Lake Como Event: Set Up Day

The wedding in Lake Como, Italy was probably one of the most romantic and beautiful events I have ever been a part of. I'm still waiting for the official photos from the photographer but here are some images of the set up day. Visit Daughter of Design for more.


I don't speak Italian and they spoke very little English but somehow we managed to work together.

Amazing views...

Caterers setting up...

Flowers

Almost done...

On my way back to my hotel. I love water taxis! Doesn't the villa look gorgeous from the water?

My gorgeous hotel: Villa Serbelloni

Event Prep Day 1: Lake Como, Italy

Ciao! My sister Annie (Daughter of Design) and I arrived yesterday and went directly to Villa del Balbianello to do a venue walk-through with the clients. The villa is breathtaking! I can't imagine a more romantic setting for a wedding. Here's a little sneak peek:
Villa del Balbianello


Annie with the bride and groom:

This area will be tented for the reception:

Gorgeous views:

Ceremony location:

Guests will arrive via ferry here:

Cocktails after the ceremony:

Food for the Soul

Sometimes all you need is a solo trip to the museum. May 6, 2009, MoMA, NYC. On the iPod: Radiohead (of course)

Jackson Pollock One: Number 31 1950, 1950


Jackson Pollock, Easter and the Totem, 1953


Lee Krasner, Gaea,1966


My favorite artist as a little girl was Marc Chagall. I still have a soft spot for him.
Marc Chagall, I and the Village 1911


Pablo Picasso, Girl before a Mirror, 1932

Mattias Megyeri


Ingo Maurer

Kahi Lee Lifestyle & Daughter of Design

As many of you already know, my sister Annie Lee is an amazingly talented event planner with a killer resume. Her company Daughter of Design has planned and executed some of the most stunning events I've ever seen.

Annie and I collaborated a couple of months ago on the design and planning of Leeza Gibbons' Night to Make a Difference Oscar event at Mr. Chow's. It was a huge success! We enjoyed working together so much that we have launched a joint venture. I will now be working with Daughter of Design and adding 'event designer' to my title. As an interior designer, I have always dabbled in event design but now I've officially bridged the gap. I love creating beautiful spaces whether they be homes or events.

Our next event is a wedding in Lake Como, Italy in May. Here's a sneak peek:

The Gorgeous Couple:


The Gorgeous Venue:

Oscar Weekend

This posting is way overdue. I meant to post this weeks ago but got sidetracked by my work schedule and well, procrastination. My Oscar weekend was jam-packed! I spent the days leading up to the Oscars frantically helping to design the Night to Make a Difference Oscar Event at Mr. Chow in Beverly Hills hosted by Leeza Gibbons, Olivia Newton-John and David Foster. The star-studded event was a viewing party for the Academy Awards that benefitted several charities including Jessica Biel's "Make The Difference" and Hillary Duff's "Blessings in a Backpack". It was an honor to be a part of the top notch event production team. Thank you to my lovely sister and event planner extraordinaire Annie Lee of Daughter of Design and Beth Beasley of Monkeys in Pants for bringing me aboard.
The event was incredibly posh with red carpet arrivals, a 10-course dinner , a glam lounge with celebrity hair stylist Ken Paves and performances by Michael Buble and Olivia Newton-John. DJ Steve Aoki kept the party going late into the evening. The event was a huge success.

Now as fantastic as the event was, I did not attend because believe it or not I had an even bigger event to attend...the actual Academy Awards! I had never been and it was ah-mazing. Talk about extremes. I spent the earlier part of the weekend lugging furniture, installing drapes and being as far from glamourous as you can possibly get and then bam! there I am among Hollywood's elite. Surreal. (Fashion favorites: My best-dressed actress was a tie between Anne Hathaway and Marisa Tomei. Marisa Tomei's dress was gorgeous in person. I stood behind her for half the party just so I could marvel at that origami masterpiece of a dress. Oh and can I just say that I was mad crushing on Kevin Kline. Who knew he was so dashing and debonair?! He oozed Old Hollywood like a modern day Errol Flynn.)
Here are some photos from my Oscar weekend:

A rendering of the design plan:

Me looking less than glamourous:


If you look closely, you can see my sister Annie hard at work. That's her in the tan boots.

