all the single ladies

I get asked all the time about the style of design that I make.  Is it modern? Traditional? Eclectic? Its a question I'm always hesitant to answer, mostly because I'm not really sure I have one.

I have designed homes all over the country, and each has its own particular quirks and characteristics because of the place it sits on the map. The people who inhabit those homes are much the same.  None of my clients has been entirely interested in pure modern, traditional or eclectic and everybody has their quirks. And since I like to think that I always design with the client in mind,  I'd say that my design style is as varied, as diverse, as quirky as they are.

I've been hard at work on two apartments in Los Angeles that are a perfect illustration of this point.

The first space is a uber modern loft in a new building in Mar Vista.  My client here is a woman with a busy life and a demanding career that has her traveling a lot, so it was my goal to create a comfortable, colorful space that welcomed her when she got to spend precious time at home.

Here is where we began:

Polished concrete floors, shiny steel appliances and large, white spaces. A slick, clean slate for sure, but not much warmth.

The living room was tabula rasa.

Great windows with garden views in the loft bedroom, but all of them covered with horrible plastic vertical blinds.

Now it looks like this:

A vintage credenza is paired with a mod pedestal table and red chairs with incredible hairpin legs. Perfect. I love the combo of the cow hide rug and the woven runner, too. And that's a Banksy print at the base of the stairs. 

My client had lots of beautiful, colorful things that we used everywhere we could. She also invested in vintage furniture and some bold modern art -- much of it by local artists.  This pair is perfect.

This piece. Oh man.  Such a gorgeous beast, and such a lovely contrast to the concrete floors.  

No more big white box of a living room.  So much beautiful pattern, color and texture here. And more Banksy.

The concrete floors, the luxe rug, the marble coffee table.

The super high ceiling in the living room made it the perfect spot for a vertical office. And I am totally in love with the little stool with the grey felt seat.

The loft bedroom is dreamy and calming. The graphic art above the bed  -- created with handmade greeting cards -- is some of my favorite in my client's collection.

White linen replaces those horrible plastic blinds on the windows, and the view into the garden is a bit more serene. 

Apartment number two is in a landmark 1928 building called Casa Laguna in Hollywood. It could not be more of the polar opposite of the loft at the beach.

My client works as a film producer, so this home had to become a place for her to retreat and relax after long hours on set.  Luckily, this apartment (and the beautiful building it is in) has long been considered one of the most beautiful in Los Angeles, so all I really had to do was fill it with things that complemented the architecture here.  There are lots of little reminders of my client's beloved hometown, too.

Here is before:

Andalusian details everywhere. Super-high ceilings and giant windows with views of the Hollywood hills from the living room.

Beautiful hardwood floors.  French doors to a Juliet balcony in the the dining room (and every other room).

And this is after:

I kept things sunny and bright here with cream and grey and lots of yellow. The room is warm and absurdly comfortable.

Beautiful little details.

Color, texture, pattern and sparkle.

My client was in need of the perfect a way to store her incredible shoe collection. it was too beautiful to hide in a closet,  so shoe benches were designed for the entryway.  Now her beautiful footwear is decor.

The dining room.  Red silk draperies are the star here, but there is so much more to love.  Especially those hand carved honeycomb doors.

I love this piece as much as I love the credenza in the loft.  It is incredibly tall and covered entirely in the most gorgeous grass cloth. 

And it has the most spectacular hardware.

Chicago chandelier.

See what I mean? There's no one style at play in either of these homes and definitely not just one type of client.

I don't want to choose, so I won't.

what's your gift?

Last Christmas, my parents asked if I would, as my gift to them, design a new living room for their Pennsylvania home.

