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    Bling it on

    Kimberly McDonald brings the bling to Forty Five Ten with exclusive homecollection

    Haley Schultheis
    Nov 17, 2012 | 5:59 am
    • Designer Kimberly McDonald wearing her own designs.
      Photo by Bo Joplin
    • Kimberly McDonald sterling silver bezel-set agate book ends with diamonds.
      Photo courtesy of Forty Five Ten
    • Kimberly McDonald champagne saver available at Forty FIve Ten.
      Photo courtesy of Forty Five Ten
    • Kimberly McDonald napkin rings.
      Photo courtesy of Forty Five Ten
    • Kimberly McDonald lucite and geode paper weights.
      Photo courtesy of Forty Five Ten

    Designer Kimberly McDonald always loved natural stones. But the North Carolina native never imagined her creations — dazzling yet earthy hand-crafted jewelry — would catch the eye of stars such as Cameron Diaz, Kate Hudson, Madonna, Jennifer Lopez and even First Lady Michelle Obama.

    Just last month, she opened her first freestanding Kimberly McDonald boutique on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. But more exciting for us, McDonald launched an exclusive home accessories line at Forty Five Ten in Dallas that mirrors the aesthetic of her iconic jewelry.

    Both her jewelry and home collections are crafted from materials such as agate, geode, and untreated materials like recycled diamonds, reclaimed wood, gold and raw gemstones. We caught up with one of Hollywood’s favorite jewelry designers to find out why she chose Dallas to launch her chic new collection, which ranges from a bedazzled Champagne saver to sterling silver bezel-set agate book ends accented with diamonds.

    “I am so into the mixture of textures and materials and how the things that we surround ourselves with subliminally affect our mood and energy,” McDonald says.

    CultureMap: How long have you been designing jewelry?

    Kimberly McDonald: Since 2007. Prior to my own line, I worked as a curator of personal jewelry collections.

    CM: Did you always know you wanted to be a jewelry designer?

    KM: Not at all. I did know that I always loved rocks. I collected them as a child and had an affinity for agates. I also loved jewelry and was known to sneak into my mother or grandmother’s jewelry box and pile on whatever I could find. I guess that is where I cultivated my love of mixing materials and textures.

    While I was working with clients to curate their private jewelry collections, I had occasion to design one-of-a-kind pieces for their heirloom stones or interesting stones that we would acquire. Over time, a couple of my clients would just ask me from the onset to design pieces for their respective collections.

    It was not long after this started happening that my closest friend and now business partner, Trish McKeon, turned to me and said “You know, you should start your own line.” I had never considered it until that moment, but once she said it, it became as natural an idea as breathing.

    CM: When did you the idea first occur to you to launch items for the home?

    KM: Branching my collection into home was an organic extension. I have always loved home décor. I am so into the mixture of textures and materials and how the things that we surround ourselves with subliminally affect our mood and energy.

    “I chose to launch exclusively in Dallas at Forty Five Ten because they have a very sophisticated clientele, and I knew that they would give me excellent feedback,” McDonald says.

    Because I believe my jewelry has an amazing and distinctive energy, I figured why not bring that earthen goodness to people’s home? Plus a certain clever client once told me that she loved her long geode chain so much that whenever she was not wearing it she would lay it across her dressing table just so she could look at it every day.

    We launched the vintage collection first because I really love the idea of repurposing pieces and outfitting them with the unique, natural materials that I use in my jewelry collection. I chose to launch exclusively in Dallas at Forty Five Ten because they have a very sophisticated clientele, and I knew that they would give me excellent feedback — and they did! The first shipment [of the vintage collection] they received last December sold out as it was being unpacked.

    CM: What do you believe makes your designs so distinctive?

    KM: Well, for the fine jewelry collection, I was probably the first to really establish a brand that is based off of natural materials in their original, unfinished shape, combined with fine materials like diamond and 18-karat (in my case recycled) gold, with very fine hand-made mountings that are created in the United States. Same goes for our signature irregular bezels.

    The same very fine handmade feeling comes through with the home products. It is the pairing of natural elements and fine quality that really sets us apart.

    CM: Is there an item you are most excited about when it comes to your new home accessories?

    KM: A very difficult question. Each piece, for one reason or another is a favorite, but at the top might be the Lucite box topped with amethyst. But, honestly, I love them all. Oh and the vintage tea trays are to-die-for.

    “Dallas is a wonderful market, which has always gotten my design point of view and the DNA of the brand,” McDonald says.

    CM: What was the greatest challenge in launching your home accessories line?

    KM: The greatest challenge is manufacturing, always. To create pieces that are one-of-a-kind is the way old-school luxury operates, and I consider our method for bringing the finest products to our clientele very old-school.

