Loft Design-Kelly Hoppen

We love, love modern designs at Inside Avenue. We especially like modern designs that are organic, warm and livable. In our opinion, no one does it better than Kelly Hoppen, an internationally well-known designer from the UK.

Here is a sample of her work from the latest issue of Metropolitan Magazine , using our favorite color scheme, black and white.

A wonderful color combination (note the yellow chair).



How about this for a dining room? Check out the cool chandelier, and again, the use of yellow as an accent color...



This is what makes Kelly Hoppen so good, the creative mixing of furniture style...



How about this for a modern bathroom?



If you like Kelly Hoppen's work, check out her design books at Amazon. They are a great source of inspirations. She also designed a furniture collection for Century Furniture, China for Wedgewood and a bedding line for Sferra.

Loft Decorating

The trend toward loft living is increasing. We see more lofts being built than ever. Traditionally, lofts were conversions from old factory and warehouses. Recently, however, more builders are building loft-style developments throughout the country from coast to coast.

Lofts are cool, but they are difficult to decorate. Here is a sample of a great loft design from Metropolitan Home Magazine.

Notice the clever use of all neutral colors....


We love the use of yellow as punctuation. Very clever...



See the use of hallway as a functional space...



The kitchen warms up with accessories...


Here are a few lessons we've learned from looking at these photos:

1)Make use of awkward spaces by using built-in bookcases and desks.

2)Use neutral colors if that is your thing, but pump it up with splashes of colors.

3)Use accessories to warm up the space.

4)Don't stick to one type of furniture. Mix it up.

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Design Contest coming to Bravo

We heard that the folks responsible for Project Runway and Top Chef are coming out with a show for interior design. This is so exciting! We love Project Runway and Top Chef! It's nice to have a reality show about talents than about silly people babbling about nothing of value (would you believe this, but there will be a realtity show coming called "Hot Moms". Please, give us a break!)

On some other TV related-news, we will be featured on "Ex-wives Clubs", coming to ABC next year. Well, that is if we don't get cut out in the editing room. The folks from the show came to us last year to shoot a segment with Marla Trump and the woman who used to be married to K-Fed (what is her name?). You know what's realistic about reality show? Very little. From what we've seen it's very scripted.

Watch out for our next post where we will keep you informed about all the cool home design stuff that is going on in Los Angeles.

Lofty Lofts

Lofts are in! They are everywhere you look. As cool as they are, lofts are often hard to furnish. By not having the divisional space of traditional rooms, one often has to be creative in furnishing a loft. Cool artwork, functional furniture and use of colors/texture are a must.

Here are a few ideas in furnishing your loft:

1)Invest in a great sofa--one that is comfortable to sit, snuggle yet beautiful enough as this is the first thing most people see after walking in the door. Here is a few of our favorites:




This sofa is long (105 inches), modern and classic. It can be done in our fabric or yours (we've done it in cream and chocolate--it's marvelous).

Domicile Sofa by Bolier $2595-customer own material

Another one of our favorite (this one sits so well, it's unbelievable how comfortable it is).



White Leather Sectional by Moroni $3500

Artwork is another very important component in furnishing a loft. Here are some cool ones that can be custom-size (yes, you can have it as large as you want it).


Oh Hey Longo $450 (36x24-Custom size available)

Check out the rest of the contempory art collection designed with lofts in mind.

For design ideas, we love Metropolitan Home Magazine.

For design inspirations, we love luxury boutique hotels. A good site to check out boutique hotels is Tablet Hotels.

The Purity of White

We love an all-white decor. It's refreshing, modern and pure. When we do design jobs for our clients, we like using all white furnishings and juxtapose it with black/white photographs and beautiful plants & flowers. The results are often stunning.

Here are a few favorites to help you accomplish that look.



White Slip Cover Sofa $2000

What goes with it:


White Slip Cover Chair $1400"




White Tulip $350

As far as maintenance goes, it is true that white gets dirty quickly and is not ideal if you have kids. By choosing the right material such as cotton slip covers that can be washed easily, this look can be easily maintained.

Hollywood Regency Style

Hollywood regency, hollywood modern, hollywood retro--these are all the terms that describe the hottest trend in home decorating today. Made popular by Kelly Wearstler of Viceroy, Maison 140 (Palm Spring, Santa Monica) fame, this style involves a lot of mirror, a lot of lacquer, and splashes of bold color. It also makes good use of bold graphics and Asian accessories.


Here are a few items that contribute to this glamorous look:

This mirror was featured in Elle Decor a few issues back.

We love this armoire. It is in black with mirror. In our showroom we show it with a yellow pair of tassels. Awesome!


We also like this bedside table:


And this hallway chest too (it comes in red and black leather).


If you would like to check out the style, a good book to check out is Kelly Wearstler's Modern Glamour, the Art of Unexpected Style She has done an amazing job in this genre Her web site shows her awesome projects.