My Work in Elle Decor and Dwell!

Lumens in Dwell Magazine, March 2011

OK, it is not quite the ten page editorial spread....but I am still very excited to be working with Lumens Light and Living in creating their newest ad campaigns featuring gorgeous lighting as well as furnishings and accessories available through the Lumens website and store.

The ad above can be seen in the March 2011 issue of Dwell magazine! I am lucky to have worked over the years with the creative forces behind Lumens Light and Living, owners Ken Plumlee and Peter Weight. Ken and Peter have guided Lumens into an international resource for the very best in residential and commercial lighting fixtures emphasizing contemporary, but providing the best in classic design as well. And if you are looking for creative modern furnishings, fun accessories, area rugs and bedding, Lumens has so much to discover. Best part? Lumens originated right here in Sacramento where I get to visit their flagship store all of the time. (Perfect for meetings with clients when we are choosing their lighting!)

So...what was my role in the creation of the latest advertisements? I had the fun of creating the sets and pulling together all of the elements in the "rooms" you see. For the ad above, I created a "loft" atmosphere by using a brick wall and wood plank floor for the backdrop. I decided on a black and white palette using a contemporary bed from Blu Dot, and bed linens from Dwell Studio. Tom Dixon designed the Screw Table incorporating a Carrara marble top and caste iron base. I love how the height can be adjusted by turning the top one way or the other. The Cubist Throw on the bed is also by Dwell Studio. And the main event? The lighting : The Tear Drop Multi-Light Pendant is by Sonneman.



On Set

Perhaps the most fun part of the project was the photo shoot itself. It was a blast working with Fred and Elizabeth from Photographer Link getting the shots just right. And there were lots of laughs along the way (especially the tree incident...see below).



Fred hard at work

I have been through many photo shoots of completed client projects, but a shoot for an advertisement was a bit different. We were focusing on a small vignette of space in a warehouse large enough the create individual sets for each "room". So I was designing for the shot itself, not a whole room. As you can see in the photo of the set above, I only needed enough flooring for what would show in the shot. The placement of all of the furnishings and the light fixture was determined so that the "star" of the show, the pendant light, was front and center. Perspectives only count on film, so the placement became a little wacky....the table was pushed forward, and the fixture pushed forward farther still. It all came together for a great shot! 

Oh yes....the "tree". Owner, Ken and I decided we needed a bit of life in the picture....so we made a tree...what do you think?

Our "Tree"

 It all came together with the artful expertise of Lumens Creative Director, Drew Newbold, who put together all of the ad graphics and web "article" you see below: 

Lumens Article, on the Web

To get a better look and find out details about every item in the shot, click on over HERE.

The advertisement in Elle Decor was for the Kiev Pendants by Tech Lighting. I think these pendants are classic and fashionable....sort of like the perfect little black dress. So I created a space to match! 

Lumens in Elle Decor, March 2011

I chose a white lacquer desk from Blu Dot, and black Papyrus Chairs from Kartell to furnish a "home office". Wood Paneling on the walls is the backdrop for the Francois Ghost Mirror by Philippe Starck for Kartell. Jonathan Adler frame adds a spot of color.

Here is a little behind the scenes look at all of the little tricks it takes to get the perfect "shot":

Behind the Scenes

A few of the details behind the shoot: the chair in back is placed on lifts so we can see it in the final shot. Pendants are hung from a boom so they can be moved as needed. As you can see below, we moved them forward so the perspective in the shot would be correct.

Strange Perspective

You can also see how far out the sliding shelf had to come to appear like it was just a little bit out in the photo below. And to have the ability to place the mirror properly in the shot, we put it on a tripod so it would be easy to move.

Camera Angle

This ad is in the March 2011 issue of Elle Decor right before the main Editorial section! (I am one page away....grin!).

And here is the ad Article which you can see better HERE:

"It takes a village" to create the final product: Myself, Owner Ken Plumlee, Fred and Elizabeth for the Photography, Drew Newbold the Creative Director, and the coordinator of everyone's efforts, the amazing and tireless Kathy VanVelzer, Director of Marketing. I have to say, I could not ask for a better group to work with.

Many thanks to Ken for asking me to be a part of the team, and for everyone else who made the experience so rewarding!

Keep a look out for the April issues of Elle Decor and Dwell...there are more to come!

And hop on over to Lumens and take a look around! 

Elle Decor Showhouse 2010



Elle Decor Showhouse Living Room by Gary Spain

 Yesterday, I had the pleasure of spending a wonderful day at the first Elle Decor Showhouse which is located in the historic St. Francis Woods neighborhood of San Francisco. Stellar lighting retailer and Showhouse sponsor, Lumens Light and Living, hosted an eventful day in San Francisco for a number of Interior and Lighting Designers from Sacramento. We started our day at the Showhouse!

It was a beautiful day and a spectacular Showhouse! I will start at the beginning with the Living Room which was designed by Gary Spain.

Gary used natural tones in charcoal, taupes and whites and lots of texture in this elegant, yet "put-your-feet-up" room. Sisal, lots of linen, wood, plaster and blackened steel all converge to make this a very industrial chic space that is also very livable.

        

Gary's expertise as an art director and photo stylist is front and center in this space. You may even feel like you know his work from some of your favorite catalogs. Be sure and visit his website to see what I mean. 

 This Living Room is just the beginning of a house full of ideas. There is much more to come!



Mr. Gary Spain



Have a wonderful weekend!

My Kitchen Pendant Lights

Pendant lights. They are like the icing on the cake, the last piece of jewelry to make the outfit perfect. When I was designing my kitchen, I wanted something simple, classic, and a bit on the casual side. I was going for a vintage farmhouse with a little commercial kitchen and Napa Bistro thrown in. We love to cook and spend a lot of time in our kitchen, so I wanted really good light. With the EPA standards in California, 50% of the wattage in a kitchen must be Fluorescent or comparable. This made it a bit difficult to put in any incandescent fixtures, but one must have something with some character! 

I found just the thing when I was picking out lighting at Lumens Light and Living here in Sacramento. These Pendants from Roost had just what I was looking for. They look a little industrial with their beaker shaped hand-blown glass, and I love the long filament bulbs. I also like the way the glass is held in place with the hand tightened screws.

I have received many emails requesting information about these pendants and if they are still available.I decided I should check and see! And YES! Lumens can still get them for you. They are not shown on their online catalog, so give them a call at their Sacramento showroom HERE and ask for Sean. Tell him you are looking for the glass cylinder pendant from Roost....he will know all of the information.

Thank you for all of your emails!