Brown Design + Development

First Look - Santa Monica Condo Project

One of our latest projects is a never been renovated, 1980's condo overlooking the ocean in Santa Monica.  The client is the fashion editor of a high profile magazine.  The condo consists of a kitchen, living room, dining room, 2 bedrooms, and 3 bathrooms.  We will be replacing all surfaces -- flooring, counter tops, fireplace stone, etc. She'd like an understated, chic look that will remain timeless, staying with a neutral and tonal color palette while avoiding shades of gray. As you can see by the "before" images below, the space is going to need quite a bit of work to achieve the desired end result.  

Here are some of our early concepts.  Shown in the image below are some of the materials that have been selected. 

We have also included preliminary sketches of the living / dining floorplan and fireplace concept.   As you can see, we will be building custom bookcases and plan to furnish with several pieces of vintage and custom furniture. 

Because this space will be undergoing a dramatic transformation, it is going to be fun to see the end result.  Keep an eye out as we will post updates on the progress of this project. 

 

Designing a Baby Room

One of our current projects is a complete remodel of a large duplex in Los Angeles.  The client is expecting a baby girl and the nursery design was very important to her.  Her two requests were to have bright pops of pink combined with a touch of whimsy.  This is what we came up with...

The overall color palette in the room is a vibrant mix of pinks and grays.  The fabrics have incredible style and sophistication while still being baby appropriate. 

We selected the following wallcovering for the top half of the walls.  The first image shows a detail shot of the pattern and also the actual color we will be using.  The second shot is a darker color, but shows the overall pattern.  This wallcovering is definitely whimsical and has tiny glass beads that gives off a beautiful sheen when hit by the light. 

 

The bottom half of the walls will be painted in Dunn Edwards Ash Gray (shown left).  For a fun twist, we will be painting the ceiling in Dunn Edwards Forgotten Pink (shown right).

 

For the furniture, we selected this crib from Newport Cottages and are having the bedding custom made using several of the pink fabrics shown above in our color palette.  This rocker will be reupholstered in the gray fabric also shown above in our color palette.

We purchased this dresser, but are having it custom made into a changing table.  We are also having the wallpaper design etched into the wood on the front of the cabinet. 

This vintage chandelier is sure to make the room feel extra special.

Other custom pieces include a "pagoda" hutch, as seen in the sketch below and a custom baby door (not shown).  

   

 

Designer Challenge

We love a good challenge and try to be ready for anything a client may throw our way!  One of our latest projects has been working on a house that originally belonged to Bela Lugosi.  Imagine this: hunter green walls, gold ceilings and animal cages still on the hill.  It’s quite the house to say the least!  But the original architecture of the house itself is quite amazing—over 12’ ceilings, over-scaled fireplaces, high baseboards, etc—so we had a lot to work with.

For it being such a quirky house with an interesting history behind it, we didn’t want to lose any of that in the new design.  Our client wanted a way to separate the two wings of the house but also wanted to have a large bookcase as a focal piece somewhere in the house.  So when the idea of a secret passageway of sorts came along—how could we not say yes?  Paired with an old 19th century church bench and a bold antique rug, we’ve taken your standard hallway and turned it into a layered and inviting space.

 

Designing a Pool House

We came across the following images and were instantly drawn to the light, easy vibe in these rooms.  In fact, these photographs became a source of inspiration for a client's pool house. 

Our interpretation began with a color palette of whites and grays with bold pops of yellow.  We purchased a white lacquered bed and daybed, both from West Elm. 

 

We chose a white and gray duvet, sheet set and pillow shams for the bedding and also had several pillows custom made in various fabrics and colors.

 

Other features of the room will include custom roman shades in a light, white linen fabric, a custom canopy for the bed in a gray and white linen stripe and bright custom pillows in the Trina Turk fabrics shown below. 

 We'll be sure to post the end result soon! 

Don't Ignore The Ceiling

When designing a room, don't ignore the ceiling.  It's one of the largest surface areas in a room. 

Seen here, we used a classic chinoiserie landscape wallpaper in a Beverly Hills pool room. 

With such busy walls and so many patterns, it was best to keep things neutral and simple.  While painting the ceiling would have been an option here, we opted for a brown grasscloth that compliments the walls and adds both depth and warmth. 

   

  

Outdoor Furniture Concept

We are putting the final touches on client's home where we renovated both the interior and exterior.  In the backyard, an outdoor fireplace and kitchen were added and now we are in the process of selecting furniture and accessories.  Since summer is just around the corner, we wanted to reveal the items we chose, our ideas and color palette.  Once the space is complete, we will post a blog to show you how it all came together. 

When it came to the furniture budget, the client wanted to apply the majority toward the interior of the home, but still wanted to create a warm and comfortable exterior living space. Although we shopped at major chain retailers for the furniture in order to be more economical, we mixed furniture from several stores and also found ways to bring in personal and unique touches to make sure the final product was anything but "cookie cutter." 

We selected a large rectangular dining table from Crate and Barrel that will comfortably seat 8 people, as our client loves to entertain. 

We paired the table with this matching bench also from Crate and Barrel, but brought in these side chairs from Restoration Hardware to anchor the heads of the table. 

    

For additional seating and places to enjoy the southern California sun, we selected this sofa, lounge chairs, and ottoman all from Restoration Hardware.

   

We found these outdoor pillows from Crate and Barrel to add a pop of color to the space.

  

  

As designers, we couldn't finish the space without a completely custom and personal touch.  An easy way to do this on a budget is with custom pillows.  We selected the following 4 fabrics for the custom pillows that will enhance the ready made pillows purchased from Crate and Barrel. 

  


  

Another way we are going make the space unique and different is to incorporate various stools or Japanese rain drums similar to the ones pictured below.  These can be used as side tables, accessories, or for additional seating. 

      
     

Brown Design is Remodeling

This is one of our interior design projects that we completed on the Wilshire Corridor in the spring of 2007.  Our clients have decided to remodel.   

Some of the highlights of the project include the removal of the marble around the fireplace and on the floors in the living room.  The images below represent the completed remodel from spring of 2007 and the home now under construction. 

Another update to the home will be in the dining room where we have dramatically opened up the space by knocking down the wall between the kitchen and the dining room. 

    

Check back with us soon, as we will continue to reveal this exciting transformation.  

Sneak Peak into a Newly Completed Hollywood Hills Project!

We just finished designing a modern, luxury 6550 sf. home located in the Hollywood Hills.  The home not only has stunning city views, but also boasts impressive features as well such as an award winning fire sculpture, a Jr. Olympic length infinity pool flowing through the center of the home, and an impressive art collection.  We wanted to share some of the images with you!