The atelier concept  is a new one for La Cienega  showrooms, as Barclay is more interested in bringing in his existing clients for a little “shop time”  and is a bit less concerned with retail sales.  (I’m not saying you can’t purchase his scrumptious furnishings at the shop, you can. It’s just an amuse bouche, instead of a smorgasbord.) 

“Often times with celebrities and moguls there is a demand for the utmost discretion and privacy.  These clients will now enjoy a very on-brand setting to meet and review projects.  We will have our material at our fingertips, access to internet, samplings of furniture all handy.  It’s the quintessential arrangement for both designer and client” said Butera. 

 With appointments already booked and a  staff of capable, design assistants to cater to one’s every need,  Barclay is sure to have yet another grandslam.

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It felt like a place you would normally have to pay for entry. One out of towner commented twice about how beautiful the parks of Los Angeles are and that they don’t have anything like that in her city.  (Hearing things like that always makes me feel better about our 10% sales tax.) The dutchess from the South brought it with yummy finger food, fashionable guests and delightful table decorations. Anyone who knows me, knows I love a civilized picnic at the park. (And someone has also being doing pilates- look at those arms!)

         MY LOVELY LITTLE ELLE BELL

Fig jam was the next treat on my holiday at home.  The trees in my front yard are EXPLODING with figs and don’t look like they’ll stop anytime soon.  We had a fig fiesta last week- serving up grilled figs with goat cheese and tri-tip keebobs.  I sent folks packing with figs galore, but alas, those trees kept pumpin’ out more figs.  What better way to thank the editors who gave my book, Green Interior Design, rave reviews than jam made from the organic figs that I grew myself?  I also plan on sending a few jars to the people who missed the fig fiesta like Ms. AGL and  the editors from Angeleno and LUXE.  Since one of the chapters includes ideas about replacing grass lawns with edible gardens to grow  produce that is  free of pesticides, insecticides and herbicides, I think it makes sense.  I hope they like figs.

For any of you wondering, it’s pretty simple.  1 part figs to 3/4 sugar, finely chopped lemon rind and a splash of vanilla.  Put it on slow boil for two hours.  Let cool. Cover until next day.  Boil for 15-20 minutes. Let cool.  Put in jars. 

Next we headed over to the Beverly Hills Food and Wine Festival. Christofle has been sending me invite after invite for the last 6 months, so I popped in to finally say hello.  I had no idea that they made jewelry, frames and other amazing accessories.  They served up Bouchon cookies and delicious red wine against a back drop of some of the prettiest things I’ve ever seen.

The SoCal Contractor and I are renovating a hacienda on Laurel Canyon so we decided to mix business with pleasure and head over to the Montage for some inspiration.  I never thought about doing this with our toddler in tow, but we sat down for cappucinos and ice cream in the lobby lounge.  It was so pleasant and Elle was so well behaved that we stayed for dinner: sliders, fish tacos and french fries.  The last thing I expected in a place where the well heeled go for cocktail hour was a chest filled with children’s books.   Very smart boutique hotel.  Darrell Schmidt’s fabulous interior design, a phenomenal jazz sound track, gourmet cusine and NO DISHES, forget a Cabo beach, this is what I call paradise.   We were so elated that we spent $80 on a stuffed cat Elle adopted in the gift shop. ( Incidentally every single item in that shop was something I would want to receive as a gift, simply the best hotel gift shop I’ve ever visited. And Nicole Campbell, at the helm, was adorable too.) 

Our real cat Monkey thinks he’s been sent a mail order bride.

Three more house parties to attend befor this staycation is over on Tuesday.  I’ll keep you posted….

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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

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

Green bondage-stay in and save gas!

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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.

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My husband, the burger lover, doesn’t know what to do with me anymore. ”WHAT? No more Carl’s Six Dollar Burgers? No more Mini Sirloin Burgers?” I just can’t eat them anymore knowing what I know. But I have no idea why Jack in the Box hasn’t partnered with Whole Foods and developed a cheap, fast and green solution for us?  Maybe it would be a few dollars more for free range, grass fed beef, organic buns, cheese and potatoes and soda with actual sugar in it, but I think there’s a market. I became convinced of this when I was at the Pasadena Green Fair and saw a GREEN roach coach. 

All food on the green roach coach is organic and grown locally.  The cups and plates are biodegradable, but they encourage you to bring your refillable cups and give discounts for doing so. Napkins are made of recycled paper. The truck runs on used, vegetable oil. 

I love the fact that they listed all the good stuff right by the organic menu, so you know why it’s green and why it’s good for you.

