Top Five Faves: Accessories

April 30th, 2010 by jennifermyers

All of the designers at LRM Interior Design love to accessorize, and there’s never a room that wasn’t improved by their confident style touches, whether it be on the floor, on tables or on shelves.

This month’s Top Five Faves capitalizes on those elegant pieces that accessorize a room. As always, it was tough to narrow them down to just five, but we managed to…

Sea Urchins from Oly Studios

Sea Urchins from Oly Studios

1. Sea Urchins in cast resin from Oly Studio

Lisa McDennon chose these from many wonderful accessories and gift items at Oly Studio. “I like the depth. It makes them interesting and eye catching,” remarks Lisa. “They are chalky and organic, but very modern.” The three sizes are unusual and make them fun to use; there’s a 10-inch, a 11-inch and a 25-inch version. “Two large sea urchins would look great under a console, while a smaller one would be perfect on a small bookcase shelf.”

Black Stallion sculptures from Gump's San Francisco

Black Stallion sculptures from Gump's San Francisco

2. Black Stallions from Gump’s

Both the style and the terra-cotta composition make these complementary stallions look like they were recovered from Ancient Rome. Made entirely by hand using techniques by Tang-era artisans, these pieces have a washed and distressed black glaze that allows glimpses of the clay beneath to shine through. “These are fantastic accent items for shelves or consoles,” says Jan Smith, senior designer at LRM Interior Design. “They are neutral, interesting and masculine—without being offensive.”

Manzanita branches can be made into a beautiful jewelry tree, like this one from Viva Terra.

Manzanita branches can be made into a beautiful jewelry tree, like this one from Viva Terra.

3. Manzanita Branches from Gold Leaf Design Group

Lisa loves the twisted branches of the manzanita tree as a decorative item. “They work so well as a room divider, or just as a sculptural accent,” says Lisa. “I’ve even used smaller ones in tabletop floral designs.” Manzanita branches are very versatile, and can be painted using any type of paint and transformed into almost any type of decor. They look great in a planter, combined with succulents, as a retail or home display of jewelry and even as contemporary holiday decor, whether it be Christmas or Easter.

One of three sizes of horn boxes from Roost Co.

One of three sizes of horn boxes from Roost Co.

4. Horn boxes from Roost

“These boxes’ laquered finish is absolutely beautiful, the interior is crafted from natural wood—and they make perfect gifts,” comments Lisa. Choose from three sizes to add to a desk, a coffee table, bookshelves or even a chest of drawers. “I keep paperclips in one of the small sizes on my desk, and they are perfect for hiding the remote control in a nice family room or game room.” These boxes are a firm favorite with the entire LRM Interior Design staff.

Corsage Vintage Brass Accessory from Arteriors Home

Corsage Vintage Brass Accessory from Arteriors Home

5. Vintage Brass Corsage from Arteriors Home

Arteriors Home has brought on board their first branded signature collection with Laura Kirar, a noted interior and product designer known for being inspired by nature. These brass flowers look like gardenia dipped in metal, and are perfect for a coffee table. “Coffee tables need a hint of glamour,” says Jan Smith. “And, if the item is from a top-rated designer, that helps too!” The flowers come in two sizes: a 5″ x 4.5″ and a 7″ x 6″. Pair them on a coffee table for a double dose of glamour.

Focus on Furnishings: Part Two

April 25th, 2010 by lisa
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LRMID makes sure that the furniture's size fits the room and complements the style, but most importantly we make sure it fits within your budget.

Today we will be discussing how to maximize your cost savings without having to compromise quality.  There are many intricacies of the interior design industry, so even though you might be the savviest and most economic shopper at your local mall, chances are the trade secrets of designing are hovering just below your radar, consequently costing you hundreds.

Where do you begin to save money?  For starters, your very own designer could be hindering your chances of executing an affordable house renovation.  A designer might know which color towels will complement your bathroom tiles or can expertly match a leather ottoman to your couch, but what makes a good designer? A good designer will have mastered buying power, or as I would like to say, “trimming the fat”.  To put it simply, it means that your designer should be adept at the art of penny-pinching and saving you every last dime possible, all the while maintaining quality. (read the rest of this post…)

Focus on Furnishings: Part One

April 16th, 2010 by jennifermyers
Custom furniture for one of LRM Interior Design's clients. These two chaise longues can be combined to make a spare bed for guests.

Custom furniture for one of LRM Interior Design's clients. These two chaise longues can be combined to make a spare bed for guests.

Many people think that they know what an interior designer does. They design the whole room, the whole house, the whole project. Right?

Actually, it doesn’t have to be that cut and dry. A large part of many interior design firms’ business, including LRM Interior Design, is actually to do with furniture and purchasing.

Designing a house is not just about paint colors and fabrics. LRM Interior Design can furnish an empty house with lighting, furniture and upholstery, case goods, beds and bedding, pillows, artwork, accessories, rugs, plants, containers, patio furniture, tile and plumbing fixtures. We can also replace any and all of these items in a fully furnished home!

For example: recently a woman called us for her services after she had used the “free design services” at the store where she bought the furniture. The recommended furniture arrived at the house and, to her great surprise, was completely the wrong size for the room. She called us, and is now a new client, fully aware of the value of an interior designer’s services. As it turned out, those “free” services weren’t so free after all. (read the rest of this post…)

Top 10 Faux Pas of Interior Design

April 24th, 2009 by lisa

This week, our “Inspiration” is to help you – to share the LRM Interior Design team’s collective expertise about the dos and don’ts of interior design. It’s true that design professionals make it look easy. We transform a drab room into something amazing with what seems like a few throw pillows and a new shade of paint on the walls.
But there’s a reason we took the time to go to interior design school, and, as with any type of creative industry or artistic pursuit, there is a certain amount of talent needed to be successful.
So it’s not as easy as it looks. We slave over color choice, we agonize over which chair would work best and we’ve arranged and rearranged everything in that room in our minds and on paper so many times it’s exhausting. (read the rest of this post…)

Refresh Your Home During a Recession

March 20th, 2009 by lisa

During a recession, many people are happy just to have a roof over their heads, and thoughts of moving to a new home can be put on hold. But that doesn’t mean that you should keep your home in a holding pattern; after all, a change can be as good as a new home.

If you are planning on moving when the recession recedes, that’s another reason to make a few home improvements – focus on adding value to your home before it’s time to sell. Besides, why not make your home more pleasant and up-to-date while you’re still living in it? And I’m not the only one who thinks so: Ed Del Grande, the Orange County Register’s home repair guru, recently told a reader the same thing. You can read the article online here, but read on for my top tips! (read the rest of this post…)

Inspiration: Bold & Soft

March 20th, 2009 by lisa

Designer's apartment in Chicago

One of my favorite web sites is Apartment Therapy. It showcases some great interiors that don’t always make it to the big glossy magazines, but are definitely worthy.

This week I found my “Inspiration” on their site – a small apartment decorated with bold style yet soft colors. The size of the space definitely spoke to me, as living and working in Laguna Beach has made me all too adept at designing for small spaces. I loved how they used wainscoting to create panels on the walls that inject color and bold patterns onto the white walls, but cleverly knew when to stop. It would have been easy to overwhelm the space with even one full wall of pattern.

The designer, also the resident of the featured apartment, used light, fresh colors that keep a small space bright and open. She also used fabrics that I am both familiar with and love, especially on the fabric-covered coffee table.

I felt that this apartment’s décor was well thought out and shows the designer’s personality and originality, plus a love of fabrics that clearly mirrors my own!

Here is a photo, as promised!

—Lisa