happy halloween!

happy halloween! nothing says spooky like a jack-o-lantern. this autumn, tyler's amazingly artistic brother, mike, made good use of his talent with some old fashioned pumpkin carving. upon purchasing polyurethane foam pumpkins, x-acto blades, and lamping kits, mike went to work. he whittled us boo-tiful dog portrait pumpkins in honor of our pups, tyson the boxer and sham the chocolate lab. his portrayal of their personalities is spot on and the pumpkins are reusable; made of foam and lit with simple electrical lamping kits, tyson and sham's squeezable faces will glow for many moons. trick or treat!

domicile guest suite

amanda malson and jolene ballard have created the perfect partnership. together they manage the huntington beach based firm, domicile interior design. the full service studio specializes in residential, hospitality, retail, and commercial interior design, along with dabbling in the home goods department. collectively, their glowing personalities and raw talent allow them to create spaces that reflect their clients' needs and aesthetics. this is especially clear in today's guest suite reveal. domicile transformed what was originally a lackluster, cookie cutter guest suite into a luxurious private retreat.
amanda and jolene limited the use of materials by introducing the natural beauties of unexpected warm tones, muted neutral finishes, and gold accents. the result is stunning and provides a vision of cohesion, simplicity, and pizazz. the pops of orange, ikat, and gold literally make me smile. the cherry on this domicile sundae; not only do they create drop dead interiors, but they also wear some killer shoes.

i'd like to give a big thank you to ms. amanda malson at domicile interior design for taking the time to send me photos and stories about this irvine, california renovation.

hollywood hills home

have you seen the commercial for california tourism, jam packed with stars like rob lowe, vanessa williams, and of course arnold schwarzenegger?it's a great advertisement, but if the state of california really wants visitors, they should include designs by bertram architects in their promotions. people would come running!
today's before + after highlights the extensive remodel of a one-story 1950's hollywood hills home, compliments of bertram architects. the original inelegant structure was stripped down to its studs and subjected to an extensive remodel in which virtually every exposed surface was replaced, and a new 500 square foot master suite was added. the aesthetic goal of southern california mid-century was certainly accomplished and further complemented by the smart choice of materials. with cabinetry, wall paneling, and doors in dark walnut, terrazzo and cork flooring, glass mosaic tiling, and exterior stucco in sand, the home screams california modern. it's also quite technologically savvy with solar panels, a high-efficiency heating and cooling system, low-e dual glazing, recessed motorized shades, a home audio system, and a dedicated screening room. hello hollywood hills!

i'd especially like to thank john bertram of bertram architects for taking the time to send me the goods for this before + after. i'd also like to credit his firm for taking these fabulous photos.

allison cosmos

i'm a sucker for painted furniture. it's just such a great way to be green and save some green. i still remember the day my parents gave me permission to paint my bedroom set when i was a youngin; it was better than christmas morning.
artist allison cosmos is a master at professionally repainting furniture in need. with a bachelor of fine arts degree from ringling college of art and design, allison has gained a reputation as an innovative painter with superior craft. she not only customizes furniture but also creates luxurious faux finishes, and custom murals. feast your eyes on these fabulous furniture before + afters, compliments of allison. the pieces have gone from snooze fest to wonderfully detailed french provencal and fun, flirty, feminine. i also couldn't resist posting a few of her murals. girl's got talent!

my kind of town

frank sinatra was right, chicago is my kind of town; clean, full of amazing art, and lakey. as i mentioned last wednesday, my parents, tyler, and i headed to the great state of illionis for the weekend to check out chicago and then champaign for my cousin evan's wedding. in chicago we braved the weather and hit up the hot spots; wrigley field, millennium park, the art institute museum, frank lloyd wright's home and studio, and even the underground auto impound on lower wacker (what's a trip to a new town without getting your rental car towed?).
after our stint in the city we hit the road, drove by one million corn fields, and arrived at the i center in champaign for the wedding weekend extravaganza. it was perfect. the groom was jovial, the bride was radiant, i wore a bumpit, and our family was happy to be together.

alta plaza

i had the pleasure of spending the weekend with my parents and tyler in illinois (see tomorrow's post). we chatted about anything and everything, especially before + afters. i gave them a sneak peek of j. weiss design's san francisco redo, alta plaza, and they were stunned.
jennifer weiss of j. weiss design transformed this once problematic residence into a modern, family-friendly dwelling. before jennifer stepped in, the dated space was full of awkwardly shaped rooms with angled doorways. but after waving her magic design wand and demolishing walls, the bathrooms, and the kitchen, a new improved floor plan was created to allow the space to flow smoothly. the entire home screams modern, causal, hip, and happy family; it's the quintessential renovation happy ending.

i'd especially like to thank jennifer weiss for sending me the before photos courtesy of j. weiss design and the amazing afters, courtesy of the talented laura plageman.

illinois bound

i'm amped! early tomorrow morning i'm heading to chicago with my parents and tyler. we're all chicago virgins, looking forward to devouring deep dish pizza (gluten free for me) and taking self portraits at the bean. our plans include 'swinging' by wrigley field, visiting the frank lloyd wright home and studio, and perusing the art institute of chicago museum. after our chicago overnight we are heading to champaign, illinois for my cousin evan's wedding. i surmise that on our several hour car ride through illinois in our rented dodge charger i will utter "that thing a hemi?" to my driving father approximately twelve times. on saturday we will watch evan marry his lovely illinois fiance, kathleen. i can't quite believe that we're starting to get married. it seems like just yesterday that we were showing each other what santa brought us. i'll be back on monday, locked and loaded, ready to share photos from our trip, and of course before + afters.