Missy Allison & Harriette Allison Lucky Star Interior Design Services Interior Specialists: Concepts, Design, Decor, Vintage Reuse & Recycle Experts

The “Retrovation” of Lone Pine’s Historic Dow Hotel:

The Dow Hotel is proud to announce a plan to restore, renew and reclaim the charm of its roots! A full scale “retrovation” is underway that will highlight the hotels finest feature: its history. A return to classic simplicity will imbue the rooms of The Dow’s historic section with simple elegance, warmth, sophistication and authenticity. Taking stock of the original furnishings, the 1930s era Coronado line from the Angeles Furniture Company, The Dow Hotel has made a commitment to salvaging its own past and giving it new life with the help of Lucky Star Design & Decor. Capitalizing on the elements that make this region special and a go-to destination the world over, The Dow is taking an active role in the historical preservation of not only the hotel, but of Lone Pine itself. Showcasing Mt. Whitney and the early climbing culture, the rich ranching and cowboy lifestyle indicative of the area, and the Hollywood stage that is The Alabama Hills… these elements are Lone Pine, they are The Dow Hotel.

It has been the vision of The Lucky Star to re-create the historic grandeur of the The Dow, using the original Coronado suites by the Angeles Furniture Co., an “Early California” collectors’ dream! By using the original guest room décor, The Lucky Star is actively recycling and reusing the classic pieces, returning the original charm. With a nod to the beautiful vintage lodges of our wonderful park systems The Historic Dow Hotel finds itself in a boutique category complete with: premium woolen camp blankets, pounded wrought iron details, custom hand-painted pieces and regionally significant artwork featuring photos of area lore and history all working to imbue retro style and modern day comfort.


Our transformation has begun, and will be completed Spring 2012.

** Photos to follow shortly!

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Design and Decoration with The Lucky Star

Last spring Lucky Star Interiors, Missy & Harriette Allison, had the good fortune to spend time in the High Sierra’s above our hometown in a charming spot where fishermen play, beautiful Cardinal Village Resort http://www.cardinalvillageresort.com/. The setting was magnificent, craggy granite above, groves of aspen below and the constancy of Bishop Creek’s babbling as the backdrop and soundtrack.

Our mission was to tackle 2 of the resorts cabins before their season opened in earnest and imbue them with the spirit of the place itself, rustic beauty! Diving in to 2 completely different lodging options at Cardinal Village was a terrific challenge, and each project provided its own set of hurdles. Armed with a trailer full of furnishings, textiles and decor – we brought with us our passion for transformation and the power of two creative imaginations working toward the same end!

We began at a cabin called “Hungry Packer”, a modern unit with simple bones, aching for personality! Below are the “Before” pictures.



With the addition of classic decor and authentic western furniture, we were on our way to “bunkhouse”. For added interest and atmosphere, we did a faux treatment on accent walls to add warmth and texture to the formerly stark white walls. Some space planning decisions called for a re-arrangement of the existing furnishings that provided pleasant proportions and maneuverability, making the entire cabin seem larger. Creating home-style comfort and a cowboy theme in a basic, contemporary layout had been our objective in “Hungry Packer” and the addition of a wagon wheel sofa/bed and matching side and coffee tables set the stage! Below are the “After” pictures.

Built in 1906, our second cabin, “Topsy Turvy”, was an entirely different project. “Topsy” was rustic, so much so that we needed to harness its charm of antiquity, while upgrading its overall appeal. Below are the “Before” pictures.


Red gingham check was first on the list of priorities… I can’t quite think of how better to convey classic cabin comfort, can you? Again, furnishing reassignment was in order to make the small space seem larger and more functional, while patchwork textiles and the addition of curtains provided that added “homey” element. Again we brought color to the walls as accent, this time and to serve our “fisherman” theme, a solid denim blue alleviated the darkness of wood paneling in the kitchen and bath. Below are the “After” pictures.

 

Both cabin projects provided wives and girlfriends an upgraded option this season at Cardinal Village!

 

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For the first time, award winning “Painted Ponies” is now available for private purchase

For the first time since its Best of Show award designation from The Western Design Conference in 2009, designer Harriette Allison’s one-of-a-kind beauty, the chair known as “Painted Ponies,” is for sale. http://www.luckystargallery.com/shop/harriette-allison-painted-ponies-award-winning-chair-p-609.html

Allison’s Best of Show win was notable for a number of reasons, at the time, she was the first woman designer to ever achieve the esteemed title. “Painted Ponies” was designed as a tribute to fellow artist, Sonny Tuttle of Red Nations Art. Allison and Tuttle had planned to do a collaborative project for the conference before Tuttle was killed in a car crash in the summer of 2009, their collaborative vision never got past the brainstorming phase. Harriette Allison’s “Painted Ponies” chair drew inspiration from one of Sonny Tuttle’s hand-painted smoked, tanned “spirit hides,” and has even incorporated a Red Nations Art shawl as painted by Tuttle, one of the last pieces of Tuttle’s work available anywhere. Allison’s leather overlay and inlay designs echo Tuttle’s designs on this magnificent golden yellow chair, to memorialize him, his life and his art.After winning Best of Show, “Painted Ponies” has had the opportunity to travel and show in exhibits around the country. Until now this sumptuous, supple and superb art piece has not been available to the public. “Painted Ponies” is museum quality luxury at its finest. Never will there be another like it “Painted Ponies” is a true original like its Lakota-Sioux muse, the much missed, Sonny Tuttle.

