Eco Luxury Home Decor: Tips from West Edge Design Fair in Santa Monica, including advice from Celebrity Realtor Madison Hildebrand

What a treat to attend the premier of West Edge Design Fair in Santa Monica at the Barker Hangar! I attended engaging panels and learned about many stunning eco products. I'm excited to share some of it with you.

Hi-Luxe Real Estate: Holding Value in a Dramatic Market" 10.5.13
Moderator: Ann Gray, FORM Magazine

Doug Burdge, AIA, Burdge & Associates Architects; Madison Hildebrand, The Malibu Life, Inc.

Sponsor: Benjamin Moore

One of the panels I attended, was "Hi-Luxe Real Estate: Holding Value in a Dramatic Market". A big takeaway was what top luxury architect Doug Burdge and one of the most esteemed luxury real estate agents in the nation Madison Hildebrand say about what the luxury home buyer wants:

• spaces designed for easy maintenance
• light colored wide plank flooring
• wall-mounted suspended vanities
• recessed baseboard
• radiant heat floors
• no granite

Over 100 exhibitors and so many beautiful eco elegant items!

Shimmering sconces with recycled glass from Astele.

 In a beautiful array of colors and patterns, The New England Collection's rugs are 
handmade with vegetable dyed natural fibers.

 Aviva's textiles are hand dyed and made in small batches with water-based materials, hand mixed dyes, and local materials whenever possible. 

The production results in no toxic waste and they re-purpose everything like taking leftover fabric and turning it into lavender sachets. In addition, the company supports micro businesses and Artisans who supply materials like Alpaca wool.

 Award-winning Egg Collective's timeless designs are sure to be tomorrow's heirlooms 

and are made with responsibly harvested wood.

 Skram Furniture uses responsibly harvested materials 
(like this cork bowl shown in plan view above), non-toxic adhesives 

and industrial-strength, low VOC, water-based polyurethane finishes. 

Plus, their veneered products are formaldehyde-free and made with  

LEED contributing 100% pre-consumer recycled content substrate.

Zia Priven's vintage and antique lighting collection is 

full of rare and whimsical items that are sure to top off any room.

 Satori's Harmony collection actually breaks down formaldehyde in the air! 

Plus, it counts for 1 LEED point and the sand is harvested without damaging the environment.

Ceramist Gregory Miller's organic wall sculpture included a shimmery layer that turned out to be metal filings from a neighboring metalworker, plus eco-friendly blue oxide.

 Mother nature proves again its beauty can't be matched in DLV Designs' L'Oeuf Round Mirror with a hand cracked eggshell finish made with organic eggs!

DIY House Crashers + HGTV Design Wars: Design tips from a Designer behind the scenes (Part 1)

With 2 HGTV Design Wars episodes plus almost 5 DIY House Crashers episodes under my belt (I'm talking a fab wide belt over my vintage men's tuxedo shirt, but I digress), I have learned a lot about how TV and interior design and decor work together. It really does seem like magic, even to me, when it all comes together and the cameras start to roll (phew!). The tight budgets and deadlines actually are a great way for me to brush up on my skills like resourcefulness, creativity and eco materials. Starting today, I'm posting a series where I'll share home design tips and tricks by focusing on a different episode time. Enjoy!

BEFORE DIY's House Crashers Basement Bonus Room in Riverside (HC601)
"Issues include a drab palette and vibe, plus a huge room with no defined areas/functions.""Plus, the fireplace had NEVER been used, per the layer of dust on the fake gas logs."

AFTER DIY's House Crashers Eco Elegant Lounge in Riverside (HC601)
"Aah, I immediately feel calm and want to hang out in all parts of this space."
"The fireplace simply got new tile, shelf removed and old fashioned logs replaced with glass."

BEFORE DIY's House Crashers Basement Bonus Room in Riverside (HC601)
"Would YOU want to play in this cave? Nah, I didn't think so."

AFTER DIY's House Crashers Eco Elegant Lounge in Riverside (HC601)
"Bye bye cave, helloooooo bar!"
"I found the pottery on the shelf in the yard with cobwebs. What treasures do you have?"

DESIGN TIPS FROM HC601
1. Break up a large open space with furniture and flooring to divide up the room to create smaller areas with different functions. Changing from cork floor to reclaimed teak in the area by the sliders and bar helps divide the space. Using brighter yellow paint, even on the ceiling, highlights the bar and clearly separates it from the adjoining area.

