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

Watch THIS. In my humble opinion, it’s the most finely-crafted movie trailer ever made, not to mention 2010′s most inspiring piece of creative work. Experiencing a great movie trailer, especially in the theater, makes me wanna bust through the doors, grab my bag of tricks and do something spectacular. To be able to convey a great story in only 90 seconds requires a meticulously-orchestrated arrangement of music, sound bytes and jaw-dropping imagery. A full-day lifestyle shoot in Athens, Ga. with the Flurry family felt just like that, getting a sneak peek at something, inspiring, profound and magical. Both Mom [Amy] and Dad [Alan] are kind human beings with professional accomplishments certain to impress even the stuffiest of Ivy League scholars. Kids, Ellis [son] and Camille [daughter], are both creative individuals who give the youth of America a good name. Basically, the Flurrys are the antithesis of those love-to-hate-’em family members we watch on Bravo; they’re entertaining, inspiring and heart-warmingly pleasant.

Amy is a freelance magazine writer, having served as a regional editor for Lucky. She has also contributed to Country Living, O, House Beautiful, Conde Nast Traveler, and InStyle. The haute momma is also co-founder of Paper-Cut-Project, a creative endeavor for which she and partner Nikki Salk conceive campaigns and styling elements in paper for fashion productions. Alan, an author and communications guy for the fine & performing arts at the University of Georgia, also writes a useful and informative blog, whatdoesgreenmean.net, which has an impressive niche following. For years, my photographer and I have worked with The Divine Mrs. F. on various local and national shelter magazines; since both Momma and Poppa Flurry loathe the spotlight, it took some sophisticated stalking on my part to bust through the front door with a camera. Once inside with an armful of flowers, tripods and reflectors, it was time to leave the keyboard typing and picture taking to us, tasking all four Flurrys with the assignment of simply being subjects. How did it turn out? Well, considering how many great moments and spaces there were to shoot that we skipped lunch and dinner so as not to miss an opportunity, I’d say pretty damn good. Not to mention, we’ve got so many stellar images that Camille and Ellis are getting their own awesome article on kickass kids’ rooms. Whoever said too much of a good thing was bad—is totally wrong.

Blue’s clues

Blue tones dominate the kids’ quarters, starting with Ellis’s room. Benjamin Moore’s “Jamaican Aqua” 2048-60 carries over from three solid-painted walls to the seventh-grader’s hand-painted focal wall. Designed and executed by decorative painter slash artist, Lou Kregel, each bullseye-ish orb sports five accent colors: from the outside in, “Chamomile” C2-153, “Larkspur” C2-313, “Solo” C2-128, “Calypso” C2-089 and “Hydrangea” C2-315 from C2 Paints. For full disclosure, especially since Amy is a fact-checking, research-heavy writer, I would like to pre-confess that I shall steal this same idea and apply it to the deck of my outdoor living room. But I digress. Like most of Amy’s I-shop-so-much-I-forget-where-it-came-from vintage finds, the bathroom chandelier was either scored at The Paris Market & Brocante in Savannah or the uber-beloved Agora boutique in Athens [a college town about an hour from Atlanta]. For a dose of high-energy, the walls were updated with “Bermuda Blue” 2061-30 from Benjamin Moore. And then there’s Camille’s room, packed with so many great objects, it’s hard not to write about every single one: her vinyl LP’s have an impressive range for someone in their 40′s let alone a third grader, the bed is a hand-me-down from Mom, linens are from India Rose and the hand-made organic dolls are from blabla. Kregel also made her mark on Camille’s room with a graphic flower painted “Capri Seas” 2047-40 and “Stem Green” 2029-40 by Benjamin Moore. Good genes, awesome hair and keen fashion sense courtesy of Amy and Alan Flurry.

Maternal instinct

As far as Amy’s instincts go, she’s kinda like a style-centric superwoman. As my photographer and I clickety-clicked our way throughout the house, the modern matriarch [a] whipped up a totally fresh lunch for the family [b] threw together an organic pizza from scratch for us [c] fielded business-related emails and phone calls [d] started one of her paper cut projects with an X-Acto knife and tons of patience [e] kidded around on the piano with the kiddos [f] did it all rockin’ a mod Lanvin dress picked up at Community, a vintage boutique in downtown Athens. While many fashion and shelter writers succumb to the shoemaker’s-kids-have-no-shoes cliche, Amy kicks it to the curb. Nearly everything in the house was discovered at flea markets and vintage stores—or, as in the Danish modern chair’s case, a neighbor’s front porch. Amy pilfered the 1950′s gem from next door [with permission, of course], then had it recovered in an Amy Butler fabric. Above the mantel hangs an original piece of art by local musician slash Alan’s Best Man, Tim Adams. Between Mr. and Mrs. Flurry, there are enough vintage novels to keep a small school supplied with reading material for a year. You know how most teens and tweens are awful, hate everything and enjoy making one another miserable? Yeah, not Camille and Ellis. In fact, they kinda enjoy each other—like for real, not just in a mom-and-dad-have-twenty-strangers-over-and-we-cannot-leave-so-I-will-pretend-not-to-hate-you sort of way. Both play piano [think Alicia Keys or Jamie Cullum versus a dying cat or maimed porpoise] and keep travel blogs focused on international destinations like France and Greece. Names of their blogs? The Ellis Zone and The Camille Star. NOTE TO SELF: Have kids by age 40 and demand they turn out just like Ellis and Camille.

Front of the house persona

The front portion of the house is packed with personal, one-of-a-kind items, both and old new. Once you step out of the den, you find yourself in what the family refers to as “The Dance Hall”. Carrying back-of-the-house-traditions up to the front, Amy went blue on the walls using “Myrtle Blossom” from Sherwin-Williams. Once your dance card is full, it’s time to waltz out into the great room sporting Sherwin-Williams’ “Sedate Gray”. At the entry, you’re greeted by a wooden bench found at a yard sale with a painting by Athens artist Andy Cherewick perched above. Aside from second-hand items, the home also kicks some custom ass. The featured foursome gathers–get this, seven nights a week—for home-cooked meals seated at a table made from sustainable black walnut by Atlanta-based designer, Marla Henderson. While Amy is the main cook, Alan is also quick to whip up something equally as impressive. The culinary gene doesn’t stop there; Camille and Ellis are connoisseurs specializing in crepes which they both concoct and ingest. Their favorite ingredient? Nutella. NOTE: When styling these images, I may or may not have paired mismatched chairs from all over the house at the table due to an unhealthy obsession with not having things that match. It’s up to you decide. The Egyptian chandelier is made from mouth-blown glass and non-mouth-blown brass. When I asked Amy where it was from, she replied “Cairo. The one in Egypt, not the one in Georgia.”. Why the hell is there a Cairo, a Dublin and an Athens in Georgia? Are we facing that much of a deficit for naming cities in this state? Stepping. Off. Soapbox. Inside the kitchen window sits an LP we did NOT steal from Camille’s room; its words and image are priceless. The black leather sofa is from Intaglia and the art above it is from Andy Cherewick.

Cash in the attic

Amy and Alan remodeled what was previously a dingy attic into tailored, tasteful spaces dedicated to both work [making money] and creativity [having fun]. While certain portions were not yet camera-friendly, Amy’s office was fair game. Green starts just outside the space with a privacy wall covered in vine. As you make your way up and into Amy’s office, the happy hue wraps itself around the room with a Martha Stewart paint color called “Floral”. Mrs. Flurry spends between 25-45 hours weekly on Paper Cut Project, depending on the scope, timeline and level of detail involved. When not in creative mode with business partner, Nikki Salk, Amy writes articles for The Inside Source, ebay’s online magazine. She and Alan designed a cozy nook strictly dedicated to feeding the family’s brains some word candy. The custom cushion was made from Amy Butler fabric. PS – if you think her fabric is to-die-for, then you’ll surely have a heart attack over her wallpaper from Graham & Brown.