Sonny Tuttle
Sonny Tuttle

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Trunk Show at Desperados in Bend, OR 9/17

Join us Saturday 9/17 12noon-5pm

at Desperados in The Old Mill in Bend, Oregon
330 SW Powerhouse Drive
Bend, OR 97701
http://www.desperadocouture.com/

See The Lucky Star Leather Collection http://www.luckystarleathercollection.com/

A line of handbags, wallets, belts and guitar straps designed by nationally recognized, award winning artist, Harriette Allison. With classic Hollywood cowboy style and vintage cowboy boots for inspiration, The Lucky Star leather collection is heirloom quality, 100% American made and stand alone gorgeous! Come see the line, meet the artist and imagine your own custom piece, The Lucky Star leather collection specializes in one-of-a-kind customization.

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Shipping Furniture

Our new shipping relationship with Greyhound has us excited about being able to truck furniture all over the mainland US in a most economical way! No longer is it cost prohibitive to have our wonderful furnishings sent to you… just a trip to your nearest Greyhound station, and voila! Don’t fret about freight – the problem has been solved. Contact us for more information.

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SAMPLE SALE: Nevada Handmade & Handsome Belts

All of our leather accessories and handcrafted goods are 100% American made, right here in our Reno, NV workshop. Only two hands ever touch our products as they are made: the designer, and the fabricator – people with a combined 50+ years experience in leather craft and western design.

Please see our western style belts. They are priced to sell and only available in said sizing – so when they’re gone… poof!

We can certainly custom make any of our styles in any size… but these are closeouts available now at a fraction of the retail price, see the styles here in our SALE section:

http://www.luckystarleathercollection.com/collections/sale


 

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National Museum of Wildlife Art: Western Visions

We were honored to have Harriette be asked to participate as a guest artist at the National Museum of Wildlife Art’s Western Visions Show http://westernvisions.org/WesternVisions/Artists/artistDetail/index.php?wvArtistId=195.

(Really, any excuse to get back to Jackson Hole, WY is alright with us!)

Missy, Katherine Plumer & Harriette at Western Visions

We reconnected with our Jackson clients, welcomed new ones and made some new friends of fellow visiting artists. Katherine Plumer is a wonderful artist who specializes in scrimshaw http://www.katherineplumer.com/. It was a wonderful time, and we hope to be invited back!

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Maverick Style features designer, Harriette Allison!!

We met Christin Miller of Maverick Style while showing for the National Day of the Cowboy celebration at The Autry National Center http://theautry.org/programs/music-festivals/national-day-of-the-cowboy-and-cowgirl. At that time she told us she would like to feature our leather goods http://www.luckystarleathercollection.com/ on her western inspired blog, Maverick Style. Here is her lovely piece about our handcrafted, American made leather accessories and our own, Harriette Allison: http://www.maverickstyle.net/index.php/component/content/article/13-accessories/180-leather-accessories-from-lucky-star-gallery

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Named True West magazine’s “Best of the West 2011″!

Our own Harriette Allison has been named the Best Living Western Home Furnishings Designer True West Magazine’s Best of the West 2011! A hearty thank you to every one who has embraced our humble vision: to create and re-create using fine materials of our past, re-use and recycle vintage furnishings with all wood construction and unique bones, dressing them in finery, providing them true face lifts and new life.

"Oregon Trail" a Harriette Allison one-of-a-kind

Thank you True West magazine for the nod, you have fine taste!

http://www.truewestmagazine.com/stories/best_of_the_west_2011/1695/25/

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RIP Peachy Carmichael of Surprise, AZ

Last year we had the opportunity to correspond with a couple of sisters out of Surprise, AZ. They found us through an ad we ran in Cowboys & Indians magazine featuring our belts. We got a happy and hearty message on our voicemail telling us their idea and wondering if we could help them. (And, of course we could)… They had this fantastic dog companion: Peachy Carmichael, a stout English Bulldog. Peachy, they told us, was just a fabulous chap who really needed a bespoke collar that told the world of his charm and refinement!

Peachy's Lucky Star collar

Although he was quite a hit in his new leather accessory, poor Peachy went to Heaven in December and we were sad to hear of his passing. He’ll undoubtedly be remembered as a terribly well dressed dog and all around good man.

Peachy in his custom collar

Peachy in his custom collar

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