Our design team modernized this sweeping print by simplifying the color palette and adding intricate hand-drawn elements. This duvet is an eye-catching centerpiece for the bedroom.

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Before you go:

- Marfa's weekend is Monday and Tuesday so plan your trip accordingly. If you happen to be there on a Monday or Tuesday, take a side trip to Alpine and/or Marathon.

- It takes 3 hours to drive to Marfa from the closest commercial airport. Midland Airport is closer to east coast destinations but driving from El Paso Airport passes by Prada Marfa Installation.

- Don't go with high expectations for cell phone service or Wi-Fi connectivity. Some establishments have free Wi-Fi, but everything is spotty at best.

Places to stay:

Marfa is also not someplace that you visit for a fabulous hotel experience. There are places to stay that are livable, but each has their pros/cons. Here are 3 options:

Hotel Paisano was built in the 1930s. The Spanish Revival architecture is beautiful, especially the lobby and courtyard. It's easy to imagine James Dean, Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor staying there when they filmed the movie Giant. The only thing is, and this is a big only, working at a bedding company doesn't make it easy to stay in hotels with less than comfortable beds with scratchy poly-blend bedding. Even my happy-go-lucky husband mentioned that the bed was a little seedy. But it is…historical?

Thunderbird Hotel is an revamped and updated 50s roadside motel. The rooms are pretty bare bones overall but have some luxury details that make it worthwhile – great, soft 100% cotton sheets and Malin & Goetz toiletries are nice touches. But don't expect friendliness from the hipster staff or working Wi-Fi.

El Cosmico is campground meets Ace Hotel. Instead of traditional "rooms" the choice of accommodations is from a stylish mix of yurts, VW buses and airstream trailers. The gift shop is great but ultimately we decided not to stay because for almost the same price we could have running water at Thunderbird.

Things to do:

Judd. Chinati. Art. Eat. Repeat. That is basically anyone's itinerary in Marfa.

The Judd Foundation "The Block" tour is really good. When Donald Judd moved down to Marfa in the 70s he ended up snapping up a bunch of property and created his own live/work space that spanned a city block. The tour is of his house, studio and library.

The Chinati Foundation was formerly funded by Dia until the 80s when Judd and Dia parted ways. Donald Judd used Dia's funds to amass 340 acres of land to execute his vision of monumental minimalist land works and promote artists he believed in like Dan Flavin and John Chamberlain. For those who suffer from "museum fatigue" and get bored easily, the shorter "Selections Tour" is fine.

Marfa itself is full of contemporary art galleries. Most have sort of unpredictable hours but they are all good and interesting. We liked Exhibitions 2d the best because the owner, Dennis Dickinson, is passionate about the artists he represents.

Where to Eat:

There are a handful of places to eat, we didn’t have a bad meal the whole time.

Cochineal topped our list. They are actually transplanted New Yorkers who used to own a restaurant on the Upper West Side.

Fat Lyles is a food truck (yes, even Far West Texas has not escaped the food truck craze) right across from El Cosmico. Most people who go to Marfa rave about the Food Shark but we loved the Brusselsprout Haystack – a delicious mess of crisp brussel sprouts, crumbled blue cheese on top of a bunch of french fries. It's a flavor explosion.

Art, memorable hotels and flavorful food are the cornerstones of a good vacation, and Marfa was the perfect spring getaway.

Offered in a range of textured solid fabrics, this sofa pairs perfectly with patterned pieces. Our designers favor a smart microcheck or luxurious mohair, shorn from angora goats, for a piece to build an entire room around.

Wright in Variation Grey

The Wright Sofa is 20% off through April 7th. Quality, design, comfort and style (and on sale!) - what are you waiting for?

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Metallic by the beach: Franklin Media Cabinet in Gold Leaf.

Shop like Christiane: Larkin Chaise Sectional in Magnus Mineral, Hans Leather Chair, Eva Bronze Pillow, and Sheepskin.

While on a trip to Paris, one of our incredible designers saw stars. They were everywhere – in art, on furniture, in books, on posters and in décor. Pulling elements from each she sought to design a pattern that at once invited ideas of space exploration, and gave a nod to the sweet illustrations of children’s books.

We chose to make the Baby Collection a soft grey to keep it gender neutral, and the Kids Collection a dusky blue befitting the bed of a boy of any age. Both colors have a gentle sweetness while maintaining their adventurous and whimsical feel.

