HOLLYWOOD ENDING...

How a collaboration between design and filmmaking dudes led to a budget-friendly Hollywood ending

Produced, designed, written and styled by Brian Patrick Flynn with live action direction by Eric DeFino and photography by Sarah Dorio

As an ambitious, Nintendo-obsessed young boy, my mother often preached “Make us proud by finding something you love to do, then get paid for doing it…just as long as it’s not appearance-based OR in show business.”. I am [a] an interior designer [b] a TV casting producer. FAIL.

Four design series, three well-decorated homes, two rescue dogs and one spread in O at Home Magazine later, Mommy Dearest snuck an amendment into her little mantra. Could this have anything to do with SonnyBoy’s access to furniture at wholesale prices, high-end rug remnants and steep media discounts? Perhaps. But I prefer to think it’s my five years treading the entertainment industry waters without a shark attack. This conclusion rings especially true since my father equates success with “how you triumph over adversity and conflict”; based on his collection of elk, hammerhead and sailfish taxidermy, the dude knows a thing or two about triumph. Regardless, by land or by sea, I’m doing TWO things which I absolutely love…and people give me money FOR doing them. WIN.

When a new production company waltzed into town seeking smoke-and-mirror magic for their creative lounge, my team made a beeline for the set faster than a fluffer to flacid talent. Although the writer/producers wanted something dramatically Hollywood, each envisioned a different use of the space. One person saw the lofty 24 x 18 as a sophisticated writer’s retreat while others saw it as a place to throw back Hennessy with hot chicks and clients. Soon thereafter, ideas and requests multiplied like Gremlins after midnight: a TV director needed graphic backdrops for shooting reality-style interviews, two laptop-clutching writers insisted on power outlets galore, sound engineers preferred the concrete floors NOT to echo, and the staff editor wished for a sofa on which to kick back and scan raw footage. For a bunch of dudes unsure of what they’d DO in the space, they surely agreed on what they’d SPEND on it—very, very little. FAIL.

As a fan of conducting business for the sake of, I dunno, MAKING MONEY, another gated community-caliber design on a community theater budget wasn’t too enticing. Suddenly, my imaginary lightbulb flickered. The Decor Demon team had been gearing up to shoot a series of web videos and, coincidentally, our prospective new clients own cameras, sound equipment, lights, cranes and editing software. Two dumpster dives, eight reupholstery jobs and five weeks later, cameras rolled on THEIR new space…and on OUR new series. WIN/WIN.

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WESTERN CIVILIZATION...

Thanks to stellar design skills and great parenting, all remains civil in the teen quarters of designer Betsy Burnham’s Los Angeles home

Produced, written and directed by Brian Patrick Flynn with styling by Burnham Design and photography by Sarah Dorio

Ever since my teenage brother stabbed me in the foot with a sharpened number two pencil, I’ve [a] hated him [b] avoided teenagers [c] used a keyboard. When my tortured tween sister was dealing with Floridian mean girls, I’d intervene at the bus stop—to disastrous results. At fourteen, I attempted karate moves in my own bedroom—resulting in my foot through a wall—hours after my mom had the sheetrock redone. During my senior year of high school, my “friends” disowned me claiming I was psycho for naming my Clownfish after their girlfriends. My point…and I do have one, is that dealing with teenagers is usually a nightmare—unless you’re Los Angeles designer Betsy Burnham.

The California-by-way-of-Connecticut fashionista invited us to photograph her latest work—the bedroom suites of son, Will, and daughter, Carson, at her family’s Hancock Park Mediterranean Revival. In two shakes of a lamb’s tail, my photographer and I were perched like eager puppies waiting for treats at Burnham’s back door. Both of us huge fans of her work, we jumped at the chance to see her team in action. While Carson made an after school appearance, Will, much like his stunning mother, preferred as much distance from the lens as possible. In true Los Angeles fashion, both the family AND their breezy abode were cool, calm and collected—not to mention insanely fit [says the guy sipping a glazed Christmas ham through a straw].

Not only were the teen rooms fresh, fun and practical, but like all Betsy Burnham creations, they were layered, worldly and effortlessly chic. High-end elements such as custom draperies were counterbalanced with checkbook-savvy West Elm purchases. Splurges on beds were justified by area rugs from IKEA and accessories from flea markets. After ten hours of shooting teen-related content, talking about inverted box pleats and chasing down gourmet sandwiches with red vines, I found myself pleasantly re-living the teenage experience…this time without Clownfish named Tina and Jennifer.

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BLONDE AMBITION...

