Welcome to my first installment of a blog series I’m calling “Liquid Gold” in honor of an interior designer who my family hired in the ’80s. His name was Scott Gold, only my father nicknamed him “Liquid Gold.” I don’t know why . . . maybe because of his bold choices . . . or maybe because of how much he charged us!
But I’m sure Scott would have been just as knocked down as I was by all the innovative and beautiful lighting at the recent Lightovation: Dallas International Lighting Show hosted by Dallas Market Center.
Confession: For the past 25 years I’ve survived on a writer’s salary, so I had no clue that lighting has become art. That lighting is now both a science and a technology. That lighting is the exquisite “jewelry” for the home.
True, I covered the markets from May 2016 to December 2018 as the chief editor of Casual Living magazine. But that just means I’m stewed in outdoor furnishings. (Casual Market Atlanta, I can’t wait to see you soon!) And true, since February 2022, I covered markets as the managing editor of BedTimes and Sleep Savvy magazines. But that just means if you need a mattress recommendation — I’m your gal!
So this was my first Dallas Market and my first foray into the lighting category. It did not disappoint! Here are just a few pieces that lit my fire (hint: you may be reading about a few of these brands in the August/September issue).
Mirror, Mirror
I had so much fun at Eurofase! According to the great Patti Carpenter who gave a fantastic trend talk from her time at Salone del Mobile, mirrors are back! (Check out her Salone Experience in the June issue.) And what could be better than LED mirrors with an on/off defogger? (This means I could hop out of the shower and immediately apply my mascara — eureka!)
Sidebar: Eurofase had another bright idea — Bourbon Night! I would highly recommend this as a future activity at Dallas Market Center. It could be a Best Bourbon contest that all the showrooms could participate in. But then again, how would we all get up and do it again the next day?
Pretty in Pink
The Legrand showroom gets my Hot Now! Award. Why? They presented their new colorful light plates paired with a matching floral bouquet. And THEN, paired those with a coordinating brunch buffet alongside the flowers. So for example, the new pink Rosa light plates perched amid pink roses, displayed by strawberry pink frosted doughnuts, with sprinkles, (yes, Diane and I each had one), served with pink champagne. That’s my kinda showroom! And aren’t the new colors intriguing? Mystic (blue), Rosa, Oatmeal, Peachy and Evergreen.
Glowing & Green
I so enjoyed meeting Matty at wakaNine, which has a store in Austin, TX, (and as we know, Austin is the nexus of all cool things). These are the new nature-inspired lighting pendants by David Truebridge. Here’s what I love about them: They're made of sustainable materials (70 percent of the wood fibers are from renewable sources), some are actually for outdoor use, and the pops of color from the inside — wow! But what’s even cooler are the shadows that these pendants cast on the walls around them, both inside and outside. (Don’t miss my biophilic design piece, Blurred Lines, in the July issue.)
Rock Glam
If Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters ever decided to be a brand ambassador for a lighting company, this would be it. Check out the solid metal light switches and dimmers at Buster + Punch London. They’re like steampunk meets fashion meets sub-culture meets music. Designer/Founder Massimo Buster Minale’s goal is to transform everyday functional fittings into extraordinary home items. Done! (They also have furniture and home accessories . . . even candles. Be still my heart.)
Crystal Decadence
Once I placed second-runner-up in a beauty contest and I won a $600 scholarship. (That was a lot of money back in 1937 — kidding!) And growing up I always watched the Miss Universe pageants. Apres Dallas Market, I’ve decided that if you’ve always wanted to win that tiara but didn’t, possibly the next best thing would be placing a glamorous crystal chandelier in your home. This one by Eurofase might be a bit large for my 1,200-square-foot townhouse — but who needs scale! And of course (pause for respect), Schonbek, the king of hand-cut crystal chandeliers, recently celebrated its 150th anniversary. This new Calliope design is a modern take on their legacy styles.
I hope by now that all of you have fully recovered from Dallas Market and are ready for Atlanta! (Countdown is now 4 days to choose outfits.)
And I’ll leave you with . . .
What I’m Watching: Diane von Furstenburg, Woman in Charge, on Hulu.
What I’m Reading: Leanne Ford’s Feel Free magazine. (Keep going, Leanne! I love it!)
What Made Me Smile: Jeff Dross’ shoe/sock combination.
