maison21: decorative but not serious...

m21 has a question for you...

2013-05-20T15:33:00.000-07:00

remind me again? who was it that brought sexy back?

tee hee.

ps: tom + lorenzo panned his look, so maybe i shouldn't bring attention...

photo number one: amy benton
photo number two: getty via tom & lorenzo

betsy burnham design on one kings lane!

2013-05-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

set your calendar alarm for monday evening at 6pm PST because my friend, the talented betsy burnham, is having her first ever one king's lane tag sale! betsy is an amazing designer with an eye for great vintage (we met years ago when she bought some stuff from me) so i guarantee good stuff in her sale! go team burnham!

friendly reminder- i'm on a panel friday at LCDQ #legends2013!

2013-05-08T12:22:00.000-07:00

event is waitlisted, but TRUST ME, if you sign up for the waiting list, you'll get in- it's a big showroom! and if you get hassled at the door, tweet me- i'll come out and pull a big ol' reese witherspoon: "DON'T YOU KNOW WHO I AM?" ;-)

see ya friday at 10:30 in the LCDQ!

one week from today... (LCDQ #legends2013)

2013-05-03T13:32:00.003-07:00

please join me one week from today as i try to be entertaining at 10:30 in the morning! mornings are not my finest hour, but i promise i'll do my best to discuss "reinventing upholstery from earlier eras", and if nothing else, i'll explain to you why i think the 80's are coming back and why you are powerless to stop it. (or whatever else happens to pop into my silly little head).

see you at gina berschneider furniture for LCDQ legends 2013 in one week!!! RSVP here!

happy monday!

2013-04-29T16:43:00.001-07:00

we thought we'd be back to normal around the office today, but we are still playing catch-up from our high point trip plus dealing with all the normal monday BS (ugh), so expect high point posts soon (ish). in the meantime, here's a happy little picture from a project heading to completion...

interior by maison21/christian may. photo: matt armendariz

LCDQLA: legends 2013! (may 8-10)

2013-04-25T14:03:00.002-07:00

today, i am busy getting caught up after my biannual whirlwind trip to high point, but that doesn't mean i'm not thinking ahead to the next flurry of cocktails and design on my calendar, the la cienega design quarters annual "legends" event!

maison21 legends 2012

"legends" is one of my favorite LA events, and if y'all recall, i was one of the window display designers at legends last year and i had a blast! this year, no window for me- too busy- but i'm going to take part in as many panels and parties as my schedule permits, and i'm very excited to see what my fellow LA designer friends like jamie and ron of woodson & rummerfield, and molly luetkemeyer of m design come up with! (you can read about all the fun in my blog recaps of past legends events here).

events are filling up fast, so register today, and i'll see YOU on la cienega, may 8th - 10th!

the last 7 days

2013-04-14T19:22:00.001-07:00

so remember the old saying, if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all?

with that in mind, here is the highlight of my week:

and here are ome cute pictures of pups, kitties, flowers and clouds:

and onward and upward to the next seven... ;-)

los angeles modernism show

2013-04-12T13:35:00.005-07:00

pretty much as soon as my plane lands from highpoint, i'll have to change and get ready for this fab los angeles event! (ok, there is 48 hours in-between, but trust me, with my jet lag, it will feel like the blink of an eye). the los angeles modernism show at barker hanger 4/26-28 is once of my faves as i LOVE modern, particularly of the vintage kind, and the dealers who come to the show always bring their best stuff, so it's fabulousity all around.

i also hope you'll join me for the opening night party on april 25th which benefits PS arts, one of my favorite causes providing art, music and theater funding for underserved public schools- soooooo important in this age of budget cuts! fabulousity and a good cause? you betta be there! get your tix here!

*here's a hint of what's in store, from way back in 2008

and for a recap of this year's show, visit material girls to read what jill has to say!

high point anticipation is heating up! (#HPMKT)

2013-04-10T23:47:00.001-07:00

i can't believe that in just 10 days, i'll be in the the thick of the US home furnishings industry's biggest trade show, high point market (#HPMKT)! and what i really can't believe is that i haven't even posted my pictures from last market! how fast 6 months can fly by...

love HPMKT's new hashtag inspired logo!

this time, imma get smart and make the antique & design center my first stop

so fabulous things like this big ol' brass hippo offered by joel sarvis (a scowters friend), aren't sold before i can get my mitts on them!

brassy goodness- i think this collection is either joel's or stephanie schofield's good stuff. i should have bought it all!

