Metropolitan Home Is Now Homeless.

Met Home's next issue will be it's last.

It's a sad day for modern home design enthusiasts. Metropolitan Home will be closing it's door by year end. The December 2009 issue will be the last for the venerable shelter magazine after 28 years in publication. Everyone that currently has a subscription to Met Home will now receive Elle Decor instead.

Metropolitan Home is joining a growing list of defunct home decor magazines with Domino, House and Garden, and O at Home all closing it's doors in the past 18 months. With the tough housing market, struggling home furnishings industry, and bad economy, shelter magazines are facing dwindling ad revenues.

Hopefully as retail sales rebounds this Holiday season and beyond, we'll be able to keep reading current shelter magazines, and new shelter magazines will emerge in these opportunistic times.

LIVESTRONG Day with High Fashion Home!

Please join us this Friday, October 2nd at High Fashion Home and show your support in the fight against cancer. High Fashion Home will donate 10% of your total purchase (both in-store and online) to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. We will also be giving out LIVESTRONG wristbands to help raise cancer awareness.

LIVESTRONG Day is the Lance Armstrong Foundation's one-day initiative to unite people affected by cancer in raising awareness of cancer issues on a global level and in communities across the country.

October 2nd is going to be a great day where you can buy unique furniture, fabrics, gifts, and accessories with part of the proceeds going to a wonderful cause. Check out our LIVESTRONG page for details.

The Galleria, Part III

It took us a while, but we finally changed out our Houston Galleria display for the first time in 4 months. We dialed it back and went for a more minimalist approach. Check out the photos below:

We got tired of showing off shades of brown. We went for the bold statement route with this modern sectional in a nice pink velvet.

Contemporary sectional design with down-blend cushions...can't beat that combination.

Our best selling Santomer Dining Table paired with the Louis Ghost Armchairs. Kind of want this combination for my own house.

The Jefferson Bed in a linen look fabric. The tufted buttons and nailhead detailing makes for a very classic, glamourous combination.

The Jefferson Chairs with the Donnabella Chest from Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams.

I'm in love with a table!

Everyone is in love with the Peroba wood, which is 80-100 year old reclaimed wood from Brazil. The wood from old barns, houses, and bridges that have been torn down are incorporated in simple, modern designs. That combination brings a very unique flair to the furniture piece.

The London Bridge Meets The Shard!

Came across a cool blog from 2modern about the London Bridge Quarter development. The Shard, a 72-story mixed-use skyscraper, will be the centerpiece for the project. The Shard will include residential, hospitality, office, and retail components. Once completed, it'll be the tallest building in Western Europe. Check out some renderings of The Shard and the London skyline.

The Shard might give the London Bridge and the London Eye a run for their money as London's most recognizable symbols.

The Shard will be 1004 feet tall upon completion. In city where most everything is in the 4-10 story scale, The Shard will be quite a site to behold.


Very few cities look as beautiful as London at night.

The Shard is being designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop. Quite the name for an architecture firm, who just happened to design the Menil Collection Museum in Houston.

These panoramic views of London never get old! Simply breathtaking.

With as much precipitation as London gets, these massive, clear glass canopies offer rain protection, yet preserve maximum sunlight for pedestrians.

More Fabrics! High Fashion Fabrics Now Online!

High Fashion Fabrics' E-commerce Website

Our sister store, High Fashion Fabrics, just launched their e-commerce site over the weekend. The layout is very similar to the HF Home site. They sell apparel, garment, and craft fabrics for weddings, evening wear, and various sewing projects.

Oprah + High Fashion Home!

The September Oprah issue just hit newsstands. The Faux Malachite Jewelry Box made the O List as one of the few things they think are just great. This is the first time High Fashion Home has ever been mentioned by Oprah magazine. So it was pretty emotional seeing it for the first time.

5,070 Trees and Counting...

Photo by: angela7dreams

Thanks to all our customers for joining High Fashion Home and the Arbor Day Foundation for helping plant 5,070 trees. I'm trying to envision 5,070 trees, and I'm picturing a nice, medium size forest. But really, any little thing we can do for the environment is a definite plus.

Here are some of the benefits one tree can make for years to come:

• One tree can absorb more than a ton of carbon dioxide
• Over the cours of 50 years, a single tree can control $31,500 of soil erosion.
• Trees help maintain clean water supplies.
• One tree produces nearly 260 pounds of oxygen a year.
• Trees help maintain clean water supplies.

My math says our trees will help produce 1,318,000 pounds of oxygen in the next year. Not bad at all.

Banners and Signs!

After 3 plus years and Hurricane Ike, High Fashion Home finally has actual banners and billboards up. How can something so simple, take so long? I think it's just the nature of working with sign companies. But everything is up and it looks great!

We used a perforated vinyl graphic that shows great imagery on the outside, yet a lot of natural light illuminates the interior space.

Ten months after Hurricane Ike dumped 1000 gallons of water into our building and blew out our corner sign, we finally were able to get our billboards back up.

I think our ourdoor photoshoot came off quite nicely.

The turquoise floral velvet has been a hit ever since we've started running this ad. Too bad the fabric has since been discontinued.