    Everything is laid out by me and designed by hand and made by hand. So that process itself is more of a challenge than mass producing the same item over and over.

    CM: What made you decide to launch your home accessories line exclusively in Dallas? What makes the store so special to you?

    KM: Dallas is a wonderful market, which has always “gotten” my design point of view and the DNA of the brand. I couldn’t think of a more appropriate place to see the collection debut. This is a community of art lovers and fashionistas.

    And Forty Five Ten? What can I say that has not been said of this amazing retail operation? Brian is one of my close friends, and the dialogue between us is always open.

    I remember the day I told him I was going to introduce a home collection and he said, “We are in.” I said, “You haven’t seen it yet.” And he replied, “I know your taste, I know your work and I believe in your vision.” So you can understand why an exclusive launch at Forty Five Ten was a no-brainer for me.

    CM: Why do you believe your home accessories line will resonate with Dallas women and men?

    KM: Dallas men and women do things right. They dress, they entertain, they’re beautiful. The KMD Home collection is ideal for the lifestyle of our Dallas clients.

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    House of style

    How to dress up your home for the holidays, Texas-style

    Jacob Swain
    Nov 25, 2012 | 12:36 pm
    • Arctic animal ornaments at Pottery Barn holiday 2012
      Photo courtesy of Pottery Barn
    • Vintage ornaments on a tree stump in a feed-store bucket
      Photo courtesy of D'Ette Cole
    • Newsprint star, holiday decorations
      Photo courtesy of D'Ette Cole
    • West Elm mercury glass vases holiday 2012
      Photo courtesy of West Elm

    The holidays can be as stressful — or stress-free — as you make them. We know the routine too well: shopping, waiting in line, sitting in traffic, eating, drinking, watching the shipping charges load onto your bill, cleaning, entertaining, cooking, making a Starbucks run, more shopping.

    The one place that should feel relaxing is your home. But before you deck your halls with the same tired tannenbaum, tinsel and twinkle lights, we urge you to breathe deeply, set your inner grinch free and take a fresh approach to decorating this season. Honestly, must we always put out mother’s miniature crystal Christmas tree?

    To find out how to dress the house for the season, we asked a few Texas experts to share their thoughts on the latest trends. Here’s to simplicity, comfort, style, a little sparkle and good cheer.

    D’Ette Cole, designer, Red

    Mix organic materials with simple yet elegant accents
    Sophisticated holidays emerge from just a few simple touches in elemental, organic materials. Black ink and ecru, repeated in elegant paper ornaments, create a crisp and timeless color palette. Glittering garlands perfectly trim a tabletop, and well-appointed lighting brings luxury, warmth and radiance.

    Play with the written word
    Celebrate the modern with graphic, amply scaled holiday decor, sparsely appointed and grouped for effect. Newsprint stars and gift wrap create a smart, savvy graphic edge, while vintage letters, even initials, provide shapely symbols. Set with tinsel trees, which beget holiday cheer and light the way through the season with minimal hassle and maximum effect.

    Add bursts of color spots
    Bring spunk to a winter wonderland with colorful, one-of-a-kind, vintage ornaments. A white-washed stump or a glittered tree branch set in a feed-store bucket create an inspired twist on a holiday favorite.

    Jeff Moss, Buyer, Breed &Co.

    Let there be light
    Battery-powered lights are big. A set of batteries can last as much as a week or more on LED lights, because they hardly use any power at all. Plus they are very bright.

    Use skinny trees in all the right places
    Put them on tables, stick them on mantels, place them on your dresser. Some look like something that Dr. Seuss would have, others are more traditional, and some are wrapped in burlap and covered in kind of a sugared frost. Any place that you’ve got space needs a tiny, skinny tree.

    Wrap it up right
    You can go anyplace and find cheap ribbon for Christmas but not the real stuff — the wired stuff that is made of velvet. Do deep-red velvet and gold. A nice ribbon holds it shape. Try and find one that is shiny red on one side and gold on the other side, so it is reversible.

    Annie Downing, interior designer and owner, perusehome.com

    Add glamour, glitter and shine
    Anything that sparkles is a must for holiday decor this season. Glittery ornaments, mercury glass candlesticks, pine cones covered in glitter, glittery houses — they convey that feeling of a winter wonderland.

    Go retro and vintage
    Mix felt garlands and wreaths with your current holiday pieces. It’s fun to jumble the old with the new.

    Get back to nature
    Bring the outdoors in. Evergreen, twigs, branches, mushrooms and animal ornaments (bears, deer, owls) are inspired by the season. Bottle brush trees are fantastic as well. Magnolia wreaths and garlands never go out of style.

    series554589752
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    news/home-design

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