Tori’s B&B; glam
WHEN actress Tori Spelling and husband Dean McDermott bought a Fallbrook bed-and-breakfast for their new reality TV show, “Tori & Dean: Inn Love,” the design brief was simple. “No floral sofas and no doilies,” says Mike Valles, co-founder of Interior Illusions, the West Hollywood store that outfitted the newly christened Chateau La Rue (named for Spelling’s pug) in three weeks. “Tori wanted Hollywood Regency glam.” The red lounge, shown above, got a big bang for a few bucks. Valles painted the ceiling red and trimmed the Greek key chair rail in a Ralph Lauren metallic paint to match a faux silver-leaf wallpaper. The furnishings? The semi-glossy red leather sectional ($2,499), the black leather swivel chair ($525), the white lacquer and chrome coffee table ($399) and the mercury glass lamp with the damask print shade ($350) can be found at Valles’ store, www.interiorillusionscalifornia.com. And the show? It can be found on the Oxygen network.
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ENTERTAINING
Flowers are here. Now it’s a party
Belgian artist Isabelle de Borchgrave knows how to party. The latest member of Target’s guest designer team follows Tord Boontje’s Christmas collection with a bouquet of hand-painted spring flowers reproduced on cheerful paper tablecloths, centerpieces, place cards, plates, bowls and napkins (all $2.99 to $5.99 per package), as well as indoor-outdoor chair covers ($3.99) that are stain- and rip-resistant and reusable. This Sunday, the Capucine pattern, a vibrant riot of nasturtium leaves and flowers (shown here), joins two De Borchgrave collections released earlier this week: Rose Petal and Watercolor Floral. The full collections are available at Target stores; party packs with plates and napkins can be ordered online at www.target.com.
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TRENDSPOTTING
Brown’s new partner
The ubiquitous pairing of chocolate brown with Tiffany blue in contemporary interiors is not the only way to go, says Frank Webb of White Webb, a design firm with offices in Pasadena and New York. “It’s a nice color combination, but it’s been seen everywhere,” Webb says. He welcomes the movement toward sea greens that feel more fresh and natural. “You might call it aquamarine, but that name tends to be associated with intense Miami Beach tones,” he says. “This color is softer and more sophisticated, edging toward silver when done in velvet or iridescent silk.” White Webb served up the color at -- where else? -- the green room for the Academy Awards, where the sea green-and-brown combination made a splash in lush fabrics from Thomas O’Brien Textiles (top left) and Lee Jofa (lower two swatches).
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AUCTION
Angle it to fit just so
After selling a Pierre Koenig Case Study house for more than $3 million in its last Modern design auction, Chicago-based Wright is putting Michael Jantzen’s M-house on the block Sunday. Constructed in Gorman in 2000, the visionary work by the conceptual artist is composed of more than five dozen concrete composite panels on a steel frame. The modular residence’s hinged panels can be folded to increase light and ventilation as well as create peaked ceilings and angled walls. The structure also includes an enclosed sleeping space with a built-in bed and desk. The M-house (Lot 151), which will be disassembled and shipped to the buyer, has a pre-auction estimate of $200,000 to $300,000. www.wright20.com.