Solid foundation

The Arts and Crafts-style home was built in 1910 and includes some charming local history; it was created by the Athens city engineer, J.W. Barnett [1889-1930], who lived next door, as a separate structure for his mother-in-law. As the sun began to lose its luster and Camille’s swinging back and forth came to a close, we had to say goodbye to the amazing citizens of humanity that are the Flurry family—including their handsome Weimaraner, Tyrone. But y’all come back now, ya hear; we’re publishing an entirely new article all about Camille and Ellis’s rooms faster than you can say Cairo, Georgia. Oops, I just realized something: I left the family’s dining chairs out in the yard. @#%$&&

This is the part where you tell your friends about Decor Demon, become a fan on Facebook and tweet-follow us at the Twitters.

]]> http://www.decordemon.com/2011/02/04/family-practice/feed/ 12 http://www.decordemon.com/2011/01/12/i-can-see-claire-ly-now/ http://www.decordemon.com/2011/01/12/i-can-see-claire-ly-now/#comments Wed, 12 Jan 2011 15:13:02 +0000 decordemon http://www.decordemon.com/?p=2496 A few days shy of moving out, design blogger Claire Watkins takes us inside her High Gloss Blue and green apartment

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

“Every time a friend succeeds, I die a little” – Gore Vidal. While I find writers quoting other writers highly irritating, I find designers competing with other designers to be ten times worse. Sure, this makes for great reality-competition-television which I LOVE, but in real life, can’t we all just get along?

Luckily, the competitive gene skipped over me completely, getting tangled up somewhere in my over-achieving little sister’s DNA instead. But on the other hand, me, myself and I are one-upping each other all day long inside my gargantuan, goes-from-zero-to-sixty-in-less-than-a-second brain. For example: Each time I complete a design project, all I seem to focus on is what I could have done differently. Perhaps, in some ways, this method of thinking is super healthy. But as far as confidence and peace-of-mind are concerned, it kinda blows.

What the hell does all this psycho babble have to do with the image of the pretty girl above, you ask? Well, lots. A few months back, I became acquainted with Claire Watkins, a fellow young, Atlanta-based designer with a blog called High Gloss Blue. She had no ego, absolutely no competitive streak and was as kind as can be. Her constant, upbeat, positive comments here on Decor Demon and on other blogs are continually optimistic, heartfelt and genuine. After reaching out to the ASID-riffic twentysomething to say “‘Sup?”, it turned out she had a colorful, DIY-packed, high/low project ready for us to shoot, her own teency-weency, flea-market-happy apartment—the same one she’d be MOVING OUT OF in just a few days. With all that being said, it was pretty much a done deal. She had me at flea market.

Sitting pretty

Overall, The [former] Watkins Residence could be best described as pretty and fun. To add instant [not to mention, well-branded] energy of the pigmented kind, Ms. Thang slapped “Spring Rain” [723] from Benjamin Moore up on the living room walls. Her not-so-new apartment sported a hideous window A/C unit right smack in the center of the wall to the right of the window. You’d never have known it—thanks to a little drapery trick. The designer created panels using embroidered “Wilmington: Multi” linen-blend from Covington [$15 per yard]; the panels could slide away from the unit when in use or directly over it when turned off. To conceal the not-so-purdy hardware, Claire upholstered a piece of plywood herself, creating a custom valence. Splurges in the space included the “Bantam Sofa” and a pair of Eames Lounge Chairs from Design Within Reach. Underfoot you’d find the 9X11′ jute “Coventry” rug picked up from Ballard Designs for a cool $239. IKEA’s “DOCKSTA” table was a major cost-saver as was the pair of space-age-ish, leftover-from-college, wicker chairs spraypainted a shocking chartreuse. As far as key accessories went, Watkins placed utmost importance on her framed photos, old sketches and a prickly, blue glass water pitcher–-a keepsake passed down to her from her Great Grandfather. All of these elements resulted in a sophisticated, happy place where Claire and Co. could relax, sit back and talk about Decor Demon [hopefully].

Room for dessert

Working girl

Although the apartment was square-footage-challenged, it had two separate glorified closets…I mean, bedrooms. Ensuring she could work from home as needed, our featured designer outfitted one of the spaces as a design studio. For starters, Claire painted the walls with “Peridot” [594] from Benjamin Moore. Did it drive me crazy that she didn’t paint the ceiling the same color? Kinda. Because I’m competitive? No. Because white ceilings drive me friggin’ bananas regardless of whose space they’re in? Yep! An assortment of pieces from flea markets and big box stores completed the studio look; the windows were flanked with IKEA “RITVA” panels customized with green pom-pom trim. The same tiny, round shape is repeated atop the window sill in the form of poppies sitting in beer bottles purchased from “the questionable liquor stores on Moreland Avenue”. Claire stripped the beer logos off with sandpaper, then combined them with non-adult, non-sketchy bottles of grape soda. Most importantly, there was just enough floor space for The High Priestess of High Gloss Blue’s one-eyed-wonder rescue dog, Annabelle.

Extreme close-up

Ms. Watkins’ bedroom was so extremely short-on-space, the only decent shot we could get, compositionally speaking, was this dresser-top vignette. So what, who cares? Space ain’t nothing but a number, y’all.

Go to your happy place: Mouse-click your way on over to High Gloss Blue for a peek inside Claire’s cyberworld.

Lastly, this is the part where you take 45 seconds out of your busy schedule to [a] become a fan of Decor Demon on Facebook [b] start tweet-following us over at the Twitters. Do it or a baby owl will [temporarily] get stuck in a drain pipe. Thank you.

]]> http://www.decordemon.com/2011/01/12/i-can-see-claire-ly-now/feed/ 66 http://www.decordemon.com/2010/12/03/holiday-setting/ http://www.decordemon.com/2010/12/03/holiday-setting/#comments Fri, 03 Dec 2010 14:20:10 +0000 decordemon http://www.decordemon.com/?p=2264 Bringing Christmas morning to a TV studio in the middle of September

Produced, written and directed by Brian Patrick Flynn with photography by Christina Wedge

Nothing pisses me off more than seeing Christmas commercials on my TV before seeing trick-or-treaters at my front door. Well, actually, there’s dozens of things that piss me off even more, starting with sticks in a vase shoved in a corner, but you get the point. After eight years working both FOR and ON the small screen, I kinda get the Christmas-cart-before-the-Halloween-horse thing: Nothing personal, just business. When you’re in the middle of dealing with concepts and designs that have 30-day shelf lives, it all starts to make a little more sense. Designers, inventors and marketing gurus have a small window of opportunity to get seasonal items out there—and make them sell.

As freelance Associate Producer [Design & Decorating] for a long-running Saturday morning series, I was given the task of showcasing the hottest toys for December 25th—in mid-September. Yeah, kinda hard to get into the holiday spirit when [a] it’s 89 degrees outside [b] stoplights are the only things sporting the green and red combo [c] store employees have yet to become familiar with red-nosed-reindeer.

Thankfully, the not-yet-released toys were sent directly from the sponsor; however, showing them in Christmas morning context was the tricky part. My mission, and I chose to accept it, was to showcase these soon-to-be-all-the-rage toys in a fresh, modern holiday setting. But there’s more: The on-set environment called for a Christmas morning feel void of branded-and-licensed reindeer, copyright-protected snowmen and the uber-expected green/red color scheme. Oh and yeah, it all needed to go up in about two hours—including walls. From working with a microscopic budget to giving test-runs to battery-operated mice, I brought my photographer in to capture the insanity of morning show set dressing. Will this project impress the upscale, residential-design-loving Elle DECOR crowd? No. Will it give morning show TV lovers a new understanding of how much work goes into creating a two-minute segment on Dance Star Mickey Mouse, Singamajigs and Stride To Ride Dinosaurs. Well, it better. Otherwise, I’m clearly in the wrong business.

Multiple takes

Just a few steps behind the pretty, polished set lives the grab-it-and-go world of props. For every one item, there’s bound to be two or three multiples beside it. From double-sided tape to lint rollers, from super glue to spray mount, the art department has everything a single prop’s lonely, little, inanimate heart could ask for. Segments are usually organized by table. While Table Number One sports Legos and monster trucks for a kid segment, its posh neighbor, Table Number Two, sports dainty tableware for a segment on holiday hosting. Have I ever been responsible for breaking a plate when no one was looking? Nun-ya-bizness.

