Posts Tagged ‘Orange County’
Six Great Places to Find Modern and Contemporary Furniture in Orange County
Transforming an average home into a modern masterpiece is easy as pie in Orange County, California. The city boasts bountiful contemporary furniture and lighting stores and there are plenty of firms in town that specialize in interior design consulting. If you are looking for a new accent table for your living room or completely redesigning your home, the following six companies are some favorites in the Orange County region.
Metropolix Contemporary Furnishings
Metropolix Contemporary Furnishings is one of the most popular local furniture stores, located in Laguna Hills. This company specializes in unique contemporary furniture and home accents including sofas, beds, windows and door furnishings, coffee tables, desks, and chairs, each one with a touch of class and comfort. One of the aspects of Metropolix that customers love so much is that they supply furniture made in the USA that can be custom-sized with your choice of hundreds of fabrics. Shopping here, you can be sure that you will have a unique and personalized accent for your home.
Cantoni Modern Furniture
Modern Cowhide Sofas from Cantoni
Cantoni is another favorite modern furniture store. Located in Irvine, California, Cantoni boasts ever-changing showrooms of contemporary furniture and home accents that are sure to open eyes. Almost everything you are looking for can be found in this store, from kitchens to bedrooms to living rooms, and more. Not too sure what you’re looking for, or maybe completely overwhelmed by the countless options? Never fear, Cantoni has interior designers working specifically to help you design the interiors of your dream home.
Uni-Lite Lighting
Modern Chandelier from Uni-Lite
If you are looking for the perfect lighting accent for your home, explore Uni-Lite Lighting’s 32,000 square foot business in Anaheim. Specializing in indoor and outdoor lighting for both single rooms and entire homes, Uni-Lite is a local favorite for finding modern light accents that also serve as conversation pieces. This company has gotten to know the interior design trends in Orange County over the past forty years and have supplied their products not only to homeowners but also local architects and businesses.
Living Spaces
Modern Bedroom Furniture from Living Spaces
Irvine is one of ten places in southern California where you can find Living Spaces. In addition to selling both modern furniture and classic furniture, Living Spaces sells unique accessories to liven up your home or business. What makes a shopping experience here so special is how customer-friendly the business is. When you visit the store you receive a free cup of Starbucks and can leave your kids in a supervised play room while you shop. Online orders offer you same-day delivery for furniture you just can’t wait to see in your own home.
Plummers Furniture
Modern Living Room from Plummers
Plummers is yet another marvelous contemporary furniture company in Irvine. They supply furniture and accessories for indoor and outdoor use, either in the home or at the office. Their unique products have a fresh, fun, and relaxing appeal to consumers, which has helped the company become one of the best locations to find contemporary furniture in Orange County. Fun fact: Plummers has installed solar panels at their warehouse in Petaluma, and they boast the fact that they use recycled wood and sustainable supplies in many of their products.
Pal + Smith Furniture
Modern Dining Room from Pal + Smith
Pal + Smith may provide some of the most exceptional contemporary options for interior design in Orange County. Located in Costa Mesa, the company has pushed the boundaries of modern furniture for the past thirty years. The bold colors and unique shapes of their furniture are bound to start conversations. Among many other major style magazines, Elle Décor recognized Pal + Smith in October 2011 as one of “The Best New Stores.” If you need help deciding the best combination of pieces for your home, Pal + Smith offers hourly consulting for interior design as well as a multitude of other services.
These six companies provide some of the best contemporary furniture in Orange County. If you still aren’t quite sure where to start when designing or redesigning your home, you can contact Christopher James Interiors, one of the leading interior design firms specializing in finding the best accents for your home. Regardless of what vision you have for your interior, you can find exactly what you’re looking for in Orange County.
How To Incorporate The Elements Of Feng Shui Into your Home
Incorporating Feng Shui into your interior design brings balance and good fortune to your home. More than just picking attractive furniture and decor, the placement and arrangement of furnishings and accessories, as well as deliberate color combinations, can make a significant difference in the “Qi” or energy of the room.
Interior Design and Feng Shui Create Harmony
However, you still want to make sure that your Orange County home is visually appealing and functional, so you will want your Feng Shui interior design to balance the basic beliefs of the Eastern practice along with modern tastes.
Modern Zen Bathroom
Below are a few tips on how to improve the energy in your house and bring luck to your life, while adding the decorating flairs and touches that gives your home personality:
Position Furniture Carefully
This tip is both practical and feng shui-related: careful positioning of furniture improves the energy’s flow throughout the room. Furniture should not prevent free passage through the room as this blocks both your daily path and the Qi from flowing naturally. Ideally, seating areas should be flush with a wall, instead of facing a walkway or another room.
