Today I would like to introduce you to Frederick Rayner, a multi-talented impressive Dallas native. If you have the pleasure to get to know him, he will inspire you with his quick wit on so many fronts: culture, culinary arts, literature, philosophy, or maybe just in the amusing way that processes life. If you do not already know Frederick, he is the COO and co-founder of Global Views, a home decor wholesale company that, in my trained eye’s opinion, sets the trends for the rest to follow. Their product line is phenomenal. Here are some excerpts from our recent interview:
Currently Living: At the W, Dallas, TX
Current job: COO at Global Views
Previous job: Owned Tray Chic Catering in Fort Worth, TX
Because of your background I understand you have been asked to do events, can you tell us a little about that? We have done two weddings for friends in Fort Worth using Global Views product and the talents of the Global Views design team. The first wedding was held at the Fort Worth Modern and the second was at the Fort Worth Club. The Club wedding was more challenging as the décor was extremely dated – so we freshened it up by removing all of the Club furniture and bringing in our own. We lacquered all the wood white, changed out the Club chandeliers, brought in a lot of lighting, and had two Swarovski crystal curtains made – one to grace the entrance to the main Club room and the other to enhance the dance floor stage.
I love that you are into healthy living, Frederick. Can you tell us a little about your thoughts on keeping your life in balance: When we first started Global Views I said to my partner, David, that I had no problem working as many hours as it took to get our business off the ground – but we had to stop for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I feel that meal times are the moment for regrouping and refocusing and relaxing – and for sharing with friends and family. So, every day we stop for lunch at the office – usually I make a really nice healthy lunch and invite one or two Global Views team members to join us.
I believe it is a shame that Americans come from such a wide variety of cultures but after one or two generations they seem to have left their cultural identity behind as far as food. Most cultures think of food as a way to be social and sharing a meal with a guest or family is very important. Eating is not a fast food affair – although that does seem to be changing the world over. I wish we could all go back to thinking of the dining experience and eating properly as a priority in life.
What inspires you: Favorite Design style: I like almost all styles when they are well executed. My least favorite period, however, is the Victorian period as it is awfully fussy. Favorite styles are Georgian, Edwardian, and mid-century.
Favorite way to spend a day off: Having friends over for a dinner party.
If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why? Depending on my mood I could have different choices at different times. Sometimes it would be fun to have dinner with the Duchess of Windsor to have a feel for what could possibly have made a king give up a throne for her; other times it would be to have dinner with someone like George Washington – a man who led his nation in a parlous time; or Julia Child if I wanted to talk about food. I think Elizabeth Taylor would be great if you just wanted to have a fun evening with a truly kind person. A living person – perhaps Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama. And if I had an ill temper – probably my cat who would fix that right away.
Favorite meal: I really love fried chicken – so I don’t eat it too often as I would just pig out.
Guilty Pleasure: Fried chicken
Introvert or extrovert? I think I am an introvert.
Favorite Design item in your home: I think having beautiful living flowers and plants in your home make everything look and feel better – especially if they are carefully and artfully arranged. We try to have orchids in our house as often as possible and love to have casablanca lilies in vases. Of course, we have a lot of Global Views accessories in our house – but I’m sure I’m a bit biased when it comes to those.
Favorite quotes: I think Dorothy Parker had the most fabulous quotes. I love her line “I love a martini, two at the most, three I’m under the table, four I’m under the host”. I also happen to like lots of those pithy little lines that help navigate life such as ‘start the way you mean to continue’, ‘old too soon, wise too late’, ‘the mills of the Lord grind slowly but they grind exceedingly fine’ and the like. I use a lot of those since I picked them up from my English mother who had one for every life situation. I am a Winston Churchill fan and I really loved when he said ‘some people see an opportunity with every obstacle and others see an obstacle with every opportunity’.
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**My hot tip to anybody attending the upcoming High Point Market: Plan to get to Global Views early, like 11am to place your orders and be there for the best food you will ever eat, cooked by Frederick daily- IHFC Building D220. His culinary skills are legendary… and you will happen to notice that Global Views carries THE best accessories for entertaining. Accident? I think not….
Wao that wedding was so beautiful!! I would love to see the decor in his other events….I can just imagine!! Great interview!
yes, all furnished with Global Views items- amazing, huh?
Frederick is evidently a man after my own heart, which is clear when he says, “I think having beautiful living flowers and plants in your home make everything look and feel better.” Courtney, thanks to this interview and your lovely tip to meet Frederick at High Point, I did just that and it was such a pleasure. Frederick is a hospitable host and all the new pieces in the Global Views collection are so stylish. TY!
So glad you had the chance to meet him in High Point, Sarah, he is wonderful.