All White!

I dream of a beach house with this feel. I love personalizing a bedroom with family photographs. The spray painted monogram on the basket is a nice touch along with the great fabric on this armchair.

Photograph courtesy of Domino Magazine

Ideas for an Outdated Room

When I received a call from this very special client, I was excited to help her turn an unused room in her home into her very own home office. Her grandchildren were growing up and she wanted to replace their nursery/playroom with a custom home office space that would be a place where she could not only conduct her extensive charity work but also be a haven to hang out and enjoy a good book. Take a look at what we did together as a team.

BEFORE::

AFTER::

Photograph Copyright 2009 Lauren Loef Interieurs

Photograph Copyright 2009 Lauren Loef Interieurs

Don't Prejudge A Chair By It's Fabric

BEFORE::
No matter what your style is, there's always a place for a great Wing Chair. To be honest, when I first saw the above plaid chair at my client's previous home, my initial thought was, "They don't want to take this chair with them when they move into their new home that I'm designing, do they?" Well it doesn't always happen that way and in this case the chair is a favorite of the grandfather's when he comes to visit the family.

AFTER::

So I set out to reinvent this chair as my personal challenge. My clients were moving from a more traditional home to a transitional custom home so selecting the "appropriate" fabric for the style of furniture became as important as the furniture itself. I asked my upholsterer to change the stain on the chair legs which helped freshen it up. Then I chose a wide-ribbed fabric in a linen tone to add a bit more interest than just a solid linen fabric perhaps would have. I also added a welt around the arm and the sides of the chair to highlight the shape. You can achieve this by using nailheads as well. A welt seemed more appropriate for this chair to keep a softness about it. Voila! It turned out to be one of my favorite chairs in the client's new home. Click on the image for a closer view.

Photograph Copyright 2009 Lauren Loef Interieurs

Add a Splash of Ikat

Staying on the subject of Ikat...it seems to be making it's way all over the fashion and design world. So why not add some throw pillows to your sofa or upholster a side chair to create a bit of drama.

Oscar de la liscious

I recently attended an Oscar de la Renta fashion show at Neiman Marcus Atlanta thanks to my friend, Rebecca, the director of PR. Wow! It doesn't get better than this. Oscar's Resort Collection 2010 was so inspiring and incredible. The beautiful evening gowns were especially amazing and the colors for Spring were energizing.

How clever was the gift that Oscar left us all with....a totally chic ikat cooking apron and Oscar's favorite recipe. Who knew cooking could be so fabulous when donning a stylish apron in the kitchen. Top Chef top that!