Center of attention
Having designed for the likes of Courtney Love, Tom Cruise and Paul McCartney, Ron Woodson and Jaime Rummerfield know the importance of the wow factor. “When I think of L.A. decor,” Rummerfield says, “it’s all about the opulence of the movie star lifestyle.” To prove the point, Woodson and Rummerfield opened House of Design in late June in a former beauty salon on La Cienega. The main floor, a cheekily outfitted grand living room and dining room with vintage bar, serves as a showroom and retail outlet with a red glass candelabra (from $80), four-piece reversible placemat and napkin sets made from Kelly Wearstler-print fabric ($480) and mirrors of their own design (from $2,800). Upstairs, the decorative duo maintain an interior design atelier. Calling their bright, brash mix of Hollywood Regency and vintage chic “decadent modern,” Woodson and Rummerfield admit it’s “for people who want a little more attention.” 724 N. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles; (310) 659-3010.
*
FINDS
Not-so-hot plates get a makeover
Sarah Cihat loves dishes, no matter how ugly. For her thesis project at Parsons School of Design in New York, the 26-year-old artist scoured secondhand stores for unloved, unlovely pieces of china and beautified them for the “rehabilitated dishware” collection Fifty-Cents, shown above. Cihat puts decals of galloping stallions, thrashing guitarists, pin-up girls, skulls and roses onto castoff plates and bowls, then applies glossy, dishwasher-safe overglazes. On brilliantly colored backgrounds, Cihat’s fanciful decal silhouettes appear in a spectral white, which lets the original dish or bowl pattern underneath show through. For daring diners, Cihat’s waste-not, want-not, one-of-a-kind works can be grouped as a set by themes such as nature, romance and rock ‘n’ roll. Pieces range from $32 to $56 and can be found at Show, 1722 N. Vermont Ave. in Los Feliz, (323) 644-1960; and at Zelen, 8055 Beverly Blvd. in Los Angeles, (323) 658-6756.
*
INNOVATIONS
Titanium and silicon, so chic
Stainless steel may be weather resistant, but for outdoor furnishing aesthetes, Heltzer has introduced its first line of titanium seating and tables. If the spare lines of the bent tube frames don’t seem quite space-age enough, the indoor-outdoor Ti Collection -- named for the chemical abbreviation of the costly metal -- has cushions made of polyurethane cells filled with blue silicon gel that can be adjusted for firmness. For outdoor use the chairs have removable terrycloth towels made from a eucalyptus-based fiber, a fine solution for those whose sadder summer memories include peeling themselves off of vinyl furniture. The Ti Collection is available to the trade through the David Sutherland Showroom at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood. For information and pricing, call (310) 360-1777.
*
HAPPENING
Meet the man behind the mirrors
Brooklyn-based Jason Miller already has built a rabid L.A. following for his elegantly rustic Superordinate Antler Lamps, ceramic lighting fixtures shaped like stag horns. Tonight the 33-year-old designer -- seen here in one of his artfully printed Daydreams mirrors that “let you see yourself in a fanciful environment” -- holds court at the showroom Twentieth, which will display items not previously shown in the city. Among his other experiments in fooling the eye are Beautifully Broken, an edition of cracked but watertight glass vases starting at $850, and the Little Gift, a yummy handmade and decorated porcelain cupcake for $35. Why the name? “I am hoping they will fill the void for people who don’t want to bring a bottle of wine to a dinner party.” The reception for Miller runs from 6 to 8 p.m. at Twentieth, 8057 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles; (323) 904-1200.