Dining Chairs: Five Classic Options

October 26th, 2011 by jennifermyers

Last week we put our newest employee and assistant designer, Ali Bacon, on the spot to come up with her take on dining chairs, and she definitely lived up to our LRM Interior Design standards. What great choices!

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: (read the rest of this post…)

Another Reason to Love Kravet: Brunschwig & Fils

October 14th, 2011 by jennifermyers

The Les Alizés Collection from Brunschwig & Fils.

Everybody knows that we love Kravet—we love their furniture (especially the KravetSmart line!), we love their fabrics, we love their trimmings. And now there’s even more reason to love Kravet—they saved the esteemed fabric company Brunschwig & Fils.

This American company was founded in 1900 and has always been highly regarded in the industry, not just for their fabrics, but as a resource. Unfortunately, due to the economic upheaval, Brunschwig & Fils was forced to file for bankruptcy in late 2010.

But wait, that’s not all. Kravet president Cary Kravet swoops in like a superhero to Brunschwig & Fils’ rescue. Although they seem like a competitor, it makes complete sense for Kravet to add them to their line of offerings. (read the rest of this post…)

Lounge at the Pacific Edge, Laguna Beach’s Hottest Boutique Hotel

September 14th, 2011 by jennifermyers

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. (read the rest of this post…)

Blissful Brazilian Spa

August 18th, 2011 by jennifermyers

The neutral color palette is perfect for relaxing and unwinding.

We were captivated by the clean lines and organic materials at the Spa Cidade Jardim, a spa hidden on the fifth floor of the Shopping Cidade Jardim mall in Brazil’s bustling São Paulo. We’re not suggesting you get an entire spa installed into your home, nor jump on a plane to Brazil tomorrow to visit this delectable sanctum of relaxation, but we can help you take some of these beautiful ideas and incorporate them into your master bath at home.

The similarities we find between the hectic energy of Orange County life (busy parents with active, social kids to ferry around, the highest concentration of entrepreneurs in the country, great dining and lounging venues, stunning natural beauty) with the busting, expanding city of São Paulo is the need to escape once in a while. And not necessarily get out of town, but escape in your OWN town. Did you know that the traffic is so bad in Såo Paulo that the wealthy commute by helicopter? Doesn’t that make your crosstown journey sound a lot easier? (read the rest of this post…)

Hinkley Lighting Strikes Again

August 3rd, 2011 by jennifermyers

We loved this photo from the Hinkley website, since it could be our own Lisa McDennon modeling!

Remember earlier this year when we announced Lisa McDennon’s inclusion in Hinkley Lighting’s website and nationwide catalog? Lisa was extremely flattered to be chosen as one of their top picks for giving “Lighting Style Tips and Ideas from Fabulous Designers“, and was even quoted in the blog as saying she looked forward to a long relationship with the distinguished brand.

And that turns out to have been quite the prediction—we don’t want to spill the beans, but keep your eye out for some exciting news here on the LRM Interior Design blog about that very thing! In the meantime, we wanted to talk a little bit about why Lisa felt so privileged to be included in Hinkley’s cadre of favorite designers. (read the rest of this post…)

New York City is Even More Glamorous!

July 29th, 2011 by jennifermyers

Here you can have breakfast surrounded by Tiffany blue.

We didn’t think it was possible. How could one of the most glamorous cities in the United States—nay, the world!—become even more glamorous?

We have the St. Regis New York to thank for this addition of elegance to the Big Apple. NYC is home to many wonderful delights, but one of us girls’ favorite things comes in a little blue box….with a white bow. Know what it is yet?

That’s right, it’s Tiffany & Co. And there’s not many glamorous girls alive who have not swooned over the film Breakfast at Tiffany’s with Audrey Hepburn, one of the most beautiful leading ladies the world has ever seen. (read the rest of this post…)

Get Smart! And Beautiful Custom Furniture Can Be Yours

July 18th, 2011 by jennifermyers

Ooh la la! Designer furniture at a price everyone can afford.

If you think that affordable furniture can only be found at Ikea, and that any piece of furniture you get through an interior designer is overpriced—we’re happy to inform you that you’re wrong!

Ikea furniture might have some cool, European styling, but it’s not built to last. And let’s be honest: you’re not in college anymore, right? But with everyone feeling the crunch of the economy, LRM Interior Design wants to remind everyone about a product line from one of our favorite furniture and fabric companies: Kravet.

Look at the photos on this blog post. Do they look “affordable” to you? Do they look “budget”? Do they look like they come from a do-it-yourself store? No, we don’t think so either. These are all examples from Kravet’s Kravetsmart line, which we can’t get enough of.

What’s to love? What’s NOT to love! (read the rest of this post…)

Glamour: It’s Bold, It’s Beautiful

July 6th, 2011 by jennifermyers

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. (read the rest of this post…)

Whether It’s a Little or a Lot, LRMID Can Make Homes Beautiful

June 27th, 2011 by jennifermyers

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. (read the rest of this post…)

Elegant Outdoor Living

May 20th, 2011 by jennifermyers

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? (read the rest of this post…)