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09.14.09

September 14, 2009 by missperson

My new husband and I have just purchased our new house! It is our first house (and marriage)…and we are so excited! Brian and I were wed on August 9 and found our house on August 15. Therefore, I would like to announce that I have a new client…us!

As with all my jobs, the first step is to get to know what the clients are looking for in their new home. I asked Brian and myself the questions I have scripted to ask all new clients. Our answers help me (as the designer) better understand the living environment that will work best for us. We have established that we want the house to feel relaxing and comfortable, minimalistic yet warm, and subtle in color and pattern. Our color palate will be in the blue and brown-to-black color ranges. Ski resorts and beach destinations are the places that make us happiest, so we will be incorporating the feel of one (or both) of those places as the ‘theme’ to our decor.

The second step is to create floor plans of the space to be worked on. Brian acted as my assistant to measure and take photographs. Then I drew the house up on AutoCAD. I played around with different layouts and presented them to the clients. This is the one we decided to go with.

Step three is the hardest. This is establishing our budget. Brian and I fit into the category of clients who are working with a tight budget. We will use the floor plan, color scheme, and aesthetic as our blueprint for the work to be done. With this, we understand the timeframe for the project of our home may be a long one. But, because we have established what the end-look will be, we know the criteria for the pieces we are seeking to complete our look. Therefore, everything we do along the way will work towards our finished home.

The fourth step may very well be the most fun. We get to find all the furniture and accessories that fit into our floor plan! By ‘fit,’ I mean spatially, aesthetically and economically. I will keep you posted as we go!

Here are the ‘before’ photos.

Alicia

Alicia Friedmann Interior Design, LLC

310.702.6346 phone

562.597.8022 fax

http://twitter.com/AliciaFriedmann Alicia Friedmann Interior Design is now on Twitter! Come follow me!

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08.24.09

August 24, 2009 by missperson

This master bedroom belongs to a young family – a married couple and their baby boy.

When I first walked into this room, all I could think was, “wow…they are used to decorating an apartment, not a grand room like this!” This space is 16’ x 20’ with hardwood floors and a lofty pitched ceiling. Yet the clients had a mere 5’x7’ area rug at the foot of the bed to “ground” the space.

My goal with this room was to treat it like it is: a large master suite in Virginia Country Club, one of the most sought-after neighborhoods in Long Beach. Only when completed with furnishings that fill the space will this room feel as large as it is. My clients’ wish was for this room to function as a warm and inviting retreat. With both their wishes and mine in mind, I went to work.

Although it may seem counter-intuitive, covering more of the space makes the large room feels bigger and warmer. First, I moved the dresser from the room’s entry to a wall far away from the door. Although that piece fit into the space, its solid shape and size said the opposite of “welcome.” I replaced it with this elegant settee and calming piece of art. I also added silk striped window treatments to bring softness to the walls. I replaced the small area rug with on 10’x12’ in size. This useful piece of art ground the room properly. I added tall plant to complete the space in the corner beside each nightstand. To further enhance the space, I filled the ample space above the king-size bed with a substantial piece of art. And at the foot of the bed, I added these two chairs to create a real sitting area in the room.

Now this master bedroom is warm, inviting, peaceful and complete!

Alicia

Alicia Friedmann Interior Design, LLC

310.702.6346 phone

562.597.8022 fax

http://twitter.com/AliciaFriedmann Alicia Friedmann Interior Design is now on Twitter!

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08.03.09

August 3, 2009 by missperson

Not a single piece of furniture, art or accessory was purchased for this project. Yet this loft was completely transformed. All it took were inspiration and wall paint.

This loft is located in Koreatown and has a magnificent view of the Wiltern Theater.

The client is a classically-trained pianist who greatly enjoys navigation throughout Los Angeles on the metro and on his bicycle. When he moved into this space, it was a blank canvas of white walls.

His first major artistic investment to make this space his own was to bring inspiration he gathers every day from the streets of LA into his home. He hired a local graffiti artist to paint his favorite spots onto the living room wall.

The next step was to make the colors in the grafitti wall resonate throughout the space. In addition to being driven by the sights and sounds of LA, this client is deeply moved by the art of Frida Kahlo. Therefore, I found paint colors in her art as well as colors used in her fellow countryman, architect Luis Barragan’s buildings to make the color scheme of this loft truly bold, powerful and timeless.

The colors, like Frida Kahlo’s work, are rich, vibrant and enveloping. And the way in which the walls are painted is in line with the work of Luis Barragan. The views in this loft are completely different colors depending on the angle from which one is standing. It is the drama in the colors as well as the way the colors reflect the ‘center’ of this place – the graffiti wall – that makes this artist’s loft a bold world that simply works.

Sincerely,

Alicia

Alicia Friedmann Interior Design, LLC

310.702.6346 phone

562.597.8022 fax

http://twitter.com/AliciaFriedmann Alicia Friedmann Interior Design is now on Twitter!

07.13.09

July 13, 2009 by missperson

Now that summer is upon us, how can we not be inspired to bring the indoors out and that which we discover on our travels back home?

