Family Room Installation, Irvine

While still in the design process during the months leading up to a room installation, I stress and worry over seemingly insignificant details to any non-designer. This list of decisions and worries consists of things such as: getting the wood finish just right on the custom furniture pieces (satin, gloss, high gloss, cerused, bleached, dark stain, light stain, medium stain...); deciding which white paint color works best with our fabric color palette (white-white, grey-white, linen white...); how high or low I should hang the wall sconces above the fireplace mantle (centered at the mirror, slightly above, slightly below); the proper shape of the ottoman to fit the room (square or rectangle); selecting the right faux finish for the fireplace (not too dark and just enough gray), selecting the perfect artwork that compliments the design of the room, but also has interest and meaning for my clients (and don't get me started on the matte and framing options: thickness, color, material, texture...); the list goes on.

But on installation day, when I get to put it all together, all of the little decisions that had to be made leading up to that point, significant or otherwise, all seem to be worth the thought and worry that went in to them. Installation days are hands down my favorite day to be a designer.

Here are some photos of my installation that took place this past week in Irvine, CA. The lighting is bad and doesn't show the colors accurately because the sun was going down when we finished (yes, it was an all day affair), but this will give you a glimpse until I have my photographer come to do a shoot.

Before photo:

A couple of progress photos:

Finished product:

(please excuse the unsightly lamp cord...)

The drapery panels need to stay wrapped at the base for 3 days to ensure that they fall and fold properly...

For interior design services in the Irvine or Orange County area, visit my website, www.BrittanyStiles.com.

Social Media and the Design World

Tomorrow I'll be attending this...

My friend Megan Arquette of Beach Bungalow 8 will be on the panel, yay!

www.BrittanyStiles.com

Art Education

One of my client's just convinced me to become a docent at the Orange County Museum of Art, OCMA for short. She said that she volunteers to docent a couple times a month, but that volunteering comes with 6 months of really great art and art history training; better than any courses she's taken before. She also said that not enough people go to the OCMA or even know about it, so I thought I'd do a little bit of advertising on this little blog of mine.

Along with the standing collections at the OCMA, you can also catch the following exhibits currently on display:

Charles Long: 100 Pounds of Clay

15 Minutes of Fame: Portraits from Ansel Adams to Andy Warhol

New Art for a New Century: Contemporary Acquisitions 2000–2010

The museum is open Wednesday-Sunday from 11 am - 5 pm, and open late until 8 pm on Thursdays. Admission is $12 (Well worth it for a little culture.)

Visit the OCMA website here, and join the OCMA Facebook fan page here.

www.BrittanyStiles.com

Graduation Party

My sister's husband just got his masters degree in sports management, so my sister decided to throw him a little fiesta. She enlisted the help of me and my other sister Mikken, and together we threw a pretty festive party. Melissa wanted to do a vintage baseball theme to go along with Brian's favorite sport and his new found degree, so here's what we came up with...

We printed black and white vintage baseball pictures, posters, and memorabilia on cream paper, combined with other red and blue paper, and then used that for the pendant banners (which are apparently called "bunting" in the crafting world), pendant flags, and we also used scraps of the vintage prints to decoupage the centerpiece pots that we purchased at the thrift store. I arranged some gerbera daisies in the pots and added more pendant flags to add to the baseball theme. Then we added mason jars full of peanuts and licorice to complete the tables. My mom tied the pendant flags into the cupcakes by making miniature ones out of toothpicks (nicely done Mom!).

It was a whole week's worth of crafting, but it was so fun and so worth it! Congrats Brian!

The invitation. I photoshopped over an old baseball ticket...












My sister is quite the baker and she made these adorable baseball bat and ball cookies as a party favor...


www.BrittanyStiles.com

Newport Beach Kitchen Progress 2

I swung by the Newport Beach kitchen (see previous post here) to check progress before I headed to Redondo Beach to drop off the wedding flowers. Things are coming along...




www.BrittanyStiles.com

Newport Beach Kitchen Progress

My contractor is really cookin' on my client's kitchen in Newport, pardon the pun. I gave him the design plans about two weeks ago and the cabinets are already installed! We're just waiting for the doors, counter top, back splash, appliance install, and then the finishing touches on paint and milwork. I know it probably won't look like much in its current state, but I was so excited about the progress so I wanted to share...

Before photos:





CAD plans (same basic layout, but traded the peninsula in for an island):

Where we're at now:

Laguna Design Center Sample Sale

Laguna Design Center
23811 Aliso Creek Road
Laguna Niguel, CA 92677-3906
(949) 643-2929

Read more info on the sale and participating showrooms here.

Photo Shoot 1 of 2

Today was a good day, I got the disc of my photo shoot in the mail! Here is one of the two projects photographed by Stacey Sutherland, a kitchen remodel and family room face-lift. Enjoy!






Before photos: