Friday

Your color questions should be posted by the end of today - be sure to check back.  Let me know what other type of questions you have so we can start working on the next installment of Ask Kenneth.  Click on the Send an email link down on the right with any thoughts.

Also, I thought you might enjoy an article that was recently posted online.  Maggie Reed is a reporter for Copley News Service.  She interviewed me backstage at an event in San Diego a few months ago.  Copy and paste the link to your browser

http://www.bendweekly.com/news/7711.html

Reporter Maggie Reed with me backstage (notice the bag of candy in the bottom right hand corner - we ate too many tootsie rolls and I ended up with a serious sugar headache)

Wednesday

I wanted to post a quick update…..I hope to have all of your great color questions and answers posted by the end of this week.  I received over 600 excellent questions.  Color seems to be the biggest challenge you face when working on your design projects.  Thanks for all your continued support and interest in my design process.  I am having a lot of fun staying in touch with all of you.

I also want to welcome all of you from down under that have been writing in.  It’s good to know that my show is now showing daily in Australia.  Looking forward to hearing more about your projects

Kenneth

Sunday

If you have ever been to Los Angeles, more than likely you’ve traveled on LaCienega Boulevard.  This street extends South to the airport and runs North to Sunset Boulevard.  I am lucky to live 2 blocks away, near the corner of Melrose Place and LaCienega Blvd.  This area has long been known for wonderful Interior Design stores, fashion houses and of course the Pacific Design Center.  Some of my favorite shops on this street are Downtown www.downtown20.net , Blackman Cruz www.blackmancruz.com ,  Paul Marra www.paulmarradesign.com , and Mecox www.mecoxgardens.com .  LaCienega is also home to a few of my favorite restaurants such as Republic www.therepublicla.com , Koi www.koirestaurant.com and The Spanish Kitchen www.thespanishkitchen.com

But on Sunday afternoons you will find me at La Cienega Nursery, just tucked off of the main drag.  La Cienega Nursery is known for exotic plants, wonderful succulents, and my favorite orchids.  I love walking thru the crowded aisles just to see the colors, textures and wide variety of plants.  I often draw inspiration for my design projects while exploring their latest succulent inventory. In fact, when we shot the pilot episode of my show, we did a segment there that discussed my inspiration for the color palette (this segment was later edited out due to time constraints…did you know that in a 30 minute episode, you only see 22 minutes?  We often had over 4 hours of footage which was edited down to 22 minutes!)

In addition to finding inspiration from all of the plants today, I purchased a few orchids for my entry.  I work with Bernie who has a talent for arranging orchids in containters.  The key to purchasing orchids is to buy the ones with fewer blooms so that they will continue blooming in your home.  This way they will last longer.

LaCienega Nursery is just off Sherwood and LaCienega

Inspiration, Inspiration, Inspiration.

Inside the orchid greenhouse

Arranging the orchids

The new orchid arrangement in my entry

This arrangement in my dining area is over 6 weeks old.  When I brought it home, it had half of the blooms.  The plant adjusted to the light levels in my home and continues to produce new blooms

Monday

A good friend of mine, Aaron Foster has created a unique niche in the art world.  As you can see below, he has the ability to turn something intended for the trash bin into something beautiful.  His art offers a new point of view on the benefits of recycling.

Aaron receives old license plates from all over the country and stores them by state

Aaron with me in front of his Amercian Flag piece.

His most popular piece is the Map of the United States.  Notice how each state is cut from its own license plate.

His recent idea to create one of a kind mail boxes from license plates has become a big seller.  You can order direct from www.aaronfoster.com

A New York Taxi Cab with the New York Skyline in the background.  The Skyline is made from using the backs of the license plates

Dylan with Guitar is Aaron’s favorite piece.  The careful attention to detail when cutting the old license plates takes days to create just one of these unique pieces of art.

Monday

A good friend of mine, Aaron Foster has created a unique niche in the art world.  As you can see below, he has the ability to turn something intended for the trash bin into something beautiful.  His art offers a new point of view on the benefits of recycling.

Aaron receives old license plates from all over the country and stores them by state

Aaron with me in front of his Amercian Flag piece.

His most popular piece is the Map of the United States.  Notice how each state is cut from its own license plate.

His recent idea to create one of a kind mail boxes from license plates has become a big seller.  You can order direct from www.aaronfoster.com

A New York Taxi Cab with the New York Skyline in the background.  The Skyline is made from using the backs of the license plates

Dylan with Guitar is Aaron’s favorite piece.  The careful attention to detail when cutting the old license plates takes days to create just one of these unique pieces of art.

Friday

Last night I attended an Elle Decor event at one of my favorite boutique shops.  Bourgeois Boheme is 3 blocks from my new office and is known for unique pieces imported from France. www.bourgeoisboheme.com

A sampling of Bourgeois Boheme’s beautiful pieces.  I purchased a chandelier sculpted from plaster of Paris for the reception area of my office.  Plaster of Paris is a white powder (made from gypsum cements) that is mixed with water to make cast, molds and sculpture.  The end result is a soft white textured finish that feels soft to the touch.

I fell in love with this antique chesterfield chair.  You can never go wrong with a leather chair, especially if the leather shows a little wear and tear.  It is this patina that invites you to sit back and relax.  So often I meet people who have new leather furniture that panic everytime a scratch or mark shows up on the piece.  I tell them to relax, allow the leather to show some age.  It is this process that makes leather furniture more unique and beautiful. 

