I was talking to a friend last week who is building a new home for himself and his family. It’s fairly contemporary in style but their current home is traditional. He was saying how he’s most worried about their furniture not looking like it belongs in the new house. With all the expenses of building a house, the budget for new furniture just isn’t there. This got me thinking about interior design and the cost involved. I’ve never personally used an interior designer as I’ve always enjoyed the process of designing my own spaces. That’s not to say there’s no need for anyone to hire one! A good designer can help you discover a style that you love and will work best for you and your lifestyle. If you’re looking for that kind of guidance and can afford it, by all means, hire an interior designer. However, I can guarantee you that if you have the time and gumption, you can create an amazing interior on your own without breaking the bank.

I’ve put together a list of my own personal strategies for finding the best deals and getting rid of the stuff you no longer like. Go forth and decorate!

Craigslist and Ebay are your new BFFs – It’s amazing what people will buy (and sell) on Craigslist. I’ve moved more times than I’d like to admit, and every time I do, there is furniture that just doesn’t fit in my new home, either physically or stylistically. Take my advice and just post everything you no longer want. Be sure to include the brand (West Elm, Pottery Barn, Ikea) in the title and add a link to the item on the brand’s website if it’s still being sold. Include lots of high quality photos. Don’t get greedy with the price. If I’m selling a table that I bought two years ago for $200 that’s in good condition, I’ll ask for $100. You’d be surprised at the amount of people who have seen that table in the store or online and are now searching for one on Craigslist for a better price. They are getting it for half off! On the flip side, YOU can be the winner here and find that CB2 sofa you’ve been eyeing for a sweet deal. Enjoy, but please be smart. If someone sounds shady in their reply to you, they probably are. DO NOT meet someone from Craigslist alone. I’ve never had a bad experience, but better safe than sorry. Right? Ebay is best for the high ticket items like that Roche Bobois sofa you spent way too much money on in a moment of delusion. DWR, Modernica, Herman Miller, Knoll…people are searching for all of these on Ebay at this very moment. Get rid of it!

Move Loot – First, I have to state that I have no personal experience with this site/app, but it looks like a pretty cool concept. You can sell OR buy all from one interface and Move Loot handles the delivery. Seems worth a shot!

 

 

 

 

 

Sales, sales, sales! – We all have our go to stores that we love. However, there is NO REASON to pay full price for anything. Ever. They all have sales around every holiday or at the end of a season. The best way to stay up to date on sales is by registering for their emails. I know, more spam in your inbox is the last thing you need, but on most sites, just by signing up, you get 10-20% off your first purchase online. I also like to bookmark the sale pages on my favorite sites and take a look every couple of days to see what’s new. Here are a few of my bookmarks:

Anthropologie             

CB2

Horchow

Serena and Lily

Calypso St. Barth

One King’s Lane

Room and Board

Deals, deals, deals! – There are more of these sites out there right now than I can even comprehend. You know the ones. I’m not always a huge fan, but there are some bargains to be had. A few of my favorites:

Gilt               

Haute Look

Rue La La

Dot and Bo

 

 

The places you would least expect – Did you know that H&M sells housewares? Or that PB Teen carries some really cool shit? Land of Nod sells beautiful lighting fixtures for under $200. Check out these sites and trust me, nobody will know your curtains were marketed to college students decorating their dorm rooms. Plus, you will be getting some great deals.

H&M Home        

PB Teen

Urban Outfitters

Land of Nod

 

Shop local but do it smart – In LA we have H.D. Buttercup and in NY they have ABC Carpet & Home. Both carry an amazing selection of home furnishings at a pretty penny. However, H.D. Buttercup has a twice annual sale where everything in the store is up to 70% off. Call your local stores to find out when they are having a sale.

It may take some time and persistence, but YOU CAN create a home that you’re proud of.

Have fun!