Explore the Galaxy>

Accessories - from vases to objets to bowls - we love to accessorize our homes. Add metallic elements to your bookshelf, top a stack of books with a chic vase, create a considered side table with an objet that inspires you or even makes you smile. There are so many ways to incorporate layers of design in to your home - all you need are a few chic accents to get started.

Sea Star Vase - Matte Silver, Tilted Cube Sculpture, Crosshatch Cone Decanter - White, Diamond Cut Globe Vase, Pair of Metal Peacocks.

Explore Decorative Accessoires>

Breeze, Rich Pink and Victorian Wall Paint.

Lullaby Paints are the most family friendly paints on the market (and now the chicest in our exclusive collection). They are pregnant mom-safe, newborn baby-safe, kid-safe and therefore 100% family friendly because they are free of all toxic offenders & VOC-free (read more here). Furthermore, the paints are premium quality and long-lasting.

Silver Fox, Gentle White and Suede Wall Paint.

We created a collection of colors that perfectly compliment our baby and kids lines. But since we design for the whole home, we included an array of chic colors for the entire home.

We are so proud to offer this new collection pf wall paint - see all the colors here>.

We culled inspiration for the Martine Settee from the roaring twenties, classic nineteenth century French design, and just a touch of Mid-Century modern (we can't help our selves!). We started the design with a hand-channeled back, a unique curved shape and gracefully flared arms. The bench seat, popular during Napoleon's reign, is clean and comfortable - as a love-seat should be.

To finish off the design, Martine has slender cone legs, the simplicity of which highlights the rest of her charms. Then we dressed her in rich cotton-velvet, the lofty pile of which highlights the beautiful channeling and subtly catches the light. Martine's heirloom quality and impeccable design adds drama to any room.

Dying to recreate some of our favorite rooms from the Grantham's stately mansion, we turned to our amazing design team for tips on giving your home the Downton Abbey treatment.

Tip 1: Bring about a shot of patina elegance with an antique-style mirror.

Tip 2: Outfit your room with gold and brass accents.

Like our collection of glam-inducing decorative accessories.

Tip 3: Upholster dining room chairs with luxurious fabrics in ornate patterns.

Tip 4: Pick up ornately carved frames and vintage valises from flea markets like Brimfield.

Tip 5: Pull a boudoir chair into your dressing room and cover it in a floral fabric.

Like our Calvin chair upholstered in a modern botanical like our Landsmeer Currant fabric.

Tip 6: And of course wallpaper is always proper ode to Brit-style.

Crisp white pumpkins and speckled squash is a fun way to design a natural centerpiece. Image via Centsational Girl.

A table filled with beautiful blooms, lined with a silvery tablecloth and a mix of candles is elegant with out feeling overly formal. Image via Rosemary on the TV.

Orange and rust feel seasonal and on-trend. Image via The Decoist.

Pretty and inviting: we love tall candles in glass wine bottles. Image via This is Glamorous.

Fresh cut florals, wooden serving trays and tea lights look simply elegant. Image via Savvy Young Something.

Have you entered our Modern Thanksgiving contest? Enter for a chance to win a $1000 shopping spree on DwellStudio.com, ends this Thursday, 11/15! Enter here >

Without further ado... Meet Jonathan!

What’s your 9-to-5?

I'm the Creative Director and founder of J3 Productions, a design/marketing agency... and I'm also editor of Happy Mundane.

Where are you from originally?

I was born in New York, but grew up in Orange County, California.

Where do you live now?

Irvine, CA

What’s your decorating style?

One part graphic/modern, add a dash of mid-century vintage, and filter it all through the playful and relaxed Southern California lifestyle.

Tell us about your Modern Thanksgiving board.

Thanksgiving for me is all about feeling warm and cozy. I was imagining a home filled with rustic charm, but accented with modern pieces. The color palette is a mix of deep prussian blues, rich shades of green glass, rust oranges, and little hits of black and walnut wood tones. Thanksgiving is also all about the food, so I definitely included some yummy recipes!

Any tips for holiday entertaining?

Don't get too stressed out about needing to have everything perfect. The holidays are all about enjoying time with friends and family, so don't be afraid to use a little help! Ask friends and guests to help set the table, or utilizing some pre-made goodies from the store instead of having to make everything from scratch. It's important to stay relaxed so you can enjoy the moment!

What’s your favorite DwellStudio product? How does it fit into your décor plan?

