In her Ted X Santa Barbara talk, interior designer Lori Dennis took center stage to provide a comfortable solution to the homeless epidemic: furniture. After years of charitable donations to shelters and even direct giving of goods to the homeless, she grew increasingly frustrated with the lack of results, while the homeless population in her hometown of Los Angeles continued to grow. That’s when she discovered local organizations like Pen & Napkin and A Sense of Home Org – organizations that partner with the design community to furnish the homes of those transitioning out of homelessness. Her talk stresses the importance of segmenting the homeless population to cut down on overwhelm and provide more effective, long term solutions and the pride in ownership individuals have them their homes are furnished. Watch now:

Liz Murray: Homeless to Harvard

From living on the streets of NYC to studying at Harvard, Liz Murray’s story is truly inspirational. Her Ted Talk emphasizes getting to the psychological root of homelessness and how important a belief in possibility to succeed and change is in putting and end to homelessness across American cities. She was fascinated by the question ‘What is it inside of a person that motivates them to take action?’ And how can we help people in need get there? In her talk, she demonstrates how we can teach someone to refuse labels like ‘homeless person,’ in order to prime their brains to begin exploring other possibilities. Watch now:

Richard J Berry: Work + Safety

Richard J. Baum takes an incredibly practical and urban designer’s type of approach to his solution to combat homelessness. Building trust in the community is key to breaking through to panhandling populations. In his Ted Talk, he illustrates the ways his program offering day jobs empowered homeless across Albuquerque, New Mexico. He also provides sage advice on how to donate to help – $5 handed to an individual may buy them a meal that day, but that same $5 donated to a food pantry can be better optimized to serve tens of people, for example. He also speaks to the dignity in jobs and housing selection. Like Lori and Liz, he gets to the motivating mental factors – the discovery of possibility is key here. Watch now:

Jamal Mechbal: Fighting Homelessness, My Way

Jamal makes the point that most homeless people look just like you and I – but the mental image that ‘homelessness’ conjures up is one of the “crazy” bag lady soiled and rambling to herself. Making this distinction is key to understanding how we can segment the homeless population to cut down on the overwhelm of trying to discover a one-size-fits-all solution to the crisis. His ted talk delves into the chain reaction that can cause a seemingly ‘normal’ person to spiral into an unfortunate situation resulting in homelessness and posits that an insurance, like medical insurance, may be the solution necessary to homelessness prevention. Could this be the way of giving people a chance to help themselves? Watch now:

Anne Mahlum: Running Forward

Empowerment is also at the center of Anne Mahlum’s Ted talk. She chronicles her personal history with her gambling-addicted father, who while attentive to her and her siblings, was leading a double life that destroyed her family’s faith in stability. Always an athlete, she turned to running as a source of empowerment to get her through, eventually leading her to organize a running club for the local homeless population. The results were incredible – as she lays out the mental and physical transformations that take place within athletes training. It’s for Type A, perfectionists, competitive people-prideful people. What she discovered through this work was that often noone thinks to give homeless people standards of excellence and by shifting away from a traditionally patronizing approach, they too can be empowered to improve their lives. Watch now:

Because the Danes have such long periods of the year that are chilly, the cozy and warm part is extra important and it’s why we tend to become interested in hygge style across the pond in America during the Winter months. 

Without further ado, here’s how to hygge your home for the holidays (and beyond) in 5 simple steps: 

1 Warmth and Well-Scented

Hygge style emphasizes full immersion – it’s not just about styling a trendy room for a photoshoot, it is about how the experience of being in it. That’s why candles, fireplaces, and other home scents are essential in the hygge home. Prioritize and invest in your sel-fcare with sustainable, healthy, high-quality candles and detoxifying bath soaks.

2 Swaddled in Cozy Fabrics

Hygge means always keeping something soft underfoot, be it a sheepskin rug or fuzzy house slippers. 

And it means keeping your body cozy in blankets, robes, or these on-trend cashmere joggers, we can’t get enough of!

3 Organized and Uncluttered

Organization boxes, simply said. The hygge home is clear of clutter. Any little thing that contributes to the calm! We love these simple, monochromatic canvas organization boxes from Target to keep everything uncluttered and uniform.

4 Libations Made with Care

Warm up with tea in the morning or wind down with whiskey by the fire at night. Taking time and care in the process of procuring libations for guests and carefully selecting the serving ware is nearly as important as the beverage itself. Hygge lifestyle is all about quality of experience. 

