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Dwell On Design 2010

Monday, July 12th, 2010

Unlike 2009, this year’s DOD had a pulse, jam packed with people and product. The producers and participants turned up the heat with every booth more stylish than the next. This year I was asked to speak on two panels: ASID Glamorous Green Secrets and the joint project of the USGBC and ASID- ReGreen. Paired up for the third or fourth time with world renown Bau Biologist, Mary Cordaro, it was invigorating to see both audiences with plenty of interested folks standing all the way in the back.

My daughter and I loved the Paul Frank sponsored kid’s play area and the gumball dispensed SEED BOMBS. The idea behind the green ammo is to throw them at abandoned urban lots, wait for rain and watch the wild flowers grow. It reminded me of being a bad little girl who always had a good heart.

The show was a huge success and more evidence that green power continues to gain strength.

Tags: ASID, Bau Biology, Dwell on Design, Mary Cordaro, Paul Frank, ReGreen, seed bombs, USGBC
Posted in Events, Green Building, Green Living, Magazines, Parties | No Comments »

Cherokee Studios Rock N Platinum Showcase

Monday, November 2nd, 2009

Alcie Cooper Lyrics

: Platinum records for the Platinum loft

Thursday night, across the street from Genghis Cohen and behind a secretive, black curtain Rethink Development unveiled the rock n’ roll lofts at the Cherokee Recording Studios LEED Platinum Lofts Showcase benefitting Habitat for Humanity. We (Lori Dennis and Brook Casey of the Dennis Design Group) were in charge of the Alice Cooper pad and took our assignment very seriously, literally dressing the part.

Dennis Design Group gettin' down in bed?

Our shock rock loft never could have been possible without the generous donations of our many vendors and time from our interns, Sara, Rob and Natasha. Plus it’s not really a party if Tony of Francois and Roy from the SoCal Contractor aren’t in tow. In the bedroom Heritage Draperies fabricated and installed our padded, chained window treatment and Mike Ragan of Rags put together this amazing patchwork, padded wall with fabric from Jason Asch of Diamond Foam. The stars were out in LA on Thursday night and two showed up at our event: Jodie Sweetin , who we all know and love as the old Stephanie Tanner from Full House and Calico Cooper, Alice’s daughter and former co-star of his stage show.

Calico Cooper representin' for Papa

Looking at these pictures you would never know that a mere 24 hours before the event we had no stairs and were finishing up our super style in a deadly, construction zone! Sparks from the welding were hitting us, the wall, the furniture and Sara even got smacked on the noggin’ pretty good by a wayward steel beam. It’s a good thing she has a better work ethic than that witch who hit her head on the Apprentice and wasted the team’s time going to a hospital. No, not Sara… she just kept on hot glueing those recycled, reclaimed water bottles that we used as wall art in the guest bath. Through it all Brook and I just kept hammering the boxes and boxes of nails into our wall eating snake. Jason Asch over at Diamond also donated this massive amount of rocker, (faux) snake skin fabric.

Lori and Brook Nailing

Still nailing...

and finally it was done.

I was afraid Brook was going to hang himself. But he stuck it out and we even finished the lyrics on the bathroom wall so Tony from Francois could learn them and sing along.

Don't do it Brook!!

When the doors opened at 7PM we all took a shot of Skull Vodka and welcomed our guests to Alice’s Lair. Francois provided the Gothic mantel in the living room, serving as the perfect backdrop to the snake skin bench from Bausman and Co. and upholstered chairs from Cisco Brothers. All the kitchy 60s, 70s and 80s accessories from Retropia and the original props from Alice Cooper’s show gave our loft an authenticity rarely seen in staged showcase homes. Big Red Sun even landscaped our balcony in a true, desert decor representative of the golf courses in Phoenix that Alice so dearly loves.

Alice's Lair

You'll never guess what these balls are for!

Cooper Gang in the Loft

The most shocking thing about our shock rock loft was the dirty, little secret in our turquoise blue, laundry room. Really, how could you not go there in this loft?! Pleasure Chest hooked us up for the event and I’m not going to reveal we did or didn’t use before hanging it on the walls.

Green bondage-stay in and save gas!

All in all the showcase was an event to help the developers sell property in a really tough market. Habitat got more than a few bucks, we had a blast and I heard someone is making an offer on our loft today!

Tags: Alice Cooper, Bausman and Co., Big Red Sun, Calico Cooper, Cherokee Recording Studios LEED Platinum Lofts, Cisco Brothers, Dennis Design Group, Diamond Fabric, eco-friendly, energy saving, Francois and Co., Green Events, green materials, Green Retailers, green roofs, Habitat For Humanity, interior design, Jason Asch, Jodie Sweetin, LEED, LEED Platinum, Lori Dennis, Mike Ragan Rags, Pleasure Chest, Retropia, SoCal Contractor
Posted in Charities, Events, Furniture, Green Building, Green Living, Materials, Parties, Press, Retailers | No Comments »

Whips and Chains Anyone?