the vintage art offered in the antique and design center is AMAZING, like this piece from gillian bryce fine art

something for everyone- like this steampunky sputnik (dealer's name unknown- i'll get it when i'm in HPMKT)

and my second stop will be to visit my friends at 220 elm, where i am excited to meet my HPMKT sponsors, w. schillig, and give you the full tour of their showroom!

loved the retro inspired ave 62 collection from younger furniture in 220 elm last market, so i'm excited to see what's new.

these colorful pieces from skyline furniture, also caught my eye at 220 elm.

i'll also be visiting my friends at currey and company, where as usual, i will be overwhelmed with all the offerings in their jam-packed showroom. loved this obelisk lamp introduced last market.

and i'll visit cr laine to see whats new and colorful (as well as hopefully chow down on some southern bbq)

of course, i'll have my eyes peeled for brand new sources, like van collier who offered these chic twig inspired wall brackets.

and v rugs and home who offered these terrific graphic pillows.

of course the best part of high point is getting to hang with wonderful people, like the handsome ron woodson, half of the design duo pf woodson and rummerfield. ron and jamie (the other half) just revamped stanley furniture's high point showroom, and i can't wait to see it!

more fab folk- ginna christensen, creative director of marc phillips rugs. yeah, i get to see ginna in LA, but it feels special in high point for some reason!

dictator chic in my HPMKT home away from home, the greensboro sheraton. i am fascinated by this lobby vignette, and can't wait to sip my morning coffee on idi amin's former throne. ;-)

so roll call- who will i see at HPMKT? i know i'll see lots of you, as my twitter and FB feeds are heating up with HPMKT hashtags! can't wait. be sure to say hi if you see me first!

the last 7 days

2013-04-07T18:10:00.000-07:00

i started my week with the most wonderful surprise from designer erika brunson, hand-delivered to my front door!

and ended it with a lovely sunset walk

in-between, i purchased this chic chest for a client form sunbeam vintage in highland park.

while in highland park, i stopped into a new vintage shop, shopclass, where i admired these awesome serape pillows by the brick house.

speaking of pillows, i did some fluffing with a pillow delivery at a clients- love the way these custom pillows turned out!

and more fluffing..

all under the watchful eye of these two sweethearts

checked on custom built-ins at another project (almost ready for tchotchkification).

we also installed this vintage chinois screen- love the colorful florals.

we picked up this antique (ish) federal mirror while junque shopping

and also these amazing 1940's moderne andirons by donald deskey

we also got excited because we are going to see all these lovelies in just two weeks at #HPMKT (moi, Julieann of Create Girl, Jill of Material Girls, Cassandra of Coco + Kelley, Ashlina of The Decorista, Crystal of Rue Magazine, and Katie of The Neo Traditionalist & Matchbook Magazine.

as always, we admired the beauty around us

and we were thankful for our loved ones

and wished we had time for more of this, but were happy for the quality cuddle time we did get...

and how was your week?

***for the entire maison21 experience, follow along on instagram.

teh last 7 days, part deux

2013-04-02T18:00:00.000-07:00

spring has been extra glorious here in LA, so ted and i have been taking long, flower filled walks. i admire the blooms, while ted pees on the stems- hey, we all enjoy beauty in our own special ways. ;-)

my design partner-in-crime, jill seidner, and i, enjoyed a rather fancy poolside party for mary mcdonald's new fabrics , trims and rugs for schumacher.

see? kinda fancy. "chinois palais" made into a screen- the ultimate poolside accessory.

good stuff. "firenze", second from left is a fave from the collection, and that graphic black and white number on the right is going to make some mighty fine pillows one day...

speaking of graphic patterns, my clients and i loved this brand spanking new moroccan inspired flor tile (not even in catalogs, so you are seeing it here first). it's going into a room with charcoal gray walls, so i needed something that reads "light n bright" on the near-ebony wood floors, yet was able to handle the wear and tear of three dogs and a cat. flor to the rescue!

this SUPER-graphic tile was also loved, but just too much for this room. i will use it in the future though- love

i also picked up these 80's-fabulous brass and lacquer nightstands for the same client. i LOVE clients who are adventuresome enough "get" stuff like this- makes me soooooo happy! and the results of being brave and eclectic are always superior to being safe and boring (at least in this designer's book).

next to teh nightstands, we are making a slipcover for their upholstered bed out of the perennials outdoor white fabric and then sewing up some colorful duralee pillows to go with it. so excited.

