Home Decoration & Colorization to Celebration: Emerald Green Event Inspiration
 Barnaba Fornasetti’s Milan Apartment: Emerald Green Color Inspiration
I have always had a fascination with designers who create with the ability to take push the realms of their creativity and execute whats exactly in their minds. This is how I feel about Fornasetti and his childlike introspective design direction combing illustrations of doll-like architecture, Victorian faces and Rubenesque forms. Recently featured in Elle Decor, Barnana Fornasetti’s Milan apartment inspires me from such a deep and slightly twisted and dark place it urges me to create Dali-esque settings in which to dine and celebrate in. With big, bold splashes of a rich emerald green (the new black!) as the palette to build upon, Fornasetti infuses elements of classical, modern and trompe l’oeil designs to create a one of kind environment only visible in the depths of his fantastic mind.
With desirous inspirations from Fornasetti’s home fresh in mind, I wanted to illustrate how I would interpret his genius into my designs for a striking and yet slightly studious atmosphere where I imagine guests would sip on St. Germaine cocktails, nibble on caviar and debate modern art while listening to house remixes of Cole Porter.Â
Form Decor rental furniture, rug & accessories, HER chair by Casamania, plates by Fornasetti, invitation by Alchemy Fine Events, turquoise napkin ring by Sur la Table.
The emerald green matte wall makes for the perfect palette to build upon with copper, gold and black mirrors and accessories.
Inspiration to Realization: My Dream Apartment Design!
Inspiration for my Modern Glamour Beach Apartment
Well, the time has finally come. I’m a big girl now. After spending the last 8+ years traveling, moving, hopping continents from US to Italy and back and Hollywood to San Diego and back for several tours, I am finally deciding to plant a little more roots in the city that I love. With constantly being on the road I want to have a little peaceful haven to come back to. A beach girl at heart, location was #1 in my book. The struggle with finding a little gem by the beach is of course the size. Designing in a tighter space is always such a challenge and requires a lot of planning so you don’t end up with clutter or pieces that don’t work. With an interior design background and education, I definitely use it for designing events but there is nothing like creating a space with more permanent, nicer collector pieces. My admitted challenge with designing events is that I always want to bring in the same level of luxury pieces into an event space as I would a home which isn’t always budget friendly.
As a designer I love so many different styles that I could never carry out one distinct genre of design so have been wanting to combine my love of all of my favorite styles!
Mid-Century Modern + Modern Glamour + Rococo + Beachy
Inspired by some of my favorite designers below:
Jonathon Adler + Kelly Wearstler + Charles Eames + Mies Van der Rohe
As soon as found my new apartment I excitedly put together my new dream design boards. Before and after pics coming your way! But as they say, “The Journey is the Destination”, the process of the design is the best part. That being said, here are some of my inspirations & design boards as well as some of the amazing vintage finds I’ve already picked up!
LIVING ROOM
I started off saying I was going to go very clean and neutral with a few pops of color. I think gold may run in my veins because my neutral beach apartment started getting glammed up by the minute!
I’m buying/creating…
• Very light textured chevron stripes on one main impact wall
• Yellow modern couch by West Elm. Such a great deal too!
• Custom Horizontal Striped Curtains
I’m dreaming….
• World’s Away Gold Hinged Coffee Table & Bar Cart
• Architectural Pottery - Pig Planter
The bathroom is such a small a small space I won’t have room to do much but bringing in lot of mirror and light will help to open up the space. That along with some fun textures, light colors, a few beachy elements, and of course Jonathon Adlers ingenious ceramic jars for a fun quirky twist. I am an admitted pro at scouring my local vintage & thrift shops for great finds for my clients and was even perusing through vintage clothing racks at very young age. Finding these buried treasures is always so exciting for me! Here are a few pieces that I’ve found that will be unique little jems!
I have been thinking about creating custom lamp shades with wall papers and I just happened to find a DIY tutorial online here! What a great idea to customize any boring lamp. Here are also some of the awesome wall papers I’m looking into. I am obsessed with the copper leaf! Go to your local stores to find remnants to save some money as well since you only need such a small amount.
Black & White Hollywood Glamour La Jolla Wedding Inspiration at La Valencia
 Black and White La Jolla Wedding Inspiration at La Valencia Hotel
Recently featured on Wedding Chicks seen here!! Here are a few words from Wedding Chicks describing our collaboration:
Black and white will always be a front-running trend in the wedding world. It is classic, elegant and timeless. There are endless ways to personalize this palette to make it all our own. Alchemy Fine Events & Isari Flower Studio collaborated on an old Hollywood inspired table using these timeless colors.
Framed by the hotel’s crystal chandelier, delicate drapery and stunning black and quite checkered floor. The majestic table-scape came alive with luminous candles set aglow amidst cut crystal, urns and interesting shaped decanters. Photographed ever so beautifully by Luna Photo. See more romantic table decor ideas in the full gallery.
To complement Isari’s floral palette of green, white and black, I created a super luxurious art deco inspired menu with a chinoiserie flair including illustrations in an aqua, green, black and white color palette. An intricate laser cut belly band featuring art deco and chandelier designs encompassed the folding menu that opened up to showcase delicate butterflies and romantic calligraphy.
Tam of Isari Flower Studio, describes the stunningly romantic table scape:
To showcase the gorgeous La Valencia Hotel in La Jolla we created an old Hollywood inspired table featuring sparkling cut crystal and a winter palette of black and white framed by the hotel’s crystal chandelier, delicate drapery and stunning black and quite checkered floor.
The majestic scape came alive with luminous candles set aglow amidst cut crystal, urns and interesting shaped decanters.
We selected winter white blooms such as amaryllis and anemones with it’s black centers, reflecting and resonating the black touches from the other details such as the black chivaris. Giant ranunculus, azaleas, pierris, and parrot tulips snuggled up close with carnations while small wintyer cyclamen plants were placed under glass cloches for an interesting surprise.
Glass candlesticks, bud vases, and other interesting shaped old world classic vessels were scattered amidst the arrangements for a multidimensional and interesting effect. For a dramatic statement we tied on large black satin bows a la Chanel around each place setting to remind each guest that their presence was a gift. For an additional sweet detail, green and white chocolates were custom designed as an additional touch to offer guests.
Photography by Luna Photo
Floral & Design by Isari Flower Studio
Menus & Table Styling by Alchemy Fine Events & Invitations
Venue La Valencia
Inspiration to Publication: Los Olivos Winery Wedding in Martha Stewart
Last week we were a bit too exited and premature in showing off the images from the recent Martha Stewart Weddings feature. So here is another peak at the article and the inspirations that went behind it.
We love showcasing the inspiration and work behind the creations that we work on so we wanted to show you some of our original ideas and sketches that we illustrated before the wedding took place. This is such a great way to illustrate your ideas to brides that may not always have the same visionary skills as a designer would. Some elements were changed, some stayed exactly the same!
Cover photograph by Christopher Baker/Martha Stewart Weddings, Spring 2012. Copyright © 2012.
Story photographs by Jose Villa/Martha Stewart Weddings, Spring 2012. Copyright © 2012.