I really love all the decorative accessories that DwellStudio has right now. The Tubular burst objet is such a statement piece and very glamorous and chic. However, it's the new Art Shop that really has my attention. I find that I usually use a piece of artwork as the starting point when I start to decorate a space. I love all the colors in any of the abstract watercolor pieces (peach pink, citrine green, black orange). They would totally be the crown jewel of a room.

How about styling the holiday table? Any good tricks?

I like to keep things simple. The food should be the star, so you don't really need much on the table. A small cluster of votive candles in clear glasses can give just enough of a glow and give the table some sparkle. Also, don't forget about varying the heights of items on a table. Use cake stands or other items underneath plates to not only add visual interest, but maximize table space.

We love this Fall centerpiece by Jonathan that carries from Halloween through Thanksgiving!

Any go-to host gifts?

I usually grab some yummy cookies and goodies from a local bakery. If you don't end up eating them at the party, then it becomes a nice "thank you" treat that the host can enjoy afterwards.

What are the 3 things you cannot live without?

My iphone, yummy food, and music that has a good beat.

Current inspirations:

I'm currently obsessed with a lot of design and craft books from the 1970s. Even though I lived through most of it, I don't think I was old enough to really appreciate what was happening. I'm finding so many of the ideas and concepts that were being explored then stll so relevant to the times we live in today.

Enter our Modern Thanksgiving contest for 3 chances to win a $1000 shopping spree on DwellStudio.com... ends this Thursday, 11/15! Enter here >

A. Glazed Linen Pearl

B. Landsmeer Citrine

C. Dotted Diamonds Ash

D. Banks Smoke

(Clockwise from top left)

See how our Facebook friends would design Mallory >

A. Banks Pool

B. Glazed Linen Pearl

C. Chelsea Ash

D. Glynn Linen Charcoal

(clockwise from top left)

Take 20% off all upholstered furniture during our Upholstery Event!

]]> Tue, 09 Oct 2012 15:35:05 +0000 http://www.dwellstudio.com/blog/design-larkin-sofa/ We asked our Facebook friends how they would design our Larkin Sofa. And we would love to hear your thoughts too!

A. Medallion Band Mineral

B. Hatta Flannel

C. Flanders SandMagnus Mineral

D. Magnus Mineral

(Clockwise from top left)

Get creative with your fall redecoration during our Upholstery Event! Take 20% off all upholstered furniture...

Shop the sale >

Related Posts

How would you dress Calvin?

A. Glazed Linen Pearl

B. Landsmeer Red Currant

C. Snake Chain Dove

D. Glynn Linen Charcoal

(Clockwise from top left)

Plus: Take 20% off all upholstered furniture! Shop the Upholstery Event >

We started by pairing tailored accents like the fitted pleat at the corner of our Sabine Ottoman with the sharp suiting of our Hatta Flannel upholstery on our Bancroft Sofa. We softened the masculine tone with the painterly botanicals of our Vintage Aviary artwork and flanked our Bancroft sofa with gilded pieces—our Franklin Side Cabinet with a Gold Leaf finish on one side and our Gazelle Table in Antique Gold on the other—for a touch of graceful gilt. To polish the look we added the shapely silhouettes of our decorative vases and pulled the room together with our Mini Stripe Rug. We adore this menswear-inspired room... what do you think?

Browse our new Fall Catalog for more interior design inspiration!

Find your seating style with our collection of well-crafted and customizable chairs.

Related Posts:

Object of Affection - Les Toiles de Soleil Tote

An American Tale – DwellDialogue with… Woody

And here's a peek at her initial sketches...

Thanks for sharing!

P.S. see our whole line of modern baby bedding >

Crafted in classic sailor stripes (one of our current Pinterest obsessions) with 100% cotton canvas on traditional looms for sun-stain and water-resistant durability and designed with packability in mind—the roomy interior makes stashing everything from flip-flops to weekend reading a breeze. Our new go-to tote will carry on all season.

Bonus: Pair it with matching mini pouches for an extra dose of organization.

Shop the full summer collection>

Just before the store launch, we managed to snag a few moments with our awesome architects to chat about the design process behind the DwellStudio Flagship store…

Meet Gray Davis (R) and Will Meyer (L) of Meyer Davis Studio.

Tell us about your relationship with DwellStudio and Christiane.

