Archive for the ‘travel’ Category

ALT & CAMP

Tuesday, January 17th, 2012

Two things.

ALT SUMMIT is going down this week.

&

PHOTO / CAMP is coming.

???

It’s all crazytown around here.

Did you notice how I tried to casually slip this by?

Hello, daybed.

This hunk of comfy recently arrived from Alex and I’ve been fiddling with the living room to accommodate it. Too bad I haven’t had time to make all the changes and or finish up the manic futzing that must be done. Hopefully soon, but just not quite yet.

*Try and ignore that badass brutalist wall sculpture, BTW.

And on another note.

Here’s a little preview announcement of something Laure and I have been working on that we’ve christened Photo / CAMP. The first workshop, FIELD GUIDE, shall go down on March 23 in Los Angeles. It will be incredible.

OK, so FIELD GUIDE is an introductory workshop that breaks down digital photo editing in a hands on, no BS way. Bring your photos, bring your computer and bring your questions – no matter what level of experience you bring to the table. We’ll walk you through the process of making any sad photo look amazing.

Full launch and more details to come.

Let’s take it slow and ease into things.

I thought to mention it before being all up in Alt. If folks are curious and also going to be there, I always enjoy a good nerding out on photo stuff.

Oh jeez, so I will shortly be heading out to Salt Lake to speak on the Interior Design Blogging panel with Emily Henderson, Jenny Komenda and Kirsten Grove. It should be a hoot? Yes! So, come and ask naughty questions.

Wait, are you guys going to Alt? This is my first time and I’m not sure what happens. Fight club, probably?

If so, please say hello or give me a high five or something. I’ll be the nervous one actively avoiding being in pictures while also avoiding wearing white whilst also saying wildly inappropriate things at all the most awkward moments.

HIGH FIVES.

SLING

Friday, January 13th, 2012

One of the big design type projects Laure and I have been working on so diligently is a very stylish (come on, obviously) salon in Laguna Beach that’s just recently opened up called Morrison Hair. Located in an older Spanish style bungalow, Rachel and James wanted the space to remain cozy, comfy and inviting like a great house, but still be stylish and modern for getting your hair did.

A particularly important and big need furniture-wise for the waiting area was a pair of chairs that were unusual, comfortable and made you desperately want to sit in them. So of course my first thought was these slingy bad bays that I have always wanted to reupholster.

Yup.

THOSE slingy cantilever bad boys. Pictured above in the BEFORE situation of upholstery hell.

For sure these were living in Ugly Town, USA and must have seemed like a complete stretch, so trust that it took a lot of convincing and begging to get anyone to believe they could be comfortable and stylish and awesome and not just a hot mess of browntown disgusting.

BOOM.

Reupholstered and reimagined.

I always knew they had a kind of Max Gottschalk or Paulistano type vibe buried deep inside their tubular chrome frames.

For the new slings, I decided to go with a bit of an unusual material. Any guesses? Hmmmm?

Screw that nonsense since I can’t shut up about it and am way too impatient. So, these slings are actually made with vintage wildfire tarp! I know. What?!

These tarps are used by my local Park Rangers and Firefighters in the San Jacinto mountains – located just a few miles from this Brick House. When the forest catches on fire, these giant heavy duty waxed canvas tarps are used to move burning brush and burnt up timbers or whatever else is on fire and needing moving. Eventually they get beat up and decommissioned and end up in retirement with this local canvas fabricator type guy I found.

I loved that the material already had this amazing patina and color and was this super heavy duty weight that I couldn’t find with newer fabrics. Plus, who has wildfire tarp chairs? Who?! No one.

Well wait, I guess Morrison Hair does now, BUT come on, don’t you just want to sit in them?! They turned out super sexy and are shockingly comfy to boot. Like a big hug from a firefighter.

Oh man, I can’t wait to show off the rest of the salon. Sorry about these few quick snaps I tried to grab.

We have a few finishing touches and a photo shoot to do, but I’m desperate to post the rest of the space. It turned out pretty much spectacular with a few custom features that are killer and was an overall great project to work on with some truly outstanding folks.

MMMmmmmmmm. Slingy time. Sneaky sling peek. Sleaking.

Now I totally want some slings for my house again. That is not how this works, right? I can’t be jealous.

Dang.

More soon.