Decor Demon brings some much needed glamour to FOX News reporter Stacey Elgin‘s home office with a medium size budget and ambitious timeline

Produced, designed, written, styled and directed by Brian Patrick Flynn with photography by Sarah Dorio

Finally! After five years designing homes, I’ve been able to use this sentence: “My client is in Spain with Cameron Diaz learning how to drive stunt cars so we’re gonna have to push the purple ceiling installation back two days until she’s done interviewing Tom Cruise, then stops by Austria.”. These words don’t stem from being delusional or obsessed with A-Listers or Scientology but rather from the fact that my new FOX News reporter client, Stacey Elgin, has the coolest day job in the galaxy. Referred to as The Road Warrior [in reference to her live, out-in-the-field morning news show of the same name], the stunning southern belle is tasked with assignments ranging from movie premieres and press junkets to American Idol finales and the latest and greatest in fashion and fitness. The well-spoken blonde bombshell hired my team to infuse glamour into her lackluster home studio. What the hell does a news reporter need a home studio for? Well, when this Road Warrior is off the road, she runs a website hocking high-end women’s workout gear and custom jewelry. The only sucky part of the project? Getting it all done in about a week. The un-sucky part? My client’s hands-off approach and super fun taste. Her three decorating must-haves? Pink, black and mirror. This situation can best be described as a designer’s wet dream.

While the girl on TV braved 100 mph loop-dee-loops around Spanish race car tracks with Golden Globe and Oscar nominees, my team braved 100% humidity-infused drives back and forth from Home Depot with trim color candidates. Although we aimed for Bergdorf caliber high fashion, the proposed budget was more of a fit for Dress Barn. Thanks to an amazing wallpaper website, we scored a Halston-esque 1970′s pattern for the walls without breaking the bank, then the rest fell into place. We saved on storage and seating, splurged on floors, trim and custom draperies, then went Wisteria wild for our finishing touches. At the tail end of the project, I realized one minor detail. I never ran this pretty in pink concept by Stacey’s blue-and-brown-loving man’s man of a husband.

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LOFT IN TRANSLATION...

How an energetic, six-foot-five designer translated his love of 1960′s cinema, space travel and farmhouses into the design of his downtown loft

Produced, designed, written, styled and directed by Brian Patrick Flynn with photography by Sarah Dorio

You know that old line “if you don’t have anything nice to say, paint your stuff green and move to a farm on Mars”? Neither do I. But if that actually was a saying, my downtown loft would be the root of its existence. At only 920 square feet, the former downtown Atlanta milk factory lent itself to an “anything goes” method of decorating. While at first this was a designer’s dream situation, too many options rendered me my own worst client. Making decisions for others? A total breeze. Making decisions for myself? A total bitch.

After an unfortunate situation involving a what-was-I-thinking shade of blue and silly rod-pocket drapery panels, I opted to start over. No trends. No neutrals. No being safe. No picture frames. No mirrors. There would be no inclusion of my beloved charcoal, blue-grey or orange. It was time to be totally experimental without asking for anyone else’s opinion. Should I mix space age and farmhouse styles? Well, of course! Pair kelly green and black-brown with ultra-white and Christmas red? Sounds neat! Invite David Hicks and Andy Warhol in to finish it all off? Yup. The outcome? My most loved, hated, talked about and publicized project to date. Apparently, giving the rules of decorating the middle finger works quite well.

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THE MOD COUPLE...

Newlyweds Keith Brown and Karen Hennessey turn a rundown 1960′s ranch into a midcentury modern masterpiece

Produced, directed, written and styled by Brian Patrick Flynn with photography by Sarah Dorio

Midcentury modernists are kinda like popular kids in high school. An intelligent coolness exudes from their attitudes and keen fashion sense to their flea market infused weekends. Newlyweds Keith “Kebo” Brown and Karen Hennessey are no exception. He is a sharply dressed marketing, branding and design whiz. She is a stunning, soft-spoken, population-saving epidemiologist. Aside from their careers, both are masters with decorating and interior design.

Brown and Hennessey saw hidden potential in a less-than-stellar 1963 Avondale Estates ranch, a short drive from downtown Atlanta. Both invested sweat equity and hard-earned cash to take the property from architectural ugly duckling to period-appropriate dream home. Although the midcentury marvel, referred to as the K2 House, looks like a million bucks, the mod couple’s penny-pinching bag of tricks resulted in a home as practical as it is spectacular.

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GARAGE SALE GLAMOUR...

A spatially challenged fashionista receives a wardrobe-inspired bedroom designed by the Decor Demon team

Produced, designed, written and styled by Brian Patrick Flynn and Tiffany J. Davis with photography by Sarah Dorio

Just another day at the office: Design a favorite-outfit-inspired bedroom on a shoestring budget, then install it on LIVE television. Um, okay. Publicist Jamie Annarino is a master with events, branding and media. When the PR savvy fashionista put her own guest bedroom together, let’s just say all press wasn’t necessarily good press. In fact, our red-headed power gal had referred to the space as “the garage” for so long that she’d truly forgotten it was meant for slumber.

I called upon fashion writer/stylist/DailyCandy editor, Tiffany J. Davis, to sum up Jamie’s personal style in a single outfit. After hours trying to cast Tiffany’s key players in my design feature, the inspiration set in. We’d pair white, green and orange with a gender neutral backdrop, throw in metallic sheens and organic textures, then finish it all off with touches of the 1960′s. To keep costs down, we’d furnish the room with garage sale items, flea market finds and smart IKEA pieces. Remaining funds would go to custom draperies, bedding and an architectural treatment to the ceiling. The design AND the live television coverage left all parties involved very pleased…except for the lawnmower and wheel barrel, who have been marooned to the front porch.

