Los Angeles Design Blog | Material Girls | LA Interior Design

Last week I had the pleasure of attending the 17th Annual Los Angeles Antiques, Art + Design Show Opening Night Party held at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. The event features over sixty prestigious national and international exhibitors and benefits the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s Decorative Arts and Design Council. In attendance were both Hollywood celebs and designer celebs mingling together under one roof for a fabulous evening. (Click here for a link to the Getty Images.)

My date for the evening, Maison21 and I.

Reform Gallery, based here in Los Angeles, exhibited some fantastic artwork.

Always a fan of colorful abstract art, as seen at Reform Gallery.

More art and accessories at Reform Gallery’s space.

Vintage accessories seen at Joannes Lucas.

Loving this table lamp featured at Joannes Lucas.

Art and console in the space representing the LA based showroom, Habite.

One thing Maison21 and I agree on: we both loved almost everything in the Christopher Anthony Ltd space, a vintage store located in Palm Springs, CA.

A vintage bar cart at Christopher Anthony Ltd, pretty much puts every other bar cart to shame.

More fabulous finds from Christopher Anthony Ltd.

And yet, still more.

It was fun to see (& meet!) artist Lana Gomez in person, whom Emily recently featured on the Material Girls blog before (here)- I am a huge fan of her work!

Artist Lana Gomez pictured here in front of one of her large scale abstract paintings.

Dragonette, another Los Angeles based showroom located on La Cienega Blvd, featured a range of furnishings and accessories in their space.

A vignette at Dragonette.

A close up of a vignette showcased in Dragonette’s space.

JF Chen, a recipient of the 2012 Design Leadership Award Honoree, featured some dramatic pieces in his space.

“Newspaper” chair and ottoman, seen at JF Chen.

Lighting love, from Downtown, a La Cienega Blvd showroom.

Bejeweled encrusted boxes at Downtown (I spied Kelly Wearstler checking these out!).

For a full list of exhibitors, click here.

{All photos by Jill Seidner Interior Design}

Thank you to Period Media for including us for a fantastic evening.

I recently had the opportunity to attend a trade preview of Kelly Wearstler’s latest accessory line along with a newly added furniture line. The private event was hosted at her design studio here in Los Angeles. The entire line will be available on her e-commerce website, and most of the furniture is made to order. Here are some of the newly added pieces along with glimpses into her very chic design headquarters!

The entrance vestibule to Kelly Wearstler’s fabulous design studio.

One of the chairs that are part of her new furniture line.

A decorative light fixture featured in the entry foyer.

A vignette just off the elevator in the entry.

One of my favorite rooms: the conference room.

Large scale abstract art as featured in the conference room.

Another room off the entry for design meetings.

More exquisite lighting as featured in Kelly’s office, this one above the work stations.

Accessoires included in the latest decorative home furnishings line.

A fun tray featured in the line.

A colorful decorative box.

Loved the counter stools – and they are available for sale!

Chicest gift bags ever!

{All photos by Jill Seidner Interior Design}

Since returning from Blog Tour London it has been fun catching up on all the blog posts the other bloggers have been featuring for the past few weeks. Each and everyone of us seems to have a different story to tell, a different angle, and all the variety of posts I’ve come across so far have been very interesting! Thought I would share a round up of some of the posts making the internet!

One highlight of the trip was meeting designer Marcel Wanders at a press breafast with Moooi. Lynn of Decor Arts Now featured her wonderful interview this week with Marcel here on her blog.

One afternoon, we had a little time off to go exploring. That day, I spent with Jennifer & Lynn. We had the best time together visiting the Victoria & Albert Museum followed by lots of walking, shopping, & dinner together. Check out Jennifer of Dec-A-Porter’s blog post on our visit to the Victoria & Albert Museum here.

Maryam of My Marrakesh featured a post on our wonderful brunch together hosted by sponsor Mr. Steam. She also featured a great post about our start to Blog Tour London and our time together as a group.