2. In a tight area by the fireplace (which was never used until I worked some magic), since no furniture would fit on the floor and allow people to pass by, I suspended a bench in front of the fireplace and it became one of the best features of this makeover!

3. Add luxury without spending boatloads by extending more of the same curtain along a non-window wall, either on a perpendicular wall or more of the same window wall but it must connect/almost touch the curtain covering the windows. Plus, by using up blank wall space, you save money by not having to cover it in art!

4. Think outside the box - there are NO rules! See how silly the old mantle looked on the fireplace? Consider no mantel to maintain a sleek look and allow your wall art to pop!

DESIGN SOURCES

• No VOC paint by YOLO  
• Reclaimed teak floor + swing by IndoTeak
• Reclaimed wood bar, console + trim by E and K Vintage Wood
• Bar counter by Cosentino
• Table by Cliff Spencer Furniture Maker
• Upcycled bar pendants + bowl by Bottlehood
• Pendant and lamp by Zia Priven
• Slider by La Cantina Doors
• Window shades by Blinds ETC
• Flowers by Wisteria Lane Flower Shop
• Pillow by Madison and Grow 
• Colorful painted wall art by Cassandra Tondro
• Mixed media art by Sarah Irvin

"Always fun with the team including Host Josh Temple, Nick Schreiber an Big Table Media!"

Watch the premier of my 4th and latest episode of House Crashers tonight 9pm e/p on the DIY network. Plus, check out my eco elegant Interior Design services on Thumbtack and more of my work and even tips for those looking to hire an Interior Designer! 

entry ideas & inspiration from wynn hotel's encore tower's large scale console vignettes

recently, at west elm in santa monica, i presented the essentials to creating a gracious entry, whether you have a tiny bit of space for a shelf, a chair that doubles as a table, or more room for a console.  before i share a summary of that presentation in a separate post, i'd like to share with you some of my inspiration, this batch of which comes from the encore in vegas, including their luxurious spa.

i love how the wynn design team uses this chunky red rug from natural carpet company for a wall treatment!

this is a great example of a successful colorful arrangement of art and accessories on top of the console.

 try mixing styles like this shiny chrome phone paired with an organic lamp and accessory 

plus dragonflies floating on the wall behind.

found items from nature are fabulous accessories!  

plus, experiment with layering your wall treatment, mirror and accessories and see what works best!

it's all in the details: smart & stunning decorating & design ideas from petit ermitage!

i'm so inspired by the clever details at petit ermitage in west hollywood.  take a look and see what inspires you for your home or business. 

 i love how this charming birdcage takes some of the spotlight away from the less than attractive wall panel.  i'd even add something inside like a candle.

 of course if you have disposable paper products, they should be made with recycled content and eco ink, 

but how about following the lead of the hotel shown above with a special message like lips and hotel phone #!

 sometimes a practical need can provide an opportunity to add just the right detail like 

these beautiful metal wall corner gaurds. 

 another example of how you can use hardware to your advantage as a special design detail like

in the elevator as a corner brace on the wood paneling joining the wall and the ceiling.

this thin metal baseboard is a great solution to the typical 'wood' baseboard 

that comes with some depth and could be a problem in a narrow space. 

 

another great example of embracing what could be seen as something that needs to be covered up. 

this electrical pole is clearly embraced as it's adorned with the same lyrical pattern found inside the hotel.

i just heard from a tile artist, carol francis, i met with her artist husband michael a couple years ago at hd expo, an interior design show for the hospitality market in las vegas and am thrilled to post this update after first sharing their talents with you back then.  first of all, the fact that this is a husband and wife team of artists who started their pottery studio in a thatched cottage in 1980, is just so romantic!  now, their studio francis ceramics, is based in wales and produces traditional delft, custom mural, and contemporary hand-painted tiles which are also eco-friendly!  their client list is extremely impressive and includes kensington palace and nina campbell!  

michael francis hand-painting bespoke tile panel

their recent winter newsletter highlights some recent projects and reminds me how versatile their tile is.  i love how they share in that newsletter, images of the process from start to finish, some of which i share below with you.  enjoy a stroll through this process for a vanity in the VIP restrooms at an exclusive london nightclub, chinawhite.

source material supplied by client

initial layout sketch

artist's isometric impression based on finished tile

finished installation

one of their tile panels for another project that also makes me swoon:

i love how the client's art on the console creates a 3d effect of the mural

eco stunning and affordable holiday gift ideas from unique LA

tons of green goodies for the holidays at unique LA last weekend! 