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INFANTILE BEHAVIOR...

Baby Steps: Decor Demon’s budget-friendly take on designing for an infant

Produced, designed, written and styled by Brian Patrick Flynn with photography by Sarah Dorio

Jungle mural? No. Truck theme? No. Baby blue walls? Now you’re pissing me off. Decorators and horticulturalists have a lot in common when dealing with nursery-based clients. We both weed-whack our way through poorly planted ideas before our designer polished seeds can grow roots to become something spectacular.

I’ve often wondered why so many young parents engage in cliche-fests when putting together their baby rooms. Designers are focused on the baby’s walls, windows and furniture; parents-to-be are consumed by redistribution of income, raging hormones and their impending special delivery. The Decor Demon team showed our discerning three-month-old client, Ethan, and babbydaddy Michael, that creating an enviable nursery is a stroll in the park compared to a scheduled C-section.

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WELL HUNG...

Jason Moattar’s fine art collection demonstrates the perfect balance of high and low

Produced, written and directed by Brian Patrick Flynn with photography by Sarah Dorio

First of all, shame on you for hyperlinking to a story solely based on its deceptively edgy title. Next, thank you for hyperlinking to a story solely based on its deceptively edgy title. With the current state of our economy sucking it hard, it seems rather preposterous to drop money on fine art — yes? Well, not in Jason Moattar’s case. The matinee idol-esque metrosexual shares both DNA and ownership of designer rug showroom Moattar, Ltd. with his sister, Andrea. Jason’s decked-out walls demonstrate two things: art collections can be done cost-effectively and the rug expert’s eye for style peers far beyond Turkish Oushaks. Peachtree Street’s Prince of Persia led us on a magic carpet ride through his high-rise for a lesson in how gathering rare artistic finds can be easy on the eyes AND the checkbook.

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STUDIO SESSION...

With the help of an MVP art director, Decor Demon tackles the redesign of a TV studio set

Produced, co-designed, written and styled by Brian Patrick Flynn with photography by Sarah Dorio

Between production schedules, lighting issues, day-long installations and logistics galore, interior design and television studio production have an awful lot in common. When the self-taught decorator that I am was asked to give a glamorous overhaul to the set of Movie & a Makeover, I was one part flattered and two parts freaked out. Decorators and designers create spaces for people; art directors and production designers create spaces for cameras. A lovely shade of turquoise may be stunning in person, yet once illuminated by TV studio lights..SHAZAM!..a dark-skinned host becomes more of an Avatar character. Certain metallic fabrics may look the part but when a sound engineer hears a scratchy texture, you quickly find yourself re-casting.

Every step of the way, my team collaborated with production designer/art director, Rick Morganelli. The straight shooting New Yorker drafted the spaces and provided all the answers: too shiny, not heavy enough, gets lost, too busy, absorbs too much light or a simple “don’t like it”. In each case, he was totally right — and I learned A LOT. Movie & a Makeover‘s existing set was the brainchild of brilliant/legendary Los Angeles production designer, Scott Storey, who created the lofty look back in 2005. Although the hardscape of the set was to remain true to Storey’s vision, it now called for a dressing room as well as two intimate seating spaces. In addition to these three main elements, we needed a fresh color palette and custom glam furniture.

Our objective was to create something both glamorous and contemporary — Hollywood meets SoHo. Mirror? Can’t use it — cameras and crew members show up in the reflection. Lots of black and white? Nope – the white will be blinding and black upholstery will devour those seated on set. There is an exception to that; dark-skinned people are captured better affront a black background. Designing the set of a long-running television series was a fish-out-of-water experience but the result has me ready to dive right back in any chance I get.

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DEVINE INTERVENTION...

A TV marketing dude gets a well-deserved makeover from the Decor Demon team

Produced, designed, written and styled by Brian Patrick Flynn with photography by Sarah Dorio

Once upon a time there was a SuperDecorator known for helping others. He’d dash from house to house rescuing homeowners from life-or-death situations including: unfortunate wall colors, way-too-busy curtain fabrics and fluorescent lighting tragedies. Patrick Devine helps others by building them houses with his bare hands. SuperDecorator quickly re-branded as Decorator.

Although Decor Demon cannot save mankind, we can save the interiors of a kind man. During a routine bachelor pad scout, makeover candidate Patrick Devine was an easy sell. No talk of stripper poles or flat panels, but instead an insistence on paying it forward should his place be chosen. Not exactly what we expected from a jet-setting TV marketing expert. As if that weren’t enough, Patrick was amidst a toolbelt-slinging weekend with Habitat for Humanity. SOLD! Days later, the Decor Demon team whipped the Devine one’s embarassed-to-have-chicks-over condo into a sophisticated, bold habitat for insanity.

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