LCDQ LEGENDS 2015: WHERE MUSES DWELL

On April 3, 2015 - CREATIVE MINDS, INTERIOR INTRIGUE

Come and be inspired to discover your own muse…VIP PASSES ON SALE NOW!

Mark your calendar for the most highly anticipated design event this spring….La Cienega Design Quarter’s LEGENDS, a 3-day extravaganza of keynote speakers, cocktail parties, open houses, exhibitions and networking with the top design editors, writers and bloggers from throughout the country. After experiencing LEGENDS for the first time last spring, I knew I had to make it an annual creative pilgrimage! I am thrilled to an ambassador for this year’s event and look forward to sharing coverage of all of the events in just a few short weeks.

Now in its seventh consecutive year, the event has attracted over 60,000 guests and all funds raised go towards Habitat for Humanity and the La Cienega Design Quarter Beautification Fund. The LCDQ was established in 2008 to promote the flourishing antiques and design community in one of Los Angeles’ oldest thoroughfares. Since the 1950s, it has been a shopping hot spot for designers such as William Haines, Else de Wolfe, Tony Duquette and Frances Elkins.

Don’t miss the video below which captures the essence of LEGENDS in sunny Los Angeles…

Sixty-seven talented designers from around the country will transform the windows of the LCDQ member shops, showrooms and galleries on the theme of Where Muses Dwell. The designers have been asked to present to the design aficionados who throng the LCDQ during LEGENDS where their muse dwells. The designers have been asked to bring their muses to life and show guests WHO, WHAT, WHEN or WHERE inspires them most.

MUSE

1) A spirit or source that inspires an artist
2) Greek Mythology. any of the Muses
a) the spirit that is thought to inspire a poet or other artist; source of genius or inspiration
b) Now Rare, a poet

I asked some of my favorite design muses what made the LEGENDS event so special….enjoy!

NATHAN TURNER (Los Angeles, CA) / Interior Designer & Shop Owner

“LCDQ is a unique event that unifies the design community. It seems all facets of our industry participate, from shop owners, to decorators,magazine editors and bloggers. It makes it all the more fun!”

LESLIE NEWSOM RASCOE (Atlanta, GA)/ Interiors Editor, MILIEU

“I love LCDQ because it’s an event that it brings together the design community like no other. There is a sense of inclusiveness unique to LCDQ. Interior designers, showroom owners, magazine editors and design enthusiasts mingle, learn and share in the joy of design. To quote Patrick Dragonette, it’s like spring break for the design community! It’s positive,fun with a “design for all” ethos.”

TONY BUCCOLA (Los Angeles, CA)/ Shop Owner- Antonio’s Bella Casa

“I am always excited for this time of year, spring and the LCDQ Legends event! The opportunity to meet so many talented people associated with the design industry. Our lives are so busy day to day, it is a delight to share ideas, see old friends, and make new ones. I am looking forward to another year of incredible windows, great talks, and happy gatherings!”

JASON OLIVER NIXON OF MADCAP COTTAGE (High Point, NC) Interior Designer & Shop Owner, Window Designer for Baker Furniture

“LCDQ is engaging, experientail,intimate and exceptional. We love to meet and greet with new friends and old, hear terrific speakers, and persue la Cinega’s wonderful design outposts. All of this in LA’s heavenly weather.”

JULIA BUCKINGHAM (Chicago, IL)/ Interior Designer, Shop Owner and Window Designer for The Rug Company

“Legends of La Cienega has become one of the premier design events in the country. As a designer, it is absolutely THE place to be! Los Angeles has become a major destination for designers. Its vibrant culture and growing design community makes it an amazing place to draw inspiration from. Legends of La Cienega gives designers the opportunity to interact with one another and to realize how different, yet similar, the design industry is across the US. I am so looking forward to the opportunity to reconnect with old friends, meet new friends, and see what’s fresh and exciting in the design world!

LEGENDS AT A GLANCE

3 days, 40 activities
8 keynote panels led by esteemed magazine editors from New York, Los Angeles, Newport Beach, Texas, Iowa, Atlanta, and Florida
2 personal appearances, including the new editor of House Beautiful, Sophie Donelson, and English design icon Nicky Haslam from London
Gala Party sponsored by 1stdibs and Coldwell Banker Previews International
Blogger Breakfast sponsored by Luxe Interiors + Design
Power Lunch hosted by Michael Boodro, Editor in Chief, Elle Decor
Cocktail Party hosted by House Beautiful
Tribute Party
After Party
Fresco Friday
Cocktail Party hosted by Hearst Design Group
Finale Party with California Home + Design

