designing a room with coral and orange accents? absolutely!

a few months back we got a really great client at work.

when she came in to meet us she pointed to my nail polish color and said, "i have a scarf that color and i love it, do you think it's crazy to do my tv room in those colors?"
uh, you askin' me????
 i was so excited because it was my current color crush-coral red!!

it was so much fun pulling together materials and designs that would make her tv room fabulous!
it is one of my favorite projects so far.

here is what her room looked like BEFORE:

here is what it looks like NOW:

initially quite a bit was done to the space from removing the stone on the fireplace to treating the wood floors to a beautiful grey wash. 
flanking the fireplace there had previously been 2 floor to ceiling bookcases that they had ripped out when they first bought the home. unfortunately, these spaces being left open were strange and felt empty.
nestling a chair in either corner made you feel too far placed from everyone else in the room. the niche's were really meant to have some sort of built in casework where you could really create a moment and keep the fireplace the focal point in the room.
we decided to custom design storage pieces that would have a formal feel but keep warmth in the room. the round mirrors helped to soften some of the right angles and mimicked the coffee table/ottoman in the center of the room creating movement and reflection.

we chose a chunky modern design for her sectional sofa in a dolphin grey fabric then brought it to life with pillows that had modern pop floral prints and a stripe in our coral red and orange.
i'm all about pattern mixing when it comes to big squishy pillows on your sofa.

the coffee table needed to be practical as this was a room the family was gonna watch television and lounge in, it had to be comfortable and also able to take a beating.
the orange leather top on the ottoman was chosen in a waxed finish so that it can be easily wiped off and is comfortable for resting feet but as it is touched and rubbed and worn-in, it will only get better in time.

the grass cloth scared the client quite a bit.
i am a firm believer in grass cloth.
if you are or have ever been my client you are most likely laughing right now because i have never had a client that just said OK! right away to grass cloth.
there is always that slight bit of hesitation.
i will say it a million times over- grass cloth will transform a space.
it adds so much beauty and texture you will want to paper yourself in it!

we went with the charcoal grass cloth because it created a bit of drama and sophistication.
the print is in an off white that has been painted on, this added a bit of playful modern edge to the grass cloth.

the lamps were just a given.
look how well they work against that dark grass cloth and follow the pattern in the wicker chairs!

yes, i just said wicker. these aren't your grandmas old wicker chairs.

we purchased the wicker lounge chairs in a natural finish and had them painted in this off white gloss, then chose this pop flower to modernize them just enough so they kept that traditional shape and beachy feel yet felt as if they belonged inside and not outside.

these chairs ended up being one of my favorite things about the room. i love them!

 

we took the nail polish and scarf color and chose a solid linen to make ripple fold drapery panels. the panels were hung on a track from the ceiling to help create the feel of an even taller ceiling height.

the rug is a large 12'x12' woven jute. this is not a scratchy rough seagrass or a sisal. jute is also a natural fiber however it's much thicker and softer in feel. you can walk around barefoot and it feels almost as soft as a thick plush wool rug.

i love when a client is fun and takes chances with color in their home. this room reflects our clients personality just as your home should!

stay tuned the breakfast area in the kitchen is next!!

"coffin" it up-vampire style

it's no secret that i love my vampire's. of course i am team edward and with my brother craig and i having been both born and raised not that far from forks (yes, it really is that rainy and gloomy) the whole twilight series was really exciting for me.

last season (season 4) when i had the opportunity to help furnish vampire king bill compton's newly remodeled lair i was literally screaming YES before i even knew what they wanted. i have been so lucky to have worked on many productions and my brother and i have had our furnishings chosen for so many wonderful events but this one was different as i am a huge fan!

fang banger productions presented such a great concept with the sleek, sexy regency feel they were trying to convey. very vampy! i felt our very own classic deco mansfield table design would be perfect so i decided to clean it up and simplify the design for bill's entry table and finish it in a rich Mahogany stain with some high gloss. just what you would expect from a 146 year old vampire king-right???

i started working on this project in early november (2010) and let me tell you as a viewer, we can all attest it was painful to await the new season but as a designer i was dying to see the end result on t.v. i could not wait to point and say, "i did that!!!" (See table directly below) ;)

sometimes furnishings become such an integral part of the actors scene. sometimes the furniture becomes the star itself just like on "all in the family"-remember archie bunker's chair or the speaker box in charlies angels where charlie would say, "heeello angeles"???

