Global nomad

To find inspiration for his work, all interior designer Barry Dixon has to do is open his eyes.

Dixon, who lives on a 400-acre farm in Virginia, said he is inspired by everything around him, from the shimmer on a pond to the color of the sky as a storm approaches or the feathers on his exotic hens.

“Design inspiration is all around us,” he said as he showcased his new collection of furnishings and accessories at Arteriors during at the winter market at World Market Center Las Vegas. “I can get inspired without leaving my own backyard.”

He called his collection an “assemblage of things that cross boundaries,” representing different places and times. It is inspired by Dixon’s collection of antiques and found objects, which he calls his “21st century curiosities shop.”

“I curated my favorite things from other cultures and other times and dragged them into the 21st century,” he said.

His anvil group, for example, was inspired by the wood block that his grandfather’s anvil sat on in his barn in Tennessee and the cake stands his grandmother used.

Also influenced by Dixon’s love of travel, the Barry Dixon Collection replicates and reinterprets geographically and culturally diverse items such as 19th century Chinese woodcarvings and an Italian lamp he found in France 20 years ago. Additionally, it introduces classically designed pieces with a modern twist.

“I grew up a global nomad,” Dixon said.

His father was a metallurgist for an international company based in Germany and moved his family to exotic cities worldwide, including stops in India, Pakistan, Korea, New Caledonia and South Africa.

Each place they lived, they added pieces to their décor, “bringing things with us as a giant snowball picks ups things as it rolls down a hill.”

Dixon credits moving nearly every year as the reason he entered the world of design.

“Moving almost every year, I saw our home reconstructed with the same things, but with a whole new look,” he said. “It changed the emotion of the room, but you would still stay connected.”

He went to design school at the University of Mississippi with the intention of becoming an architect. Interior design, however, called to him.

“Barry has an original aesthetic that has earned him a reputation as a beloved design icon,” said Mark Moussa, CEO and founder of Arteriors. “Our team is committed to bringing Barry’s vision to the marketplace by offering timeless products with lasting value.”

The Dixon Collection is Arteriors’ third designer collaboration; it debuted late last year in High Point, N.C.

Dixon said he doesn’t have a particular style and never tries to sell a signature style to his clients. Instead, he prefers to see the “view from their window,” finding items that are reflective and relevant to them.

“It’s like putting words into a sentence. Choose your words carefully, otherwise all you have is gibberish.”

The same holds true for his collection. Pieces should be selected for their aesthetics and how they fit with the other items in your home, he said.

His designs have traces of traditional and modern styles that blend with elements of nature. Dixon strives to have the earth, air, fire and water represented in his work. He uses mirror to represents water and geometric shapes patterned after flowers and snowflakes.

In addition to blurring the lines between time and culture in his designs, Dixon said his works have definite masculine and feminine attributes. Examples of this could include interpreting a design with feminine curves in a rugged, masculine material such as metal, or inlaying leather over linen.

The collection is sustainable, using pieces of reclaimed wood and scrap metal.

Dixon said Arteriors’ team made the process of design so easy. They have similar sensibilities for the creative process and use of materials.

The Dallas-based company specializes in decorative accessories, furniture and lighting.

The collaboration is Dixon’s ninth licensed collection. Additionally, he has lines of rugs, paints, fabrics and wallcoverings.