These events are also fun to catch up with fellow designers.  Designers Gabriel Herrera and Kevin Kolanowski with me at the event last night.  Kevin’s company, Fuse Lighting makes stunning light fixtures.  Check out his website www.fuselighting.com

I worked with Kevin to custom design this chandelier made of real gems for a dining room I recently designed.

Thursday

The art discussion is heating up.  Last week I mentioned that I usually select art as the final step in my design process.  Since then, many of you asked if I ever start with a piece of art and design around it.  The answser is yes.  I have been very lucky to design homes for well established art collectors.  These circumstances are not as common, and they can pose a huge challenge.

The challenge is finding the right balance between art and furniture. When designing around art, I always consider the scale of the piece and the colors used.  In addition to this, the amount of movement in the piece can play a huge role in the design.  With larger pieces of art, I balance it with a large piece of furniture with minimal pattern.  If the piece has a strong use of color, I keep the fabrics and paint colors on the neutral side so the piece will pop.  If the piece has a lot of movement (when many things are happening in the piece which causes the eye to move around the piece more than normal), I try to eliminate one or two pieces of furniture from the design plan.  By doing this, the room feels less crowded allowing the eye to rest as it scans the room.

Tomorrow I’ll be over at my friend Aaron Foster’s studio (it’s his birthday).  He creates original pieces of art from old license plates.  His pieces have a lot of color, are large scale and have a lot of movement.  See his stuff at www.aaronfoster.com. Some of you will recognize Aaron from HGTV’s Freestyle.  We met while doing a press junket in New York.

When I was studying design in England, I came to know a talented artist named Mark Spray.  He draws inspiration from the geology of West Penwith England.  His pieces are more neutral in color, medium scale and vary in movement.  You can view his pieces by visiting www.markspray.com

The intersesting thing is that Aaron and Mark’s styles would create a different atmosphere even if all the furniture was exactly the same.  That is the beauty of art.  You can decide what personality to bring into your room’s design.

Friday

As a kid I would go to the bank with my Dad every Friday afternoon to cash a check so that we would have cash for the weekend.  Once the ATM machine was invented, my Dad and I would spend our Friday afternoons getting sno-cones (my favorite flavor was grape) and watching my brother play baseball.  I remember one time sitting at the top of the bleachers and falling off backwards.  I ended up in a trash bin full of newspaper, unharmed.  My Dad decided to jump after me (I guess he thought he could catch me in mid-air?) and he ended up with a sprained arm.

  Benson & Oliver lounging in Palm Springs

Fast forward 25 years and I realize it’s the invention of wireless technology that allows me the freedom to work poolside in Palm Springs.  What a great way to spend my Friday afternoon after a long week.

I wonder what technology will do for us next?  So far, the ATM and wireless technology has freed up my Friday afternoons for sno-cones, baseball games and working while lounging in Palm Springs.  Maybe someone will invent technology for Dad’s to fly so they can catch their children when they fall off the top of bleachers.

Have a great weekend - Kenneth

P.S.  Copy and paste the link below to your browser.  This is an article I contributed to about designing open spaces. Enjoy!

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/dc_room_design/article/0,,HGTV_3497_5562300,00.html

Thursday

After an exciting afternoon of installing new furniture for my client Dennis Hammer, my day was topped off with good company for a great cause.

Williams Sonoma Home hosted an event tonight showcasing the photography of Slim Aarons.  The timing could not have been more perfect to invite Dennis along to shop for art.  Art, whether it is photography, oil on canvas, sculpture, or collage is the key ingredient in completing the design of a room.  It is the last thing I select before I can say, this room is done.

My client Dennis and I had a good time shopping for the perfect piece.  The collection was extraordinary as you can see a few of the options on the wall behind us

I enjoyed meeting Dave DeMattei, Group President for Williams Sonoma, Williams Sonoma Home and West Elm

Staley Wise Gallery sums it up best when they describe Slim Aarons’ work.  “During the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, Slim Aarons brought a photojournalist’s eye to the art of formal society portraiture, posing his subjects as still life, in their magnificent environments”.  Check out more by copying and pasting the link below:  http://www.staleywise.com/collection/aarons/aarons.html

Two of Slim Aarons’ famous photographs

The sale of these limited edition photographs from the estate of Slim Aarons also benefited P.S. Arts.  This non-profit organization works to restore the arts to public education.  For 13 years, P.S. Arts has been providing instruction in the arts to thousands of public school children in some of the most under-served neighborhoods in Los Angeles County and beyond.  www.psarts.org

Tuesday

I look forward to writing in my journal, but often the day slips by without an entry.  Many of you have asked if it’s really me that writes this…...yep it’s me.  With a busy schedule, days can blur into weeks and weeks can blur into months, but having this journal helps me to stop and be in the moment.

Tonight, I had the opportunity to speak to the UCLA Interior Design Students.  I appreciate the chance to offer insight into my career path and share design advice.  Being in an academic environment reinforces the idea that one day I hope to teach.

The UCLA ASID (American Society of Interior Designers) Student Chapter organized tonight’s event

Special thanks to the Board members from the UCLA ASID Student Chapter shown with me above.