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.

Just try to get us out of this Missoni deck chair!

Ah, Missoni. The name itself sounds like a breezy, beautiful day on the Italian coast, perhaps in Amalfi. With Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses to block out the sun bouncing off the Mediteranean, the wind stirs the multi-colored folds of our Missoni dress…

Okay, so perhaps not everyone has dreamt that dream, but if you love the fashion of Missoni as much as we do, you’ll love Kristen Rusert’s inspiration for this week.

Missoni has taken their trademark knitted weaves and put them on outdoor furniture. Yes, it’s true! Missoni teamed up with T&J Vestor in 1983 to start the home line, which has continued to expand over the years, to great success. And no wonder! Who wouldn’t want to have these sleek, colorful pieces of furniture gracing their outdoor living area? Our only worry is that every guest would be green with envy…

“Keep it clean and simple with a pop of color. As usual, Missoni is perfection!!” says Kristen. “These outdoor pieces would be a fantastic addition to a contemporary outdoor space. To be extra stylish, throw in one of their gorgeous beach towels and layout in luxury!”

You'd never leave your towel if you took this Marlon towel from Missoni to the beach.

The Missoni home collection was designed by Rosita Missoni and embodies every inch of quality and beauty that Missoni has come to be known for. The collection exudes a sunny personality and creative spirit that are showcased by Missoni’s legendary manufacturing skill. Not surprisingly, the inspirations and emotions of fashion also color Rosita Missoni’s ideas of home design, made possible through the collaboration of missoni, one of italy’s top fashion designers, and T&J Vestor, a firm that boasts a long family tradition in home fabrics and furnishings.

But how can you use them in your outdoor living space? Are the colors too bold, the designs too modern? Don’t be scared to try a little of something different—just because your style is on the opposite side of these Missoni pieces doesn’t mean they won’t work in your space. Let LRM Interior Design show you how you can inject a bit of Missoni’s lively color and style into your backyard, so you can feel like you’re on the Amalfi Coast any day of the week.

And if you’re still not sure, you can always just buy a Missoni beach towel, and enjoy the envious looks you get from your fellow beachgoers. Now wouldn’t that be fun!

Where can you purchase these fantastic furniture items? Just contact LRM Interior Design and we can order them in no time. Just call (949) 497-6806 for more information on how to order.

Missoni Easy Chair

Put your feet up in this chair and matching footstool.

Side tables have never before been so glamorous!

A stunning example of mid-century modern architecture.

Spring has been quite a wet season, especially by our Southern California standards. But our opinion is that it will just provide a lush summer for our enjoyment. Here in Laguna Beach, we can tell that there’s been a lot of rain, and not just by the unusually lush hillsides, but that the goats have arrived a bit early this year. Yes, we said “goats”. They are our ecologically friendly way of ridding the beautiful Laguna hillsides of the excess vegetation. Plus, they are adorable!

But we digress. Although the spring hasn’t provided the best weather for us to enjoy the outdoors, we know that summer is just around the corner, and it’s sure to bring us some beautiful sunshine. And when the sun is shining, the locals of Southern California play, entertain and relax. And what better place to do so than in a stunning outdoor living space—in your own home?

It’s no secret that we at LRM Interior Design love the mid-century modern period, not just for furniture and style, but also for architecture. Jan Smith, Senior Designer at LRMID, submitted this photograph of a home available in one of the mid-century modern havens in SoCal: Palm Springs.

“For me, nothing epitomizes outdoor living like a great mid-century modern design,” says Jan. “Large windows, like in this house, encourage the homeowner to extend the living space as far outside as possible.” And not using your outdoor space to its full potential in Southern California is a crime. Some areas, like our beloved Laguna Beach, can be a bit stingy on its lot sizes, which makes designing an outdoor living area more challenging—but not impossible. And we love a challenge at LRM!

“Oversized furniture and great lighting invite get-togethers that last into the evening, or even late into the night. Neutral palettes also bring attention to other details in a backyard; in this instance, it’s the plant life and pool,” Jan comments, discussing the Palm Springs home. “Contrary to popular belief, creating simple designs is often more difficult than creating more ornate or complex ones. With a simple design, every detail and selection must be perfectly proportioned and thoughtfully executed.”

Is your backyard ready for summer entertaining? Is it ready to be transformed from a “backyard” into an “outdoor living” space? If you’ve been thinking about it, there should be nothing stopping you from contacting us for a free consultation. Let us create a space for you that will make you never need another vacation, because you’ll have resort living right outside your door!

Yes, we said goats and we meant it!

