Huh? Designs

Huh? Home Tour - Dining Delight

2011-12-16T09:31:00.000-08:00

Day #5 of the Huh? Home Tour - Dining Room Delight

I love travelling and experiencing the different cultures, the people, the food - and the design! I used to have a very modern aesthetic. I still do. But I've also learned that it's more interesting when you pair that with Old World charm for an eclectic look.

After our trip to Italy many years ago, I was so inspired by the...everything! I love how meals are not meant just for nourishment of the body, but of the soul as well. People gather for dinner late, usually around 10:30 or 11:00, and you almost never see single people or couples - it's always big, boisterous groups of people, enjoying the food and each other's company. This large table I got and refinished reminds me of those large groups in Tuscany.

I love the substantial feet and simplicity of design on this set. It's solid, sturdy and modern while still feeling old school.

The dark green color on the walls envelops you and creates a cozy dining experience while the softness and sparkle of the curtains keep the room from being too masculine. And the chandelier reminds me of another fun place to visit - New Orleans.

The piece in the far corner is a remake from old Moroccan doors. Again, adding a bit of that world traveller feel. Can't wait until I get to go there!

This piece, my wine cabinet, is actually from Pier One but complements the Moroccan piece quite nicely. And the fun print of the Italian chef pulls all the colors together and just adds a touch of whimsy.

Tomorrow I'll show you how I made my small powder room pop using rich colors and materials.

Huh? Hot House Home Tour - Kitchen Redo You Do

2011-12-15T12:57:00.001-08:00

Part 4 of the Huh? Home Tour - this time let's see how to transform a kitchen with just a little effort and a little bit of cash.

This kitchen used to have white tile floors, white tile countertops, white tile backsplash and the builder-grade golden oak cabinets with the florescent lighting. Not very cookable but you ALL know what I'm talking about, right?

Out went the flooring, in went new tile, just $1/sqft from Home Depot to hide the dirt and add some warmth. But if I used that tile throughout it would've been boring. So I added a small slate border and center medallion in the kitchen to mimic the ceiling light treatment (below).

Then out with the golden oak and instead of replacing all the cabinets, since they were in good condition, I simply painted them (total of around $80 in paint and another $150 or so for the pulls)! Starting with a light sanding to rough up the surface, I then primed and painted a base in chestnut brown. Once dry, I dry-brushed black over the brown to create a modern striated affect, and finally finished them off with a high-gloss polyurethane (floor grade for durability). With the addition of some stainless steel handles, they're suddenly modern and upgraded.

The florescent ceiling was torn out and replaced by this criss-cross cable lighting (around $150 from Ikea). I simply painted the inset black and trimmed it out with molding (about $20). Since I already had the junction box from the florescent lighting, that's where my transformer went for my cable lights. The rest is, well you get it...

The backsplash (around $400 for materials) was torn out and replaced with these metallic painted porcelain tiles. Again, to create interest, I added in 2" pyramid tiles as accents. My stove hood was actually an afterthought about 2 years after the original kitchen renovation. I tore out the cabinets that were above my stove and continued the backsplash tile all the way up to the ceiling (I still had leftovers from the original job), then took those cabinets and fronted them to the cabinets over the refrigerator so they now go all the way out to the front of the fridge rather than being back-set and hard to reach. Plus I have a ton more storage there! Back to the stove, I got this hood at Ikea in their As-Is section, still in the box and only for $150. It was easy to hang and makes such a statement!

Over the peninsula, I added these fun and funky (I like funky) pendant lights (around $200). The old tile countertop was torn out (that's a hard job, trust me!) and the only thing I had professionally installed was the beautiful new granite countertop (around $3,500). Again, with flecks of metallic to bring the shine.

Finally, I added in a new sprayer over the sink ($80 online), and topped it off with a fun little art piece.

Although this kitchen went from light cabinets and white tile to dark countertops and dark cabinets - it feels bigger and more welcoming, not closed off. Why? Because of the reflectivity and richness of the materials. The reflection off the metallic backsplash and countertop and glossy cabinets allows the light to bounce around really warming up the space. Don't be afraid to go dark in a room, just pay attention to the materials used and if you want it still to be light-friendly, go with reflective materials. By the way, this entire kitchen renovation, including new stainless steel appliances was done for under $10,000!

Tomorrow we'll look at the dining room to see how worldly travel can be brought home and experienced daily. Till then...

Huh? Home Tour: Reuse in the Living Room

2011-12-13T09:36:00.001-08:00

Day #3 of the Huh? Home Tour and this time we're checking out reused materials in the living room.

As a whole, this room looks fresh from the showroom. But take a closer look and you'll notice lots of reuse going on. First, the shadow wall art is comprised of scrap wood and wire hangers, better as art than landfill. The coffee table is a compilation of left over tile and wood from a kitchen remodel.

The fabric on this chaise lounge was deteriorating due to sun damage. Rather than tossing it and starting fresh, I recovered the side and back with a contrasting fabric breathing new life into an old piece. And the black and white pillow is an old pillow with a cover on it.

After I put in my new wood floors (yes, that part was new). I had left over wood. The painting over my fireplace had always seemed to me like it was just floating there and I really wanted to ground it. So I ripped smaller pieces of left-over flooring and hung them on the wall to create a backdrop for my painting.

The cabinet on this wall was an old Ikea cabinet that I turned on it's side and added legs and new doors (from scrap wood) to create a media cabinet. I now have a new fresh take on a box store buy.

The mirror on the wall was actually fabricated from left-over plywood and a cut-down mirror, removed from a bathroom.

Sadly, my kitty passed last week, but this was her own private place when she wanted to get away from the crazy humans. The small space underneath the stairs was a quiet retreat for her and the entrance, again, made from left over scrap wood.

Tomorrow we'll see how to renovate a kitchen for big impact on a small budget.

How to spice up a hallway

2011-12-12T10:39:00.000-08:00

Huh? Home Tour: Part #2

Hallways and staircases are just spaces you pass through, right? Not necessarily. Why waste that space when you can make it uniquely yours. And that's exactly what I did in my home. Welcome to part 2 of the Huh? home tour.

A big empty wall doesn't have to be just that. I created custom-wall ledges to hold a mix of family photos tied together by consistent black frames. The bottom few shelves are low enough to put books on for my kids (facing out so they'll read them. I rotate them every few weeks).

This sofa was actually a trash find! When I found it, it was covered in bright yellow and white pleather and all ripped up, but I loved the shape. Some retro fabric and one recover later and it's a perfect place for the boys to hang out on and read a book or watch TV.

The staircase carries along my love of color. I created this window inset after visiting Spain and falling in love with Gaudi and all his wild colors and shapes. The center is a street-artist rendering of Picasso in gel paints which allows the light to shine through. The sconce, also a second-hand thrift find, was painted to match and provide a bit of pop!

With my husband being from New Orleans, we have local artist paintings covering our stairwell along with some prints from Paris in the small black frames on the right. It's always nice to be reminded of our travels (not that we go THAT many places), but I always am longing for the next adventure - and to add to my collection!

Tomorrow's feature: Family Room Recycle with lots of reuse items. Gotta love reuse design!

Huh? Home Tour

2011-12-11T12:51:00.001-08:00

I thought I'd do a new series and give you all a home tour of Huh? Today I'll feature my home office design.

With little space available and two home workers, each area is utilized fully. The center of the room holds the infamous in-box while trash is nestled nicely underneath.

