But, luckily trees share their bounty with us, as if every tree was The Giving Tree. They give up their sturdy, strong trunks and branches to be chopped, cut and otherwise transformed into many items that we use today, from paper, pencils, flooring, building materials—the list is endless.

But some of our favorite uses of wood are in the interior accessories category, allowing us to bring the organic feel of the outdoors indoors. A few of our top picks are listed below:

Munio wooden vases

1. Munio Vase: Fine wood items and water don’t sound like good bedfellows, but that’s if you think that only live flowers in water go in vases. In a word: no. Just the curvaceousness of these vases is enough to stop traffic; adding flowers would only detract from their singular beauty. These vases, made of wood from the rain forest with Forest Stewardship Council certification, come in three sizes and designs, ideal for single placement or a fantastic grouping. We like grouping items—when it’s done well, of course. Don’t worry, we can help.

Built to withstand the outdoors, but elegant enough to use indoors.

2. LatticeStix Folding Screens: How do you divide a room without adding a wall? At LRM Interior Design, we have many ways, many gorgeous ways, to segregate areas of a room. One of our favorite ways is the old-fashioned way—use a folding screen. These screens from LatticeStix are unique, elegant and completely customizable. These screens use more than 100 pieces of wood, and all are connected using the Arts & Crafts tradition of exposed joinery. You don’t get that kind of craftsmanship often in today’s world of mass production. But then again, we at LRM Interior Design only use the best for our clients.

Odegard's India-inspired wooden tile collection.

3. Odegard’s India-Inspired Tiles and Panels: We’ve fallen head over heels for these stunning, carved-wood panels. These handcrafted artisanal tiles and panels can be customized to nearly any size and use, from wall treatments to tabletops. Can you imagine one of these panels four-feet square as a tabletop, covered in glass? We certainly can, plus many more exciting ideas to bring a little bit of the exotic into your home.

You'll never get bored with the Matera bedside table.

4. Design Within Reach’s Matera Side Table: This infinitely versatile table fascinates us. It can be used as a super-sleek in-bed dining tray, or in any of six other possible configurations. On it’s “side” it forms a “C”, creating a large amount of storage for reading material; or point the “legs” toward the wall for the illusion of a solid block; or with “legs” straight out for an open feel. There’s also a matching bed, and this bedside table’s versatility allows the bed’s under-bed storage drawers to be accessed without moving the table. Clever design—that’s what we expect from DWR.

Endgrain Wastebasket

5. Endgrain Wastebasket by Dransfield & Ross: Details, details, details. If you don’t know us by now, we’ll let you in on a little secret. We are obsessed by details, and that’s what makes us stand out from the rest. Are wastebaskets important? Will somebody see them in the room? Then YES, they are important design accessories! The extraordinary detail in this Dransfield & Ross wastebasket made us think it would be perfect in a corner of a room in our Mammoth Lakes residential project. Yes, just perfect.

If you’re looking for unique ways to accessorize your home, call LRM Interior Design for a consultation. We can transform your room with some carefully selected furnishings, window treatments and accessories that will make you feel like it was completely redecorated. Or, try our Design in a Box service to completely redecorate your home one room at a time. Call (949) 497-6806 to set an appointment or send an email.

Sea-inspired fragrance diffusers from Zodax

Our Senior Designer Jan Smith was visiting the Montage Laguna Beach recently, and saw a home fragrance diffuser that got her thinking. Most fragrance diffusers are nothing more than a jar filled with essential oils. “Most of these diffusers use bamboo reeds that stick out of the top of the jar by six inches or so,” comments Jan. “I can’t think of a room where this is an attractive accessory. So when I saw the diffusers at the Montage, I was happy to know that there’s options!”

Many people nowadays are sensitive to the chemicals that have made their way into our homes over the last 50 years, and are trying to avoid them. Cleaners, fragrances, disinfectant sprays and other household items can actually be toxic. Diffusers utilize essential oils instead of chemically created fragrances to produce scent. Many people have made the switch to diffusers in recent years, choosing them over the more traditional “plug-in” wall-socket room scenting options.

But how to get around the ubiquitous reeds sticking up unglamorously from the diffuser? Now many companies are using shaped porcelain stoppers that absorb the essential oils by using a cloth wick, that brings the scent up to the porcelain stopper and releases it into the air.

The LRMID favorite is the coral-shaped stopper from Zodax (shown above), but we also loved the Dragonfly porcelain ball diffuser. To release the fragrance of the essential oils, this diffuser uses a wick that burns slowly. It does get warm, unlike the Zodax diffuser, but that just means that the aroma is stronger. For those who like florals, Zodax also makes stoppers in the shape of peonies, narcissus and rose flowers.

Dragonfly diffuser from Greenleaf

If you’re looking for unique ways to accessorize your home, call LRM Interior Design for a consultation. We can transform your room with some carefully selected furnishings, window treatments and accessories that will make you feel like it was completely redecorated. Or, try our Design in a Box service to completely redecorate your home one room at a time. Call (949) 497-6806 to set an appointment or send an email.

Zodax's flower-shaped diffusers

Everything a client needs to redesign a room fits inside this beautiful box.

Everyone is talking about “Design in a Box” nowadays, and more and more clients have been asking for it. What is Design in a Box, actually? How can someone who knows nothing about design put together a room that’s been designed by a professional? Especially a multiple award-winning designer like Lisa McDennon?

LRM Interior Design has perfected the process, offering a complete road map from a client’s starting point to their dream design. LRM Interior Design does all of the hard work, from creating a color board, a space plan, selecting furniture, designing architectural details, window treatments and lighting, and manages to fit all of it inside a beautiful, richly colored box. In addition, LRMID provides two folders containing paint swatches: one that outlines the color palette for the room, and the other to be used as a quick reference guide for furniture and accessories. And, last but not least, a shopping guide that lists all of the retail stores where the furniture and accessories can be purchased.