5 Emphasis on the Tactile

Give yourself a break from intrusive technology we’ve all become dependent on. Skip the flat screen TV on the wall and put away the phones. Hygge-ing your home means emphasizing physical media and tactile experiences and community. We love to hygge a space with photo boxes, bookshelves full of literary adventures, and board games. 

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Shop All of Our Favorite Hygge Home Essentials Here:

What Sets Our Beach House Style Apart?

Manhattan Beach is one of the most inspiring places to work because of it’s eclectic architectural aesthetics and indoor-outdoor lifestyle. We love the mixture of modern residences, bohemian coffee shops, and sense of community that beach towns like Manhattan Beach cultivate. Here are some of the features we love to include in our beach houses that set us apart:

1. Seamless Indoor-Outdoor Design

Large windows and doors, flooring and natural, textural materials that carry through the spaces, indoors and out. We like to do everything we can to emphasize indoor-outdoor living, which gives our projects a modern, airy feel and makes them great spaces for entertaining. (More on that in a minute!)

2. Well-Edited Interiors

When you build at the beach, it’s impossible to forget about the beautiful landscape. We seek to emphasize that as much as possible by not distracting from the beautiful ocean views with ocean artwork, for example. We keep the interiors clean and let the understated, but upscale interior architecture do the talking.

3. Party Pads!

Many of our clients, especially by the beach, are single men looking to glam up their bachelor pads and transform them into fabulous entertaining spaces. That’s why we’re fans of an open floor plan with great flow. We like to make the kitchen, pool, or lounges central focal points in the home.

Welcome to Bond at the Beach

Our designer Lori Dennis gives a talk-through of one of our favorite beach projects in this video. It’s come to be known as “James Bond at the Beach” and is full of clean lines, and well-crafted monochromatic custom furnishings. Just an absolute dream! Watch now:

Everyone loves a beautifully curated shelfie photo in a glossy design magazine – but did you know most of those props are brought in by the photo stylist to amp up the glam specifically for the photoshoot? Once you’re done designing and building and furnishing, stop before you go too crazy with accessorizing! It’s okay to have some empty shelf space. And if you’re going to buy new make sure it’s sustainable. In the words of Marie Kondo – be sure it “sparks joy.” If you’re going to buy, buy sustainable. Here are three ways to get a perfectly curated, but still environmentally friendly, sustainable shelfie:

1. Memories

Antiques

We love mixing old with new! And we love antiques because what could be more sustainable? Antiques add history and texture to a home and their very existence proves they can withstand the test of time! 

Collectables from Abroad

Because travel and global style is such an intrinsic part of our design aesthetic, we love to bring in antiques from near and far to remind us of where we’ve been and where we’re going. We can’t resist displaying a beautiful bargain buy from a Paris flea market or trinkets from Thailand! 

Photographs

Of course, this one should go without saying – framed photographs of friends and family make the perfect sustainable shelfie accessory! Fill those shelves only with things that will make you smile when you walk by everyday. 

1. Books

Shelves are for books, afterall! I know we’ve all gone digital, and that’s awesome, but there’s just something about holding the physical media in your hand. The tactile experience of turning the paper pages and giving your eyes the rest they need from staring at screens all day is something we can’t argue with. Books, especially used books, look gorgeous on display shelves and obviously serve a very functional purpose. 

1. Connecting with the Earth

Pottery 

Pottery and other decor made from natural materials is always going to be your best bet if you have to buy new. Bonus points if it’s a ceramic vase in which to display fresh cut flowers from your garden! 😉

Plants 

Speaking of fresh cut flowers… Taking up shelf space with an indoor garden always gets the green light from us! A collection of succulents is on-trend, sustainable, and incredibly easy to maintain. 

Crystals 

To learn more about how to select crystals for every room in your home, check out this post here. 

In conclusion, don’t use your shelf space to display  mindless, cheap clutter from Home Goods because it is trendy and ‘matches’ the decor – Instead, create a sustainable shelfie by displaying what’s important to you. Use it to showcase your memories in the form of antiques, photographs, and collections from your travels. Display books full of things you still want to learn about. And include accessories made of renewable resources and natural materials like pottery or include some plants! We believe the perfect sustainable shelfie shows you where you come from, where you’ve been, and where you’re going.

