ECO-OLLIE

My assistant Megan has taken our Eco Practices to a whole new level.  Two years ago we committed ourselves to find solutions to the challenges of creating eco-conscious furniture, without sacrificing the  beauty and quality of what constitutes a fine family heirloom.  And in addition to committing all of our manufacturing to support our National Economy (our entire line is hand-crafted in Los Angeles), Megan thought that it certainly couldn't hurt to ride her skateboard to work a few days a week.  But don't worry...her Jimmy Choos are in her backpack.
The majority of the woods we purchase are sustainable (wood from trees that have been planted specifically for creation in the use of wood based products) and are certified by the Forest Stewardship Committee.
Our upholstery fill options consist of Natural Goose Down & Feathers that are thoroughly cleaned with non-toxic substances. We also offer 100% Natural Foam Latex Cores (rubber tree by-products), and frame padding made from 100% unbleached cotton. We use OSHA approved Dacron for all upholstery padding.
Our upholstery springs are made from steel, which because of its strength lessens the environmental effects of their production. Since metals can be recycled indefinitely without losing any of their properties, most of  the metals today are recyclable.
All  PLUSH HOME upholstery ingredients(foam core, casings, webbing, etc..) are all made in California under strict Californian legislation.  We do not import these items from countries whose manufacturing and management practices may be ecologically or morally questionable.
Since our furniture is hand-crafted individually, there is little to no waste in our production process. We do not stock large inventories, and our efficient manufacturing process was formulated to reduce our impact on the environment in terms of materials used.
January 31, 2009 |

First Look


I told you I was on a mission to bring elegance to our wirey world. We’ll be releasing our Fairbanks Entertainment Unit early next month – here’s an early look at it. Based on the art-deco vibe of our original Fairbanks Dresser, this unit allows for a flatscreen to be mounted above or atop, with plenty of storage inside for components, dvds, games, and all those other wirey gadgets that shouldn’t be displayed in the first place. And of course…everything is customizable and made in the USA.

|

His & Her Custom Closets: TA-DA

When working with our staff architect on a client's custom home plans, it's always a fun challenge for me to "channel" my client's wants and needs and then to realize those concepts into palpable architectural plans. I never allow a project to be quoted by our staff contractor until every material detail is specified out on paper (to avoid future change-orders, time delays, etc...). So those plans really become our Bible throughout the process.
Once we get the go-ahead to build, I begin an interior design scheme.  Ideally on the day that construction is completed, we are ready to install all furnishings.  The process from ground zero to a finished product is about 3-18 months depending on the scope of the project.  But what is consistent with all my projects is the absolute love I have in seeing a client's reaction to their new home.
That "TA-DA" moment is priceless to me and makes it all worth while. We can conceptualize with 3-D plans, fabric samples, paint fans, tile samples, and wood finishes.  But it's never the same until you are actually standing in the space.
So I got a kick out of this German Heineken commercial because although it's obviously exaggerated, there is a lot of truth in showing what is important to different people...and of course the challenge is heightened when they live in the same space. It's a puzzle to make it all work out for everyone, and this commercial made me laugh because it reminded me of a similar circumstance I had in designing a master closet that would accommodate the wife's shoes...and the husband's baseball hats.

January 28, 2009 |

Furniture Design

I'm often asked about our original furniture designs. Generally I have a lot of fun with the process and always enjoy a successful finished product, but I have to admit there are many instances where the inherent problems in making custom furniture is a source for major migraine headaches.
Once I have a concept, the next step is to make detailed AutoCad renders (thank you, Megan) based on function and form.  From there comes a 3-D render, before we make the actual prototype.  I go back and forth, making tweaks to the prototype (up to a dozen times...or until our factory manager gives me a look like he's going to set me on fire with his eyes) until it is in fine enough form to show.
We then put it up on the block for testing and notes.  If it's an upholstery piece, we bring in every single body type to sit on it until everyone is happy -- if it's a wood piece, I'll go so far as leaving the item in a picky person's house to let them live with it for a few weeks.
It's a long road to get an item added to our line, but in the end I'd rather do it right the first time.
January 23, 2009 |

