At The Old State House of Web Design & Development, you know we love it when we see something done really well. And let me tell you, there was a party last night at Allan Knight & Associates to celebrate the launch of the new D Home Blog....and it was really something to see. I've been to a lot of design and launch parties in Los Angeles, New York and Dallas, and this one was one of the best. Wow! And if I know Christine Allison of D Magazine(s), the new D HomeBlog is going to be a must follow for everyone far and wide.

Let's talk about the party details, because they were really interesting at this event. First of all, it was a visual delight at every turn. Forget what you know about jaw dropping decor....because this was JAW DROPPING decor! Let's face it, D Home knows how to pick exceptional design....and in Allan Knight they know a good thing when they see it. And speaking of that, we have come to expect great things from Allan Knight & Associates, because they always go to such wonderful lengths to marvel your senses.

At its very core, this simply has to be the most beautiful design showroom in the United States, if not the world. And I'm serious. It's also huge. And remarkably, every inch of the space is so well-thought-out and so well-designed that it's simply stunning. It is such a celebration of the imagination through fine design that out of every mouth present you could hear the positive comments in free flow. But you also never feel uncomfortable at Allan Knight. Yes, it is elegant beyond description. But it's also warm and inviting, full of things you want, things you can actually live with, things that are comfortable, beautifully designed and thoroughly original all at once.

I've Blogged about Allan Knight and Cearan Henley before, but the stunning details of this party warrant more attention! You know how you go to parties and you have to search high and low for a waiter, food, or a drink? Not here. The hors' d'oeuvres were excellent and filling and always at a fingertip from pleasant wait staff! The caterer was Beyond the Box and the food was so clever and creative and good that my taste buds are still in delightful shock. Really special.

The caterer's contact information is info@chefdougbrown.com and 214-828-2228. Their website is www.chefdougbrown.com. At this writing, I do not know how they managed to be so generous and timely with the food to so many people in such a large and convoluted space. But they did. I left full and satisfied and impressed. Their hors d'oeuvres choices were some of the most delicious and artful pieces of taste bud magic I've had. Bravo!

The artistic touches at the party were also really clever and elegant. Let's start with the fresh Cymbidium Orchids hanging upside down from an exotic chandelier!? Yes, you read that right. Someone went to great lengths to WOW on this one, and it worked. I'd say I felt like I was inside an "Alice in Wonderland" movie set, but that wouldn't do it justice. Buttery yellow with hints of red and pink at the center, the mass of upside down fresh individual orchid blooms delivered a surreal and elegant escape for the imagination.

Right next to this imaginative display were magnificent relics from ancient times including vases excavated in Rome, a pottery vessel still covered exquisitely with the seashells from its mysterious and watery sunken past. All in all the perfect mix of old and new, fantastic textures, patterns, finishes, woods.

At Allan Knight, turn to your right and there is a table with a sculpture of a tree holding up its thick glass top. Turn to your left and a perfectly polished giant tree trunk tabletop sits majestically on top of a one-of-a-kind fitted lacquer modern base. Venture to the rear of the building and what must have been an 8 foot high custom chandelier is being built by hand by their old world craftsmen from sculptural iron and rock crystal. Incredible.

And if all this marvel to the visual senses were not enough, a waiter then hands you another exotic margarita with a slice of star fruit and yet another highly unusual and delicious hors d'oeuvre. All this while visiting with Christine Allison of D Magazine, one of my #1 favorite and most entertaining people picks ever, in the coolest platform shoes you've ever seen in your life. And The Old State Founder Travis McElroy's lovely and entertaining wife Stephanie's gold shoes were similarly beautiful. All in all a fantastic celebration of fine design, friendship and D Home's new Blog!

So in conclusion, don't walk....RUN to this simply beautiful design showroom with your designer. You will be glad you did, and you will simply never forget it! And remember to follow the new D Home Blog. It promises to be really special. Because Christine Allison never does anything that isn't!

Allan Knight & Associates is located at 150 Turtle Creek Boulevard #101 in the Dallas Design District. Their website is www.AllanKnight.com and their phone number is 214-741-2227. You may visit the new D Home Blog at www.DMagazine.com and click Home and Garden or visit the link www.dmagazine.com/HomeAndGarden.aspx

At The Old State, we are so proud and excited to be bringing you a new www.AllanKnight.com in 2011. Thank you Allan Knight & Associates!


Travis McElroy MANAGING PARTNER