 

 

 

 

 

Back in 2007, during the house flipping craze, homes all over LA were bought and then cheaply “renovated” before going back on the market a month later for double the price. Having spent the good part of a year searching for a mid-century modern home within our price range and being outbid on some homes we adored, we finally settled on the home we currently live in. It’s architecturally interesting but not by a “named” architect. The exterior of the home is fairly original, but not the interior. Tragically, the man who flipped the home stripped out every original detail of the interior. The mid-century finishings I longed for were in a dump somewhere and meanwhile, the interior had been replaced with a minimalist, contemporary style (i.e. a lot of IKEA). The new kitchen was decent with walnut cabinets, a white Caesarstone countertop,  and mid-range stainless steel appliances. We lived with it for four years, then leased the house out to tenants for 3 years. In that time, the walnut cabinets we were told were solid stated to peel their veneer. Strange design choices and “cheeped out” details bore their ugly heads. 

Before moving back into this home in September 2015, we knew we had to fix many of the problems from the flip, starting with the kitchen. With minimal light in that section of the home and black slate floors from the flip, which we didn’t want to deal with changing out, I determined a white lacquer cabinet would be a big improvement. Bye bye dark walnut. Walnut veneer that is. I worked with a custom cabinet maker to design a kitchen that would work best for the small space.

I can’t lie. I’m a sucker for trends and brushed brass hardware on white lacquer makes me happy. These particular drawer handles and pulls are from the Lewis Dolan Bar Series.

I don’t know about you but I am so tired of stainless steel. Especially, large industrial looking refrigerators and stoves. They remind me of Escalades and Hummers. Unnecessary and showy. Luckily you see less and less of those cars on the road and hopefully kitchen appliances will follow suit. Needless to say, I went with a custom panel refrigerator and dishwasher from Miele. I have not been disappointed. I’ve had Miele dishwashers before and loved the quality and look so much, I decided to go with all Miele appliances, with one exception. We needed a specific size drawer microwave to fit in out existing island footprint (again, didn’t want to deal with the floors) and this one by Wolf was a perfect fit. It’s an amazing space saver to boot.

Countertops were a no brainer. I’ve loved carrara marble for as long as I can remember. I chose a slab with soft grey veins and decided on a waterfall installation on the island. The kitchen island is literally in the middle of the house so it needed to be a decorative centerpiece as opposed to purely functional. The only problem with carrara marble is that it’s extremely porous. The smallest drop of oil or red wine will soak into the stone and it’s nearly impossible to remove the stains. Luckily, I had learned of a protectant called Tuff Skin from a friend who had also recently used carrara marble. This is a miracle product. It’s essentially the film that they use to tint windows on cars except it’s clear. You can spill anything on your marble and have no issues. It’s virtually impossible to see. If I didn’t tell you it was there, you would probably never know.

To carry over the brushed brass on the drawer pulls, I chose a kitchen faucet with cross handles and a sprayer from Newport Brass. The sink is an Allia fireclay undermount. It’s wide and deep so piled up dishes are rarely visible.

A final touch of brushed brass can be found in the pendant light hanging over the sink. I found this one at Rejuvenation. It’s called Cedar and Moss, which is confusing since there is another lighting company that is named Cedar and Moss who makes incredible fixtures, but I digress.

The walnut is not 100% gone! We needed some more shelving but didn’t want to clutter the small space with more cabinets so we chose to go with simple shelving on either side of the window.

All that white required a pop of color. My grandmother had a turquoise kitchen which I loved. Turquoise has always been my favorite color and the color is synonymous with midcentury color palates. I hadn’t decided on turquoise until I had a kismet moment at the Heath Ceramics factory in Sausalito. You may recall from my previous blog post that I have a small obsession with Heath Ceramics. While visiting a good friend in the Bay Area, we made a side trip to the Heath factory where they sell factory seconds and overstock at pennies to the dollar of the regular price. I knew I had a small backsplash to tile and hoped I might find something there for it. After being lead into a magical shed behind the main factory building, I discovered this matte turquoise custom 2×6 tile. For a mere $60, I was able to buy more than enough square footage. I did have to borrow a second carry on from my friend and carry 100+ lbs of tile on the plane home but as you can see, it was worth it.

