This week we present the guru of mid-century modernity, Senior Designer Jan Smith. Jan is a true fan of classic styling, and appreciates the quality that only good craftsmanship and design can provide. She’s also a stickler for comfort—Jan is not one to take beauty if it’s uncomfortable. As the Bauhaus motto enforced “form and function”, so does Mrs. Smith.

To the point, this girl knows what a good dining room chair looks like! Let’s get her top five picks:

1. Møller Model 77 Side Chair: Our Lady of the Table loves the clean lines of mid-century modern, and this is a great example. “Danish furniture is close to my heart,” explains Jan. “I love the use of bent wood, the clean sweep of fabric on the seat and the overall feel of this chair.” The bent-wood back makes it perfectly comfortable for long, leisurely dinners like Thanksgiving—which is right around the corner! This chair is also very versatile, and could be used in other seating arrangements, like a guest chair in a corporate or home office.

2. Wegner Wishbone Chair: Too much Danish furniture is never enough, and especially when they’re a classic like this one. The Wishbone is one of Hans Wegner’s most identifiable designs, and it was introduced back in 1950. This Danish Modernist created a frame of solid wood, and the seat is made from “papercord”, a resilient rope woven of paper that was developed in Sweden. “I love everything about this chair,” says Jan. “It has lovely lines and a timeless style that speaks to me.” We’re sure it’s saying “Take me home, Jan!”

3. Caribou Club Armchair: Moving from Northern Europe to the Wild Wild West with the weathered look of the Caribou Club armchair. The exposed wooden frame is complemented by the dark tones of the leather and the meticulously hammered upholstery tacks that line the wings and the arms. “I love this clean yet rustic take on the wing-back chair. It makes the art of dining almost business like,” explains Jan. This would be a great chair to have at both heads of the table for a fine family gathering.

4. Coral Side Chair: After the imposing nature of the last chair, this is a softer, gentler side of Jan’s selection, with the beige seat offsetting the almost pearlescent white of the base and back. The row of upholstery tacks make this chair less feminine than it could be, allowing it to cross into more grown-up territory like the dining room. Jan comments: “I like the sculptural elements of this chair. The coral detail can go either beach-chic or glamorous.”

5. Settee: Any of them. Jan’s right when she says “I am a huge fan of settees at a dining table. It encourages snuggling and leisurely dining.” And many of us have lost the tradition of lingering over a meal, enjoying friends a food and not just finishing the food and rushing off to the next event. With a meal like the one at the Smiths’, you’ll need a settee—not just to lie down on when you’re stuffed, but because the company, the food and the libations are so wonderful you’ll never want the meal to end. And every holiday meal should be like that!

We know we’ve given you way too many choices, and some of our favorites won’t necessarily match your style or your home. Why not arrange a consultation to see how we can help you get your home in shape for the holidays? Or, if you love these selections, please call us so we can help you purchase them and get them delivered to your home. Call right away if you need the furniture before the holidays to ensure it is delivered in time.

Let LRM Interior Design provide your taste with our touch this holiday season. Call now for your consultation: (949) 497-6806.

And if you are organizing Orange County’s premiere party (even if it’s a small gathering at your home or office), you need to pull out all the stops and look at every detail. And that’s why we are looking at chairs for the dining room this week.

We’re also putting our new Assistant Designer on the spot this week with her list of favorite chairs and why. We’d like to introduce Ali Bacon, who recently joined the LRM team! Welcome!

Ali has a fresh modern take on dining room chairs, and we like it—many of us are traditionalists, and we see a dining room, or even just the table, as a sober, formal area of the home. It doesn’t have to be that way! The combination of style and function works every time. Shown here:

Eiffel Chair: Nobody, and we mean nobody, has the chair-designer recognition like Charles and Ray Eames. You’d have to be under the age of 16 to have not heard of them, or at least seen this pair’s classic stylings. The Eiffel chair was designed in 1948 and first presented at MoMA’s International Competition for Low-Cost Furniture, and it was the first plastic chair to be mass-produced. Our Ali is all over it, choosing the Eiffel chair for one of her recommendations. “Not only has this chair become a classic (like so many of the Eames’ chairs), it’s easy to add a pop of color to a room by mixing the Eiffel chairs in with more traditional dining chairs,” explains Ali. Add a bit of mid-century modern to your dining room with one of these chairs in an delectable bright color.

