Scalamandre' Avalon Collection

I like this new collection for Spring 2012 very much, from Scalamandre'. Scala has been used for many years in the finest of homes and offices, including the White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Oh! And Mary's new Thibaut paper looks fantastic! What an eye she has, it looks so perfect, I will have to get a picture of the install for the blog. Anyway, I had a lot of fun helping her with it, and she has great taste, and makes very fast decisions, in short, a decorator's dream! XXOO DF ******

Le Papier Peint Pour Madame Marie

Mary and I found this CHARMING wallpaper, from THIBAUT, for her master bath - it reminds me of the Billy Baldwin selected print chez Diana Vreeland...in a much lighter palette. I put these other samples together for her to consider for her new balloon shade, shirred dressing table, boudoir chair, and duvet...and I gifted her the paper, as she is a very good friend, and a fun person to know. ENJOY! DF *****

Designer Dogs: Cavalier King Charles Spaniels

I've always loved this breed, and today Joni Webb, the Houston, Texas decorator and blogger, posted this ADOGABLE picture of her family's puppy, called Miss Lucy Lu... Isn't she so precious? I remember my friend in New York had one, called Cartier... and of course Nancy Reagan always had them. Perhaps if I'm lucky one day I too will have at least one! (Joni has TWO). Lucky lady! Joni Webb is a very talented designer, check out her chic blog, called COTE DE TEXAS. Enjoy! DF ***** (PS the other day I was crossing the boulevard and a small french bulldog was crossing the other way at the same time- I thought "hmmm...just gotta have one!" Hint to Santa).

Wallpaper Chic: Byzantium Collection, Schumacher

Love this for a ceiling, a kitchen, or a bath! Enjoy! DF *****

The Chic of Small Rooms, Albert Hadley

I found this room shot on the House Beautiful site, and was reminded of my late friend, Mr. Albert Hadley.  Let me share a wonderful story with you.  When Albert would hire a young designer, he would often help them out with making their first apartment in the city into a chic space, with very little financial resources.  Tice Alexander, my late Parish-Hadley mentor, was one such lucky fellow, and Albert helped him to make a 10 x 10 studio in Manhattan on East 69th Street into one very tiny, very stylish jewel box.  It was lacquered by Weidl Brothers in Billy Baldwin Brown, and had one Metropolitan Wire bookcase showing off Tices's amazing decorative arts library, built-ins for his clothes, a full size bed in brown linen, and two white painted and parcel gilt side chairs with lemon yellow Thai silk seats!  There was an old faded gilt mirror hanging above a Parish-Hadley chest, which Tice lacquered black himself, while smoking a Marlboro and sipping a diet Coke.  Lighting was kept very low - and it was a sensational glitter box at night, the only time he was ever in it.  There was also an alcove where the one window was, with a pedestal holding a classical bust.  It was fab, and I thought this room shown reminded me of the old TA flat- so here it is.  ENJOY!  DF *****  ( a good example of less is sometimes more)

Room of the Week, Pamela Pierce

I was on another one of my favorite designer blogs, COTE DE TEXAS - and Joni featured this room - by Pamela Pierce - which I fell in love with. I was also tickled pink to see the Windsor Smith "Mandella" sunbrella in the new House Beautiful, since I had recently specified it for a project here in Naples. It's a medium scale geometric print. Love it! DF *****

Decorating 101 and Party for Timmie

Had a ball last night hosting our friends Tim and Jerry, and then meeting with Mary in her cottage... here are some random images... I love these gifts I received from Tim and Jerry, and I also like this garden near Mary's house...When in Naples, visit Tim at ST TROPEZ HOME, and Jerry at BR UNO, both are chic boutiques in the historic THIRD STREET SOUTH DISTRICT, here in Naples... ENJOY! DF *****

Quadrille Outdoor on Malibu Collection by Kreiss

I love the idea of using this new QUADRILLE outdoor fabric collection on the Malibu outdoor furniture line by KREISS. These new "performance fabrics" formerly known generically as "Sunbrella" have come a long way since your mother's and grandmother's day...check out this combo I came up with! Also, today I had the great pleasure of working with JoAnn Barwick, a former editor at House Beautiful for many years. JoAnn is working on a home on the nearby island of Boca Grande, see my earlier posts on the fabulous island, home of the Gasparilla Inn. ENJOY! DF *****

Decorator Scrapbook XVII

Room by Miles Redd, New York

Random images selected for your inspiration!

Room of the Week, Dean Farris II

I like the Spring mood of this room shot from my last personal apartment, here in sunny Naples, Florida. I still own all of these furnishings, and the draped table was on loan from dear friend Mary, who is moving back into her Naples cottage. I'm hoping to convince her to paint her wood floors, a la Albert Hadley - and create a charming mix of furnishings like the Ibiza home featured in the May issue of AD. Mary loves to travel, so I see this look as only being suitable for her outlook and personality; charming, smart, and FUN! DF *****

Mary McDonald in Naples!

