Maison de Luxe brought together so many uber talented designers under one roof and there were so many gorgeous rooms it was difficult to narrow down the spaces to feature here on the blog. Below are more of my favorites from the show house including rooms by Philip Gorrivan, Nathan Turner, Kathryn Ireland, Ron Woodson & Jaime Rummerfield, Suzanne Rheinstein and Oliver Furth.
Breakfast Room & Solarium – Philip Gorrivan
Philip Gorrivan‘s room for Maison de Luxe was originally the home’s breakfast room with an adjacent solarium. Philip created a chic salon style space that evokes a sense of glamour and luxury. The color palette of soft hues was a nice counter balance to the tailored furnishings which were mostly custom designs. The upholstery is from Philip’s fabric collection for Highland Court and artful wall covering was a custom design from Gracie Studio. Other highlights include the 17th Century Italian armoire and the the Herve van der Straten ceiling pendant which is one of only two in the world.
The solarium featured a neutral pallete with gold accents and more beautiful custom furnishings including a daybed that Philip designed and additional vintage pics from LA’s Blackman Cruz. The embroidered sheers which reveal a view of the homes beautiful gardens were one of Philip’s favorite elements of this space.
Recreation Room – Nathan Turner
Inspired by his grandfather who was an avid game hunter, Nathan Turner designed an elegant gentleman’s lounge with a worldly, ‘back to Africa’ vibe. Many of the furnishings are from his furniture collection for Elite Leather, the fabrics were from Ralph Lauren and many of the accessories seen here were from Pottery Barn. Gotta love a high-low mix! The giant pendant light is from Ames Ingham. To tie back to his original inspiration of big game hunting, he hung contemporary photography of safari animals throughout the space.
The room already had such beautiful architecture so the elements of Nathan’s design – like the block printed Indian paisley wall covering – were carefully chosen to compliment the intricate wood paneling and other architectural details.
Mrs. Doheny’s Bedroom – Ron Woodson & Jaime Rummerfield
Ron Woodson & Jaime Rummerfield did double duty for Maison deluxe designing the upstairs bedroom that once belonged to Mrs. Doheny and serving as co-chairs of the opening gala. Their opulent design paid homage to old hollywood glamour and the jewel box of a room featured vibrant shades of pink which was ultra-feminine and perfectly fit for the lady of the house.
I also really loved the standout Chinoiserie mural behind the bed which featured a peacock motif and served as a focal point in the space.
Guest Suite – Suzanne Rheinstein
Rumor has it that the Greystone mansion has been haunted since 1929 when a scandalous murder-suicide took place…a story that only adds to the intrigue of this historic estate. Designer Suzanne Rheinstein designed the infamous ‘murder room’ which she transformed into an elegant guest suite. The furnishings are from her popular LA Shop Hollyhock and the fabrics from her Lee Jofa collection.
Social Secretary’s Room & Upstairs Kitchen – Kathryn Ireland
Million Dollar Decorator Kathryn Ireland decorated two small but chic spaces at Greystone which included a secretary’s nook and the upstairs kitchen. The secretary’s nook was another one of my favorite spaces in the house and although small on space, it was definitely big on style. This beautiful Swedish secretary my favorite piece and I love how it was impeccably styled with family photos and objets. The modern abstract artwork above it provided the perfect old and new juxtaposition.
Opposite the desk is this cozy seating area that’s perfect for a relaxing drink by the fire. The English armchairs slipcovered in Kathryn’s fabric are from her shop on Almont Drive.
I had a chance to interview Kathryn for a fun project that I’ll be posting about in the new year and during our chat she gave me the full scoop on her kitchen design for Greystone. Kathryn’s design for the home’s upstairs kitchen was modeled after grand old English estates that would traditionally have a separate kitchen for the nanny to fix her meals own meals and also serve the children breakfast. The space is perfectly reflective of Kathryn’s signature bohemian style and her colorful fabrics used throughout added such a vibrancy to a space that was previously rather dull.
Because the home is a historic landmark much of its original architecture, including the kitchen cabinetry and counter tops, must remain preserved so Kathryn had to work around numerous limitations. She used a checkered fabric to create a skirt for the lower cabinetry and a matching inner curtain for the upper cabinets. Here popular Marrakech fabric was used to create a roman shade over the kitchen’s windows. The space was effortlessly styled with family friendly touches like bowls of cereal on the table and even some of the pottery that her kids had made in school over the years.
West Grand Hall – Wendy Schwartz
Wendy Schwartz and her design partner Kristi Bender were newcomers to Greystone and designed a spectacular upstairs grand hall for the home’s west wing. I was obsessed with colorful abstract watercolor wall covering from Black Crow Studios which provides a modern contrast to the homes original mouldings. And the wall covering is actually removable! Many of the other pieces in this space were from CuffHome a – newly launched line of custom furnishings, accessories and curated vintage from Wendy Schwartz Design. One of the standout cuffhome pices was this sulptural rope covered chandelier above the console table which is available in the CuffHome shop.
