Norman Design Group

Decluttering your space

Phil Norman — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:54:06 +0000

Baskets and trays are very homey and useful, not just for carrying things but also to organize collections

A Well-Divided Utensil Drawer

Keep kitchen utensils organized with customizable inserts.

The secret to keeping clutter and disorder out of the bathroom is to keep all the small, loose items that are used there in separate containers, then group them together on a tray.

Double Duty Furniture

Use furniture that can double as storage. Interior designer Myra Hoeffer found an antique trunk that doubles as a coffee table

Patinas Please!

Phil Norman — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 00:36:27 +0000

Overly themed rooms are simply not as sophisticated as those that are layered over time. Even the most starkly modern space can benefit from the patina of a vintage piece, adding balance and complementing the overall design.

Adding a vintage piece or an antique really adds some incredible character to an interior.　 You will be glad you did it! I like www.leestanton.com as a start!

Furniture Finds

Phil Norman — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 16:33:31 +0000

Here are some great new pieces I discovered while shopping for a client . These pieces are fantastic and can be finished in many different finishes and distressing levels. It is following my interest in the mixture of stained and painted pieces. The cool tones are great for a Manhattan Beach project or could be quite serious but casual in a Rolling Hills Home. These wonderful pieces are made by Hickory Chair, one of my favorite vendors.

Los Angeles has one of the finest Hickory Chair show rooms in the country at the LA Mart in the Haptor Barrett Showroom. In Haptor Barrett Traditional you will find displayed, in what has been called one of the most beautiful showrooms in the country, a full resource of traditional and transitional home furnishings featuring the designs of Thomas O’Brien, Mariette Himes Gomez, Alexa Hampton, Mark Hampton, Suzanne Kasler and others.

This showroom is a destination with great resources and talented staff. I love to take my clients here

Classic lines and cool tones set the design direction of this library table and chairs. I love the warm wood and how it contrasts to the cooler colors and textures. I like the idea of using a transitional over-sized rug on the floor as well.

I would say this is suitable for a single man or a sophisticated couple just the same. That is what you get when you choose classic lines, fabrics and finishes. Simple tailored bedding and not a “bed of pillows” loathed by many.

Hope you enjoyed our inspirations and shopping excursions as much as I did.

Palos Verdes Estates Dining Room Design

Phil Norman — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 20:03:05 +0000

Working with a young professional couple with 3 small boys has been lots of fun for our studio. The marriage of high style and maintenance friendly materials has been challenging and really pushed our creative staff to be unique and resourceful. The home is currently being framed in the Valmonte Section of Palos Verdes Estates . Architect Doug Leach AIA designed the home to have a Coastal Craftsman feel.

The palette of materials shows the creative mix of materials. I used limestone, driftwood finishes, and a unique chiseled stone tile that will adorn the front face of the fireplace below the mantle. I tried to open the grain of the wood where I could to give it more of a casual and contemporary feel.

The ceiling shows how I designed the open beams to accentuate the pitch of the ceiling. In our design, I will have wood planking in between the beams.

The floor plan shows the layout which provides an incredible entertaining venue with the fireplace, pitched ceiling, ocean and city lights. I can open the French doors and let the warm summer breeze come in while dining.

Finally the buffet built in will have a very unique door front custom designed by Norman Design Group. Slightly opened grain with the incredible charcoal honed limestone on top. Sure to be a hit when completed, I designed an oversized mirror and sconces on the wall to be backdroped by an incredible hand painted grass cloth in geometric pattern.

Coke bottles make great chairs

Phil Norman — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 19:58:21 +0000

Don’t feel too bad tossing back the next cold Coke in a plastic container, it could have a future home in a new chair by Emeco.

This chair is exactly like the original Emeco Navy, but it is created with recycled Coca Cola bottles. It is available in six colors: Persimmon, Grass Green, Charcoal, Flint Grey, Snow, and Red. The Flint Grey, Snow and Red are suitable for outdoor applications. They are all approved for commercial use. The great thing about this new Emeco chair is the price—it retails for $230.00 (the original aluminum Navy retails at $415.00)

Some colors can be used outdoors for a colorful splash around your patio table. Great for all those outdoor projects in Manhattan Beach design, Hermosa Beach design and Palos Verdes design areas where we are all outdoors so much.

Selecting Bedding

Phil Norman — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 20:18:13 +0000

Had to rush to get a few bedrooms done this month and had to buy what we call in our studio- “Bed in a Bag”. Here are a few that caught my eye.

This would work great for a little girl, and she could grow into it for years to come. I love painting the back of bookcases like this, and is an inexpensive way to change the look.

The clean and fresh green with the oversized damask pattern is attractive to me. I also love the scallop detail at the bottom of the skirt as a nice dressmaker detail.

This is a fabulous medallion scarf print . It’s blocked pattern with Crisp sateen and white piping is a nice colorful pop in a mostly white room. A nice touch is also the European fabric-covered button closures.

Inspirations

Phil Norman — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 16:52:43 +0000

I get inspired by many things. Some may be whole rooms and others might be a little finish on a small table in an antique shop. This week showcases the top things I was exposed to that caught my eye. This great room blends a lot of pattern and color but the room is rich and lively. I really like the underuse of overhead lighting, but the accent of the Moroccan inspired ceiling fixture . What incredible shadows this will cast on the ceiling when serving cocktails.