Marais A Chair: Ahhh….Paris… That’s what we think of when we see the Marais A chair designed by Xavier Pauchard and first produced in 1934. Each chair is still handmade in Autun, France, and because of the 100 manual operations necessary to make this chair, each one is also unique. “This chair brought the art of galvanized steel to France,” says Ali. “It is a classic café chair and can contribute to the industrial feel of a space.” Although indeed used at countless cafés around France and immortalized on the decks of the S.S. Normandy, this chair is a great alternative to a standard dining room chair. You don’t have to have a city loft to inject some industrial style into your home—used in the right setting, this chair could be the pièce de résistance. (No pun intendend, but we couldn’t resist!)

Louis Ghost Victoria Sidechair: That crazy Philippe Starck! Leave it to him to take a classic like the Louis XV armchair and turn it into a modern masterpiece. And with the Louis Ghost Armchair and the Victoria Ghost Sidechair, he has done just that. Imagine a traditional, beautiful wood dining table surrounded by the crystalline perfection of these chairs, is made of injection-molded polycarbonate. Or, for another great example of this chair’s use, visit the SLS Hotel in Los Angeles, where Starck has created a Baroque yet modern and totally unique hotel lobby. “This piece is timeless reinvention of a historical classic piece,” Ali explains. “It can adapt to many settings, including a modernist or classical aesthetic.” It is also good for outdoor use, like the Marais A, and in our mild California weather, why shouldn’t you hold your Thanksgiving dinner outside?

Please call us to order any of the chairs listed here, or for a personalized consultation on your dining area. We can help you completely remodel or just freshen up your dining room, kitchen or outside living space to create a wonderful area for entertaining—holiday or everyday! Call LRM Interior Design on (949) 497-6806 for your appointment.

Bold colors and thoughtful accents make LRMID's design perfect for a Joie de Vivre hotel.

When the Pacific Edge Hotel, the latest addition to Laguna Beach’s upscale cadre of hotels, needed some interior design in a jiffy before the season ended, they called LRM Interior Design.

After reading about Lisa McDennon’s qualifications and accolades, and finding out that she runs a local company, the owners of Pacific Edge were sold. Joie de Vivre Hotel Group, the company that owns and manages Pacific Edge, is known for their cutting-edge design and style for boutique hotels here in California, and it’s no surprise that LRM Interior Design was chosen for the job.

Without a lot of time to finish the hotel’s Greenroom Lounge, the team at LRM couldn’t take the time to special order or custom design any pieces, and relied on some of their trusted suppliers to furnish the lounge—that also happen to be open to the public, both online and at their retail locations.

For instance, the dining table was selected from Z Gallerie, and the wood chairs and coffee table came from Crate & Barrel. West Elm provided a glass-topped, kelly-green contemporary table, while pillows came from Pier 1.

Some items were from local sources, naturally, like the stunning photography on the walls from Tony Clark. Many of the accessories came from a local’s treasure trove, Laguna Colony Company in the heart of downtown, where the team selected many of the shell-decorated items and teak bowls.

But there are some things that have to be provided by the best, and that was the fabric by Kravet. The yellow and blue pattern of the communal table’s banquette could not be a better choice to complement the dramatic photo of the wave that hovers above.

This project finished just weeks before the 2011 ASID Orange County Awards, where Lisa and her team won yet another award, this time for Commercial Projects. Winning the Gold Award in this category with their modern designs for Golden Comm, a strategic web design firm in Orange County, proved LRM Interior Design’s prowess in this area that they seem to be moving into more and more frequently.

If you have an office, restaurant or hospitality space that needs just freshening up or a whole new look, contact LRM Interior Design for a consultation. With award-winning talent and the ability to translate a client’s dream into reality, it’s no wonder LRM Interior Design is one of Orange County’s top interior design firms. Call now on (949) 497-6806 or click here to use our online form to contact us.

Don't you want your next party here?

This glass-topped table with a natural-tree base is from Z Gallerie.

Pillows from Pier 1 and chairs from Crate & Barrel, accessories from Laguna Colony Company.

Cozy up next to the warm fire at the Pacific Edge Hotel's Greenroom Lounge.

