Second Place Design Professional 2010 National Competition

July/August 2010

May we have your opinion? Is this table crazy or cool?

“Dear God. Is it possible to euthanize a table? If so, put her down.”-Beth Dotolo, Interior Designer

House Gardens People- July 2, 2010

By Rebecca Sherman/ Photography by Justin Clemens/ Photography by Kevin Dotolo

Photo by Justin Clemens

23-year-old Dallas girl Bradley Agather has a fashionista’s dream job. Fresh out of UT, the former W magazine and Teen Vogue intern is a brand coordinator for DKNY Watches and Jewelry with offices in Richardson.

“I work with the product team and we do trend shopping or inspiration shopping, turning ideas we like into watches and jewelry,” such as jelly sandals into jelly watch bands, she explains. The newest fashion obsessions get covered in her style blog, Luella & June, which she launch with best friend Alison Gross.

Photo by Kevin Dotolo

When she moved into her 2,000 square ft. Turtle Creek area condo last summer, friend Lauren Chapman (best friends since 7th grade!) suggested she hire Nest in-house designer Beth Dotolo to help her pull it all together.   Dotolo and Agather built a pink and turquoise color palette around vintage Pucci fabric that Agather found at an antiques store in Oak Cliff.  They turned the yardage, once destined for Braniff Airlines uniforms, into pillows and chair upholstery.

The gray and white sofa was designed by Dotolo. The artwork is a collage of paper and metals, by Dallas-based artist Sunny Sliger, which Bradley and power banker mom Elaine Agather bought at Beaux Arts Ball about five years ago. (Dad Neils is the director of a private arts foundation). A pair of side tables, formerly in her parents home, were given a coat of white paint. The lamps were a thrift store find in Austin, which Dotolo fitted with fresh shades.

Photo by Kevin Dotolo

This iron vanity chair, which belonged to Bradley’s grandmother, was repainted white and recovered it 60s-era Pucci fabric. The framed photo above is of a pink Barbie dress, which she bought on Etsy.

Photo by Kevin Dotolo

“Pink is definitely my favorite color, but I mix it with lots of neutral pieces,” says Bradley. “It’s the same approach to getting dressed. You invest in great basics, then accessorize with color.”  For her new apartment, Bradley recovered and repainted furniture that she grew up with, snagged when her parents de-cluttered the family home.

Dotolo designed custom pieces such as the pink and white headboard, and hot pink tiger stripe pillows. The night tables are ones from her childhood bedroom, repainted white, and the lamp is one that Bradley grew up with at home, repainted turquoise and white.

Photo by Kevin Dotolo

This heart-shaped chair, originally purchased at Junkadoodle and covered in plaid upholstery, was in Bradley’s dorm room at UT for years.  The Jim Dine painting was mom Elaine’s first piece of art, says Bradley. Now it hangs in her bedroom.

Photo by Justin Clemens

“I love design magazines,” says Bradley. “Ever since high school, I’ve been putting tear sheets of anything I love in a binder. I also love design blogs. They are additctive. I get som many great ideas from them, and I’ve got a folder on my desktop that I save my pictures to.” Some of Bradley’s favorite blogs are Coco+Kelly, Elements of Style, Design Sponge, Style Swoon, and Habitually Chic.

Says Bradley: “I get up in the morning and read the New York Times. I actually get the paper. Then I get back in bed and read the blogs.”

By Rebecca Sherman/ Photography by Justin Clemens

Color Her World

She may have been an Idlewild and Dallas Symphony deb, but these days USC grad Lauren Chapman has traded the social whirl for SMU’s rigorous MA/MBA programe in arts administration. This summer, Chapman, 23, traveled to Vietnam and China before starting an internship in Washington, D.C. at the National Gallery of Art.  This fall she’s headed to Milan for a semester of study.  Her multi-tasking skills come from parents Vicki Chapman, former Crystal Charity Ball chairman, and Robert Chapman, a Deloitte managing partner.

Chapman’s 1938 cottage in West Highland Park is decorated with her favorite photos, including a black and white series of Katharine Hepburn, shot by the late society photographer Andy Hanson, a family friend gave them to her along with valuable advice on the art of portraiture.