Why has Design in a Box been so popular? Firstly, because you get a professionally designed room for much less the potential cost of having the designer on the project from start to finish. With some legwork, shopping and a little elbow grease, a client can avoid the fees that a design firm has to charge for purchasing materials, hiring contractors and generally keeping on top of the project (aka project management).

Another reason is that the client gets to play designer! How fun is that? With a magic box that lays out a spectacular design, a client can be involved hands-on in creating beauty in their home.

The greatest thing about Design in a Box is that the LRM team does not have to be near the client to produce it. Because LRMID has perfected the process, they give the client a questionnaire to fill out and instructions on taking photographs and measurements, all of which can be mailed or emailed back to the studio. If you are in Orange County, a client can request an on-site consult that includes professional site measurements and a presentation in the studio for a $500 surcharge.

Prices for the LRM Interior Design Design in a Box service starts at $1,500, and increases are based on additional services. If you are interested in LRMID’s Design in a Box services, or the full design service, please contact us by email or by calling (949) 497-6806.

Lisa McDennon goes through the contents of Design In A Box with her client.

After a recent meeting, Lisa McDennon was able to sit down with her client to go over her Design In A Box from LRM Interior Design.

“She was thrilled!” said Lisa, after she met with her client. “It was more than she was expecting, and she can’t wait to get started. She even showed it to everyone at the meeting we attended!”

Beautifully presented and containing inspirational photographs, a color palette and a list of where to buy products is all included in the box. It also includes a floor plan and instructions on how to apply the new design to your room.

A peek inside Design In A Box

Do you have a room or two in your house that needs sprucing up? See if LRM Interior Design’s Design In A Box is right for you, or call for a free consultation on our full design services.

Fabric swatches chosen by Lisa McDennon

Often, clients want to update the design in a room, but want to keep the same color scheme. At that point, it’s up to the designer to create a look that combines the client’s wants with a fresh look that will suit the room, the client—and the budget. Lisa McDennon and her team at LRM Interior Design have faced this conundrum before.

All colors can be interpreted into a multitude of shades, including the clients’ favorite: pink and green. Dusty rose and hunter green had been used previously in the room chosen for a redesign, and Lisa knew it was time to update this classic pairing.

“I’d torn this photo from OC Home a while ago,” explains Lisa. “The owner of the home had designed this dining room, and although I thought it was a little over the top, I liked the bright colors they chose.”

Owner-designed home as featured in OC Home magazine

Although she knew that her clients wouldn’t go for something quite this radical, it did inspire Lisa to move away from the muted colors existing already in the room.

“It proved that a color combination can be easily updated by changing the shade,” Lisa says. “By using a yellower green instead of a hunter green, the room is immediately fresher and more modern.”

If the clients like the colors in the room already, why would they want to redesign it?

“Clients expect a great designer to take their desires and put them through their own filter. The end result should be even more amazing than what the client anticipated,” explains Lisa.

Do you need a room redesigned, but thought you couldn’t afford it? You’re not the only one. But they called LRM Interior Design to order the LRMID Design In A Box. Call now to find out how you can get your Design In A Box!

Design In A Box from LRM Interior Design

Lisa McDennon introduces LRM Interior Design’s new concept: Design In A Box.

“This is a design package that we created for the client that needs our help, but can’t afford a full contract,” explains Lisa McDennon, principal of LRM Interior Design.

All the elements a client needs to redesign a room literally come in a beautifully wrapped presentation box, and includes:

• Colorboard
• Space Plan
• Furniture selection
• Architectural details (for instance, a fireplace or built-in cabinetry)
• Window treatments
• Lighting

The box will also contain paint color swatches in two folders: one that provides a color palette for the room and another to serve as a quick reference guide for furniture and accessories.“We also include a complete shopping list of furniture and accessories,” says Lisa. “Plus, we catalog all the stores where the client can purchase the items on their own – all retail!! There aren’t any “trade only” stores.”

One of the most important parts of Design In A Box is the hour-long client meeting. Lisa explains: “We send a form ahead of time for them to fill out. It’s a place for the client to share their thoughts, goals and interests so that the LRMID team is prepared to meet the client and get the most out of the hour.”

What if they want more than one room done? “That’s the greatest thing about Design In A Box,” Lisa says. “The client can build on it, and if they want to do more than one room, they just add another box.”

“We feel that Design In A Box gives a new client a taste of what LRM Interior Design can do,” comments Lisa. “Design In A Box is affordable, so they haven’t spent a lot of money, plus they’ve got something that they can walk away with. And, we’re always here for them if they feel that they can’t do it on their own, or don’t feel comfortable. They can always come back and hire LRMID to help complete the room design.”

“It’s a way that people can test the waters without making a huge financial commitment,” Lisa explains.

Also, this way clients are involved in their home decor and feel connected. With Design In A Box, LRM Interior Design gives people a “map” and the means to achieve the look, but the client is the one who ultimately puts it together.

Don’t feel left out if you’re not a Southern California resident. “We can design remotely,” says Lisa. “All we need are some photos of the room and its dimensions sent to us. We can then do the meeting over the phone.” LRM Interior Design would then pop the beautifully wrapped Design In A Box in the post, and the client could be anywhere in the world!

Design In A Box is priced at $750 a room.  (Kitchens and master baths are priced separately.) Call LRM Interior Design today for details.

Click here for the press release.

Two color palettes are included in the LRMID Design In A Box

Shown here is a sampling of all ingredients in Design In A Box