Kids, Incorporated

Sure, when a camera rolls, the toys—and kid actors playing with them—are as happy as can be. That’s all due to the painstaking prep that stylists and set dressers go through to learn the ins and outs of each featured item. After hours assembling, then playing with a plastic dinosaur that transforms from a teach-me-how-to-walk tutor to a come-on-ride-the-train companion, every producer and art department professional involved knows its inner workings and how to shoot it from every angle. I personally enjoyed popping color and texture into the background with hand-woven blabla toys—way more than a 34-year old man should. But it’s not all fun and games; each non-sponsored, background or filler prop on-set must be pre-approved by someone from the sales department. In other words, there can’t be a Build-A-Bear Workshop creation on the same set as a plush Momma Bear which Toys R Us has paid big money to promote. If there was, Christmas morning on this set wouldn’t have been so jolly.

Put up a wall

When working in TV studio set design, putting up a wall not only comes with the job, it’s encouraged. Studio people refer to walls as “flats” which are pre-built using 1X4′s, drywall or foam core, and footers. Once placed side-by-side, they’re weighed down from behind using sandbags. Painting them can be rather tricky, not to mention having to hide each seam with drywall mud, then sanding it prior to paint. To create a graphic, wintry feel, I opted for wall decals. Yeah, I know..BARF, right? We design snobs are so over decals; however, when you’re creating the look and feel of America’s most bankable holiday three months early with 16-feet of empty wall space and only two hours to execute an entire look, they come in pretty darn handy. You know what did NOT come in handy? Forgetting how much precision goes into applying decals. Luckily, my art director came up with the clever idea of mounting each vinyl silhouette on clear, non-glare Plexi. This made the walls easy as hell to adorn plus it now allows us to re-use the vinyl birch trees as many times as we want. Since budget was tighter than the mens’ pants on Dancing With the Stars, I saved by using “EXPEDIT” from IKEA for shelving, then updating their back panels with “Soma: Multi-colored” wallpaper from Graham & Brown. Thanks to that little trick, I was able to spend some bills on custom, navy blue Imperial Trellis floor pillows and fire-engine red Fatboys.

Getting some action

With seconds to spare, all toys were in place and perfectly lit. The kid actors entered the set with their million dollar, Christmas morning smiles; however, my production manager’s two-year-old nephew—notsomuch. He preferred chocolates and juices in craft services over the Mickeys and dinosaurs on-set. Santa FAIL.

All we want for Christmas is for you to help us break 1,000 Facebook fans and our six Twitter followers.

]]> http://www.decordemon.com/2010/12/03/holiday-setting/feed/ 3 http://www.decordemon.com/2010/09/23/after-school-special/ http://www.decordemon.com/2010/09/23/after-school-special/#comments Thu, 23 Sep 2010 13:50:41 +0000 decordemon http://www.decordemon.com/?p=2027 Decor Demon takes a rundown Rhode Island teacher’s lounge from detention to head of the class

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

In the mid-1990′s, my Mom worked as an elementary school teacher’s aide and would bring home one of her behaviorially challenged students for after school care. His name was Drew, he was a twin and he annoyed the hell out of me. Like clockwork, his Monday through Friday 2:53 pm arrival started with his Nintendo-obsessed laser eyes zooming in on a seldom-used GameBoy perched atop my meticulously styled bedside table. By 2:54pm, excessive bad kid Super Mario noise would penetrate my bedroom walls, disrupting my act of pretend-studying while actually listening to Jagged Little Pill and reading the “Stars: They’re Just Like Us!” section of People Magazine. Since Mrs. Flynn was, afterall, responsible for this gentle terror’s daily home invasion, I’d quickly throw the side eye her way as she’d zone out to Oprah over non-fat, sugar-free Jell-O with Cool Whip. That hour of what I used to consider maternal self-indulgence has new meaning after having worked a full week alongside teaching professionals in something inaccurately referred to as a “teachers’ lounge”. I’d probably call it an oversized mop closet. In fact, the only lounge-like thing about it was that it looked like it should have been CLOSED during the day.

This all came about when The Editor at Large requested my participation in a Staples-sponsored project aimed at re-designing teachers’ lounges throughout the Northeast. Five of them. Simultaneously. For free. So, of course, I said yes. Wait, whaaaa? Well…there were several reasons I rose to the challenge: [a] to kinda-sorta walk a day in Momma Patrick Flynn’s shoes [b] The Editor at Large has a pretty, orange website [c] give back to people like Momma Patrick Flynn who put up with other peoples’ brats all day for 2 cents an hour.

With a day job freelance producing, casting and appearing on a long-running TV makeover series, the idea of creating, then installing five lounge designs in five different cities on top of my already intense schedule wasn’t really an option. Installing ONE space? Well, that’s more my speed. My photographer and I chose the uber-needy lounge of Samuel W. Bridgham Middle School in Providence, RI since [a] its abundance of natural light made for great editorial images [b] the city itself was more vacation-like than work [c] we wanted to hear people pronounce Target “TAH git”. In addition to funding the project, Staples kindly flew us in, put us up in a downtown hotel and covered our transportation. Two non-profits, Kappa Delta Pi and Teachers Count, stepped it up to provide manual labor in the form of a half dozen volunteers and a pretty damn good contractor named Jim Cocozza—who, thank God, said both “TAH git” and “Hah vid” [Harvard] multiple times.

Overall, the most fascinating element of the experience was the fact that there were absolutely ZERO hiccups. Everything went according to plan, on schedule and on budget. To assure male and female faculty members could enjoy the space equally, I stuck with a gender-neutral, pale blue-grey and ultra-white color scheme, bringing in accents of No. 2 pencil orangey-yellow and chalkboard grey—no theme, but a few sporadic nods to teaching. Since the teachers spend so much of their lives inside doors, I also made it a point to bring the outdoors in. I troubleshot the kitchen, built-in and custom vending closet installation entirely through picture text messages back and forth with Jim. And let me tell you, orchestrating cabinetry and plumbing placement on a teeny iPhone screen is tricky as #@$%.

The tasks assigned to superstar volunteers Faye, Tonette, Mike, Susan, Brian, Stephen and Kevin weren’t exactly days at the spa. When IKEA said yes to donating an entire kitchen, Kevin and Brian drove from suburban Ma. to downtown Boston, ordered all pieces, set up delivery, picked up accessories, then drove it all to Providence…about 90 minutes away. Susan and husband Stephen got off a plane from a trip to Australia only to pick up the phone and secure a free plumber AND a massive discount on photography equipment rental. Diana, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Teachers Count, drove with her assistant, Benj [not a typo, there really is no "i"], to deliver a brand new Hewlett Packard computer in person. Faye, the Executive Director of Kappa Delta Pi, secured all volunteers, scheduled the makeovers AND cut-in 90% of the trim detail in the room. By the way, painting trim kinda sucks it…HARD. Mike, a Special Education teacher, did just about everything from paint and coordinate to caulk, sand and spackle while Tonette ran all over town for supplies, a steamer, Chinese food takeout containers for prop styling and a dubiously delicious frozen treat known as Del’s Lemonade…which reminds me, I still owe Tonette 60 bucks for that g’damn steamer.

Teacher’s planning

My inspiration for the design plan? Favor pulling—LOTS OF IT. Luckily, all of my key vendors jumped at the chance to help these teachers out. C2 Paint not only donated wall, trim and ceiling paint, but [a] they were the ONLY paint company to offer the same exact shade of blue-grey as the donated “Flock” Kelly Hoppen wallpaper from Graham & Brown [b] the paint masters hooked us up with local hardware store, Adler’s Design Center & Hardware which armed us with supplies. FLOR stepped it up to completely cover the nasty-as-hell linoleum. Sunbrella was quick to throw ample yardage of indoor/outdoor fabric our way. Texton, we’ll get to them later, but they kicked major ass; window treatments AND a remote control are involved. Hewlett Packard donated a brand-spankin’ new desktop computer to each of the five schools. My draper, Donna, who has four straight-A students of her own, spent endless hours sewing custom ripple-fold draperies, a table skirt and dining chair slipcovers to bring some tailored elegance to the lounge formerly known as mop closet. Murals Your Way let the sunshine in 365 days a year compliments of a giant print on vinyl. The biggest kahuna of all was Staples which generously funded the project with $12,500 to be distributed among the five schools. Ever try designing approximately 3,700 square feet of space spread amongst five states, two of them needing full kitchen renovations, with $12,500 before? Lemme tell ya, it sure as hell ain’t easy.

