Thursday is Resource Day:Accessories

As usual Thursday is Resource Day, and on these days I try to highlight a particular resource that I really enjoy using. I have tried to use places that anyone can use, regardless of what part of the United States, or for that matter, the world you may be reading this blog in. Today is a little bit of an exception to that rule. Today's posting is a store in Los Angeles, and while they have a growing web presence, nothing can compare to a visit to their store. The store is Colburn/Sassaman (www.colburnsassaman.com). It has been in Los Angeles now, in one form or another for about 11 years, always in the same location, and is a great resource for accessories for the home. Founded by Shannon Colburn and recently joined with Interior Designer, Nicole Sassaman, the store is a teeming melange of product that varies so much in style, scale and price point, that no matter what project I am working on, I can always find something here.

This week I have been putting together a great house that we have been working on in Northern California, and sure enough, a trip to their store was in order, I found some great bath accessories, artwork and some terrific primitive African pieces. Even after my client called and told me that they needed 8 magazine holders for different rooms (they are avid readers), Shannon didn't disappoint, and I had my choice of modern, transitional and traditional.

So, if you are in Los Angeles, stop by, if nothing else it's always a joy to meet people who are so passionate about their interests and you never know what you will come across. If not in Southern California, check out the website, or if you are after something specific, drop them an email, they would love to hear from you.

Colburn/Sassaman

540 North La Cienega Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90048

(310) 358- 9025

A Children's Playroom Built for Inspiration

So many times I have seen well intentioned parents create for their kids a Playroom that only ends up as the one space in the house where the kids can create chaos. I think that that is a shame. In my mind a Playroom should be designed with its use in mind and kept as tidy and as organised as any other room in the house. But the important thing is, it should be designed that way, so it makes it easy for the kids to use, and as importantly, easy for them to keep tidy. Here are some tips on creating an inspiring space for your children:

• Create "zones" within the room, so that it is clear what activities should be done where. For instance, an area with a hard surface floor is perfect for wet play, like painting, whereas an area with carpet or a rug, could have floor cushions and be ideal for games etc.
• Keep it versatile. In the playroom above you can see the great area rug. It is made up of carpet tiles that stick to the floor. This way if I need to make the rug bigger, no problem, or if something gets spilled I can take away one tile and replace it.
• Use Bins wherever possible. The key to keeping everyone organized is to make it simple to use. Bins are by far the easiest way to do this. Be sure to use all different sizes, so that they can be specific to their purpose. Games in one, toy soldiers in another etc. The room above was designed for three kids so each had their own color basket, making it even easier for everyone to keep track of their stuff.
• Have a desk area where they can work quietly. Try and create at one end of the room , a quiet desk area where they can sit and draw or use a computer.
• It really helps if you can create a large framed pin board. I like this idea a lot, it will keep all the artwork contained and as it gets full, old ones come down and new ones go up, making a great rotating art display.

5 Books Everyone Should Have

This is the Ultimate coffee table book. Its full of great pictures of all sorts of curiosities from shells, to butterflies and even a chapter on snakes that anyone would learn to love. It's a big book at almost 10lbs but boy, will your friends ever be impressed!

I have to admit that this is a bit of an eclectic choice, but I love this book. It is about indigenous design and how by looking at communities that have grown organically, we can learn to see patterns that we can then apply in the way we organize our new cities and towns. It also has some of the same wisdom to apply to the way you look at the space in your own home. It is simply organized into a series of observations, so it's not a book to sit and read in one session, but enjoy it over time, perfect for beside the bed.

Well this is the part of the list that starts getting a bit personal. I remember when I lived in Australia, that I read about this building by a young architect that was going to revolutionize the way Australians look at their vernacular architecture. I had my parents drive me 6 hours to Kempsey to see this new little museum. It made me fall in love with architecture and has stayed with me ever since. Well that architect was Glenn Murcutt, and he has gone on to be justly lauded by everyone and their dog, including the Pritzker Prize. If you get this book you will never look at a barn or simple farm shed the same way again.

While on the topic of never looking at things the same way again, along comes this book on Los Angeles. The city gets a bad rap for being part of just a large urban sprawl, but this book by famed photographer Tim Street-Porter is an homage to the city he loves. It is put together in such a way that he has assembled his own street scenes, from a series of different photo's. Los Angeles has never looked so good, and it's clear to see his passion about this much maligned city, it is indeed, ready for it's close up.

I am sitting in one as I write this. The work horse of Interior Design, the chair, finally gets the star treatment. This book follows the humble piece of furniture on it's stylistic travel through time. Whether modernist or traditionalist this book is essential reading.

What makes Upholstery Good?

One of the biggest furniture investments most people make in their home is upholstery. Unfortunately, it is probably one of the least understood as well. I cannot count the number of times people have told me "I am just going to get the cheapest sofa I can buy, because the kids are just going to jump all over it". This, is a bad strategy. A well constructed sofa, while not being the most inexpensive will stand up to all sorts of abuse, and will last you almost a life time. So what makes up a good piece of upholstery? Here are a few things to look for:

• First of all, the frame. Look for one made of kiln-dried hardwood, such as oak or alder. The process of kiln-drying will make the wood more stable, less likely to swell or warp, and strong enough to be drilled, pegged and blocked. Using a hardwood is fairly self explanatory, it's going to be stronger than a soft wood like pine. As a side note, the blocking used is often made of laminated wood, rather than solid hardwood, as it is stronger for its purpose.
• One rule of thumb, lift one end of your sofa up. If it is well made, it will be heavy, a light sofa, is not one that will last you a long while.
• The next element is the springs. There are basically 3 types. The first being sinuous, which is a spring that looks like a continuous "s", that goes from back to front on your sofa, not a good idea. The second is a standard spring, which can be supported a number of ways in the frame, but gives the seat a very firm, sit to the sofa, as the springs only go up and down. Lastly is the famous eight-way hand tied spring. It is connected to the frame front to back, side to side and diagonally, giving it it's name. The advantage of this is that the spring moves in all directions, giving the seat the most flexibility and the most comfortable sit. Unfortunately this process can only be done by hand, and consequently will drive up the cost of your piece of furniture. Most sofas and chairs from large manufacturers, do not feature eight-way springs. It will be called out as a feature if they do.
• The next element is the cushions. Most cushions are made of a Dacron foam core, that is then wrapped in either down, more foam or a hypo-allergenic down substitute. On a seat cushion, do not be tempted to do 100% down, the cushions will go flat as the down breaks down and it will look like a mess. The foam core gives structure to the cushion and allows it to hold it's shape. Remember that a down cushion will always need fluffing, only an all foam cushion will hold that perfect shape, but the sit is not as luxurious.

I hope that this gives you some basic ideas of what to look for with your next upholstery purchase. Remember, you can always post your questions here, if you still have concerns.

Happy Sitting!

Thursday is Resource Day: Flea Markets

One of my favorite things to do is to include in my projects, off beat and unusual finds. These can be hard to come by, the large chains are not really a spot where you will find that, and some of the smaller boutiques can get very, very expensive. So, I have a few Antique and Flea markets that I regularly visit for these "treasures". That is today's resource. Most cities will have a regular market, luckily in Los Angeles there are sometimes two or even three to choose from on a given weekend. Recently, when I was in Italy I visited some of my favorites, one of which is the one above in Arezzo, where the whole old town becomes a giant market.

Here are some thoughts about how to improve the quality of your market experience:

• Get there early! If you want the truly unusual or the hard to find, there is no substitute for being there at the crack of dawn. Some of the best things I have found i have taken right from the hands of the dealer as he unpacks his truck.
• Get there late! If what you really want is a great deal, more than a great find, try getting there at the end of the day. Most of the dealers do not want to schlep this stuff home again and wait for the next market, so your opportunity to get a great price is dramatically increased right before they go home.
• Educate yourself. If you know what it is you want specifically, check around so you know the sorts of prices things go for. E Bay is a great resource for this sort of thing. You can see there what people are willing to pay for things that are similar to what you are looking for. So do your homework before you go, and you will do a better job of paying the right price.
• Measure. Be sure of your dimensions before you go. It is amazing how many people do not know how long their Dining Room table is, or the depth of their fireplace mantle. Get these sizes before you leave the house, it will help avoid some costly mistakes.
• If I am looking for something to go in a particular location, whether it's a table or a shelf, I like to bring a picture with me, it helps to refresh my memory and once again avoids me making some big mistakes.

Above all, enjoy the day out and have a great time, it's one of my favorite pastimes.

If One is Good, Ten is Better: Displaying Groups

It is a little hard to tell from the image above, but the collection on display in this Family Room, is a series of Instructions on how to make shadow puppets, using just your hands. So whether you have a burning desire to see an eagle glide across your wall, or a snake slither, this is the place to go to get instructions. All of these pieces came from an old book, which I thought, if framed would make a terrific, irreverent collection.

I really like to find things like this, groups of things that you might not otherwise use by themselves, but when put together as a series look tremendous. So as the title says, if one is good, ten is better, it doesn't always apply, but here are some thoughts you might find useful.

• Look for things that you find interesting or unique. A friend of mine created a terrific display in her Guest Bathroom using a collection of old Bakelite hand mirrors that she bought on E bay.
• Try to divorce yourself from it's intended use and look at it as a piece of sculpture. I recently bought an old antique lock from an armoire, it is beautifully made, useless as a lock, but as an object, beautiful. I think a collection of these on my bookcase will be very cool.
• Old Books are great resources for collections you can frame, whether you can get your hands on an antique Alphabet book, or any sort of picture book, is a great place to start.
• Old postcards are a great thing to. You can get them on practically any topic you can imagine. One of my best memento's from my first trip to London was a set of postcards I framed that showed images of different Tube stations.
• Finally, it might help to think of collections that relate to the room they are going to be displayed in. Antique garden tools in a solarium, old plates mounted on the wall in the Dining Room, like my friend, hand mirrors in the Guest Bath.

The important thing is, don't take it or yourself too seriously, have a little fun, and you will smile each time you walk into the room.

Keeping Design Simple, Creates Beautiful Rooms

I had the pleasure this weekend of visiting a Designer Showcase House. For those of you not familiar with the idea, a group, usually a local charity will get their hands on a house and then invite members of the local design community in to decorate, then open it to the public for tours. Typically a different designer will do each room. I am a tremendous fan of the concept as you get to see Designers whose work you may be familiar with, work unfettered by client desires. This is a place to go for great ideas and new concepts. Quite frankly I came away a little disappointed. Most of the rooms seemed heavy and overdone (there were some notable exceptions). Where was the light hand? Most seemed unable to edit, so it inspired me to write this piece about simplicity of design (LOL I will try and keep it brief).

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  When designing your room, plan. Lack of planning leads to an inability to stop, the old saying is true, if you don't know where you are going, how do you know when you get there.


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  Don't be afraid of open space. An undecorated wall, in the right color can be beautiful, or the simplicity of using only one fabric throughout a room, can be liberating.


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  Give your favorite pieces room to breathe, there is no need to keep piling things on, pay attention to scale, and one piece could be perfect.


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  Use the architecture of the space as your starting point, whether you are designing within the style or creating a counterpoint to it, reference the room, it will make your statement clearer.


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  Finally, when you are done, take one thing away.