Fabrics Galore: Organizing the CRAIG OLSEN Library

Organization is key - in any business, in any household, in any anything. And we usually are VERY organized - but it's that funny thing that happens when too many artists "live" and "work" under one roof (showroom) - things are bound to go haywire. So we spent today going through all of the fabrics that we have acquired over the years. Every piece you see carries deep significance to us here - they are all equally important to us. Some denote specific trends, some represent complete design statements, some compliment other pieces we have in our space, etc.


We usually put the company of where the fabric came from and roughly how much of it we have - so that's already organized. We just had them all over and in mountains...



Lately, we have been working a lot with pink, as our clients are asking for it more and more, so we put together some of our favorite textiles on our inspirational wall. Because let's be honest...it's all about the inspiration in life...or at least...it is for us.






Oh, the deal on all those little tags is...we acquire tons of remnants over the year so in order to know what I have I like to put them up on these tags-it helps my mind be organized and I usually will put the company of where the fabrics come from and roughly how much of it I have. I use these little bits and pieces for pillows, piping for a fun little chair etc etc.

Pillowcases with Personality...J'adore!

These pillowcases are 100% cotton and are manufactured through companies that emphasize environmentally friendly processes, fair wages, healthy working environments, gender equality and the development of self- sustaining communities. Everything that is important at CRAIG OLSEN. A set of 2 retail for $98. They make great gifts - they're too cute to pass up! Who doesn't see themselves as King or Queen? They're also perfect for your own home or guest room.

"Sleeps with dogs" is our personal favorite. Everyone that purchases these from us slyly pushes the neatly enveloped pillows towards us and kinda looks down almost with shame and embarrassement that they allow their furry children to take up space in their bed - if they only knew how much we all do the same thing! Too funny!

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!

It's as easy as A-B-C!

This week Kendra is blogging about Vintage Industrial Letters.

Lately Vintage wall letters have been making their way off the old dilapidated buildings and into our homes. Who would of thought that I would have a partially rusty, chipped K hanging in my home? I do, and I love it!!

This K proudly hangs in my son’s bedroom. It is 30” tall so it holds a huge presence. I love the sharpness of the red against the blue and the unexpected marriage of these 2 colors.

Putting initials up on a wall or spelling out a name is not a new concept. I like to think of these industrial letters as the natural evolution to the wood version. Take a drive around your city.  Many old buildings will have owners that have no use for these “scraps”.  Which probably means you can get it for free, or simply visit the CRAIG OLSEN showroom on La Brea and pick your favorite letter fresh off the wall! 

This one still has part of the building on it as well as old glue, a penciled in number (probably to tell it's place on the marquee line up) as well as an electric company sticker.

Recently at the CRAIG OLSEN showroom we had an opportunity to buy up a load of these huge letters, which came from an old Motel. My guess is they were born in the 50’s.

Originally we thought we would take them and powder coat them giving them color to last them another 50 years but once we saw them we fell in love with their character.  

Beat up and in the raw, bent a little and sagging in certain area’s these definitely have seen better days but really, haven’t we all?  

Up they went!

Not exactly the order they originally hung in but I can spy my middle name, which was an artistic accident by Craig and wasn’t noticed until a day later. Craig’s assistant wanted him to spell a word but Craig wanted to use his imagination via a collage of letters. I challenge you to find a word.

Me next to KAY