First, I should mention that my parents have serious skill when it comes to remodeling and were a big help to Drew and I in the first year or so in our new house.  The MMD studio couldn't have happened without them and I really wanted to repay them in whatever way I could.  But.   When it came to tackling their living room, I was a bit hesitant at first.  Not because I didn't want to avail my parents of whatever design skill and talent that I possess, but mostly because I thought it might be difficult to design my parents' house.  I was concerned about making them uncomfortable with all of the change that design can bring, of insulting them when we disagreed.  I was worried that we couldn't have the kind of relationship that a designer has to have with a client because they are my parents.

And let me also add that the design evolution at my parents' house has been a little odd.  My mom has wonderful taste and great personal style and always decorated the homes I lived in with interesting art and color and furniture she refinished and restored.  I was already away at college by the time she and my stepdad moved into their current home, and in the 20 years since, I've been surprised to see it morph into a house that looked like old people live there -- especially because my parents are decidedly not.

I relented and said yes -- there was really no question -- and in the end my fears were unfounded.  At one of our first design meetings, my mom said "I don't want it to look like an old lady's house anymore."  I knew right then that she got it and was ready for something different.   I stopped being nervous and just decided to do for my parents what I do for every other client.  And if I'm really honest with myself, I've been dying to get my hands on their house for years, so I was thrilled to get down to it.

My mom is dreading this part, but here are the before photos:

The matchy old lady floral furniture.  The green carpet.  The pink walls, fake flowers, awkward floor plan, all of it.  Ugh.

Dark, heavy draperies covering big, beautiful windows.  The giant TV in front of the window.  Uncomfortable furniture.

Here's my sketch of the new floor plan:

All of the furniture was replaced by more comfortable, more contemporary pieces.  The two focal points of the room, fireplace and TV, are now on the same wall.

My parents turned out to be really great clients.  They were open to color and furniture ideas that were far more contemporary than anything in their previous comfort zone and they were really motivated to get the space done.   After a couple of design meetings we finalized a color palette and furniture plan, and they really got to work.  They did lots of furniture shopping.  My mom spent hours in fabric stores, choosing the drapery and accent pillow fabrics.  They had the place painted and had new carpet installed.  They replaced overhead light fixtures, hung the new draperies and removed the brass trim around the fireplace.  We exchanged endless photos of art, lighting and accessories options and tweaked the floor plan where necessary, but really, after the design development and my initial site visit back in February (really an excuse for me to come and hang out with my family), my parents rocked the project management and installation on their own. 

Here's what the room looks like now:

This room is filled with grey tones, but is still light and bright.  The velvet sectional is over-sized and super comfortable and serves as the anchor piece in the space.  A long, slim console table behind it is a perfect perch for the lamps.  And my stepdad still has a recliner.

I never thought my stepdad would love an IKEA chair (or IKEA anything for that matter), but this recliner is his new power spot.

Remember the corner that used to have the big TV in it?  Now it is my mom's center of gravity.  Those spectacular armchairs are my absolute favorite thing in the room.

Double drapery rods with peacock blue velvet draperies are perfect with all the grey tones.  They are also great insulation during the cold Pennsylvania winters.  The second rod is hung with pure white sheers -- perfect for creating daytime privacy while still allowing the room to fill with light.

A pair of beautiful prints, picked up on a trip to Paris my parents took a few years ago. 

Paris meets Pittsburgh in the books, art and accessories in this room.  The carpet is luxe, too.

The grandfather clock has been in the Brinker family since the 1840's.  Its the most traditional element in this room (the only room in the house with ceilings high enough accommodate it), but it seems to work.

Pillow and sectional sofa details.

We're still working on the artworks for a few of the walls and a family photo gallery for another, and I don't think that I'll ever convince my mom that less is more when it comes to accessories, but I think its safe to say that this room is a success.   During my visit last month we spent almost all of our time here.  It is comfortable and beautiful and best of all, my parents are happy with it.  They will be spending Christmas 2014 in the room I gifted them last year, and it brings me nothing but joy to think of my Pennsylvania tribe, all of them, having a fantastic holiday in their beautiful new space.

A photo from my parents as they decorated for their first Christmas in the new living room.