Upon returning from a recent trip to Mexico, a client of mine wanted to bring a taste of her wonderful vacation home with her. The colors of Mexico are vibrant and true.

The brilliance of the hues gives the viewer no choice but to become happy. Therefore, how could one afford not to take some of this happiness home?

So, I hand-picked these tiles and customized the layout. The contractor installed this staircase as I specified. Now every time my client uses this section of her garden, her mind floats to the fond memories of her travels.

Alicia

Alicia Friedmann Interior Design, LLC

310.702.6346 phone

562.597.8022 fax

http://twitter.com/AliciaFriedmann Alicia Friedmann Interior Design is now on Twitter!

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06.22.09

June 22, 2009 by missperson

06.22.09

While a student in the UCLA Extension Interior Design Program, I would take myself on ‘field trips’ to Hennessey + Ingalls Bookstore in search of design inspiration. I would stay there for hours at a time, leafing through countless interior design and architecture books. It was during this time that I acquired my foundation in the language of art and design (as well as my design library).

There are times when, while working, I am searching for design inspiration. This is when I look to my design library. And how ecstatic was I when I opened John Welsh’s Modern House by Phaidon Press today and re-discovered this house!

This is Casa Gaspar by Spanish architect Alberto Campo Baeza. It is a structure with clean, pure lines which represent the minimalist movement. The image of this tree growing between five white planes one of the five most inspirational views that I often float to in my imagination. The walls (and floor) are white, but the architect constructed the space to capture light in such a way that the space glows in an amazing color of radiant sky blue. To me the tree represents the power of survival, the power of one to live and grow even when blocked in on all four sides.

Yours truly,

Alicia

Alicia Friedmann Interior Design, LLC

310.702.6346 phone

562.597.8022 fax

04.21.09

June 19, 2009 by missperson

04.21.09

Sometimes a room can have all the correct furniture in it, and yet not feel quite right.

This dilemma may very-well be the most frustrating one people encounter while decorating their homes. Because after all the correct furniture, wall colors, flooring and lighting have been chosen, installed and paid for, people want their places to look like the beautiful and inspiring images they have been imagining in their heads.

But it is the finishing touches that can make-or-break a space. These pieces are called accessories.

Accessories are the pieces that give the room character. The art on the walls and the vases on the buffet are the accessories that take this dining room from ‘good’ to ‘great.’

The most important design fundamental to remember when choosing these finishing touches is that the pieces are of the correct size for the room into which they are going. Even if the pieces are ‘perfect’ for the room, if they are out of scale and proportion for the space, they will never give the room the desired effect. Accessories bring color, pattern and texture into the house. This is why accessories (of the proper dimensions) are pivotal in creating the desired style, theme and feel in the home.

Smiles,

Alicia

Alicia Friedmann Interior Design, LLC

310.702.6346 phone

562.597.8022 fax

05.18.09

May 17, 2009 by missperson

In the design world, I sometimes feel the options are seemingly endless. It seems as if one should be able to find a great piece of furniture when I look for it in the vast array of stores out there. But, more often than not, when it comes to putting the perfect piece in my clients’ homes, I find myself having it made custom.

Take this living room, for example.

This is a great room in a custom ground-up newly built home two blocks from the beach. Yes, a sofa, love seat and chair would have suited the room just fine. But we were not looking for fine. Our goals were much higher than that.

That is when we created this curved sofa. Its shape is inspired by the nautilus shell, one of the most perfect shapes in nature. This sofa creates the most useful seating arrangement for the space where the family is able to converse, lounge, read, entertain and watch TV.

Yours truly,

Alicia

Alicia Friedmann Interior Design, LLC

310.702.6346 phone

562.597.8022 fax

04.06.09

April 6, 2009 by missperson

Sometimes doing a little goes along way. Take this guest bathroom, for example.

The yellow tile is an eyesore, but too expensive for this young family to replace at the moment. So my client and I gave this bathroom an inexpensive solution.

Just one beautiful drape and fresh white linens completely changed the look and feel of this space.

Isn’t it amazing how something so small can make such a big difference? I find this is such a great thing to remember, especially during these economic times.

Alicia Friedmann Interior Design

Yours truly,

Alicia

………………………………………………….

T/ 310.702.6346

F/ 562.597.8022

1350 Coronado Ave.

Long Beach, CA 90804

………………………………………………….

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03.16.09

March 16, 2009 by missperson

This may be my favorite kitchen ever. Yet, when I first walked into it, I felt something was missing.

So I went to work, replacing the majority of the stainless backsplash with custom Angela Adams tile from Ann Sacks. My clients and I created this one-of-a-kind color scheme by ordering the exact colors and patterns we desired.

Now this kitchen is fantastic! It is perfectly functional, clean and fun!

Sincerely,
Alicia
Alicia Friedmann Interior Design, LLC
310.702.6346 phone
562.597.8022 fax
alicia@aliciafriedmann.com
www.aliciafriedmann.com