Hell’s kitchen

I believe I found the real Hell’s Kitchen. It was busy scaring the hell out of teachers in Providence, RI. Although the lounge-to-be began with dilapidated non-appliances, pretend-storage and potential lawsuits galore, we left it with a fully functional, modern wet space both elegant and understated. It took our RI contractor, Jim, only 8 hours to assemble the “ABSTRAKT” high-gloss white kitchen from IKEA. Due to time crunches and labor costs, installing a tile backsplash wasn’t an option.  Instead, Graham & Brown donated vinyl Kelly Hoppen wallpaper which Jim called a trusted friend to install. The No. 2 pencil orangey-yellow “Beam” mugs are from CB2.

Getting a time out

Although the aesthetically-challenged Coke machine and 1970′s fridge needed to stay, they were given an accessible, permanent time out. I concealed them with a custom food and drink closet made from stain-grade plywood, hollow core doors and 2X4′s. To identify each machine, I added acrylic letters spelling out what sits behind each door. Since I f@$king detest painting trim, two bigshots tackled the job for me: local paint guru Harry Adler and Kappa Delta Pi’s deceptively handy Executive Director, Faye Snodgress. For lunch tote and messenger bag storage, Jim performed my old trick of updating basic office supply store bookshelves with 1X2 MDF, then enlisted friend, Tom, to update the four back panels with wallpaper. Keeping with my mission to bring hints of the outdoors inside, I snagged the black wire birds from CB2 and stuck ‘em on the shelves. Wisteria gave us a mega-discount on the 12-seater French Country Dining Table with Leaves which I paired with CB2′s “Echo Custard Chair”. The upholstered seating started out as the basic IKEA “HENRIKSDAL” chair before a magical makeover from my seamstress, Donna, who whipped up custom slipcovers using Sunbrella and Fabricut fabrics. We turned to IKEA once more for a little help from above in the form of “LERAN” pendants which, for the first time in history, I didn’t even cut myself painting.

Extra curricular activity

With Kappa Delta Pi volunteers donating labor, more of the budget could be spent on materials. The only obstacle? Since none are skilled contractors, all assembly and installation of said materials needed to be middle-school-curriculum-easy. C2Paint made paint color selection a cinch with “Ultimate Paint Chip” swatches that tape up on the wall allowing a preview without ever opening a can. Once “Silk” was chosen, Tonette, Susan and Mike swiftly spruced up the cinder block. The team then moved on to assembling the CB2 chairs and reproduction Eames rockers [scored at a fraction of the cost for the real thing on Overstock.com] before moving on to the floors. Brian, Faye and Kevin completed the FLOR installation by simply laying each square in place, then attaching underneath with special stickers. Simple, yes but the sticky bitches are remarkably strong. FLOR’s uber-durable “Working Class” in Dark Gray was my choice for the main traffic areas since it’s made of acrylic and can handle just about anything. To soften, then delineate the dining space, we created the look of a dining rug by inlaying “Feeling Groovy’ in Glitzy Silver which coordinates perfectly with the wall color. PROOF THAT I AM A CONTROL FREAK: I originally typed “match” in the previous sentence, then replaced it with “coordinates” since I hate using the word match when not referring to something that comes in a tiny box and lights candles.

Extra credit

Um, first up, why the hell did I agree to appear all over the Interwebs in shorts? Oh well, cool shirt though. The window dressing situation was given extra special attention for many reasons. Although originally adorned with graffiti on the outside, the 12 x 8 foot window had me at hello. Although it’s pretty, the ample natural light makes the space hot as hell. First, Jim installed a ceiling track to flank the window with Donna’s No. 2 pencil-toned, stationary, ripple-fold cotton duck draperies. But why the hell am I sitting in front of them reading Elle DECOR with my hand raised? Well, readers with good taste in websites, scroll back up and slowly look at each of the three Flynncentric photos. Notice how the window shades close behind me although I’m glued to Margaret Russell? The white woven shades from Texton are remote controlled. It wasn’t my idea but rather the idea of Ed Williams who kinda RUNS the Texas-based company. With only 30 minutes for lunch, lowering and raising drapes by hand seemed like one more addition to the teachers’ already full plates. Now, when they’re all seated at the table, no one needs to get up to open or close the blinds. Since the room has no A/C, this is also a huge help in keeping the heat out on sensationally solar days. By the way, if the remote controlled part has you thinking “Electrician needed”, think again. Not only did Jim and Mike have the shades up in an hour, the only electrical skill required was knowing how to plug a cord into an outlet.

Show and tell

For show and tell, Donna brought her sewing skills to the table—literally. A few feet from the dining area sits a serving buffet made from a resin folding banquet table from Staples which the stitch mistress dressed up with a custom skirt. Hanging above is what started out as a simple Staples corkboard brought to the next level with charcoal linen, batting and silver gimp. Donna’s slipcover sorecery made the $59.99 HENRIKSDAL chairs look more like something from a design center than a major, modernist megastore. PS – do you know how damn excited I was to finally prop style a space with Chinese take-out? Let’s just say it falls somewhere between winning my Spelling Bee trophy and closing on my house.

Sunny with a chance of straight-A’s

The sad, existing entry wall was a damn mess. We rocked it out as a conversation space for shiny, happy people using three graphic elements: a photo mural, rockers and FLOR. Murals Your Way donated the 8 X 16 vinyl print which guarantees the lounge a permanent forecast of sunny and blue even when it’s frigid and grey outside.

Go to the head of the class

With classroom agendas all about the students, the teachers needed their own pseudo-study space. Once the fridge was reprimanded, then put in its new place, we brought in a parsons desk from Overstock.com paired with a modern, upholstered “Joe” chair from CB2. Overall, this area is dedicated to checking email and clicking through favorite websites. Preferably one called Decor Demon.

Art imitating life

Three years prior to this project, I fell in love with this trio of 1950′s classroom art prints. I knew that one day, all three would relocate to the perfect spot. Notice how everything about them relates to this project from the community involvement, carpentry and painting down to the girl enjoying her afternoon treat. Coincidence? I think not. Cue the X-Files music.

Read The New York Times article about the project and impress your friends.

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]]> http://www.decordemon.com/2010/09/23/after-school-special/feed/ 17 http://www.decordemon.com/2010/09/01/room-service/ http://www.decordemon.com/2010/09/01/room-service/#comments Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:48:50 +0000 decordemon http://www.decordemon.com/?p=1968 Designer Scott Laslie redefines “terms of service” with the launch of Found Market

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

Actress Geena Davis made a U-turn from the Hollywood Hills straight to becoming an Olympic archery hopeful. The Terminator tossed his Sarah Connor agenda out the window, then emerged as Governor of California. Kathy Ireland traded Sports Illustrated swimsuit editions for a billion dollar empire’s worth of lighting, carpet and bedding catalogs. As this star-studded trifecta demonstrates, when it comes to business practices, a change can do you good. Atlanta-based interior designer, Scott Laslie, is no exception to the rule.

Thanks to this go-fug-yourself, sink-or-swim economy, Mr. Laslie and business partner, Alex Guerrero, opted to completely re-evaluate the firm’s existing design services, then willingly brave the market with their own new joint venture. Just two short years ago, sprawling southern estates, sexy high-rises with sweeping views and high-dollar vacation homes were all part of Scott’s daily agenda. Nowadays, with most full-scale projects benched in purgatory, the designer is taking it one-room-at-a-time. Largely inspired by Betsy Burnham’s groundbreaking concept for Instant Space, Scotty beamed himself up in a similar direction but with a slightly different approach. Although, for now, Mr. Laslie’s reputable, scaled-back, full-service firm thrives in this identity crisis of an industry, he refuses to become design roadkill in the years to come. So what’s the difference between Scott’s firm and Found Market? While Scott Laslie Interior Design often implements the Scott Laslie aesthetic into client’s homes, Found Market, well, notsomuch.