LCDQ 2015 WINDOW DESIGNERS/ Designer – Showroom – Muse

Alexandra Loew – Jamal’s

Amanda Richards – JD Staron – Edith Piaf

Amy Meier – Marc Phillips – My Mother’s Workroom

Annette English – Downtown – A Guiding Genius

Barondes Morris – Egg & Dart – Gustav Eiffel

Betsy Burnham – Mecox – Wild Animals

Cami Wright – Sherle Wagner – The South/ Texas

Christina Rottman – Mansour

Christopher Kennedy – Marc Phillips

Cliff Fong – Dragonette

Commune Design – Remains – Viennese Secession

Curated – Downtown

Elizabeth Dinkel – Nicky Rising – Julia Morgan

Gary Gibson – Lee Stanton –Sculptor Martin Puryear

Geoffrey de Sousa – Tufenkian

Hallworth Design – Lee Stanton – Mother Nature

Hammer & Spear – Woven Accents

Jason Oliver Nixon/Madcap Cottage – Baker

Jeff Andrews – Fuller & Roberts – Movement

Jeneration Interiors (Jennifer Dyer) – Ralph’s Antiques

John Wooden – Mansour

Julia Buckingham – The Rug Company – Slim Aarons

Kate Lester Interiors – Hollywood Sierra Kitchens – Father Time

Katie & Jason Maine – Jean de Merry

Ken Fulk – Therien – The Movie Inside My Mind

Kendall Wilkinson – George Smith – Blondie

Kerry Joyce – McKinnon & Harris

KM Nelson – Egg & Dart – Pauline de Rothschild

Konstantin Kakanias – Jasper

Kylee Shintaffer – Hollyhock

Larry Rizkowsky – The Rug Affair – Bank Vault

Laura Kirar – Baker

L’Esperance Design – Dragonette – The World of Cartier

Mark Sikes – Hollywood at Home

Matt O’Dorisio – Cote Jardin – Yves Saint Laurent

Maxime Jacquet – George Smith – Andy Warhol

Maya Williams – Marc Phillips – Women of Rock

Michelle Workman – Mehraban – Starlettes & Set Decorators of the 1940’s

Natasha Baradaran – Claremont – La Dolce Vita

Nathan Turner – Serena & Lily

Patrick Ediger – Gina Berschneider – Marie Antoinette & Thalia

Philip Gorrivan – Harbinger

Platner & Company – Stark – Rose Cumming

Ryan Saghian – Janet Yonaty – Iran

Sam Allen – Hollyhock

Scot Meacham Wood – Mehraban

Scott Mitchell – Jonas

Stephen Shutts Design – Sherle Wagner – Eden

Studio Tim Campbell – Elizabeth Eakins

Susan Cohen – JD Staron – Coco Chanel

Tag Front – Renaissance – Maria Felix

Thomas Allardyce – Janet Yonaty – Euterpe (Greek Goddess of Music)

Tim Barber – Waterworks

Timothy Corrigan – Compas – Jean Charles Moreux

Todd Nickey & Amy Kehoe – Hollywood at Home – Wes Anderson

Vance Burke – Reborn Antiques – Albert Hadley

Windsor Smith – Arteriors – Renee Perle

Young Huh – Harbinger

Be sure to get your VIP passes before the sell out by clicking here!

For coverage of last year’s LCDQ LEGENDS event, click here.

For more of my design inspiration, please follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and subscribe to Bespoke Banter….Thanks for reading and please visit again!

Antonio's Bella Casa, Jason Oliver Nixon, John Loeke, Julia Buckingham Edelmann, LCDQ, Legends, Leslie Newsom Rascoe, Los Angeles, Madcap Cottage, Millieu, Nathan Turner, Tony Buccola

CREATIVE MINDS: MADCAP COTTAGE’S JOHN LOECKE AND JASON OLIVER NIXON

On February 2, 2015 - CREATIVE MINDS, INTERIOR INTRIGUE

FROM HIGH POINT TO THE WORLD!

Stepping into the mad, mad, madcap world of John Loecke and Jason Oliver Nixon is like falling down the rabbit hole into a technicolor-ed design fantasy. Painted butterflies, Japanese paper lanterns and pachyderms donning top hats delightfully coexist with a treasure trove of vintage finds in their charming High Point design laboratory. Greeted by a glittery disco ball and my favorite dance tunes, I felt instantly at home as I entered their curated cabinet of curiosities. This creative dynamic duo only arrived in High Point eight short months ago, yet they have already coerced the community of the “Furniture Capital of the World” to dream big.

Why High Point?

After being in New York for so many years, we were ready for a change. We had been coming to High Point Market for almost 20 years and had gotten to know so many wonderful and welcoming folks in the High Point community. The size, the opportunities, and the untapped potential felt just right. Plus, the design talent is off the charts: We can make and tweak any piece of furniture in ways that we couldn’t do anywhere else in the US.

What has surprised you the most about High Point since your arrival last spring?

The more we dig beyond the surface of High Point, the more pleasant surprises we discover…. From tucked-away restaurants to amazing new friends to incredible design resources.

What are you most proud of in High Point?

The talent pool that is right here in our backyard. The artisans, craftsmen, and furniture makers are all the best in country. We can have anything in our imagination fabricated right here. And we have a BIG imagination.