I enjoyed meeting and spending time with Robin of Urban Gardens. One of our first nights in London we attended an event together and after went out for dinner, talking and chatting like old friends! Robin featured a lovely post on our visit to Tom Dixon and Portobello Dock here.

Igor of Happy Interior Blog has included stunning images on our showroom visit to Blog Tour London sponsor, Lapicida. Check out the post here.

Nyla of Nyla Free Designs blogged about design junction, one of the many London Design Festival events we attended. Her post on trend spotting features many linear furnishings seen at the show.

James of Lighting Design by James Bedell highlighted some his best take away from Blog Tour London in this post. (Also a big congrats to James for completing the 20 mile hike along with Tim in support of Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centre’s!)

A few glimpses into the start of Blog Tour London is featured on Raina’a blog: A Stylist’s Life here. Love her photo (above) of The Gun, a pub where we had our first night’s dinner together.

If you want to know all about what a blog tour is – check out Patti of Chatti Patti Talks Design blog post here!

Vitania of Verdigris Vie has some great pictorial pics on her blog post titled London Story. One of my favorites is this picture of Jennifer exiting a London taxi cab!

Covering 100% Design, Cheryl of Design and Details features some design details from the show on her post here.

Last but not least, Rashon of Mr. Goodwill Hunting has some fantastic images from our brunch hosted at the Samuel Heath showroom on his blog here.

Blog Tour London: Still more to come! Stay tuned!

I’ve just returned from an amazing trip to London, as part of Blog Tour London, an international group of designers and bloggers. We had the opportunity to experience first hand the London Design Festival and interior design scene, touring local showrooms and design centers. We had a fantastic time, were a great team, and I think we’ll be sharing many memorable experiences in the days, months to come! As a start, I thought I would share my first few days in London, having arrived a couple of days early to the start of the official blog tour kick-off – with time to enjoy the city and attend a few extracurricular events!

Upon arriving, I checked into the CitizenM Hotel, our host hotel for the week. The CitizenM is a new boutique hotel located in the Bankside neighborhood of London, south of the Thames and very close to the Tate Modern museum. (And yes, the rumor is true, I packed only a small carryon for the week long stay.)

I had the pleasure of seeing British pop star Robbie Williams every day in the lobby at the CitizenM, at the elevator. (Funny because I used to have the keys to his house in Beverly Hills as I happened to work on when working for another interior designer.)

Spent the first few days on my own walking everywhere, seeing the city, often getting lost but stumbling upon picturesque places like this park with The Shard in the background.

I also walked along the Thames River, which I loved, with all it’s amazing bridges, this picture taken near the Southwark Bridge.

I passed by Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.

And visited The Tate Modern Museum.

Of course, I also stopped by Buckingham Palace to say “Hello” to the Queen.

As part of the London Design Festival, I was invited to attend one of the earlier events at interior and product designer Lee Broom’s showroom in the Shoreditch district.

His Crystal Bulb lights are absolutely stunning in person!

At Lee Broom’s cocktail party with (l to r): Lynn of Decor Arts Now, Kate of Fabric of My Life, Lee Broom, & myself.

For the event, Lee’s showroom was transformed into a “high-end saloon,” complete with sawdust on the floor.

The next day, we ventured out to Portobello Dock for a press event with Marcel Wanders and Moooi, and to check out the Tom Dixon showroom.

The Moooi Showroom in London near Portobello Dock.

We had the opportunity to interview designer Marcel Wanders, pictured here with Lynn of Decor Arts Now.

Lynn and I at the Moooi Showroom.

Over the bridge is the Tom Dixon showroom, which was featuring vignettes from different designers on display and showcasing two levels of furnishings.

After the morning’s press events, we headed over to this beautiful London neighborhood, where the Antiques Fair was taking place and we were invited to a luncheon hosted by 1st Dibs.

The sit down luncheon hosted by 1st Dibs.

