Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1433453
SUNNY CELERIE KEMBLE AND JAN SHOWERS TRADE DESIGN STORIES AND MANTRAS. By Lisa Collins Shaddock. Photography Jonathan Zizzo. I t was a full house at Jan Showers' shimmering Dallas Design District showroom when Celerie Kemble, the iconic designer known for her effortless style and whimsical assemblages, addressed fans during Texas Design Week. Her latest book, Island Whimsy: Designing a Paradise By the Sea (Rizzoli), chronicles her decade-long journey designing and constructing — essentially manifesting — Playa Grande Beach Club, a clubhouse and grouping of family homes and guest houses in the Dominican Republic. A fourth- generation Palm Beach native (her family is considered Florida pioneers), Kemble is no stranger to a beach and has worked with coastal clients from the Caribbean to Maine. But when she first laid eyes on Playa Grande — a practically untouched swath of jungle off the Dominican Republic's shimmering pastel waters — she felt instantly at home. In an illustrated talk Kemble delved into the backstories of details showcased in the book. In her innately poetic way, she discussed her "forgiving sense of the tropics" and her mantra: "Include the bugs. Allow the breezes. Look for the romance of big storms." The buildings even have corrugated iron roofs so you can hear the rainstorms at night. "It was one of a hundred thousand decisions we made to look at what was inevitable and uncontrollable," she said. "It became our leading design directive: 'How do we let go a little bit more?'" Following Kemble's talk, Showers — who co-chaired the Kips Bay Decorator Show House Dallas for the second year — gave the group another feast for the eyes with a talk and images of some of her favorite projects throughout the 25 years of her design business and signed copies of her newest book, Glamorous Living (Abrams). Seen: Christina Dandar, Empress Gilbert, Kendra Aichele, Luis Araujo, James Arsin, Mark Curtis, Joel Baldazo, Ashlynn Bourque, Katherine Coffee, Sarah Kate Cone, Ashlie Dickie, Sydney Gemes, Simi Kapoor, Chelsea Spears, and Callie Wheeler. WHIMSY &WIT Celerie Kemble, Jan Showers Sheridan Reeder, Callie Wheeler Lauren McGowan Megan Broderick Beth Bender Gunta Sandmeyer Wilson Fuqua Elisabeth McCabe Caroline Finkelstein Lauren Gonzalez Angela Gonzalez Madeleine Austin Betsy Austin Leslie Haas Robert Dailey