And without further ado, here’s our staff’s top picks:

Palmer by Niche Bedding

1. Palmer by Niche: Anyone who knows Senior Designer Jan Smith knows that her favorite colors are black and white, preferably together. So no surprise that she picked out Niche Bedding’s Palmer line, a modern but versatile bedding ensemble. “You can never go wrong with a crisp, white duvet cover,” says Jan. “And you can always add a pop of color to this set to make it your own.” Jan’s favorite part? “The graphic design on the shams is just delicious.” It brings a new meaning to eating in bed!

John Robshaw Indigo Turban Bedding

2. Anything by John Robshaw: Lisa McDennon is a fan of John Robshaw, and although we chose the Indigo Turban bedding pattern for the photo, all of his patterns are hits for her. “He has a great niche in the market,” explains Lisa. “His patterns have an ethnic, Moroccan and Indian influence that I love. The color and patterns are amazing—subtle yet unique.” Robshaw traveled to India as many young people do, but he fell in love with the textiles, and has decided to recreate them back here in the U.S. And we say thank you!

Giacosa by Designers Guild

3. Giacosa by Designers Guild: Melissa Morgan loves this British textile manufacturer. “They always have on-trend fabrics and wallpapers—and now bedding!” she says. And sticking with our gorgeous to touch theme, she also notes that the Giacosa collection is made from cotton sateen, so it doesn’t just look great, it’s feels great too. Those Brits understand the importance of a warm, comfy bed, we’ve realized…

Yvonne by Wildcat Territory

4. Yvonne by Wildcat Territory: Don’t worry, this bedding won’t attack you, but rather keep you snug in it’s stylish and modern design. Can you guess who picked this one? Yes, it’s Jan Smith again, loving the monochrome look. “This is a simple, classic bedding design that is like a blank canvas for whatever you want your bedroom to be,” Jan explains. “The sky is literally the limit with this ensemble,” she says, as it can be paired with either contemporary or traditional accents for a beautiful result every time.

Gate Ash by Dwell Studios

5. Gate Ash Duvet Set by Dwell Studios: This is a monochrome set too, but in a different way, as it starts with a rich, dusty brown. The bold pattern caught Melissa’s eye: “I absolutely love this pattern! Being monochromatic, you can add any color you wish to the palette.” Again, the LRMID designers are always looking at ways to customize even “off-the-shelf” products for their clients.

LRMID can create custom bedding and furniture

6. Custom Bedding by LRM Interior Design: Okay, this one’s cheating. But we were really pleased with how the custom bed turned out in this room. It wasn’t just the linens that were custom designed and made, the headboard, the curtains and the pillows on the window seat were all made to order. This bedroom won an ASID award, by the way! So when you can’t find the perfect bedding, just call us at LRM Interior Design, and we’ll design something that’s completely unique and just right for your room. Kari Seydewitz loves creating soft furnishings; she’ll be happy to get started right away. We also make custom furniture. It’s the perfect idea for a holiday gift for that person who has everything!

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.

Dramatic and original patterns from Les Indiennes

The beautiful and exclusive Les Indiennes fabrics and wallpapers are now available through LRM Interior Design. We are very happy to be the sole California representative for this Arizona-based company, as we love their colors, patterns and textures.

In fact, we have had custom fabrics made by Les Indiennes for use in a client project. The clients had a chair that they loved and wanted to work into the bathroom design as a vanity chair. We convinced them to have it reupholstered so that it would fit into the project. Once the canvas was designed, created and ready to be used, we sent it to our upholstery workroom so that they could recover the chair. “The finished product is gorgeous, timeless and detailed,” comments Kristen Rusert, LRMID administrative manager and lover of Les Indiennes designs.

A client's chair gets a new life with Les Indiennes fabric

The way we see it, owner and designer Mary Mulcahy deserves to have her work known throughout the world. Mulcahy fell in love with Indian textiles, and soon saw an opportunity to take the complex traditional designs and creating simple yet authentic patterns that would appeal to a Western market.

Her technique for creating the Les Indiennes patterns sounds easy, but in truth takes skill and inherent talent. Mulcahy extracted and clarified the intricate traditional Indian designs into single motifs and placed them with careful spacing onto a rich, white background. The fabric and wallpaper is made in India, and Les Indiennes is very proud of the fact that they have not tried to “upgrade” or “improve” their existing process. Les Indiennes’ production doe not cause pollution nor does it disrupt the lives of the people in the village—in fact, the company provides fair-trade employment for over 50 families.

