Patio Anyone?

We were quoted and featured in IN LA Magazine last week. In case you missed it, here is the advice we gave to three readers on their patios.

Angelenos regularly enjoy some of the world’s finest weather. So what are you doing inside? This summer, dream about tanning in your own back yard and sipping cocktails with your buddies. With your own deck or patio, your dreams could become a reality. You can transform that tiny yard from a bland patch of sod to an outdoor living area perfect for your lifestyle. We enlisted fabulous gay design duo Scott Thomas and Brian Somero—of Thomas Somero Design—to consult with three of our readers on how to transform their living spaces to rockin’ patios for sizzling summer soirees.

John
Party Animal
Forty is the new 20 as far as John is concerned. He loves having friends over for cocktails at his Hollywood Hills home. John lives in what Scott calls a theme home—it looks a little like something you might see in Maine. The living area is on the second level, so John wants to build a deck where he can serve food and drinks to friends in swimsuits.

Scott: He has a traditional house, but that doesn’t mean [it] has to be hard-lined traditional. He could go more contemporary as long as it looks like it’s supposed to be there. If the place has a Cape Cod feel, he could give his deck a picket fence sort of look—all in white. It could also be done in a redwood, as long as it doesn’t look like you’re walking onto another planet. I would recommend big traditional comfortable furniture—especially since he has lots of friends over. There are lots of small-scale, outdoor sofas on the market—they can get rained on and everything. He needs to think of the deck as an outdoor room. [Depending on space,] I would recommend a Jacuzzi too. After all the cocktails, everyone can jump in there.

Brian: From a construction standpoint, we’re looking at something that could hold all these people. I would suggest a wraparound deck which connects to the back of the home as well as the sides. Because he regularly has friends and family over, he could do a bar with running water and a refrigerator. He could also consider putting in a retractable awning, maybe some misters or mood lighting.

Sandy and Jess
Loving Parents
They just moved into a beautiful home in Pasadena with their little boy, Franklin, who is just starting preschool this year. They want a patio or deck where they can relax, entertain a few guests and be out in the sun with Franklin and their two dogs, Pugsy and Blaze.

Scott: The ladies’ house has a craftsman sort of look to it. We want to maintain the look as much as possible. Because they have a small child, I would suggest we build a deck that’s low to the ground. I’m thinking plastic glasses and plates and simple, comfortable furniture.

Brian: As far as decking material goes, we want to stay away from wood because of splinters and [the dogs] potentially chewing on it. The latest thing on the market is called “composite decking”—it’s made from a combination of wood [waste] and recycled plastic. It’s very “green,” and the plastic protects the wood so it doesn’t rot or splinter. It comes in all sorts of colors and looks just like wood. The other option is the standard vinyl decking. It looks like wood and comes in white. With either option, you don’t have to worry about staining, which typically has to be done [to wood] every year. I’d choose composite decking.

Drew
Fledgling Homeowner
It’s not much, but it’s all his. It’s bigger than the guest house he used to live in but still quite modest in size. All he needs now is a place to sip mango mimosas with his close friends and look out at the sexy singles walking their dogs just over his fence.

Brian: Those bar-height [chairs] could help you see over the fence. Other than that, some mood lighting would greatly enhance the space without breaking the bank.

Scott: For this patio, I would suggest a simple concrete slab with some sort of design or stamp in it. If I had a budget like this guy, I would spend most of my money on furniture. Brian had the idea of bar-height chairs and tables, bistro sets, an outdoor sofa. I wouldn’t go into getting bars—we don’t recommend those temporary bars. Those are tacky. Bring the drinks out on a tray. Make it a very comfortable outdoor living space.

From Realtor Magazine

Partner, Brian Somero was quoted in last month's issue.

Hot tubs and spas. The popularity of freestanding hot tubs has waned in many markets, replaced by spas constructed adjacent to or part of a pool, says St. Aman. But Brian Somero, a partner with Thomas-Somero Design in Hollywood, Calif., says tubs remain popular among clients who like the idea of a quick getaway at home. In addition, tubs are portable if home owners move. Cost: These run about $3,500 and cost about $30 monthly to maintain.

Going Green?

Going green doesn't mean you'll loose quality or style in today's market. There are multiple ways both big and small that we can make an impact on the environment. Switching out your standard incandescent lights to fluorescent helps save energy and over time the bulbs end up paying for themselves. Low flow toilets are now the norm but how about a tankless water heater to shake things up? You'll use less natural gas and end up saving on your bills as well as contributing to going green. Wood floors, such as bamboo are now more cost effective than ever! The selection that is now available greatly surpasses that of yesterday and cost less than traditional floors. Solar, by far is the biggest ticket item on the market. With a decent investment you can actually get your home to use nature for power. How about your power meter running backwards and having the LADWP owe you? There are a number of tax incentives available to help bring the investment cost affordable. Being "green enough" just means that you can take either big or small steps to help out the environment. Just begin taking them!

By Partner Brian Somero

Area Rugs - A Great Way to Accent a Room

Our firm generally recommends hardwood, cement or other overall flooring options to our clients and we usually don't use wall-to-wall carpeting unless it's a "must have" for the client. Having said that, we use a lot of area rugs our design plans.

