Dallas Child Magazine – Nesting: Curated Comfort

 

Dallas Child Magazine

Nesting: Curated Comfort 

Dori Neil Araiza’s baby-friendly Preston Hollow home

By: Lisa Martin

Photography: Carter Rose

August 2013

 

 

As an expectant mother, Dori Neil Araiza turned to Carolina Gentry of Pulp Design Studios to whip together the interiors of her new Preston Hollow home – with the intention of cultivating a look that appeared curated over time rather than assembled in less than six months.

 “When we moved into our house in early 2013, I    was expecting our first child,” says Dori, 26, who  works in publishing as the Texas representative  for Allure magazine. “So we had a really tight  deadline, and I appreciated the fact that Carolina  would go on my Pinterest page to get an  understanding of my style. That saved us a lot of  time.”

Gentry embraced the race against the calendar (in  this case, a late June due date for Baby  Alexander) and adjusted in order to meet the  deadlines. Most significant, the shortened lead  time compelled her to scour retailers for  irresistible items rather than work with her  typical sources at the World Trade Center and  Dallas Design District.

“I did a lot of shopping for this project with an eye  toward looking for things that would seem like  they’d been collected and purchased over time,”  Gentry says, noting she hit retailers such as Z  Gallerie, Horchow, Pottery Barn and the like in search of unexpected, eye-catching pieces. “In order to create the sophisticated, comfortable, casual look both Dori and Jesus wanted, we played with pattern and nothing was matchy-matchy.”

The drapes in the master bedroom illustrate this strategy.

“The chevron-inspired draperies actually came from West Elm, but they make the whole room look unique,” Gentry explains. “We chose simple white hotel bedding from Pottery Barn, because they can switch the pillows and quilts out depending on the season.” Meanwhile, the mirrored nightstands from Z Gallerie provide a feminine foil to the camel-colored wingback bed from Ballard Designs, which exudes tailored restraint.

“I’m not a big blue person,  but our bedroom is so blue  with the rug and the  drapes,” Dori says. “I  couldn’t believe how much  I loved it.”

As of late, however, Dori  ranks Alexander’s nursery  as her favorite room in the  ranch-style, four-bedroom  house that dates to  1960. Planning began for  the baby’s room even  before the Araizas knew  they were having a boy.

“We weren’t planning on  the nursery being very  gender-specific  regardless,” Gentry says,  so the couple embraced a palette of creams, navys, beige, brown and white rather than pastel pink or blue. “If it had been a girl, we could have done a cream wall, but the navy looks great, especially against this sculptural white shelving in the shape of the tree that we used in the reading corner.”

Among Gentry’s favorite features of the room: framed animal prints by photographer Sharon Montrose, collected as a tight group above the changing table. “Against the dark walls, they really pop.”

The public rooms likewise benefit from cool blue hues offset by neutrals as well as interesting artwork. A Z Gallerie sectional in a nubby gray provides ample seating in the great room. “Dori and Jesus like to entertain, so we wanted as much comfortable seating in there as possible.” The rug has global flair and works well with their transitional décor. Most of the paintings come from Austin-based artist Alexandra Beck, a sister of one of Dori’s friends.

Unlike many young families these days, the Araizas opted to keep the formal living room for its intended use. Gentry found the tall navy blue chairs at West Elm; the double-layered glass coffee table with its clean lines provides an excellent venue for showcasing books and collectibles.

“We both have big families here in Dallas, and we didn’t want everyone to feel like they had to be in our family room all the time,” Dori says.

Adds Gentry: “The great thing about the formal living room is that it flows really well into the rest of the rooms, which makes it nice and casual but still feels elegant. It’s a place where the adults can gather for cocktails and conversation.”