. Those of us who are Registered Interior Designers are trained in all things design, including health, safety, and welfare. We will end up saving you money and time in the long run by selecting durable options that will last you longer and by executing correctly the first time around. The most important thing to know is that a good designer can work within most any budget and the success of the design and meeting that budget is all about good communication between the client and the designer.

Beth Dotolo {The Designer} Beth Dotolo is an award winning Registered Interior Designer and Vice President of Interior Design for Nest Design. Beth writes the Nest Interior Design Blog, which offers daily design inspiration.	Bradley Agather {The Client} Bradley Agather is a young professional living in a condo in the heart of Uptown Dallas. Bradley is an intern for W Magazine and is co-writer of a the popular fashion blog, Luella and June.

Photos courtesy of {Kevin Dotolo Photography}

Nest Interior Design
1403 Dragon St
Dallas, TX 75207-3906
(214) 741-4004
www.nestdallasdesign.com