So. What's your gift?  What are you giving this holiday?  I hope it brings you as much happiness to give it as it does to those who receive it.

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.

make me over

When I'm working with a client on their home, we inevitably have a conversation that involves "the perfect piece" for that breakfast nook or space at the bottom of the stairway or empty corner of the master bedroom.  Whatever the trouble spot in a house may be, I find that I bump up against that idea all the time.  Lots of people are convinced that they haven't properly designed or even attempted to design their space because they just haven't found that perfect piece that they envision will make the room complete.

While I definitely visualize the right item for each spot in any room I'm designing,  I'm also of the mind that if you can't find that perfect piece, you should create it yourself (or hire a pro to do it for you).  And one of the best parts of my job is making old things new and not so fabulous things beautiful.  

The Hyde Park house is in progress, and is filling with examples of creating the perfect piece.

Some seating was necessary for the living room, so we made the pilgrimage to my favorite resource for rehab-able chairs in Los Angeles -- Hotel Surplus Outlet.  They sell new furniture overstock, but more importantly, any and everything from hotel and resort liquidations.  Tons of furniture, lighting, art and frames, even a room filled with hotel dish and service ware -- total designer Disneyland. Its one of those places that I feel so lucky to have nearby and it always feels like a treat to walk into their warehouse to see 200 ugly chairs and know that a couple of the will soon be beautiful.  The other great thing about HSO are the prices.  The pair of red chairs I selected only cost $50.

Looks like it belongs in a chain hotel lobby, right?  That's because it does.  But the shape and scale are just right for the living room, so we'll reupholster and give them some cool new legs.

Side view.  And ugh, can you imagine how many dirty traveler hands have touched that armrest?  Gross.

Here are the same chairs after rehab.  They are perfection.

The new fabric is a bold peacock blue with a really subtle herringbone.  At only $10 per yard,  it was a quite a find at the discount outlet of F&S Fabrics.  The trio of metal tables are from CB2

No more dirty armrests!   And some beautiful new legs from tablelegs.com. 

The white boucle pillow is from Crate & Barrel.

The orange Ikat pillow cover is from Fabricadabra.

The master bedroom is a serious work in progress, with wall color and the removal of the builder's beige carpet and restoration of the hardwood floors still to come.  The furniture plan in this space is really starting to take shape.  The room is already a colorful and comfortable place to be.

The headboard was created specifically for this space.  It is simple and streamlined with a bit of cushion and a luxe linen from Robert Allen. The dust ruffle was constructed in the same fabric.

Not bad for only halfway finished. 

The beautiful pulled thread detail on the headboard and dust ruffle fabric.

Bedside tables are key to comfort, in my opinion.  Must have a drawer for the book (or whatever).  Must be sturdy, and have surface space for a lamp and maybe an alarm clock or glass of water, too.  Storage is a bonus.

I scored a great pair of bedside chests for $20 at a garage sale.  Paint and hardware is all they needed to tick all the boxes.

Solid wood but hideously painted.  An easy fix.

Here they are in their new home:

A pair of vintage lamps with white drum shades are great atop the rehabbed chests. 

The gorgeous new finish and hardware.

The bedroom is a nice, long room, so we wanted to take advantage of the space with a bench at the foot of the bed.  Nothing too large or chunky, but something with storage.  The piece we started with came from one of my absolute favorite resources, my local Home Goods store.  It sometimes take a couple of shopping trips, but I always find what I'm looking for there.  This bench cost about $100.

Great shape and the scale is right.  Bonus storage.  Boring upholstery can be remedied.

 After re-upholstery, it is everyone's new favorite piece in the room.

The fabric has just enough pattern to be a feature, not so much that it looks crazy.  And it is great with the red bedside tables.

The bright, graphic cotton on the bench is from The Fabric Store.  I love it paired with the draperies, from West Elm.

So.  Is there a place in your home that's missing its perfect piece?  I want to know.