Tuesday, October 20th, 2009

Toys From the Pleasure Chest

We’re in the final stretch gettting ready for the Cherokee Recording Studios LEED Platinum Lofts Showcase for Habitat For Humanity. Our loft is designed for the Rock Shock King and Brook’s personal friend, Alice Cooper. In any showcase , it’s all about reaching out to the community for donations to make the event a success, and no rock and roll show would be complete without a few sex toys. So we headed over to the Pleasure Chest for some props. Check out what you can get for $5,800. They even donated a spanker for the party, so if you’ve been naughty, make sure to come get yours!

I like the sparkly ones!

Brook the Gimp

A whole lot of spanking going on...

The next stop was Retropia for some chic vintage finds. Our newest interns Rob and Sara, always ready for the call, kept their eyes sharp and found a few pieces that will make Alice Cooper proud!

Introducing Sara (left) and Rob (center)

Alice likes em' dead

If you’re ready to party the Thursday before Halloween, put on your best outfit , come walk the red carpet at Cherokee Studios and see the greenest lofts in LA.

Tags: Alice Cooper, Cherokee Recording Studios LEED Platinum Lofts, Habitat For Humanity, LEED Platinum, lofts, Pleasure Chest, red carpet, Retropia
Posted in Events, Green Building, Parties | No Comments »

Living Green at California Mart

Friday, October 9th, 2009

Yesterday I attended part three, Living Green :Sustaining Business with Sustainable Design Practices, of the California Mart’s Designer’s Forum 2009 Series. The lecture included panelist: David Hertz, Mariel Hemingway, Nathan Turner and was moderated by California Homes’ Susan McFadden. The audience was packed with many of the old guard at ASID, eager to learn more about green design. David Hertz, who I’ve lectured with at my Alma Matter, the UCLA Interior Design Program, gave a riveting power point presentation and ending with a preview of the Wing House he has been working on for the last three years. I’m pretty certain this house will be remembered in history with the same relevance as the Glass House or Falling Water, only sustainable. Then it was Mariel Hemingway’s way turn. Now I understand the draw of star power, and to be fair she has written some books on healthy living, but what that had to do with the business of sustainable design practices eluded me. These old guard designers left the CEU presentation thinking that, “slow down and eat right” was relevant information to their bottom line. Also speaking was Nathan Turner, an elegant retailer and designer with impeccable taste who runs a gorgeous little antique shop in West Hollywood. He did work on Entourage’s Adrien Grenier’s ultra green home. What bothered me about this presentation was that two of the most successful green designers in the business were sitting in the audience, Rachel Winokur of Etta Designs and me. California Homes must not have been paying attention to the design firm they named Best Green Designer, my firm, when they made decisions for the panel. Green design is a serious matter as the planet and people become sicker, resources shrink and energy costs rise. Educating designers and clients with applicable information would be a good start to help form real solutions. Wake up editors!

A gracious thank you to Palecek, one of my favorite green retailers, for the following reception.

Tags: ASID, California Homes, California Mart, CEU, David Hertz, Designer's Forum 2009, eco-friendly, Etta Designs, Green Building Guidelines, Green Events, Green Marketing, Mariel Hemingway, Nathan Turner, Palecek, Rachel Winokur
Posted in Events, Green Building, Lectures, Parties, Public Speaking | 2 Comments »

Valcucine's Sexy Glass Kitchen

Thursday, August 6th, 2009

Form Magazine and Valcucine invited the who’s who of interior design to their LA showroom this week to unveil the world’s first 100%recyclable kitchen cabinet system, Invitrum. Of course the Dennis Design Group and Jr. Designer, Baby Elle, were in attendance. As always, we were surrounded by glamour: the cabinets, the people, the food, the fashion displays. I’d have to say it was one of the better events this year. Go showroom manager Reba!

More about the cabinets- not only do they exude the sexy, sleek styling, which could only be Italian, but the contents are totally lacking in emissions. The Invitrum by Valcucine features recycled aluminum, sustainable wood, water based finishes, mechanical joints (so no glue is needed) and practically scratch proof, tempered glass. The cabinet fronts are half the thickness of normal systems which reduces the weight by 50% and extends the life of hinges, joints and the overall kitchen. When the time comes to recycle the components, they are labeled for an easy dismantle.