Future Homes in Times Square

If you happened to find yourself wandering around Times Square in NYC during NYCxDesign, you might have noticed a life-sized lego house. Known as FutureHaus, this sexy, prefab house was designed by 100 Virginia Tech students using a cutting-edge technology enabling the entire home to be solar powered. 

The entire home was delivered and installed in just three days. That’s the kind of sustainable, forward-thinking we love! To learn more about the project and to see more smart, sustainable design solutions, make a visit to the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum featuring an exhibition of student solutions to problems in nature. 

The Future of Wellness Space Design

A feature lots of our residential clients ask for is a room dedicated to meditation and relaxation in their home. Check out some of the meditation beds we’ve built for past clients here. But it’s the Inscape meditation app’s studio in NYC that truly takes meditation rooms to the next level. Every level of calm realized, from the materials to the scents, sounds, color palettes and, of course, the staff. 

Photo via architizer

Future of Hospitality Design

Dramatic lighting and full-wall tile features were everywhere in the restaurants and hotels we love! Cosme is a swanky eatery downtown with a perfect lighting scheme – it is elegantly designed, dimly lit, except for the spots you’ll be reading the menu in. This is a place with every detail realized!

photo via TheFatuation.com

A trip to Tile Bar NYC always inspires us. We love checking out the tile they’re featuring that’s selling a lot! We found a few common traits we were drawn to: lots of glam – mirrored and texture ceramic tile walls. These are awesome, budget-friendly, ways of achieving an elegant, high-end hospitality look. One of the reasons borrowing from hospitality design is such a great idea for your home is because they often find the best compromises between big design statement, affordability, and maintainability. The best example of this perfectly on-trend style comes from the new Tonya Comer tile collection for Tile Bar:

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It’s so easy to measure someone’s worth by their social status, home, clothing, car they drive, or vacations they take… but I want to measure people by the beauty of their heart, the depth of their love, and the joy of their soul. Beauty and worth isn’t to be see, it’s to be felt! . . designer || @elizabethstanleydesign architect || @ryanstreetandassociates photographer || @ryann_ford landscape || @landwestdesigngroup builder || @michaeldeanehomes

A post shared by Malia || Graced Designs (@graceddesigns) on Jul 11, 2019 at 11:16am PDT

Wooden Doors and Rounded Entries

Welcome to our Villa Del Sur project: With this home, we really wanted to make a statement with the entry way and Spanish style homes give you so much flexibility to do so. From the curves and material choices to the tile selection and wrought iron details (more on that later) this entry way is unmistakably Spanish style, though it has a contemporary twist.

Here’s another example from the inside: We found this charming California Casita on Instagram and it’s the perfect example of the modernization of Spanish colonial style.

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Lovin’ this hallway leading down to the master suite in my “California Casita”. I’m smitten with Spanish arches, and the colorful artwork of my sweet girls brings me joy! The old beach house desk at the end of the hallway made its way back to Cali after many years in San Antonio. Even though it’s not on Padaro Lane, it’s still feeling that California coastal air. #beachliving 🏝

A post shared by San Diego + Dallas Designer (@haciendachic) on Aug 13, 2019 at 9:42am PDT

Terracotta Roofs

Old Hollywood Glamour meets Spanish Revival in this Los Angeles home by Harrison Design. Note the wrought iron details, arched entryway, and terracotta roof!

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A sense of Old Hollywood glamour in this Mission Revival in Los Angeles. #architecture #harrisondesign #missionrevival #spanishstyle #julietbalcony #terracottaroof #cottageliving #photography @jimbartschphotographer #harrisondesignlosangeles #harrisondesignla

A post shared by Harrison Design (@harrisondesign) on Sep 14, 2018 at 5:05am PDT

Wood Beams

Don’t forget to look up! In this Los Angeles home, designer Lori Dennis went wild with color and glam details to compliment the gorgeous ceiling beams that run throughout the home.

Uniform Tile throughout the Home

Uniform tile that takes you from indoors to out is great for connecting your home to its environment and can be easily maintained. Here’s painted ceramic Spanish tile we like: Check out this playful entry way to this Spanish-Style Silverlake escape we found in Instagram.

