The 12 Days of Christmas...Designer Style.

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my designer did for me...

12 gifts for under your tree......

Merry Christmas from everyone at CRAIG OLSEN. 

On the eleventh day of Christmas, my designer did for me...

Vintage wall letters!

There are so many fun things you can do with these letters...you can stack them, place them all over a wall or two, or use them to spell something meaningful in your life: Family name, the names of your children, the city where you live...the list is endless!

Get Creative! These are a guaranteed conversation starter for any guest to your home.

Call the CRAIG OLSEN showroom to order your letters or to get a quote! 323-677-2111

On the tenth day of Christmas, my designer did for me...

Drapery Panels

Custom is always the way to go with window treatments. Of course you can buy them for a fraction of the price "out of the bag" but they just never quite look right or hang right. It's important never to ignore the windows! Roman panels with an overlay of drapery panels fill the space and make the room feel well dressed and warm.

Something creative to try - take an existing nook in your home -have a setee or seating bench custom made to fit into the niche perfectly then have some custom drapery panels made to help create an intimate space.

On the ninth day of Christmas, my designer did for me...

Coffee Table Books

Books are very important as they are a subltle way of sharing your interests with your guests, and are usually great conversation starters. From Fashion to Home decor, from pets to sports - the coffee table books are a must!

On the eighth day of Christmas, my designer did for me...

A variety of 8 new fabulous pillows- silkscreened and available in ranges from 16" to 22"

These beautiful pillows are eco friendly and made with water based ink on 100% unbleached cotton canvas.  Finished all raw edges with a professional overlocked edge with a matching colored hidden invisible zipper at the bottom end so the cover can easily be removed for washing. To wash, just unzip, remove cover, turn inside out, and wash with like colors and air dry and iron. All fabrics are pre-washed before sewing to prevent any shrinkage during washes. These pillows are constructed to be well made, durable and practical.


Call the CRAIG OLSEN showroom to order your pillows! 323-677-2111


On the seventh day of Christmas, my designer did for me...

A set of fine bone china collection - bottles and jars - to accent your living space with a touch of clean, useful art.

On the sixth day of Christmas, my designer did for me...

Monolpoly tokens for coffee table or bookshelf display. Perfect gift for the gamer in your life.....

Automobile  4.75" high x 3.75" wide x 10" deep

Dog 6" high x  9" wide

Hat 3.5" high x 8.5" wide x 7.5" deep

Iron 4.25" high x 7.25" wide x 4.75" deep

7.5" high x 12.5" wide x 4" deep

Thimble 6.25" high x 4" diameter

All are made of pewter/cast iron.

Call the CRAIG OLSEN showroom to order your Monopoly Pieces! 323-677-2111

On the fifth day of Christmas, my designer did for me...

Lighting.

Vintage McCallister movie light. For side table in corner. We love layering up lighting and nothing is cooler than our collection of Vintage MsCallister movie lighting from the 20's, 30's, 40's and 50's currently residing in the Craig Olsen showroom waiting to get back in action in your home!

Miramar table lamps: for each end table next to the sofa.

Miramar lamps are stunning with the tint of blue in the glass and a metallic bronze pillar style base.

Cadillac floor lamp for next to corner chair:

Fronting a mile-long curved and polished hood. Nestled between sculpted wheel fenders while framing a huge chrome radiator. Bronze Art Deco accents.... A combination of polished aluminum and brass brings home 1930s style, perfection and craftsmanship. Check out its details, its imposing size, and the tall ebonized tripod complete with a travel compass dating back to the Mille-Miglia of the 1920s!

Star pendant

This is a Antique Mirrored Moravian Glass Star Light gives interest to any space. Because it is mirrored it only escapes just a touch a light leaving the room with a feel of soft ambiance. We sell this star in many options from clear glass to frosted to antique mirror as shown here. The star also comes in different sizes and has different finishes on the frame. The star shown here has a bronze finished frame.

On the fourth day of Christmas, my designer did for me...

Four Coffee Tables.

Drafters coffee table. Glass top with industrial metal base with hardware that will allow the coffee table to actually tilt at an angel to allow for you to work from your coffee table.

Milano silver table. For next to the corner chair. Silver metal 15x15x18" tall - available on quick ship.

A pair of Jaden side tables. Iron base with an organic recycled wood top 20x20x26. Quick ship or pick up in showroom. This rough top becomes very interesting when placed next to waxed leather. 2 for each side of your sofa.

Call the CRAIG OLSEN showroom to order your tables at 323-677-2111

On the third day of Christmas, my designer did for me...

Three comfortable sitting chairs

These chairs are perfect to flank your sofa or accent a sitting room.

THE Sherman Chair

26” x 29” x 32” High

http://stores.homestead.com/hstrial-COlsen4/-strse-379/Sherman-Chair/Detail.bok

On the second day of Christmas, my designer did for me...

Two layered rugs.