My custom Huh?-designed desk has a large surface area to work on. Plus, it has a single just-as-large drawer which is great to hold all my oversize drawings.

Behind me is a bookshelf that houses all my design magazines and office supplies. Next to me is my press wall to inspire me and help me remember, what I do matters.

My husband works from home as well, so his desk in in this space and, since I'm a giver, I allow him to display his sports mementos on top of the bookshelf.

Tomorrow: we'll travel down the hall and downstairs.

The urge of design is calling me, but the money of corporate world is too!

2011-02-28T20:53:00.000-08:00

So one of my pieces is supposed to be featured in the March/April issue of LA Confidential Magazine. Here we go again, the press wagon comes out and gets me all amped about furniture design and interior design and I want to just drop everything and run back to it. But then there's that damn inconsistent paycheck! Yeah, I'm back in the wacky world of advertising and it's interesting, but it's methodical. It's left-brained and it's just not design! I mean, it's about designing ads, but I don't even get to do that - I'm a project manager which is cool, but I need to let the creative juices out again.

We had a pipe leak a month ago in the family room which sucked, but it allowed me to use my design skills to make lemonade out of lemons. I actually was able to paint the wall we had to remove and rebuild, install a new tiger wood floor in place of water-soaked carpet and make a few upgrades. Check it out. What should I be doing? Design or business? Or both?! Oh, the struggles...

Have you ever used a 2-sided interior/exterior fireplace?

2010-08-05T13:19:00.000-07:00

Proposed Family Room Design With Dual-Sided Fireplace

Proposed Exterior Design

Current Family Room - Fireplace in Corner

So, I'm designing a family room and one of the ideas was to use a two-sided fireplace, but rather than have it room to room - we're going to use it for the family room on the inside and to heat the patio on the outside. I've done a lot of research on this and it's actually a window-rated product. It's gas fueled and the glass stays sealed, so there's no concerns with safety, and it's clean.

My clients wanted to be sure that their view to the backyard wasn't obstructed by moving the fireplace from the corner to the center of the back wall, so I gave them French doors on either side of the new fireplace. Still in the design phase, but if we move forward on this, it's going to be very cool!

Huh? Designs Featured on Bessey Tools Website

2010-08-03T10:19:00.000-07:00

Bessey Tools, makers of probably the best clamps out there for woodworking, have decided to feature some of my work on their website - check it out. I entered a cabinet-making contest a while back, and although I didn't win that, they were so impressed with my work that they decided to feature it along with some other key notables.

I'm leading dual-lives right now - working in advertising (a girl has to make a living) and continuing my woodworking passion on the side. I hope to find a way to make my two lives intersect again soon. I was quite inspired today by an old friend/boss of mine who left his corporate job to start something that fed his passion - he started a wine company, Worthwhile Wine, that focuses on triple bottom line business - profits, people and planet. I love that. I WILL find an art-based equivalent that meets this high standard!

Work All Day, Design All Night

2010-07-14T16:26:00.000-07:00

Given the lovely economy, I've taken a freelance job in my old profession - advertising. It's just like riding a bike... But I'm still lovin' design and actually just picked up another interior design project. This time it's a family room remodel where I'm going to get to design a double-sided fireplace for inside/outside, move some doors and walls and window - oh my! I can't wait to show you what I'm starting with and ultimately, what we end up with. This time, however, I won't be doing any of the construction or applications - I'll have to leave that up to the GC :-(

Stay tuned for before photos and design concepts soon!

Beaten Up Bathroom... No More!

2010-07-07T09:03:00.000-07:00

This bathroom was beige, beige, beige and well.... a bit boring. Bring in some dramatic black tile with a brushed pattern and some blue and tan glass mosaic tile accents and this room was transformed from blah to ooh-ahh! More photos to come.

Small Bathroom Design Advice

2010-06-29T16:31:00.000-07:00

Huh? Whaddya know? About.com just published my design advice on small bathrooms. The funny thing is that I recommend against ripping out cabinets and replacing with a pedestal sink since you loose all that storage space, and rather use a floating countertop with a few shelves to lift the visual weight up and off the floor. But what did the other designers recommend? A pedestal sink! Go figure. That's so 90s - there are SO MANY other great options out there now! Well, if you'd like to take a look at the article and get some tips for your bathroom - please do!

Time for new flooring!

2010-06-02T14:28:00.000-07:00

Carpet Before

Hardwood Flooring Going In

Time to go from the old, dirty and stained carpet to new carpet and new flooring. Here's a sneak peak. I've done a lot of work on this client's house (Luxe Living Room, Mad Mod Family Room, Architecturally Inspired Foyer, Art Deco Bedroom and the Crisp and Clean Kitchen). I now get to top it off (or really - lift it up) with the new flooring that's going in. Engineered hardwood will be used for the upstairs living area with carpeting in the bedrooms and family room. More photos to come!

All Cracked Up!

2010-05-14T15:04:00.001-07:00

Who EVER was the meanie that decided crackle finish would be cool? I have a client and I'm trying to update his built-in which was COMPLETELY painted in crackle paint. The problem is, I've tried sanding it down - I swear this stuff was made out of partial titanium - and even after sanding a door and priming - the crackle still shows through. This is the result (above) of sanding, primer and paint over the crackle. Sheesh. I'm actually working on something in a brown that looks like leather - could turn out to be cool. But in the meantime, I'm cracking up - big time!

Corner Component Cabinet - almost done

2010-05-07T13:06:00.001-07:00

As a follow up to my blog dated April 30th, here's the progress of the corner component cabinet. The client hung a plasma TV over the fireplace and needed somewhere to put all the stuff for the TV as well as add'l seating. Solution - a Huh?-designed piece. It still needs cushions and the swivel table top is yet to be set - just sitting for placement in this photo. But as soon as it's done, I'll show you the finished result and perhaps you can get an idea on what to do with all the components that come with your TV! Better yet, perhaps you'll give me a call or email and ask me to design one for you!

Final Photos of the Zebrawood Piece

2010-05-01T12:25:00.000-07:00

It's done! It was actually done about a month ago, but I forgot to post photos of the cool Zebrawood console table, buffet or whatever you want to call it. This may just be my favorite furniture design to date! Funky furniture, cool wood and lots of fun!

Component Cabinet Design

2010-04-30T15:19:00.001-07:00

So, I've designed this component cabinet to hold a client's TV components. They just got a new plasma TV mounted over their fireplace and now need a place to put all the 'stuff' that comes with a TV these days. But, they had several requests:

They would like it to hold their components - uh, ok.
They would also like additional storage to keep other items closeby but out of site. Gotcha.
They wanted it to double as additional seating for the family room. Check.
They want an occasional desktop area so that they can work on their laptop in front of the TV occassionally. Okey dokey.
My request - that it looks cool, has a modern slant, is functional and uses a variety of dimensional veneers for color and texture. Yeah baby.

You can see all the requests in the design. I just finished my final coat of wipe-on poly (that's right - love that stuff!) and then once it cures, I'll have to put the doors on and shelves in, build the desk-top, get custom cushions made for the top, then deliver and assemble. I'll keep you updated on how it's turning out. Just need the client to select a fabric.....

I'm WILD for Zebrawood!