The War at Home…against my ipod and blackberry chargers




 I know that I’m not alone in my annoyance of seeing tangled electronic wires or finding ipods charging on random countertops.  So...I’m dedicating the first few months of the year to de-cluttering electronic gadgets. Plasmas, ipod chargers, dvd’s, laptops, cell phones, whatever needs charging once a day....let’s deal with it now.
I’m working on a new design for a hand-crafted PDA charging station that will solve the tangly, wirey eyesore on your nightstand or kitchen counter - we will hopefully have a prototype completed by Summer 09.
In the meanwhile, here are my favorite PLUSH HOME tech-friendly items that were also designed specifically to keep the geek in all of us elegantly organized.

LACQUERED CHARGING STATION: (photo 1) Available in rosewood, walnut burl, mappa burl, and white with orginal Bodhi or Ginko leaf inlay.  The perfect little space to suggest to your household of where they may leave and charge their PDAs.
LACQUERED LAPTOP TRAY. (photo 2) Durable and stylish lacquer finish makes it ideal to stop that hot laptop of yours from burning your thighs. Doubles perfectly as a serving or showcase tray.
CUSTOM MEDIA CABINET.  (photo 3)Mount your plasma above or atop.  There are a handful of standard designs to select from.  Shown is the Carlisle Entertainment Unit (with Macassar Ebony exotic veneer door fronts) where the center cabinets are designed to store your entertainment components (dvd player, cable box, tivo, etc...) and the side doors allow storage for your favorite dvds and games. If you'd like to take it even further, we can customize pop-up plasma capabilities.

REMOTE CONTROL BOX. (photos 4,5) You know how you never know what to do with your remote controls....?  An oldie but a goodie. This continues to be one of our best selling accessories and gift items.  Available in a handful of exotic veneer finishes (walnut burl, mappa burl, rosewood silver leaf, white with bodhi leaf, black with bodhi leaf, white with ginko, black with ginko).
Plush Home 8323 Melrose Avenue | West Hollywood, CA 90069 |
T 323-852-1912 | www.plushhome.com
January 15, 2009 |

YEAR OF THE OX

THE OX
   2009, 1997, 1985, 1973, 1961, 1949
Low and steady marks the ox’s character. Bona fide leaders, they are grounded, determined and highly dependable. They have the ability to motivate and inspire confidence in others as well. Those born under the sign are meticulous, systematic and real sticklers for details. They can be straight-laced and prefer routine, aiming to trash things out in a methodical manner till it bears fruit. Simplicity and straightforwardness govern their personality. However, the ox has a temper and it’s wise to get out of its way when it rears it horns. It is also a signs that it’s overly proud, refusing to seek assistance. The ox chooses to depend on its head to reason things and finds it hard to tolerate the week. Chauvinistic and even tyrannical, the ox is often grumpy, bigoted and refuses to forgive of forget for that matter.
People born in the Year Of The Ox: Barack Obama, Jane Fonda, Jack Nicholson,Margaret Thatcher,Meryl Streep, Princess Diana, Vivien Leigh, George Clooney, Clark Gable, Jack Lemmon, Napolean, Paul Newman, Richard Nixon, Robert Redford, Rock Hudson, Shirley Bassey, Van Gogh, Walt Disney.
The Chinese zodiac signs are determined by the lunar year in which you were born. The Chinese believe the animal ruling one's birth year has a profound influence on personality, and destiny. The saying is: "This animal hides in your heart."
check your Chinese astrology.
January 14, 2009 |

