Entertainment Center.......What to do with a new flat screen TV

This light wood unit is a modern translation of the old style wall unit. It still offers storage but also allows the flat screen to be mounted on a back panel and float in the center.

This is the older version of the unit above.  Although there is a large flatscreen the whole image still looks a little dated.

Today's wall unit is more like an entertainment center that houses a tv as well as audio equipment.  Gone is the big bulky cabinetry that had to contain big boxy TVs.  Today's televisions are sleek and flat and BIG!

Contemporary TV units like these really create a beautiful focal point.

Sometimes I find myself needing to help a client retro fit their old style wall unit to accommodate a new flat screen.  But in this case our client had purchased a 65" TV and wanted us to create a beautiful unit to surround it.  She loves columns and mirrors. She wanted a creamy color to blend with her other furnishings. 

This entertainment center is in the formal living room which also includes a dramatic ocean view.  This was a challenge but the result worked beautifully.

What kinds of challenges have you encountered with flat screen TVs?

Designer Resources........Mecox Gardens in LA

On my recent trip to California I visited several wonderful design showrooms in LA.  I was guided there by Brooke Giannetti of Velvet and Linen.  Today I want to share with you, Mecox Gardens. This was a wonderful place to be inspired.  Everywhere I looked there I saw beautiful furniture and accessories. 

What caught  my eye were several pieces of furniture that were wrapped with another material.




This is a bookcase that is uphostered in linen and accented with nailheads...lots of them!

  I think this is a brilliant idea.  While it might be labor intensive, upholstering all or part of any old piece of furniture will give it a totally new look and feel.  It could be professionally done or you could try it yourself, but I would start with a small project, like a box or trunk before tackling your old breakfront!



Another great look is this wrapped table.  A bit of cord or rope and an old table take on a whole new personality. 


This too would be labor intensive but adding texture and a twist can be very effective and refreshing.
So if you are thinking of refinishing, painting or faux finishing here is a new idea, try recovering.  Not only does it add a new dimension to your piece of furniture but a very interesting way to recycle old fabrics and more.

Mecox Gardens is so much more than these photos can show. They have showrooms all over the country. I was excited to find out they have one right up the road in West Palm Beach, FL on Antiques Row. Lucky me. Check out their website too.

Does this inspire you to recover something old?  I would love to know and my readers would too.  Have you ever tried it yourself?  How did it turn out?  I wonder if
 Design Sponge has tips on this kind of project.

Sunburst Mirrors Make Me Smile

Lately I have become drawn to sunburst mirrors.  I spot them all over.   Recently I saw a very dramatic way to use them in a group of 3 bright gold on a cobalt blue wall.  Wow what impact.

I walked around the corner in Big Daddy's Antiques and these mirrors really wowed me.
What an impact these mirrors make when used in a set of 3.  The wall color just make it even more dramatic.

Next I found a whole wall of sunburst mirrors at Fig, a restaurant in Santa Monica. 

This wall is just as dramatic but in a different way.  The height of the ceiling and the fact that the mirrors go all the way up is very eye catching.  I love the mix of so many different styles of sunburst mirrors.

When you have a collection, no matter if it is figurines or mirrors the best way to maximize the effect and make a statement is to group them all together.  If these mirrors were displayed on various walls throughout the restaurant I might not even have notcied them all. But this way you can't walk by without going...Wow! 

I am now inspired to create my own wall. I recently purchased one very pretty mirror on One Kings Lane.  I can't wait for it to arrive.  I am looking forward to going on mirror hunts at my favorite consignment and antique shoppes.  When I have a few I will crate my own wall of sunbursts and then I can add to it over time.

One Kings Lane is a really great website not to mention a fun way to shop.  You have to act quick but it has so many different items you never see the same thing twice.  Prices are great too.

Here are just a few sunburst mirrors I found on Google Image.  I cannot pick a favorite.  So what does one do when you can't decide?  Create a collection and group them together of course.  Can you pick just one?

Sunburst mirrors can be contemporary or classic.  They work anywhere and in any style.  And they always make me smile.

Big Daddy's Antiques ....A repurposing haven

One of the most exciting things I saw at Big Daddy's Antiques were objects that were once something else in another life being repurposed...or recycled as a part of something new.  It was almost like an artist's studio the way they put together lighting fixtures, accessories, tables, doors and shelves.  I did not notice it at first but when I tried to figure out the original purpose of what I was seeing I began to figure out that it was a combination in very new and different ways.  Sometimes it was a different use for something old.  There was nothing subtle, however, about this wall of candle sconces.



The dramatic effect of this wall of candles was stunning.  Can't you see this on a wall of a patio or courtyard? What about on an old ugly fence or even by an entrance way? What a great way to repurpose old metal drawers.