2010-04-07T16:53:00.000-07:00

Ok, I don't even know what to say about it, I'm soooo crazy for Zebrawood. However, it's expensive as hell! But that's good, because it should be used in limited quantities. I'm working with a designer friend of mine and she needed a custom piece designed for a home she's doing. She wanted a buffet that was unique. Check. She wanted something that would fit into the room and be a focal point. Check. I wanted something funky, a showpiece and something unique that I haven't done before. BIG CHECK! I used 2" stock for the legs, ripped them down to 2x2 and then freehand drew the slants and cut them out with my jigsaw. I then tapered the bottoms of the legs on the front and back as well for an elegant effect. All that's left to do is to poly the entire thing about 3 times, add the handles and then finish it off with upholstery tacks along the outside edge of the top. This is gonna be one of my cooler pieces I think. Can't wait to show you when it's all done!

Re-Rehabbing the Palos Verdes House for SALE!

2010-03-19T14:58:00.001-07:00

Back at the house in Palos Verdes. When we first bought it two years ago to 'fix and flip' we had NO idea (as did the rest of the country) about the type of crazy recession we were about to enter. So we cash-flowed it for a few years and filled it with tennants. Now is the time to get this puppy back on the market. I went up today with a friend who is also a designer and she helped me start to stage it. Here's a few sneak peaks. I'll be up more over the next few weeks to really fill it out. Can't wait to show it to you when it's done and ready for the world to see. Here's to hoping it moves quickly! This place rocks!

Filmed an Infomercial for Milwaukee Tools Yesterday

2010-02-25T13:18:00.000-08:00

So yesterday I got to film an infomercial for Milwaukee Tools. I was able to demo their new 12v compact impact driver. Must say, I really do like it. Not only is it small and light and fits easily in my hand, but this baby has power! And one of the things that happens to me all the time when building furniture is that inevitably, my screws get stripped. Well, so far, so good. The bits for this are tempered steel I think and they drive a screw in soooo quickly. Plus, when I was installing my C3 cabinet, it was easy to get into the dark corners cuz this puppy has a light. It's my newest toy. I think I'll be going back to do an on-air testimonial of my experience working with it, but in the meantime, just wanted to tell you all about it. Quite cool!

C3: the Cork Corner Cabinet is Done

2010-02-11T12:55:00.000-08:00

The cork corner cabinet, or C3, is done! It's a mixture of cork tiles, wood cutouts and brass tacks. Always room for brass tacks. It's an interesting piece and full of fun and texture. This style can be applied to lots of different furniture pieces like cabinet and sideboard fronts and the list goes on. Hope you enjoy it. Next - finalize the family room design color theme and materials selection and then it's time to build a few websites. Didn't know I was so multi-talented, did ya?!

Time to finish a funky furniture piece

2010-02-02T09:56:00.001-08:00

Door in progress

Ugly tower that it will hide

I'm designing a false 'wall' with a door for another law office. In one of the spaces they're housing a phone system and server tower and not only is it ugly, but it's LOUD! So I inset cut out pieces of cork along with 1/4" oak cutouts to create a unique and interesting design and texture. And another thing that's great about this - cork absorbs sound like nobody's businesss - so hopefully this will bring the loud buzz down to a soft hummmmmmm. Huh? Cool idea!

The law office is finally done!

2010-02-02T09:52:00.000-08:00

It took a while, but it's finally done. I literally had to wait 2 1/2 months for some of the furniture to come in. Designing around the Holidays is not strongly recommended unless you have local sources with stock ON HAND! But it turned out nice. The theme is Retro Deco since the lawyer that inhabits this space loves Art Deco but revels in his 1950s roots. So I incorporated both styles to create a fun and energetic, yet professional looking space. You can see more images here: hope you enjoy it.

Chair-e-o! The chairs are here!

2010-01-21T11:34:00.000-08:00

The chairs FINALLY came in. I swear this is one of the longest design projects that hasn't had a lot of activity that I've ever had. It'll teach me to do an interior design project over the holidays. Not only was half of my stuff on back order, but then shipping was delayed due to the holidays! I JUST received the white guest chairs last week and installed them into the space, now I'm waiting on the bench that will go in the back seating area of the office and I'll finally be done! I feel bad that it's taken so long for my client, but fortunately, he's a patient man!

I'll post the FULL reveal when I deliver the bench and complete the space. I've titled this one Art Deco Meets Mod Vintage which appeals to both sides of my client, he loves the Art Deco style however grew up in the 1950s and loves to be reminded of his heyday. I love the mash-up of the two styles, it's keeps the stuffiness of the Deco style more casual with the fun and color of the mod elements in the room.

Before --> Design --> After

2010-01-08T14:55:00.001-08:00

Kitchen Before

Kitchen Design

Kitchen After

Home Office Before

Home Office Design

Home Office After

So I was going through some of my old files, being the New Year and all, and I found many of my design sketches from past projects. I was actually quite surprised at how close they ended up being to the final design so I figured I'd share them with you to give you insight on my process.

Initially I meet with the client to see how they live in the space and/or how they want to live in the space. I get an overall idea of what their essence is all about and then sketch up some ideas. Sometimes these are in a layout program, sometimes they're in Photoshop and sometimes they're by hand - it all depends on what the project calls for. This way, they understand what it is I'm about to do before I do it, so that we get all questions out of the way up-front and there are no 'bad' surprises. Then I get the okay for 15% latitude in creativity during the process since there are always things that come up that could be done different/better but you never know until you're in the middle of it. Finally, the after shots are taken and I now have a series of images that I can relive the design by. Hope you enjoy these. I'll be posting more periodically.

Seriously, have you used gel stain yet?!

2010-01-07T11:03:00.000-08:00

Holy cow! Where have you been my whole life gel stain & topcoat?! Alright, I did use you a while back, but I didn't remember how lavish, how rich, how wonderful you were. I'm building this rounded bench for a client that has a round dining room table. I initially finished it with a regular wood stain in English Chestnut and then topcoated it with polyurethane. It looked good, but a bit flat. And when I brought it over to deliver it, the color was not as deep and rich as the table it was supposed to match - even though the color swatch matched the table.

Back to the drawing board. Back to my good buddies at Rockler who offer the best materials and supplies and I should remember to go there for these types of items - not HD.

It's Your Turn Sweepstakes

2010-01-05T09:48:00.000-08:00

Now that the holidays are over, isn't it time to reward yourself?!
As you know, I'm all about Being Different, so what's better than me being able to give away something that's nice and funky? AllModern.com, which is sponsoring this sweeps, is right up my alley featuring brands that I actually use in my interior design projects like Blu Dot, Alessi, Dwell Studio & more. If you want to see more table top products & accessories, check out their Dining Room furniture & accessories.

So now on to the important stuff - how to enter!

Simply enter a comment to this sweepstakes post telling me about your design aesthetic in a few short sentences. (Personal gain here, I love to hear what people like).
Enter your comment by 1/31/10 (that's right, it's 2010 already), and I'll post the name of the randomly selected winner by 2/7/09.
Rules & Regs: Sweeps is open only to US residents only over age 18. Sweeps ends 1/31/10. Be nice with your comments.

That's it! I hope you follow my blog to see what projects I'm working on, what products I'm loving right now and where I see design going. I'd love to hear your comments too, so don't be afraid to post away.

BTW - here's a link to the bowl and the hurricane for those who want more info.

Thanks, and good luck!

The doors are up! Entre Art Deco-dance!