Pretty wallpaper from De Gournay lined the walls at the 1st Dibs hosted luncheon.

Later that evening, we kicked off the offical start of Blog Tour London by catching a ferry boat for a sunset cruise on the Thames River and a dinner at a local pub.

Christian of Maison21, Erin of Modenus, and I – heading down the dock to catch the boat!

An amazing, beautiful evening on the Thames River.

Passing under the Tower Bridge.

Having cocktails at the pub and enjoying the view of the Thames River and the Millennium Dome.

The ceiling of our private dining room at The Gun, a pub in East London where we enjoyed our first night’s dinner together.

And lastly, the official group photo of the Blog Tour London 2012 team! Stay tuned for more posts to come on all the activities and events we experienced during our five days attending the London Design Festival!

Many thanks to Veronika, Tim, and Erin from Modenus for putting together a fun filled itinerary and hosting us for an amazing trip!

{All photos by Jill Seidner Interior Design}

As the countdown to Blog Tour London begins (just less than three weeks away!), we have officially been presented with our itinerary (it’s jam packed full of design events and showroom visits!). Thought I would share a preview of what’s to come and what’s on the agenda!

Day 1: Meeting the Team & Welcoming Dinner

We’ll kick off the start of Blog Tour London with a welcoming dinner and orientation, taking place at our hotel Citizen M Bankside. While, of course, I know Christian of Maison 21, and have met Lynn of Decor Arts Now on multiple occasions, I look forward to meeting the rest of the team: Igor Josif of Happy Interior Blog, Maryam of My Marrakesh, Nyla of Nyla Free Designs, James of James Bedell Lighting Design, Robin of Urban Gardens, Raina of A Stylist’s Life, Jennifer of Dec-A-Porter, Patti of Chatti Patti Talks Design!, Vitania of Verdigris Vie, Cheryl of In Detail Says, and Rashon of Mr. Goodwill Hunting. We’ll be convening in London from all parts of the globe: Canada, Germany, Morocco, and coast to coast from the US.

Day 2: 100% Design, Kings Road, & Brompton Design District

 

The next day, we’ll spend the morning touring 100% Design, taking place as part of the London Design Festival. After exploring 100% Design, we’ll have lunch at Amtico and then off to attend a High Tea at the Lapicida showroom – along with a meetup with London bloggers! Lastly, we’ll be winding down the day with a champagne reception at And So To Bed (no pun on the winding down part, but if jet lag is hitting me I know where I can take a nap!).

Day 3: London Brunch, Design Junction, and Long Night Walk

We’ll begin Day 3 with a brunch hosted by blog tour sponsor Mr. Steam then after head over to Design Junction, the largest destination for design & culture during London Design Festival. We’ll have the afternoon to explore before meeting up in the evening for a “Long Night Walk” (and by  long, I mean a 10 and 20 mile walk – when I first read this I immediately wondered if 10 and 20 miles were the same in the UK as in the US). In all seriousness, it is actually in support for charity, and offers the chance to see many of the most iconic and landmark buildings in London – and what better way to do that then by foot! The fundraising event is for Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres.

Day 4: Modenus MyCity Tour, Tent London, and Super Brands

Day 4 begins with a tour of Brick Lane and Spitalfields market hosted by Katie Tregidden (of Confessions of a Design Geek). From there, we’ll head over to visit Tent London, one of the largest trade shows participating in the London Design Festival. Tent London features over 200 exhibitors showcasing the latest in furniture, lighting, ceramics, textiles, materials, and accessories. Co-located with Tent London is Super Brands London, an interiors trade fair exclusively for established global design brands. We’ll be spending the rest of the day exploring these two fabulous events!

