Sam the Shoe Man!

I don't have to tell you (or your husbands) how much a good pair of fine, European heels cost these days. So when I have any issues with the Louboutins, or anything else for that matter, I only trust Sam. In addition to my heels, I can't count how many times he has brought Steven's ratty motorcylce boots back to life. Sam's provincial-style shoe shop on Sweetzer Avenue and Beverly Blvd. is one of Los Angeles' true gems. His warm smile is to die for, so be nice to him.

Fast & Best Shoe Repair. 150 N Sweetzer Ave Los Angeles, CA 90048 (323) 658-1452.

Brothers & Sisters

Thanks to Bryan Venegas, Set Designer of Brothers & Sisters, for specifying a handful of our accessories for his set. Bryan's been kind enough to shop here in the past for the show, and I'm really excited about his selection of our Tea Caddy, Moroccan Box and Rosewood Lacquer Tissue Holder.

Looking forward to seeing there screen debuts. I love this show because it reminds me of those awkward family reunions, where everyone airs their dirty secrets at the dinner table. You can watch full episodes of Brothers & Sisters online HERE.

PLUSH HOME 8323 Melrose Avenue | West Hollywood, CA 90069 |
T 323-852-1912 | www.plushhome.com

"Technology is my friend, technology is my friend..."

Intern Ashley attempting to teach me how to use my new Blackberry Tour. We just ordered a handful for our office staff, but they're all the same color!

Cover Girl

We've had really great response with our recent Renovation Style cover editorial. The Gatsby Chairs in particular (in foreground) have been a big hit this month. They also made their small screen debut this month in Curb Your Enthusiasm.

I wanted to clarify the paint color that I used in the Living Room (which was incorrectly listed as a Benjamin Moore paint). We received a handful of calls from people who had tried the paint listed and noticed it was quite different than the editorial images. Although I actually use quite a bit of Benjamin Moore paints (for custom furniture as well) and really like their products, I used Ralph Lauren Plateau for this job.

PLUSH HOME 8323 Melrose Avenue | West Hollywood, CA 90069 |
T 323-852-1912 | www.plushhome.com

CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM

We regularly provide furniture for film and television sets, and it's always fun to see one of my little babies make the big screen. Our Gatsby Chandelier graced Tom Cruise's living room in Mission Impossible II, our Tulip Table served as a restaurant center table in Spiderman II, and our St. Denis Chair made recurring appearances as Brook Shields office chair in Nip/Tuck.


But I've been anxiously awaiting for Curb's new season to start because it's one of my favorite shows and I've been looking forward to seeing where the items we custom made for their set eventually ended up. I'm still waiting to get a better look at Larry David's living room (where I believe most of the items have been placed), but I did manage to spot our Gatsby Swivel Chairs in this trailer below. This is one of my favorite staple items in our line because it really takes on different personalities with every fabric selection.

DRAGON GARDEN STOOLS FEATURED IN HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

As a furniture designer and ASID Industry Partner, I have the pleasure of working with many visionary and talented interior designers and set designers who may specify our line of home furnishings for their projects. November's issue of HOUSE BEAUTIFUL features a wonderful project by designer Markham Roberts for his client's Long Island residence.

For a charming bay window sitting area, Markham specified our off-white dragon medallion foot stools as end tables. I love the placement of them, and I love what Mark did with the entire project.

Thanks to Catherine in OC for the heads up on the article.

See more PLUSH HOME garden stools here.

The Great Gatsby

Here's an early look at my newest addition to our Gatsby Line. The original chair version of this design has been a staple in our line and best seller since we released it four years ago (they are the chairs that I have in my own living room), so it was just a matter of time before we graduated him to a full blown sofa. The art-deco architectural details make it a show stopper, and depending on the fabric selection, this piece can look anywhere from clean-contemporary to vintage. We're announcing this on our website next week, but the first two orders are already being shipped to New York.

As always we support our National economy by maintaining our eco-conscious manufacturing in Los Angeles. All our upholstery "ingredients" are purchased from California companies and our feather & down content has A LOT OF DOWN.

PLUSH HOME 8323 Melrose Avenue | West Hollywood, CA 90069 |
T 323-852-1912 | www.plushhome.com

Beautiful Brows

I take my brows very seriously and only trust my girl Kristie Streicher with them. Kristie jet sets between New York and LA, so it's not easy to get an appointment with her. But here are her top Dos and Don'ts.

