Allison Kettlewell on color

On Friday we introduced you to Allison Kettlewell, who's designing the textiles of Suzanne Tucker Home. She's pictured on the right, with her collaborator Vera Vandenbosch, who also works with Suzanne, and just happens to live up the street!

How awesome is this string ball wreath? It was hanging high on her wall, another example of the myriad examples of textiles that fill the studio.



We were dying to know how a designer conceives of color -- especially when there are so many possibilities. We've sprinkled in snapshots of some of the best-sellers. Here's what Allison had to say:



"Suzanne is so specific -- in a good way -- in her color sense. She absolutely loves color, especially pinks and lilacs."


"Most designers are still too fond of beige and neutrals, in my opinion."



"One color you'll never see here though is teal. Suzanne has a very specific blue she loves, it's between Wedgwood and robin's egg with a touch of aqua. Recently I found myself in an inky blue period." [Which is evident on her inspiration board].


"We're now at just 52 fabrics total in the line -- which is a number some houses would introduce every few months. But we know what we're missing–stripes for sure—and we're working on new prints."


"I'm hoping that Suzanne and I will plan a visit to India, where I know we'll find plenty of inspiration."



No doubt they'll also come back with suitcases full of antique textiles!



Be sure to see the collection in person at Thomas Lavin at the PDC and Holland & Sherry at the DDB.

Shopping the PDC with Trip Haenisch

Fresh off a vacation in the Hamptons, we managed to catch up with Trip Haenisch. The L.A.-based interior designer's work has been a favorite of Architectural Digest, which selected him as one of the top 100 architects and interior designers. His work has appeared in over 70 publications worldwide, including Elle Decor, Interior Design, W, Vogue, House Beautiful, House & Garden, The New York Times, Harper's Bazaar, Los Angeles Times and numerous coffee table books. No doubt this helped earn him such plum clients as Christina Aguilera, David Arquette and Courteney Cox, Hank Azaria, Cher, Producer Leonard Goldberg and wife Wendy, Merv Griffin, William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman, Chris McMillan, Edward Norton, Aaron Sorkin, John Stamos and Rebecca Romijn, Cheryl Tiegs, and William Morris Endeavor Co-CEO Patrick Whitesell and Lauren Sanchez.

Here's one of his serene spaces, photographed by Tim Street-Porter:

We tagged along on one of his weekly visits to the PDC. Here are his own snapshots of showrooms he never misses.

"Thomas Lavin is my go-to place for fantastic fabrics, and especially linens."

"I love David Sutherland for their outdoor furniture and they have innovative outdoor fabrics as well. Their outdoor furniture is so versatile it can be used indoors and out. I love this white sectional - it's quintessentially California."

"Cowtan and Tout has a great selection of fun, fresh fabrics – the interiors are like going through a fantastic maze."

-Kneedler-Fauchere is another one of my favorite showrooms.  They have great furniture and fabrics from traditional to high glam.

Here's a look at another one of his residential projects, photographed by Patrick Cline:

Check out his firm's website and be transported to California (it's not all beach-chic!) no matter where you live.

Two new fabrics from Suzanne Tucker

San Francisco designer Suzanne Tucker is considered the unofficial decor doyenne in the Bay Area. The latest designs for her two-year-old Suzanne Tucker Home collection show her skill with reinvigorating two things we've all seen before: embroidery and linen. The results are breathtaking!



The finely detailed Celestria is derived from a 19th century English document with references to astronomy and antique celestial charts. It comes in three colors.


Samirah is a botanical paisley, pictured below, available in two colors and dreamy as a window treatment.



The name Samirah comes from Arabic, meaning "entertaining companion", which is also how many would describe the charming designer herself!
Stop by and "meet" Samirah and Celestria at Thomas Lavin at the PDC and Holland & Sherry at the DDB.

A new link for the great outdoors

Now that it's the season we all relish being outdoors as much as possible, isn't it time to update the furniture? The Echo Collection, designed by Douglas Levine for Link Outdoor, is striking in its simplicity yet elegant in form. Made of teak and stainless steel, the designs range from architectural to sinuous, equally emphasizing form and comfort.



Douglas Levine worked as Director of Design for Holly Hunt, Ltd. in the 90's, collaborating on the debut of the Studio Collection & Great Plains Textiles. Levine created his own company, L Corp. in 1998, and has contracted with Bright Chair Co. in New York and Manheim Ruseau in Dallas to re-image and reposition their product lines.



His work straddles both the hospitality and the residential markets, and he presents new lines annually at NeoCon, which is kicking off this weekend in Chicago. Levine also designs a select number of residential interiors, working with clients who seek his clean eye.



The collection, deceptively simple, yet sophisticated and modern, is also ideal for a variety of geographic settings.



It's now on view at Thomas Lavin at the PDC, Hines & Co. at the DDB, Jeffrey Michaels at the DCOTA and George Cameron Nash at the DCH.

What's new, Thomas Lavin?

We've got a soft spot for the latest additions to the Thomas Lavin showroom at the PDC. We asked Lavin himself what he loves about three completely different textiles, which were introduced during Westweek.



"Laura Lienhard's Marble collection [pictured below], which is printed in Italy, epitomizes what I love about the RISD's graduates work. When I first started working with her, I was captivated by her prints and her sophisticated palette. Laura and I share a fondness for fashion and her work reflects this: designers such as Givenchy, Balenciaga, and Chloe come to mind when using her new textiles.”





“Rosemary Hallgarten is a painter and an artist. We started together 10 years ago when Rosemary was making rugs in Peru. Her empire has expanded to include hand-woven and hand-painted textiles; she has an Ombre that Michael Berman based on an original pattern of hers and it morphed from the quintessential Michael Berman green to white for 20 foot ceilings.” Both the continued rage for both vintage as new and the fashion world's interest in metallics, lead to her latest introductions, Vintage Wash and Metallic Glaze:







“Cortina is the coolest leather company in town! Elayne Siegman founded it after most people retire and almost 30 years later, she inspires everyone she meets. Cortina has access to fashion tanneries in Italy which allow them to introduce the most extraordinary hides throughout the year. They range from antiqued to metallic, like the new Glitterati line [seen below] and there is always stock.”



Thomas Lavin showroom photograph by Grey Crawford.

New collection: Suzanne Tucker Home

San Francisco-based interior designer Suzanne Tucker, principal of Tucker & Marks, focused her peripatetic vision on Africa when designing Caravan, her latest Suzanne Tucker Home fabric collection. Eight new designs, ranging from cut velvet to silk jacquard and hand-woven ikat, pay homage to the vast continent and its visual splendors: desert, animals, and jungle. Cotton velvets Duma, a cheetah-inspired pattern, and Nomad, a geometric cut and loop pile, are made in the U.S., while the other fabrics come from Europe, India, Asia. Available at Holland & Sherry at the DDB and Thomas Lavin at the PDC.



(Above, from top: Sahara in olive, Serengeti in bark, Mirage in earth, Duma in pistachio and Sahara in cocoa.)



Below, at left: Marrakech in persimmon; stack, from top: Duma in chocolate, Marrakech in persimmon, Sahara in cinnabar and Serengeti in bark.

PDC Fall Market Recap: Thomas Lavin & Architectural Digest Welcome Christian Liaigre's VP

Thomas Lavin and Christian Liaigre had lots to celebrate during the PDC's Fall Market. For the first time, Christian Liaigre's executive vice president in charge of Artistic Development, Deborah Liaigre, visited the Pacific Design Center from her home base of Paris, France.

Deborah came to personally greet clients and talk about exciting new product developments the Thomas Lavin showroom, where Liagre’s product is represented. Deborah, who has a degree in interior design, has created luxurious interiors for Liaigre since 1999, working internationally in locales from New York and London to Australia and Greece. Joining her presentation about the European luxury lifestyle that Liaigre represents was Liaigre president Christophe Caillaud and two interior designers who have been longtime customers in the U.S.

"The event was fantastic! Deborah Liaigre and Christophe Caillaud from Maison Christian Liaigre arrived to standing room only for our afternoon presentation," said Thomas. "We hosted about 120 people for the panel who asked good questions afterwards! About 400 people ranging from the very best designers in Los Angeles to a more motley crew that added some seasoning to the evening attended the party! Grey Goose cocktails delivered a delicious punch while the chic set milled about the showroom!"

Stay tuned to GoDesignGo for more on the PDC's Fall Market recaps.

Event Recap: Christopher Grubb & Darren Henault Party at Thomas Lavin

The Thomas Lavin showroom was the place to be following the PDC seminar East Coast/West Coast Design: Is it Apple and Oranges?





Christopher Grubb, President of Arch-Interiors Design Group and Darren Henault, President of Darren Henault Interiors led a discussion on the similarities and differences of designing on either side of the country. During the seminar, the high-profile design duo covered all topics from budget concerns in a fluctuating economy to specific finishes and design tactics.





The post-reception welcomed more than 60 guests with a hors d’oeuvres by Obika Mozzarella Bar featuring fresh Chilled Organic Tomato Soup with Basil, Burrata, and Crostini, Aubergine Casserole, and Obika’s signature handmade mozzarella direct from Italy.