2010-01-04T08:27:00.000-08:00

Before

After

Close-Up of Doors

So last week I stopped by the law office and installed the doors on the built-in. These photos are from my phone so they're not very good - better ones coming later, but you get the idea of just the scope of the transformation from the cluttered and 1970s old office to the updated and sleek new office. Plus, this stencil came from the UK and I'm very pleased with it. I actually didn't expect it to be in two layers so that was a nice surprise. I really like how the two tone metallic colors bring out the dimentionality of the design. The last few items of this design are two guest chairs and a bench that have been on back-order pre-Hoidays. More on that later.

In the meantime, I'm off to my in-laws' house today to work on their kitchen renovation. For Christmas, my husband and I decided to give them the gift of our time and our talent. So he installed an attic ladder for them and I'm refinishing their kitchen cabinets and doing a little painting and a simple tile backsplash. I'm hoping it'll make a big difference for them.

Happy Holidays to all. Coming in the next few days - a chance to win some great stuff from AllModern.com. Be sure to check back!

Plan Your Design, Design to Your Plan - or else...

2009-12-23T17:03:00.000-08:00

BEFORE - old built-in on the wall, very reminescent of um, I dunno, 1970s. That'll change.

The built-in is going to get the Art Deco treatment complete with a medallion on top, a fresh coat of black gloss paint and silver deco-style stencils on the door fronts. Plus, they'll be topped off with new silver art deco hardware.

The design is going to segment this large and unusual shaped office into a work area and a work review area. The desk will be centered with the built-in and flanked by some new black crystal lamps and will get two new white guest chairs to lighted the space up. The opposite end of the room will have a padded bench and cool retro orange chair and ottoman where he can chill out and review documents in comfort. Plus, there will be some upscale Art Deco and retro effects about the office to give it a classy yet casual feel.

And here are some of the elements that will make up the space.

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So.... did you ever have something with the best intentions go the worst of directions? Of course you did! I just did, and boy did that suck! I'm working on this law office design which is a mix of Art Deco and Retro with a touch of old school baseball becuase that's what the client loves. Well, his wife came to me and told me she had purchased some artwork that she thought he would love and it would be a surprise for him. Ha, you can say that again. Let's just say he HATED them and did not want them in the space, and wasn't too pleased with me for doing it. Ususally I'll request that 85% of the desgin I plan is exactly what the client gets. But I like to keep about 15% open to interpretation - my interpretation. Because as you design, things come up and you get ideas of what might look and/or work better - so you do it 'on the fly'. Well, that usually works, but this time it backfired - but that was due to an outside influence - aka, the wife. :-)

All ended well, or is ending well. We're back on track and soon I'll have some wonderful photos to show you. In the meantime, here's some of the design and what it's ultimately going to look like. BTW - now looking back on it, I think the art didn't work since they were mafia scenes which is all about thumbing your finger at the law. And he's a, um, lawyer. Yeah, things that make you go, hmmmmmm.

The Tuscan Dream Kitchen is Done!

2009-12-08T17:19:00.000-08:00

From a before this:

To a design this:

To a during this:

And finally, to an after this:

That's right - it's done! The final touches were put in today including the swithplate covers and some final undercabinet lighting. I'm proud to say it turned out beautifully! This Truly Tuscan Kitchen is exquisite down to the last detail. To see more after photos, take a peek at my website here.

I hope you've enjoyed the process, I definitely did. Now I'm off to do a law office redesign. Let's see where that one takes me!

The tile is up. Time to grout

2009-12-06T18:29:00.000-08:00

We now have tile throughout - or at least, on all the walls. ;-) On Monday, time to grout and time to get the undercabinet lighting to accent the beautiful new tile. Can't wait!

Final touches are the switchplates and then just decorating the area. It's going to be beautiful!

A little travertine here, a little slate there - a pop of sparkly glass. Ohh, la la!

2009-12-03T19:08:00.001-08:00

Ok, so the backsplash is FINALLY going up! Also got the new cooktop, dishwasher and sink all hooked up today as well as the icemaker. Tomorrow hoping to finish (fingers crossed) the tile and then let it set over the weekend - grout on Monday and be done! Besides sealing it after a few weeks, oh - and hanging the 2 new doors and 1 drawer that just came in today, um, and trimming out the dishwasher. Is a kitchen ever really done?!

When it's all done, in its fully glory, I'll post some overall shots. Hands are full of paint, but I'm getting very excited!

You're up and you're down, I was and I am.

2009-12-02T17:00:00.000-08:00

Yeah! The cooktop medallion is installed. Boo - it's not perfectly centered. Down it goes. Drats! Oh well, I'll do it again tomorrow! Grrrrrrrrr!

Anyway, the countertop is in and looks BEAUTIFUL! More great photos to come tomorrow. I'll start the backsplash and will actually have the CENTERED medallion up in its full glory.

Time to chill for the night!

The cooktop area has some jewelry!

2009-12-02T12:22:00.001-08:00

Well, I got here at 9:00am this morning to prepare for the countertop installers - which were supposed to be here at 10am. After a few hours, I got bored, so I decided to tile the cooktop medallion now and let it set. It's gonna be rockin!

It's now 12:20pm and they JUST arrived. Yeah! So now I'm sitting back (ah, relaxing....) and working on my computer as someone else works for a bit. Nice.

My next post will have photos of the new countertop! I selected Ceasarstone Copper Canyon. It's a dark, burnt umber color with black that's going to really complement the light cabinetry. Can't wait!

Good Tools = Great Projects. And Bad Tools Just Suck!

2009-12-01T15:52:00.001-08:00

This is my baby. My Bosch jigsaw, the love of my life (in the workshop at least). It allows me to EASILY make curvy cuts - which in my designs, is key!

This POS is my nemesis. The suckiest tool I own, but I keep is as a back-up for just these situations. I think it's an 800-year-old Black and Decker with mice running the motor.

I'm finishing up a kitchen remodel - you've read about it before. And one of the few tools I still have over there is my sweet baby Bosch. Can I tell you how much that has screwed up my day?! I'm starting a custom bench design, it's curved to fit around a round table and mimics the lines of the table. So of course, I need to make curved cuts.

Well, since I had a day off from the kitchen remodel, I decided to start on the bench. I had to make curved cuts with this sucky tool! It went about 1 mm per hour - oh wait, maybe slower. And just basically stinks. My lovely Bosch cuts through Oak like butter. Oh, I miss my Bosch, I'll never be without it this long again...

Well, all this tirade is meant to state this: bad tools do not make bad woodworkers. Bad tools just suck and make life harder. However, if you want to make your life easier as a woodworker, use tools that will help you succeed. We no longer use two rocks to make a fire, do we? Even though it works, it's not the best, most efficient way to get the job done. So, I refreshed my memory in this lesson. I will travel with tools, keep my tools close to me and baby them as they so lovingly deserve.

What sucky tools do you still use even tough you know you should probably upgrade? How much do they piss you off?

Got a hoodie?

2009-11-23T18:41:00.000-08:00

It's getting there! Got the hood semi-installed. Need to get the ducting all assembled but it's starting to look better. I also got the walls painted today. Just need to get the new Ceasarstone countertop installed and then tile the backsplash, install a few more doors and this puppy is done! I soooooo need a massage.

Yes, you can glaze like a pro!