Laslie and Guerrero are hell-bent on each Found Market space strongly resembling its client. Albeit a single room execution or a simple object hunt, each task is treated as its very own full-service design project. Example: imaginary businesswoman, Puffie van der Snuff, has a gorgeous living room sofa, heirloom rug and drapery fabric; however P-Snuff is [a] stumped on tables, lamps and accessories [b] indecisive in choosing a wall color. Found Market makes a beeline for budget-minded retail stores, trade-only design showrooms and discount outlets with a fan deck and snappy point-and-click in hand. Once the missing pieces to each decorating puzzle are found, Laslie painstakingly puts each and every one in place either himself [if the home is local to Atlanta] or via step-by-step, do-it-yourself plans [for out-of-towners]. NOTE TO SELF: hyphen-overload in previous sentence. To see Laslie’s new service in action, my photographer and I spent an afternoon with the designer himself along with his client, Leigh, and her two dogs, Luigi and Wayne Newton. The result? All design talk aside, when it comes to the creation of a niche business, Laslie and Guerrero have FOUND their MARKET.

Pretty in pink

What once was a gash wound shade of red is now sitting pretty in pink. Leigh called upon Scott to turn the bloody mess of a dining room into an airy, elegant reading lounge. In true Found Market fashion, the designer put his client through a personal taste test, then built the room around her cherished photography and existing club chairs.

What’s mine is yours

Once Lee surrendered her existing pretties to her trusted design guru, he began with the artwork. First, Scott splurged on custom-cut matte from a local framer before outfitting each botanical print with black, medium price-point frames from Pottery Barn. Next, he arranged them symmetrically above a reasonably priced, neutral, Linato linen sofa from Lee Industries scored at America’s Mart in downtown Atlanta [to-the-trade only]. As opposed to his pricey-pricey projects prior to 2008, Laslie nabbed his current client’s side table from a flea market, had a discount vase re-purposed as a lamp and went retail for throw pillows from Crate & Barrel and Lee Industries.

Soft to the touch

While the room is elegant and tailored, Scott kept it welcoming with casual touches. A soft wall color, “Early Morning” from Ralph Lauren, was chosen to accentuate the pastels of Leigh’s existing abstract. Since the photography layout was so perfect, Scott opted to be a bit less precise by simply leaning the four-foot canvas up against the wall, then topped it off with a pair of framed, watercolor figure paintings. Leigh’s club chairs are known to take her to her happy place, so Scott enhanced said happiness with discount houndstooth fabric scored at Lewis & Sheron Textiles for $9 per yard. Retail therapy strikes again with a tripod table and woven window shades from Target. For designer windows sans the price, Laslie had linen panels sewn with rod pockets, then embellished with a 2-inch tape trim sporting a zebra-like pattern.

Everything old is new again

Accents of black and white unite old with new and high with low. Starting on the wall with Leigh’s botanical prints, the classic combo makes its way to the ground with IKEA’s “STOCKHOLM” swivel stool uphosltered in cowhide. While the animal-tastic seating is a brand-new purchase with a $279 price tag, the second-hand coffee table was found at a flea market for just a few dollars more. As far as the area rug is concerned, Laslie turned trash into treasure. The Belgian linen beauty was a remnant from a carpet showroom which he had bound to fit the space.

Keep on the sunny side

As thunder made its way in and stole our $#&*@ natural light, designer and client enjoyed the totally chic, totally Leigh digs with Luigi and Wayne Newton. And by enjoyed, I mean took direction from me very well although completely exhausted, suffering power outages and running late for a friend’s soon-to-be-rained-out wedding 90 miles up the most-likely-flooded Interstate. Oh well, at least it’s always sunny in Leigh’s lounge.

Click this immediately [a] to become a friend of Found Market on Facebook [b] prove you are just not looking at our pretty pictures and ignoring my meticulously crafted/edited words.

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Produced, written, directed and styled by Brian Patrick Flynn with photography by Mali Azima

“If you can’t say something nice, come sit by me.” – Olympia Dukakis, Steel Magnolias. Decor Demon’s own mantra is somewhat similar; however, YOU is swapped with THEY in reference to thanks-but-no-thanks publications who’ve scouted, then passed up homes with unapologetic styles. So what if said publication ran out of room for you at their brand-specific table? Even more reason for you to, well, come sit by me. Much like co-star Shirley MacLaine’s red velvet armadillo cake, dark and eclectic interiors are often labeled too “edgy” or, in some cases, considered “too difficult to photograph”. ENTER Mark Edge, a jewelry-making man about town whose elegant, masculine home was passed up for national consideration when, dubiously, the only “edgy” thing about it is its owner’s last name. Mark’s stunning Midtown Atlanta project came Decor Demon’s way when our editor friend, Lisa Mowry, passed it along knowing its overall dark aesthetic would never fly with her affiliated brands. Two things [a] Lisa is pretty, tall and generous [b] finders keepers.

A soft-spoken, exquisitely dressed Southern gentlemen, the talented Mr. Edge purchased his dream home, a historic bungalow in Midtown Atlanta, with plans to reinvent it as a showstopper fit for a man’s man. Much like the raw stones in his jewelry design studio, Mark stripped all 4,000 square feet of house to the core before busting out the polish, then adding his magic touch. With some help from designer/friend Amy Wikman and her studio, Bjork Antikt, Mr. Edge would spend the next 18 months invading flea markets, estate sales and thrift stores in search of one-of-a-kind pieces from which to create something unique and easy-on-the-checkbook. Modern? Sure. Traditional? Hell yeah! Dark colors? Y-E-S. Photo shoot nightmare? Um, no. Like, not AT ALL. Two lighting kits, three buckets of flowers and one brilliant photographer later, the same home deemed too dark and edgy for others became an editorial gold mine for us.

Entry level position

One part Elle DECOR, one part Goodwill and all parts well-curated, Marky Mark and his funky, vintage living room bunch greet guests with background stories galore. A friend bestowed the crushed velvet art deco sofa to Edge after discovering it at a Salvation Army Thrift Store in Macon, Ga. After years of wear-and-tear, the handsome homeowner turned over his sassy, second-hand six-seater to designer Amy Wikman’s upholstery magic shop, Bjork Studio, where some serious stitch craft restored the piece to its original 1930′s/1940′s state. Artemide was Edge’s source for the 1960′s era “Nesso” Giancarlo Mattioli Table Lamp [available to the trade only through Illuminations Contract]. Wikman brought her antique savvy to the table, literally, with a Swedish modern coffee table of wood, brass and glass. Friends and family assume the role of Armchair Warrior thanks to the comfy, black patent leather one-seater found at Scott Antique Market. Every room needs a splurge; client and designer both agreed that the bold, red abstract by David Huff was the perfect, high price-point fit.

This subject is dead

Not much to talk about in reference to the living room fireplace…and I mean that in a good way. While much of the house was in major need of some serious gutting, the sitting area’s focal point remained in pristine condition; a combination of red brick and limestone complete the masonic DNA of Edge’s fire-starter. Wikman brought in the Swedish once again, this time in the form of elk antlers straight out of Sweden, a housewarming gift for her crafty client.

Amber waves

From the reflective metallic ceiling above to the brand-spanking-new chairs below, touches of amber wave their way up, down and all around the dining room. Mark’s bulky oak conference table [rumored to have previously belonged to Ted Turner] was nabbed from a used office furniture store, then revitalized with a new finish. Both Edge and Wikman thought outside the box for the space’s lighting. To create something cost-effective AND custom, the dynamic duo rewired aged mirror pendants, then grouped them together for wow factor/razzle-dazzle from above. Although the room can seat up to 14 guests, for the most part, eight is enough. Designer and client agreed on moderately priced plastic “Ice” chairs from Calligaris in “Transparent Orange”. Food on the table isn’t the dining room’s only organic element; the block pattern of the Tibetan rug under foot was created by artisans with vegetable dye. Thinking locally and acting globally, Mark turned to Buford, Ga. sculptor Margaret Von Keiser for the stone bust which the designer dude himself embellished with leftover chain from his kitchen pendants. Lastly, I’d like to point out that this “hard to shoot” space was photographed using ONLY natural light. Mrrrkay?