Separate Work and Rest Areas
Avoid setting up a work office in your bedroom. The energy of a work space will prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep if it is set up in the bedroom.
Lighting
Light plays a major role in feng shui, as it is a major source of good energy. Soft lighting is linked with positive energy which wall sconces provide. Without proper illumination, carefully picked color combinations, decor and furniture may not be as effective for a feng shui lifestyle. Our eye tends to be drawn to where the light is shining, so by spotlighting certain objects and areas, you are able to support your intentions. Avoid dark corners, which can absorb and stall the flow of energy, by filling them with a source of soft light.
Modern Bedroom
De-clutter
Clutter is considered to be a major burden in feng shui. De-cluttering is believed to be absolutely fundamental to ensuring balance in the home, as clutter blocks the flow of energy. On a practical level, clutter can lead to increased stress levels.
Remove clutter from all rooms in the house. One of the best places to start is the bedroom, where you want the most relaxation as possible. Create a “keep”, “relocate” and “trash” pile for all the items littered on the surfaces and floors of each room. Then, relocate the items to their proper locations, and throw away the trash. Organize the “keep” items into drawers, shelves or labeled boxes for easy access.
Mirrors
A key accessory in feng shui interior design, mirrors are believed to reflect positive energy and prevent the flow of negative energy. Placement is key, however. Avoid putting a mirror facing the front door, as you don’t want to bounce the positive energy entering the house to creep its way out. Mirrors should also be used sparingly (if at all) in the bedroom. Bedrooms are considered calm spaces with more yin energy; mirrors bring a lot of yang energy, canceling out the calming yin needed in the bedroom.
Live Plants, Fresh Fruit and Cut or Potted Flowers
Indoor plants, floral bouquets and fresh fruit all generate positive energy. Potted plants also represent earth and wood elements (two of the five elements needed for harmony and balance).
However, you should avoid using dried flowers. Dried flowers are considered sources of bad energy in feng shui as they represent something that is dead. Throw away all dead or dying plants, including wilting flowers. The exception is if the dried bouquet is a keepsake from someone dear to you, then the energy associated with it is positive.
Feng Shui Bathroom
Add a Water Feature
Considered a symbol of wealth and prosperity, it is important to incorporate water elements in your feng shui decorating scheme. A water feature is an eye-catching way to add two of the five essential elements of feng shui (wind and water). Whether you choose a water fountain, a water wall or a fish tank, a water feature is a soothing focal point to any room, promoting relaxation. Be careful not to add water features to the bedroom as it can introduce the element of worry.
Outdoor Water Feature
Mix Up Your Shapes
Each shape represents a different feng shui element: square (wood), round/oval (metal), striped and floral (wood), wavy (water) and pointy (fire) shapes all need to be present in your accessories and decor to ensure balance. Mixing and matching is not only an excellent way to bring harmony into your living space, but it also adds depth and dimension to your interior design.
Choose Colors Carefully
Intentionally choosing the right colors for each room is key in feng shui, as each color and color combination represent different types of energy. Green is linked with hope and nature, yellow with power and red is considered auspicious. Orange helps create an atmosphere of ease and promotes conversation in large groups of people, making it an ideal color for living rooms and other areas where you plan on hosting guests. Blues and greens can also help promote a calm atmosphere, which are perfect for bedrooms and other locations designed for relaxation and rest.
With these simple feng shui tips, you can improve balance and harmony in your home and life all without having to invest in crazy interior design schemes or busts of Buddha and other auspicious statues. Just keep in mind the importance of the flow of energy and incorporate a few well-chosen and well-placed accessories to fully reap the benefits of feng shui.
Marcela De Vivo is a freelance writer, yoga enthusiast and business owner in the Los Angeles area. In addition to incorporating feng shui into her yoga and meditation room, she also includes the elements of feng shui throughout the rest of her home. Follow her on Pinterest today!
Add a little bling in your wallpaper
Wallpaper has come a long way and can be a lot of fun, especially when you want to add a little bit of bling or sparkle to your walls. Today I set out to look for wallpaper at Design Center Associates in Santa Ana. They have a great selection to choose from so searching for the right one was fairly easy. The design look for our client is calling for something contemporary and modern, with just a touch of sparkle or in our case we were hoping for a metallic or chrome element
Ronald Redding Wallpaper
Wallpaper Companies to Consider
After flipping through several books from many popular designers and companies, I narrowed it down to about five books. There was some wallpaper with geometric motifs, textured looks, and groovy designs. I opted for a simple but interesting design. I came across a line from Ronald Redding Wallpaper and there on the first page was what I was looking for. It’s a textured single color wallpaper, beautifully encrusted with small pieces of mica that has a beautiful reflective and rich quality to it. Even though it is a single color it appears as though it has many colors in it because of the depth that the mica creates. It comes in four different colors…Copper, Silver, Charcoal and Beige. We will most likely order the copper or the beige.