Khloe Kardashian applied a glamourous touch to her office.

What’s glamour all about? It’s about making a statement. For instance: an actress like Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn or (more recently) Gwyneth Paltrow would be called “elegant” rather than glamorous. So which actresses would sum up the definition of glamour?? Think Rita Hayworth, Sophia Loren or our modern siren Angelina Jolie—even Joan Collins says she’s the only leading lady of today to stand up to the glamorous beauties of her time.

But we digress. What makes an interior glamorous? It’s definitely not gingham curtains, beige carpet or heavy, dark antiques. Our Project Manager, Kristen Rusert, has a few ideas. And she should know, being involved with each and every beautiful interior that passes through the LRM Interior Design studio!

You may not think that any of the Kardashian sisters know anything about taste, but Khloe certainly knows something about style. Can a home-office space look glam? Kristen says yes: “I love, love, love this room!” she says. “Khloe and her designer really made this space so girly and glamorous. The warm tones in the room are contrasted with pops of black.”

Her favorite touch? “Her chair is TO DIE FOR!” says Kristen. The bold zigzag pattern stands out in the center of the room as a focal point, elevating the mid-century modern feel of the furniture to a contemporary height.

Second tip? Color! Glamour needs drama, and well-chosen, bold colors can really bump up a room’s glitz levels. Orange a little too strong for you? Not when it’s used

Mary McDonald uses orange in a striking context.

as a striking accent color with oversized, zebra-skin covered footstools, sleek side tables and lamps made from steel columns. Still too modern? Try pairing a turquoise with white and shell pink—still popping with color, but less masculine.

Kristen also recommends combining textures with sleek lines, like a steel-mesh formed chair, sheer curtains, polished chrome barstools and tufted contemporary easy chair. But ultimately, like beauty, glamour is in the eye of the beholder. “As with all interior design, it has to be what the client wants,” Kristen explains. “At LRM Interior Design, we are all about keeping with the client’s taste while applying our professional touches.”

Wanting a little glamour in your life? Or a lot? Then call LRM Interior Design for a free style profile for your whole home, or just a room. Looking for the perfect piece to finish off the design you started? That’s not a problem—LRMID excels at custom furnishing design and fabrication. So if you’re looking for zebra footstools or zigzag fabric for your easy chair, we can help. Call us on (949) 497-6808 or use our online form to make an appointment.

For more femininity, use a bright color with two softer ones.

Lisa's inimitable style can be seen on the landing of the large, custom-built home.

Recently the home developer Terra Bella came to Lisa McDennon, principal of LRM Interior Design, and asked her to help with one of their “spec” homes in Covenant Hills. Covenant Hills is the area of Ladera Ranch where homes are exclusively custom built, and this one is on one of the best lots in the development with stunning views over Orange County.

A “spec” home is a custom home built by a developer or investor, not by an actual homeowner. In order to show the beautiful home in its full glory, Terra Bella knew they needed the deft touch of Lisa McDennon and her team.

Since it was more of a staging than a home remodel, Terra Bella did not want to spend the money for the LRM team to design the entire property, but they knew that any additions she made would add that perfect touch. They asked Lisa to focus on architectural details, one of her specialties, plus items such as advising on flooring choices, wall finishes, lighting, and the tile work on the pool and the master bath.

Lisa was very pleased to get a call from the developer last week, raving about the finished product. Each room he went into, he said, he was amazed by how Lisa’s input had elevated the space, making each room she’d added to so much better. It was a definite confirmation that even just hiring her for direction, for choosing key materials and design services in certain areas had a huge payoff.

If the look of the place wasn’t enough to convince Terra Bella’s owners that they had made the right decision, the offer they received within days of the first open house certainly did. That was another happy call that Lisa received last week!

The home, at 81 Bell Pasture in Covenant Hills, is still open for viewing by appointment only. Take a tour through the home and see that hiring a designer is worth every penny, even if it’s not a full remodel. By using their knowledge and guiding you through choices for materials, furniture, accessories, lighting and fixtures, you can not only save money, time and your sanity, (think of all the mistakes you WON’T make!) but you’ll also elevate your home’s design to a level you only dreamed of.

Ready to have LRM Interior Design consult on your design needs? Call (949) 497-6806 for your complimentary consultation and a customized design profile.