The 1,800 square foot, two-bedroom house, purchased in 2009 and redone with the help of designer Beth Dotolo of Nest, is decked out in bold color and graphic prints. “My biggest influence is Jonathan Adler,” says Chapman, who played off of Adler’s penchant for geometrics in several custom pieces designed by Dotolo. The most unexpected thing about her new house? “I don’t think of myself as a girly-girl, but I really love my girly bedroom,” she says.

Pink Perfection

Bradley Agather has a fashionista’s dream job. The 23-year-old UT-Austin grad and former W magazine and Teen Vogue intern is a brand coordinator for DKNY Watches and Jewelry, and works with a product team out of Richardson.  ”We do trend shopping, or inspiration shopping, turning ideas we like into watches and jewelry,” she explains.  She also keeps tabs on fashion in her style blo, Luella & June, launched with her best friend Alison Gross. And, she’s on the advisory board of TAG, the young members group of the Center for BrainHealth, a research institute at UTD.  When she moved into her 2,00 0-square-foot Turtle Creek area condo last summer, friend Lauren Chapman suggested she hire designer Beth Dotolo to help her pull it all together.  Dotolo and Agather built a pink and turquoise color palette around some vintage Pucci fabric that Agather found at an antiques store in Oak Cliff, turning the yardage, once destined for Braniff Airlines uniforms, into pillows and chair upholstery.  ”Pink is definitely my favorite color, but I mix it with lots of neutral pieces, ” says Agather, who repurposed furniture she grew up with, snagged when power banker mom Elaine Agather de-cluttered the family home shared with dad Beils, director of a private arts foundation.

Before & After: Beth’s Sofa + Slipper Chair

i’m feeling a little under the weather today so i’m going to kick off the before & afters a little early so i can try to work in a little half-day off to rest up. these first two projects come from beth at nest interior design. i love the way she updated this sofa and added the cording detail- it gives the finished result such a crisp, clean feel. not to mention it makes you completely forget about that cheetah print nightmare the couch was before. click here to check out more of beth’s design work online. Read more…

By Grace Bonney / Photography by Kevin Dotolo

Lower Oak Lawn  – February 2010

Designer Spotlight: Bradley’s Bold Abode

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.

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.

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.

Photos courtesy of {Kevin Dotolo Photography}

Read more…

By Kendall Shiffler / Photography by Kevin Dotolo

By Lauren Niebes / Photography by Stephen Karlisch for Karlisch Kids

There’s a first time for everything in our lives: first car, first date, first kiss—the list is endless. And included on that infinite list of firsts is a first home—not to mention the first child. First-time mom Beth Dotolo, along with husband Kevin and their newborn baby boy Maxton, chose East Dallas to establish their very first abode. Built circa 1961, the home is furnished with pieces they both accumulated prior to becoming husband and wife. The home is accented with art (including some by Kevin, a photographer and art director at Neiman Marcus) and mementos they’ve collected together. The collaboration is impressive, momentous and personal—not surprising for a couple heavily entrenched in the local creative industry. And like the Dotolos, the home is a complementary union, a harmony of styles. But in this start-up home where “bang for the buck” is of the utmost importance, Beth, a 29-year-old interior designer for Nest Interior Design, has the eye to make designing on a dime work for this family of three. While the three-bedroom, two-bath home is mostly swathed in neutral tones, the Dotolos count on their art to introduce color and character. Case in point, three screen-printed Wilco gig posters hang above the camel-colored couch, adding pops of color to the otherwise neutral living room. Yes, the posters make a bold statement, but they also hold sentimental value. According to the new mom, “We’ve made it a point to surround ourselves with objects that mean something to our story together.” Kevin (a member of the local band El Gato) walked down the aisle at their 2008 wedding to the tune “Either Way” from Wilco’s Sky Blue Sky album. But when we asked the interior designer about her favorite aspect of the room, she says it’s the greeting cards they discovered at Uncommon Objects in Austin. Dotolo cut out the backgrounds of the Dick and Jane-style greeting cards and had them custom framed in shadow boxes that now hang next to the fireplace. [continued below...]

