 I recently completed a fast track project for a past client from a few years back. My client Theresa of Opus Music School was looking to expand her existing space to create a group teaching music room. In the process, the existing reception and waiting areas would be less than half the space of what it was before. The challenge was to create a space that looked new and exciting, yet accommodated all the areas she had before, which we had designed just a few years ago.  The new furniture floor plan includes seating and counter workspace for the music school kids to work at.  We custom designed, built, and installed a floating counter with stools and sconces as a work space.  The new waiting area includes seating and poufs for the kids.  Still in progress, but the colorful backdrop wall will have signage and be a fun selfie wall too!  We included a mix of existing furnishings paired with new pieces too. 
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 Lamps Plus recently invited a group of designers and media to attend a summer luncheon with brand ambassador Jennifer Farrell highlighting Fall trends. We enjoyed an amazing lunch at one of my local favorites, A.O.C. along with socializing with new and old friends.  Thank you to Lamps Plus for including me at their recent summer luncheon.  The pretty wine room venue at A.O.C. for our private luncheon.  A three course luncheon with the always amazing food at A.O.C.  Lamps Plus brand ambassador and interior design / tv host, Jennifer Farrell sharing her Fall lookbook selections.  Highlighting some of the Fall trends featured in the lookbook, is this stunning Tangle Pendant. I’m going to keep this in mind for a great room breakfast nook project I’m currently working on.  Love the transitional and modern mix of the Paxton Pendant.  These Brava Wall Lamps are gorgeous!  I’m always on the lookout for something new and different, love this Arrow Sconce. Noted as a must use for a future project!  It’s one great thing after the next! Loving these sconces from the Yara Collection as a must use for a future bathroom remodeling project!  I find this Declan Sconce very transitional and elegant. I could see using in a hallway or flanking a fireplace.  The Casa Ceiling Light is super glam. I’d love to use in a master bedroom.  Lamps Plus is a great source for furnishings too. Often, I find stylish affordable pieces for clients. These Reign Barstools are striking and look comfortable and love the colored velvet, just $249 too!   I was recently working on concepts for a small bathroom remodel with a budget to allow for only minor cosmetic renovations. In the process of putting together inspiration and direction for the project, I came across some bold, colorful vanities — and thought — why not go for a “statement vanity”!?  This concept board was actually for a project several years ago but I still love that lavender vanity!  Bright pink is so fun and cheerful!  Yellow, of course, is happy - makes for a great kid’s bathroom.  Definitely vibrant and bold with orange and colorful wallpaper.  The balance of white and yellow give this statement vanity a very clean bathroom look.  In my search, I found some colorful vanities available ready made and online.  Super sleek and modern.  A green vanity is another statement color!  The concept board of selections for a recent bathroom project. All items are budget oriented and in stock.
If you’d like help with a design and direction for your budget bathroom makeover, I offer a flat rate design for anyone, anywhere. Details here.  A long time client of mine, who’s home I helped design awhile back with an online design for her living room, followed by her father’s family room as a surprise birthday gift - both projects involved the flat rate room design where I put together the layouts and furnishings selections and she took care of the ordering and implementing, resulted in helping with two more very recent projects: her daughter’s new home in Waco, TX and her son’s college dorm room. She emailed me last weekend asking if I could help with a fast track project. Her and her husband were going to visit their daughter for the weekend and wanted help putting both the living and dining rooms together. In just two days time I put together the furniture layouts, furnishing selections, and concept boards. She shopped over the weekend locally in addition to ordering online, and the photos below are the results of progress in less than one week (still progress, but coming together!). Two days later, she asked if I could help with her son’s college dorm room! From start to progress, below are the measurements she emailed, the layouts for furniture placement and sizes provided, and the furnishings concept boards (selections and resources emailed with).  Dining Room Furnishings Concept Board  Inspiration Photo  Inspiration Photo  Inspiration Photo  Living room measurements from client.  Dining room measurements from client.  Living & Dining Room Furniture Floor Plan Layout  Before Photo  Before Photo  Before Photo  Progress Photo  Progress Photo   Progress Photo  Then came their son’s college dorm room! Looking forward to seeing this progress next!  Happy to help with your room design, anyone, anywhere! More details here.