Another great use for old drawers or boxes is to mount them on a wall in a similar fashion but to use them as curio shelves or to stack them as a wall display.  I can visualize the inside painted in different colors to create a work of art....really the possibilities are endless.  How would you repurpose these boxes?

At another showroom in LA called Mecox Garden I spotted a mirror that made me think of another idea for an old box or drawer.

Another repurposing opportunity,  in addition to chandeliers, to which I referred in my earlier post, is lamps.

There are countless ways to turn something into a lamp and it woudl be fun to explore that a bit more.  At Big Daddy's this is one thing that was very effective....a globe lamp.  Now that I think of it it is also very practical.....you have a globe that you can hardly read and viola you turn on the lamp and you have the world right there! 



Let me ask you, is there anything that can't be turned into a lamp? 

California Designer Resources....Big Daddy's Antiques

On my recent trip to California I went on what I call and inspiration treasure hunt.  My first stop was Big Daddy's Antiques in LA. I first heard of it on one of the blogs I follow http://www.velvetandlinen.com/ .  Designer/blogger Brooke Giannetti and her husband Steve were doing a book signing there.  I could see where their Patina Style was right in line with Big Daddy's Antiques. 

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Big Daddy's is a warehouse chock full of treasures.  I would call their look Industrial Chic.  It was fascinating and inspiring.  I loved the collection of stools that must have come from old factories.  The tables had bases that had been industrial equipment with new tops.  The light fixtures were amazing.  They feature the Edison bulb.

Doors were everywhere.  Some were  French doors, with wrought iron, layered with paint and weathered by time.  Others had missing panels. Some were tall and statuesque.  I have seen antique doors used to enhance interiors in so many ways.  Of course just switching out new doors for old ones is a big statement.  Doors make great paneling or screens. You can hang art, mirrors and whatever else you like to hang on them.  Door panels can be fabulouse headboards or table tops or simply hung on the wall as a piece of art.  Just seeing the doors at Big Daddy's makes my head spin with ideas.

Big Daddy's was a bit overwhelming.  There were inspirations and treasures everywhere I looked even outside.  I am wondering where you might go on your treasure hunts.

Lars Bolander book signing with Brooke and Steve Giannetti

Last week I had the good fortune to stop by the Lars Bolander Interior Design Studio on Antiques Row in West Palm Beach Florida to attend a book signing with Steve and Brooke Giannetti for their beautiful book Patina Style. I was eager for my friend and business partner, Ellie Ciamano, to meet Steve and Brooke. I have spoken often of the wonderful look of patina style and this was a great way to show it to her.

I wrote about the book and Patina Style in my last post just after I visited their Brentwood showroom, Giannetti Home. What a coincidence that the Giannetti's would be coming to my stomping grounds so soon!

The Lars Bolander Studio was fabulous. He is a world renown designer. There were so many interesting and inspiring furnishings. I particularly loved the butterfly paintings by his daughter, incredible bleached wood lounge chairs and the large decorative umbrellas that can be used inside or out....wish I had taken a photo!

For photos of Lars Bolander studio and incredible Palm Beach home please visit Brooke Giannetti's blog, http://www.velvetandlinen.com/

Patina Style at Giannetti Home

v> Recently I had the pleasure of meeting with Brooke Giannetti of Gianetti Home and blogger extraordinaire of http://velvetandlinen.com/ I traveled to LA to attend my daughter- in- law- to- be's bridal shower but coincidentally Giannetti Home is right around the corner. So I stopped by to say hello.

I was greeted by the smiling face of Kelly, showroom manager. Even though we had only exchanged one or two emails she welcomed me with great enthusiasm. We had a chance to chat about business, blogging, on- line design services and more. I was thrilled to see all the fabulous antique and custom furnishings that were grouped in creative vignettes about the store. It was so much fun for me to see what Brooke writes about in her blog in person. The Patina Style she describes so often was right there in front of me. For those of you who might like to know exactly what that means please check out the book she and her husband, artist and architect, Steve, wrote called, not coincidentally, Patina Style.

To me "Patina" lends a sense of history and charm to a room that cannot be created with new pieces even if they are artfully distressed. Whether a few antique accessories or a room full of carefully chosen furniture, an interior in this style will never be dated!

The furniture, accessories and lighting that Brooke shows in her store are gathered from all over the world. The more rustic and worn, the more charm. To compliment that look Brooke has designed her own line of uphostery that is simple and elegant, not to mention extremely comfortable. The natural linen and canvas coverings blend seamlessly into the natural textures of the antiques.

Brooke even gave me a list of "must see" showrooms and places to go and I was eager to set out on my explorations the next day. Driving on my own in L A was daunting but I knew it would be worth it, and it certainly was.

I will be posting some of the pictures in my photo journal from my design inspiration adventures so stay tuned.