This is our 3rd attempt to get our banners right. Hopefully, we won't have to worry about these for another 5 years.

These banners are so integral to our building architecture. Our buidling finally looks they way Gensler intended it to be.

World's Most Stunning Skylines: FT

Guess who is on the list? Houston.

If you are like me, I have a great affinity for downtown skylines. Some people prefer great parks or beautiful ocean views. I happen to enjoy staring out onto towering concrete and steel structures. The Forbes Traveler came up with a list of world's most stunning city skylines. Check out eight of the great urban silhouettes.



Chicago: From modern skyscrapers like the John Hancock Center and the Sears Tower—the world’s tallest high-rise building for more than 23 years ending in 1997—to earlier icons such as the 1895 Reliance Tower and 463-foot-tall Chicago Tribune Tower, completed in 1925, Chicago boasts a skyline of monumental proportions.


Sydney: More people recognize the glorious Sydney Opera House than have probably ever been to an opera.


Dubai: It was clear with the erection of the 1,053-foot-tall Burj al Arab Hotel in 1999 that the sheikdom of Dubai was bent on stealing the global skyline spotlight. Lest there be any doubt, consider that this year Dubai will be home to the tallest skyscraper in the world: the 1,900-foot Burj Dubai tower.


Seattle: Seattle’s location between Puget Sound and Lake Washington lends an impressive backdrop to its central skyline, of which the Space Needle has been the most recognizable feature since its completion in 1962.


Paris: It’s an absence of skyscrapers that defines the French capital’s skyline (with no usable surfaces, the Eiffel Tower doesn’t count). Thanks to its concentration of historic slate gray-roofed six and seven-story buildings, many of which date from the mid-19th century and before, Paris has a remarkably uniform skyline for a city of its size.



London: London’s Parliament and Big Ben “were skyscrapers in their time,” say architects Peter Stamberg and Paul Aferiat. “And today London has some amazing modern buildings, such as The London Eye and the Norman Foster-designed ‘Gherkin’ building, which looks like a giant pickle.


Houston: “Houston has the Transco Tower and also Pennzoil Place, two towers that kiss,” say New York architects Peter Stamberg and Paul Aferiat, “and all three are Philip Johnson buildings.”


Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh has one of America’s great unsung skylines.

Earth Day 2009: More Trees!

Thanks to everyone for helping partner with High Fashion Home and the Arbor Day Foundation. As of March 31st, 2009, we have now planted 3,554 trees. For every piece of furniture purchased, one tree is planted. 3,554 trees may seem a lot or it may seem a little. Either way, we appreciate everyone with helping us make a difference. Addressing our global climate change is bigger than any one person or organization. It's going to take all of us to pitch in and contribute.


The benefits of one tree can make a positive impact for years to come:

• One tree can absorb more than a ton of carbon dioxide
• Over the course of 50 years, a single tree can control $31,500 of soil erosion.
• Trees help maintain clean water supplies.
• One tree produces nearly 260 pounds of oxygen a year.

Learn more about how you can help.

What recession? $150 Million Home On The Market.

This London home located in the prestigious Belgraves Square can be had for $150 million. What does that get you exactly? 21,000 square feet, 8 bedrooms, 20 foot ceiling heights, a huge basement, and a street address that houses "billionaires row." If you quite afford the asking price of this white stucco beauty, their is a much more affordable house on the market across the street. Asking price...$120 million. via-freshome

Facebook: We Have Arrived!

We finally decided to join the modern, world wide community. High Fashion Home officially has a facebook page. Check it out and become a High Fashion fan!

The Galleria Madness Continues...

Not wanting our area to get stale, we switched out the furniture for a fresher, lighter, Spring look for April! What do you think?

For arguments sake, let's call this the front. The Melina Bed in natural, earth tones flanked by two side tables.

A very rustic Louis Bookcase conjures images of Springtime antiquing trips!

I love the blue velvet used to cover these chairs. It adds a good dose of color to the neutral Louis Dining Table.

We wouldn't dare get rid of the Teak Root Coffee Table! It pairs perfectly with everything, including the Chester Sofa.

The very cool Dome Chair actually blocks out some of the noise when you sit in it! It would be an excellent book-reading chair!

Continuing the "Natural" theme with Tree Stump Sculptures atop the 9-Drawer Sideboard.

The fabric on these chairs is so soft. People couldn't help but touch them!

I think this area is my favorite. Adding a little greenery is always a good choice, whether it's real (in the mini-greenhouse) or fake (on the chair). The Bowling Desk is a great little writing desk, too!

Passers-by in the Galleria seemed to like the pieces we chose for the area. Hopefully, we'll impress them even more with next months vignette! We'll keep you posted!

Congrats, Eclectorator!

The winning trendboard!

Today, Eclectorator and I attended Fashion Group International's Career Day Houston, where she won 1st place for the Interior Design competition. Needless to say, she was very pleasantly surprised- I had to give her a little nudge up to the stage! From all of us here at High Fashion Home: Congratulations, Eclectorator!!!

The gracious winner!

Trees Make a World of Difference!