Mary Mulcahy uses the ancient technique of Kalamkari, a process which takes 40 days, the skills of a master and the patience of a saint. The fabrics are sun-bleached cotton, and both the fabric and wallpaper are hand-blocked with patterns created in carved wood. The village and environment collaborate to produce this unique fabric with a combination of river washing, rinsing and steaming over a rice-chaff fire set the colors. Talk about natural: the ayurvedic dyes are as natural as can be, derived from plants, earth, rock and roots.

Call LRM Interior Design for a consultation on how we can use these gorgeous, earth-friendly fabrics and wallpapers in your home.

A beautiful way to use Les Indiennes fabric—for dining.

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.

Quad, by Douglas--one of the many pieces from Phoenix Art Group.

When designing for clients, whether it be an entire home or just a few select rooms, the finishing touches are just as important as the basics, like wall color and flooring. What really makes interior design sing is the sum of the parts, not the individual pieces.

That said, it means that the individual pieces have to be chosen carefully! Take hanging art, for instance. This can be tricky, especially if clients have existing pieces that need to be incorporated into the design, and that means that the designer will consider that at the start of the project, taking the leads on color and style from elements of the piece.

If a designer has carte blanche to design from floor to ceiling, then artwork can be chosen later in the project, after the initial concept has been decided. Although there are times when a designer can be so inspired by a single piece that they design an entire room around it, like the Lesley Anton lamp in our luxury Newport bachelor pad project.

For several years now, LRM Interior Design has partnered with the Phoenix Art Group to find that special piece of artwork that will be perfect for a client’s home and our interior design. “They are a great resource for us because they can customize any piece of their artwork to fit our needs,” explains Jan Smith, Senior Designer. “They can alter size, color or event content—Phoenix Art Group has the ability to select areas of a piece to highlight or showcase in lieu of the entire piece.”

Phoenix Art Group was started in the 1960s by two aspiring art-school graduates, John Douglas Cline and Joseph Grassia, growing over the years to its current incarnation: an internationally acclaimed art studio and gallery. The company retains accomplished artists and has an expert business and support staff in order to provide fine art to the world’s top interior designers. But it’s not just interior designers who use Phoenix Art Group; art consultants and art galleries do too, which speaks to the quality of the artwork they produce.

Another reason that we at LRM Interior Design likes using Phoenix Art Group is their ability to produce the artwork on a wide range of media, including wood, metal or canvas. Plus they can create mixed media art pieces, digital art, giclées, poster prints or photography, and the perfect frame for every piece. “It’s this freedom of choice that allows us to complete any room to our exact design specifications,” explains Jan Smith. “Sometimes it is that last key element that really finishes a room.”

Are you looking for something new on your wall? Call LRM Interior Design for a consultation on just a few new pieces of art, or on a whole room or home design. Remember, LRM Interior Design also specializes in select commercial projects, and has completed several corporate offices that have benefited from both her designs and from Phoenix Art Group. Call (949) 497-6806 for an appointment or email us with your contact information and needs.

The Phoenix Art Group

Mamagreen's Bogard daybed

All of us at LRM Interior Design love to design with the environment in mind, but we never want to compromise on quality, beauty or craftsmanship. That’s why we were so excited when we found Mamagreen, a Belgian-born company that creates sustainable, contemporary furniture. The website says “rustic contemporary”, but we don’t see anything rustic about the sleek and sexy lines of this collection of dining, lounge, bar and outdoor furniture. All of the Mamagreen products are hand-made form FSC-certified reclaimed teak; eco-friendly, non-toxic synthetics; and recycled/recyclable stainless steel, setting them distinctly apart from the competition.

As a matter of fact, we adore their outdoor furniture, especially for our Orange County clients who usually want an interior design that links with their outdoor living arrangements. And many of us in Southern California are conscious of our skin, so Mamagreen’s range of canopied, deep outdoor sofas, perfect for lounging alone or for sharing. The Bogard collection is as handsome, rugged and elegant as the name suggests—although, we think they meant Bogart… All the furniture in this collection has brushed reclaimed teak wood or handwoven leather-look wicker, and the cushions are either in Sunbrella fabric or Batyline material.

More graceful and generous designs are evident in the Jane collection, especially this oversized corner sofa, which just makes us want to arrange a pool party in a luxury, oceanview property. Margaritas, anyone?And what about the delicious green in the Icon collection, perfect to liven up an outdoor area.

Call LRM Interior Design to arrange a consultation for a new outdoor living design. With the sun just finally showing itself, it’s the perfect time to get your backyard ready for an Indian summer! (949) 497-6806

Mamagreen's Icon sunlounger for two

Ideal lounging on the Jane corner sofa