STYLE GALORE! THE LEADING LADIES OF L.A. DESIGN -- When it comes right down to it, it's hard to imagine the world of design in L.A. as we know it without the fabulous ladies shown above who have made our lives a lot more stylish with their distinctive take on interiors and furnishings. So here's our first report on these movers and shakers, both familiar and new to many of you. 1) Though she just received the "Star of Design" award in March at the Pacific Design Center during its annual WestWeek market, Donna Livingston has always been a star with us! For more than 30 years (!), she has brought her classy style and attention to detail to residential and commercial projects -- and she's been on the Architectural Digest Top 100 list four times! Studio of Style caught up with Livingston during the recent WestWeek and she was glowing as always! 2) Millions came to know her as one of the "Million Dollar Decorators" on Bravo TV -- but Kathryn M. Ireland has always had the Midas touch when it comes to creating fabrics and wallcoverings that ooze a natural charm -- the kind of charm that can be found in her numerous decorating projects around the globe. And her infectious smile, laughter and quick wit are a joy! 3) Another "Million Dollar Decorator," Mary McDonald is so clever and equally witty (must be something in the L.A. water!) that she seduces you immediately into her special world that combines old-fashioned elegance with a modern sensibility (love it!). An L.A. native, she is an author and she's on the Top 100 list of House Beautiful. 4) She's the daughter of legendary designer Phyllis Morris and was born in L.A. and grew up in the world of legendary style. But Jamie Adler is her own person when it comes to design -- creating contemporary furnishings, wallcoverings, lighting and accessories under the Circa brand at the Phyllis Morris showroom. That's her "Diva" leopard brocade that we've used as a backdrop to our story -- fabulous! 5) Her approach to design is intuitive and emotional -- and that's what makes Tracie Butler the fun, energetic person that she is. Another native of L.A., she has created interiors for prestigious athletes, executives, musicians, restaurants and more, not to mention having her work published in numerous national and international magazines. 6) When Rose Tarlow opened her first shop in L.A. in 1976, it wasn't long before she came to represent the highest quality in furnishings and textiles -- inspiring a legion of faithful followers that flock to her newest showroom on Melrose in search of handcrafted furnishings. Famed New Yorker architecture critic Paul Goldberger describes her rooms as a combination of "sensual pleasures" and "geometric rigor." 7) She opened her Hollyhock showroom more than 20 years ago, and Suzanne Rheinstein continues to offer a carefully curated collection of antique and vintage home furnishings, as well as her own line of furniture, lighting and fabrics. 8) My oh my! Jaime Rummerfield (one half of the design partnership of Woodson & Rummerfield) is one of those stylish ladies that you instantly fall in love with and want to always be around! Everything she and her design partner Ron Woodson do is infused with glamour and sophistication -- and she's always the life of every L.A. party! 9) Ever the graceful lady, Carol Poet has quietly transformed the interior landscape of L.A. over the past 30 years -- and her own line of refined and casually elegant furniture reflects her love of cultures of both the East and West. Her clientele includes Hollywood legends and corporate executives! 10) What can we say that already hasn't been said about the ever-exciting Barbara Barry? Her accolades and awards are staggering, and her collections of furniture, fabrics, tiles, rugs and so much more for renowned home furnishings manufacturers are seemingly endless. How does she do it? We have a little clue -- inner peace -- and a passion and commitment to excellence. 11) Someday we just might do an entire story on Barbara Lazaroff -- that's just how amazing she is -- and how influential too when it comes to the groundbreaking designs she's created for the famed Spago restaurant (which she co-founded) and many other restaurant interiors she designed at a time when dining interiors were nondescript. Designer, restaurateur, philosopher, artist, author, speaker...and mother. She is one of L.A.'s true dynamos! 12) With a famous name to live up to, Alexandra von Furstenberg doesn't disappoint. Her signed and limited edition collection of acrylic tables, desks and accessories is always fashion-forward and truly modern -- a testament to her 10-year tenure as creative director and director of image at her mother-in-law's renowned DVF couture house. 13) Her passion for art, interiors and furniture design is always at the forefront of whatever she does. Nancy Corzine started her company more than 25 years ago, offering a wide selection of furniture, lighting, fabrics, rugs and accessories -- and now her eponymous stores can be found in the tony towns of Palm Beach, Florida and Southhampton, New York -- and her interior designs have been widely published. 14) With great design genes inherited from her mother -- the fabulous Harriet Dolin Stuart -- Madeline Stuart comes to the design field with a glamorous head start! She loves remodeling, architectural restoration and creating casegoods, lighting, accessories and upholstery for her company which she started in 1998. She, too, has a Star of Design at the Pacific Design Center. 15) With so many awards, accolades and design patents to her credit, Sally Sirkin Lewis -- founder of J. Robert Scott in 1972 -- has actually created a style which has become known to the world as "California Design." Her brand of clean, contemporary design is unparalleled and she has never wavered in the face of trends and changing tastes -- such is her power of focus and belief.
http://traciebutlerdesign.com/ http://rosetarlow.com/ http://hollyhockinc.com/ http://phyllismorris.com/
Note: West Hollywood is home to the showrooms and offices of Kathryn M. Ireland, Phyllis Morris, Carol Poet, J. Robert Scott, Alexandra von Furstenberg, Nancy Corzine, Tracie Butler, Rose Tarlow and Mary McDonald!! We call this special place "the design epicenter of the West Coast"!
Special thanks (as always) to Tony Estrada / Images gathered from around the web
