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…)

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…)

Top Five Faves: Dining Room Chairs

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…

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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…)

Top Five Faves: Sofas

March 28th, 2010 by jennifermyers

This month’s Top Five Faves from the LRM Interior Design team features the focus of the living room, that one essential piece that should speak as much to aesthetic as it does to comfort: the sofa.

As usual, it was an effort to narrow the list down to five from the 30 or so that the team originally picked. We did actually cheat a little bit and add a sixth, as it is technically a settee rather than a sofa! But here, in all their glory, is the shortlist:

Kravet's Quartet Sofa

Kravet's Quartet Sofa

The Quartet Sofa from Kravet

This sofa is a perfect example of classic styling and soft-as-a-cloud comfort. The team, especially designer Kari Seydewitz, loves a sofa you can sink into for complete relaxation. But the dreamy cushions weren’t the only appeal for this sofa: the nailhead detailing on the arms and along the bottom edge added to the elegance of the design. Being a Kravet sofa, it is also available in two sizes and 60,000 different fabrics, which makes this a great choice for many types of clients and rooms—dress it up in a more expensive fabric for the living room, and a casual, long-wearing fabric for a family or game room. Team the Quartet up with its matching sectional and chair for a complete set. Call LRM Interior Design and have them create the perfect Quartet sofa for your room.

Crate & Barrel Petrie Sofa

Crate & Barrel Petrie Sofa

The Petrie Sofa from Crate & Barrel

The mid-century modern look of this sofa appealed to the whole team, and could all imagine themselves lounging on it gracefully, like a female member of the TV show Mad Men, or as a modern-day Mary Tyler Moore. The wide bench, covered in supportive but extremely comfortable cushions, is the main reason for the sofa’s high rating amongst the LRMID team and Petrie purchasers, but another is the tufting on the back cushions—a detail that is hard to resist. Choose this sofa and you’re buying American, too; Crate & Barrel has this sofa made by a small, family-owned furniture manufacturer in West Virginia. Both beautiful and affordable, this sofa is a timeless, and favorite, choice.

Baker's Sofa-By-The-Inch

Baker's Sofa-By-The-Inch

Baker’s Sofas-By-The-Inch

Not only does this sofa have great lines, it’s also amazingly easy to customize and size for rooms big and small. This sofa (6519) can be ordered in any width between 60″ and 102″, making it an interior designer’s dream. The styling is contemporary, with the long, sleek back pillows and extended seat cushions; but with touches of traditional, in the curvature of the arms and the perfection of the dressmaker’s flounce. The pleated skirt is what really drew the attention of LRMID’s designers. The only drawback to choosing this sofa would be if a client had their heart set on leather, as it’s not an available option. LRM Interior Design can customize this Baker sofa for your home; call for a consultation.

The Ebanista Coimbra Sofa

The Ebanista Coimbra Sofa

The Ebanista Coimbra Sofa

Ebanista, the sofa’s manufacturer, prides itself on an “old world charm with modern sensibility,” and they’ve definitely combined the two fantastically in this piece. Although it’s the turned-wood legs and stretcher bars of the Coimbra sofa that captivated Lisa McDennon, not least because there are four choices of wood finish. This elegant touch makes this sofa a great fit for so many California homes, especially any with a Spanish style. The Coimbra sofa’s high back would showcase strongly patterned or colored fabrics well. Such a tall sofa would sit just as easily against a room’s wall as it would standing separate in a large room, in order to break up the space. Equally as beautiful is the stately Coimbra chair. LRM Interior Design can recommend the nearest showroom to view Ebanista furniture in Orange County.

The Geoffrey Sofa by Bradley Hughes

The Geoffrey Sofa by Bradley Hughes

The Geoffrey Sofa by Bradley Hughes

If you’re looking for a sofa that provides comfort, beautiful design and privacy, the Geoffrey Sofa is the ideal choice. This sofa’s arm height was not designed for setting actual arms on, as they stand at over 3′ high. The sofa is also 38″ deep, allowing for extreme relaxation, and would be as great in a small home theater room as in a large living room that demanded dramatic, large seating. It wasn’t the size that grabbed the LRMID team’s attention, but the exquisite attention to detail on the double row of nailheads that march up the arms and along the back of the sofa; and the simplicity of the pleated skirt along the sofa’s lowest edge. A consultation with LRM Interior Design will tell you whether or not this sofa is right for your home.

J. Robert Scott's Medallion Settee

J. Robert Scott's Medallion Settee

The Settee: The Medallion by J. Robert Scott

We’re sneaking this one in on the end, as it’s not technically a sofa. “I’ve pined over this sofa for years, waiting for the right project to use it in,” explains Lisa McDennon. “This sofa just says, in no uncertain terms, that ‘you’ve arrived’.” And it does—it looks like a modern interpretation of something found in one of Versailles’ many rooms. And the craftsmanship matches its looks, with hand-carved wood covered in 22 carat French gold leaf with antiquing. If this settee has captured your heart too, call LRM Interior Design right away; Lisa will be happy to find a way to place it in your home!

It’s Not Just Smart, It’s kravetsmart!

November 4th, 2009 by jennifermyers
Lafayette Chair from Kravet

Lafayette Chair from Kravet

Who says that good design has to cost a lot of money? Not Kravet.

The furniture and fabric company Kravet has introduced kravetsmart, a new brand which sets out to prove that beautiful interior design doesn’t have to cost the earth.

Kravetsmart will offer fabrics and  trimmings, called “smartfabrics,”  will be offered in a full spectrum of textures, patterns and colors. The brand’s “smartweaves” will launch with a set of six color books featuring the palettes Pebble and Pepper, Cocoa and Sangria, Turquoise and Seaspray. (read the rest of this post…)