My design apprentice, Claire, and I trucked it out to San Antonio yesterday to consult with a new client in the Alamo Heights area. Rather than run in and run out of town, we decided to make a day of it.
Which wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be.
San Antonio is apparently stuck in a Texas Tuscan style warp of some sort. There’s an appalling lack of resources for modern home decor out in the river city. I’d contacted a local designer whose style is similar to mine and asked her for shopping suggestions prior to our daytrip. And y’all? She told me to go here and here.
No and hell no.
We did manage to amuse ourselves for a few hours after our client meeting though. Thought I’d share our mini-tour…
Paloma Blanca – 5800 Broadway
We couldn’t have asked for a better lunch setting in Alamo Heights than Paloma Blanca. The interior spaces of the restaurant were both minimalistic and dramatic, with a modern twist on historic San Antonio style. The food and service were awesome. If you go, save room for their tres leches cake!
Pagoda – 5160 Broadway
Not far from Paloma Blanca, Pagoda was recommended by the design*sponge San Antonio guide. Along with a lot of seriously overpriced vintage furniture and a huge selection of let-me-just-bend-over-priced vintage light fixtures, Pagoda stocks the cutest Audrey Hepburn-ish straw hats begging to lounge poolside, and a pretty fun jewelry collection.
All hats pictured were $85. As a former millinery designer, I can vouch for the fact that they're worth every penny.
I couldn't resist getting one of these bracelets. $28.
Reversible bracelets, $15.
Crazy sparkles, $15.
HomeGoods – 17822 La Cantera Parkway
How desperate do you have to be to drive 1.5 hours and end up visiting a TJ Maxx home decor store? But since Austin won’t be able to get HomeGoods Happy until this fall/Christmas, and since Claire bows down and worships at the altar of HomeGoods, it seemed worth a stop. What I discovered on my first foray is that, in terms of affordable modern lighting, HomeGoods is the mothership.
$29.99 ea.
Jonathan Adler knockoff, $39.99.
$39.99 ea.
$39.99
Another Jonathan Adler knockoff, $39.99.
Both lamps were cute, but you'd have to replace the old lady shade on that lamp on the right. $39.99 ea.
Gunmetal gray, $39.99.
On sale for $35 ea. (reg. $49.99 ea.)
Ignore all the fugly in the background and go toward the light. Floor lamp, $79.99.
Besides an amazing lamp selection, I spied some other fun stuff as well…
$249.99
$399.99
5x8 rug, $149.99.
$69.99
$39.99
$16.99
Useless but cool-looking red thing, on sale for $10. (reg. $12.99)
Lime green candlesticks, $9.99 & $12.99.
Vintage-inspired tub stand, $69.99.
Planter pot, $7.99.
Lime green mini cake stand, $7.99.
Bird pillow, on sale for $3. (reg. $4.99)
Cube table/stool, $39.99.
Ironside Market – 10211 Ironside Drive
We made an incredible tactical error by going to HomeGoods before hitting the antique mall Ironside Market–the one recommendation from the local designer that seemed worth a shot. We arrived at 5:48 and they closed at 6pm. In our twelve-minute tour, I managed to spot two pieces of vintage art that made me smile:
Japanese Woman with Cat, $195.
Love the pendants over convenient workstations.
Darn you and your HomeGoods pics! I’ve been avoiding it and now I’m going to have to cave in and go…
HomeGoods’s coming to austin this fall/christmas? Yesssssssssssss. I don’t know if I can wait that long, though, after seeing all these pictures. Road trip?
Love the “useless, cool looking red thing.” 🙂
“:)
That cube is a knock off of Brent Comber’s shattered.
http://www.brentcomber.com/index.html
We have one of his alder cubes sitting in our living room.