July 30th, 2010 by jennifermyers
There are so many elements in creating the perfect dining room that it’s hard to focus on one aspect. But for you, readers, this week we’ve managed it. Behold our Top Five Favorite dining room chairs, and from the looks of it, we at LRM Interior Design like to be comfortable while we eat.
And why not? A good designer should be able to choose or create a chair that suits its purpose, i.e. an occasional chair need not be as comfortable as a reading chair, where one would spend much more time. When entertaining, as a dining room suggests, we want to make sure that our guests are happy in their seats, not waiting for the moment that dessert is finished so that they can retire to the softer furnishings of the living room!
Three of our five chairs are tufted, suggesting maximum comfort and luxury while dining; the remaining two are certainly plush. But please, dear reader, choose your own Top Fave…
Kravet Ensemble Chairs
1. Kravet Ensemble Chair: If you are ever lucky enough to be invited to Senior Designer Jan Smith’s home for dinner, don’t dare say no. It’s no wonder that her choice of chair includes arms—one bite of her husband’s cuisine and you’re likely to fall out of your seat with delight.
Jan is the ultimate hostess, and prefers staying at the table to being in the kitchen: “Dining is an experience for me, and I prefer it to last for hours and through multiple courses,” Jan explains. “These chairs are perfect for extended periods of sitting. Plus, I like the idea of using a “club-style” chair at a dining table.” (read the rest of this post…)
Tags: bachelor pad, baker, Baker chair 7841, baker chairs, baker dining room chairs, Baker Furniture, baker saint germain chair, baker st. germain chair, beautiful, California, California Contemporary, chairs for entertaining, Crystal Cove, customizable dining room chairs, decor, designer, Ebanista chairs, ebanista coimbra sofa, ebanista sofa, elegance, elegant dining room chairs, furniture, Gina b, gina b chairs, gina b furniture, House Beautiful, inspiration, interior design, interior designer, Jan Smith, Kravet, kravet chairs, Kravet complex turn side chair, Kravet dining room chairs, Kravet ensemble chair, kravet furniture, Laguna Beach, Lisa McDennon, Lisa Rachelle McDennon, Lisa Rachelle McDennon Interior Design, LRM, LRM Interior Design, LRMID, masculine, modern, Newport Beach, newport beach bachelors, Orange County, Orange County homes, Orange County's top designer, paris salon, plush chairs, Southern California, space, style, top interior designers, tufted chairs, tufted dining room chairs, upholstery, woodwork
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July 23rd, 2010 by jennifermyers
Blue mission-style tiles? Yes and no...from SRS Energy.
With government tax credits and the amount of sunshine we get in California (granted, we haven’t seen much sun yet in Laguna this summer!), solar panels seem like a fantastic addition to a roof, especially if you’ve already planned to update or fix your roof, or even if your home is under construction. Economical and eco-friendly—what’s not to like?
What’s not to like? How about a grey rectangle stuck to the side of your roof? In the coastal areas like Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, Crystal Cove and Emerald Bay, there can be fierce criticism about solar panels from your neighbors, especially if it is in their view. And from the homeowners, too—what’s the point of spending a huge amount of money on a gorgeous mission-style roof when you have to ruin it with a slab of a solar panel? And in Southern California, from San Diego up to the Central Coast, red-tile roofs reign supreme. In fact, Santa Barbara has strict rules about the height and style of buildings in their downtown area. (read the rest of this post…)
Tags: beautiful, California, California Contemporary, central coast, contemporary, Crystal Cove, designer, eco-friendly, ecofriendly, economical, elegance, Emerald Bay, exterior design, home construction, interior design, interior designer, Laguna, Laguna Beach, Laguna Design Center, Lisa McDennon, Lisa Rachelle McDennon, Lisa Rachelle McDennon Interior Design, LRM Interior Design, LRMID, mission, mission-style roof, mission-style tiles, modern, new roof, Newport Beach, Orange County, Orange County homes, Orange County's top designer, red tile roof, red tile roofs, roof, roof construction, san diego, santa Barbara, solar panels, sole power tile, Southern California, space, srs energy, style, top interior designers, upgrade roof
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July 16th, 2010 by jennifermyers
The Electrolux washer in Red Hot Red
Who says laundry can’t be fun? We love designing laundry rooms, and can’t wait to use a washer and dryer from Electrolux’s latest collection. When it comes to laundry, we all want our whites white and our colors bright, right? With Electrolux’s new line, what we want on the inside is right on the outside. The washers and dryers come in Red Hot Red, Mediterranean Blue, Turquoise Sky, Island White and Silver Sands, and will add that extra spark to a laundry room.