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I work every single day of the week (but I love my job so yay ☺️) so Friday doesn’t mean the same to me as it does to many. But I literally get excited to wake up and share a beautiful Spanish stair photo with y’all each Friday. So here it is – your Friday Spanish style staircase, captured by @valerie_star. Yay! Happy Friday 🥰🧡🙌🏼 #spanishstyleliving

A post shared by Spanish Style Living (@spanishstyleliving_) on Jul 19, 2019 at 7:26am PDT

Stucco Fireplaces

Stucco and plaster are commonly used materials throughout Spanish-Style homes. Here is a beautifully designed and accessorized stucco fireplace from Laura Moreno:

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Fireplace design 👌🏻👌🏻

A post shared by L A U R A M O R E N O (@lauramorenorealestate) on Feb 16, 2019 at 1:03pm PST

Outdoor Arcades Connecting the Indoors and the Outdoors

Columns holding up beautiful outdoor arcades are iconic elements of Spanish revival homes. The beautiful Hacienda de San Antonio is a boutique hotel in Texas and is great example of Spanish architecture. The arcades surrounding the courtyard create a seamless passage from indoors to outdoors and provide some coverage from the sun.

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From richly decorated rooms to beautiful details down every corridor, visit and immerse yourself in a traditional hacienda, and the many incredible experiences only possible at Hacienda de San Antonio. #haciendadesanantonio #travelmexico #colima #architecturephotography #spanishcolonial #iamatraveler

A post shared by Hacienda de San Antonio (@haciendadesanantonio) on Jun 3, 2019 at 7:37am PDT

Wrought Iron Details

Lanterns and other light fixtures, gates, balconies, and decorative elements like house numbers: dark wrought iron detailing is an essential element of Spanish design. It pops beautifully against white plaster and stucco walls.

WATCH: HOME TOUR OF LOS ANGELES HIP HACIENDA SPANISH STYLE HOME:

Here’s Our 10 Tenets of Southwest Glam Style: 

1. Indoor-Outdoor Connection 

This is  an area where we see the southwestern style evolving. Some of the midcentury glamorous aesthetic from Palm Springs creeps into the mix, seeing more sleek modern designs in the Southwest with large scale windows. On the flip side, we’re also seeing lots of tiny, rustic homes that sacrifice interior square footage in exchange for elaborate outdoor entertaining spaces. 

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Some private time on your private Lautner patio…Yes please 😎 #thelautnercompound #thelautner #lautner #johnlautner #desertliving #desertstyle #palmsprings #desertmodern

A post shared by The Lautner Compound (@thelautnercompound) on Aug 26, 2019 at 10:59am PDT

2. Floors and Countertops 

Another architectural feature that defines a desert glam is it’s flooring and countertops – expect to see lots of terra cotta, ceramic, earthy, patterned tile. Layered warm woods always work wonders in these environments as well, like in this photo from the lobby of the new Santa Monica Proper Hotel designed by Kelly Wearstler:

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Get here fast, then take it slow. #ProperHotels⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ #losangeles #santamonicabeach #la #california #luxury #interiordesign #checkingin #hospitality #luxeliving #socal #calilife #travel #santamonica #design #reception #kellywearstler #beautifulhotels #hotels #designhotels #ahotelife #boutiquehotel #urbanretreat #beachoasis #luxuryhotel #lifestylehotel #travelmore #dreamdestination⁠

A post shared by Santa Monica Proper Hotel (@santamonicaproper) on Aug 30, 2019 at 12:00pm PDT

3. Desert Details in the Art

Wall art and sculpture is an excellent opportunity for you to bringing the desert textures into the space: you can get up close and personal with desert details in still life photography that you wouldn’t ordinarily get by staring at a larger landscape.

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I'm always so honored when great designers like @jenhallock use my prints to beautify their spaces. Did you know that Wilder California gives a discount to design industry professionals? Get in touch to get your personal code! hello@wildercalifornia.com⠀⁠⠀ And you can shop this piece (20×24 framed in white) via the link in bio!⠀⁠⠀ ⠀⁠

A post shared by Wilder California (@wildercalifornia) on Aug 21, 2019 at 12:29pm PDT

4. Colors of the Southwestern Landscape

Using the American desert landscape to draw upon color palette inspiration, realize you have a lot more variation than you might thing: Do you want to highlight the sandy, monochrome hues of the desert sand? (a very popular trend right now) or do you want to include the more saturated, hihg contrast of a swirling desert sunset?

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Our White Sands blanket brings the stunning hues of the desert to wherever you may be.