the 3rd annual independent design + art show providing shopping from 

over 300 independent american designers

selling their wares like fashion, art, stationery, home accessories, and edibles!

and look who's talking about it:

angeleno interiors

rivera magazine

good magazine

daily candy

laist

flavorpill

my top picks include:

made from 95% factory scraps, mostly salvaged leather, 

fahmina gives them new life as hip, sexy and fun cuffs, earrings, necklaces, clutches and belts.

love the hip vibe of the poster list's vintage looking posters 

made with veggie based inks on 40% post consumer waste!

selina vaughan's colorful and useful totes made from vintage seed sacks!

enhance your beauty and even glam it up over the holidays 

with locally made besame cosmetics made using natural ingredients!  

they use teas, botanical oils and antioxidants - oohlala!

their mascara is one of the most natural mascaras on the market today

with only 7 ingredients and is allergy tested and paraben-free!

join unique's facebook page so you're sure to catch the next event!

top eco holiday entertaining decorating tips

how can you spruce up your home for holiday entertaining?  try these easy, affordable and green tips!

Lead guests through your driveway and/or from parking to the main entrance with candlelit lanterns (use non-toxic candles of course!) using what you have even if they don’t match.  Don’t be afraid to mix it up with different styles and sizes!  Or you could rent them from an event rental company or perhaps a local showroom as some offer rental services like Berbere Imports in LA.

designer michael schaible image from architectural digest sep 2008

For something more festive, create a canopy, perhaps between 2 trees, either over the driveway or by the home’s entrance, with strips of fabric torn (better than cutting) from fabric remnants.  Or even just a few strips to sway in the wind to serve as a flag marking a driveway entrance and/or entrance into the house.

from flashdance, a collaboration of wedding vendors

Place a large plant in a planter/container or cluster of them on the ground by the main entrance or a smaller one could sit on a small stool.

from aimee herring at real simple 

Replace an old doormat with something like this coir one made from organic coconut husks, woven by hand.

restoration hardware

Create a gracious entry with a console or for small spaces, a chair with a tray on it or books stacked and coats can even hang on the back of the chair and for even smaller spaces, a shelf.

from erinn V style blog

Add a plant or flowers, a stack colorful coffee table books without paper sleeves, light a candle, group party favors in a large bowl perhaps on the books.  Gifts could be teas, jams, homemade candy, colorful orbs made from recycled magazines woven in traditional bamboo methods or seed orbs which contain a Goat’s Beard bud, picked May through mid August in northern NM, that opens inside a glass orb and reveals 60-80 seeds!

seed shaman places goat's beard buds in orbs which  open up and reveal 60-80 seeds!

upcycled magazine ornaments

for the powder room or guest bath, add an assortment of linen napkins (they don’t need to match) from the kitchen that can be placed in the bathroom for individual hand towels and/or drape a small piece of special linen over the counter.

from the perfect bath blog

Replace everyday soap with a new one, either a special scented liquid soap or a beautiful bar of soap placed in a special dish pulled from the kitchen or dining room.  Add flowers, even just a stem and leaf in a small vase from a large plant in the house or from the yard.  Provide hand lotion and perfume.  And of course, light a candle.

from perfect bath blog

Take throw blankets from bedrooms and drape on a sofa and/or chair.  Be sure to add layers of light and create balance by adding and/or moving floor and table lamps, dimmers and candles.

from interior design sense blog

Have a little firepit inside your home to gather around with family and friends, especially if you don’t have a fireplace to use.  For tabletop or inside the fireplace instead of burning precious wood.  Select one that uses Bioethanol, a wholly renewable source of energy that’s made from agricultural products such as sugar, potatoes, beetroot, and corn.  There are no emissions except for heat, water vapor/steam and low levels of carbon dioxide.  You may even get a tax credit via the US Biomass Tax Credit which allows for a 30% consumer tax credit of up to $1500 per year with purchase before December 31, 2010!

mercer brasa fire

Drape and even layer fabrics, cloths, or even a quilt over part or all of a dining table or even a small side table.  Cluster similar vases/bowls on a dining table, console or shelf.  Dig into your china closet and find little bowls, even a ramekin, or a small cheese tray and display interesting jewelry as a decorative table accessory.

from interior design sense

be creative and have fun!