Barbara Becker Wallpaper
There are others we can select from in case we don’t decide on the Terra Mica samples. DCA (Design Center Associates) allows us to check out their books which makes it much easier to coordinate all of our fabrics and materials.
Terra Mica Wallpaper
So whether your design is conservative or wild, modern or traditional, keep in mind that a little bit of twinkle or sparkle can go a long way when putting your look together. Think of it as the icing on your cake. Check out Design Center Associates website for wall coverings, furniture, fabrics and accessories in Orange County, CA.
Add wallpaper with some bling to your interiors
Your source for modern upholstered furniture in Orange County
If you are looking for modern upholstered furniture in Orange County you have stumbled upon the right place. Christopher James Interiors has a large selection of modern upholstered furniture that can be customized using your own fabric or selected from our vast collection of fabric options. We can resize items for you so they fit perfectly in your space. We’ll even come to your home to consult with you and guide you step by step of the way to ensure proper scale and size of your furniture. You’ll also be able to view fabrics in your current surroundings to make sure what you are ordering is exactly what you want. We offer upholstered headboards, beds, custom upholstered sofas and couches, sectionals, dining chairs, occasional chairs, lounge chairs, benches, ottomans and barstools. Here’s some of our favorite items….
Modern Upholstered Furniture – Beds and Headboards
Davide Bed
The Davide Bed has a modern tufted headboard surrounded by a wood frame. The chrome legs give it another modern touch.
Hunter Bed
Hunter Bed – Optional Storage Drawers in Bed Platform
The Hunter Bed has a modern design and is available with storage drawers in the bed platform. The photo shows the bed in a striped fabric bordered with leather and accented with nailheads.
Modern Upholstered Coffee Table Ottomans and Benches
Eastwood Square Ottoman
The Eastwood coffee table ottoman has a very modern look with a beautiful detail on the top. Put your feet on it to kick back or place a tray on top to set drinks on.
Modern Upholstered Occasional Chairs
Kinetic Chair
The Kinetic Chair has a very modern design with chunky wood arms and legs. We love the contemporary and modern lines of this chair. Upholster in leather or fabric and choose from several wood finish options.
Let us know what you think of some of our new designs.
To view more of our large selection of modern upholstered furniture you can visit the products section of our website.
Modern Upholstered Furniture in Orange County
Interior Design Project in Orange Hills, Orange County, CA
I’ve recently started a new interior design project in a beautiful gated community of Orange Hills in Orange County, California. My client has asked that I begin the design for the family room, dining nook and kitchen so that they can move in as soon as possible. I’ll continue designing the rest of this 7,000 square foot home once the main areas are designed. I wanted to share the interior design project and some before photos, conceptual design ideas and the floor plan to journal my progress from beginning to end. The family room is approximately 18′ x 29′ and the ceilings are 14′ high. Decorating a large room can be a bit challenging and I need to make sure the scale of the furniture is not over powered by the oversized space.
The Design Concept
Family Room Mood Board
I’ve decided to go with an elegant and sophisticated design. The furnishings are transitional in style with very clean lines. The furniture pieces have an arched leg and the fabrics, rug and accessories have a circular theme. My clients taste is very neutral…tone on tone. So I’m keeping things neutral on the walls and introducing a pale blue to bring in some color. The finishes on the furniture will be a medium brown and very clean with no distressing.
The Canvas of the Interior Design Project
Side Window Wall
Family Room – Bar Area
Family Room – Fireplace Wall
The walls are a ginger yellow and the floors are a polished cream marble. I would like to add a grass wallcovering in the recessed squares on the ceiling and also on the fireplace wall. I think this will help this large room with contrast, texture and giving it a more intimate and cozy feel. The window treatments on the far wall are going to be tricky because of the size. I’m thinking a very large motorized woven shade flanked by non-functioning drapery panels and a soft, box pleated valance in the same fabric as the side panels…a striped silk. The blue rug will set the furniture off of the light colored marble floors and bring some color and softness to the space.