10 weekend projects to improve your home’s value

Real-estate experts say your best bet is to invest a little sweat equity into a series of small weekend job that boost your home's appeal and eliminate buyers' biggest objections.
Here are 10 quick ways to add value to your home without doing major renovations.
1. DE-CLUTTER. De-cluttering should be the first job sellers cross off their list before starting any other project, agents and real-estate investors say.  it's important to let the buyer a chance to see their furniture in your house.  Ask a friend (who won't mind offending you) to walk through your house and give it to you straight. What is distracting?  What needs to go?
Figure out a way to get your clothes, books, appliances, papers, toys, art and photos under control. Shoving everything into cabinets, closets and the garage is not the answer.
2. CABINET MAKEOVER. The kitchen is the most important room in the house to get right. You don't need to get your cabinets refaced or replaced to make them look presentable. If they're scratched or look dated, just spring for a couple of cans of paint and put a new finish on them. White and other light neutral colors work best for most kitchens and bathrooms. Choose simple and relatively modern hardware for the pulls, preferably in a brushed nickel. Steer clear of brass, brightly colored glass or anything decorated with pictures of birds or flowers.
3. PATCH & PAINT. A fresh coat of paint in the living room, kitchen and master bathroom — the most important rooms in the house will pay big dividends.  Just make sure you stick to neutrals.  Don't experiment with bright colors, and stay away from anything too dark that will make the room look small.
4. CURB APPEAL. One quick way to entice more buyers into your house is to spruce up what they see from the street. Spend a weekend cleaning or replacing your mailbox, putting up new street numbers that match the style of your house, cleaning your storm door and windows and touching up chipped paint on your front door.
Take a good hard look at your landscaping and trim back any shrubs around the front that are unruly. Get rid of lawn ornaments, toys, leaves and other debris from the yard, as well as those tools or construction materials propped against a fence. A tidy front yard makes buyers more willing to come inside for a look.
5. LIGHTING. You don't have to go crazy here. Just replace anything damaged, dated or distracting. Get rid of that Hollywood dressing-room-style lighting that frames your bathroom mirror, or at the very least, replace all of the bulbs.
Replace any tacky low hanging chandeliers with simple pendants or even flush mount ceiling fixtures.
And consider replacing the light bulbs you have in your darker rooms with a higher wattage, just for the time you'll be showing your house.
6. FLOORS. Every buyer will have their preference. So settle for a floor that looks spic and span. If you have very dirty carpet, rent a steam machine and get out the stains. If you have hardwoods, buff and polish them.
7. STAGE IT. Once your house has been cleaned, patched and painted, it's time to think about the best way to show it off.
In the bathroom, that means replacing your old shower curtain with a new model that is lined and made of fabric. Get fresh bath mats and add a fresh roll of toilet paper. Make sure your towels are fresh and new and on a presentable and simply designed rack.  Clear the counters and make sure accessories such as the toothbrush holder or soap dish are coordinated and look elegant.
In the bedroom, consider your comforter. Is it stained, ripped or dated? If so, consider buying a new duvet cover or spread to keep the focus on the room, not your questionable taste.
And take a good hard look at your window treatments. Keep it light, bright and simple.  Tie back dark or flouncy curtains, or replace them with pre-made panels.
8. EXTRA ROOMS. Most people are willing to pay a premium for a little more breathing room. Organize your garage or basement to show their potential space.
Organize the tools, sporting goods and other items in your garage and get them off the floor, as much as possible. Make sure there's adequate lighting and clean or polish the floors. You want it to be a space where people can imagine spending hours tinkering on some craft project.
9. FIX IT NOW. Instead of spreading out those annoying minor repairs over several months or a year, why not take care of them all at one time?
When you show your house, little problems such as a leaky faucet or a cabinet that sticks can be distracting and may grow to become additional concerns.  So make a list and invest a not-so-fun 48 hours in fixing those broken drawer slides, replacing moldy caulking around the bathtub and fixing that cracked tile or broken step leading down to the basement.
10. HARDWARE. Replace old, yellowing or brass switch-plate covers with new ones made of brushed metal. Likewise, swap out old brass doorknobs and hinges and replace them with something more up-to-date.
excerpt from Melinda Fulmer of MSN Real Estate
|