Very exciting news! Mary McDonald, top LA decorator, is headed this way! Beautiful, smart, chic, and fun, Mary will be here in Naples, Thursday April 19th at our design center in Estero (just north of Naples) to give a talk called "The Allure of Style" and then have a book signing and wine reception. Admission proceeds will benefit the Naples Philharmonic League. I've posted about Mary before, and she really is someone I am inspired by, ever since I saw her book, and saw her on "Million Dollar Decorator". I love her wry sense of humour, and her facial expressions, and of course, her fashion sense. Enjoy! DF *****

Stan Topol in Naples

It was fun to see my 1970's mentor, from my time at Art Institute of Atlanta, featured in the April 2012 VERANDA. Stan Topol was the chairman of the interior design department while I attended, before the campus moved to Buckhead. I first met Stan when I was 17, and he wanted me to go straight to New York. Strangely, after moving to Naples from NYC, I now live just down the street from the house he did here, featured in Veranda this month. I got a kick out of the writer, Jeff Turrentine, describing the location as "a tiny island in Naples" - also, my friend Mark Fanta, from Webster & Company, was featured on page 113 of the issue. He never fails to take a good picture! Congrats to Stan, Reynolds, and Mark! DF *****

Twenty Five Years of Design

Photograph, Naples Illustrated, Dean Farris Interior Design

My life has been devoted to interior design. I first started out, age 17, helping a friend of the family with their home in South Carolina, and before that, I was very much inspired by a house in Charlotte, North Carolina. My parents indulged me, and sent me to design school in Atlanta, and then on the grand tour, to Europe. After working in Washington D.C. for a couple of years, I went back to school, to the Fashion Institute in New York, for three years...and then worked for top NYC designers for over ten years. I also opened my own design studio, in Winston-Salem, NC in 1986, and have had those clients ever since. So, I am happy to say that I'm now celebrating 25 years in business. My career has definitely had its ups and downs, and I have worked hard. For the last 16 years, I've been living year round in Naples, and enjoyed it very much, although I'd be lying if I said I don't sometimes miss the big city. Naples has a way of seducing one with its quiet elegance, and I have succumbed to it. It's become like the Monaco of America, and if you lived here as I do, you'd see what I mean by that. I'm looking forward to my next 25 years, with much positive anticipation! Enjoy! DF *****

The Easter Gardenia, Bella!

This beauty was blooming in my front yard this morning, after a huge storm...how incredibly amazing is Mother Nature? DF *****

Home Theatre Seating, Cozy in Ralph

I'm very much enjoying specifying these "deco penthouse loungers" from BASS INDUSTRIES, for the home theatre at my clients residence on the strand at Bay Colony... since the air is always set at 70 degrees, I felt the need for this tasteful knit over the shirt by RALPH LAUREN, one of my idols...ENJOY! DF *****

Cole Porter Table, F.P. Victoria

What a great, classic design. F.P. Victoria makes this model, originally designed by their client, Billy Baldwin, for his client, COLE PORTER. Price: $10,800.00 - a very nice place to put your Easter eggs or Passover treats! DF *****

How To Decorate a Loft - Loft Apartment Design - House Beautiful

How To Decorate a Loft - Loft Apartment Design - House Beautiful

Here's the vintage KREISS headboard by designer Steven Sclaroff I had mentioned in an earlier post... ENJOY! DF ******

Kreiss Naples on Facebook

Dear readers, please visit our recently created page on Facebook, and "like" us! Kreiss is celebrating its 75th anniversary, and Kreiss Naples is preparing to celebrate its very FIRST anniversary (May 12) come in and see what we're all about! DF *****

Clarence House at Holly Hunt

It's exciting to me that Clarence House has moved to HOLLY HUNT, MIAMI. I often saw the late Robin Roberts, when he had moved into 979 Third Avenue, and I first met Temo Callahan when Clarence House was located in a beautiful old townhouse on East 57th Street. As a further point of interest (for me) one of my favorite Naples clients lives in a former Holly Hunt apartment in Chicago! Holly Hunt in Florida is in the Design District, which is where KREISS has moved to (after 13 years in the gables) and as you may know, I am associated with Kreiss-Design West here in Naples. Small world! DF *****

Room of the Week, Elsa Schiaparelli

I was certainly most fortunate to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York in the early 1980's, and famous names from the NYC design world would be invited to the school (we also had the entire Parsons interior design faculty for our regular classes) to speak and sometimes demonstrate their work. Paige Rense Noland, Mark Hampton, Mario Buatta, Albert Hadley, Melvin Dwork, BeBe Winkler, Sara Lee, and Jeremiah Goodman among many others came and spoke to us. It was such fun and so very exciting. Many of my classmates went on to become top New York designers themselves. Today, two things inspired me to write on DFS. One, A WIJW post by my friend designer James Andrew, featuring the work of Jeremiah, the famous illustrator, and two, the April issue of House Beautiful featuring a bedroom by designer Steven Sclaroff - using a vintage KREISS headboard as a focal point, with a Clarence House fabric for it's upholstery, which I was looking at today for a client of mine. I had a wonderful day today, meeting with a client from Pittsburgh, and then shopping for another client from Indiana who has a very nice house here in Naples. Enjoy this beautiful rendering by Jeremiah of my "Room of the Week" inspired by the famous fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli. DF *****

EXCITING NEW PROJECTS !

Courtesy, Moraya Bay, Naples

I've been associated with the established interior design and architecture firm - Interiors by Design West - since July of last year, and thought I'd share with you dear readers some of our latest projects.

A large modernist house in East Hampton, New York

Penthouse units at Moraya Bay, Naples

A full floor penthouse at the St. Regis in Park City, Utah

A new resort house on the island of St. Kitts

A new house in Aqualane Shores, Naples

A remodel on Spyglass, Port Royal, Naples

A new classical style house in Old Naples

A new luxury villa at Quail West, Naples

A remodel (house) in Park Shore, Naples

These are just a few of the projects, so we are getting very busy, and have hired another new designer - it's great to live and work in beautiful Naples, Florida! DF *****