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!

Pillows by Gregory Keith

This week we are elated to introduce to you our Guest Blogger Angelino Gregory Keith.

Gregory is not only an amazing photographer but has recently started his very own successful pillow line. I love to see his new collections and hear what his inspiration was behind it. It is always a great story and I am sure you will find him as talented as we do here at CRAIG OLSEN.

We feel very lucky to have some of his fabulous collections on display in our showroom on La Brea. Please come in and check out the beautiful handiwork of Gregory or simply go to his website and get inspired! Be sure and always check back because a creative type like Gregory is always working on the next thing!

http://www.gregorykeithworld.com/

Enjoy!

Gregory Keith:

A trip, an experience, or family and friends inspire all of the pillows I design.  My recent trip to Zihuantanejo, Mexico was the latest inspiration for my vignette of pillows, appropriately called Zihuantanejo.

When traveling I usually take hundreds of pictures, and when I get home I see what I was inspired by.  For this collection the markets in the town center of Zihuantanejo caught my eye.

The colors were so rich and there were so many textures, that it was naturally a source for inspiration.  When I came back home I immediately went shopping for fabrics.  My fabrics are vintage and rare, so I have to find really unique textiles that represent my inspiration. 

For this collection I traveled to Britex Fabric in San Francisco, and found amazing fabrics!

After buying all of my fabric I lay it out and then try to make a cohesive vignette.  This can sometimes be a challenge, but in this case it was not!  I think the result is awesome, and this is definitely one of my favorites vignettes to date.

Introducing the Playa La Ropa Collection!

Thank you Gregory!

Pssst... A little insider news I heard is that Gregory may run a promotion soon so keep checking his sight and take advantage. Since his textiles are mostly one of a kind vintage finds-if you snooze- you WILL lose!!!

http://www.craig-olsen.com/

323-677-2111 CRAIG OLSEN showroom on La Brea

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!

Hollywood NOIR is the NEW REGENCY

Being the "style maker" that I am (I know my sister Kendra is rolling her eyes at this one!) I'm going to break down the difference between HOLLYWOOD NOIR and HOLLYWOOD REGENCY.  


If you haven't hear of the HOLLYWOOD NOIR design style, then I'm coining it as my re-discovery, I'm brining NOIR back! (calm down everyone...I know, I am excited too..;)


The Regency look started with William Haines in the later 1940s, while Noir pre-dates it by a decade or two.

HOLLYWOOD REGENCY

Both looks are an attempt to recapture Retro Hollywood but the styles couldn’t be more different.

HOLLYWOOD NOIR

Well known designer Kelly Wearstler reprised the Hollywood Regency Style a decade ago.  Remember the belted, full-skirted mom look, lots of chintz and hominess.

The colors are techno-brilliant with sunflower gold, powder blues, greens and that unfortunate shade I like to call Pepto Bismol pink.  It’s definitely eye-popping with low modern furniture, all buttoned-down with Asian chinoiserie and painted furniture.

Personally, I think the look is TELEVISION vs. the GOLDEN SCREEN. 


Backing up to the Hollywood Noir look of the 20's and 30's is like stepping into a richer and much more sophisticated era.

Think of that pale silhouetted glamour girl in her emerald satin gown descending the staircase into the gentlemen’s club.

The lighting is moody; the colors are crimson, sapphire, with lots of high gloss  glamour. It is unapologetically opulent.

You can bring the dramatic expressiveness of this legendary era into your home by seeking out the sumptuous furnishings of the period. Pair them with good vintage lamps and gleaming polished wood.

Draw the eye to classic movie posters featuring movie idols such as Edward G. Robinson, Humphrey Bogart or Joan Bennett. 


The search for the right furniture and accessories will lead you to some unique collections.  Don’t get frustrated if you're not able to find the NOIR look at your regular shopping spots.  Check out estate sales and auction houses, or drop into our showroom and find pieces to add a little NOIR style to your home!

Adding fur blankets, pillows or possibly if you're daring enough, a Sheepskin Pouf in grey in the right setting will create a fabulous NOIR appeal.

Any kind of Hollywood lighting, theatrical or cinematic will give the NOIR appeal.

Don't be afraid of sapphire blue and emerald green!  A modern fabric on an old french chair paired with a contemporary rug can give NOIR decadence.

Putting it all together can give you pure HOLLYWOOD NOIR STYLE!