Girl’s Room – Oliver Furth
Oliver Furth designed a teen girl’s bedroom which was such a fun space! I loved the salon style art wall and the whimsical pendant sculpture above the console by Elyse Graham which is made with balloons. I also thought the high gloss ceiling was quite fabulous as well as the graphite wool upholstered walls. I wish I had a room like this when I was a teenager!
The Twilight Room – Kendall Wilkinson
Last but not least, here is the “twilight room” designed by San Francisco interior designer Kendall Wilkinson. Quite conceptual in its design, the twilight room’s highlight is an infinity mirror installation filled with flowers. I’d never seen anything like it before.
Maison de Luxe is in its final week so be sure to check it out before its close on December 22nd. 22nd. Click here for a link to purchase tickets.
Tags: Kathryn Ireland,
Kendall Wilkinson,
Luxe Magazine,
Maison de Luxe,
Nathan Turner,
Oliver Furth,
Phillip Gorrivan,
Ron Woodson Jaime Rummerfield,
Suzanne Rheinstein,
Wendy Schwartz,
Woodson & Rummerfield
Carrie Kravetz – Design Director at Nathan Turner. Photo: Kiya Gibbons
Meet the Assistant is a new feature on So Haute that will regularly profile the design assistants and associates who work behind-the-scenes with some of the industry’s top designers to help make beautiful spaces come to life.
For our first installment, I’m delighted to introduce Carrie Kravetz – a former entertainment journalist who left the crazy world of red carpet reporting for interior design several years ago and hasn’t looked back since. Two years after joining Nathan Turner as design assistant, Carrie, 31, is now Nathan’s Design Director and the two seem to get along as swimmingly as Will and Grace. (We were especially amused when we showed up at their portrait session and they were unknowingly wearing matching blue & white checked outfits!) Read on as Carrie dishes about how she landed her gig, the lessons Nathan’s taught her and hear her top tips for decorating on a design assistant’s budget!
Nathan Turner with Carrie – in their matching checked blue & white outfits! Photo: Kiya Gibbons
What were you doing before you started working in design?
I was an entertainment writer and reporter. I went to USC Film School and graduated in 2002. I worked for Reuters, MTV, Teen People and Entertainment Weekly where I covered red carpet events. Then I went back to school at FIDM to become an Interior Designer and I graduated in 2006. Originally, I thought I’d be a set designer.
How did you land your job and how did your role evolve from design assistant to design director?
My first real design job was working as a design assistant for Kerry Joyce then I left there to work at Lucas Studio which is located behind our office and that’s how I met Nathan. When I first started off, I was working freelance for Nathan on AutoCAD*. As we started to get busier I became a design assistant. As Nathan’s firm continued to grow, we had to add more staff and I definitely started taking on more responsibility. Because Nathan is so busy now I’m often his eyes and ears. I visit vendors, make sure everything is being made properly and I try to resolve any problems before Nathan needs to get involved. (*Note: AutoCAD is a computer drafting/rendering program used by interior designers)
What has been the most valuable lesson you’ve learned from Nathan?
You don’t have to design by the book. It’s more important to go with your instincts and what you feel based on your experiences and education, but there’s no one rulebook for great design.
Have you experienced any crazy on the jobs disasters?
Yes! I think any designer who says they haven’t experienced job disasters or mess ups is not telling the truth. There are so many details involved in interior design. Most recently, I ordered a lantern for a client that was 6 inches too big. This wouldn’t have been terrible but the lantern was a cube so it was 6 inches too large on each side! It was enormous! Luckily our vendor worked with us to make it the right size. I felt terrible about it since I’m such a perfectionist.
Carrie says she enjoyed working with Nathan on designing the home, shown above, of his client, actress Amanda Peet. Photos by Coliena Rentmeester for Domino
Does Nathan have any funny quirks?
Yes, he has nicknames for everyone! Mine is “Shazz”. It’s such a random nickname that I’ve grown to like.
Where’d that come from?
There’s this photographer whose work we carry in the store. Often times clients request we order custom sizes and in order to do this I have to call the printer and order the custom size. The printer is now out of business but one of the guys I worked with was named Shazzi. Nathan would make little jokes about Shazzi being my boyfriend and somehow I became Shazz.
What do you love most about working with Nathan?
He’s just so fun to be around. Everybody should be as lucky as me to get to work with someone they like so much.
How would you describe his style?
Nathan’s style is elegant but relaxed. Glamorous but comfortable. He layers classic antiques with modern and ethnic pieces to create his signature space.
Has his aesthetic rubbed off on you at all?
My style is pretty similar…definitely eclectic. I like to create spaces that people just want to crawl into. I dislike rooms that are so perfect looking that you’re afraid to sit down on a sofa for fear of making a wrinkle in the linen. I like to juxtapose and layer new with old. I’m especially partial to mixing in industrial pieces. I live in an old toy factory. My loft is very bourgeois bohemian. Since working with Nathan, I’ve started to incorporate the color blue into my designs more…and definitely started adding a lot more ethnic pieces. Right now I really like Navajo rugs and African textiles.
What is a typical day in the office like for you?