 Happy to be featured, among many of my friends and design colleagues, in this latest report from Fixr on Kitchen Remodeling Trends in 2019. Check out the full article here!   Last week I was invited to attend “The Dinner Table” with Sub-Zero Wolf at the Cove Showroom in Costa Mesa. Our evening began with cocktails and tastings, a brief showroom tour, followed by an exceptional dinner prepared by the showroom’s own personal chef, Molly Kruger.  I was in the company of several of my friends and fellow design colleagues - it felt like quite an intimate dinner party!  The table setting was decorated so pretty and each of our dishes which were coursed, were amazing. Chef Molly’s cooking is exceptional!  The first course from our tasting menu. The dish is watermelon paired with duck breast (but as I don’t eat meat, mine was paired with halloumi). Even so, a beautiful presentation and tasty.  The desert.  Detail of a Wolf cooktop.  The Cove Showroom in Costa Mesa is stunning. Beautifully designed, state of the art, abundant natural lighting, and an outdoor BBQ set up complete with a retractable roof that opens up to feel that true outdoor vibe.  Close up of that beautiful BBQ and signature red knobs from Wolf.  Even the details on the stem of our wine glasses...  The next morning we were treated to a breakfast demo.  Chef Molly prepared shashuka for us (all of the cooking was done on Wolf appliances as part of the demonstration).  Thank you to the Cove Showroom Costa Mesa for hosting us and to Gita PR for including me.
 Last week while in Florence, Italy I attended the 83rd Florence International Artisan Fair. The event takes place at the Fortezza da Basso, a fort inside the walls of fourteenth century Florence. The fair consists of various pavilions including art, decor, furnishings, clothing, accessories, food and wine. The event also includes a courtyard set up of Italian street food and food trucks.  Outside the walls of Fortezza da Basso.  My first time attending the show on behalf of Camera di Commercio Firenze and PromoFirenze.  Innovative furnishings inside the first pavilion we toured.  A sculptural marble piece.  Details of a wood table.  A woven, roped like chair.  Love these marble vases.  The next exhibit we toured was inside this adorable landscaped cottage within the fortress walls.  It was called, “The Seven Wonders of Tuscany” exhibit.  Another favorite was this alabaster art piece.  I loved the vibrant color and color combination of these ceramic vases.  I actually tested out these marble loungers - and they are both comfortable and cool (cold) feeling, but in a way that felt relaxing from running around the show and feeling warm.  Green glass dishware.  A bronze sculpture.  The exhibit featured many live demonstrations, like this man painting.  A ceramic vase.  A marble lamp.  One of the other exhibits featured a mix of jewelry and handbags.  There was also artsy clothing, like this Pantone color chip skirt.  Italian street food vendors were in the outdoor pebbled courtyard.  Classic Cacio e Pepe was available at one of the food trucks.  And beers on tap!  I love how this food truck was selling “old Sicily & new food”!  Thank you to Camera di Commercio Firenze and Promo Firenze for including me to be a part of the #MeetTheArtisans international group attending this year’s fair.
