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House Gardens People: Profile Bradley Agather At Home

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.”