Focus on Furnishings: Part Two

April 25th, 2010 by lisa
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LRMID makes sure that the furniture's size fits the room and complements the style, but most importantly we make sure it fits within your budget.

Today we will be discussing how to maximize your cost savings without having to compromise quality.  There are many intricacies of the interior design industry, so even though you might be the savviest and most economic shopper at your local mall, chances are the trade secrets of designing are hovering just below your radar, consequently costing you hundreds.

Where do you begin to save money?  For starters, your very own designer could be hindering your chances of executing an affordable house renovation.  A designer might know which color towels will complement your bathroom tiles or can expertly match a leather ottoman to your couch, but what makes a good designer? A good designer will have mastered buying power, or as I would like to say, “trimming the fat”.  To put it simply, it means that your designer should be adept at the art of penny-pinching and saving you every last dime possible, all the while maintaining quality. (read the rest of this post…)

Focus on Furnishings: Part One

April 16th, 2010 by jennifermyers
Custom furniture for one of LRM Interior Design's clients. These two chaise longues can be combined to make a spare bed for guests.

Custom furniture for one of LRM Interior Design's clients. These two chaise longues can be combined to make a spare bed for guests.

Many people think that they know what an interior designer does. They design the whole room, the whole house, the whole project. Right?

Actually, it doesn’t have to be that cut and dry. A large part of many interior design firms’ business, including LRM Interior Design, is actually to do with furniture and purchasing.

Designing a house is not just about paint colors and fabrics. LRM Interior Design can furnish an empty house with lighting, furniture and upholstery, case goods, beds and bedding, pillows, artwork, accessories, rugs, plants, containers, patio furniture, tile and plumbing fixtures. We can also replace any and all of these items in a fully furnished home!

For example: recently a woman called us for her services after she had used the “free design services” at the store where she bought the furniture. The recommended furniture arrived at the house and, to her great surprise, was completely the wrong size for the room. She called us, and is now a new client, fully aware of the value of an interior designer’s services. As it turned out, those “free” services weren’t so free after all. (read the rest of this post…)

LRM Interior Design Is Looking For a Few Good Men

March 12th, 2010 by jennifermyers
LRMID transformed an 80s nightmare into a contemporary showhome.

LRMID transformed an 80s nightmare into a contemporary showhome.

Orange County is known for its high number of attractive, solvent bachelors, but what happens when they finally realize that they want to settle down?

“All of the bachelor clients have come to me looking to transform their home,” says Lisa. “They’re finally looking to find that special someone, and are aware that their house is not up to a woman’s standards.”

According to the clients, they approached LRM Interior Design in the first place because of the company’s use of a clean aesthetic. “Plus, we have a practical and analytical style that appeals to men,” Lisa explains.” (read the rest of this post…)

Bring the Indoors Outside

August 14th, 2009 by jennifermyers
Susan Bradley's Outdoor Wallpaper

Susan Bradley's Outdoor Wallpaper

Usually designers are known for “bringing the outdoors inside,” such as Billy Baldwin, mentioned in our last blog. But now the trend is to bring the inside outdoors.

Southern California is famous for its beautiful, year-round weather, and as much as we hate to brag, we have to deal with it as designers. With outdoor kitchens and areas for entertaining, interior design no longer stops at the door’s threshold. LRM Interior Design’s Kari Seydewitz saw Susan Bradley‘s innovative idea for “outdoor wallpaper,” and thought it would be a great addition to a Southern California designer’s repetoire.

Think of a backyard area with a cluster of seating, tucked up against the home’s exterior wall. Painting the wall a color to complement the furniture is a great idea, but what else can be done? A mural is not always the answer. Using this outdoor wallpaper can add something special, as it can be used as a trellis or just as an interesting form of decoration to draw the eye.

Susan Bradley offers several damask-style designs, a beautiful design based on the Japanese cherry blossom, a very modern vine pattern and a large paisley print—all available in different colors and finishes. The company is in the United Kingdom, so be warned: the prices are in U.K. Sterling, but they are happy to ship overseas to the U.S.

Inspiration: The Great Outdoors

April 30th, 2009 by jennifermyers
Williams Sonoma St. Barths coffee table

Williams Sonoma St. Barths coffee table

Today is May Day! Here at LRM Interior Design, we’ve decided to celebrate it with an Inspiration piece on outdoor furniture. Yep, it’s that time of year. Our executive administrator Kristen Rusert was the one to bring up the patio furniture, and wanted to help our readers find the most stylish—and most affordable—items for your outdoor area.
“I chose this inspiration topic for two reasons: the changing of the season and the economic climate,” says Kristen.  “We’re Southern California residents, as are most of our clients, and that means we look forward to summer as the time for relaxing outside in the sunshine.”
Both sun- and shade-seekers know that nothing is better than spending summer days lounging on comfortable and stylish patio furniture.  Here are some great choices for the online shopper to achieve their summer outdoor paradise: (read the rest of this post…)

West Week: Trina Turk & David Dalton Talk

April 7th, 2009 by lisa

I was so happy to be able to make Trina Turk’s talk at the Laguna Design Center’s West Week. I was even happier to find out that David Dalton was joining her! I wanted to share some of the important points I picked up from them, as I was inspired and excited by hearing about their rise to fame:
Trina feels that the Elle Décor spread featuring her home launched her into the spotlight, and gave her the most publicity and feedback she’s ever received. As for David Dalton, his collaboration with another type of artist – the singer Meatloaf – proved enjoyable and promotional: Meatloaf’s redesigned home was featured in Architectural Digest. Dalton’s own home was featured in Western Interiors, Loft, Dwell, Shelter and Angelino magazines, which helped propel him into the public eye. Dalton spoke of how easy it was to design – the empty space itself was unbelievably inspiring! (read the rest of this post…)