i ended my week with a drive to san diego to celebrate easter with the family. these peruvian lilies are amongst my favorite spring flowers so i was delighted that they were the centerpiece to the dining table.

i can't believe my youngest niece is off to college in the fall- where does the time go?

ted travels with, so after being gone all day, richard was in a very talkative mood when we got home. i wish he could come too, but he does not travel well. i tried when he was a kitten- never again. ;-)

that was my week- hope you had a good one too!

the last 7 days

2013-04-01T15:36:00.001-07:00

last week was one of those weeks, so i took a few hikes to center myself...

but it wasn't such a stressful week that we didn't repeat our mantra of gratitude while walking ted: i am very lucky to live in such a lovely city, surrounded by beauty everyday (don't let anyone tell you LA is ugly- they just aren't looking in the right places).

speaking of gratitude, we were amazed and overwhelmed on tuesday & wednesday when our facebook feed turned red in support of equality- tears were shed, no lie. we've come a long way, baby, and to know that so many people care and support our struggle for equality is so wonderfully uplifting, words just can't sufficiently express. the battle may not be over, but i feel like we've already won the war, so thank you from the bottom of my heart.

we also spent a couple of very late evenings working on floor plans for a new commission...

and then sought out a little inspiration from my friends at decorative carpets. these new pieced carpets are kinda fantastic. graphically modern, yet traditional, a perfect modern/transistional rug.

i'm always looking for rugs that have enough pattern to hide the sins of wear, yet don't feel "contract-y", so this pattern from decorative which is graphic, yet almost reads solid from a distance is a great choice. plus, you know i loves me some black and white!

on my way home from rug shopping, i almost got into an accident on beverly blvd. when i spotted these chairs in the window of my friend annie's shop, empiric. she already makes my favorite side chair ever, so the addition of this smart retro number to her line makes her my one stop shop for dining chairs! loving the brassy goodness.

another of my favorite things from annie's store is the great line of convex mirrors she carries. i love a round convex mirror as they are an easy way to insert curves into plain square rooms (every room needs straight lines and curves. keeping things too rectilinear always feels harsh and lifeless). the convex reflection also always makes even the smallest space seem bigger, so win-win!

see? i use them all the time!

and here's another in a bungalow i did a while back. oddly, i don't have convex mirror in my own home, so i think i'm going to have to work on that as they are truly one of my favorite decorating staples!

and of course, we'll close the post with my little man, ted, who gives me this look a lot, especially when i'm working hard and don't have time to pet him 24/7 as he would like... ;-)

stay tuned for part deux tomorrow!

happy easter!

2013-03-30T12:39:00.002-07:00

all peeps are created equal.

and i hope all my peeps out there are enjoying the heck out of their holiday weekend. xo.

the last 7 days... (part 2)

2013-03-25T21:07:00.000-07:00

we ran super late to the westweek events we wanted to attend on thursday- due to a plumbing issue which left the water shut off and us unshowered until about 2 pm, hence my look of consternation. grrr.

but late or not, we still made time to stop and smell the beautiful flowers (it's only design, y'all. running a 'lil late ain't gonna kill anyone). ps, i love my beautiful city of angels, especially in spring.

speaking of beautiful, this colorful display in the PDC of quadrille fabrics makes me happy.

these awesome prints by my friends at ferrick-mason are also happy making (represented in the chic thomas lavin showroom); i also love that this lovely line is 100% designed and made with love here in southern california. yay for shopping local!

speaking of thomas lavin, james magni gave a standing room only talk and book signing in the lavin showroom the day before, but alas, i had an appointment and was unable to attend. thank goodness his people set aside a copy of his new book "magni modernism" for me, as the showroom sold out during the signing, so i'm very fortunate to have received my preview copy!

talk about inspring! this glamorous entry way is one of many chic projects featured in the book. i'm really sad i missed mr. magni's talk after thumbing through the volume- i need to soak up everything i can from designers who work on projects of this scale in the hopes it'll rub off on me!