 

For years I’ve been hearing about the famous Clifton’s Cafeteria in downtown Los Angeles. One of several southern California cafeterias owned by the Clinton family, each with a theme decor, Clifton’s Brookdale opened in 1932 on Broadway. Since this is a design blog, not a history blog, I’ll spare you the historical details and direct you to this article if you’d like to learn more about the fascinating timeline of Clifton’s past. I highly recommend it.

Clifton’s was barely operating in the past decade but was purchased by Andrew Meieran in 2010 with the intention to bring it back to it’s original grandeur. Meieran reportedly spent 10 million over the past five years restoring Clifton’s. It reopened on October 1st to crowds of long-time patrons and newbies like myself. This past weekend, I finally made it downtown to experience it for myself.

The original Terrazzo sidewalk outside the main entrance promotes Los Angeles landmarks and industry.

The first floor dining room has been recognized by the Los Angeles Conservancy for it’s preservation of original details, including columns made from actual redwoods and mural wallpaper.

No time to hit up the Natural History Museum? Taxidermy is everywhere at Clifton’s.

Miniature models of wilderness scenes are hidden throughout, like this one housed in an old television set.

Art Deco elements like these sunbursts on the second floor bar recall the era in which Clifton’s was born.

And finally, the tree. The centerpiece of the establishment. Four stories tall and menacing. The base of the tree if a gas fireplace which is surrounded by lounge seating for both bar and cafeteria customers.

 

One of the best things about Los Angeles is the variety of architectural styles. From Santa Monica to Pasadena you’ll find amazing examples of Spanish colonial revival, storybook, mid-century modern, French Normandy, tudor, and of course American craftsman style.

I’m embarrassed to admit that last week was my first time visiting Greene & Greene’s Gamble house in Pasadena. Built from 1907-1909 for David Berry Gamble of Proctor and Gamble, it served as a summer home for the family whose main residence was in Ohio.

American Craftsman architecture was highly influenced by Swiss chalet and Japanese temple architecture. In a revolt from the small, stuffy rooms in Victorian homes, craftmans like this tend to have open living spaces and wide hallways. What is so special about this house, is that it was built by hand using 17 species of wood. Each window itself is a piece of fine art glass.

Lucky for us, the family gifted the home to the government and it was added to the nation register of historic places in 1971 and declared a national historic landmark in 1977. Docent tours are held seven days a week, so if you are in the area, do not miss a chance to see this masterpiece. Interior photography is not allowed, hence all my exterior shots. For images of the interior, visit the Gamble House website.

   

Ah, Heath Ceramics. Where to begin…

When we first began thinking about the work we wanted to do on our house, adding ceramic tile from Heath was at the top of our list. Started in San Francisco in 1948 by ceramicist Edith Heath, Heath quickly became known for their range of shapes and beautiful glazes in their pottery. In 1960 they opened their factory in Sausalito and in 1969 started experimenting with tile and it’s function as building material.

In July, I was lucky enough to visit the Heath factory and showroom in Sausalito. Here are some photos from my visit.

The best part about the factory is the shed in the back where they sell tile overstock and seconds for a fraction of the normal cost. I had a small kitchen backsplash for which I needed tile and was hoping to find a great deal here. As luck would have it, I did! For a mere $60, I walked out of there with 30sf of this custom, handmade turquoise tile.

And here it is installed…

The only downside is that they will not ship overstock tile, so I had to divide the very heavy tile between two carry-ons and take it home on the plane with me and my five year old daughter, who was no help by the way. In the end, it was worth all the effort as this tile would normally go for about $30 per linear foot.

It’s a good thing I found a bargain for the backsplash because the fireplace was another story. We could have invested in a painting, or designer furniture, but instead we splurged on a custom Heath tile installation on the face of our fireplace. After a few trips to the LA showroom, we decided on Dimensional, made-to-order tile in bowtie and diamond shapes. Installed together, they create an eye-catching modern pattern. With over 90 glazes to choose from, we went with a layered glaze in chalk-gunmetal.

Since each tile is made by hand, the lead time was a couple of months. It felt like Christmas morning when the tile finally arrived. With the nature of this tile being difficult to install, we had to locate an installer who had experience with Heath or handmade tile. We went with Sam the Tile Man who installed the Heath showroom in LA. He was very professional and the finished product turned out as beautiful as we had imagined.