Knife in the back

Since Mark’s kitchen is situated in the rear of the house, a knife in the back simply refers to the location of his cutlery. Speaking of things that slice, the sharply dressed man’s mason painstakingly cut hundreds of Verde Chipolino marble tiles to achieve the staggered pattern created with each 6 x 18. To keep costs down, Edge picked up the solid surface showstoppers from the close-out section of Stone Locator. Wikman and Edge, both fans of Thomas O’Brien, chose the superdesigner’s antique globe pendants from Visual Comfort to illuminate the kitchen from above the island. Dishes and vegetables enjoy soaking in the MTI farmhouse sink with plumbing fixtures from Chicago Faucets. Perhaps next time, when styling a kitchen, I’ll be sure to buy vegetables and soft drinks you don’t have to squint to see. #selftaughtstylist

Speaking on a panel

The main event of Mark’s bedroom design is its custom ebony-stained wall paneling. SIDENOTE: Notice the “lived in” styling of the bed? Although I am kinda happy with it, it would have been smart to have found out beforehand that Mark is famous for always having a meticulously MADE bed…any given day at any given hour. G-dammit! But I digress…while custom bedroom design elements such as the millwork, metallic Ultra Leather headboard and a plush shag from Underfoot Design were splurges, Thomas O’Brien bedding from Target kept the budget in check. Just steps away from the bed sits a comfy lounge area comprised of art deco and midcentury antiques [from Bjork Antikt and Scott Antique Market].

Platinum recording

Wikman’s custom paneling continues throughout the entire master suite, uniting bed, bath and beyond. The high contrast of the white Arabescato Marble in tandem with the shiny platinum finishes [such as the Restoration Hardware sconces] help bounce sparkling light throughout the otherwise dark space. In keeping with the platinum motif, Edge brought in chart-topping, framed Beatles album covers to introduce touches of color and pattern. This room must have been a total @$%#& to shoot, right? Nope, in and out in 35 minutes.

Orange you glad

Hermes makes a strong appearance in the library…well, kinda. Designer and client fell in love with the luxury brand’s signature orange tone as an accent for the well-read, 14 x 12 literary retreat; Wikman mixed custom paint to match the color exactly, then used it solely on the bookshelf back panels. The jewerly man kicks back with books comfortably on a slipcovered sofa from Cisco Brothers and an upholstered armchair from Donghia. A repurposed coffee table made from antique gate and a glass top finish off the room’s lounge area. Wikman managed to pack fine art into the space by taking advantage of dead space along the bookshelf’s facia. As our shoot came to an end, Mr. Edge informed me that the entire project, start to finish, only took him 18 short months—the same amount of time it’s taken me to choose a damn wallpaper for my living room.

Win this piece of Mark Edge jewelry crafted from recycled coins and antique chains by [a] leaving a comment on his feature [b] becoming our friend on Facebook [c] following us on Twitter. A week from now, you can show it off to your jealous friends who, unlike you, were too busy to leave a comment.

]]> http://www.decordemon.com/2010/08/09/design-with-an-edge/feed/ 32 http://www.decordemon.com/2010/07/14/hollywood-ending/ http://www.decordemon.com/2010/07/14/hollywood-ending/#comments Thu, 15 Jul 2010 03:48:15 +0000 decordemon http://www.decordemon.com/?p=1825 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.

Humble beginnings

If studio executives cast furniture in leading roles, the blue bombshell above would be the Marilyn Monroe of sofas. In true Norma Jean Baker fashion, our It Girl was plucked and polished to the nines before making her cinematic debut. Every part of the 1970′s sectional was nipped, tucked, pulled and sprayed—from the original fabric to the straps and foam to the mirrored base and the fancy woodwork. Discovered during a routine dumpster dive/fire sale run, my carpenter stripped her, sprayed her high-gloss white, then dropped her off for upholstery. To make our lady fit for her new men’s room, my upholsterer recovered the starlet in twelve-bucks-a-yard navy blue velvet, then glammed up her base with mirrored chrome veneer. For silver screen razzle-dazzle, we had pillows made in David Hicks “La Fiorentina” and two platinum-toned fabrics from Kravet.

Change in character

Best part of watching soap operas? Exit/entrance voiceovers: “The role of Billie is now being played by actress Lisa Rinna”. Same thing with this pair of has-been chairs. To seem less like crackheads and more like TV producers, we scheduled “castings” on garbage pickup days, then scouted potential “talent” before waste management’s arrival. While we encouraged both chairs to remain true to their original roles, going in a younger, more energetic direction was best for the overall project. Both cane-back and shield-back chairs were modernized with a high-gloss white finish, then updated with contrasting fabrics. For our shielded, supporting cast member’s much needed touch of graphic impact, we created decorative trim from Schumacher’s “Chevron Print” in Navy sewn straight up the center of its cool, new, blue mohair upholstery. As far as the cane-back’s update was concerned, we opted for black [now discontinued] faux snakeskin from Innovations Leather fancified with chrome nailhead detail.

Praising the bar

To facilitate both eye and liver candy, we outfitted a $349 IKEA “TROLLSTA” sideboard with barstock and A/V equipment. When things are all business, a stand-mounted flat panel graces the top’s surface; however, when it’s time to liquor up high-strung clients, Mr. 42-incher gets swapped for a show-stopping Jonathan Adler print from ArtThatFits.com behind vintage chrome-tipped barware. One very special Sunday, the vintage Gods blessed us with a pair of 1970′s chrome lamps which we basically stole from City Issue, then came across the kindred spirit chandelier found for $75 at a flea market. In addition to the blue/green/yellow work by The Talented Mr. Adler, we layered pattern on the wall using Graham & Brown’s “Viva: Black Gloss” at $80 per roll.

Hollywood treatment

From its bold, formal wallcovering to its diamond-tufting and Hollywood Regency details, our laptop lounge was perfectly fit for Tinseltown bigshots. Pretty!—but who the hell puts wallpaper on cinder block? Me, duh. During our initial scout, both parties agreed there should be no trace left of the industrial hellish/brownish/reddish concrete wall; we’d make it disappear faster than a teen idol sent to rehab. First we painted the cinder block flat, ultra-white, then clad it with Masonite panels. Once my carpenter, Chris, attached each 4 X 8 Masonite sheet to the wall with concrete screws and a drill, my paper hanger, Mary, jumped in to adhere the “Ornate: Blue” wallcovering from Graham & Brown in four sections. Does Mary talk way too much and take way too many smoke breaks? Yes. Is she one of the best paper hangers in the business and worth all the stop-drop-and-huff-and-puff? Hell yes. For maximum seating, my upholsterer, Miguel, whipped up a diamond-tufted banquette covered in one of my go-to, repeatedly used, indoor/outdoor fabrics—Sunbrella “Velveteen”. Sure, the bitch looks sexy, but she can also handle spilled White Russians aplenty should a staff screenwriter self-destruct during his sixty-ninth script revision. IKEA came in handy when budgeting for affordable lighting and pedestal tables. Three “FADO” pendants light the space from above while a trio of “DOCKSTA” tables offer space for laptops, or in some cases, TV dinners and beer. Unsightly beige-ish concrete quickly fell by the wayside thanks to FLOR in “Rake Me Over”, Indigo.

Ready for her closeup

Our Big Momma project, as far as cost was concerned, was definitely the banquette. As the head writers stated many times over, ample power outlets were a HUGE necessity. So, obviously, we’d engineer the custom piece with outlets embedded into it—right? I know, so obvious. After Miguel upholstered all surfaces, he installed power strips snugly into three cutouts along the banquette’s lower facade. To glamourize Big Momma, we brought in the same sparkly silver pillows tossed about the blue velvet sofa, then embellished her armrests with chrome nailhead detail.

Casting extras

In addition to built-in seating, the writer/producers needed a few extra chairs for script reads and pre-production meetings. So, naturally, we took to the streets again in search of castaways. All it took to whip these misfits into shape was a coat of high-gloss, ultra white paint and 2 yards of super shiny, commercial grade vinyl.

