Top Five Faves: Chandeliers

May 28th, 2010 by jennifermyers

Chandeliers are the cream of the lighting crop, adding elegance to the practical nature of room lighting. Even the sound of the name sounds highbrow and expensive, and we at LRM Interior Design love the many different styles and materials that chandeliers are made of. As usual, it was very difficult to narrow down our list to just five, but here they are.

Jaeger 6-Tier Horn Chandelier

Jaeger 6-Tier Horn Chandelier

1. Jaeger 6-Tiered Horn Chandelier: Our love affair with capiz-shell chandeliers is still strong, don’t worry—after all, they helped us win one of our ASID awards! But it will have to share our hearts with this Jaeger horn chandelier, as the color and shape of the horn pieces are gorgeous. The hammered antique brass canopy is beautiful, as is the light diffused by the polished pieces of horn. This is a light fixture that does not melt into the background, but is rather more of an attention-getter—we must feel like it’s one of the LRM gang… (read the rest of this post…)

Support LRMID at the 4th Annual Designer Runway Extravaganza!

May 21st, 2010 by jennifermyers
Lisa McDennon

Lisa McDennon

This year Lisa McDennon and the team at LRM Interior Design will be participating in the 4th Annual Designer Runway show. This event is like a combination of Project Runway and Divine Design, but even more challenging. Teams of four will have 90 minutes, seven yards of fabric and one sewing machine, and their task is to create a couture outfit for the Laguna Design Center‘s runway.

Forgive us for being biased, but we already think that Lisa McDennon looks like she’s just stepped off a runway most days. Hopefully she’ll be the one to shimmy her way down the Designer Runway next month, after giving her superb fashion advice to the others on her team.If so, the other teams won’t have a chance!

There will be martinis, wine and hors d’oeuvres for the audience to enjoy while the evening’s events transpire. The team’s outfits will be judged: not by Heidi Klum, but by a panel of celebrity judges hand picked for the occasion.

Tickets are on sale now! Prices start at $35 for general admission, and $75 for VIPs. Join us at the Laguna Design Center on June 16th at 5:30PM to cheer on LRM Interior Design as they strut their stuff down the runway at this exciting event.

Lights, Camera and Action for LRM Interior Design!

May 18th, 2010 by jennifermyers
Christian Horan and his assistant Scott line up the living room shot

Christian Horan and his assistant Scott line up the living room shot

Last Thursday the setup started early, with accessories and home goods being carefully unpacked and unwrapped after a week of shopping. Hours of arranging, rearranging and careful placement followed. Finally, one of LRM Interior Design’s Newport Beach bachelor projects was, shall we say, ready for its close up.

It wasn’t just the LRM team that was involved in setting up the shoot, there was help from the outside. For the green touches that bring an almost unconscious beauty to a room, Instant Jungle was called in for their expert eye and green thumb. Lisa McDennon uses no one but Instant Jungle for all of her plant needs, both internal and external. Greg Wallace, owner, was on site to make sure everything looked perfect—and he should know, as he’s been supplying plants for gardens, interiors, and home staging for 30 years.

Another integral part of the team was our favorite photographer Christian Horan, whose eye for detail, light and composition beautifully complements Lisa’s interior design. He and his assistant Scott moved furniture, helped style tabletops, climbed up and down ladders like monkeys to get the perfect shot every time. Catching Christian between his international shoots in Mexico and the Caribbean was tricky, and we were lucky to get him—and his special blend of energy, humor and talent—on the shoot.

It was an exhausting day, but it will be worth it when we see those photos of the house in print….hopefully soon! In the meantime, check out Lisa McDennon’s work and Christian’s photos in the upcoming August issue of Romantic Homes magazine.

June Lake Update: Mountain Lodge Design

May 16th, 2010 by jennifermyers
Lisa goes over plans with contractor and architect

Lisa goes over plans with contractor and architect

Can you believe it’s already May?  It seems like just yesterday when Senior Designer Jan Smith and I braved the cold snow and met with our clients at June Lake to help redesign their mountain home.  Five months later, Jan and I have begun to really implement and put our design into action.   Last month Jan and I headed up to June Lake and conducted a final walkthrough with the architect, the cabinet maker, the electrician, the tile contractor and the lighting specialist to ensure that all details were set in place.

Jan and I spent a great deal of time with the tile. We showed our client the selections we had picked, laying out every design out in the house to gain a better overall perspective of the space and to see if everything flowed together well. We sat down with the tile contractor and went through each tile drawing to ensure that every detail, down to the finishing of the tile edges, was correct.  I’ve always believed that it is best to discuss everything with my contractors, because sometimes not everything translates perfectly from paper or the contractors might have a particular style of finishing that doesn’t work with our design. Strong communication is key in successful designing! (read the rest of this post…)

What Separates Us from Other Designers?

May 9th, 2010 by lisa
Details are an important part of interior design

Details are an important part of interior design

I believe that it is a combination of our innovative design skills and our impeccable and savvy ability to manage our projects.  So often we hear tragic stories of clients working with designers that display talent, but fall short when it comes time to carry out their business practices.  Or just as often, we witness atrociously designed interiors, obviously done by unqualified designers who misled their clients—and got paid for it.

At LRM Interior Design, we help our clients avoid both circumstances by following our infallible formula for success.  Here are our top 10 qualities that help us continually achieve that success.

  1. We start by listening to our clients’ needs. From that, we create a cohesive design plan starting from the very beginning.  We follow through on that plan, never straying away from it.  This ensures consistency and efficiency.
  2. We build trust by educating our clients throughout the entire process, ensuring that they understand every reasoning behind our decisions.  We have established such a reputable rapport with our clients to the point where they consult us even for the minutest decisions.  (read the rest of this post…)