The Floor Plan
Family Room – Floor Plan
The Furniture Details and Budget
Sofas – Custom – $6,628 each – 33 yds fabric required for both
Sofa Fabric – Stroheim & Romann – $160/yd
Chair – Custom – $3,906 – 9 yds fabric needed
Chair Fabric – Beacon Hill – $168/yd
Coffee Table – Fremarc Design – $4,037
36″ Lamp Table – Fremarc Design – $3,987.50
Benches – Baker Furniture – $2,535 each
Lamp – Arteriors Home – $540
Barstools – Century Furniture – $2,490 each (w/ leather)
Rug – Surya (Custom 12′ x 15′) – $5,040
Window Treatments – $9,670
Total Family Room Cost – $62,258.50
I’ll keep you updated on the progress of this interior design project. I’m estimating 6-8 weeks to completion since most of the furniture is customized with sizes, fabrics and finishes. What do you think of the interior design concept? Do you have any special tips for decorating large rooms? What interior design projects are you working on? I’d love to hear from you!
Interior Design Project in Orange Hills, Orange County, CA
Do you know what Search Engine Optimization is?
Well don’t feel bad, we didn’t either until a few months ago. So let me give you a brief introduction. Basically, SEO means that a website or pages on a website are created and optimized so that search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo can find them when someone is doing a search for a specific keyword. Proper search engine optimization of your website over time will generate more potential clients and leads to your business by reaching a higher placement in the search engines when a keyword is searched. For example, since I am an interior designer in Orange County California, we had our site optimized using specific keywords like “Orange County interior designer” and incorporated these words into the content and tags of the pages on our website. Not only did this help the search engines find our pages easier, but the pages were “optimized” so that our page lists at the top of Google for a particular “keyword”.
It is important that you focus on a list of keywords that are relevant to your business and to the market you wish to attract. There is a science to this that continues to change and evolve based on the search engines algorithms and formulas. There is a lot to learn about all the different strategies used to get you listed on page one of the search engines for a specific keyword. That is why our design firm turned to SEO for Interior Designers for some help. After doing a bit of research, what we realized is how important it is to keep a website constantly changing and evolving with new content. This will keep our customers coming back to our site to find fresh and new things. We selected SEO for Interior Designers over many other companies simply because they tailor and customize websites and SEO campaigns especially for the interior designers and architects. Click on their logo below to learn more about the company we can’t stop raving about.
They research relevant keywords for our design firm and create “Search Engine Optimized” pages using those keywords. These keyword optimized pages have driven more traffic to our website and business as they are designed to rank in the top 10 spots on Google searches.
They also trained us to manage our own website. We used to have to call our web designer to update everything. We couldn’t add or delete a product or even a photo to our portfolio. Because of the difficulty in making these changes, our website became stagnant and outdated. For many years our website was simply lost in cyberspace and really only visited if we handed out a business card with our web address on it. Now after a few training courses, we can blog, add and delete content and keep things new and exciting for our customers. In just a few months you can see the amount of traffic that we have generated. As a matter of fact our visitors have doubled every month since we began 3 months ago and leads and phone calls have followed. From nothing 3 months ago to now 3,039 Pageviews!
3 Month Traffic to our Website
Check out their services which offer affordable internet marketing and web design for interior designers nationwide. They’ll help you get your website generating leads…it worked for us and it will work for you!
Coastal Interiors and Decorating with Giant Clam Shells
As an interior designer in Orange County, California, I have worked on several beach homes along the coast. During this time, I’ve grown to love many of the materials and colors used in coastal interiors. One of my favorites uses of sea life is decorating with giant clam shells. I’ve been collecting and clipping photos of these and today decided to share some of my findings. I have always loved some of the applications for their use in interior design and last year when I started a project in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico overlooking the ocean, it only made sense to bring some of the vibrant blues and varieties of sea life into the home. I really wanted to incorporate one of these giant clam shells into the interior of the home. As I began my search I found the price of these giant clams to be quite costly…up to as much as $900 for half of the shell! I used the giant clam shell on the side of a large spa like bath tub and put sponges and towels in it. In my search I came across several different uses for these beautiful giant clams from sink vessels to planters. Below are some of my favorite photos that I collected during my search. Have you done any decorating using giant clam shells in your coastal interiors? I’d love to hear what you think and would love to see some of the different applications you’ve used!
Below are Photos of Coastal Interiors and Interior Designers Decorating with Giant Clam Shells
Giant Clam Shell in Shower
This is a bathroom by Barry Dixon. I love the neutral colors, zebra ottoman and giant clam shell in the shower.