2009-11-21T10:47:00.000-08:00

So, I can do a lot of things. I mean - a LOT OF THINGS! But I wasn't quite sure if I could glaze kitchen cabinets to look like the old worn Tuscan cabinets you see in the designer magazines. Well, like Obama says - Yes, I can! I was amazed at how easy it actually is. And the result is fantastic. I've already had several comments from people asking me where I purchased them, or telling me that they're far better than the ones they purchased from the upscale store because they are unique and original. Yeah, they are.

Well, for those of you who want to create this same look in your kitchen. I'll let you in on my secret. It's actually pretty easy, just a bunch of steps. And you can most definitely transform your ugly cabinets into gorgeous showpieces in about a week. Here's how.

Take off all your cabinet doors, take off all hardware and tape up some plastic to contain the dust in your kitchen. That's right - you're gonna sand.

Take #60 or #100 grit sandpaper and a random orbital sander and lightly sand the surface of your cabinets. You don't want to get the current finish off, you're just trying to lightly rough up the top layer so that your primer will stick. Do this in your garage (or wherever else works) also for your doors.

Once everything is sanded, and you might need to do the grooves by hand with some sandpaper, then be sure to take a tack cloth and clean all the dust from the cabinets, and the kitchen as a whole.

Prime the cabinets with a water-based primer. Be sure you don't have any drips or heavy spots - it's key to get an even coat by starting with smooth primer. No need for oil-based, it stinks and is hard to clean up and most paints are now water-based and better for the environment anyway.
Next, pick a base coat in satin enamel. I used a cream color as my base. Paint one coat to all the cabinet boxes and doors (no need to do the inside of the cabinets unless you're crazy), then let the paint dry.
Do another coat of the base paint after at least 1 day of the previous paint curing (drying hard enough for the next coat). Trust me, this extra step now will make them more durable later.

After the paint has cured for 24-48 hours, you're now ready to glaze. Mix 1/2 part glaze and 1/2 part paint. Then take a dry brush and brush it on randomly. Let it set for about 30 seconds and then with a clean (and I used a slightly damp) cloth, rub off the excess glaze leaving excess in the cracks and crevices. This creates a worn look and the glaze you rub off leaves some in the base coat's brush stokes - brilliant!
Finally, after the glaze coat has had at least 24 hours to cure, paint a top coat (or two) of polyurethane - again, water based. This will help protect your beautiful new cabinets. Use a satin finish for that truly aged look - gloss it too much for this look.

Finally, put your doors back up and hell yeah - accent them with some cool new door and drawer pulls or handles.

Tip: If you're going through all the trouble of glazing your cabinets, why not also add some extra touches first like pressed molding trim or wood outlay accents for extra dimension. Trust me, it's worth it in the end. See the detail shot above.

I'm at the stage in my remodel where I just need to install the cooktop hood, paint the walls, and tile the backsplash once the new solid surface counters come in. I'm approaching the finish line and oh-so-happy!

More photos to come.

The kitchen, she be comin' along!

2009-11-11T20:45:00.000-08:00

Seriously? I've been working on the kitchen renovation for exactly 2 weeks, and damn - this girl is fast!. What have I done so far? Let me tell you.

1. Demolition to the countertops and backsplash

Removal of all unnecessary cabinets

Receipt of new filler cabinets and assembly, they were RTA (ready-to-assemble)

A gazillion cabinet modifications since, as you all probably already have guessed, the RTA cabinets didn't match exactly to the old 1980's cabinets. Different drawer heights, oh - the list goes on....

Worked with the plumber to terminate the gas on one wall and add it to a new wall. We then did the reverse to the water line.

Worked with the electrician to pull 220 for the new electric double wall oven, move a bunch of outlets, dedicate the high-draw outlets for items such as micro and fridge. And more and more and.....

Then once I hung the micro cabinet, there was a 6.5" space that I'm creating as niche cubby shelves. Try getting your hand in a space like that to paint. Not easy

Priming all the cabinets, painting the doors - starting to at least.

Raising the counter height up an additiona 1.5" since the previous remodel in the 1980s sunk the dishwasher below the subfloor - so it would never come out without countertop removal. Seriously? Were they thinking???!

Now I'm about to go down to my shop to paint the cabinet doors with a second coat of paint. Then I'm glazing them for an aged Tuscan look. I'll shoot you all a photo of that one later.

Not bad for 2 weeks worth of work. I'm actually kicking ass on this one so far. Fingers crossed that there won't be too many surprises. Thos are never fun in remodels. Off and out for tonight. 8:51pm and I'm just getting started, again.

Kitchen Cabinets, To Your Spaces!

2009-11-05T19:40:00.000-08:00

Ok, so it may not look like much, but the kitchen is starting to take shape. All the tile (countertops and backsplash) is removed and gone, the gas line and icemaker lines are switched in preperation for their respective appliances and the electrician is coming tomorrow to move some outlets, pull some 220 for the new electric oven and get the rest of the electrical situation in shape. Does it look like much now? Probably not. But today was a lot of work. I'm mixing new RTA (ready-to-assemble) cabinets in with the existing ones, and wouldn't you know it - they're not identical. So I'm forced to make shims, cut cross members and move them down an inch, fill gaps, etc. so that they will be identical once they're all installed and painted.

Today's work, priming the new RTA cabinets and installing the cooktop cabinet, it's 18" flanking cabinets and the two on the wall to the left. Plus, several drywall repairs - then I had to duck out to get the boys off to football practice. Ah, crazy life. Tomorrow will hopefully be a big day. I hope to get electrical where I need it, adjust some cabinets so that they match and temporarily reinstall the cooktop so they can use it to cook! Here goes nothing! ;-)

That's right. I AM a woman in woodworking!

2009-11-03T19:14:00.000-08:00

Woodworker's Journal featured me in their Woodworker's eZine (newsletter) today and on their website. I was thinking about it as I was driving home from the home improvement store to pick up 4 gallons of paint... You know what? I really like telling my story! Why? Because it really amps me up, and hopefully others as well.

I think as women we are creative at heart. We really have a different way of looking at things, and when we have enough courage - we're able to take that creativity and bring it to life. And I love that I'm using what so many commercials and much of the media refer to as "man's tools". Why is it that a tool is made for a man? Who says? Don't accept other people's definitions as fact, make up your own mind. Pick up a tool and you'll be amazed at what you can do. Maybe you'll build a bookshelf, maybe you'll fix a leaky faucet - but whatever it is, you did it. And that's such a great feeling. I hope that you enjoy reading the article, it was fun to recall many of the stories to the author.

Next time you're bored and sitting around the house. Think of what you might be able to create. And just go with it. Who cares if it's not perfect or as you imagined it - it's a tangible piece of your creative spirit and that's good!

Ze Kitchen, She Be Done!

2009-11-02T21:19:00.000-08:00

Finally, the other kitchen renovation - the white one, that I've been working on is done! Remember a while back I told you that I wanted to match my final photo to the Photoshopped image of my design? Well - here it is! Whaddya think? Pretty damn close, huh?

(Above: Photoshopped Design)

(Above: Actual Finished Kitchen)

It's so much easier to sell your designs to your clients when you can show them ahead of time what the final product will look like. Good thing I'm handy with a computer as well as a table saw! To see more photos of the final design, click here.

Well, tomorrow back to the major kitchen renovation - my plumber was sick today so I just assembled the rolling kitchen island instead. Tomorrow, moving cabinets, adding side boards to finish new end cabinetry and hopefully this puppy will start to take shape! You should see my forearms from tearing out the tile - it looks like I got into it with a Werewolf. I guess that works for the Twilight generation anyway, huh?