The Getty





I went to the Getty Center recently and really enjoyed their historic French furniture collection.  Judging from the condition of the pieces, I am assuming that the upholstery portions were re-upholstered and that the wood items may have been re-finished, but regardless they did a fantastic job with the installations.
“Getty” City sits on top of a mountain, overlooking the city and the beach. A complex of six buildings, it houses a first-rate decorative and fine arts collection, and also promotes education and research of the arts. Designed by Richard Meyer, architect of Atlanta’s High Museum, the facility uses the same squares of painted aluminum as the Atlanta museum for the exterior skin but adds blocks of cleft-cut, fossilized Italian travertine for parts of the structures. The contrast between the clean, modern aluminum and the rough-textured marble reflects the range of art that is housed inside.
J. Paul Getty initially focused on the areas of antiquities, French furniture and decorative arts, and European paintings. His love of French furniture, specifically Louis XIV, XV and XVI, can be felt in the collection’s quality and passion. But in the last two decades, the holdings have been expanded to include illuminated manuscripts, drawings, European sculpture and photography.
The French portion of the collection is displayed chronologically in a series of fifteen galleries, each reflective on one period. Many galleries have upholstered wall of silk damask in the color, scale and pattern of the period. And four rooms of eighteenth century paneling are also installed in the gallery. One from the Regence period (between Louis XIV and XV, dating 1700-1730) provides a perfect study in the system of French panels.
Indicative of the quality of the French collection are pieces from the most famous artists of the time. For example, a set of ten painted panels is attributed to Charles Le Brun, a painter and the director of fine arts under Louis XIV. The principle interior designer at Versailles, Le Brun later was appointed director and chief artist of the Gobelins tapestry looms after Louis XIV bought the company in 1662. These painted and gilded oak panels would have been part of a paneled room in a chateau or grand Paris hotel. The design reflects the richness and heaviness of the Baroque period, incorporating classical architectural motifs with floral leaf patterns and human figures.
French architecture, furniture and decorative arts enjoyed a resurgence of importance under Louis XIV. With Le Brun’s help, the existing guild system was improved and the title maitre-ebeniste (master cabinetmaker) was created for those furniture makers who had served their apprenticeship, passed the required test and received a royal license to practice.
One such artist was Andre Charles Boulle who invented a form of decoration that bears his name. Boulle work consists of marquetry patterns made from sheets of tortoiseshell and German silver, brass or pewter, and the Getty Center boasts a half-dozen pieces attributed to this famous craftsman. Among them is the pair of coffers on stands, standing five feet tall and just under three feet wide. Used to hold jewelry and other precious objects, the coffers are described in the museum’s Handbook of the Collection as “oak and walnut veneered with tortoiseshell, blue-painted horn, ebony, rosewood, cypress, pewter and brass; gilt-bronze mounts”.
This section of the Getty Collection also houses fine examples of French porcelain, tapestries, silver, wall lights and sculpture. The exhibit describes each piece as to maker, age and materials, but the Handbook of the Collection, for sale at the museum store, serves as a valuable reference guide.
The most remarkable aspect of this facility is that the whole experience is completely free (although you do have to make reservations to park your car), making the appreciation and knowledge of art available to everyone.
*Excerpt from NFocus magazine January 2000.
The Getty Center
January 13, 2009 |

Slice of Life

I love this picture of my sister-in-law and niece. My brother Andrea took it in Ecquador on the fly, but to me it looks like one of those "perfectly stylized oxymoron, haute couture ads". You know exactly what I'm talking about...the "staged/unstaged" look.  The "professional photographer/amateur photographer" vibe.  Down to the little dog and broken radiator, this would have cost a fortune to cast and stage.
See more Haute Fashion Ads
Related Posts with Thumbnails
January 10, 2009 | Tags: |