Kimberly's Wish

I was wondering how I could give back to the community and emailed a few charities and received an instantaneous response from Mark president of OC Make-A-Wish Foundation. He was thrilled that I had contacted him and said it was perfect timing. He proceeded to tell me about a young girl named Kimberly who was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosis last year at age 12, and her one wish was to have an Interior Designer make over her room. My heart went out to her and I was on board to help make her wish come true. We met the next day and next thing I knew I had three days to shop and 1 day to make it happen! It was like Design Star all over again! 

The day was beautiful! My PLURAL Interior Design Team and I arrived at 7am. We started painting and putting furniture together. NFL quarterback Matt Leinart sponsored the wish giving $5,000 dollars. He showed up with his family and even helped paint for a while. The Orange County media heard about the project and couldn't resist the story. The place was crawling with people all wanting to be a part of Kimberlys' day.

Read the OC Register article http://www.ocregister.com/articles/kimberly-wish-leinart-2200005-make-makeover.

So 14 hours later kimberly got her wish!!! The reaction was priceless- first shock, then tears, then a lot of thank you's!!! I thought to myself, "I can't believe how a room makeover changed so many peoples lives". Everyone there that day had a unique experience that will be with them forever. Kimberly is a very special girl and will always be in my heart. Hope you enjoy all the pictures!! God Bless and don't forget to make someone's day!!

Caitlin's Wish

So I just finished my second room makeover for the Make-A-Wish foundation. Caitlin Caro an extraordinarily resilient young woman has been battling cystic fibrosis since she was born and her one wish was to get her room designed by an interior designer. I was the lucky designer fortunate enough to make her wish come true.

As I interviewed Caitlin, I began to draw inspiration from her personality and interests. Walking out of our meeting a few ideas came to mind. Floor to ceiling mirrored walls to expand th small space while providing ample viewing for cheer leading practice with her girl friends! She also mentioned she wanted bright colors. Luckily I already had vintage headboard, which I reupholstered with a funky colorful floral pattern, which became my inspiration for the color palette. I decided on a deep turquoise for the walls while choosing splashes of bright colors for accents to keep the space upbeat and cheery.

Another thing Caitlin asked for was storage, so I added a lacquered zebra storage unit to hold all of her nic knacks along with a flat screen and DVD player to keep her occupied during her treatments. To make Caitlin feel like a princess I painted the baseboards and doors and antique gold and finished the room off with a custom chandelier and a Tibetan lamb rug.

What a great week, I am so thankful to have met Caitlin and her family. Caitlin's face was priceless when she walked into the room and per her words the room was beautiful! So I guess I did my job.

 

Caitlin we are glad you like you’re new grown up room!

 

To see more interviews with Caitlin check out The Mission Viejo Dispatch or The OC Register.

Pacific Ceramic Design

Pacific Ceramic Design is a company that give us Designer's and architect's art in 3D form. It not only enhances a design in the asthetic value but also in the scale factor. Everything is beautifully handcrafted and anything you see on the website you like can be replicated. Vessels and water features can be in the 4ft to 6ft range, and Exterior and Interior Columns can reach Heights of 10ft and beyond. The artist is Scott Semple from Santa Barbara and his website is http://www.pacificceramicdesign.com/.

Three piece water Feature...

Handmade vases for any space....

Custom Ceramic Trellis....

Repeated Stamp detail... Iron oxide wash

Water fountain with handles.... great feature!

Stamped with rim and clay rings.....pit fired/beeswax.....

Unique Modern Planters!

Looking for nice modern planter for the summer??? Well I have some great ideas for you.

These beautiful Galvanized planters are from CB2 from $12.95- $34.95. They are great for succulents.

This Gratia Planter is from DWR and is exceptional for any weather and can be used indoors or out and also comes with holes on the bottom for perfect drainage. $540.00

Simply planters has this Madison Resin Planter great for the outdoors!! $49.98

Yard Art's Column metal planter is a great add to any outdoors for this summer. $440.00-$595.00.
OBleek Objects has some unique eggshell planters that will go great by any pool!! They have concrete and glass based planters. Starting at $125.00.

Glamorous Black and White

What one person may view as "Glamorous", another may not, but the following interior scenes by Cattelan Italia are beyond imagination and one can only dream to live in a space as glamorous as these. The unexpected combination of highly ornate detailing with contemporary lines and art give each space a modern flair that once seen, can never be forgotten. To combine hints of sparkle, glitz, rich fabrics and muted colors while still managing to remain young and fresh is a token of true design.

Scandinavian Surfaces

I came across this company Scandinavian Surfaces and thought it was so cool.  This company was founded by a few designers coming from all types of design backgrounds from set and costume design to applied art.  They fell in love with design and brought their vision to life through Scandinavian Surfaces.

They have many different patterns for all types of surfaces fabrics, wall paper, building facades, interior decoration, accessories, serving trays, and the list goes on and on. This inspired me, now I want to go and put a cool surface on my wall.

I love this pattern!

Be creative every day! ~ Rachel

Succulant Summer!

Steps on making your modern succulent.....

1. Gather some of your favorite Succulent plants, some of our favorites include:

Echevaria Gibbiflora

Sedum Adolphi

Golden Sedum

Fire Sticks




Kalanchoe Thyrsiflora


2. Select a container, any one of these will work from restoration hardware:




3. Fill the container with cactus potting mix or a miracle grow mix. This soil is a special mix for growing cactus and succulent plants and has excellent drainage.
4. Place the prepared cuttings or plants in the cactus mix up to the first sets of leaves you have. Arrange the plants so that the tallest plants are toward the back and the shorter, trailing varieties are near the front of the container. Do not water for 10 days.
5. Place the Planter in a sunny location, and water when the top 2 inches of soil feel dry when you touch it.... but not before the 10 day mark.
Now you have a succulent summer recipe for a beautiful planter that is easy to make and will last all summer long will very little care time so that when on vacation and soaking up the sun, there wont be any hard feelings.... hope you enjoy!!

Babies need a little design too!

Recently, I went home to visit my family to catch up, it was weird because everyone in my family are having babies. Cribs, high chairs, and baby accessories seemed to be the never ending talk. I went shopping for a baby gift and browsed through the cribs and "yuck!" I was not impressed. I was on a mission to find a few cribs that were not your average cribs and had design in mind. All you mothers I hope that you get inspired by my finds!

1. Alex Crib by Ducduc 2. Design Public 3. Bassinet by Ooba 4. Sandra by Miguel 5. Ebony Sleigh Cradle by Posh Tots 6.Parker Toddler crib by DuDuc 7. Nest crib by Ooba 8. Regal Cradle by Posh Tots 9. CSN Baby

This was my all time favorite crib, The Dylan Modular Crib System by Spunky Sprouts. This modern crib includes a changing table, Storage, and a bonding bench.

The Dylan can be used until your child is a toddler by reconfiguring the crib. I love that it has a modern, simple, sleek look which will work with many different themes as the baby gets older and of course the bright fun colors it comes in.

Be creative every day! ~ Rachel

Sassy Summer Umbrellas

Summer is almost here and I'm sure everyone is in the mood for some fun in the sun! Don't get caught pool or beachside with a drab old fashioned umbrella like the pinwheel shown below. Let your largest beach accessory make a statement and not be an eye sore...

Let's move your party outdoors, starting with these ridiculously cute umbrellas by Sunbrella. You can customize yours with a variety of colors available on their website, you can't go wrong.