GRAY DAVIS: We originally met Christiane and Josh when we helped them with their loft in soho. They just have a great energy about them. We had a lot of fun working with them on that project, and when they needed to expand we ended up helping them on the design of their new DwellStudio offices here on 6th Avenue as well. It's a really natural team effort with them. Their aesthetic and our aesthetic mesh well together.

WILL MEYER: We've developed a long term relationship with them. We're always recommending DwellStudio textiles and products to our clients, and they have used us to design their apartment and their beach house, so this has been the natural next step. We do a lot of specialty retail design.

(View of the DwellStudio flagship from Wooster Street.)

What was the overall concept for the space?

WM: We do Oscar de la Renta's stores and the John Varvatos stores—which have very different atmospheres, but they are very specialty environments. For Oscar's stores, his sales environment represents his personality and for John Varvatos who is this rock-n-roll personality—we wanted that to come across in the retail environment. With DwellStudio it was really important to have their personality and sensibilities speak through the design.

(Overview of retail space.)

GD: I think one of the things that's important to create in a store's retail environment is to have it feel like a real residential environment. When you go into a lot of stores and see product lined up you don't really get a sense of how the things will feel in your home. That is one of the things we worked hard on—to design the space with nice lighting and good finishes so that the space has an authentic residential quality. That's one of the things that will really set the DwellStudio store apart—that the store feels more like a home with the beautiful Farrow and Ball finishes on the door and the lacquer and brass detailing and the mixing of all the different metals and these vitrines that we've had custom made that are based on vitrines that Christiane had found in Paris and then we had them custom made.

(One of the custom-made vitrines.)

WM: Everything in the store is custom made—it's all functional. There's a real beauty to the design. The details of the space were really thought out. If you look at the DwellStudio collection, it's referential to many different periods. One of our goals was to really let that come across in the store.

GD: It's very tailored, very timeless.

Any interesting anecdotes from the design process?

WM: It was really pretty smooth—we really like working together—it's just fun. We have a lot of the same design values, and there's a real harmony there.

(Inspiration board for the store layout.)

GD: Typically when you're working with someone on the design of their house or store or restaurant, a lot of the effort is getting them on board with your concept, but with Josh and Christiane and Jen you're already on board and you can really focus on fine tuning all the details.

WM: When you're in tune with each other, you leap frog that whole initial concept, and you immediately go into the meaningful and tactile details that will make store timeless.

(Custom-made counter and hand-sewn upholstered wall.)

GD: Working with them and with them being so design-savvy, you can really push the envelope and take more risks than you would normally. You really want to create this store that's unlike another store, and I think thats what was really fun with this project—the amount of risks that we were enabled to take. We did all these really dark finishes to get it to look very luxe. They would throw out an idea, and we would pick up and run with it, or we would throw out something, and they would tweak it to their aesthetic. It was a really fun process. It's just a really nice relationship.

We're very excited about out new Soho address (77 Wooster!). How does the location of a space inspire and influence the design?

GD: It's in this beautiful, old iron facade loft-like building. It's kind of that classic Soho building and some of the elements had been really stripped down. We added a brick wall to bring back that sort of loft-like feel with the original tin ceilings—we repaired them and added new lighting but we wanted to be respectful of the type of lighting that you might have seen in that space originally—with industrial looking lights. We brought in more modern layers by having the lights lacquered with this high-gloss finish, so there's this juxtaposition of the industrial feel with these really nice finishes.

(Products displayed in the window.)

WM: The design of the store is very respectful to DwellStudio's aesthetic and marries well with the design of all their furnishings.

(Dark shelving with gold accents.)

Tell us about how you find inspiration.

WM: On our travels—we have projects all over the world, and we so we travel all the time. We get to see and have exposure to a lot of different environments.

GD: In Hong Kong you might see something, or if you're in some great little shop in Belgium you might see some beautiful finish or a quirky piece, and your mind just starts spinning. You can really jump off from there.

Thank you Meyer Davis Studio for taking the time to chat with us... We love our Soho shop on 77 Wooster!

Shop our debut dining collection>

From design scouting, to sketching, sample testing, to mood board presentations and final product reviews, the life cycle of the design process is a storied affair. Our designers delve into archives, travel the globe and sift through flea market finds to craft beautiful pieces of furniture that compliment a sophisticated and modern sensibility. Our Chester Sofa draws on a classic Mid-Century aesthetic—clean lines, sharp seams, tufted buttons, exposed legs and softly curved arms. Every detail is studied, considered and perfected. Peep our design road map below!

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