Come into the CRAIG OLSEN design showroom to further your education and STAY TUNED FOR MY NEXT BLOG, in which I will invite you into MY OWN BEDROOM (get your mind out of the gutter;) and show you how to update your style with a few subtle changes to your personal space that will make all the difference in the world! 


CRAIG OLSEN, INC
130 N La Brea Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036


323.677.2111

Not Everything That Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas!!

Kendra’s Blogging this week!

As an interior designer, my  favorite time of year is the International Furniture Show held at the extravagant World Market Center.  This is when designers and shop owners from all over the world travel  to Las Vegas to see what is hot and new in Home Furnishings.    

   WORLD MARKET CENTER-LAS VEGAS, NV.

Okay, okay so it helps it is in Las Vegas,  home of the jackpot party slot machine where you can put in a penny and leave with $900 (I was once so lucky!!!) or put in $900 and leave with a penny (no comment).

          This must have been a good run….

This is a trip my brother and design partner Craig and I make every year. Once we plan our trip and arrive in Vegas we instantly consume the desert air and the excitement of the sparkly city. We make our way to the hotel where we check in and vow to be in bed by 10pm so we can get up bright and early to make the best use of our day at the show. After a small donation to the hotel casino and one cocktail for good measure I make my way to my room and will myself to sleep. I seriously feel like a kid at Christmas, with anticipation of all the new furniture I will soon feast my eyes upon. I am sure somewhere Sarah Jessica Parker is willing herself to sleep in much the same manner in anticipation of Dior’s winter runway show.

The next day we are up and out!! With 3 buildings and 14 floors to each building we have to keep it moving to see it all, and I MUST see it all! Every year we find that gem, that new thing, that must have for our front window and this year was no different. Check out our find below.  We both agreed this fantastic piece of furniture was coming to Los Angeles where it would live at the CRAIG OLSEN showroom on La Brea.

Meet the Bergman sofa below in supple dove grey leather (with many custom leathers to choose from) shown in 3 ways:

Shown here as a 3 cushion 90” long Sofa. This sofa can work in so many different settings from Industrial to Classic.

Shown here as 3 chairs all in one!! Perfect for a family with kids where mom and dad are sick of hearing, “Moooom, her leg is touching my leg, her arm is touching my arm, she won’t scoot over!!!” As a mother, I have heard this sentence in every language possible!

               

Shown here as a small settee and a chair. Can’t you see this in a waiting room or an office?

Isn’t it fabulous?!  This sofa is so smart it can make itself a sofa, 3 chairs or a small settee with chair all in the flip of a small cushion, therefore making it the perfect piece for an office, a TV room, a formal living room, and with its masculine angles I can even see it in a man cave!

    To purchase one of these gems contact the CRAIG OLSEN showroom at 130 N. La Brea in Los Angeles or visit our website at http://www.craig-olsen.com/

 Stay tuned for the next blog which will be about Craig and Kendra's LIST of WHAT'S HOT and WHAT'S NOT in design today!

Lighting Up Drai's - Hollywood and Vegas!

Aside from creating beautiful residential interiors, we at CRAIG OLSEN also pride ourselves in the many posh commercial spaces we've designed over the years.  When working on a nightclub nobody does it better than my friend Victor Drai. 

I recently had the pleasure of creating custom lamps for the exclusive Drai's Nightclub at the W Hotel in Hollywood and the newly re-modeled Drai's Afterhours Club in Vegas.


The challenge was to design and produce a bulk order of custom lamps from the ground up in a very short time frame.  Creating such a piece requires working with several skilled craftsman as well as Victor to turn a vision into a reality!

The first step in the process is sketching the vision and reviewing it with the client.  After a vision is agreed upon, a sample is produced and presented. The design concept was a wood turned base with an antique gold leafed finish which would later be electrified by another party (as shown in the photo below.) 

A beautiful lamp base requires an equally stunning shade!  In this case, a red silk shade was designed and brought to life to compliment the shape of the antique gold leafed base.

Since every shade needs a harp to prop itself on, custom harps and hardware were also created.  I then consulted another skilled craftsman to produce acrylic diffusers to be fitted on top and bottom of the shade to create illumination fit for Hollywood and Vegas' hottest clubs!

Last but not least, my Girl Saturday (my mom Pat) assists me in carefully wrapping each lamp to be shipped away...and my work is complete:)

You too can have one of these beautiful custom lamps in your own home! Stop by our showroom on La Brea or give us a call to place an order. Different shade colors and finishes are also available!


Craig-Olsen
130 N La Brea Ave
Los Angeles, CA  90036


323.677.2111