a children's playroom from magni's book. don't know why this one struck in my mind, except it shows that even the most refined designers can stretch a bit, and i also thought this kid's playroom probably had a bigger budget than many entire homes i've done. ;-)

speaking of inspirational designers, i somehow scored an invite to thomas lavin's vendors-only party at his chic hollywood hills home, where i met legendary designer erika brunson for the first time (her furniture collection "erika brunson couture living" is repped by lavin). i totes wanna be like her when i grow up- not only does she design palaces (yes, for reals, palaces), she is also charming, funny, and best of all, donates the profits from her furniture collection to rescue animals, including operating a mobile spay and neuter clinic that services low income neighborhoods. how cool is that? (ps- if you want to see lavin's cool pad in the hills, it's on the newsstands in the lastest issue of interiors magazine. of course, you won't get cocktails and hors d'oeuvres with it like i did).

later in the week, i also went to a packed party at the ralph pucci showroom where i really admired the ruben toledo installation of black and white paintings against bright red walls- it looked so fresh- and pardon the blurry picture, but you know, i had already drank me some wines. ;-)

designer delta wright, photographer john ellis, california home + design editor-in-chief erin feher (sporting the cutest baby bump), moiself, and designer/photographer amy benton, in the pucci showroom. we are all smiling because seconds earlier someone knocked over a kajillion dollar vase and we are all delirously happy it wasn't one of us. ;-)

i ended my week by hiking these steps, up this hill. kicked. my. ass.

but i was so winded, i had plenty of opportunities to stop and admire the native southern california wildflowers blooming everywhere. so pretty. as always, i'm reminded how fortunate i am to live in such a lovely place.

and of course, i ended my week where i am happiest, chilling with the kids.
;-)

the last 7 days, part 1

2013-03-24T21:09:00.002-07:00

i started my week by discovering that j.c. penney is now called jcp, and actually has cute stuff i want to buy. who knew? well, so cal social media superstar jonathan lo of happy mundane knew, as he has been pimping cute jcp stuff on his pinterest boards for ages, which led me to take note, and then discover that hot fashion daddy* nick wooster also knew, as he curated a clothing collection for jcp- of which i bought a couple pieces for practically free!

*hot fashion daddy is a phrase i never thought i'd type as those three simple words NEVER seem to go together, much to my disappointment ;-)

see? i bought this bow tie there, and was particularly proud of myself for successfully tying a bow tie for the first time in my many years on this planet. all my prior attempts ended in tears and frustration, so thanks youtube! normally, i might just keep where i bought my twelve dollar tie to myself, but i'm proud to be able to support j.c. penney as they've been supporting me with their equality-focused ad campaign. love them for that, so please, if you are looking for somewhere to buy cute high-style yet mass market-priced fashion and housewares, find a jcp and spend away!

i wore my equality tie to a couple of cool parties to kick off westweek, the pacific design center's annual spring market, including a soiree at the beautiful janet yonaty showroom hosted by my friends at california home + design where i laughed and gorged on prosecco and chocolate-covered strawberries. rough life, right?

i also attended another packed house at michael smith's jasper showroom the same evening. i was super bummed i didn't get a picture with teh delightful amanda nisbet , who i had the pleasure of meeting for the first time that evening. she and i discussed our mutual friend (and her former employee) the very talented maggie waltemath, of vibrance + chaos. maggie is a designer to watch, as though she is just starting out, i have a feeling i might end up working for her one day! and while i didn't get a picture with my new friend amanda, i did get a picture of a woman in an awesome hat with crow's wings, so that was almost as good.

westweek is all about the introduction of new fabrics and merchandise from our favorite industry sources, and though these fab velvety outdoor chenilles from donghia aren't new additions to their line, i still used my time wisely while in the showroom to pull a few samples for a future project. how amazing will these be as pillows on white chaise lounges surrounding a blue pool? oh yeah, donghia also had a party to celebrate their sponsorship of this year's los angeles antiques show in october (at a new location!) so that is exciting too. last year's show was great, so i can't wait for this year to be even better.

kneedler fauchere had a party to celebrate 65 years in business, and in-between ogling the hot waiters they hired, i was captivated by this hand painted and lacquered wallpaper from dessin fournir. the lacquering and layered painting and gilding technique really sets it apart from some of the other hand-painted papers on the market. always nice to have more options!

the PDC also has several art galleries housed inside, and i had to stop i to the see line gallery because this colorful and unusual canvas by christopher cichocki caught my eye. scorched earth reinterpreted in unearthly colors = my kind of thing.

this painting by tyler vlahovich at wharton + espinosa also grabbed my atttention as i was walking by. love.

one of my favorite things was installation of 5 large "optic cloud" sculptures in the lobby by local architecture firm predock frane. good job, john!