From a design perspective, area rugs are necessary and they do one thing very well: They define a space. They let the eye know that a particular space is there for a specific purpose. For example, a seating area is a great place for an area rug -- it defines the place in which you are relaxing. We also use them in media rooms, offices and at the foot of a bed as well.Rugs are also a great way to play up color, pattern and texture in your design. Sometimes the only pattern in the plan will show up in the rugs.

As for color, you can contrast with say a sofa or bring out a minor color in artwork by using a well-chosen rug -- we always try to have fun with them and accent something in the room.

Regarding materials, we just choose them based on the overall feel of the room: Raffia/seagrass is good for a natural feel, low industrial pile is great for the modern crowd and a long fuzzy shag might be best for our hipster-type clients looking for a lounge feel. We usually use all natural materials like 100% wool. If you need a need a strong color there will probably be some percentage of nylon in there and that's ok. Onetime we used a 100% suede shag rug for a clinet and he loved it!

Sunset Strip Home:From design to reality!

Because you asked…

A couple of months ago you asked us if we could show some “before & after” type photos of our work and we really enjoyed all of the positive response. Well we’re back at it, but this time with a twist – check out how our design concepts turn into real living spaces or our clients.

Again, you always have great suggestions on what you’d like to see, so keep them coming!The project was a redesign of a home right off the Sunset Strip. Our clients are a fun and very busy couple that both work in the entertainment industry. Obviously they had a good-sized house in a great location, but it was tragically stuck in the 1980’s. You could just hear the theme song from Miami Vice when you walked in the place. Kidding of course, but now that it’s finished our clients swear they’ll actually slow down enough to enjoy their brand new home.

For the main living and dining area, we wanted to really emphasize some of the great existing elements like the windows, travertine floor and the pyramid skylight. So we got rid of the rest of the ‘80s décor choices and replaced them with bright white walls, some sleek Italian furniture and a dramatic light fixture. The large Eames dining set continues the cool feel and is accented by a soaring oversized tree. By using a sophisticated neutral color palette we were really able to play up their amazing Hollywood Hills view.

We had a lot of fun with their master bath too. Fortunately we had plenty of room to play with, so we suggested doing “his and hers” showers, an infinity soaking tub and covered the entire room in sleek and shiny white Carerra marble. Other finishes include a custom vanity and cabinetry in a beautiful light walnut wood and lots of modern glass work for a relaxing spa-like feel. What a fantastic place to start the day!

In the master bedroom, we designed a comfortable space with some drama. It was out with the old mauve carpet and in with today’s low-pile, the walls became a soothing tan and we made some playful color choices with artwork and accessories. But the star attraction here is the impressive custom platform bed and nightstands in walnut to coordinate with the rest of the master suite. And yes, that’s a pop-up flat screen TV at the base of the bed. Finally, a comfy seating area completes this contemporary and streamlined room.

Thinking about the Great Outdoors...

In just a couple of weeks, Southern Californian indoor-outdoor living will be back into our lives once again. And, we can't wait to fire up the barbeque either!

We enjoy designing these "outdoor rooms" for many reasons : The whole concept of "bringing the outdoors in" really means you need two beautiful spaces that transition and flow well with each other. It's a lot of fun working with clients and their ideas of how they want to live outside. And lastly, we love finding and choosing the building materials, colors, furniture and plantings that bring it all together.

Since most everyone enjoys hanging out in great outdoor spaces, we'd like to share a couple of these projects with you. Click on the pics to the right to see the "before" shots – then take a look at our design solutions.

First up is a fantastic patio and back yard design for our clients in the Valley . They had a big yard full of grass but what they really wanted was a great place to entertain family and friends. We put in beautiful Mexican pavers to create the new patio, added planters, a koi pond, BBQ center and lots of seating for the whole crew. And we topped it all off with a custom fountain that serves as a focal point for the space.

Ok, so you live in a condo, huh? Check out this great new space we did for our client in Santa Monica. She loves to cook and have people over for dinner, but the one bedroom layout just couldn't accommodate that. No problem – we turned her typical 60's patio into a terrific outdoor dining room and BBQ area. We even figured out a way to include a sitting area for after-dinner conversations and she couldn't be happier with the results.

Last up is a project currently in production in West Hollywood. The design is for a busy professional couple with a small traditional home. After we finished with their interior work, they asked us to come up with a winning outdoor plan too. It's simply a reflection of their home; a mix of traditional and contemporary materials and elements. We kept the plantings and surfaces simple and elegant to enhance all of the great new places to hang out. We think the view of that amazing fountain from their bedroom doors is really going to be spectacular!

Freshening Up Your Home for Spring and Summer

1. Keep the basics: furniture, flooring, wall colors, window treatments & lighting.
   
2. Pack away accessories that scream winter like candles, throws and dark or heavy things. Bring them back in the Fall.
   
3. Shop for new accessories like rugs, pillows, artwork & decorative items.
   
4. Go for light weight fabrics and textures like linen, cotton and bamboo.
   
5. Use lighter colors, whites, light tans and pastels. Also try using some natural patterns too like floral, leafs, etc.
   
6. Try to keep everything light, bright and simple with a pop of color here and there.