In case you can’t read it, the truck can be reached at www.greentruckonthego.com. It’s brilliant. If there was one on every few blocks and they were open 24 hours, my problems would be solved.  Until then, if you know someone who wants to open a drive thru, fast food, green burger joint, I’ll give them half off on the design fee!

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As I was sipping my delicious libation, I headed through the Green Building lobby and saw fashion and furniture collide in the Barbie/Student Designer exhibit.  Cisco, one of my favorite sustainable vendors, provided this adorable campaign inspired seat. Barbie can fold it up into a suitcase and hit the road in her hybrid.

My daughter Elle and niece,  now 2 1/2 and three months old, made their first appearances at Westweek this year. Elle was much more impressed by the bagpipes at Edelman Leather than the Barbie exhibit.  I always imagined she’d be a singer, so this was encouraging. Her smoking hot daddy carried her around in the Baby Bjorn. You can  imagine all the attention he got!

Stylemaker Thomas Lavin embraced green design with open arms. He’s included an entire line of sustainable fabrics, Creation Bauman and featured Chista’s gorgeous tables at Westweek this year.

And as always, Thomas had the hippest flowers arrangements. They reminded me of something I’d see in the Jetson’s living room.  Brook Casey really loved them because they actually looked like his work.

The show stopper was at Moura Starr, a wholly sustainable showroom which just relocated to the PDC after 14 years on Melrose.  I can only imagine how they got this table into the showroom, it’s enormous.  The table is made from a fallen tree which was nearly impossible to win at auction and fabricate.  You only have to look at it to know it was well worth the effort. I had admired Moura Starr’s furniture for years without knowing about their committment to sustainability.  Westweek was a hit and I now have another green showroom in my arsenal!

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Our gang had a great time.  (from left: Galina, Brook, Lori and Jessica).

The party was awesome and the showroom was filled to the brim with curious (and thirsty) Angelenos. Some even brought their kids, and it was quite fun to see them squeal as they tried the miniature chairs on for size.

Philippe Starck, who never fails to thrill us with his elegant yet simple-minded furniture, has done it again. His furniture, known to be of “indestructible” quality, will last for many many years without having to be replaced (which expends new resources and puts old ones into our already-overflowing landfills). Available in a variety of colors like green, lilac and glossy black, these new chairs are a true crowd-pleaser.

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Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day are my favorite cleaning products. With smells like lavender, basil and geranium, cleaning is as fragrant as cooking a meal.  I scout Ross and Marshall’s  for Mrs. Meyer’s on sale because it’s not cheap.  I also came across greenhome.com for great deals on healthy, earth friendly cleaners.  Just be careful, buying a bunch of stuff isn’t very green and this site is full of goodies!

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I keep hearing “green just needs a little glamour.”  I guess those people haven’t been to Robertson Boulevard lately.  Some would argue that Robertson outshines Rodeo Drive as the fashion mecca for the rich and famous. Try to get through the street between Burton and Santa Monica when there’s a herd of paparazzi trailing Brittney. Not fun and I’ve never endured this, not once on Rodeo. Now you can add long-time designer retailer H. Lorenzo, with three boutiques at Sunset Plaza, to the who’s who of eco friendly establishments on Robertson. The other major is the BP gas station at the Olympic intersection. (We recently blogged about an Earth Day event they held.) H.L.N.R. , which stands for H Lorenzo North Robertson, at 474 North Robertson Blvd,  just south of Melrose, has recently opened its new 4,000 square foot eco concept boutique. It’s not just that they’re selling eco friendly duds, it’s the actual building that is green.  They installed a solar paneled roof, paperless receipt system  (emailed to you instead), eco friendly hangers and dual flush toilets (Toto’s Neorest  which can handle the job without any paper) in the bathroom. The labels at H.L.N.R. are similar  to other H. Lorenzo boutiques, stocking Zac Posen, Ann Demeulemeester, Balmain, Comme Des Garcons, Preen, Veronique Branquinho, Viktor & Rolf, Junya Watanabe, Dsquared, Yohji Yamamoto, Marc Jacobs Shoes and Chloe Shoes. But they also sell environmentally friendly lines like Kohzo Denim- non cotton jeans made from Japanese paper, bamboo and pineapple.  In a statement, owner Lorenzo Hadar said he chose to open on Robertson because “this is where the fashion nucleus in L.A. has shifted. Nowadays the fashion elite who come here to shop are people who care about the environment.” Can I get a Hallelujah? This is coming from an LA retailer who’s run a successful business for 23 years. Another exciting draw is the 13-space parking lot, and for VIPs, a private entrance. Hopefully they will swarm the alley with the paparazzi and let us get through Robertson streets on the way to the PDC.

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