Online Magazines

How do we feel about them? I can't really decide. Of course I'd rather have an online magazine than no magazine at all, and over the past two years I've had to say good bye to House & Garden, Domino, Southern Accents, and Metropolitan Home. Here are a couple of online magazines that I've checked out recently...

Lonny



Rue



They both have beautiful photos and some great resources and stories, but there's still just something about holding the magazine in your hands and physically flipping through its pages. Not to mention that my little laptop doesn't have the largest screen, so it's not optimal for drooling over interior photos in an online publication.

Some of the plus' are that Lonny has a view setting where you can flip through the magazine with hyperlinks for all of the resources and websites mentioned in the pages. It makes research and design stalking a lot quicker and easier. And both of the magazines have "photo galleries" where they compile all of the fabulous images into neatly organized categories that are easy to search and view. Not to mention, both of these online publications are free :)

At the end of the day, I hope there's room for both online and print magazines in the design world, as they both have their benefits, and I hope that I won't be saying good bye to any more of my printed shelter mags any time soon.

www.BrittanyStiles.com

Newell Turner

Want to learn more about the man taking over House Beautiful? I just came across this 1st Dibs Introspective Magazine issue featuring Newell Turner. Read it here and determine if you think House Beautiful is in good hands.

Changes at Hearst Magazine

I think good things are happening at the Hearst Magazine corporation. Stephen Drucker, who I love, is moving from House Beautiful's editor-in-chief, to editor-in-chief of Town&Country. Newell Turner is being promoted from style director of House Beautiful to editor-in-chief. And Dara Caponigro, former style director of the late great Domino magazine, will now be the editor-in-chief of Veranda. Read the full story here.

I'll miss Stephen at House Beautiful because I think in his 5 years at the magazine he made some significant improvements and it has since become my favorite design publication, but all this means is that I will now have to subscribe to Town&Country as well. And as for Veranda, I'm going to have to resubscribe as I am anxious to see what Dara will do.

Change is good, and I'm looking forward to it!

Thom Filicia @ HD Buttercup

Former Queer Eye and renowned interior designer, Thom Filicia will be introducing his new line of furniture, the Thom Filicia Home Collection, tomorrow at HD Buttercup (March 20, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm). He will also be signing his book Thom Filicia Style and the first 100 people in line will get a free copy!


I dig Thom's style and am excited to check out his new furniture line. I won't be able to make it up to LA tomorrow, but if anyone else does I'd love to hear your feed back.

H.D. Buttercup
3225 Helms Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90034
(310) 558-8900

Saturday, March 20
1:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Here's a sampling of some of Thom's beautiful interiors. He has a great eclectic style with a hint of coastal flair.

Design in a Bag

I got a call from a potential client this morning inquiring about help with her kitchen remodel. She said she had a good start already because she had purchased a "Design in a Bag" that she saw in Better Homes and Gardens. Now she just needed a little guidance and direction in terms of construction, functionality, and implementing the design.

The second I heard "Design in a Bag" my ears perked up because it was an idea my mother had suggested to me about 3 years ago. At the time, my design business was just beginning, which gave me enough to worry about, so I didn't do anything with her idea. But perhaps I should have...

Thanks to google I found Design in a Bag within a couple of minutes of hanging up the phone. Certified kitchen and bath designer, Rebekah Zaveloff, offers several designs in a bag sorted by color scheme or style (classic, vintage, or modern) which you can view and purchase straight from her website, Designinabag.com.

{style: Grayling}
Your Design in a Bag will cost your around $75-$100, and will come complete with specifications for paint color, countertop material, cabinetry finish, and backspash tile, along with 3-D architectural drawings, and a purchasing guide.

{style: Le Muy}
I thought that maybe blogging about Design in a Bag would possibly send potential business elsewhere, but I actually think it's a great place to start for clients who are on a tighter budget. Kitchen design tends to be really involved and many clients will still feel they need assistance with their remodel, but the Design in a Bag can definitely save you time and money on the initial design.

{style: Sheffield}
Visit Better Homes and Gardens blog here to enter to win a free Design in a Bag.

