No two days in this business are the same. But I have definitely noticed that when the Design Gods put an idea out there in the air, a lot of people catch the same wind.  The beginning of the year brought in our fare share of kitchen projects all at the same time (from updates, to new plans, to full renovations).
So when we got two calls the first week of this month to do kids rooms, I knew the trend was starting.  Between LA and NYC projects, a big part of our office seems to be dedicated to little people this quarter.
In general the options that I like for children furnishings are very limited, so I always find this task challenging. Yes, there are infinite selections of dinosaur and race car themed beds and dressers.  But why does a kids room have to look like a theme park?! I saw a creepy clown table lamp that would frankly scare the heck out of me if I woke up to it in the middle of the night. I don't get it?   Kid's are naturally wound up and curious, so it's also important for them to have a calm and soothing area to rest and reflect.  A creepy clown lamp is not the answer.
Hence, I have challenged myself to use non-juvenile furniture and textiles (with the exception of some adorable bedding I've found). Here are some samples of fabrics I've recently pulled for Jack and Jill. Give me about 3 months and I'll post some final outcomes...
Scheme  #1:  Soft Red, French Blue and Crisp White. One of my favorite colors schemes ever. I find these patterns and textiles thoroughly uplifting. This bedroom is for a client with twins, one boy and one girl. The scheme had to work for both, so I selected stripes to add a masculine touch, while the floral pattern balances it out for Team girl.
Scheme #2:  Plum, lemon yellow, leafy green and white. This bedroom is for a client with 2 girls who are sharing a bedroom. The botanical fabric will be for the draperies. I love how it has a little fuchsia in it to throw everything off a little bit.  Sometimes there's nothing like a little "off-balance" to make things "balanced".
Scheme #3:  Two shades of blue, taupe, chocolate brown and white. This room is for a wonderful boy. I love the sophistication that the taupe and the chocolate brown add.

Every party I have ever hosted or attended ends up in the kitchen. So one of the biggest challenges that I have as a designer is to transform small nooks into comfortable lounge areas.  In these cases I like to incorporate built-in seating with fabulous kid-proof fabric to save as much space as possible to accommodate the centerpiece of the area....a fine and generous table that could hold its own in any room (but will kill in a kitchen nook).







I know I gotta get back to design related blogs, but it’s just been so much fun with Stevie’s appearances on the Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien. Backstage in the green room area, all guests sign “the wall” after their respective shows. Thought you guys might be interested in seeing some of the comments and signatures. I’ll get back to you next week with colors, fabrics, and new furniture designs! Been working on a new acrylic furniture collection that we’ll be releasing this year – so will give an early look on that in the next few weeks.

Steven’s BLOG

It was such an honor for Steven to be on the big show last month, and totally pleasure to be invited back again last Friday. His stunt buddies gave him a hard time about the "coral" (not "pink") shirt I picked out for him, but I think it looked fantastic on camera -- so, whatever.
Here a short excerpt from the show:

More Conan/Steven stunts on Steven’s Site



Congratulations to Kristie Streicher for her feature in Vogue Daily -- And THANK YOU for the kind mention.
LOCAL BUZZ: LOS ANGELES
When makeup artist and brow queen Kristie Streicher isn’t tending to the faces of Hollywood luminaries, she’s combing Venice Beach for eco-beauty and flying through the air high above the Santa Monica Pier. Here, her insider’s guide to ultimate L.A. beauty:
" A big part of what makes a woman feel beautiful is her surroundings. When I’m getting ready to go out, I like to have a clean and beautiful space in which to get ready. My favorite go-to boutique for luxe home necessities: Nina Petronzio’s Plush Home on Melrose Avenue. She has an amazing lacquered collection that elegantly accommodates all my random makeup brushes and supplies. The ginkgo- and bodhi-leaf inlays are made with original leaves, so no two are the same. My favorites from her shop include the vanity tray (a great place to keep and display fragrances and various spray-type beauty products—the ones you need access to all the time), pencil box (perfect for liners of all types), Q-tip holder in walnut burl (a perfect place to hide those critters), and my splurge: the Sofia chair. I love the hand-carved detail and lacquered sheen. It’s the perfect vanity chair for getting ready."
- Kristie Streicher

Marla always seems to know exactly when I need a laugh brake in the day. We're oddly connected that way.  Right when my fingers were about to get numb from returning emails, Marla came in for a surprise visit to look at our new Italian bedding...right before we went on an impromptu shopping trip to Diane Merrick.



It's been years trying to find that perfect fireplace screen for my clients.  The options were either too gaudy, too simple, too big, wrong finish, too small, yada, yada, yada.
Here's an early look at our new custom fireplace screen line...will be available online in August.  Dimensions, finishes, and designs can all be customized!  As always, we support our LA labor force by keeping these items man made in Los Angeles.


Our new Anne May Drink Stand (side note, the collection is named after Anne May Wong). I love this new polished nickel and mirrored top drinkstand….we’ll have it online and available in August, but here’s an early look for you furniture design mavens out there.

I’ve been placing these in screening rooms because they take so little space…but add so much in detail and atmosphere. Elegant, elegant, elegant.

If you're anything like me, you had absolutely NO IDEA that "WOW" was an acronym for World of Warcraft.  I had read articles here and there about divorces being caused by this game, but really had no clue of the scope of this gaming community until my husband stunt coordinated/choreographed this commercial for Mountain Dew, Blizzard Entertainment, and Radical Media.
Those of you who know me, know that I'm not game person (sorry Agnes).  So it's funny that I know the basic inner workings of this Horde Orc versus the Night Elf fight that Steven choreographed...just another wacky mix of our polar opposite careers.
Steven used his stunt buddies Yoshio Iizuku and Sam Looc to do the Motion Capture stunts.  This was his second commercial working with director, Tarsem Singh. I love the actresses reactions in the beginning...especially her rebel yell that starts it off.

Steven's BLOG

Our Fairbanks collection is making a move into the world of serving tables. Check out this first look factory photo of our first Fairbanks Serving Table.  Art-deco inspired, with an ebony finish (although this also looks amazing with a dark, mahogany wood stain). Custom interior and shelf storage available....would also work great as a large entertainment center.

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