The chair next to the contemporary fireplace are strategic details arranged by LRMID.

A stunning chandelier, chosen by Lisa McDennon, hangs in the vaulted ceiling of the stairwell.

LRM Interior Design featured in February publications

As February draws to a close, don’t forget to check out Lisa McDennon and LRM Interior Design in two of Orange County’s top publications: Laguna Beach Magazine and Live Orange County.

The Laguna Beach Magazine’s feature was an interview with principal Lisa McDennon, exploring her expertise in interior design for coastal properties. (To read the full article, click here.) As Lisa is a long-time resident of Laguna Beach, she was very proud to be featured in a magazine dedicated to the wonders of her favorite town. “I definitely feel that it is a badge of honor to be featured in Laguna Beach Magazine,” comments Lisa. “Last summer we celebrated our studio’s 10 year anniversary at the Lumberyard, and I thoroughly feel part of the business community here.” For those of you who don’t know, Lisa waited for a space to become available in the Lumberyard before moving her business out of her home. “It was the place in Laguna I wanted to be. The building itself is so distinctive, and our two-level studio fits us perfectly.”

The second article in February was a more extensive feature in Live Orange County, a fairly new magazine in the area that has been getting rave reviews and trying to keep up with a skyrocketing readership. Lisa McDennon was chosen by the magazine as their resident interior design star, providing a property each month for the readers to explore. “I love having the opportunity to explain what happens behind the scenes with an interior design project,” says Lisa. “It’s so fulfilling to work with the client to provide a home that perfectly reflects their style. In fact, we emphasize that our design maxim is ‘Your taste, our touch’.”

In fact, the Live Orange County article is called “A Designer Who Listened”, detailing how Lisa and her team focus on the client’s needs and wishes to create an environment that reflects their personality and fits to their lifestyle.

If you miss the publications and would like a copy, or to consult with LRM Interior Design about your project needs, email us or call (949) 497-6806.

Published on December 18th, 2010

Our luxury Newport Beach bachelor pad took Gold in Home of the Year Award! (over 3,500 sq. ft.)

This year’s ASID OC Design Awards took a nautical turn, as they were held aboard the Endeavor as it cruised through Newport Harbor. “It was a beautiful night,” recalls Lisa McDennon, who attended the awards with her husband Kevin, Senior Designer Jan Smith and new design staff member Melissa Morgan. “It was lovely to glide through the harbor and sip cocktails on the deck while mixing with some of Orange County’s top people in the industry!”

Before the evening’s events got started, Lisa, Jan and Melissa had the pleasure of chatting with the owners of Del Mar Lighting, a Tustin company that they’d had a chance to work with in the past. In a stroke of fate, Lisa, Kevin and the couple from Del Mar Lighting were seated at the same table, and they carried on their conversation as the event started.

Lisa also met Charise Buckley, another member of the interior design and ASID community, who had entered in the competition this year. Although she’d been a member of ASID for 20 years, this was the first time she’d entered a project. Lisa was especially happy to meet her because Charise lives and works in both Orange County and Colorado, and will be introducing Lisa to some great suppliers at the Denver Design Center. After scouring the OC for the right fabrics for her mountain home project, Lisa was happy at the prospect of a new trove of vendors in just the right market.

And then the ceremony started. The first award was for Best Living Room, and LRM had decided to enter this category at the last minute, but unfortunately, we didn’t win. “After that, I was too nervous to eat my dinner!” says Lisa. “I was on the edge of my seat during the entire dinner, waiting for the second to last award.”

That award was for Home of the Year over 3,500 sq. ft., and LRM had entered one of our luxury bachelor home projects that we had poured our heart and soul into. The minutes ticked on…the moment finally arrived.

And yes, we won! LRM Interior Design took the Gold award for Home of the Year over 3,500 sq. ft.!

“It means so much to receive such a prestigious award for this project, especially from my peers in the industry,” said Lisa after accepting the award for the team. “This project’s win reflects more than just the creativity and effort we put into it; it illustrates our design aesthetic and the height at which we place the bar for each of our projects.”

Of course, this follows our first-prize win at the popular ASID Designer Extravaganza event this summer, plus two awards last year at the ASID OC Design Awards 2009. The first was for Best Living Room and the second was for Best Special Room.