High Fashion Home has teamed up with the Arbor Day Foundation, to plant one tree for every piece of furniture purchased. Our first donation is in, and we'd like to thank all of our customers for helping to plant 2,197 trees. Our reforestation efforts are aimed at Western States that have been ravaged by forest fires in recent years. Let's keep making a difference one tree at a time!

Lingering extreme drought conditions have set the stage for wildfires in many western states, including Montana, Oregon and California.

Yes, We Can!

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

In case you haven't heard, we do have a new president coming into office this month. Barack Obama ran his campaign on the message of 'Change'. His first big 'Change' initiative will be to redecorate the White House. He's enlisted the help of superstar, interior decorator Michael Smith. Smith's interiors mix furniture and art from a wide range of styles and periods in a way that is harmonious and modern.

His list of celebrity clients include Steven Spielberg, Dustin Hoffman, Brian Grazer, and Cindy Crawford. For more on this breaking, home decor news, head over to Domino. Check out some of his work below:

Discover the "Green" in you!!

Attention Houston!

We have a NEW park in town and it's the coolest because it's green! I know, you're sitting there saying, "Aren't most parks...green??" Well, yes and no. The special thing about this park is the fact that it's LEED certified. Again, "What's that?" Well, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a new organization that regulates and sets standards for sustainable construction.

Discovery Green has an acre sized lake, a children's park, interactive water features, public art works and spacious lawns. It's located downtown near the George R. Brown Convention Center, Minute Maid Park, and the Toyota Center. How 'bout this? If you're bored one weekend, (especially since it's "winter") you can go ice skating for $10! Or, check out the park's calendar and see what's going on at the amphitheater! Take your dog, of any size, for a run! You could even grab a couple cocktails or a trendy meal at The Grove, or The Lake House--two of Houston's up-and-coming restaurants.

Once you visit you might think, "This park doesn't look any different than any other park I've been to..." Au contraire, my friend! The park uses recycled water is used to fill Kinder Lake, and what's even cooler is the oak trees seen throughout the park were rescued and transplanted to shade the trail!

The park encourages the community to be involved by offering a recycling every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. as well as hosting the Downtown Green Market that is held Thursday from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. where local growers sell fresh fruits and veggies just for you!

Last but not least, The Grove has a green roof where they grow herbs and spices and the energy produced from the solar paneled roof on The Lake House could run two average American households! Yep. Awesome.
So, I don't know about you but I'm definitely going to be making a trip to Discovery Green. I better see you there!

Book Madness: Day 1

Our team was inspired by the September issue of Metropolitan Home. In it, they highlighted the interior decor from the Showtime hit show, Californication. We decided to take on the task of building one ourselves, book by book.


11-15-08: Lady S' knees are hurting! Task seems daunting. Morale low. Hope to finish by the 2012 Olympics in London. But we will press on..a slave to our craft...

You might even find some surprises hidden within our book tower... No, your eyes do not decieve you. That's JK Rowling's wildly popular Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in there! Who knows what other classics we'll stumble upon in this journey...

Here's our inspiration photo and our goal. We think David Duchovny would be proud of our efforts.

Our fearless leader also got the grand idea to follow suit with a 3 row by 4 row stacked book coffee table:

This table was the talk of the of the town in its completion, catching lots of HFH customer's attention. (I've also heard the DaVinci Code is located within base.)




Til' next time..

A Different World

A full view of The Great Indoors by Aurora Robson.

I apologize in advance for telling you this on such late notice. There is an amazing exhibit at the Rice Gallery and I've only just seen it. Aurora Robson has created a new world inside the Rice Gallery. You might remember the blog I wrote about another exhibit entitled Dans la Lune by Kirsten Hassenfeld. This was another one of those experiences- the kind where every direction I turned there was something new and beautiful to look at. The artist literally transformed the small gallery space into, what I would describe as, a colorful planet in outer space.

Every piece of the 15,000 plastic bottles she collected was used to create something beautiful.

At first, you walk in through a vibrant tunnel, with each section looking unique from the one before. In the center of the tunnel, you come to a small cave, centered around a solar-powered, LED-lit, vivid red ornament resembling the heart of the world. Outside the tunnel are free-hanging configurations that conjure images of alien creatures.

I couldn't get enough of the free-hanging heart within the center of the tunnel.

One of the lavish creatures hanging outside of the tunnel.

According to the artist, her landscape was based on the human body, explaining the warm color palette used. Perhaps the coolest part of the exhibit is the materials she used: recycled plastic bottles. Any green you see is a Sprite bottle. For the ribs of the tunnel, she used only Poland Spring brand water. Most of the plastic is airbrushed with water-based paint giving it an impossibly consistent, tinted look.

A closeup of one of the hanging ornaments. I can only imagine how much time it took to create just one of these detailed masterpieces.

See the Rice Gallery website for more information, but keep in mind that pictures don't do this exhibit justice! If you have time to check it out before it closes on Sunday, October 26th, prepare to be amazed!

PR5 Report: Episode 4

I was a fan of Leanne's design. Stay on this track, Leanne!!!