It’s never the same. That’s one reason I love my job. Sometimes I’m in the office all day doing AutoCAD or scheming and other days I’m out shopping for clients or inspecting furniture at vendors’ workshops. There’s also a lot of correspondence and paperwork which I do daily.
Nathan and Carrie with Nathan’s black lab Nacho
How did you react when you found out that Nathan had signed on to star in Bravo’s Million Dollar Decorators? Were you psyched about the possibility of appearing on the show?
I was really excited and nervous at the same time. Nathan was like,”Hey, so I’m going to be in this show. I would love it if you were part of it, but if you don’t want to do it I understand.” It didn’t surprise me though–Nathan is so fun and entertaining. I knew he would be perfect for the show.
Did you ever get tired of having cameras follow you guys around all the time?
The cameras were there about 3-4 times a week. Sometimes less, sometimes more. It all depended on what we had going on. At first it was extremely awkward. I definitely felt a bit nervous when we first started taping but as I got used to the crew things became a lot easier. Nathan and I loved our crew. It was easy to be ourselves around them because they were so awesome. Sometimes it was hard to get everything done that I needed to get done when they were there though. We had to wait to go about our schedule until the crew got there to set up.
Can you share any details about what we can expect to see in the season ahead?
The first episode premiered yesterday and I’m on it for like 5 seconds. The dogs have more airtime than me! Nathan looks fantastic and he is so funny. I think the India party episode will be one of the best episodes. I haven’t seen it, but some of the crew members told me it looks fantastic! That was such a fun and gorgeous party.
Nathan with his client actress and painter Ione Skye in her living room. Photo: Mike Gardner for C Magazine
Do you have a favorite project that you’ve worked on with Nathan?
Ione Skye and Ben Lee’s house was one of my favorites. They live in a true mid-century house in the Hollywood Hills. When we first met with Ben and Ione they needed help rearranging the space to include a new room for the arrival of their baby. They had a huge master bedroom which we split into two rooms for the two children. We basically created a children’s wing. Ione’s daughter Kate’s room became Ben’s new studio and we turned the guest room into the new master bedroom. The new wing made the entire house feel bigger and more livable. Ben’s studio became his own space. I helped design a lot of custom furniture for the family room and living room. It was really fun as Nathan and I worked within the mid-century style but updated it with fun colors and textures. Ben and Ione were so easy-going…they were the perfect clients. They really trusted us and let us be the experts. They’re also both amazingly talented and brought such great energy into their living space.
What do you like most about your job?
Nathan! As if that wasn’t obvious! He is the most fun person to work with ever. We have a good time. Yes, often times work is stressful and the client demands are overwhelming, but we always seem to find something to laugh about. I also really like the interaction with our clients as well. I love it when they adore a piece of furniture I helped design. I really like space planning on AutoCAD. Is that strange?
What do you like least?
The paperwork. Also, I’m the one all the vendors and clients call or email if anything goes wrong!
One of Carrie’s mixed media works
What are your long term career goals?
I’m a mixed media artist and I’d love to incorporate my artwork into our design jobs and maybe get some commissioned pieces. Just like in my design, my mixed media pieces juxtapose old with new. I love using found vintage and antique ephemera. I have a ton of antique books and vintage magazines and there are all kinds of random images and texts. I love using beautifully hand written letters (18th-19th century) in my pieces. People don’t hand write letters like that anymore. I find my materials at thrift stores and ebay. I use acrylic paint, gel medium and other materials like wire and fabric. I’m inspired by the work of Rauchenberg, Basquiat and Darger. I’ve sold quite a few pieces through the store and our sales on One Kings Lane. My work has sold all over the world and my larger pieces are available through Nathan Turner. I’d also love to design tabletop and textiles – hopefully for a Nathan Turner collection.
Carrie & Nathan at his Almont Yard shop. Photo: Kiya Gibbons
Finally – Can you share your top three tips for decorating on a design assistant’s budget?
1. Craigslist has some awesome furniture.
You can get really amazing items for really cheap or sometimes free. Driving a U-Haul really isn’t that hard or expensive. Or, have a friend with an suv or truck help you pick up the items.
2. When renovating your place, concentrate on one room at a time.
Re-doing a whole apartment or house can be very expensive. Pick one room, make a budget, and make this room your sanctuary. You don’t need to do everything at once. I think concentrating on your bedroom is a good idea, because it’s the place where you go to recharge. Its your nest. Make it yours. Sometimes, all you need to get started is a fresh coat of paint on your walls. This is an inexpensive way to change the entire feeling of your room.
3. If your walls are bare, create your own art.
Really, you can just buy a few canvases, paint them solid colors and put them up on your wall. You can also frame anything–from old record albums to movie posters. If you just don’t have a creative inkling in your body you can buy great art for reasonable prices on the internet from places like Etsy or 20 x 200. Ikea has great frames that will totally fit in your budget.
If you want to learn more about Carrie you can follow her on twitter here or check out her blog, Missenscene.com! Also be sure to check out Nathan’s work here and watch him on Million Dollar Decorators (10/9c on Bravo)!
Photos of Carrie Kravetz and Nathan Turner by Kiya Gibbons for So Haute