 the night this episode aired and when i settled in to watch, imagine my pain when jessica broke through her silver chains and clamored through the entry past my furniture knocking the beautiful entry table to the ground with a wood splintering crash! it still hurts. truth is that's a little dramatic. i actually had 2 tables made because i was told early on one would get "fairly damaged" but i had completely forgotten and had to calm myself down.

phew! so, if you haven't seen the furniture or missed the entry no worries, the "stand in" will hopefully be in place next season and you can see the beautiful table again.




uh jessica, you knocked my table over!!!

hope you will all watch season 5 which airs on june 10th because i got to do more fabulous furniture. i cant say what i did yet because it will give away something new this season but don't worry when it's time i will be sure to point it out, shout it from the rooftops and post lots of photos.

i received a very nice thank you card from the lovely set decorating department. really i should thank YOU true blood from one of your greatest fans!

are snakes the silent power trend?

if you like snakes, but are not too keen on having them as a house pet, why not bring them into your home by including them in your decor.

as a girl who is terrified of these slithery things i am somehow drawn to them when i design.

quick snake side story:

my sister tory, who is highly aware of my "more than real" fear of these nasty creatures, use to threaten that she was gonna buy my son a snake until one day she quit threatening.

oh, you think the story is over? you think sweet auntie tory just leeeet it go? oh, well, than you would have the wrong idea of that evil evil sister. oh, she bought a snake alright and one day she sent it in the mail. in a sock! my son was elated. i was standing on the table screaming.

we kept the snake in a terrarium with a special bolt type lock that i required in order for that nasty thing to stay. it did stay until one day it just wasn't in the terrarium any longer. yep, that was a horrible horrible day for me. i still think about it every now and then and sure it doesn't help that the evil sister reminds me how snakes can live undetected in a house for years. shouldn't she quit terrorizing me now that we are adults???

back to the design.

snakes have been associated with some of the oldest rituals known to mankind - they definitely make a strong statement in fashion and interior design.

speaking of fashion, that's where my brother and design partner, craig, and i always take our "cues."  

we have noticed some interesting trends taking place this year.

notice this jimmy choo snake wedge - and since "furniture" follows "fashion," we always watch for the trends in fashion. and regardless, when has mr. choo ever steered any of us wrong?  

i love orange!

if you want to do just "a little" - something not quite so "bold" you can easily add an interesting table top accessory, or try a subtle side table.

if you are someone who "goes big and takes chances in your decor" - i particularly like this piece for a front door.

 i am not a fan of snakes in the "skin" so to speak but for some reason i have become slightly obsessed with this snake chain fabric. i have recently used it in a clients home as pillows and he loved it. 

connect with kendra kay by following now!

Safari Glam

so i fell in love with these chairs when they came out at the furniture market last january and quickly put in an order for 4. i had to wait quite sometime because they were still being manufactured blah blah blah!

fast forward-  i got a notice they would be ready for pick up at the warehouse a few weeks ago! i got all kinds of 'cited until i realized i had no clue what table i was gonna put them around. i had to quickly get something made at one of our factories (thankfully we get it all custom made locally by our skilled wood workers in good ol' downtown los angeles) gotta scratch that back of the locally economy!!

anyway, i decided on a white table so the chairs would really stand out plus i liked the crisp feel of the linen against the stark of the white lacquer. the iron frame has this chalky almost worn finish to it that makes it seem like you just hauled them out of the back of your jeep upon return from a picnic on a safari. what? too much? i have an imagination- i picture where you would use these items ya know. please dont remind me i have never been on a safari-it will blow this whole post. just go with me on this one.... thank you.

i quickly chose this table design actually from our old design books (those oldies really are goodies huh??) threw in the zebra (remember we just got back from picnicking safari style) and i am in love.

meet atwater

atwater made me work. atwater made me feel stressed and tired and overwhelmed. atwater needed to be completed in 2 weeks.  atwater is beautiful-dontcha think?

this job was very high pressure mainly due to timing and budget. in the end it turned out beautifully and came together without any hiccups which is unheard of in my business! check out all my stars linin' up!

the architecture is beautiful. very masculine in feel and has that new york loft vibe with a little industrial and a whole lotta sexy. it's a very cool space and perfect for a professional that can use the bottom floor for office space and live in the rest of the home. generally i like to design with a bit more of a feminine touch but atwater demanded masculine love. if budget allowed i would have done so much more but i think it turned out really great!

here are a few of the finished photos.

with a total of 3 stories and a rooftop deck it is really stunning inside. 

can i just move in?  like even for a night??