A challenge worthy of the gods... well almost, actually. The designers were challenged to create a look for our American Olympians for the opening ceremony of the Summer Games, and, oh boy!, was there a variety of designs! We were given sporty to cocktail attire and everywhere in between. I was glad to see that Joe was given more screen time as I think he is one of the greater talents this season. Korto put out another fantastic design which was promptly given the gold medal. If you didn't see her design in episode three (a very flattering black jumpsuit), click here now and enjoy it. Terri also put forth a good ensemble. Perhaps I'll have to revise my choices for the top three?

From left: Terri's suit, Korto's leather and linen winner,
and Joe's literal take on the challenge.

Of course, with the good, there's is always some... slightly off. Daniel nearly missed elimination with his blue (purple?) cocktail dress. Save that for the post-Games parties. Jennifer was in the hot seat again this week and was eliminated for her ultra-prim and girly skirt and jacket combo. Personally, I enjoy her designs, but a designer has to learn to design for the customer, period. The judges made that point clear and she was auf'd. The judges were also critical of Jerell's design, which, while amazing and creative by any standards, was out of place and too costumey.

From left: Jerell's 40's ensemble, Daniel's purple number, and Jennifer's final bow.

My least favorite of the evening came from Keith (who is starting to really grate on my nerves!). He put together a jacket + poufy skirt + floppy tie ensemble that just didn't scream "Olympian!" However, he did play by the rules and kept it red, white, and blue, which probably redeemed him in the judges' eyes. Oh well.

As usual, check out Entertainment Weekly's take, and more pics at BravoTV.com.

Auf Wiedersehen!

Going to the Chapel

During my daily blog read-a-thon, I came across a contest at Coco+Kelley and I think it's fantastic. Why? 1. Contests are fun and bring out my extremely suppressed competitive side. 2. Weddings are also fun and bring out my girly side (which is never suppressed). 3. Inspiration boards are my specialty as I have books and books of pictures whose sole purpose is to inspire me. Therefore, this contest has everything I need.

Here are the rules: pick one of the 36 rooms chosen for the contest and design a wedding inspiration board around it. Dress, flowers, location, you name it. She even has cool prizes for the winner!

So, add to your to-do list- Pick a picture (the three here are all good options!), design your dream wedding, and submit it to Coco+Kelley. Of course, check out her blog for more information!

PR5 Report: Episode Three: Now With More Leatha!

So Stella finally got her hands on her beloved leatha! Hooray!

Last night's episode was (I thought) more interesting than previous episodes in terms of fashion. We really got more of an idea of what everyone's style is than before. I mean, really, how much can you show off when you're working with groceries? This episode has done well to confirm my choices for the top three. I'm still banking on Kenley (so obviously a judge's favorite and a producer's favorite judging by the amount of airtime she gets), Joe (still the underestimated competitor, he solidly delivers quality albeit not eye-catching work), and Terri (who finally got her chance to shine with the backless number last night).

From left: Kenley's winner, Joe's, and Terri's.

The dismissal of Emily was quite surprising. I thought the judges would favor her tacky-but-well-made design over Jennifer's boring-and-badly-executed dress any day, but apparently I was wrong.

More third persona from Suede. At this point it's wearing extremely thin. I don't care if he designs better than Karl Lagerfeld at this point. The way he talks is so distracting I can't concentrate on what he makes! So stop it already!

Leanne's design and Korto's.

But there were plenty of great designs shown in this episode. Leeanne produced a fantastic little skirt and blouse combo to make up for the disaster that almost got her auf'd last week. Way to bounce back! There was much mention of Korto's sexy black jumpsuit, but I loved it. The jumpsuit is dangerous territory but she pulled it off fabulously. Of course, it helps when a 5'10" glamazon is wearing it.

Once again, see all the pictures at the official Project Runway site, and check out Entertainment Weekly's spot on commentary.

Auf Wiedersehen!

PR5 Report: Episode 2

Well, last night's episode of Project Runway was a wild ride. It seems the theme for last night was too short, badly fitted, and talking in the third person. The old routine of creating a schtick just to get a clip reel dedicated to you during the reunion show is getting really old. Last season it was Christian and his declaring everything "fierce". I can already see it for this season: "Suede rocked it!", "Suede is a bisexual Sagittarius!", blah, blah, blah. We get it, Suede.

Now, focusing on clothing, I'm starting to get a little scared about this bunch. The people getting the most camera time aren't the most talented. The best designs of the evening came from Kenley, Joe (the most underestimated designer of this season), and Terri.

Terri's dress, Joe's dress, and Kenley's (should've been the winner) dress.

And as for the rest of them, I understand that the models didn't give them the most ideal fabrics to work with, but you work with the cards you are dealt. The dresses were either too tight, too short, too 80's, or too badly constructed (auf'd Wesley commited three out of the four sins)! If these designers want to be on par with the designers in seasons past, they are going to have to learn how to "make it work"!

For more, check out the photos from last night, and read Entertainment Weekly's take on the affair.

Auf Wiedersehen!

PR5 Report: Episode 1

From left: Terri's top crocheted from mopheads; Blayne's leotard (certainly turned the judges heads!) made from cabinet liners and woven jumprope.