Have fun with your space! It's always interesting to layer textures and step out of the box a bit. We love the natural organic marriage of animal hide and wovens together.

On the first day of Christmas, my designer did for me...

1 leather sofa.

Available in 79" or 55" -custom leather available.

Inspired by the clean, classic look of architect Mies Van der Rohe's Barcelona chair, the Picasso Sofa complements any room by walking the fine balance between graceful simplicity and world-class elegance.

**Also available in a chair version with ottoman.

Call the CRAIG OLSEN showroom to order your Picassa Sofa 323-677-2111

MAG RAGS FOR THE HOME!

***Kendra is blogging this week about her favorite online design magazines!!

One of my new fav pastimes is reading and browsing through online magazines. Living in Los Angeles I must drive past at least 4 newsstands a day but do I ever really wanna pull my big suburban out of the flow of traffic and stop? Do I have time? Is there ever a parking spot right in front to fit said ridiculously large vehicle? No, No, and of course not!

I thought I would share with you all some of my top picks:

#1 for me is High Gloss!
 Of course the name drew me in first and foremost but I do love the mix of furniture and fashion and the latest Issue is all about L.A.! Yay!

http://www.highglossmagazine.com/issues

Coming in at a VERY close 2^nd and fairly new to the online mag game is Ivy and Piper.
Funny enough Ivy and Piper actually remind me of myself and Craig. We both have a very different design style that when put together is also very cohesive and I gotta say produces some fab results!

 http://www.ivyandpiper.com.au/

#3 is Adore Home!
This is Australia’s 1^st online home magazine and lemme tell ya, those Aussie’s really know their stuff! Check out their Urban Road page where they show you all kinds of cool canvas art prints.
Oh, P.S. You can get this look by stretching a really cool textile over a canvas for instant room va-voom!



http://www.adoremagazine.com/

Rue is great because it covers interiors, fashion, great shopping places, outdoor design, food, awesome giveaways and great stuff to download from do it yourself invitation that are way cute or playlists.

http://www.ruemag.com/

Last but quite obviously not least is Lonny! Check her out!

http://www.lonnymag.com/issues/31-sept-oct-2011/pages/1

Go ahead- waste a few creative hours!!!

"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!

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"???

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!

Like Nail Polish For The Walls

This week Kendra is back blogging about her love affair with wallpaper!

I love wallpaper. Ever since I was a little girl I was drawn to wallpaper. Thankfully it was very easy for Craig and I to talk Mama Pat into re-papering any wall in our home on a whim.

When I talk wallpaper to clients their eyes get all big and they look at me like I have 3 eyes. I see their minds take them through a time warp straight to grandma’s kitchen with cabbage rose papered walls with that matching border.  They definitely are not feelin’ the paper love…at first that is.

Is this where your mind takes you?

Today there are so many great patterns whether your taste is subtle with just texture, a tone on tone pattern or a making a bold statement-there is a paper out there for you.

Here is a basic grass cloth shown in a natural way and then my way (bold with pattern of course!)

I use wallpapers in almost every design project. In fact, wallpaper is usually my starting point. I find that great pattern and build my design from there. Often I will have to explain wallpaper to my client and pull them out of their grandmother’s kitchen but I have never had a client not love the outcome.  I would suggest using wallpaper sparingly- it is not for every wall in your home.

HERE ARE SOME OF MY FAV'S:

Modern wallpaper designs by De Joode design have this amazing rythmic repition of Ladies and Gentlemen but it isn't something you discover until you are up close!

This tree paper comes in many colors from a cream tone on tone to black as shown

Moorish prints always grab my attention

A Parisian Toile? Without the jetlag? I think so!

HERE ARE SOME OF CRAIG'S FAV'S:

Elysian Fields Bat paper in Cobalt Blue

Butterfly Jubilee

If you look closely Ms. Ward is being transported by various insects

Woosdtock had nothing on this!

Recently Craig and I used this great paper on an episode of HGTV’s Room Crashers. We applied the paper horizontally instead of vertically (as intended and as shown below) for a fresh look.  

Check out our episode in the link below. Notice how the homeowner comments on the loving the paper over and over and over …….keep in mind we were “ghost designers” so you won’t see us (only quickly in the background if you really pay attention)and our design (and words) were placed into the hosts hands but this was OUR brainchild NOT his.

http://www.hgtv.com/video/modern-beach-cottage-video/index.html

This fish paper was used in a client’s powder room- she was NOT afraid of paper!

In design a large portion of our job is to educate the client and show them how to make their space their own. When you walk into your home you should look at your furnishings as a reflection of yourself. It should make you smile. It should make you happy. Yes, furniture must be functional but it should also be an extension of your personality. It’s like fashion. We have items we wear that we love for comfort and also items we wear because it’s our personal style. Jewelry has great meaning. Our old high school sweatshirt is comfy and takes us back in a good way.

So get comfy, get colorful and love your walls!