Oh, my aching - everything!

2009-10-30T08:29:00.001-07:00

Have you ever ripped out an entire kitchen? By yourself?! Day #1 - the start of demolition. I've just started taking the countertop out. Chip, chip, bang - oh, my fu!#$# hand! Yeah, that's pretty much how the day went.

Day #2, got the first section of countertop out and a few cabinets. I'm now feeling like Superwoman. No wait, I AM Superwoman. Check me out, yeah baby - I'm Queen Demo. Later on Day #2, I even got the bar area counter out - oh, things are flying. But wait. What's that? Oh, it's Demon Dog. This dog has barked 97% of the time I've been there. For what? No apparent reason if you ask me. I went to calm it and was talking to it in that silly baby talk, then figured I'd end it with a pet and we'd all be friends. Right? Hell no, she bit me. Day looking down. :-(

Ok, it's the morning of Day #3 and I'm ready, I think. My hands and forearms ache, but I'll make the best of it. On today's agenda, that's right - MORE chipping of tile. Then probably some relocation of a few more cabinets and then off to another kitchen install job in the afternoon. Tonight - going to see Michael Jackson's, This is It movie with the kids. Ah, a relaxing night.

Uh-oh, I'm auditioning for Design Star

2009-10-23T09:47:00.000-07:00

That's right. Crazy old me figured, why not? Right? I could sit back and say, "Well, I'll never make it". I could do nothing and go on with life as usual. But what fun would that be?! So, today is the day I put together my audition tape. Or at least start. Did you know that my actual first design project was a dollhouse for mice? Seriously, real mice. I wallpapered each and every room with different wallpaper, put carpet in each room, made custom furniture - heck, I even created and hung custom wall art in every room. These mice had it made. The one thing I couldn't work out however was the constant 'mice pellets' they left all over the place. Upkeep was a bit much at age 6.

Well, more stories to come. The cut off isn't until December so it'll likely take a while before I hear anything back one way or another, but in the meantime, it's fun to dream and work my way toward it!

Never Underestimate the Power of a Good Source

2009-10-13T20:31:00.000-07:00

Riviera Glass of Redondo Beach is a business that not only cuts glass, but dispenses education on how you might use that glass in your projects, what the best materials for the job are, other alternatives you may not have thought about - plus, they're just very cool people!

I'm finishing up a kitchen remodel and am insetting mirrors into select cabinet doors and couldn't have done it as well if it were not for these fantastic people. Subcontractors, resources and all of your support team are SO important in interior design. Never underestimate them. Never treat them like dirt. Always respect what they have to say since they are the experts in their area. I've had a fantastic week with all my subs and sources and am SOOO happy. Special shout out to Riviera Glass and to Mike at Lowe's of Torrance - you guys rock!

Huh? Featured in FIRST Magazine!

2009-10-13T09:14:00.000-07:00

How cool is this? I am profiled in FIRST Magazine (still on sale at almost every friggen' grocery store next to the check out until October 26th) with my woodworking. Nice! It was actually quite fun to think about 'why' I do woodworking beyond the obvious reasons - to build stuff. I really do enjoy the sense of calm that it gives me. It's amazing how when you really love what you do, it's not a job. Since my hobby has turned into my job - I'm one of the luckiest girls out there!

I hope you have a few moments to take a quick read. The writer, Lisa Maxbauer, has a great flow to her work and a really fun style. I hope you enjoy it!

Kitchen Cabinet Redo - and a little bit more...

2009-10-12T18:52:00.000-07:00

Before - Okay, but WAY boring
Sometimes it takes some targeted style ideas to turn an okay kitchen into something extraordinary. Here's my Photoshopped version (below) of what I'm going to do to this blah kitchen (before shot to the left).

I'm insetting mirrored doors on some select cabinets, hanging pendant lights over the peninsula, calling out the molding detail on the white cabinets with Mocha-colored paint, adding a splash of color to the window area in a nice copper (to match the sconces), moving the microwave into the oven wall and finally, adding hardware to all the cabinetry. It's almost done. In a few days I'll post the finished photo and you can tell me if you think My Photoshopped version meets expectations!

Proposed Design

Sometimes It's As Simple As Nature

2009-09-29T13:56:00.000-07:00

Sometimes design is best left basic. Best left to be inspired by its surroundings, not to overpower them, but to enhance them. When you live in Southern California, you have limited space, especially outdoors. So it's best to enhance what you have and to flow design and inspiration from the outdoors in.

For this patio tile design, I used a natural slate and created an inset pattern with a border by cutting smaller tiles and laying the inset tiles on a bias. The result was pure beauty. Check out more photos.

New Era, New Design

2009-09-25T12:56:00.000-07:00

It's official! My website has been updated to include better photography, a better user interface, better technology and well, it's just better!

Take a spin and let me know what you think. I guess it's a by-product of my marketing background - the marketing has to be up to the same level as the product - and honestly, my marketing (e.g. website) was a bit lacking.

I hope you enjoy it. The swirls and birds make me happy. And it's amazing how well these colors go with the colors I oftentimes use in my furniture design. It's almost like it was, um... meant to be?!

I'm featured in Lowe's Woodworking Magazine!

2009-09-23T16:23:00.000-07:00

It's official! I really am a woodworker now, Lowe's even said so! Okay, I've been a woodworker for years, but it's nice to get some recognition every now and again. I just got some preview copies of Lowe's Woodworkers Magazine which ships quarterly all over the country. Click here to take a sneak peek of the article.

By the way, another feature on me should be coming out in FIRST For Women Magazine next month. I'll send it out once it hits stands on 10/5/09.

Enjoy!

A comic series of non-funny events

2009-08-20T15:14:00.001-07:00

(LEFT: the newly replaced ceiling)

Have you ever had so many things go so wrong from something that started so simply? That was my week. I did a VERY simple tile job for a neighbor in her upstairs bathroom. It still had carpet in it from the original builder, which as we all know, carpet in a bathroom, can get quite gross. So she decided she wanted basic 6x6 tile in there. Easy enough, right? That's what I thought.

I had to first remove the toilet and take out the carpet. Fine. Next the subbase of cement backerboard went down. No problem. Next, I laid the tile and grouted it with a basic white grout. All good.

Fast forward to a few days later when I get an email from her saying she doesn't like the grout and asking if I can take it out or change it. Pit in my stomach, I calm myself down and decide I can find a solution. I'm a woman afterall, and we are very clever in finding solutions. I found the grout colorant (from the previous post) and she selected a color. All is good, problem solved. Or so I thought.

A few days later, we get a message from her, the toilet is leaking and the water has made its way through the floor and into the kitchen ceiling below and the paint is bubbling up. Yikes! We go over there and replace the old water line to the toilet that had a small pinhole leak from being taken off and replaced. But now, the ceiling is a mess. I'm hoping I can just peel the paint off and drill a few holes to let it dry out, then texture and repaint. But no, it's way too wet. Next step - call a drywall professional. As he opens up the ceiling, we discover there's STILL a leak and it's a bit wetter up there than previously thought. We take the drywall down and dry it out completely, but the leak... Time to replace the valve and put a braided line on. All is good, yes? Well yes - until we turn the water main back on and nothing happens. It had snapped off inside the pipe. I have two people living in this house and looking at me for answers. Now, I have to call a plumber in. He comes out and has to completely replace the main water shut off valve. Then he checks our work upstairs and says all is good. Yeah! Time to close up the ceiling and get this job done. But wait! I go up to caulk around the base of the toilet and notice it's dripping again, NO! We call the plumber out again, and he replaces the entire valve. The washer inside was not filling the gap completely and we needed a new one. Now, with the new shut off valve on the toilet, the new main shut off valve outside and the new ceiling, all that's left to do is paint the ceiling and, oh yeah, color the grout.