As a lot of you may know, Project Runway 5 started last night. I can tell this is going to be a bumpy ride. The challenge (taken from season one) was to create a garment out of supplies from the grocery store. Right away, Tim jumped on several of the contestants for choosing tablecloths, which are basically fabric. That defeats the whole purpose of the challenge! However, a few of the contestants took this challenge as a chance to shine and produced some unique creations:

From left: Daniel's plastic cup dress had to be molded to the dress form; Joe's pasta dress made from oven mitts and dry pasta; Kelli's winning design made from bleached and dyed vaccuum cleaner bags and burned coffee filters.

I know I'm not the only one out there watching this show, so what did everyone else think? Let me know!

Auf Wiedersehen!

Project Runway Season 5: Here We Go Again!

The bios of the contestants for Season 5 have just been released (2 days before the premiere which airs Wednesday night at 9pm/8pm Central). 16 designers will duke it out for the chance to show at Fashion Week and, of course, the grand prize. I'll reserve my official judgements on the cast until I see what they do in the first episode, but after reading up on their bios, I can tell that it'll be the usual eclectic mix of people that will create sewing room drama (making me unable to look away). But don't take my word for it... have a look for yourself. I'll update after the episode on Wednesday, so until then... Auf Wiedersehen!

A Starck Reality Show!

Mention his name to any architect, and you'll get some very polarizing opinions about this world famous artist-designer. Philippe Starck's ubiquitous brand stretches across innovative toothbrushes, unique furniture, spectactular interior design, and unbelievable architecture. The man best know for the New Design style is now going to have his own reality TV series on the BBC. Philippe Starck's School of Design show will have 25 British contestants that will battle it out and ultimately be judged by Starck himself. The winner gets a prestigious 6-month internship at Starck's studio.


Check out some of Stark's greatest hits:

Victoria Ghost Chairs: An absolute, iconic beauty!

Duravit AG Design Center in Hornberg, Germany

Starck Arcitecture: Icon Vallarta is a 26-story luxury high rise.

Philippe Starck restaurant in Beijing.

Philippe Starck-designed Microsoft optical mouse

The HF List: High Point 2008: Best of the Beds

Our fearless leaders made their triannual trek to High Point, North Carolina for the big furniture market. As usual, they are on the hunt for new, innovative pieces to bring some extra punch to our showroom floors. I got to peruse through their purchases and pick out my favorite pieces to share with y'all. So, without further ado, here is Part One of the High Point 2008 series: Best of the Beds.

The deep tufts on this headboard make this bed ultraclassic- like a Chesterfield Sofa in bed form. Upholster this one with a smooth textured fabric like velvet to add to the luxuriousness.



What a standout piece this is! If you're looking for a bedroom focal point, your search is over. The carved wood looks worn in and comfortable. Top this bed with earthy sheets and blankets to complete the rustic look.

Sleek, white leather conjures a throwback to the 60's in my mind. Pair this Montecito Bed (from American Leather- one of my personal faves) with minimal decorations and low, dark wood pieces. Oh, and plenty of mojo.

High drama for your bedroom with this extra tall tufted wingback headboard. This bed would be perfect for a room with a cutout wall. It's another classic shape (in this case, a traditional wingback chair) remade as a bed and given a dose of funk. Fun fact: This bed has the honor of being used in the Empire Hotel in New York City!

If you're a bit more shabby chic than mod, try the Provence Bed on for size. Antiqued paint lends a vintage effect. I would put this piece in a girl's room because it's sweet and feminine.

We'll be getting all of these pieces in (and lots, lots, lots more) so make sure you stop by the store (if you're in town) or our website for updates.

Monday's High Point Update: Best of the Chairs!

Welcome to the E-Book!

Newsweek: Reinventing the Book

Imagine being able to buy and read over 110,000 books at any given moment. Whether you are in a long car ride, relaxing at the beach, hanging out at a coffee shop, or laying down on your Tempurpedic mattress, you can decide to immediately pick up and read virtually all of the New York Times Best Sellers.


Welcome to the Kindle. Amazon introduced this revolutionary electronic book reader last November. It's been sold out ever since. The device is lighter and thinner than a paperback book and delivers a high resolution screen that looks like real paper. The Kindle's wireless connectivity can download a book in 2 minutes. The battery power last for 30 hours between charges. You can also subscribe to your favorite magazines or newspapers and receive your subscription hours or days before print subscribers.


The Kindle is by no means cheap at $399. You will be able to buy new releases and best sellers at $9.99. Of course, the Kindle does bring some extras to the table. Need to surf the web? You can connect and browse the internet for free. How about an MP3 player? Check. What if you need a dictionary? The Kindle comes with a built in Oxford American Dictionary. How do I know what book to buy? Download and read the 1st chapter to any book for free. Also, you'll have access to all the Amazon.com book reviews. And best of all, you'll be accruing some good karma by saving paper.

Project Runway Finale!

I wouldn't call myself a fan of reality television, but I do love Project Runway! Last night's finale was the best yet in terms of sophistication and construction. Each designer adopted a signature detail within a collection of Fashion Week-worthy garments, and each collection was spectacular. My favorite was Jillian's collection. I thought it was cohesive, I loved the corset detailing on a few of her pieces, and I thought her collection was the most wearable. I would definitely wear the grey hoodie coat with red lining to catch an indie flick and lounge in a tea room. Her best piece in my opinion? The LBD with the poofy skirt and plunging neckline. Sexy with a capital S-E-X-Y.