Video killed the Internet star

And now, a suckfest in styling. Since this particular project had both video AND still photography components, there should have been two completely different methods of propping. Sure, the bold, cost-effective IKEA fabric draperies are show-stopping; however, they overpower the faux cowprint rug and apparently ate the damn chandelier. How about that chrome flea market coffee table completely hidden by the glare of its glass top? What a damn mess. Also, since when do rap-music-video-director-dudes kick back to Suzanne Kasler and Dorothy Draper decorating books? Perhaps it’s to distract them from the random chunk of safety yellow cheese sitting to the right? I could make excuses all day but instead I will use this sentence to [a] prove that it worked well in video format and [b] drive you to watch the first two webisodes of Decor Demon, the series here and here. WIN.

Come make a production of our Facebook page and/or follow us on the Twitters.

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.

Carson Daily

Thanks to a superstar designer mother, great genes and a cover-shot-worthy bedroom, every day is like Sunday in Carson’s suite. Betsy put her signature layering expertise to good use here starting with inverted box pleat draperies in “Chinese Garden” by Hazelton House [trade-only, available through Keith McCoy & Associates, Los Angeles] custom made by Teresa Prater Custom Interiors. Walls splashed with “Ivy Enchantment” from Dunn Edwards [a goes-with-almost-everything tone] allow each unique element to soar, particularly the black four-poster bed from Lane. A similar model is available through Ethan Allen.

Pillow talk

Curfews are something to look forward to thanks to Carson’s crisp, white, embroidered bedding from Deborah Sharpe Linens. Betsy hit up Peter Dunham‘s design hotspot, Hollywood at Home, for the shiny, happy, vintage Suzani bolster. A discontinued fretwork-ish side table from Williams-Sonoma Home supports a cost-saving orange “Boka” lamp from Crate & Barrel. One last bedside penny-pincher, IKEA’s “STOCKHOLM RAND” rug, grounded the sleepy space without breaking the bank.

Read all about it

Carson’s homework/reading area is a mashup of retail therapy and multicultural bargains. West Elm’s Parsons Desk in white houses candles fit for the Vatican and a turquoise Asian Foo Dog lamp found on ebay. Framed graphic art from Village hung above the desk is a nod to teen valley girl lingo. The vintage swivel chair [discovered at L.A.'s oasis of collectibles, Nick Metropolis] was given the Burnham touch with a cushion made of Clarence House’s “Jembala Wool Crewel” fabricated by Teresa Prater Custom Interiors.

State of the union

Union Jack is a signature pattern in Betsy Burnham designs. Luckily, for Carson, Mom nabbed a one-of-a-kind hand painted dresser sporting the U.K. emblem, then used it to pop color and graphic in the room. An autograph from actress Amanda Bynes took it from its original state to an A-List keepsake thanks to a People magazine shoot that took place outside the family’s home.

The right stuff

Teens are always gonna have STUFF, so why not embrace it? From the looks of Carson’s built-ins, it appears that proper accessorizing may be genetic. Betsy designed the unit with a combination of concealed and open storage. Drawers below [adorned with polished brass pulls from Liz's Antique Hardware] keep the unsightly stuff out of sight so that fun objects can be showcased above. Betsy’s favorite place for the fun stuff? High Street Market which has its own fantastic blog, I might add. When I asked Betsy the story behind the hot pink hot mess sporting floral brooches, she replied “We had a period of heavy Chinese propaganda collecting and the Mao bust fit right in”.

Bath to basics

Beyond the bedroom lives a classic black, white and grey bathroom certain never to go out of style. For Carson’s floor tile and sink, Betsy brought in sheets of Parramore Basketweave Mosaic and a Palladio sink, both from Waterworks. Gerber Hinge was the designer’s source for the chrome, hand-shaped pulls. To splash pattern onto the walls, Burnham chose “Attendants” wallcovering from Katie Ridder, then topped it off with a pair of sconces from Circa Lighting. Although Burnham Design is big on custom pieces such as the faux-python clad mirror, the studio’s trusted retail showrooms for all things kitchen and bath are Ann Sacks for more fashion-forward products and Waterworks for the classics.

Two for the money

Although we were specifically focused on Betsy’s teen room designs, it was hard to resist shooting her runway-ready project managers, Max and Alyssa. Not only did my photographer and I learn about their professional backgrounds, we discovered that [a] Alyssa hates photos of herself and is not on Facebook [b] Max is not a fan of the Darren Aronofsky film, Requiem for a Dream, but he does own a dog named Dynamo. Notice how the duo of design dreamboats rock ensembles similar to the layered interiors they help create? Coincidence? I think not.

Where there’s a Will

When it came to the design of son Will’s room, Betsy opted for overall neutral territory. Farrow & Ball’s “Drab” was Burnham’s wall color of choice. Supermom chose Schumacher’s “Galloway” in Navy for Boy Wonder’s inverted box pleat draperies which were fabricated by Teresa Prater Custom Interiors and installed with hardware from Iron Art by Orion. Will calls it a day, nightly, sprawled out on a discontinued bed from Land’s End dressed with dreamy bedding from Deborah Sharpe Linens.

It’s a man’s world

From the sleeping area to the study space to the rock show in the middle, Will’s room is a man’s world. Designer-Mom’s palette of taupe, burgundy and navy is sure to buck all trends—and look uber-masculine while doing so. When retail is a must, Betsy prefers both West Elm [source for the red Parsons Desk] and IKEA for kid spaces. Pops of yellow adrenalize the study space in the form of a Jonathan Adler lamp resting below a framed print by Lichtenstein. Pattern pops up once again courtesy of a Vivienne Westwood for the Rug Company pillow perched against the back of an Eames desk chair. The Rug Company’s “Ponti Red” area rug carries the burgundy tone over to the bed space where it’s greeted by a lacquered side table from Ji Gallery. Union Jack makes a cameo in the form of a custom “Big British Flag Lamp” lamp from Burnham Design.

A fresh approach

While Will’s bedroom layered brute colors with timeless patterns, Betsy went fresh, clean and nearly colorless in his bathroom. Rohl was Momma Burnham’s source for almost everything from the mirror to the sink/faucet combo to the polished chrome tissue dispenser. The Carrara marble surround is from Jerusalem Stone. For a dash of pattern, Betsy brought in a roman shade made from “Oakfield Tartan” by Ralph Lauren. I wonder how well Clownfish would do in that farmhouse sink.

Interested in hiring Betsy to design your home? Check out Burnham Design for full design services and Instant Space for Betsy’s do-it-yourself approach.

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]]> http://www.decordemon.com/2010/07/07/western-civilization/feed/ 52 http://www.decordemon.com/2010/06/23/working-girl/ http://www.decordemon.com/2010/06/23/working-girl/#comments Thu, 24 Jun 2010 04:57:36 +0000 decordemon http://www.decordemon.com/?p=1710 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.

Foreign accents

It started out kinda Finnish with “Helsinki” wallpaper from UK-based company Graham & Brown. Soon thereafter, the Finnish-by-way-of-England wallpaper picked up a French-Italian accent once introduced to Wisteria’s hand-painted Parisian console and Traditional Venetian Glass Mirror. A little American retail therapy via West Elm finished the entrance off in the form of a Hammered Vase and a Crushed Eggshell Box.

A view with a room

With windows peering out into her driveway and mailbox, Stacey’s studio wasn’t exactly a room with a view. We switched things up making it a view with a room—from the top floor landing, that is. While standing in the doorway, one gets a tailored eye full of elegance from the Morningstar ebony bamboo floors from Lumber Liquidators, custom faux silk draperies, plum trim work and ceiling to a $25 flea market chair updated with black high-gloss spray paint and a violet mohair cushion.

Design within reach

Stacey’s jewelry design business requires a space to sprawl out jems, wire, clasps and materials; however many of her essentials often double as eyesores. By adding a tailored skirt to the front and two sides of a TORSBY table from IKEA, our bejeweled subject can now keep the design must-have’s within reach below the white glass table top. Our fabric of choice was pink slubby basket weave cotton at $4.99 per yard. The silver trim? Repurposed ironing board liner. Cost, FREE. We reached into our trusted bag of tricks to turn 3 BILLY bookcase units from IKEA into a fake-it-don’t-make-it built-in. To contain the part-time designer’s hat inventory, our organizing expert, Sarah, layered them inside recycled newspaper bins from The Container Store and kept Stacey’s own line of bath and body products safe in weathered BYHOLMA and Maize bins and baskets. A grey/silver pendant from West Elm added a play-on-scale to the studio from above while a $25 floor model version of the retailer’s Jute Boucle rug protected the floors below. We interspersed some decoration with our organization using Book Boxes, Jewel Topped Bottles and a Glass Pouring Pitcher from Wisteria. The black Louis Ghost Chair from Kartell was scored online.