Can you believe that such a simple job snowballed to such a crazy turn of events? Lessons learned:

Even though you discuss colors and specs with a client, ALWAYS get it in writing. We talked about white grout, but it turns out that's not what she 'really' meant.
ALWAYS replace the shut off valves to toilets and sinks when you re-install them, better to spend $8 than the crazy money I just had to spend.
Whatever you do, whatever happens - keep your cool and just get it solved. You can freak out about it later. The most important thing is that the job is handled in a professional manner and that all is taken care of to the client's satisfaction.

Tonight may call for a nice glass or two of red wine and a big long chill session. Yikes!

Hate your grout? Check this out, you'll love me!

2009-08-13T14:15:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I have a friend who just purchased a new home and of course, sunk all her money into getting the most home for her buck. But, she's going to have to live with some of the, um let's say, yuckiness, of it for a while. One of the key pieces of 'are you serious?' is that the kitchen countertop has off white tiles with navy blue grout! Really? What were they drinking when they decided this? Butt brown cabinets with dirty tile counters and a preppy navy blue grout. If I haven't said it outright yet, YUCK!

Well, in looking for a solution to another, um, issue I came across this grout colorant. The interesting thing is that this actually penetrates your grout to change the color. Like acid washing your driveway to tint it, this is a similar, yet much smaller scale process. I've seen websites that suggest painting your grout, bad idea - it'll totally flake off.

I haven't yet tried this (will do in the next few weeks) so I'm not sure how well it works but all signs seem to point to good. I'll re-post and let you know. One of the mottos I'm bound and determined to obliterate is, "You can't polish a turd." Um, do you think diamonds are as beautiful when the first come out of the Earth? I thought not.

Bee Hives Aren't Just for Hair-dos

2009-08-12T15:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you have to work at it.

I initially found a really cool shelving unit, pitched it to my client as a key piece in his 'men's dressing room' that I was designing and he fell in love with it too. Finally, it's time to order it and LITERALLY the day before, someone came in and bought the store out of that sku completely. What's a Huh? Girl to do? Search and search and search until you find (if not the exact same) something that will do just as well if not better in the space - and for less money! There's a really cool site out there called Opulent Items but they're not all out of reach.

So moral of the story, don't give up. You can end up impressing your client (or yourself) more than you initially thought and have a bigger impact. If I haven't said it lately, I'll say it now - I LOVE THE INTERNET! I can get so much done and shop the entire United States in a single afternoon. Ah, nice.

Ah, the joy of design - kitchen design even

2009-08-05T20:11:00.000-07:00

So, I'm designing a kitchen for a client - however, it's quite a challange. Rather than refacing cabinets, or gutting the entire room, they want to reuse most of their existing cabinets and just rearrange them. Easier said than done! It's like a crazy, twisted puzzle that just doesn't make sense. However, after getting my new favorite friend, Plan 3D - baby, I got this!

Here's the proposed design, we're adding a rolling butcher block island for additional counter space that can be rolled out of the area when not needed and also has plenty of storage. Plus, the flooring will be this new cushy flooring tile, solid surface countertops, a new decorative range hood with spice shelves on either side and more. Can't wait to see if they actually bite! (colors of cabinets denote current, modified and new - so don't pay any attention to them).

Fresh & Fabulous Home Office

2009-07-20T16:36:00.000-07:00

If you're one of the lucky ones who gets to work from home, why not have an office space that is conducive to actually working?! It's amazing how many people I know stick a desk in the corner and call it a day.

Surround yourself with things you love, colors that inspire you, and of course - plenty of storage. In many cases, the home office doubles as a guest room. So, if your guests are going to be staying in your office, integrate it seamlessly so that they don't feel they're intruding, rather they feel welcome and comfortable.

Here's a photo of a home office where I had to do just that. To see more photos, click here.

Breathe in... color!

2009-07-08T23:49:00.000-07:00

Color-Infused After

Dark and Drab Before

This family room looked old, grey and unwelcoming. It needed life, it needed zest, well duh! It needed color! And that's what I do best (if I do say so myself!). Talk about brightening the joint up a bit. I added pops of color in the furniture and accents and kept the backdrop soft and sophisticated. Plus, the bar area needed a major pick-me-up, so - well, I did! What do you think?

Bar Before

Bar After

Red Fish, Blue Fish, Kitchen Wish, Be Newish!

2009-07-06T21:26:00.000-07:00

Proposed Layout

Current Kitchen - ewwww!

What do we all want in a home? Yes, good light, yes, curb appeal, yes, a funky doggie door (oh, is that just me?). But really - what we all want, what we all dream for - is a new kitchen! I'm working with a client right now who just bought a new house. The kitchen had recently been remodeled, or at least - that's what they were told. It appears the old homeowners went to Home Depot or some big box store, bought a bunch of stock cabinets and pieced them together like a puzzle - a mismatched and not very aesthetically pleasing puzzle. They knew it wasn't working but weren't sure how to fix it.

Ha, yes. This is where Huh? came swooping in with my flowing cape (in my mind it was red). The first step was for an ergonomic flow, a nice design and appliances that would work for the way they used the kitchen. I went over yesterday to show them my preliminary design proposal and they LOVED it! That's right, toot, toot. Here's the new layout and a photo of the current yucky kitchen. I'll keep you updated on how this progresses. It's going to be a Tuscan Transformation!

Upcoming feature in First Magazine

2009-07-01T10:44:00.000-07:00

New Blue Glass Mosaic Coffee Table

Old Beat-Up Coffee Table (okay, before we totally beat it up, but this was it...)

I'm very excited! I have an upcoming feature in First Magazine! It should hit newsstands on 10/5/09! The writer had a follow-up question today which, as I was answering it, I thought it was quite funny about what inspires me to make my furniture! Here's her question and how I answered it. It's funny how you don't think about why you do things until someone actually asks you to elaborate.

Question: What exactly did you dislike about your old coffee table (the one you replaced with the tile mosaic table)--that it was always cluttered with stuff, that you didn't like the way it looked, that you couldn't afford a style you truly wanted....?

Answer:

My old coffee table was cool, after all – I built it! But it was also the dancing stage for my boys and I. We’d turn up our music really loud some nights and take turns dancing on the table, lip-synching and jumping off with our air guitars. So needless to say, it took a lot of beatings – and it showed. (Photo of it before being trashed above). When I’d sit and watch TV, I’d noticed the nicks, the loose molding on the edges and the dents around the base, which was made from aluminum roof vents – crazy, I know. It looked it’s age and after living with it for many years, I wanted something that was a bit lower to put my feet on, a bit wider to cover more space and be accessible from more seating areas, and something with drawers to get the multitudes of remote controls off the surface – I swear, you need one for everything these days. Plus, I wanted to infuse a pop of blue into the room. I had used blue glass stones in the entertainment center and wanted to call that color and texture out elsewhere in the room so this was the perfect time. That, and the fact that I had about 20 sheets of blue glass mosaic tiles left over from a kitchen renovation that I did and I had to use them somewhere in my house, they were just too pretty to sit in a box in the garage. So with a little brainstorming, I found a photo of a leather coffee table with the wood slats and decided that I’d do something similar but would use the tiles instead of leather – and of course, make all my own custom modifications. Voila! Born is my new and lovely coffee table that makes the living room sparkle and is one of the first things people see when they enter my house!