What would you like to see changed in High Point?

The city needs to play off of the attention market brings to our community make it a year-round destination for the design industry. We need a design center here that speaks to the trade and to the public. Plus, we need a marketing plan and brand strategy.

How on earth do you juggle your thriving business including various locations, licensing agreements and design business?

We work with amazing people and rarely sit still (AUTHOR’S NOTE: ..AND an unlimited supply of boundless energy and creative ideas)

When did you know you wanted to pursue design as a career and how did you get started?

We grew up in the magazine industry working independently for several publications. We were styling photo shoots and working on our own houses and then it turned into working for friends who liked our taste.

What is your creative process?

We consider ourselves storytellers and are always asking who and why when designing a space. We travel constantly and are always observing. We like to stay true to the history of a place, but we are all also about pushing the boundaries. Vintage movies and design books are another vital source of inspiration. We think of ourselves as “Paul Smith meets Cath Kidston with a spirited dash of Auntie Mame and Bunny Mellon.” We are all about finding life’s special moments and figuring out how to make them more spectacular.

What has been the most pivotal moment in your career?

A publicist friend asked us to design her Southampton house that ended up being an 8-page spread in O at Home, the offshoot of the Oprah magazine.

Tell us about your current work.

We are fortunate enough to be working on our own House of Bedlam renovation in High Point, a Manhattan apartment, a London flat, and a home in Florida.

Can you give us a glimpse of what to expect from Madcap Cottage in the future?

We think of Madcap Cottage as a lifestyle brand that we want to share with the world. Of course, we would love to be big in Japan.

What do you want to be remembered for?

For our spark and energy and not taking ourselves or design too seriously. We want clients to walk away thinking “wasn’t that fun?”—whether that was working on a design project or coming into our shop or hearing us do a presentation at a conference.

Do you have any advice for budding designers?

Be passionate about everything you do, be interested, and be engaging.

Whose work do you admire?

Robert Kime, Mario Buatta, Oliver Messel, Dorothy Draper, Sister Parish, Nancy Lancaster, and John Fowler.

Who would be your dream client and why?

We would love to reinvent a chain hotel to make the whole experience more enjoyable, memorable, and special. From the overall design to the check-in experience to the amenities. A hotel should have a good storyline.

What is your dream vacation?

India… the color and light are mesmerizing. Every moment is an adventure and you never know where the day will take you or what will happen next… you may stumble upon the most glorious architecture with unexpected color combinations or a monkey could steal your breakfast …you just never know

What is your secret vice?

John-Auctions

Jason Oliver- L.L. Bean Boat & Tote bags… I am obsessed with a great tote bag!

What is your idea of bliss?

Watching old movies like “My Man Godfrey” or “Auntie Mame” with a glass of wine in our Madcap Cottage for HSN-enveloped bed surrounded our dogs, Jasper, Weenie, and Amy Petunia.

If you had a theme song, what would it be?

“Murder on the Dancefloor” by Sophie Ellis-Bextor (“It brings out our competitive side!”) or Carmen Miranda’s “The Lady in the Tutti Frutti Hat” from the film “The Gang’s All Here.”

What do you collect?

We have a revolving tablescape on our cocktail table of 1930s-era miniature British lead garden figures that includes plants and gardens. Our “garden” is always evolving based on what we find upon our travels.

What is your favorite color?

John-Fowler Pink

Jason Oliver- Eau de Nil

Favorite design trick?

John-Wallpaper

Jason Oliver-A good cabana stripe always transports me to Palm Beach, Palm Springs, Capri, or any other Slim Aarons-ish setting.

UPCOMING MADCAP EVENTS

FEBRUARY 12, 2015

6:00-8:00pm

Wallpaper Seminar:
“Next Stop, Wallpaper Wonderland!”

Madcap Cottage~ 128 Church Avenue, High Point, NC

Free and fabulous! Sip wine, learn about the wonders of wallpaper, and shop our Valentine’s Day wares. Gifts galore… Join the fun!

To register, please click here.

FEBRUARY 25, 2015

10am-11am

ADAC Digital Day: “From Rogue to Vogue”

Atlanta Decorative Arts Center~351 Peachtree Hills Avenue Atlanta , GA

In conjunction with the 2015 Design Bloggers Conference, ADAC invites you to a series of complimentary educational programming. Designed to inspire and develop your brand in the world of digital media while you gain practical advice from interior designers, bloggers, media innovators and magazine editors.

Hear from John Loecke and Jason Oliver Nixon of Madcap Cottage on how two kids from Iowa and Florida followed a circuitous path—from magazines to television and with a few stop-offs along the way (temping!, cooking school!)—and emerged as interior designers with a line of products and a star turn on HSN. And how they got there. From building a brand to the role of social media and the power of the bespoke and unique in that process, the Madcap Cottage gents will discuss their fun, color-filled, and whimsical journey.