This great planter box caught my eye when I was internet shopping for plant containers for a current project in Manhattan Beach. I thought it had a light but sophisticated edge to it.

What I liked about this wine room is the fact that it uses heavy materials in the stone and wood but feels a bit more youthful and not so subterranean or Mediterranean. The use of steel windows helps keep it light and the use of low voltage lighting grazing the stone is a nice touch. When I install stone on interior walls, I love to graze the walls as it adds texture to a room. If budget allows , adding stone to a wall is an excellent design feature.

Great lines on this lavatory faucet. Gracious and stylish – the small details are what makes a project, so when I antagonize over the Master Bathroom Faucet , my clients roll their eyes but are very appreciative at the end of the project .

The warm but light finish on the wood and the antique fireplace are great compliment to the floor! Can see this being a great concept for a wonderful Palos Verdes Estates home. And the black lab certainly loves it.

Beach Interior Design

Phil Norman — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 23:52:41 +0000

I wanted to post this entry because of our recent flurry of design job interviews and educating why they would want to consider hiring Norman Design Group. Most of our clients come from referrals from clients, architects, builders, and real estate agents. But with social networking and the internet more and more clients are coming from us without knowing much beyond our website and blog.

I like that I have to educate clients and tell them our strong points as it reassures me that we are providing the right services for the client and project.

Why hire Norman Design Group?

My answer has several parts :

1. We are unique in the way we can bridge the gap between construction and decoration. I am equally comfortable and knowledgeable talking to clients about plumbing valves as I am about beautiful pillows.

2. Approachable and real people (Midwest Roots!) designing your home. I have found this to be a real disarming attribute in a intimidating world of design choices

3. Educated and experienced staff. ASID professional educated and trained staff ensure you are leaving the details to experts that have gone through this process in many times over.

4. We leave our egos at the door. Yes I can place a very sophisticated piece of art in your home but it must hold value to you and to the project.

5. Collaborative efforts. Of course I like to take the creative lead, but I want your input and value your opinion. You will live in the home and not me when we are completed.

Our design firm delivers a great set of CAD detail drawings that architects and builders love. It enables you to get better bids as well.

Mixing materials is essential to create interest and uniqueness

Knowledge of tile and stone is a strong suite for our designers. We get training from some of the top resources such as Walker Zanger.

Knowledge fabrics and textiles stone is a strong suite for our designers. We get training from some of the top resources such as Kravet.

I also am aware of fabric suitability if a family is involved or active lifestyle (I have 3 kids under 5 in my family!)

Mixing patterns and colors is something I love to do in projects.

I am currently designing projects with Douglas Leach, Louie Tomaro and Domani Architecture in Manhattan Beach design and Palos Verdes Estates design. Projects include Manhattan Beach Cape Cod design, Palos Verdes Estates Interior Design and a coastal modern home.

If you are interested in what your opportunities are on your upcoming project, please call for a complimentary consultation 310-325-3751. I am here if you need me.

Manhattan Beach Interior Design

Phil Norman — Sat, 22 May 2010 02:07:12 +0000

These are images I would like to incorporate into a Guest Bathroom in Manhattan Beach Interior Design. I wanted to get the feel of the beach without being kitchy in the selection of materials. The inset panel door is a great detail that is simplistic but adds texture.

The pedestal sink is a nice touch especially in small quarters. Love the subtle detail the back splash has and the mini shelf for TP.

The flooring for this Manhattan Beach Interior Design concept uses cut limestone sticks and is accented with beautiful polished onyx. Once again successfully playing the polished and honed material together.
The finshing touches are the nicely framed mirror and sconces. These concepts will meld into a fantastic bathroom design direction in this charming cape cod manhattan beach bathroom.

Pasadena Showcase Home

Phil Norman — Mon, 10 May 2010 16:22:29 +0000

Over 30 designers will bring the historic Cravens Estate on former “Millionaire’s Row” in Pasadena - currently headquarters of the San Gabriel Pomona Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross - back to authentic life Completed in 1930 for Pasadena residents Mr. and Mrs. John Cravens, this elegant estate was designed by renowned San Francisco architect, Lewis P. Hobart. His inspiration for the estate’s design was the baroque Chateau Vaux-le-Vicomte, which was also the inspiration for Versailles. Situated just south of Paris, the chateau was unique in that it incorporated the grounds into the design of the mansion. Currently, the Cravens Estate serves as the headquarters of the San Gabriel Pomona Valley American Red Cross. In 1965, the mansion was honored with the Pasadena Beautiful Foundation Award and was designated a Pasadena Cultural Landmark by the Pasadena Heritage Society. In addition, the city of Pasadena has designated it a Landmark of Historical Significance, its highest category. In partnership with the American Red Cross, this spectacular property was chosen for renovation and has been transformed into the 2010 Pasadena Showcase House of Design.

I had a chance to tour the Pasadena Showcase home this last weekend and thought it was fantastic. Here are a few shots “before” the home was transformed. The things I noticed and was inspired the most by was- fabulous chandeliers, slate blue accent trim in several rooms, lighter more sheer window treatments, and lots of unexpected creativity. I recommend going to see how it can inspire you!