Art Mimics Life Mimics Art

2009-06-28T10:35:00.000-07:00

Last night we went to Create:Fixate, an organization dedicated to elevating the importance and accessibility of art and music through education and to providing opportunities for emerging artists to create, perform, and sell their work through mixed medium exhibitions. Ok, so - cool! In this cage (photo), several artists had painted cement blocks and were stacking and unstacking them into different configurations. Very relevent right now, of course, was the art exhibit for Michael Jackson. We'll miss him.

So Starting the Night...
After another wonderful dinner with yummy wine at The Must, a WAY eclectic wine bar in downtown LA, we decided we'd walk the 10 or so blocks to the exhibition. Hey, guess what? We found Skid Row! I knew it existed in LA, just wasn't sure...where. Well, we found it! I was actually surprised at how organized they were with their tents lined up, the accessibility to missions and restrooms, and many of them paid us no attention. Those who did said, "hi". However, after around 8 blocks and stiletto heels, my feet decided otherwise. We U-turned and headed back to the car. Once in, we realized that we were just 1 block shy of the art show, but no matter - at least we didn't have to walk far to get BACK to our car.

Finally, to the Show
Once in the show, this was one of the most eclectic groups of people I've seen in quite a while. With two kids, I don't get out that much anymore - or at least, lately. But I'm working to change that. Art was everywhere, in every form, with every type of person admiring, questioning and adoring it. It was a great feeling place. And yes, I did meet up with Leif, my old Monster House compadre. He had one of the more viewed exhibitions, which made me feel good for him.

But after a long night of what was probably too much libation (oops!), we got back in the car and my responsible husband drove us home. I am SOOO looking forward to the next LA Art Walk - heck, we may even do San Pedro's art walk with the kids. I'm so glad to be rediscovering the art scene! I'm feeling alive.

Create:Fixate in Los Angeles - Art for Artists

2009-06-27T17:18:00.000-07:00

Back in the day, like four years ago, I was the carpenter on the build team of Monster House. You remember Discovery's series where they transformed people's homes into mysterious mayhem?! Yup, that's the one! Well, one of the guys on my build team who did set design for the movies and is a self-described, "maker of things" is exhibiting some of his works here. I'm really looking forward to it to see upcoming artists, functional art (my favorite) and video productions. I'll post more tomorrow, good wine, good food, good art - just the way I like it!
(This photo is of the Motocross House build we did - click on the headline for more photos).

Who says staircases have to be boring? Look up!

2009-06-26T17:23:00.000-07:00

Ok, obviously the run-of-the-mill idea for staircases is to put photos on the walls, and that's cool. But don't stop there - don't limit yourself to such plain-dom. Get creative. Do you have a window? Call it out with some art. In this window, I created a custom window-burst out of 1/4" Oak plywood using my Dremel, some paint and featuring a sidewalk art piece I got in Barcelona. Then, since I have the high ceiling over the stairs with a skylight - I hung a mobile to float around and catch the light from the sun to create a bit of glitz overhead. Now when you come and go, you won't just be toning your back-side, but your creativity will get a work out as well.

Finding Art in Nature

2009-06-24T12:55:00.001-07:00

This past weekend, my family and I went on a trip to the Sequoia National Forest. I felt like I was in the middle of the Lord of the Rings set. Sometimes life is so real it feels fake. No wonder they used this area (I think) as the backdrop to their fantasy movie. As my shutterbug husband was busy snapping photos, he took some and played around with the angle and the exposure. What a perfect way to not only document your trip, but to add beautiful art to your home? I've been using a site called UpDone.com to print some photos on canvas and it really adds that final dimension to personalized art. Another step you may want to take with your own is to use some of the filters in PhotoShop (if you know how to use it), you can add fantastic stylized design to your already personalized art.

Making Kids' Art Fine Art

2009-06-18T10:00:00.000-07:00

I love turning my kids' artwork into fine artwork and using it to decorate my home. And it's so easy (and free!). They come home from school with SOOOO much stuff each and every day. You have to 'weed' through most of it, but you get so many treasures. And when I picked a few of my favorites and put them in frames and arranged them together on the wall, it made them feel that much more special. And damn if my wall doesn't look pretty special too!

Toro, Toro - Spanish Tapas

2009-06-16T06:58:00.000-07:00

You gotta love the passion of the Spaniards! Glitzy tight pants, a too short jacket, a bright red cape (no Yiannis, not talking about you!). Well that same passion went into the food at Toro. A very unique blend of tapas ranging from fish to veggie to meat, meat - oh, and some meat! Great atmosphere with wine crawling up the wall (always makes for a great atmosphere). And so far, one of the livelier spots we've been since we've been in Boston. I think this is definitely a locals fav hot spot.

Lovely Lucca in Little Italy - Boston

2009-06-15T08:30:00.000-07:00

So, we got into Boston late last night and being 10:15pm on a Sunday night, almost nothing was open. However, we were lucky enough to be adjacent to Little Italy and talked the waitstaff at Lucca into letting us in for dinner. Mmmmmmm, food is art - especially when it's Italian food. The presentation, fantastic. The taste, delicious. The ambiance, outstanding. Can't wait for dinner tonight and where we may end up!

"Louis & Keely Live at the Sahara" at the Geffen

2009-06-14T08:30:00.000-07:00

I wasn't quite sure what to expect when some friends invited us to this play in Westwood. We walked in (a few minutes late albeit) and sat three rows back smack-dab in the center. We were instantly in the heart of a Vegas night club. The music was amazing, the actors - one crazy, the other cool - made for a fun and memorable night. The Village has some great live art to offer - I've seen several productions at the Geffen, and this one in the side theater was intimate and in-your-face, just the way it should be.

Hangover - Are You Kidding Me? Work of Art!

2009-06-13T14:04:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know this is weird. But movies can be art too. And yes, I'm classifying a total 'guy' movie as art - weird, I know. But the way they reveal the story and take you along for the ride is fantastic. I can't tell you how long it's been since I laughed-out-loud at a theater. (Ya, quite a while...) This will become an instant classic insomuchas an Old School type of film. If you haven't yet, see it - but DO NOT take the kids. Seriously.

LA Art Walk - What a Trip!

2009-06-12T10:14:00.000-07:00

And this is why I love art! Look at the craziness and wackiness of it all! I've seen this artist (Reza Kassai) many times at Venice Beach and have always loved his stuff. Well last night I just had to get a piece. This one reminds me of my boys - they love each other so much (note one has a "Love" necklace and the other a "Peace" necklace), yet they're still crazy and a bit out of control, but can't stay away from each other. He captured brotherhood so perfectly and his sense of humor is fantastic!

What a Transformation, What an Idea!

2009-06-11T15:56:00.000-07:00

I'm always on the lookout for interesting and unique ideas. BH&G's DIY magazine featured this great before/after of a dresser conversion using - of all things - a POSTER! Love it!