of course the week wasn't all art openings, fabric shopping, and parties, lots of boring paperwork in the office was accomplished as well (ick), but sometimes our work isn't so boring- like when we get to go an a field trip to warner brothers studio facilities to work with their production people on a furniture piece we are having made...

at warner bros, i didn't just look at art, i made some! (detail of a mixed media assemblage panel i'm conspiring on). 20 bazillion years ago, i went to art school to make furniture before i decided that being a craftperson was not my forte and switched to interior design... so to be able to make art, that will be turned into furniture, for an interior design project is a full-circle bonus moment, and i'm incredibly gratified. i may bitch sometimes, but really, my job is awesome. :-)

and of course, even with all this going on, there was still time to cuddle with teh ones i love. ted's little pink tongue is just the cutest thing in the whole wide word, innit?

stay tuned for the last 7 days part deux!

everything old is new again (a designer's eye at the getty villa)

2013-03-21T13:08:00.000-07:00

last weekend, the talented, scott tjaden, one of st. louis' top designers was visiting LA, and that proved a perfect opportunity for two interior designers who were facebook friends to become IRL friends. we spent an afternoon together surveying the fabulous collection of roman antiquities at the getty villa in malibu, and naturally, my eye went to the timeless design of many of the objects in the collection. here's my brief pictorial overview of ancient modernism:

proof that chunky jewelry is a timeless look

i think i saw this in the made goods booth at high point last market

and this vessel could easily be in the kelly wearstlers's home accessories line

z gallerie brass tchotchke, or priceless ancient roman figurine?

is this fab pendant circa 1960 or AD 60?

do you think charles & ray eames based their iconic shell chair on a ancient roman design?

marble mosaic has proven to be a timeless classic

2000 years of klassic klismos

classic modernist form, 2000 years old.

i want this glass serpent for my desk.

and here i thought the w hotels invented backlighting onyx, but it was actually the ancient romans! (ok, this isn't ancient but it cracked me up nonetheless)

i swear i saw this bowl at barney's just last week

and last, here's to centuries of indoor/outdoor living and relaxing water features:

Getty fountain vine.co/v/bdLK7h21aD7
— christian may (@maison21) March 17, 2013

the last 7 days, part II

2013-03-17T20:00:00.000-07:00

i started out my week looking at very modern statues of giant animals at robert kuo

and ended it looking at giant statues of ancient gods and goddesses at the getty villa

in between, i marveled my my good fortune to live in paradise

where natures's colorful beauty abounds 365 days of the year

i also visited janet yonaty inc. on melrose, where nature inspired these colorful luigi bevilacqua animal velvets

while there, i literally gasped at the intense colors of this chinoiserie wallcovering by fromental- i want to line a room with this, and then put in nothing but white & chrome modernist furniture...

and this orange malachite inspired fromental wallpaper will be used in a project soon- as god is my witness! so hot. thanks for pulling it out to show me, holly!

i had a dinner meeting at toritillia republic (i am addicted to their jalapeno margaritas) with public relations guru, tamar mashigian, where we laughed and gossiped, all the while plotting world domination...

and reminisced about the evening tamar put together at chic new woven accents showroom the week before- where i had the opportunity to spend time with a few of my favorite LA peeps, disney imagineer (and artist), katrina mosher, and tracy hiner, goddess of wallpaper at black crow studios (not to mention zak graff, of ensemble zkg, who was just out of camera range). teh four of us had dinner afterwards- and drank more of those tasty margaritas- again, while laughing and gossiping and plotting world domination...

and last, spent some quality time with the ones i love. this extended paw on the staircase means "please play with me". so i did:

richard #cat #catplaying #catvideo vine.co/v/bdTiJQxF6E7
— christian may (@maison21) March 15, 2013

***for the 1st half of this post, click here and for the unedited, uncut, straight up version of my week in instagrams, follow my feed here.

the last 7 days...

2013-03-16T20:36:00.003-07:00

ted and i took a beautiful drive to visit family in san diego

where our SIL made us a russian-themed dinner of blinis, creme fraiche & caviar (and maybe some vodka shots between courses ;-)

ted took some time to smell the flowers ;-)

we reveled in our our longer days, but our mornings were a wreck as we tried to adjust...

we listed to our inner junque whisperer, and made a quick stop at a consignment store where we found this dorothy draper beauty (in the marketplace if anyone is interested)

i got a new weave, courtesy of ms. pamela payne

ted got pretty too, after we gave him a bath

stopped into nicky rising ltd for some fabric inspiration, like this carleton V indoor/outdoor flamestitch fabric

but as usual, was distracted by some de gournay goodness. *sigh*

and left nicky rising haunted by this tulu embroidered fabric- need to use it!

and was dumbstruck by nature- the best colorist.

we have a part 2 coming up this week- stay tuned...