Tags: eco-friendly, Form Magazine, Green Events, Green Retailers, interior design, Invitrum, kitchen, kitchen cabinets, valcucine
Posted in Events, Green Building, Kitchens, Retailers | No Comments »

Feeling High on the Highline

Monday, July 20th, 2009

Last week my husband, daughter and I returned from a trip around the world to show the 6 month old baby off to her relatives throughout the globe. One of our stops was New York City where we visited with my side of the family. I had been reading about the Highlinerenovation in New York for about a year and to my delight we hit the opening at the perfect time. It was a Monday afternoon on July 5th . I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a better summer day in the city, perfect temperature, clear skies with an occasional puffy white cloud floating by us. We started our journey on 12th Street between 10 and 11th Avenue in the meat packing district where the old railway, now converted into an elevated city park, begins. It’s the lower Manhattan’s answer to Central Park. But it has a few things Central Park is lacking: a clear view to the Hudson, no street traffic and a vantage point to city rooftops you would never imagine existed. On our walk there my husband commented, “Wow, they still sell meat here.” It is a perfect example of urban civility when you see a Hugo Boss Boutique, next to quaint outdoor patio dining of a tasty bistro, with the Quality Meat warehouse in full view complete with blue collar guys loading sides of beef into cold trucks. In the mix is a sky scraping, modern condo sitting atop the Highline Park. The scene is sublime and even these great pictures can’t tell the story… you have got to go to the city and check it out for yourself.

See what I mean.

Tags: Green Building Guidelines, green materials, Green Renovations
Posted in Green Building, Green Living, Materials | No Comments »

New Guidelines Make It Easier To Go Green

Monday, April 7th, 2008

Before

After

Green living is about the whole enchilada. It’s about doing a lot of little things, and maybe even a few big ones, that improve our lives, the environment and our economy. Our homes play a crucial role in the equation. New-home buyers are finding an increasing number of communities built in varying shades of green, and that’s a great trend. But what about the rest of us living in our existing, not-quite-so-green homes?

Most people want a greener home. Who wouldn’t want to reduce their power bill, be more comfortable and provide a healthier place for their family? Home remodeling is a $200 billion-a-year industry and is expected to double during the next five years as our housing stock ages. Every remodel, repair or upgrade represents an opportunity to go green.

What options do we have and just how do we go about deciding what to do first?

Green building programs and guidelines have traditionally focused on new construction, not remodeling. The American Society of Interior Designers Foundation and the U.S. Green Building Council recently launched the nation’s first green residential remodeling guidelines. This excellent resource is available online at www.greenhomeguide.org.

Organized into the 10 most common remodeling projects, the Regreen Residential Guidelines are designed to provide professionals and homeowners with resources and tools to green existing homes. The guidelines can be applied to a variety of projects, from remodeling a kitchen to executing a full-scale renovation.

Even if you aren’t thinking of greening your home at the moment, browsing through the Regreen Residential Guidelines will undoubtedly result in some light bulb moments and flashes of inspiration. The well-illustrated 182-page document is chock-full of examples and case studies. It is not a technical how-to manual but strikes a good balance between detail and readability.

The Regreen Residential Guidelines will provide useful information to contractors, homeowners, elected officials and other policy-makers. As we tackle the issues of our time, such as climate change, growth, energy and economics, having the right tools is essential. This one should be in everyone’s toolbox. It’s a compendium of best practice guidelines and educational resources for sustainable residential improvement projects.

The thing about tools is that even the best of them serve no purpose if they are not used wisely. We now have a resource that can quite literally help us transform our community, but we must use it. Don’t wait for the other guy — it’s about you and me. We have a job to do, so let’s get to work!

Regardless of your budget or your home’s age, size or condition, there is something in the Regreen Residential Guidelines that makes sense for your situation. The cool thing about greening an existing home is that you can do it in small, incremental steps. Each improvement can build on previous ones and they are often complementary.

For example, adding extra insulation might be a good initial investment to make a home more energy efficient. Getting ductwork tested and properly sealed can eliminate costly leaks, a common problem. Changing out some windows might also lower energy costs. If the time comes to install a new air-conditioning unit, perhaps it can be downsized due to the home’s improved efficiency, a result of the previous improvements. At this point, adding a solar electric system would be much more cost-effective due to the home’s reduced electrical needs.

Putting some thought into the process is much better than implementing haphazard projects with no plan. Taking a holistic, integrated approach is the best way to go and the Regreen Residential Guidelines do a good job explaining how.

Posted in Green Building, Green Living | No Comments »

[LORI DENNIS INTERIOR DESIGN]

Lori Dennis formed Lori Dennis Interior Design, specializing in green interior design, in 1998. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Coastal Living, Southern Accents, Woman's Day, Los Angeles Times, Apartment Therapy and countless other magazines, books and websites throughout the world. [more..]

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