Wednesday, August 17, 2011

"Coffin" it up Vampire Style

Craig and Kendra are blogging together this week.
***WARNING: If you haven't seen the latest TRUE BLOOD Episode this may be a small spoiler for you.

It's no secret that I love my vampire's. Of course I am team Edward and with Craig and I having been both born and raised not that far from Forks (yes, it really is that rainy and gloomy) the whole Twilight Series was really exciting for me.

When I had the opportunity to help furnish Vampire King Bill Compton's newly remodeled lair for this season's True Blood I was literally screaming YES before I even knew what they wanted. At CRAIG OLSEN we have been so lucky to have worked on many productions and have had our furnishings chosen for so many wonderful events but this one was different as we are huge fans!

true-blood-logo

Fang Banger Productions presented such a great concept with the sleek, sexy regency feel they were trying to convey. Very Vampy! I felt our very own classic deco Mansfield Table here at CRAIG OLSEN would be perfect so we decided to clean it up and simplify the design for the entry table and finish it in a rich Mahogany stain with some high gloss. Just what you would expect from a 146 year old Vampire King-right???

I started working on this project in early November and let me tell you as a viewer, we can all attest it was painful to await the new season but as a designer I was dying to see the end result on T.V. I could not wait to point and say, "I did that!!!" (See table directly below) ;)





I have loved catching glimpses of Bill's Lair every Sunday and catch myself smiling at the handiwork. Sometimes furnishings become such an integral part of the actors scene. Sometimes the furniture becomes the star itself just like on "All in the family"-remember Archie Bunker's chair or the speaker box in Charlies Angels where Charlie would say, "Heeello Angeles"???






Charlie's Angels



The other night when I settled in to watch, imagine my pain when Jessica broke through her silver chains and clamored through the entry past our furniture knocking the beautiful entry table to the ground with a wood splintering crash! It still hurts. Truth is that's a little dramatic. I actually had 2 tables made because I was told early on one would get "fairly damaged" but I had forgotten and had to calm myself down.
Phew! So, if you haven't seen the furniture or missed the entry no worries, the "stand in" will hopefully be in place next Sunday and you can see our beautiful CRAIG OLSEN work again!




Uh Jessica, you knocked our table over!!!



We just received a very nice thank you card from the lovely Set Decorating Department. Really we should Thank YOU True Blood from 2 of your greatest fans!