A post shared by Pendleton Woolen Mills (@pendletonwm) on Aug 28, 2019 at 8:38am PDT

5. Textiles and Textures of the Wild Wild West.

Layers in the desert are so important for a myriad of reasons: It’s how you create a lot of visual interest if you’re working with a monochromatic color scheme. It’s also how you keep a space contemporary and livable – versatile during the changing of seasons or day into evening. In the desert expect to see layers of hides and leather, layers of coarse and smooth, prickly cactus contrast with warm Pendelton blankets, macrame accessories.

6. Mid Century Lighting

Whenever you’re trying to infuse a space with a hint of glamour, lighting is going to be your best bet! In trying to bring some of that Palm Springs Rat Pack style into your boho desert den, consider some glamorous, dramatic lighting solutions.

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Neutral, earthy palettes and Southwest textures and prints are #trending up! At yesterday's film shoot with @LampsPlus I shared all my thoughts on the new #Southwest trend. Take a look at my Instagram Story for a sneak peek 😉

A post shared by Celebrity Lifestyle Designer (@loridennisinc) on Aug 9, 2019 at 10:07am PDT

7. Accessories:  Bringing in the Historical and Cultural Influences

Native American patterns, terra cotta pottery, lots of succulents, masks and baskets. The wild west is where hippies and cowboys collide. The intersection of Spanish, Native American, and, much later, jazz crooner influences. Using art and accessories is the best way to include these themes throughout your space.

8. Textured Wall Features

Using Eldorado Stone wall features, we gave this space its organic, unique deserty texture. Stone and tile wall features are a great way to bring the outdoors in and add some verticality to your space.

9. Emphasis on Sustainability

The very idea of an oasis: a respite from the endless desert, a place to rehydrate, rejuvinate, and unwind, invokes an awareness of sustainability. The area, also surrounded by wind farms and, quite often, expensive-to-maintain putting greens, is perhaps a more obvious and constant reminder of the need to conserve and of our dependence on the land. Homes in this region are being built smaller, single-story, with energy-efficient windows, and water-saving smart plumbing solutions. 

10. Lots of Succulents!

Always including plenty of succulents! We included this one towards the bottom because it’s kind of a given, don’t you think?

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Embracing the Endless Summer… Getting ready for outdoor entertaining, adorning the table with @calicocorners @cryptonfabric Catolo Teal fabric ☀️🌴 #CalicoCanDo #CalicoStories #CalicoDesign #ad

A post shared by Celebrity Lifestyle Designer (@loridennisinc) on Aug 5, 2019 at 3:23pm PDT

That was the first question the Flutter Experience gallery owner asked us when we entered his space on South La Brea here in Los Angeles. 

Butterflies. Eyelashes. Lightness.

With the goal of making art fun and accessible, the Flutter Experience highlights contemporary artists in a way that is playful and interactive. Akin to the highly popular 29 Rooms exhibition, the Flutter experience is full of colorful, instagrammable moments, but with a more niche, nuanced, and elevated appeal. 

Flutter & Born This Way

The gallery is partnered with Born This Way – Lady Gaga’s outreach program which aims to end the stigma against mental illness. A share of the proceeds generated from ticket sales go directly to benefit the organization. They say art consumption makes you mentally healthier and happier – the Flutter Experience certainly did!

Flutter Featuring Flavor Paper

We were fortunate to be invited to the Flutter Experience by our friends at Flavor Paper, a boutique wallpaper line based out of Brooklyn, New York, whose fun, evocative prints were the perfect compliment to Flutter’s whimsical art.

Wallpaper is an incredible way to create an immersive experience when designing a room. With wallpaper, you can take advantage of the flat surfaces around you and above you that would otherwise be neglected. We were blown away by Flavor Paper’s installation in the bathroom at Flutter- everywhere you looked, you were inside a mountain scene, the mural was without repeat.  We commend their creativity and ambition to take advantage of wallpapering every surface they could! Every room had its own unique aesthetic, tied together by Flavor Paper’s psychedelic backdrops.

The Immersive Flutter Experience

Every room in the Flutter experience featured something you could touch, listen to, wear, or watch. The tactile, sensory-overladed experience gets you closer to the art itself and highlights the various ways of seeing and experiencing.  It’s also great for all ages- there’s something for everyone. Our group ranged in ages: We had elementary schoolers, college students, and adults all together.