10% off Quadrille

For the month of February Quadrille's LA showroom is offering 10% off of fabrics and wallcoverings. You need to order through a designer, just mention the promotion and you'll receive 10% off your order. Pretty sweet deal. I love Quadrille's different collections. It's the perfect mix of funky sophistication. Here's a sampling of Quadrille's popular fabrics...

{I should add this image to my Pink & Blue post}

Pink and Blue

After all the buzz about Eddie Ross' window design for Bloomingdale's "Big Window Challenge" I've been really into pink and blue rooms. Not really pastels, but more bold shades. Here is a little sampling of Eddie Ross' window design (read more about the process on Eddie's blog, here), along with some other pink and blue rooms that I really love.

{Eddie's window design.}


{Not sure who the designer is, but I love the eclectic vibe and the large pattern on the pink and white pillows.}


{Krista Ewart's dining room, as featured in Domino magazine. I dig that painting and the pom pom trim on the stool.}


{Vignette from House Beautiful. Bringing in pops of pink with flowers is never a bad idea.}


{Ashley Whitaker's killer dining room, also from House Beautiful. Love it!}

Michael Smith and Laguna Beach

I'm trying to highlight Orange County homes that are published in national design publications in my blog. Last week I posted about Melissa Palazzo's fabulous home in Costa Mesa. Today I wanted to post about the home in Laguna Beach that Michael Smith designed the interior for, published in the October issue of House Beautiful. The owner of the home shopped in Europe for antique stone and construction materials, and Michael Smith lent his expertise to make sure the furnishings, lighting, fabric, and accessories blended well with the architecture and hard surface materials of the home. I love the interior design of this Laguna Beach house. The decorative elements don't compete with the strong architectural story, but they definitely enhance the space and make it a sophisticated, cozy place live.





Photos were taken from Michael Smith's website and Fauxology.

Interview with Set Decorator, Beth Rubino

I got a lot of positive feedback on my post about Nancy Meyers' movie sets, so I wanted to mention that The Skirted Round Table just posted their interview with Beth Rubino, the set decorator for "Something's Gotta Give" and "It's Complicated". If you're like me and are interested in the details of how theses beautiful sets came to be, I recommend making your way over to SRT for a listen.

Beth also gives some decorating tips in this weeks People Magazine. Kind of a fun read, see the excerpt below.

Hue by Kelly Wearstler

Love her or hate her, the woman is a genius. I got her new book from my parents for Christmas and I was in awe at every page. Yes, some of the designs are way out there; giving a serious nod to the 80's, but I love it. Her creativity, from the bold colors (or "hues"), to the eccentric pieces of furniture, is so unique and fearless that, even if you don't care for her style, you can't deny her talent.

Here is a sampling of the book, but I highly recommend getting your own copy!

Tortoise shell heaven::


Architectural details, abstract wallcovering, modern mixed with traditional::


Some of my favorite photos were the more neutral interiors that really focused on shape and texture::


I love her use of black and white mixed with metallic golds and bronze::

I love the furniture in this room. Vintage never looked so good::

Vogue Living: Houses, Gardens, People

One of my very thoughtful clients just gave me this Vogue Living book for Christmas. I was beyond excited when I opened it! I have a list about a mile long of design books that I would like to add to my collection, so this checks one off the list. Vogue Living is full of beautiful photos of various homes of artists, designers, and musicians. I love that none of the houses or gardens featured look too planned or too perfect. They all have a very personal and collected feel. Here is a little look inside.




Thanks again Frank & Stephanie!

P.S. Charlotte Moss has a great list of inspirational books (photography, fashion, interiors, etc.) that would be great to give or receive this holiday season. Vogue Living is on the list, along with some other really great picks. Check out the list here.

House Beautiful's "Designers to Watch"

The December/January issue of House Beautiful named 20 up and coming designers to look out for in the future. I was happy to hear that my former boss, Lisa McDennon made the list. Congrats Lisa!

I visited all 20 of the designers' respective websites, perused their work, and then picked out my top 3 favorites. Drum roll please....

{Gary Spain Design}




{Massucco Warner Miller Interior Design}





{Ginger Brewton Interiors}