There are so many features that make the machines themselves wonderful (18 minutes to wash, 18 minutes to dry, extremely quiet and eco-friendly), but we also like how they, ahem, stack up. From a design standpoint, their versatility is very attractive; they can stack, be freestanding or under a counter, the doors can be reversed and they have optional pedestal drawers. (read the rest of this post…)
Tags: appliances, ASID, beautiful, beautiful laundry room, cabinetry, California, California Contemporary, color, colored appliances, contemporary, decor, designer, dryer, eco-friendly, eco-friendly dryer, eco-friendly washer, electrolux, electrolux dryer, electrolux washer, elegance, GE, hampers, home office, home office design, homework, inspiration, interior design, interior designer, ironing boards, Jan Smith, Laguna Beach, laundry, laundry room design, laundry rooms, LG, LG washing machines, Lisa McDennon, Lisa Rachelle McDennon, Lisa Rachelle McDennon Interior Design, LRM, LRM Interior Design, LRMID, modern, Newport Beach, Orange County, Orange County homes, Orange County's top designer, pedestal drawer for dryer, pedestal drawer for washer, remodel, Southern California, space, stacking washer and dryer, style, washer, washer and dryer, Whirlpool
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July 1st, 2010 by jennifermyers
First confession: this week we fudged. Just a little bit. We were beat at our task by the multitude of wonderful, exquisite and downright fantastical wallpapers on the market, and we could only narrow our Faves down to seven. Don’t hate us because they’re so beautiful!
Second confession: we couldn’t even fit all of our favorite wallpapers into one Faves blog! So watch out for part two, when we present our favorite patterned wallpapers.
But now, for our favorite—shall we say off the wall?—choices:
Schumacher Kyoko Mica
1. Schumacher Kyoko Mica in Silver: Jan Smith wowed us with this one, especially since we have used it in one of our high-end bachelor pad guest bathrooms. “For that project, we used a bronze colorway of this paper, and in the small bathroom, it added sparkle, texture and a much-needed presence,” Jan explains. “It is the first thing you notice when you enter the room, and the impact of it stays with you after you leave.” It’s a lot to ask from a wallpaper, Jan admits, “but it delivers!” (read the rest of this post…)
Tags: 19th century France, ASID, beaded wallpaper, beautiful, bling wallpaper, California, California Contemporary, color, decor, designer, eco-friendly, elegance, expert installation, Fuji, glass bead wallcoverings, glass bead wallpaper, horsehair, horsehair wallcovering, horsehair wallpaper, Innovations, innovations grasscloth, inspiration, interior design, interior designer, Jan Smith, Kyoko Mica, Kyoto, Laguna Beach, Laguna Design Center, limestone wallcovering, limestone wallpaper, limestone walls, Lisa McDennon, Lisa Rachelle McDennon, Lisa Rachelle McDennon Interior Design, LRM, LRM Interior Design, LRMID, Maya Romanoff, Maya Romanoff Chevron, Maya Romanoff Chevron Mother of Pearl, Maya Romanoff Mother of Pearl, mica wallpaper, mineral wallpaper, modern, Murano Molto, Newport Beach, Orange County, Orange County homes, Orange County's top designer, peacock, peacock feathers, pheasant, pheasant feathers, Phillip-Jeffries Ltd. Horsehair, red carpet gown, Sapporo-Soba, Schumacher, Schumacher Kyoko Mica in Silver, Schumacher Nest Collection, shell wallpaper, Southern California, space, style, top interior designers, wallpaper, Wallteriors
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June 27th, 2010 by jennifermyers
The dramatic New Zealand coastline
LRM Interior Design is pleased to announce yet another new project, and an international project, no less! One of LRMID’s longstanding clients has recently decided to redesign a beach house on the New Zealand coast, and has awarded LRM Interior Design with the project.
Lisa has a way with beautiful designs for coastal properties, maximizing the natural light and bringing the organic elements of the seaside to the interior. The project is sure to be another wonderful example of the talents of Lisa McDennon and the LRM team, and it’s suggested that it will lead to another redesign project for the same client.
The team has their bags packed for a trip down under, but before that happens, there is much preparation to be done. The client is in the process of sending over photos of the rooms to be redesigned, and when we get them we will definitely share. Colorboards and space plans will be created, and we will keep you all updated with everything that inspires the team on this project.
So stay tuned for an update on the New Zealand project!
Tags: ASID, California Contemporary, coastal, coastal design, coastal property, color, colorboards, contemporary, decor, designer, elegance, fabrics, furniture, inspiration, interior design, interior designer, international interior design firm, international interior designer, Laguna Beach, Lisa McDennon, Lisa Rachelle McDennon, Lisa Rachelle McDennon Interior Design, LRM, LRM Interior Design, LRMID, modern, modern space, New Zealand, New Zealand Coast, New Zealand interior design, New Zealand interior design projects, Orange County, Orange County's top designer, organic design elements, organic elements, organic motifs, outdoor furniture, remodel, seaside, Southern California, space, style, top interior designers
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June 18th, 2010 by lisa
Kari Seydewitz, aka The Mad Hatter, on the final catwalk run for the ASID Designer Runway Extravaganza 2010
We prepped. We planned. We found out what TO do and what NOT to do. Kari worked on her makeup for hours. We built the maddest top hat outside of Disney. And we frantically worked for 90 full minutes at the Fremarc showroom on Wednesday night turning designer Kari Seydewitz into the Mad Hatter. (read the rest of this post…)
Tags: 2010 ASID Designer Runway Extravaganza, Alexis Bellino, Alice in Wonderland, ASID, ASID Designer Runway event, ASID Event, California, catwalk, cheryl tiegs, decor, designer, Disney's Mad Hatter, elegance, event at Laguna Design Center, fabrics, fashion design, fashion designer Oday Shakar, furniture, inspiration, interior design, interior designer, Jan Smith, Kelly Persellin, Laguna Beach, Laguna Design Center, Lisa McDennon, Lisa Rachelle McDennon, Lisa Rachelle McDennon Interior Design, LRM, LRM Interior Design, LRMID, Luxe magazine, Mad Hatter, Michael Berman, MTV 2010 Movie Awards, Newport Beach, Oday Shakar, Orange County, Orange County's top designer, Real Housewives of Orange County, Sandra Bullock, Southern California, style, top interior designers
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June 13th, 2010 by jennifermyers
Henry Road uses their Fleur Grande fabric on the front of this chair...
At LRM Interior Design, we get inspired by a lot of things. But we really love up-and-coming companies that inspire us with their creativity and innovation.
Take Henry Road, a textile studio in Studio City, California, just up north from us here in Orange County. They design beautiful, bold and modern patterns for textiles that look stunning on all types of furniture, from chairs to sofas to footstools.Their patterns look amazing on more than just furniture, as we found with their Gloria tablecloths and Havana tote. Let’s not even start on their adorable storage sacks for kids.
...and a coffee sack to upholster the back.
Or shall we? This is where Henry Road’s real inspiration comes through. In many cases, as shown by the storage sacks and with items of furniture, Henry Road owner Paula Smail combines her large-print textiles with coffee sacks. We love this combination of texture and re-use, especially in the occasional chair covered in Paula’s Fleur Grande pattern on the front and coffee sacking on the back.
They’ve also covered church benches, footrests and cubes in coffee sacks, and according to their website, they’re pretty popular–almost all of their furniture has been sold.
Paula Smail seems like a person who is as interesting and enterprising as her designs. She spent part of her childhood in South Africa, in a house on Henry Road. It was the Marimekko blinds in that home, plus seeing the African women swathed in bright fabrics, that has shaped her design aesthetic.
We can’t wait to see what she does next! In the meantime, check out Henry Road’s collection of unusual accessories and home goods. And if you’re in Los Angeles, you may just want to stop by and peruse the intriguing items in her shop that are not available online.
Tags: accessories, California, California Contemporary, children's games, church bench, coffee sack upholstery, coffee sacks, contemporary, Crystal Cove, decor, designer, eco-friendly, elegance, fabrics, Fleur Grande, footstools, furniture, gloria tablecloth, Henry Road, home goods, inspiration, interior design, interior designer, Laguna Beach, large-print textiles, Lisa McDennon, Lisa Rachelle McDennon, Lisa Rachelle McDennon Interior Design, Los Angeles, LRM, LRM Interior Design, LRMID, marimekko, modern patterns, modern textiles, Newport Beach, occasional chair, Orange County, Orange County's top designer, Paula Smail, pillows, sofas, Southern California, storage sacks, studio city, style, tablecloths, textiles, texture, top interior designers, tote bags
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May 28th, 2010 by jennifermyers
Chandeliers are the cream of the lighting crop, adding elegance to the practical nature of room lighting. Even the sound of the name sounds highbrow and expensive, and we at LRM Interior Design love the many different styles and materials that chandeliers are made of. As usual, it was very difficult to narrow down our list to just five, but here they are.