While I liked individual pieces from Rami's collection, I found it a bit more random than the others. Just when he starts forming a pattern, he changes direction. Although, he does showcase some amazing details- like the dress with the woven bodice- and I loved the petal sleeves. Overall, pretty cocktail dresses, beautiful fabrics, gowns that were great to look at, but looked to be a bit hard to maneuver in.

And now for the winner of Project Runway- Christian. No doubt he does amazing work- the kid makes a fierce (for lack of a better word) skinny pant. I think my only complaint was that it was so dark, that it was hard to see all of the detail. You can tell there's a lot going on by the volume, but the television doesn't always translate that. However, the collection was strong with the drama you come to expect from Christian. Now that's fierce.

All photos from Bravo TV.

Maison Et Objet: What's In for 2008 and Beyond!

Maison Et Objet took place in Paris a few weeks ago. This super chic, trend-setting home furnishing show happens twice a year and is consider a leading indicator of what will be in fashion for home decor. The New York Times has an article reviewing the show and highlighting some of the main trends for 2008 and beyond.

• Mass produced items are out. People want unique items, especially in the luxury market. We'll see a continued, growing emphasis using unique metals and woods where every piece will be a little different.

• Metallics are still hot. Sofas and chairs upholstered in metallic fabrics gives the pieces a touch of "gorgeousness" that plays into all of our inner narcissism.

• Purple and gray is a strong color combination. Fuchsia and lime green are being used in all categories of home furnishings.

The HF List: How To Fix The Top 10 Decorating Mistakes

It's true that when it comes to decorating your home you should feel free to break the rules. As long as you're happy living in the home you've created, what does it matter if it doesn't suit your mother's taste? Although this holds true for most things, there are a few rules that should be obeyed. Domino magazine has compiled a list of the Top Ten Decorating Mistakes along with what you can do to fix them. Read on, and see if you're guilty of any of them (even I have fallen victim to one or two!).

Martin Stripe Silk Drape by Pottery Barn

1. Curtains hung too low: It's a matter of tricking the eye- like how wearing vertical stripes makes you look taller. Hanging your curtains too far below the ceiling makes your walls look shorter. Hang 'em high- right at the ceiling- and your room will look larger than it really is.

2. Curtains too short: You shouldn't wear highwaters and neither should your walls! Curtains should hit the floor or break one inch beyond it.

Silhouette Chinois Green Duvet Set by Dwell Studio

3. Too many throw pillows on the bed: Not only will any man in your life hate this, but it makes your bed look cluttered and small. Opt for two standrd pillow, a couple 18" pillows and one 14 x 20" in front of it. Clean and tailored.

4. Beds or sofas on the diagonal: Leave this one to the pros. It will leave you with an odd floor plan that is hard to place other pieces around. Try placing nightstands next to a bed sticking out of a corner (impossible!). Instead, keep things simple and place large pieces flush against the wall. It will give you more room to move around and open the room up more.

Organic Cotton Safari Duvet from West Elm

5. Theme rooms: You'll see these a lot in model homes, but just say no to copying the look in your home! Whatever your theme is- animal prints, your favorite baseball team, etc.- stick to one of two things and leave it at that.

PB Basic Sofa from Pottery Barn

6. Art hung too high: Art is meant to be looked at! That's why it's meant to be hung at eye level. Any higher and your guests will be craning their necks to check out your collection.

7. Stylish yet uncomfortable sofa: While antique sofas are beautiful, they aren't exactly practical. For your main living room, go for comfort. You're family will thank you. However, feel free to use the antiques in formal living rooms or bedrooms where it won't get as much use.

Rashida Jones' Manhatten studio apartment from Domino's February '08 issue

8. Rug too small for the room: A small rug just looks skimpy and out of place, rather than making a room look warm and inviting which is it's purpose. There are two ways to do rugs. Buy one large enough so that all of the furniture can sit on it, or smaller, so that all of the furniture sits just off of it. Large rugs can be expensive, so getting the smaller one and surrounding it with your sofa and chairs is a rule-abiding way to cut costs.

9. Pairs of everything: There's nothing wrong with having a matching pair of chairs or end tables. But when everything matches, it's too much of a good thing. Shake things up by getting two end tables in the same finish, but different styles. Instead of two matching candlesticks, try three or four completely different ones to make a pseudo-collection. Having a home that looks slightly imperfect is better than looking predictable!

10. Too bright overhead lighting: Think back to the last time you were in a dressing room. Pretty bad, huh? Take a lesson from that and go for a lower wattage in your home. Soft pink bulbs make skin look luminous in the bedroom. Bulbs in living rooms shouldn't exceed 65 watts. You'll notice a difference every time you look in the mirror. And if you don't spend your entire day at work, nothing beats daylight during the day!

Texas Is Biggest Carbon Polluter

Texans' True Love....The Truck!

Living in Texas almost my entire life, I didn't need a news report to confirm that Texas is probably the biggest polluter around. I was driving home from dinner tonight, and I witnessed an entire parking lot filled with SUV's and trucks. Only in Texas....