Here are some images of the installation.

And here is the finished product.

If you’re interested in learning more about Heath Ceramics, go to their website or checkout a showroom in LA or San Francisco.

Jess

One benefit to living is Los Angeles is the access to many Estate Sales. Estate Sales are essentially really great garage sales in which every item in the home is for sale. Companies are hired by families of recently deceased, or incapacitated people who can no longer live at home, to clear a house before it’s put on the market. Given the nature of these sales, they can be very hit or miss. One I attended a few weeks ago in Brentwood, which was advertised as a fashion designer’s estate, consisted of mostly junk, some wigs, and old cat litter boxes. The one I went to today however was incredible! It was in Beverly Hills in a small 1970s Spanish contemporary home (think lots of stucco and metal railings). Although the home itself was nothing impressive, the contents were amazing. Loads of vintage Moroccan rugs, mid-century teak furniture, textile wall hangings, and art filled the place. Two lucite and blue velvet upholstered chairs by Lawson-Fenning were the icing on the cake, but the price tag of $1000 for the pair was too much for me. The first day of an estate sale is not the time to find bargains. The high ticket items are usually not negotiable until the second or third day, but you can negotiate on most other items. I could have loaded my truck today, but I managed to control myself and came home with these.

I also made offers on a lithograph and a Moroccan hand-dyed textile wall handing, but won’t know until tomorrow if they have been accepted. Fingers crossed!

To find estate sales near you, I recommend Estatesales.net. You can register with your zip code and they will notify you when estate sales are happening in your area.

Happy hunting!

Jess

Forty years before Jonathan Adler was mass producing 1960s style ceramics, Stan Bitters was pioneering the organic modernist crafts movement. His work ranges from large architectural installations to birdhouses and lanterns. His largest installations can be found in many of California’s public building built in the 60s, as well as in the Ace Hotel in Palm Springs.

Ace Hotel / Palm Springs, CA

Bronze Doors / Saroyan Theater / Fresno, CA

Bank / Fresno, CA

Ceramic Mural / Fresno, CA

Maybe someday, if Mr. Bitters is still working, and a long lost rich aunt leaves me her fortune, I will have a custom mural built into my home. For now I will cherish this lantern which hangs in my living room and casts a gorgeous organic pattern of light across the room.

 

To learn more about Stan Bitters, I recommend this interview with the American Craft Council.

Jess

When we first moved to LA from Chicago in 2006, we were obsessed with mid-century modern architecture and searched relentlessly to find a mcm home both within our price range and in a desirable neighborhood. Coming from a city with virtually no indoor/outdoor living or yards larger than postage stamps, the idea of beamed ceilings leading to walls of glass and potentially a POOL was a dream come true.

We found a home in Sherman Oaks that checked off most items on our wish list, even though it had just been poorly flipped, with most original details stripped and removed from the interior. We brought in decorative elements from the era with light fixtures and art. We furnished it with mid-century classics like Noguchi’s coffee table and a pristine vintage Moller Danish modern teak dining table and chairs. Then something odd happened. Mid-century modern design exploded on to the mainstream. Mad Men took the world by storm. Eames knock-off chairs filled every dorm room and froyo shop in the country. Don’t get me wrong, I still loved our home, but this trend was everywhere you looked and I was getting tired of it.

Work soon took me to another part of town. We leased out our home and moved to Santa Monica into a home that was architectural, but not mid-century modern. It was a welcome change. We now had a small child and a transitional style home with softer lines suited us well. I dreamed of someday owning a Spanish revival home in Hancock Park or even a Craftsman. Mid-century was honestly off my radar for a few years.

Funny enough, as fate would have it, we have recently moved back into our mid-century modern home in Sherman Oaks. I wasn’t exactly excited to go back, but then I realized something. It is my house, not a museum. It’s surely not of the national register of historic places. I can use this opportunity to reimagine and reclaim mid-century modern and make it suitable for our family and lifestyle. My next few posts will focus on the renovations and and updates we’ve made to make mcm more livable and less historical, while incorporating California craftsmanship and recalling the era in which the home was built. Hope you enjoy.

Jess