Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1543122
November | page 41 | 2010 business, too." From the start, Turner aimed to position her products firmly in the middle, where she perceived a lapse across the board. "At the time, I was doing very archi- tectural, nostalgic handbags with things like top handles — almost like new interpreta- tions of Kelly bags, very luncheon focused," she says. "As I started growing and design- ing things seasonally, I started interpreting more materials. That's when I came up with that first flowerpot-shaped bag called Jackie, which was straw." A couple of seasons into her collection, Turner was inspired by the wall covering she'd chosen for a bathroom. "I literally wrapped the bags in raffia wallpaper, put these really cute nickel, tortoise and horn handles on them and took them to market. When Neiman's wanted 150 of them, I thought, 'We can do this.'" That material — which she now calls "our bread and butter" — informed her choice of handbag materials for Elaine Turner's annual resort, spring and summer collections. Interpreted in dozens of varieties annually, it's also become a full- blown obsession for Turner, both at work and at home. In her mid-century modern ranch house — one of the first of its kind in Memorial — Turner's design discipline informs her workaday world. For instance, her flagship store in Rice Village is a color-soaked jewel box that brings a smile to one's face. The store walls are splashed with True Pink 2003-4, a happy pop of hot pink — the same Benjamin Moore hue that cloaks the inside of her walk-in closet at home. At work and at home, color and pattern are key. As the third owners of the house, the Turners spent the first couple of years toiling with tedious renovations, from the roof to the floors, all in an effort to shore up the house's structural integrity. Only recently did they turn to designer Ashley Goforth to help design the space inside. Turner sought out Goforth not only to repurpose the pieces she already owned but to strategically acquire others that matched her penchant for a little glamour in a space that is home to two small children and two little dogs. Also, "I wanted more sitting spaces," Turner recalls. Goforth added glamour, care of mirrors, sleek Jonathan Adler pottery, Lucite and enameled contemporary furnishings coupled with brightly colored upholstery, such as her fuchsia sofa embellished with jewelry- like stud trim. It seems Goforth picked up on Turner's penchant for a bit of glamour, too — all of which made this shoe- and handbag-loving girl feel very much at home. Continued from page 38 Left: The master bed has hotel bedding from Restoration Hardware. Custom-made side table holds an Arteriors lamp from Krispin. Mirror by William Sonoma Home. Custom-made raffia tufted bench and bed. Sunburst mirror from Crate & Barrel. Below: Elaine Turner at home, seated in a chair covered in raffia, her signature material. She wears an Ali Ro dress from Saks Fifth Avenue, with Elaine Turner Kayla mixed-metal shoes. Middle right: The closet of the girl who designs shoes is filled with dozens of her own designs, including this season's collection, shown here. Bottom: Daughter Marlie in her pretty pink bedroom. Pine Cone Hill bedding from Kuhl-Linscomb. Aesop's Fables prints by illustrator Jerry Pinkney, custom-framed.