 As part of my recent trip to Italy to attend the 83rd Florence International Artisan fair, our Meet The Artisans group participated in a cultural excursion to the Museo della Ceramica in the town of Montelupo.  The town is a quintessential Tuscan countryside of a local community, about twenty five minutes from the city center of Florence.  The center of town mainly consists of about three streets of local shops, restaurants, and flats.  Public art is prevalent even in this small town.  The Italians are quite the artisans.  The locals are very friendly too. This beautiful dog took a liking to my friend and fellow group participant, interior designer Kim Lewis from Austin, Texas.  So much prettiness everywhere you look!  The man in the window above that door watching us, the tourists, taking photos of his front door.  Around the corner, sheds insight to daily life.  Exterior facades are colorful.  Decorative too: Ceramic tiles for address numbers and colorful potted plants.  After a brief walk through town we made our way to the ceramics museum to begin our tour. This is the front of the museum entrance.  The museum features a collection of ceramic dishes and bowls that were found in local wells from centuries past. Found were fragments and broken pieces that were discarded due to being unsalable.  The dishware depicts the Tuscan colors.  Motifs are a reflection of the various eras. The simpler ones are at a less prosperous time.  Others reflect life in the time they were made.  The museum consists of multiple displaying ceramics from various periods.  Thank you to PromoFirenze and The Florence Chamber of Commerce for coordinating this excursion for us. #MeetTheArtisans
 There is a little town just outside of Florence, in the Tuscany region of Italy, called Vinci. It happens to be the birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci, or in other words, “Leonardo from Vinci”. On my recent trip as part of the Meet the Artisans group, we had the privledge of touring this small town as one of our neighborhood excursions.  It is a charming hillside town with very green Tuscan countryside views. Surprisingly, it’s reached after a drive through an industrial area. Once there, the town consists of a steep hill of shops and restaurants with a church and museum at the top overlooking the town.  Typical buildings with colorful facades and shutters.  A car in front of one of the many museums in this quaint town.  Archways and cobblestone streets adorn the town.  Looking up toward the church where Leonardo da Vinci was baptized.  The town includes a Leonardo da Vinci museum.  The sidewalk outside of the museum.  The Tuscan countryside.  Ode to Leonardo da Vinci.  Vinci is so charming and picturesque.  More views from the top.  Definitely recommend a visit if you’re in the region.
Thank you to PromoFirenze and the Florence Chamber of Commerce for including us on this neighborhood excursion. #MeetTheArtisans  I’ve just returned from a trip to Florence, Italy and although I’ve been to Italy many times, it was my first visit to the Tuscany region. I was there to attend the 83rd International Artisan Fair, a curated fair featuring local artisans and makers of art, decor, furnishings, clothing and accessories, & food and wine.  I arrived a day early and had some time to explore the city before our first night’s welcome dinner event. Our group stayed at the AC Marriot Firenze hotel, just on the outskirts of the city center in a more residential neighborhood. This was the view from my room.  The first day was a bit rainy but I managed to still get a lot of city walking in as the rain tapered off later in the day. As I was rushing to meet a friend of mine for lunch that lives in Florence, I turned a corner and came upon this carousel with a peek of the top of the bell tower from the Duomo behind.  As it turns out the Duomo was right next to where we had lunch and just as we were saying goodbye, I turned around and saw the very striking cathedral and bell tower.  At the Duomo.  The cathedral details.  Walking around the perimeter of the Duomo.  An exterior facade on the Piazzo del Duomo.  Cute cafes and restaurants around the Piazza del Duomo.  And beautifully engraved doors.  From the Duomo, I ventured out for more city walking and stumbled upon the Basilica of Santa Maria Novello.  Some of the buildings next to the Basilica include hotels and restaurants.  As I continued walking I came upon an open market area selling leather goods just before finding the Mercato Centrale, an indoor food market with restaurants. I’ve never seen so many varieties of pasta!  Street art on the streets of Firenze.  As I was making my way back to the hotel towards the end of the day, I came upon this 14th century fortress, the Fortezza da Basso, where the artisan fair I would be attending the next day is located.  Inside the fortress is this charming little building where one of the exhibitors we visited at the fair was.  On the second day, we had some free time after attending the fair in the morning, so I set out for more city sight seeing, strolling through narrow streets on a warm sunny afternoon.  Stopping to see cute local hotels.  And colorful buildings.  Bicycles lined up outside the Savoy Hotel in Firenze.  Suddenly and unexpectedly I came upon the Piazza della Signoria as I was making my way to the Ponte Vicchio.  Grand statues like this one overlook the Piazza.  Beyond the Piazza della Signoria is the Uffizi Gallery.  A “live” statue stands outside the Uffizi Gallery.  Looking up at the details.  Art and architecture is everywhere you look.  Just beyond the steps from the Uffizi Gallery is the river and Ponte Vecchio.  A view of the Ponte Vecchio and the Fiume Arno.  |
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