Day 5: Design Centre Chelsea Harbour and Decorex

The last day of Blog Tour London 2012 begins with a champagne brunch hosted by sponsors Samuel Heath and Victoria & Albert at the Design Centre Chelsea Harbour. Our afternoon will be spent at Decorex, the interior design show for professionals, another event taking place during the London Design Festival. While at Decorex, we’ll attend a tea and talk with Christopher Guy followed by a TweetUp at Cecil Beaton’s booth. Culminating all the day’s events, we’ll end with a farewell dinner before departing the next day to return home.

Looking forward to experiencing the above five days on behalf of Modenus fully immersed in all that London has to offer in design!

As I am eagerly awaiting my trip to London next month, as a particpant of Blog Tour London 2012 with Modenus, I have become in awe of the hotel that we will be staying at. The citizenM Hotel is a boutique hotel located at the Bankside, near to the Tate Modern Museum and London Bridge. It features 192 luxury rooms, in addition to it being a super stylish hotel!

{The lobby living room}

{Hotel interior courtyard}

{Courtyard seating}

{Living Room with bar behind}

{canteenM – bar and cafe}

{Lobby sitting room}

{The lobby with it’s own bookstore: Mendo}

{Self service check in kiosks in the hotel lobby}

{All rooms feature XL king size beds, ambient lighting, rainhead showers, furniture by Vitra, electronically controlled window shades, along with several other amenities, wi-fi and global plug outlets included.}

{And the fun might just begin with the tablet mood pad included in every room: controls the room, tv, window shades, temperature, lighting and more – plus Internet browsing and access to Facebook, Twitter – the important things to keep connected to while traveling!}

Looking forward to my stay at citizenM London!

Visit the CitizenM website for a listing of all their hotels.

CitizenM London Bankside was designed by the award winning Dutch Design Firm Agency Concrete.

All images via CitizenM’s Facebook page.

This past week I attended an event at Cisco Home in Brentwood (one of their many store locations) to check out the launch of their new signature line, the Cisco Home Signature Collection. A line that features unique, vintage, & repurposed limited edition creations with a focus on style and sustainability.

The front entrance to the two showroom space Brentwood location.

Colorful and chic pendant lights are featured in the street side storefront window.

Unique vintage tins become scented candles.

Overview of the Cisco Home Brentwood showroom.

LOVE these “Made in LA” wood block letters!

My friend Morgan goes for the “M.”

The girls hanging out on a chic daybed, left to right: Shirry of ASD Interiors, Erica of EMI Interior Design, Maurishka Pinedo of Cisco Home, and Morgan of ML Deisgns.

All of us girls loved this vintage chaise!

Group photo with proprietor Cisco Pinedo, left to right: Shirry, Morgan, Me, Cisco, Maurishka, and Erica enjoying a “feel good” night out!

The fun “Feel Good” lighted letters adorned the food table. (Photo by Erica)

“Cisco and the girls” – Morgan, Me, Maurishka, Erica, and Shirry.

Cisco Home in Brentwood is located at 11975 San Vicente Boulevard

Last weekend I was invited to attend an event to check out the fleet of cars from MINI, as part of a cross nation rally that had been taking place, culminating with a weekend of events here in Los Angeles. From a design perspective, it’s always fun to view concept cars and check out the unique designs of the interior details (seat upholstery, piping, dashboard components, etc). There was one lushly appointed MINI that captured my interest: the limited edition Goodwood version with interiors by Rolls Royce (more to come on that!). 

One MINI’s map of it’s cross nation trek.

One thing I learned is that each and every MINI can be customized: from two tone body paint colors, to stripes, to the Union Jack. But how about a MINI designed by Missoni?

Or Versace?

Or even a flokati MINI!

I saw a few uniquely painted MINIs like this version at the Rise & Shine event in Malibu last Sunday morning.

But the most unique was this “grafitti’d” MINI signed in silver & gold ink by participants along the cross nation route.

The stylish interiors of a convertable MINI Coupe.

And another – this version with contrasting piping along with accent detailing, such as the orange stitching on the steering wheel (which ties in with orange exterior accents too).