*** all photos pulled from the maison21 instagram feed- follow along for even more fun!

designer inspiration: du verre hardware, brutalism, silas seandel, and blogtour london

2013-03-14T13:29:00.000-07:00

i recently purchased a 1970's brutalist lane dresser for a client (above from 1stdibs, mine purchased locally at sunbeam vintage), and i couldn't be more in love with it. in fact, both my clients and i are so inspired by it, we are having a a dining table base custom-made in the same style by warner brothers studio facilities. in a few weeks, a real life version of the below sketch will have sprung to life, and be living in my client's dining room (with a bronze tinted glass top):

of course, both 1970's lane, and 2013 maison21 are drawing on famed furniture maker and artist, paul evans, who worked with metal to turn furniture into sculpture and was pioneer of a 1970's decorative arts movement called "brutalism" (a more "decorative" version of the harsh but concrete-cool brutalist movement in architecture around the same period).

paul evans cabinet at sebastian + barquet

brutalist furniture and sculpture is one of my favorite things in the whole wide world, but not every project can use such a strong statement, so when brainstorming for another project, i remembered the fabulous jewelry-like hardware from du verre. du verre was one of the sponsors of my modenus blogtour london trip last fall, and as always, when introduced to new design partnerships during such events, they have been firmly lodged into my brain for use in a future project and now i think i have the right opportunity! thanks modenus for reintroducing me to du verre so they could be my inspiration for the cabinetry in my project.

these sculptural "offset" collection pulls will look fabulous on the ivory lacquer and walnut cabinetry i'm envisioning- jsut hte right hint of brutalism to keep from being boring...

as would "rio"

or "kuba"

or even this simpler "forged 3" for just a hint of brutal style.

table base my modern metal master, sila seandel.

and if you are interested in investing in a true handmade work of art, sculptor silas seandel, has been creating works, many in a "brutalist" style, of out of NYC for over 50 years and is still producing amazing pieces, like the bronze table base above. if you love abstract metal sculpture, take a spin around this living legend's website- there are some spectacular pieces in production, and he still handcrafts custom work- loads of design inspiration! can't wait to feature some of his new or vintage work in a future project...

vintage silas seandel at todd merrill

last call for entries! FREE, signed "john robshaw prints" book!

2013-03-11T14:29:00.004-07:00

if you haven't entered, by sure to get your entires in for a FREE signed copy of "john robshaw prints" courtesy of my friends at duralee!

mr robshaw with alissa from "the goods" and myself, at a "meet n greet" last year in the duralee showroom.

a couple selections from mr. robshaw's latest collection for duralee

a Rafflecopter giveaway

the last seven days

2013-03-08T18:32:00.000-08:00

in what may or may not become a regular feature here at maison21, at the close of every week, i'm going to repost some instagram highlights from the last seven days (more or less- i think i might have nine days here). i see and do so many fabulous things over the course of my week, why not share them one last time? but don't worry, i'm not going to share everything with you, cuz if i shared the reality that 90% of my week was spent in the office writing PO's, submitting invoices, sending follow-up emails, and making phone calls, you'd get the idea that interior design isn't glamorous at all, and that's the last thing we want to do. ;-) so just the fun, pretty, chic or cute bits of our week. enjoy.

we relaxed around the house a bit

and sat in the sun

enjoyed a groovy lunch and viewed new product at natural curiosities with my lovely friend, ginna christensen, creative director for marc phillips rugs.

tried a cute new artisan ice creamery in the 'hood, carmela's. my friend, kathy's fab frenchy-french shop, vintageweave, is right next door and she's been raving about it. and when kathy raves about something, i pay attention- girlfriend is in the know.

did some shopping for accessories at the ok store, amongst others in the 'hood (love to shop local!)

visited my friend, emily henderson, who was hosting an etsy pop-up shop at teh west elm store

where we saw these adorable baby things (ps- we LOVE buying handmade and supporting artisans & small business owners)

went to a chic dinner at designer michael berman's glamorous home

took a hike in teh great outdoors

went to a party at woven accents, where i fell in love with these shaggy beni ourain style moroccan rugs

went to a glammy dinner hosted by duralee fabrics, where i laughed until my sides hurt, courtesy of tobi fairley, amongst other delightful guests.

went to cost plus just to see what they had and couldn't resist styling this vignette (designers, can't take them anywhere) leather butterfly chair, $199, printed purlap pillow, $25, flokati, $99, and fakey african table, $149

took some walks in teh rain with ted when the weather turned

and finally, hosted a giveaway for a chic john robshaw book on the blog (thanks duralee!) ps- have you entered?

duralee john robshaw book giveaway! (lucky me, lucky you!)