 

COMEX + ARKITIP + ACE

Monday, December 19th, 2011

The Ace Hotel recently collaborated with the Comex Group and Arkitip on a project that introduced different color combinations into a small block of rooms at the hotel’s Palm Springs location. I headed out with a small group of participating designy type folks to spend a few nights in these experimental color spaces. After staying in a few different rooms we discussed how each color shift changed the space and our mood.

Yes, I totally ended up interviewing on camera. Pretty much my ultimate sweaty awkward nightmare.

Besides the filmed voyage into my uncomfortable zone, I stayed in three of the five rooms : the indigo and pink, cerulean and navy and the mushroom and turquoise. Even though I didn’t stay in every color combo, all the participants got to see every room and feel sad about the ones we missed (with a fireplace). I also attempted to hectically photograph them all before checking out on Sunday. Thinking I did pretty awesome after about four days with about zero hours of sleep.

So, above is the pink and indigo room.

This was my first room and the only one I violently hated. Well, only initially violently hated. When I first arrived it was dark and super late and maybe I was exhausted and somehow this space seemed like some kind of massage parlor of ill repute. When the sun rose though, it was actually kind of awesome and my feelings warmed up.

I shockingly enjoy some neon pink accents – especially the way these are photographing, but for some reason, how this looked in real life didn’t wow me as much. I liked it much better in daylight than I did the night before, but I think it almost needed a bit more florescent hotness (not comfortable with that phrase usually).

 

My second night was spent in the cerulean and navy room.

This combo ended up feeling pretty cohesive with the hotels original furniture and accessories, like it appeared to be the most seamless and unobtrusive or possibly the most calming color shift of the bunch. I almost wanted the lighter blue to be a bit more brightly florescent after spending time in the hot pink room. Florescent = fun? What is happening to me.

Weirdly, this combo didn’t photograph as well as I assumed it would.

My last night was spent in the turquoise and mushroom room.

Not a huge fan of this one.

Maybe this felt a bit too South Beach for the desert light and dusty colors I love and know so well? So, mainly not loving this particular combo, but was definitely enjoying how these big injections of color started totally changing how the rooms felt overall and gave the usually all white slats some architectural dimension.

Abby stayed in the yellow room.

This was a whole lot of yellow.

I can’t handle tons of yellow, but the gray accent was amazing and I kind of wish the two colors had been flipped. I can get behind some bright yellow as an accent with a more neutral gray backdrop, especially when nursing a brutal hangover from too many roadrunners the night before.

ALL yellow = eyes imploding into aching brain.

Yup. Still love a simple black porcelain socket with a big clear bulb.

A super simple and affordable combo that just might be appearing in a great project I’ve been working on with Laure. Can’t wait to share.

The color slats do make the Robert Lewis Love Lights stand out way more than ever before and look somehow less cheap? I hate thinking that but I was never a Love Light fan until this trip.

Now I’m digging these things, especially the soft light they give off. Super sexy time. Paired with a great wall color behind? Yes please.

The green room.

Didn’t stay in here but kind of dig it when paired with the patio and plants outside. Although I somehow weirdly want my desert rooms to feel sparse and dry and golden and neutral…so maybe the green is too lush? Too dark?

Mmmmhhmmmm.

Acapalco chair. I love you.

Notice the black paint inside the white planters that hide all the ugly dirt? GREAT trick.

Yellow room with yellow chairs?

Give it.

Anyone notice that all the kilim rugs are now cowhides? I wonder why? Maybe it’s just these rooms…

I’ve long been a fan of the cowhide as rug since they can take a ton of abuse and still look good. It’s possibly the perfect rug for spaces with high amounts of foot traffic or very careless carpet owners. Maybe the kilims were too delicate and got thrashed? Who knows…

Many thank again to Arkitip and The Comex Group for inviting everyone to come out and participate in this color experiment and  super big thanks to Alex and The Ace Hotel for putting up with us and being so generous.

I had a great time with my ladies and my boy and all the new folks we got to chat up, eat, drink, and swim with – even loved meeting the naked grandma who taught us the simple truths and ways of the sauna. Everyone was super cute and well dressed and made me very nervous, but despite my tendency to always feel a tad dumpy chubby country mouse in this type of situation, it was a great experience and super fun little getaway. Also, must note that I was especially glad to finally meet Miranda Jones in the real life. You lady, you are the funnest.