The limited edition Goodwood MINI is the ultimate in luxury appointed interiors. Developed with Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, only 1,000 vehiches are produced, each with a silver plaque identifying their unique limited edition.

MINI takes over Malibu, CA!

Photos by Jill Seidner and via MINIUsa.

For more info visit MINIUSANews.com

(Area Rug by artist Alex Mason of Ferrick Mason)

This Fall, Marc Phillips Rugs will be holding a fundraiser to benefit PS Arts (a program devoted to ensuring art education in the community). In anticipation of the event, Ginna Christensen of Marc Phillips has invited eight Los Angeles based artists to design rugs for Marc Phillips, which will then be auctioned off to benefit PS Arts.

Recently, Ginna hosted a visit to meet one of the artists and tour his studio. Here’s a look “behind the scenes” of artist Cole Sternberg’s studio located here in Los Angeles.

A work in progress.

Art by Cole Sternberg.

Christian May of Maison21 chatting with the artist.

Host Ginna Christensen of Marc Phillips, with artist Cole Sternberg.

Drinks were provided by Matcha Tea.

Cookies and truffles by Bon Melange.

{Photos courtesy of Ginna Christensen}

Earlier this past week I attended the Hospitality Design Expo & Conference, a three day event taking place in Las Vegas. It was my first time ever attending, and I definitely think it’s worth a visit!

The show was also presented by Hospitality Design magazine – one of my favorite magazines for all things on the latest in design and architecutre for commercial spaces, such as chic hotels, restaurants, and bars.

At the show I saw lots of cool lighting, furnishings, and flooring aplications. While I didn’t have the opportunity to see all that was showcased, I am featuring most everything that I did get to see in a short amount of time. Hopefully, I’ll be back in the future to cover more of the show!

Milliken Carpet had some amazing carpets – vibrant colors and patterns!

Really love the colors in this rug from Milliken Carpet!

Eye cathcing lighting from Swarovski and designed by Tord Boontje, the chandelier called “Blossom.”

An absolute stunner – this area rug from Swarovski with Swarovski cystals, love love love!

It was neat to see Thomasville and Drexel Heritage at the Hospitality Design Expo as I had just toured the showroom headquarters at High Point Market last month.

Bover lighting, a company out of Spain, had some unique and interesting lighting, much of it with an organic flair.

A pendant from Bover lighting.

A “wall of lights” – stunning lighting from a company called LZF.

A large pendant from LZF where their slogan is “touched by wood.”

And a bit of whimsy, gold, & glam – from LZF!

It was good to see Los Angeles based Modernica had a space at the Hospitality Design Expo.

Also, the salespeople from the Los Angeles La Murrina showroom were at the Hospitality Design Expo – definitely going to take them up on their offer to visit the Beverly Boulevard showroom for an espresso!

An exquistie chandelier from La Murrina!

Glass lighting from a Northern California based company called SkLO Studio.

More colorful glass blown from the very cool SkLO Studio.

Newly released from Blu Dot are these colorful powder coated outdoor chairs – retailing at just $99 each!I want one in every color!

Another piece of chic from Blu Dot are these copper chairs!

I haven’t seen the movie, but as I was touring the Hospitality Design Expo with CasaSugar, I was told this chair from Philips Collection was featured in the movie “The Hunger Games.”

From Atlas Carpet Mills are some beautiful patterned carpets.

Kohler had some great bathroom vanities on display in their space at the Hospitality Design Expo.

While in Vegas, I also attended an exclusive luncheon hosted by Messe Frankfurt and had the opportunity to learn and hear about the company (which also happens to be the oldest company in history for putting on trade shows and events). They specialize in design, gift, technology, & more – related trade fairs worldwide. Messe Frankfurt is also home to the huge exhibitor center located in Frankfurt, Germany and hosts the popular design show Ambiente. Another design show I hope to attend one day!

Thank you to Messe Frankfurt for hosting a great presentation and luncheon!

{All photos by Jill Seidner Interior Design}