Do:

... Let your eyebrows fill in. Don't touch those brows of yours for at least 3 weeks to allow you to see the natural growth pattern and shape of your eyebrows. This will also allow the hair to be on one growth cycle – when hairs are taken out at once they will all grow in at once – meaning less tweezing altogether.

... Tweeze hair in a well-lit space using a pair of good tweezers with sharp slanted edges. Hold skin taut and pull hairs in the direction of growth. Pain-phobic? Tweeze after you get out of the shower when the skin is softer and pores are open or use children's teething gel to slightly numb the area.

... Follow your own natural brow line. Everyone's bone structure and brows are different (so don't go trying to copy your favorite celeb's brow – it won't necessarily look good with your face. Lesson learned.) If you're not sure where your eyebrows should be, run your finger along your eyebrow bone. That's exactly where the line of your eyebrow should be. If you arch your eyebrows too high above the bone, it will look unnatural. Still need more guidance? Draw an invisible line from the corner of your nose straight up towards your forehead to indicate where the eyebrows should start. While your brow's arch should fall just outside the pupil and go all the way across the brow bone. (Note: eyebrows that are too long and come too far down can make eyes look droopy, so be sure to feather ends outward, giving the eye a lift.)

... Use your bone structure and hair texture as a guideline for your eyebrows. Softer, more delicate facial features look best with a slightly thinner, more elegant eyebrow, while a stronger bone structure is the perfect face for a thicker, stronger eyebrow. Avoid slanting your brows upward; this has the potential to create an "angry" look.

... Use vegetable dyes to lighten or darken the eyebrows to either soften a hard look or add fullness and definition to a lighter or sparse brow for a natural enhancer that slowly fades out after 3-4 weeks without leaving "roots."

... Use a good pencil, powder, or tinted brow gel to fill in sparse areas. By filling in the growing or thin areas, the eyebrow will appear more defined and complete while also making the sparse hairs underneath less noticeable. Be sure to use a pencil, powder, or gel that's a shade or two lighter than your hair color since it will look darker once applied. Note that powder works better on oily skin while pencil is usually better for more mature or drier skin.

Don't:

... Over-tweeze or over-cut. Brows function not only to frame your eyes and face, but also to keep irritants out of our eyes, so it's important for brows to remain full. Over-cutting the hairs on your brow can be just as detrimental as over-tweezing since longer hairs can often fill in more sparse areas. Additionally, shape is dependent on how the eyebrows lay, which is compromised if they are cut too short. To trim properly, brush eyebrows straight up and only trim the hairs that stick out too far, one at a time. Then do the same brushing hair down.

... Tweeze more than one hair at a time. Sometimes hairs that look like they need to be tweezed up close are actually a part of the eyebrow and can make a hole if removed.

... Use magnifying mirror. If you can't see the hair in a regular mirror then neither can anyone else.

... Be afraid to tweeze the top of the eyebrow. It is an old eyebrow myth that you should never tweeze from the top. Every eyebrow is different and while some do not need this, it is often required to achieve the perfect shape. Do this last, however, to prevent making the brow too thin.


For house calls, email kstreicher@gmail.com

Warren Tricomi New York at The Plaza, One West 58th Street, Floor 2, New York, NY 10019, 212.262.8899

Warren Tricomi Los Angeles 8327 Melrose Avenue, West Hollywood, CA 90069, 323.651.4545


Excerpts from stylecaster.com Beautiful Brows: At-Home Tips from Eyebrow Expert Kristie Streicher By Alexis Wolfer June 26, 2009

New Plush Home Ad

PLUSH HOME 8323 Melrose Avenue | West Hollywood, CA 90069 |
T 323-852-1912 | www.plushhome.com

New Screening Room

Here's a snapshot from a job that I've been working on for the past year. We are just about done with the renovations and will have some very exciting before and after photos soon. I am loving the vintage movie theater photography that our art consultant Linda Steinberg found for us and that we installed in this media room.

All the theaters in the images are located here in Los Angeles and have an art deco vibe to them. In keeping with the art deco, slightly vintage yet very updated theme, I also used antique brass drink stands and sconces to pull the whole look together.

PLUSH HOME 8323 Melrose Avenue | West Hollywood, CA 90069 |
T 323-852-1912 | www.plushhome.com