2013-03-06T23:07:00.000-08:00

the last few days have been rather extraordinarily fun- as many of you know, there was a design blogger's conference here in los angeles, and though i didn't attend the conference (have to work and pay the bills!), i was lucky enough to be invited to some chic parties, dinners and events surrounding the conference. seriously- lucky me- amongst them was a fabulous dinner at one's of LA's top designers, michael berman's glam home (we'll be taking a field trip to his new "bronze studio" on beverly soon), as well as an incredibly fun dinner hosted by duralee at the chateau marmont (one of my fave LA places).

glammy!

fancy!

now i ain't laying out these dinners as a humble brag, i know just how fortunate i am be invited to these events, and part of that reason is because of you, my dear readers, who keep visiting here day after day, year after year. if it wasn't for you, i would have had been goin' thru the in n' out drive thru monday night instead of attending a glam chateau marmont dinner hosted by one of my favorite fabric houses. as you are also probably aware, duralee has a partnership with design heartthrob, john robshaw, and so at the dinner, we were each given a signed copy of his book, "john robshaw prints", and here's where the lucky me, lucky you, comes in- you have a chance to win a *signed* copy of the book for your very own!

pretty!

signed!

so how do you win? simply like duralee and maison21 on facebook via rafflecopter (if you've already "liked" us you can still enter), and then get an extra entry if you tweet to your friends about the contest! easy peasy!

thanks, and good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

black crow studios & tracy hiner (things we love)

2013-02-28T00:45:00.001-08:00

not so far back, i gave a shout out post of gratitude to the good people at grace home furnishings for supplying me with that amazing screen for my LCDQ window last may, but i only thanked half of the peeps responsible for the beautiful screen. today it's time to thank the other half, tracy hiner and black crow studios (only a year later... but hey, better late than never ;-)

tracy in front of her beautiful wallpaper. not only is she pretty and wildly talented, she's just totally awesome and one of my favorite people.

i met tracy a couple years back and instantly liked her (she's dog people after all- if you are one too, you know that carries a lot of weight), and though i knew she did some cool wallpaper, i only saw some smaller scale samples of her work, and i sort filed her wallpaper away as "someday, i'd like to use that". it wasn't until i saw a full room installation by wendy schwartz at the greystone mansion de luxe showhouse did "someday" turn into "if i don't get to use that amazing wallpaper TODAY, i might die". melodramatic, yes, but seriously, i was that excited about it, and you know us designers, we can be slightly melodramatic at times. (ok, all the time...)

wendy schwartz at the maison de luxe showhouse.

so when asked to do a window for the legends 2012 event a few months later, i knew exactly what i wanted to use- some kick ass black crow studios wall paper! only problem was is that i had no actual walls for wallpaper, hence the idea of an 8 foot tall screen to create a wall where there was none. i also knew i wanted to use sunshine and swimming pools for my color inspiration, so using tracy's watercolor wallpaper in beautiful blues was a no brainer. the rest was sheer delight...

more black crow studios wallpaper in a beautiful room by the talented eileen kathryn boyd

after tracy and i talked about my concept, and she agreed to generously supply me with her paper for my window, i sent her a schematic of my screen and she sent me back a bunch of sample layouts to choose from. which wasn't easy to do- they all looked fantastic.

this was my favorite, but i decided it wouldn't effectively convey the water theme, since it looks more like an impressionist masterpiece. someday, i'm going to recreate the screen for my own home and use this layout. i freaking love it and still, a year later, dream about it.

this was the layout selected. watery and beautiful, and would read really nicely from the street- not of small importance for a widow display.

then, a few weeks later, tracy delivered my wallpaper, and even helped me apply it to my screen!

the raw screen from grace home.

tracy used a self-adhesive, removable and repositional vinyl for the panels.

so easy, even a monkey could do it!

and taa-daa! the screen was finished, about 45 minutes later. would have been faster, but i'm a talker.
;-)

tracy and have since collaborated again on the original "memphis" wallpaper for my california home + design show house bath, and i can't wait to collaborate again and again in the future. she's a genius at what she does, and that inspires me to step up to the bar when i work with her- the results are always magic. keep an eye on black crow studios- i have a feeling the best is yet to come! and thank you tracy- your support and friendship is amazing! xo.

black crow studios collaboration #1

black crow studios collaboration #2- with many more to come! (photo by john ellis)

house beautiful's “beautiful in black & white” chair scavenger hunt & free giveaway!