Texas spewed "670 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere in 2003, enough that Texas would rank seventh in the world if it were its own country, according to the most recent figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The amount is more than that of California and Pennsylvania -- the second- and third-ranking states -- combined."

Al Gore's Biggest Fan....Rick Perry

It is really troubling when the Governor of your state has "expressed doubt as to whether global warming is even a manmade problem." Of course, our leadership only reflects the attitude of most Texans. Fewer than 4 percent of Texans polled last spring viewed the environment as a top concern. Contrast that with a national poll of Americans where almost 50% viewed global warming as a very serious issue.

It's time to make the switch to CFL's.

Well, if Texans can't shake their love of trucks, can we at least make the switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs? The environment's most unlikely champion, Wal-Mart, is even hip with it. Click on this New York Times article to see how we can all play the biggest part in the simplest of ways.

Penguins need our help!


A CFL bulb can look good in a chandelier.



High Fashion Home has switched out 90% of the display lamps and chandeliers to CFL's.

Domino: Top 10 Up-And-Coming Interior Decorators

Jonathan Adler. Old news. Thomas O'Brien. Can you still be hip when your stuff is at Target? Todd Oldman. Who? Get out of the way guys! Domino magazine has compiled a list of the top 10 up-and-coming decorators. Check out their work and see who you think will be the next big thing.



















Barrie Benson




















Mali




















Annsley McAleer




















Michael Bargo




















Ashley Whittaker




















David Harris




















Desk of Lola



















Kathryn Saunders




















Kara Mann




















Sara Story

Man Lives In IKEA

Does it seem like everything in your apartment is from Ikea? I know my apartment in college definitely had a Swedish bent. Well, now someone is taking it to the next level. Mark Malkoff will be living in Ikea for a week while his New York apartment is being fumigated. The folks at Ikea have agreed to allow him to live in their Paramus, New Jersey store 24 hours a day for 7 straight days. He'll eat those surprisingly great Swedish meatballs in the cafe for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There are showers in the back office for him to use. Customers can actually visit his makeshift apartment in Ikea (only if they take their shoes off first). And best of all, he'll be filming himself for the duration of his stay.

Of course, media outlets have already started picking up on this story. Here are his first three entries:

Top Interior Design Trends in 2008

Here are the top 8 interior design trends according to the Los Angeles Times.

1. French neoclassic
"The look is unabashedly old money, and unlike its Los Angeles-bred counterpart, Hollywood Regency, French neoclassic style relies on restraint -- muted finishes and a strong sense of architectural delineation. "






2. Shanghai modern
"Chinese Contemporary. This is chinoiserie stripped down to its most potent elements: fretwork patterns and classic curves in furniture, koi and foo dogs rendered as decorative motifs with the paintbrush of Pop art."















3. Enchanted forest

"Think of it as a tongue-in-cheek riff on the wood-grain prints, antler accessories and trophy heads that popped up in shelter magazines so often last year."

4. Americana

"It's a broad category that covers American fine furniture and decorative objects from pre-Revolutionary times and the Federal period (1770s to 1830s) as well as folk-art pieces from the 19th and 20th centuries."

5. The Missoni look

"With its first signature boutique hotels set to open this year and bedding and bath textiles selling briskly in L.A. stores, the Italian fashion house famed for rainbow stripes and zigzag knits is seeing its design influence spread."

6. Matte white lights

"Now that the Regency renaissance has brought crystal chandeliers into so many homes, the pendulum is swinging back to simple fixtures."

7. Sheet metal chic

"The publication of "Maria Pergay: Between Ideas and Design" in 2006 sparked a revival of the French designer's 1970s streamlined stainless steel furniture."

"A bent metal vase from Z Gallerie, www.zgallerie.com reflects a revival of 1970s French designer Maria Pergay's streamlined stainless-steel furniture."

8. Fringe elements

"Nail-head trim and button tufting made upholstered classics chic once again."

Holiday Gift Ideas: Green Gift Guide: For Her (Inhabit)

Check out Inhabit's timely blog on "Green Gift Guide: For Her".




Solar powered purse that can recharge anything from iPods to cellphones. Sweet!

Cortland: $383

How To: Green Your Furniture (TreeHugger)

I ran across this useful guide from the good folks at TreeHugger. Here are some excerpts from their top 3 tips for going greener with your furniture.

1. Certified sustainable wood

"The world needs more trees, not less, so practices that lead to deforestation aren't any good. There are sustainable ways to harvest wood. Wood from sustainably harvested forests, sustainably harvested tree farms, and reclaimed wood are the main sources. Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and its largest forest certifier, the Rainforest Alliance, is the most widely used standard for sustainable forestry."The Berkeley Bed by Copeland Furniture, which is FSC certified, is made in Vermont. It's use of solid cherry, which ages and darkens over time, is a great example of green furniture with great design.