Jaeger 6-Tier Horn Chandelier
1. Jaeger 6-Tiered Horn Chandelier: Our love affair with capiz-shell chandeliers is still strong, don’t worry—after all, they helped us win one of our ASID awards! But it will have to share our hearts with this Jaeger horn chandelier, as the color and shape of the horn pieces are gorgeous. The hammered antique brass canopy is beautiful, as is the light diffused by the polished pieces of horn. This is a light fixture that does not melt into the background, but is rather more of an attention-getter—we must feel like it’s one of the LRM gang… (read the rest of this post…)
Tags: 2nd Ave, 2nd Ave lighting, Alison Berger, Alison Berger Glassworks, antique brass, ASID, beautiful, Carrillo Chandelier, casablanca, decor, designer, double-story entry hall, Ebanista, eco-friendly, elegance, elegant design, entryway, European classics, fireflies, furniture, great room, hand-scripted pendants, handcrafted in the United States, horn chandelier, House Beautiful, inspiration, interior design, interior designer, Jan Smith, Laguna Beach, Laguna Design Center, large dining table, large outdoor space, lighting for great room, ligting for entryways, Lisa McDennon, Lisa Rachelle McDennon, Lisa Rachelle McDennon Interior Design, LRM, LRM Interior Design, LRMID, Moroccan-inspired, natural horn, Newport Beach, Orange County, Orange County homes, Orange County's top designer, outdoor lighting, pendant chandelier, pendant lighting, polished horn, princess, royalty, Saint Tropez Boutique, Southern California, space, Spanish accents, Spanish-style, style, top interior designers, United States
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May 18th, 2010 by jennifermyers
Christian Horan and his assistant Scott line up the living room shot
Last Thursday the setup started early, with accessories and home goods being carefully unpacked and unwrapped after a week of shopping. Hours of arranging, rearranging and careful placement followed. Finally, one of LRM Interior Design’s Newport Beach bachelor projects was, shall we say, ready for its close up.
It wasn’t just the LRM team that was involved in setting up the shoot, there was help from the outside. For the green touches that bring an almost unconscious beauty to a room, Instant Jungle was called in for their expert eye and green thumb. Lisa McDennon uses no one but Instant Jungle for all of her plant needs, both internal and external. Greg Wallace, owner, was on site to make sure everything looked perfect—and he should know, as he’s been supplying plants for gardens, interiors, and home staging for 30 years.
Another integral part of the team was our favorite photographer Christian Horan, whose eye for detail, light and composition beautifully complements Lisa’s interior design. He and his assistant Scott moved furniture, helped style tabletops, climbed up and down ladders like monkeys to get the perfect shot every time. Catching Christian between his international shoots in Mexico and the Caribbean was tricky, and we were lucky to get him—and his special blend of energy, humor and talent—on the shoot.
It was an exhausting day, but it will be worth it when we see those photos of the house in print….hopefully soon! In the meantime, check out Lisa McDennon’s work and Christian’s photos in the upcoming August issue of Romantic Homes magazine.
Tags: bachelor, bachelor laguna beach, Bachelor Newport Beach, bachelor Orange County, bachelor pad, bachelor pad design, bachelor san clemente, California, California Contemporary, Christian Horan, Christian Horan Photography, decor, designer, elegance, fabrics, furniture, garden, green thumb, home staging, inspiration, Instant Jungle, Instant Jungle International, interior design, interior designer, kitchen, Laguna Beach, Laguna Design Center, Lisa McDennon, Lisa Rachelle McDennon, Lisa Rachelle McDennon Interior Design, LRM, LRM Interior Design, LRMID, modern, modern space, Newport Beach, Orange County, Orange County homes, Orange County's top designer, photo shoot, photographer, remodel, Romantic Homes, Romantic Homes magazine, Southern California, space, top interior designers
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May 16th, 2010 by jennifermyers
Lisa goes over plans with contractor and architect
Can you believe it’s already May? It seems like just yesterday when Senior Designer Jan Smith and I braved the cold snow and met with our clients at June Lake to help redesign their mountain home. Five months later, Jan and I have begun to really implement and put our design into action. Last month Jan and I headed up to June Lake and conducted a final walkthrough with the architect, the cabinet maker, the electrician, the tile contractor and the lighting specialist to ensure that all details were set in place.
Jan and I spent a great deal of time with the tile. We showed our client the selections we had picked, laying out every design out in the house to gain a better overall perspective of the space and to see if everything flowed together well. We sat down with the tile contractor and went through each tile drawing to ensure that every detail, down to the finishing of the tile edges, was correct. I’ve always believed that it is best to discuss everything with my contractors, because sometimes not everything translates perfectly from paper or the contractors might have a particular style of finishing that doesn’t work with our design. Strong communication is key in successful designing! (read the rest of this post…)
Tags: architect, beautiful, brackets, cabinetry, California, California Contemporary, chandelier, chandeliers, contemporary, decor, designer, elegance, fabrics, fireplaces, floating television, furniture, GBI Tile, hand-forged iron, hand-forged iron pieces, Holly Hunt COllection, House Beautiful, inspiration, interior design, Interior Design Institute, interior designer, Ironware International, Jan Smith, June Lake, Lisa McDennon, Lisa Rachelle McDennon, Lisa Rachelle McDennon Interior Design, LRM, LRM Interior Design, LRMID, modern, mountain lodge, natural stone, Orange County, Orange County's top designer, remodel, space, stone fireplace, style, tile, tile design, tile finishing, tile installation
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