junk in the trunk.....

I stand with Nate Berkus. Our pet peeve is a coffee table littered with remote controls, matches, yoga-toes(don't ask) dvd cases and all the flotsam and jetsam of daily life. You need a box on or near the coffee table to throw all that flotsam into.. these are some I've picked out and picked up for clients recently.vintage wood box.....
white lacquer box from West Elm, clean and contemporary way to hide your junk
asian box lined in vintage paper...very chic!
pink leather box from Pottery Barn (a jewelry box we repurposed by removed the inside trays) adds a great pop of color!

Any of these or the myriad of other little boxes you can find keep clutter to a minimum while still looking elegant!

Glass bowls and Italian history

I have a small collection of vintage Murano glass bowls in the blue and green colorways (I do that to keep my collection more orderly, specific, and to keep my hunting under control!)and am always looking for pieces from my favorite glass designer Alfredo Barbini, who designed in the 30s to the 70's in the sommerso style, submerged in molten glass and pulled into shapes. When reading about Murano I found out that the Venetian glass blowers of the 9th century moved to Murano, as an island less subject to fire, and by the 1400s were badass rockstars who got to carry swords and marry royalty, but being considered national treasures werent allowed to leave the republic!
This is one of my favorite pieces. I love the two color glass, and its gorgeous on a coffee table,a soap holder, or in an entryway as a key depository. A little Murano bowl adds a little sparkle to almost any room.

a swan bowl...

Wendie:I dont like to keep a big inventory of meaningless stuff, but I saw this lovely swan dish at a garage sale yesterday, and I know there will be a present or future client who is a bird collector, or got married at the Hotel Bel Air by the swan pond, or who danced as a child in Swan Lake. Its the kind of little character piece that is really going to sing to someone, so I grabbed it.

Brad Austin's very imaginative florals...

We think Brad and Ricky have one of the most magical gardens in Los Angeles, so its always a pleasure checking in at their at-home design studio. On our last visit we discovered that Brad has the fabulous idea of commissioning water color portraits of bride's bouquets, which is a far better wedding keepsake than a preserved bouquet, which frankly, tends to be not that well-preserved and has a Miss Haversham quality.Besides, where do you keep a preserved bridal bouquet? These glorious paintings by Terri Farrell-Gittins will be a treasured family heirloom, yet still exhibit a fresh and modern design.

the fabulous Brad can be reached at 323 658-8874 or visit bradaustin.com to see more of Brad's glorious work as a floral designer and landscaper extraordinaire.

cutting pieces......

In television and film design terminology a cutting piece is the piece of furniture in the foreground of the shot, usually the table holding the beautiful vase of flowers, the branch of flowering quince, or even the artful array of barware that frames the shot and sets the scene.

Charlotte and I have been setting scenes for over 20 years and (between us) 21 emmy nominations(Yes, we are the Susan Luccis of production design, but like Miss Lucci,our time may one day come!).We thought it would be fun to start sharing our dirty little secrets,our treasure hunting spots, our finds, and what we know about the little extras that make a room special, personal, and a joy to spend time in.