Lisa McDennon has also been recognized by House Beautiful magazine as one of their “Top Designers to Watch in 2010”—and what an accurate prediction that was on the part of the House Beautiful editors.

Are you ready to have your home transformed by award-winning design? Do you want to have a home that’s worthy of being featured in a national magazine? There’s no two ways about it—call LRM Interior Design for a complimentary consultation. Start with one room, or change the entire house! Arrange your appointment by calling (949) 497-6806 or via email.

Bathroom lighting will never be the same again.

Orange County has its share of bars and clubs, but not quite on the scale of cities like San Francisco, Miami, New York or London. In big cities like that, you have to concentrate on being the next big thing, even before anyone knows what it is. As a bar or club owner, you need to create the trends so that the place is packed every night.

And how do you do that? How do you create cutting-edge design in a place that is likely going to be dark and (hopefully) packed with people? You hire a talented interior design firm. All of us at LRM Interior Design are on the hunt for a high-end, luxe bar or club to redesign or relaunch, and while we’re looking, newest designer to the team Melissa Morgan had a few ideas.

First was the Luminist sink by TOTO, a Japanese plumbing product company that happens to be the largest in the world. Known not only for their innovation but also their small living spaces, the Japanese are always thinking ahead of the rest of the world. Let’s face it—they always have the best gadgets! This sink caught Melissa’s eye because of the fact it can be lit by LED lights: “It looks so magical! I can see it in a club’s bathroom, being one of the only light sources,” she says.

The sink is translucent, made from a combination of glass and epoxy resin. It also comes with a choice of a white or black drain cover, depending on the desired look. The hybrid epoxy resin from which they are made “combines the translucence of glass with exceptional resistance to impact, heat and staining,” according to Dr. Lenora Campos, spokesperson for TOTO USA. The sink is also available in a rectangular version—also a great selection for a club or bar lavatory.

Caesarstone's Concetto Masterpiece Collection

The second idea that Melissa had was more front-of-house, and something that would make a bold, luxurious statement. Over the years, bar owners have played around with different surfaces for their bars: from the standby of wood jazzed up with unusual species, to copper and even bringing back zinc or pewter, a material that the French have been using since the early 1800s. But Melissa’s idea for a bar top is from Caesarstone‘s new masterpiece collection made entirely of semi-precious stone. These extraordinary surfaces are hand-made out of individually cut and bound semi-precious stones. They have fused nature with technology for a product that architects, designers and high-end builders have only dreamt about before now.

“I can see Viola, the amethyst slab, looking crazy cool in a nightclub, as a bar top with LED lighting underneath,” Melissa explains. It’s true—the Concetto range looks amazing in its normal state, but because of the nature of the material, whether it’s amethyst, agate, quartz, feldspar or something called “Apple Jasper”, the products glow with an unearthly magic when lit from behind. There are those who feel that crystals have healing powers, and whether you believe it or not, it couldn’t hurt to bring a little energy from the stones into your establishment, now would it?

Do you know of a bar or club that’s in need of a facelift? We’d love to hear about it. Remember, LRM Interior Design also specializes in select commercial projects, and has completed several projects in this vein, including an exclusive resort in Fiji. Call (949) 497-6806 for an appointment or email us with your contact information and needs.

We are pleased to introduce the newest members of the LRMID team:

Kelley Goodwin is an IDI student working towards her bachelor of arts degree. Interior design is a new passion and career choice for Kelley, who previously worked as a nurse. Kelley will be joining the team two days a week.

The second IDI student to come on board is Julia Nanula, and she looks forward to graduating this June with an associates degree. Julie’s penchant for style and color were bolstered by previous experience as a buyer for designer clothing, and from living the big city life in Manhattan, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Julie will be assisting the LRMID team one day during the week.

Our youngest intern is Rachel Daley, a senior at Costa Mesa High School, and this is her first foray into working life. Since she’s contemplating interior design as a career choice, she’s using her internship to complete the 20 hours required by her school to graduate. Although her interior design experience is slim, her class in Advanced Placement Photography has given her an artist’s eye. Rachel will be working at LRMID two days a week.

Help us welcome Kelley, Julie and Rachel! We are so excited to have them on the LRM Interior Design team.