The neutral living room aside, the Dotolos’ home isn’t all decorated in neutral tones. Enter Maxton’s turquoise nursery and you instantly know the creative duo isn’t afraid of color. Accented with white and decorated with inexpensive art by Dallas company Bee Things, the room has a sophisticated yet surprisingly calm atmosphere. As a coincidence, the film Where the Wild Things Are hit theaters as Dotolo was in her final months of pregnancy. The couple had already chosen the name Maxton (Max for short), so friends began gifting the couple with figurines of the characters from the movie, and a nursery theme was born! Walk into the kitchen, and the first thing you notice is the writing on the walls. Literally. The previous homeowners painted the walls with chalkboard paint. It fit the Dotolos’ own personalities so well that it remains untouched. Now the walls are scribbled with everything from menus to artwork—a mistletoe sketch “hangs” above the doorway. And to make the kitchen more functional, they added a rolling island from IKEA for storage and counter space. Connected to the kitchen is an eclectic dining room, with a mix of contrasting styles and textures—even the chairs have unique finishes. Dark grey walls are accented by the natural wood of a sunburst mirror, along with the mismatched side chairs, white Verner Panton end chairs and a work-table style dining table. The ensemble is perfectly complemented by the original hardwood floors. This room also shows off the witty Jonathan Adler ceramic pieces that Beth collects—the mustached vase being her favorite. Overall, what really makes this house a home to envy is the family’s dedication to making their living space reflect who they are. Asked what she loves most about her home, Beth says, hands down, is its warmth. “Our home is comfortable, humble and, most important, personal,” says the stylish new mom. We think it’s quite the accomplishment for a first home.

BETH’S FAVORITE …

Music to play when entertaining: Indie rock with ambiance. The Shins, Fleet Foxes, El Gato, My Morning Jacket

Color to design with: Turquoise has always been a favorite and it happens to be the Pantone color of 2010

Flowers to put out around the house: I’m partial to succulents and cactus. I can’t seem to keep flowers alive!

Quick design tip: Paint, paint, paint! Don’t be afraid to go dark or bold.

Design blog: Well, the Nest Interior Design blog, of course! nestdallasdesign.blogspot.com

Era of design: The current design era is my favorite! It’s eclectic, personal and doesn’t have strict rules.

Coffee table book: Not for the faint at heart … The LaChapelle Trilogy: LaChapelle Land, Hotel LaChapelle and LaChapelle Heaven to Hell

Glamorous and Chic Interiors from Nest Design

I actually discovered this firm because I was looking for some web design inspiration for an upcoming project, and ran across their site on a web design gallery. The firm is called Nest, and they’re located in Dallas, TX. I hope you like! I love this conservatory – the mix of elegance brought in by the chairs and dining sets, with the roughness of the stone pavers and logs is a chic contrast. Love this chair and the wallpaper! See more at their beautiful site! Read More…

By Ashley of Decorology / Photography by Kevin Dotolo

By Fabulous K / Photography by Kevin Dotolo

Details.

While reading this feature on designer Beth Dotolo on Styleture , I was reminded that it’s all in the details: Sophisticated skulls? Genius. The drawer pulls? Simply gorgeous! You can read the designer profile on Beth here, and can see more of her designs here (website) and here (blog). Photography by Kevin Dotolo . Read More…

Home Front: Expert Tips, News and Happenings from the Dallas Metro Home Improvement Community

New Interior-Design Firm

Nest, a Dallas-based home furnishings and gift emporium, recently announced the launch of its new interior-design business, Nest Interior Design. Helmed by award-winning nationally and state-certified Registered Interior Designer Beth Dotolo, ASID, LEED AP, and a team of highly experienced and skilled interior-design professionals, the firm provides a full range of planning and design services and can oversee all phases of a project from initial consultation to schematic design and development, construction administration, purchasing and procurement and final installation. For more information, visit www.nestdallasdesign.com.

By Amy Meadows / Photography by Kevin Dotolo