Top Five Faves: Bedside Tables

September 3rd, 2010 by jennifermyers

It may seem like a simple thing to source, but good bedside tables are hard to find, believe it or not. We decided to help everyone out with our Five Faves and highlight some of the best on the market—even if they weren’t labeled “bedside tables.” A good designer knows how to convince a piece to do something it wasn’t made to do, and do it well. This month’s selections are no exceptions. So with no further ado, here are our Top Five Fave bedside tables:

Oly Studio's Jackson Chest of Drawers

Oly Studio's Jackson Chest of Drawers

1. Oly Studios Jackson Chest of Drawers: “Many companies make a chest similar to this, but no-one does it with the same panache as Oly,” says Lisa McDennon. “The lacquered wood looks amazing in white, but I like it in the dark colors, too.” Lisa also likes that this chest fits well as a bedside table in rooms that are contemporary, Asian or traditional, dressed up or down—it’s so versatile and practical at the same time. Talk about making a piece of furniture work well in many settings: Lisa also suggests that this white, lacquered-wood chest could look stunning in an entryway, or be a changing table for baby that will grow with them as they leave the nursery. (read the rest of this post…)

LRM Presents Les Indiennes Fabric and Wallpaper

August 27th, 2010 by jennifermyers
Dramatic and original patterns from Les Indiennes

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. (read the rest of this post…)

Customized Artwork for Clients

August 11th, 2010 by jennifermyers
Quad, by Douglas--one of the many pieces from Phoenix Art Group.

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. (read the rest of this post…)

LRM Loves Sustainable, Contemporary Furniture

August 4th, 2010 by jennifermyers
Mamagreen's Bogard daybed

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. (read the rest of this post…)

Can Solar Panels Look Good?

July 23rd, 2010 by jennifermyers
Blue mission-style tiles? Yes and no...from SRS Energy.

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…)

Top Five Faves: Patterned Wallpaper

July 9th, 2010 by jennifermyers

We warned you—we have more to say about wallpaper. Not quite as much as last week, as we were able to narrow down our patterned choices to the required five…just. Where last week presented wallcoverings that were nigh on incredible, this week we’re staying more in the realm of what most people would call wallpaper. But that doesn’t mean they’re boring….

Schumacher Imperial Trellis

Schumacher Imperial Trellis

1. Schumacher Imperial Trellis: This pattern is a staff favorite, and although it comes in 14 colorways, including Parchment/Midnight, Citrine and Cinnabar Gloss, we love it in Charcoal. Although it’s in Schumacher’s “Modern” section, we think that the pattern has such a classic feel to it that it could be used in a traditional setting, too.

Romo Kimura in Turmeric

Romo Kimura in Turmeric

2. Romo Kimura in Turmeric: The name and color of this wallpaper conjure up two different Orients—Japan and India. The combination of florals, using both lotus flowers and cherry blossoms, give this wallpaper a balanced pattern, and the grey looks fantastic against the deep yellow background.

Graham & Brown Drama Wallcovering in Boheme

Graham & Brown Drama Wallcovering in Boheme

3. Graham & Brown Drama Wallpaper in Boheme: This pattern also comes in burnt orange and black, but we love it in chocolate—could it be the name? Actually, we love how the retro feel of this paper comes into its own in the chocolate color, but the updated pattern keeps it feeling modern. This paper would be great for a den, game room or dining room, and we can’t wait to use it to create something fabulous. And when we do, we’ll definitely post it!

Cole & Son Apana Gold on Blue

Cole & Son Apana Gold on Blue

4. Cole & Son Alpana in Gold and Blue: This wallpaper made us feel like we were going to have high tea at the Ritz in London, what with its delicate gold design on the eggshell blue. Think about an elegant afternoon sipping tea and nibbling on cucumber sandwiches and scones in the most divine setting. Designer Kristen Rusert commented: “The pattern is beautiful, and I love the color combinations—it also comes in gold on black. It looks so regal!”

Schumacher Chiang Mai Dragon

Schumacher Chiang Mai Dragon

5. Schumacher Chiang Mai Dragon: Back to the Orient, but this time—China. We’ve loved this pattern in a fabric, and we love it just as much as a wallcovering. Out of the four colorways, we love the Aquamarine over Lacquer, China Blue and Alabaster. We are enchanted with the dragon winding through and peeking out from behind the peonies and dahlias.

Top Five Faves: Unusual Wallcoverings

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

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…)

ASID OC Designer Runway Extravaganza: OMG We WON!

June 18th, 2010 by lisa
Kari Seydewitz, aka The Mad Hatter, on the final catwalk run for the ASID Designer Runway Extravaganza 2010

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…)

Top Five Faves: Chandeliers

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

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…)

Support LRMID at the 4th Annual Designer Runway Extravaganza!

May 21st, 2010 by jennifermyers
Lisa McDennon

Lisa McDennon

This year Lisa McDennon and the team at LRM Interior Design will be participating in the 4th Annual Designer Runway show. This event is like a combination of Project Runway and Divine Design, but even more challenging. Teams of four will have 90 minutes, seven yards of fabric and one sewing machine, and their task is to create a couture outfit for the Laguna Design Center’s runway.

Forgive us for being biased, but we already think that Lisa McDennon looks like she’s just stepped off a runway most days. Hopefully she’ll be the one to shimmy her way down the Designer Runway next month, after giving her superb fashion advice to the others on her team.If so, the other teams won’t have a chance!

There will be martinis, wine and hors d’oeuvres for the audience to enjoy while the evening’s events transpire. The team’s outfits will be judged: not by Heidi Klum, but by a panel of celebrity judges hand picked for the occasion.

Tickets are on sale now! Prices start at $35 for general admission, and $75 for VIPs. Join us at the Laguna Design Center on June 16th at 5:30PM to cheer on LRM Interior Design as they strut their stuff down the runway at this exciting event.