Giant Clam with Succulents
A beautiful clam planter filled with an array of succulents. This would make a great center piece on top of a buffet or dining table.
Giant Clam Shell on Dining Room Table
Speaking of center pieces, this giant clam serves as a planter with greenery in this black and white dining room.
Cast Stone Giant Clam Shell Filled with Succulents
Beautiful outdoor vignette showcasing a giant clam with succulents and surrounded by an array of stone accessories and accents.
Giant Clam in Front of Fireplace
Giant Clam Sink in Powder Bathroom
In this powder bathroom the clam is used as a vessel sink on top of a mirrored vanity. The backsplash is mother of pearl tile and the mirror is framed using small shells and starfish attached to the frame.
Giant Clam on Rustic Buffet
Giant Clam on Mirrored Credenza
Giant Clam with Sea Sponges
Giant Clam Shell Vessel Sink
Try decorating with giant clam shells in your coastal interiors
There are many advantages of working with a professional kitchen designer…
When you are looking for the perfect kitchen design, it should be well thought out and planned. Before you begin your project, spend some time looking through interior design magazines and books to gather all of the ideas you’d like to see incorporated into your kitchen design. Once you have a clear understanding of what it is you’re trying to accomplish, look into consulting with a kitchen designer. They will be able to help you work through the interior design process, bring ideas to the table that you hadn’t thought of and in the long run prevent you from making costly mistakes.
Hamptons Style Kitchen
Get a Free Interior Design Consultation with Orange County Interior Designer Chris Givan
Christopher James Interiors is one of the leading interior designers in Orange County, California. The firm has been helping homeowners turn their dreams for a beautifully designed home into reality since 1994. Whether it’s new construction or a remodel, we will design your home to match your taste and lifestyle. Our team is devoted to understanding your individual needs and ideas to ensure that your vision is realized from the design conceptualization stage to the final installation and construction of the project.
Orange County Interior Designer, Christopher James Interiors, Provides the Following Services:
- Interior Design/Decorating (all rooms)
- Exterior Design
- Remodel Design
- Home Staging to help sell your home
- Custom Furniture Services (placement and selection)
- Custom window treatments/drapery
- Commercial Design
- Space planning (perfect for small business)
- Hospitality Design (hotel and restaurants)
- Paint Services (selection of colors, faux finishes, murals, venetian plasters)
- Flooring – wood and tile (selection and installation)
- Electrical/Lighting Services
- Art/Floral Arrangements (selection and placement)
- Wall units/Cabinetry/Built-ins
Our team is made up of licensed professionals who provide top-of-the line, reliable, and guaranteed services while offering competitive bidding. Please Visit our showroom or Contact us:
Take advantage of our complimentary interior design consultation and see how easy it can be to turn your design dreams into reality.
BEFORE AND AFTER:
Loft Interior Design – Before and After
“We love our home and could not have done it without you! You truly understood our lifestyle and taste and turned it into more than we could have imagined.” Kris J., Villa Park, CA
Chris Givan, Owner and Head Interior Designer of Christopher James Interiors. “Customer satisfaction is not only our priority, but what we thrive on. I will make sure that this is accomplished in your project by maintaining a high level of communication with you through every step of the Interior Design Process. I welcome you to visit our showroom or browse our website to to learn more about our firm and the services we offer. Our design styles include contemporary, transitional, Cape Cod, traditional, French country, Tuscan, California Ranch, Montecito and the currently popular Tommy Bahama look. But it’s always a style interpretation that’s unique to each homeowner. Please visit our Portfolio to view more examples of our work and our Products section for specific items for your home.”
Thanks for stopping by and we hope to be working with you very soon!
Additional services we offer: Interior design, interior decorating, new construction or remodels, room design, furniture selection and placement, custom furniture, wall units, built-ins, accessory and art selection and placement, floral arrangements, silk plants and florals, custom bedspreads, children’s rooms, home staging, kitchen design, offices, libraries, conference rooms, paint selection and color consulting, painting, faux painting, murals, wall paper, floor coverings, tile, marble, travertine, wood floors, carpet, custom area rugs, lighting, window coverings, window treatments, shades, blinds, shutters, custom draperies and valances, verticals, kitchen remodels, bath remodels, granite selection, stone and ceramic tile, exterior design, environmental design, landscape design, retail, restaurant design, commercial design and small business design, Venetian plaster, Venetian plasters, home staging to sell home, drapery, interior decoration
A $125 value – Call us today and set up an appointment at 714.542.5213
Get a Free Interior Design Consultation with Orange County Interior Designer Chris Givan
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