2. Furniture made with reclaimed materials

"Reclaimed wood usually comes from old furniture, houses, or other built things that are ready for some friendly reincarnation, from flawed wood, or from scraps from a factory that makes other stuff. Either way, furniture made from reclaimed wood is a great example of resource efficiency, but usually comes in shorter supply. "

The Santomer Dining Table is a stunning, contemporary piece of furniture. The Peroba Wood, which is reclaimed wood over 100 years old from old barns, houses, and bridges from Brazil, is combined with a simple, modern design to create an eclectic masterpiece that can work in a modern, transitional, rustic, or traditional home.

3. Bamboo

"You've probably heard by this point that bamboo isn't a tree at all, but a grass. Bamboo represents a family of grasses that range in size from tiny to huge, and in color from lime green to maroon stripes. It is incredibly fast-growing and versatile and has become the unofficial poster material of environmental designers and builders. Bamboo can be flattened into flooring, molded into furniture, pressed into veneers, sliced up to make window blinds, or hey, you can just build your whole house out of it. Using bamboo in buildings earns architects and builders LEED points. Most bamboo comes from China and is grown with few of no pesticides. Because it is so fast growing, it is much easier to maintain healthy bamboo forests."

The Metro Drum Table is a feat of innovative engineering and great design. You can pair them up to make for a great cocktail table setting or isolate them with a nice accent chair in the corner. It uses a remarkable patent pending Bamboo Timbre, which is "a proprietary process of layering and bonding flattened bamboo culms, or stalks, in defined patterns to create boards as thick as 8 inches."

High Fashion Home never set out to be a retailer of so many green products. We instinctively gravitated to products that exemplified great design, quality, and value, which also happened to be eco-friendly. It's a beautiful thing when you can buy what you love and help the environment along the way.

10 Priciest U.S. Home Sales of 2007

Forbes: 10 Priciest U.S. Home Sales of 2007.

Take a wild stab at the how much the entire floor of the Plaza Hotel in New York City went for? 10 million. Not even close. 25 million. Not even halfway close. $60 million. Ding, ding, ding! That's right. To put that into perspective, the real estate agent is probably in Maui right now with their $1.8 million brokerage fee.

At number 10, is Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise's $32.5 million, ultra posh Beverly Hills home. At 13,000 square feet with 1.3 acres of land, TomKat will rule Hollywood by day and sleep luxuriously at night. Our Brilliant Book of the Week about "living large in small spaces" does not apply. We need to author a new book about "living large in a house the size of a small county."

Take a look at the rest of the top 10 priciest home sales of 2007 at Forbes.




Holiday Gift Ideas: Attention Foodies!

Nothing says I love you like a good meal. Give the gift that is simultaneously a vice and a virtue.



Restaurant.com has 50% off their coupons with coupon code "SNOW" (Expires 12/9). This has reduced the price of their $25 Dining Certificates to just $5 for most restaurants and areas. They throw in a free $10 Certificate as well. Fine print applies for many of the certificates, such as minimum 4 entrees, etc. Just type in your local zip code to see all of the participating restaurants.

Specials deals on Upholstered Pieces

Looking for a good sofa before the Holidays? Well, it's here. We just received 85 pieces of upholstery sofas and chairs. These pieces were showroom samples that one of our manufacturers has shown to Crate and Barrel, Room and Board, and Federated furniture buyers over the last 5 years. Unfortunately, they don't have a lot of retail accounts outside of the national guys. Luckily, we are a good fit in the sense that we are an independent store, yet we have a lot of real estate (125,000 SF to be exact) to swallow up all the samples.

They gave us 50% off to buy all their samples, and in turn we are giving all of our customers 50% off regular prices. Now is the time to get a great deal on some beautiful contemporary, mid-century modern pieces.

Normally, this gorgeous 98", velvet sofa costs $2551.50 to special order. It's $1275.75.




Every chair and sofa deserves a home.



These guys are waiting for the right living room to call home.


The Chris Sectional is normally $2944.20 in an E grade fabric. It's now a ridiculous $1472.10.

Catalog Shots......

Our team is working hard on our 2008, 64 page catalog. Here is a sneak peak of some photos.

Keep an eye out for our massive website update. We'll include an additional 400 items.



Cody, the photo shoot mastermind from the Butler Bros, is in deep contemplation about the next shot.

High Fashion Home Story

Often at High Fashion Home, we believe that a day in the life at High Fashion would make for great reality TV. Well, creating a community of High Fashion bloggers might be the closest thing.

This was our home a few short years ago. Yes, our building was plain Jane back then. Our vision was to create a home furnishing emporium that would become a haven for people aspiring for the modern, eclectic lifestyle. So we thought, "Let's take this 4 story, 125,000 square foot building and create a shopping experience like no other."


We needed to find the right architect. Our interview process lasted for weeks with several architecture firms coming up with lackluster, unimaginative ideas. Through a couple of referrals, we finally found architects that were actually like-minded. Gensler was the choice. They happened to do a couple of cool concepts. Maybe you've heard of it? Apple.


Then came the months of trying to unearth the High Fashion brand and translating it into great architecture. That's when we came up with this.


Gensler had designed such an impressive looking building that we had to find the products to do it justice. So we set out to find the hottest and most exciting manufacturers in the home fashion world today. Products that represented high style, high design, high quality furniture at great prices.


This is how the finished building turned out: