everything old is new again

Anytime I'm in a house that is truly a home, the thing that is most noticeable is that almost nothing is brand new.  There may be a few new pieces (I'm a big proponent of mixing new stuff with old), but the rooms with the most comfort and charm don't come from going into a retailer and buying furniture and setting it up like the display at the showroom.  The really good ones are collected, put together over years with thrift store finds and family heirlooms and vintage pieces from different eras and varying provenance.  So when the lovely people at Chairish, purveyors of all sorts of vintage furniture, art and accessories, asked me to design a room using some of their gorgeous stuff, I was excited to give it a go.

The space in question:  a library with particular challenges.  Not a super large room (12'x15' or so),  but with great features like windows on two walls and a built-in bookcase (because its a library) running the entire length of one wall, from the floor to just beneath the window sills. 

The whole design started with the golden velour sofa.   I was obsessed with it the moment I saw it and knew it would become the anchor in this space.  I also found a pair of long lumbar pillows in a graphic gold chain fabric that were perfect for it.  Biggest piece in the room and some accessories for it.  Done.

The antique Persian rug came next -- it is comfy and rich and great with the sofa.  The room is full of light, so I knew that the deep gold/red/chocolate brown tones wouldn't be too dark or heavy here.  Plus, they are just the sort of colors that make for an inviting spot to curl up with a book.

The room needed way more seating than just the sofa and I LOVE chairs, so it was a no-brainer to choose a pair of them to go with the sofa and rug combo.  Chairish has so many fantastic options for seating (and you know that I love chairs), but I managed to narrow it down to a pair of mohair club chairs by Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams.  MGBW has long been my go-to for chairs, so it makes sense that I chose them.  And just like always these are super comfortable, the upholstery is luxe, the color is yummy and they are so right with everything else in the space.

The mood board for the Chairish library.  Besides all of the books, I found every item in this room in one place.

The tables were easy.  The tree shaped teak table is so interesting and unique.  I was determined to find a way to use it, and it turns out that it tucked nicely between the club chairs.  The mid-century modern nesting tables, well, I'm a sucker for the versatility of nesters.  I've used two in front of the sofa like a coffee table and the third one as an end table, but they can be used in the room in lots of different ways.

Every library needs a bar, and this one was no exception.  I wanted a piece with some size and weight, so instead of seeking out a typical bar cart I decided to re-purpose an art deco dresser with a beautiful walnut finish and great hardware.  The drawers are storage for glassware and the cabinet side is perfect used as liquor storage.  The surface space is great for mixing and serving drinks and is large enough to accommodate a glossy cobalt blue lamp with a clean white shade. 

My sketch of the furniture plan with each item on the mood board.

Sometimes the hardest part of a room is getting the art and accessories right.  Good art -- the kind that you love and want to live with -- is tough to find.   And I'm a firm believer that accessories should be a minimal amount of stuff, but it should be the right stuff.  I think I managed to collect a balanced mix of art and accessories that looks great with all those books.

I could not resist the vintage George Nelson clock.  It will fit perfectly between the windows on the bookcase wall.

Globes are the greatest thing ever.  This one will live atop the built-in bookshelves.

A large shot of the abstract art for the wall behind the sofa.  So much dreamy color.  I love the frame on this piece, too.

So.  Like this room?  Love and covet something in it?  Its all for sale right now, so don't hesitate.

everything is illuminated

It is certainly the case in the dining room at the Hyde Park house.

Here's where we started:  builder's beige walls and a cheap, clunky (and SO bright -- we immediately installed a dimmer) chandelier.  The room isn't particularly large, but the gorgeous floors and the corner windows make up for that.

The first thing to do was paint, and I chose Benjamin Moore stonington gray for the walls.  The color was also used in the adjoining living room and hallway.

Pretty, right?  A little bit taupe and a little blue, too.

The furniture plan for this room was minimal, so I designed draperies to add interest and height to the space and soften the corner without taking up too much floor space.  I selected a really fancy silk in a modern, graphic botanical. 

The drapery silk has fantastic pattern and texture.  Great weight and a slight sheen, too.

A while back, I repaired and re finished six school chairs scored for $2.50 apiece at an LAUSD auction.  They are colorful and eclectic (as this room took shape, it became clear that eclectic would rule here) and absolutely the perfect size.  They also pair well with the super simple dining table planned for the room.

Dining chairs before shot.  Sturdy and comfy, but not looking so good.

Dining chair frames, mid-refurb.  I chose to use a traditional dining room color in a new way.  The wooden seats and backs got a lovely sand and refinish, too.  And we scraped off dozens of pieces of chewing gum!

Sometimes a dining room is all about the chandelier, so it took a bit of time figuring out with what sort of fixture was right here.  Something grand and traditional was considered -- after all,  there is crown molding and silk drapery in this space.  Any number of my modernism faves (like this Nelson Saucer pendant lamp) could have worked, too.  In the end, I settled on the simplest option I could find-- the Finley pendant lamp from Crate & Barrel.  It was the element necessary to get this room just right.

Here's the dining room today:  velvety wall color, dining table that comfortably seats six, refurbed school chairs, luxe draperies, perfect lighting, bold artwork.  So happy and comfortable.

The fab finish on the dining room table (from Urban Home) and Dahlias from the garden.

An heirloom bar cabinet is tucked between windows.  A trio of paintings of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz from Tomata DuPlenty's "Tomata Loves Lucy" series hang above.  The pair of vases are from West Elm.

Alright.  I think its time to bring on the dinner guests.

all over the map

Every Spring, my clients and I do the big build up.  We decide on the projects to tackle, discuss style and color, decide on furniture and art and fabrics and dozens of other details until we put everything together into a design plan.  When summer hits, my clients disappear on various vacations and holidays.  I get down to the work of putting those design plans into action while everybody is away.   Summer is always the busiest season for design, and I am in the thick of it these days.

Two projects are in progress on opposite ends of Los Angeles.
The first is a gorgeous apartment in a historic Spanish-style building in Los Feliz.  There is so much southern California charm here, and I'm doing my best to bring it out with silk and linen draperies, a luxe living room rug and grand chandelier in the dining room. There are also lots of reminders of the client's beloved hometown with some vintage Chicago poster art.  So far, I am absolutely thrilled with how this little gem of a place is turning out.

Perfect Chicago poster art.

High ceilings call for a grand chandelier in the dining room.

Great color in the living room rug.  Perfect with the leather armchairs, too.

Over in Mar Vista, my client has a clean, ultra-modern loft space as her new home.  We are filling it with design classics, great color, quirky vintage finds and modern art.

How can you beat dining chairs with red hairpin legs?  They are from West Elm.  The pedestal table is from CB2.

I've often spoken of my undying love for FLOR carpet tiles -- this mod cow pattern was made for space like this one.

Lots and lots of big white walls in the loft.  This Banksy piece will find a home (and add lots of color) in the living room.

This one is Banksy, too.  For the bedroom.

At the project in Las Vegas, work this year began with furnishings for the patios and poolside.

There are pairs of these Chatham armchairs from Pottery Barn in a few spots around the property.  I love the clean lines and the crisp green of the cushions with all of the desert colors. 

For lounging around the pool,  I designed portable (they have the cutest little handles) cushions in a vibrant Sunbrella stripe that references all of the colors of the pool and garden.  There's also a pretty spectacular view of the The Strip when you're sitting on them.

The patio near the barbeque and bar is shaded with one of the simple umbrellas dotted around the backyard.  These outdoor poufs from Crate & Barrel are super durable, comfy and colorful seating.  A metal basket weave table found on Overstock.com is topped with a glass top from Pier 1.

Inside the house, the design process has just begun to transform a spacious but terribly dated (think gold chrome, glass blocks and terra cotta tile) master bathroom into a super luxe retreat.  I'm sure a handful of things will change before all is said and done, but I'm really excited about what we have so far.

Tile and fixtures and cabinetry, a spectacular bathtub, a glam chandelier and fabulous art.  The things that master bath nirvana is made of.

In June, I took my first trip to Bend, Oregon to visit a family who were among my very first clients when they lived here in Los Angeles.  Bend is a wonderful little city with great energy and my clients have chosen to live in a spot surrounded by so much natural beauty.  It has been great fun designing in a new and inspiring place, and I really love helping my clients settle into their new home. 

The view from the front patio of the Bend house.  Peaceful and beautiful.  And quite a departure from Los Angeles.

All of this travel -- both within my city and without -- has me feeling like I need a serious vacation.  It'll have to be when summer is over and the after photos are posted.

its all just a bunch of vibrations

 

It has been forever since my last post.  

The summer has been a blur, and since its now the last day of September, an end of summer wrap-up is an imperative. I've been working on two really cool homes these past months.  Plus, I'll throw in a little summer vacation design inspiration for good measure.

In Santa Monica, I've been remaking a living room, kitchen office and lounge for a family of six.  Since lots of people live here, and they are all musical or artistic, we needed to make these rooms beautiful and functional as well as making space for all of their stuff in some not so big spaces. 

Here is where we started:

A big room with all the wrong stuff in it.  You can't see the fireplace because its the same color as the walls.  The beams in the ceiling are sage green.  There's a GIANT sectional sofa blocking your path into the room. A favorite old chair is covered with a blanket because its stuffing is coming out. The sconces are a bedazzled mess that don't have anything to do with the (beautiful) iron chandelier.  

Now, this room is perfect.

There's a creamy new white on the walls and the fireplace and beams got lovely new colors, too.  And those hand-painted cement tiles are the star of the show. That's the old favorite chair, reupholstered.  The triptych on the wall is from the clients' collection.  The new sconces and floor lamps make much more sense with the chandelier.

Too beautiful.

A small sofa and the big lounge under the window replace the sectional sofa.  The draperies are natural linen.  Lots of space to play games and display the family's musical instruments, too.

 

My favorite thing about this room is the combination of colors and patterns.  And that beautiful red pie safe -- I found it hidden away in another room and it gave it a new home here.

The small sofa is cushy and cute.

The family needed an office and workspace.  There was a spot in the kitchen, so I designed a nice, big desk to mimic the style of the kitchen cabinetry. 

The new desk has lots of desktop space as well as storage for office and art supplies.  The magnetic board above it captures the chaos of a family of 6 in an ever-changing exhibit of photos, kids' art, schedules and notes.

I love designing chairs, and this niche in the dining room was dying for this pair.  My clients had some really fantastic art in storage, in the garage,  and elsewhere around the house.  THE CARESS OF YOUR GLANCE is my favorite piece from their collection, and has finally found its perfect home.

At the house in Las Vegas, some simple but dramatic changes have occurred in the living room and the office.

This is the living room built-in before.  Like, way, way before:

When we started working on this room, we nicknamed this built-in "the beast."  You can't really get the scale from the photo, but its about 11 feet high and 13 feet wide.  It was also not centered on the wall and made the room feel slightly off balance.  And the speakers.  And that giant, old TV.  Ugh.

This is the way, way after: 

Beautiful zebra wood is the perfect material for the clean lines of the new design.  Although its nearly the same size as the original built-in, it fits the space much better because it is centered.  The TV is smaller and will float in the niche in the center.  The speakers are now elegantly camoflauged in the ceiling.  The luxe furnishings and accessories help the fab new look of this room, too.

A couple of years ago when we started the design process for this home, I suggested diptych by the artist Janet Bothne, and my client became a fast fan of her work.  Her paintings are lush and colorful and the perfect scale for the office wall behind his heavy, carved desk.

The warm yellow is the perfect backdrop for this piece, called MEASURING LOSS AND GAIN.

The library, still in progress but fast becoming my favorite room in this house, is just across the entry hall from the office.  There's a fantastic view of the new art if you're sitting in here, too.

I took my first trip to King's Valley, Oregon this summer, and it was a magnificent reminder -- and a huge shock for an L.A. girl -- of the power of nature.  Nothing but trees and water and mountains and quiet.  The stars had more wattage than the city lights, too. 

Here are a few shots of the beautiful home of our fabulous hosts:

A reminder each time the switch is flipped.

A little red cottage with a purple front door.

I was also lucky enough to get back to my beloved Seattle, where I find it impossible not to be inspired by all of the flowers and food and art and architecture and music.  I found some of the coolest design details in the homes of my family and friends.

Little details like the built in planter are what give my sister in law's little craftsman bungalow so much charm.  Plus, I love this vintage sofa and I'm a sucker for the orange-red color combo.

 

Accent pillows with fantastic color and texture.

Fab shag.

This glorious, ever-evolving magnetic chalkboard wall was one of my favorite things in a BFFs new home.  Everyone who comes to the house leaves their mark.

So.  Now I'm back in Los Angeles and back at work.  There is lots more to do before the year winds down.  But, I have to add, so far so good.  I'm excited to see what the rest of 2013 has in store.