She works hard for the money

Although the space is, for the most part, dedicated to curating Stacey’s inventory of women’s workout apparel and jewelry, it also needed an area for logging on to the Interwebs. A simple $300 West Elm Console Desk solved that with space for a laptop above and open storage for clutterables below. We splurged on a high-end black vintage chair from Pieces, bringing the medium-grade desk to new designer heights.

Windows of opportunity

Both the windows and ceiling were opportunities for creative cover-ups. First we added a WoodHaven Beadboard system from Armstrong Residential Ceilings to the uber-boring drywall above, then painted it a shade of plum called “Choo Choo” by Porter Paints. To mask the energy-saving yet aesthetically-corrupt vinyl windows, we layered natural woven shades from Texton with the aforementioned custom faux silk draperies. While the drapery material may be fashionably fake, I will tell you what isn’t—my draper, Donna’s, dissatisfaction with my measuring skills. Supposedly, her inverted box pleats would have looked ten times more spectacular if I had ordered 1/3 less fabric. Notice Donna’s happy off-camera smile and “Thanks for effing up my damn drapes” expression? It was even more enjoyable in person. Ten bucks says she also leaves a comment about it on this very page.

Well hung

Since the home studio is meant for Stacey’s online fashion boutique, it was imperative we up the ante of her closet. We fancied it up for more of a dressing room look by painting it “Choo Choo” in a flat finish, then bringing in the same ebony bamboo floor. Thanks to the Container Store’s elfa system, we doubled Stacey’s inventory space and pulled the same silver tone from the wallpaper inside. Speaking of bringing things inside, I just realized I left a pan full of bookshelf paint right outside Stacey’s front door. If purple paw prints end up all over the first floor, I’m blaming Stacey’s husband.

If you wanna see the entire room come together on live television, click this orange sentence.

Come decorate our wall with messages on Facebook.

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.

You’re welcome

My former snorefest of an entrance was adrenalized with a $35 craigslist credenza updated with a sprayed finish using PPG’s “Red Gumball” urethane paint. A pair of Jonathan Adler greyhounds kept watch afront a black-brown wall paneled with stain-grade luan and 1X3 MDF.

Parental supervision

Is it weird to still live with Mommy and Daddy at age 34? Well, kinda. But in this case, they’re simply the subject of a mural. Since the space behind the sofa wasn’t earning its keep, I put it to use by getting creative with a photo of my Mom and Dad in the late 1960’s. The 3X3 photograph was scanned in high-resolution, then outputted on UV-resistant vinyl in GIANT SCALE. In fact, even more gigantic than the ego-maniacal reputation I was given from neighbors who assumed the fellow in the photo was me.

Getting a big fat F

And here’s a lesson in bad styling. I’m proud of my revamped flea market furniture and use of natural light; however, I give myself an F in accessorizing. Why the %@#$ did I shove that gorgeous sunflower arrangement way back in the corner instead of on the coffee table? What’s with that wimpy little yellow thing in the skinny vase to the right of the Jonathan Adler elephant? I’d like to blame drugs but the only ones I’ve ever done are for headaches and sore throats. Speaking of placing blame [in a good way], it’s because of a Cartoon Network series cancellation that I got the plush green shag rug. The tv-studio-yard-sale find completed a list of other garage sale-ish items including: a yellow F from a TGI Fridays sign, lucite coffee table scored in Athens, Ga., and a brass chandelier swiped from a flea market and sprayed red. My carpentry friend, Dan, fabricated and installed the barn door shutters complete with frosted Plexi to let diffused light in when closed.

Case study

While many say TV cameras add weight, I often argue it’s the Snickers, pizza and cookies between takes. A similar situation occurs when designers see photos of their work and claim “It looks better in person”. Although many times that is actually the case, let’s explore this train wreck of a reading/study area. What I did right: flat black-brown paint to make the walls recede, gallery-style art grouping, false plywood wall with capsule molding afront a 13×9 white/walnut elfa system from The Container Store. And now for the not-so-much: my table choice was totally wrong, that accessory mess on the table is a disaster, spray painting the hanging basket red seemed like a good idea at the time but reads like a college apartment experiment.

Kitsch[en]

Apparently, the kitchen bought a one-way ticket on a Kitsch bound train; however, it was totally fun and done on a microscopic budget..so STFU. My refinisher removed the cabinet door fronts, added molding, and sprayed them with two coats of oil paint. I put my stellar DIY skills to use by screwing the “Grafton” glass/chrome pulls from Restoration Hardware into holes with something called a drill. To update the existing cheesy laminate countertops, my British carpenter, David [who pronounces water "WOH tuh"], created a form around its perimeter, then filled it with concrete resulting in a chunky, modern look. For a custom backsplash, David cut standard 12×12 marble tiles down to 3×5′s with a wet saw, then finished them off with light grey grout. Across the room, floating shelves housed my soup obsession while a breakfast bar below [made from standard fence posts and pine] served double duty as a serving station. Why the hell is there a robot next to the cake instead of plates?

Work of art

Space was tight in the loft so I built a table from pine [then painted and distressed it] for both dining AND work space. I kept finding these amazing iron scrollback chairs at random flea markets throughout Atlanta and, lucky for me, they mix well with just about anything. In this case I paired them with fiberglass 1960′s swivel chairs which my upholsterer updated with kelly green vinyl cushions. IKEA entered the loft in the form of three “FADO” pendants, a cost-saving alternative to true mid-century globe replications. Eye candy art by David E. Peterson, Jonathan Fenske and Ronnie Bautista tempted dinner guests to stick around for dessert. Guess how many times I actually dined in this space? Six. Okay, I lied. Three.

Saving Private Brian

The private areas of the loft literally NEVER saw the light of day. With the only two windows being at the opposite end of the unit, I was determined to over-rule the dark side. For starters, I turned to the power of ultra-white. A gallon of porch and floor paint on the bathroom’s pine planks helped bounce light around from a flush mount in the ceiling. In the bedroom, a Nelson saucer in white vinyl cast a glow throughout the room while a pair of white faux bamboo lamps shed light on reading material. To brighten up the walk-in closet, I spray painted a traditional iron chandelier white, then swapped flame bulbs for globes [a trick learned from my designer friend, Cinda]. In addition to the white, I pumped energy into the spaces with saturated green and red on walls and with FLOR. To balance the boldly bright, I incorporated dark black-brown six ways: Zoli sink/mirror combo and striped curtains in the bathroom, custom diamond pattern velvet duvet, side tables and painted rectangle in the bedroom, and trim and alcoves of the closet built-in.

Getting high

Although the rooftop was communal, its layout allowed all 14 tenants to entertain sky-high simultaneously. By designing a four-poster table from 4×4 lumber and 1×5 pine planks, the dining area could accommodate a plug-in outdoor chandelier meant for use ONLY while entertaining, then be safely stored in a weather-proof console unit. My painter friends, Josie and Yvonne, gave the deck a swank update by stenciling a custom pattern with porch and deck paint. Wire garden chairs and fiberglass dining chairs were updated with red nautical vinyl upholstery for sophisticated skyline seating. One simple step down from the dining area and guests were sitting pretty in the rooftop garden. Galvanized metal siding served as facia to an open-top planter wall packed with hard-to-pronounce-so-don’t-bother-trying succulents. Caring for them was a breeze; I simply hired my landscaper/friend, Nic Dodson, to care for them. Notice the lush lawn topped with white 1960′s rattan patio furniture? Yeah, that’s totally not real. Watering grass daily up four flights of stairs would not a happy tenant make, so we opted for NewGrass. The acrylic imposter is genius for many reasons: it requires no water, it’s fade resistant, and it drains itself through a perforated backing.

Musical chairs

A short time after completing the design work, I gazed out over the city thinking to myself “Wow, I really LOVE living here”. Then I bought a mid-century modern ranch, packed up and moved.

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