2013-02-24T15:32:00.002-08:00

in celebration of house beautiful's march "color combinations" issue, editor-in-chief, newell turner, will be launching house beautiful's fourth annual chair scavenger hunt right here in LA! giving you the chance to win one of 20 fabulous chairs by following along on twitter to be the first to find a chair hidden at one of various locations throughout the city of angels.

since LA is home to hollywood, HB decided to incorporate a movie theme "beautiful in black and white" to their hunt this year, with 20 two-tone chairs by some of the top names in the industry to be given away. when i saw my chair, bernhardt's sleek 1930's inspired "connor chair", i was instantly reminded of the fabulous deco/streamline moderne sets of the films of fred astaire and ginger rogers, particularly "the gay divorcee". i mean look at the all the zebra in the GIF below! ok, i admit i also just loved the irony of the title and wanted to use it. so sue me. ;-)

so how do you win this fabulous chair? simply follow @housebeautiful and the hashtag #hbchairs on twitter. on march 5th, i'll be tweeting clues about where you can find this fabulous chair to be placed somewhere in LA on march 6th or 7th, and house beautiful will be retweeting them to the world at large with teh hastag #hbchairs, so watch their feed like a hawk!

hollywood glamor, black and white goodness, house beautiful, maison21 and a totally gorgeous (and expensive) ABSOLUTELY FREE bernhardt chair. how can you resist?

to recap on how to win a chair, here's the official rules, stolen from my delightful friend, jennifer mehditash, of dec-a-porter fame. (she said it so well, why reinvent the wheel? and funnily enough, she also chose fred & ginger as her inspiration too... my plagiarism was meant to be).

It's as easy as 1 -2 3 to be part of the "House Beautiful Scavenger Hunt" &

here’s how it works:

Follow @HouseBeautiful on Twitter for clues about where to find and win “your” chair in LA between March 6th - 7th.
Make sure to follow ME on twitter @maison21 and on March 5th, m21 will share the much needed clues on where to find this chair using the hashtag #hbchairs
Stay tuned for House Beautiful's Pinterest Contest in which you will be asked to include at least one pin from this post!!
Follow us both on Pinterest too -> maison21 and House Beautiful

and i'll see you on the streets of hollywood! let's win some chairs!

1. connor chair, via bernhardt
2. gif via "everyone says i love you"
3. still via "2nd floor living"

it's in the details (what a difference a lil fabric makes)

2013-02-21T12:47:00.000-08:00

i know i said i was going to stop publishing photos of this project, but i can't help myself. each layer we add in just gets me more and more excited. this week, we had designer's resource of the south bay out to install some curtains and cushions they whipped up for us, and i just can't stop staring at the instagrams i snapped. what a difference a lil fabric makes!

no. 9 thompson 'seabra' for curtains. i showed matt and adam several options for curtain fabric, but this was"the one" and i would have been crushed if they didn't select it. thank goodness, when they saw it, there was no question. the hardware i specified in oil rubbed bronze to go with the old world vibe of the spanish revival architecture, but kept things modern with flat cap finials and tailored grommet tops. i love grommet tops as they make big fat loose folds to highlight the fabric, but are still clean and modern. props to john baker at kneedler-fauchere for making the yardage i needed happen- he went the extra mile.

in the dining room, we layered kravet "jethro" over classique tortoiseshell matchstick blinds. exotic and cool (if i don't say so myself).

the breakfast nook cushions are two flavors of perennials indoor/outdoor fabric. we also have a chic blue & white duralee "suburban home" ikat for roman shades in the room, but a pic of that will have to wait until the big reveal. suburban home has tons of fresh prints at insanely good price points, btw- you can see what we selected in a prior sneek peek post here.

and of course, my favorite detail, two coordinating dog beds for 3 tiny chihuahuas and one lazy cat. ted and richard are demanding upgrades here at the atelier now that they've seen this.