Pretty Lights That Hang

Scalloped lantern in tortoise, Coleen & Co.; nizam lights from Viya Home;Venetian v. 2, Urban Electric Co.; Eden, Ironware International.

Orange County and Los Angeles interior design services, www.BrittanyStiles.com

Filmore Clark

I'm loving this tile from Filmore Clark. It would add pizazz to even the dullest kitchen or bath. Not to mention I can't get enough of that hand made look.

Contact Brittany Stiles Interior Design if you'd like help with your kitchen or bath remodel.
www.BrittanyStiles.com

Spring Dinner Party

Here is a little look into the spring display that I designed for the main lobby of the LA Mart. I will be designing their lobby displays for the next several months, and each one will be centered around a general theme from items carried in the gift showrooms at the Mart. April's theme was "gourmet, food, and wine". I wanted something cheery to usher in spring so I decided on an outdoor spring dinner party as my basic concept. After installing a few hand made fabric mobiles and arranging the gourmet food with some colorful dinnerware; spring had sprung in the lobby of the Mart.

A little video explanation. Please excuse my shabby appearance, it had been a long day...

LA Mart
1933 S. Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90007

For design services, visit www.BrittanyStiles.com

Vintage Spools

I love shopping at consignment shops for accessories for clients (and myself). When I see something interesting and at a great price, I generally can't say no. Even if I have no immediate need for the item, I keep it in my inventory until I find it a perfect home.

Such was the case with this group of vintage spools. They are pretty rustic in their appearance and don't really fit any of the projects that I'm working on at the moment, but they have so much character and I loved the variation of size and muted colors. To me, these will look so much more interesting on a mantle than a grouping of vases from Z. Gallerie.

Cannery Exchange, Newport Beach.

www.BrittanyStiles.com

Doloris Petunia

Busy is good, but I hate when I don't have enough time to blog and catalog my design inspiration and experiences. This time I'll blame in on a few new and exciting projects (yay!) and a little on Uncle Sam and a little thing called income tax (not so yay). I was talking with my friend/accountant tonight about how the reason I'm so unorganized is because I'm a creative left brained person and you can't possibly be both left brained and right brained. That's probably not true, but it's what I tell myself every tax season when I realize just how unorganized I am.

Sunday I went with my good friend and bride-to-be Adrienne to check out the progress of and be fitted for her custom made head piece by Doloris Petunia of Santa Monica. Courtney Miller's home/studio was a creative feast for the eyes. It was so fun and inspiring looking at all of her works in progress and hearing about how she got her start and how her business has exploded this past year. She began selling on Etsy but is now selling her one-of-a-kind out of this world cuffs at Anthropologie. I saw photos of her sparkly creations prior to heading up to her studio, but after seeing them in person, I realize that the photos don't do them justice.

Hand sewn and each piece unique...Courtney is the tops when it comes to stylishly creative. (It must take her a long time to do her taxes too...)

View more photos and get more info on Doloris Petunia's Facebook page here.

www.BrittanyStiles.com

Complimentary Design Consultations @ the LA Mart

Some of you know that I've done work with the LA Mart in the past to help promote their sample sales (view slightly embarrassing promo video here). This year they have asked me to be their complimentary design consultant for a day! I think it sounds like a really fun opportunity and I look forward to helping shoppers with their home decor and furnishing selections. Not only can you consult with me for free, but you will also have the opportunity to shop some really amazing deals at the sale. The sale starts April 29 for designer preview day and then is open to the public on Saturday & Sunday, April 30-31.

I will be there to assist shoppers with design advice on the 30th. Remember, consulting at the sample sale is complimentary so it's a great opportunity for anyone who wouldn't normally hire a designer to seek professional interior design advice. For those of you who are thinking about hiring a designer, you can get some insight to see if it would be worth your while in the future and also snag some incredible finds at the sale.



See you on April 30th!

www.BrittanyStiles.com

Oh you fancy huh?

Finish done, upholstery done, everything did...

I love a good make over. Finding inexpensive furnishings from ebay, Craigslist, or thrift stores and turning them into show stopping pieces gives me a lot of design satisfaction. I'm currently helping my oldest sister redecorate her condo which she shares with her husband in Newport Beach. We've been taking some video footage of the process which I will be posting when the downstairs is complete, but until then I wanted to show a little makeover we did on a couple of vintage wood framed chairs acquired from Craigslist that we will be using in her living room.

Before:

Reasons these chairs caught our eye:
*We loved the curved back and how it was divided into 3 sections
*The chairs had great proportions
*We liked the classic detailing on the wood. It was decorative but not too ornate so it will fit in well with the modern-traditional vibe that we are trying to achieve throughout the house.

After:

Make over details:

*We had the finish professionally redone in a satin cream color with slight antiquing in the crevices of the wood carving
*We had the chairs reupholstered in a beautiful crocodile printed leather. We loved the richness of the brown in the hides that we selected and the texture of the crocodile print. We wanted something that would add depth and texture to the room.
*Because my sister was investing so much money into the leather and professional upholstery of this piece, she decided to also have the upholstery shop put new foam inside the seats and backs of the chairs. The foam and padding in the original chairs was actually in pretty good shape, so to save money on a chair make over such as this one, you could always select a less expensive fabric and keep the original foam and padding.

Stay tuned for more updates on the condo and the finished downstairs!

www.BrittanyStiles.com