Some of the celebrity attendees:

Michael Buble:

Olivia Newton-John and David Foster:

DJ Steve Aoki:

Meanwhile at the Oscars:
It takes a village to make me look presentable. A big thank you to the lovely and amazing Julia Clancey for loaning me one of her gorgeous gowns and to Courtney for styling my mop into a glamourous do.
The beautiful Marisa Tomei in a dress to die for!

Design On A Dime goes GREEN

One of my favorite DOD episodes to date (which will re-air this Sunday March 1 at 3pm on HGTV) is this makeover of a converted garage / home office. I love the way the room turned out but what I love even more is that we stayed true to homeowner Shelby's eco-friendly lifestyle. We used low VOC or zero VOC paints and adhesives, organic fabrics and other environmentally-considerate materials like linoleum, cardboard, cork, reclaimed lumber and secondhand furniture. The best part? We did it all for under $1000. So yes, it is possible to be green without spending a whole lot of green.

THE BEFORE, not bad just needs a little sprucing up DOD style:

I tackle the floor while Spencer and Abraham work on their furniture projects


Now it's time to start on the "faux rug" floor pattern

Abraham and I (trying to) do math in our heads. Tip of the day: Always have a calculator on hand!

Ta-Da!!

Check out Spencer's cool cardboard coffee table. The glass top came from a thrift store and cost next to nothing:
Abraham's work station is made out of a reclaimed kitchen island, linoleum, cork and vintage bar stools. Also in the picture you can see that Spencer cut Shelby's door in half turning it into a Dutch door because sunlight is the most eco-friendly light source around...and it's free!
Skateboard rack courtesy of Abraham made form reclaimed lumber. Those pillows I made for Shelby are stuffed with recycled denim
I wallpapered the cabinets with cool paper from Flavor Paper who get a thumbs up for their green business practices

Mirror, Mirror

On the same day that I discovered Christian Louboutin's hot new mirrored platform pumps, Gwyneth Paltrow graced the Grammy stage in a jaw-droppingly gorgeous metallic Versace dress. And as usual, what I love in fashion, I also love for the home and vice versa.
Paul Evans via 1st Dibs:


via Coco + Kelly:
via Metropolitan Home, Laslo designed bathroom
via Vogue Living Austrailia
Christian Louboutin mirrored platform pump:

Oren Lavie: Her Morning Elegance

I love this music video by Oren Lavie. The concept is simple but the execution is mind-boggling. It is absolutely stunning.
Her Morning Elegance / Oren Lavie

Office Envy: Trust Creative Society

I can't say for sure what type of business Trust Creative Society is (a marketing company, perhaps?) but I can tell you one thing for certain, I am jealous. Their office is modern and stylish with a touch of cute and quirky. I found them while perusing one of my favorite blogs This Ain't No Disco (It's Where We Work) which showcases some of the most creative and inspiring office designs from around the world. Creative agencies (advertising, marketing, public relations, new media etc) are invited to submit photos of their offices. The result is a collection of truly awesome and enviable work spaces.
Check out these photos of Trust Creative Society (and if you haven't guessed already, yes they are Scandinavian...Finnish to be exact). They have cool custom office furniture and even get to roast marshmallows at work. But what really kills me is that staff kitchen! It puts our office mini fridge and microwave to shame.

Why I Love Naeem Khan

On Friday, I was asked a very interesting hypothetical question. If I could collaborate with any fashion designer past or present on a new fashion line who would that be? (First of all, um, wow. To say that I would be excited about anything even close to that actually happening would be a severe understatement. I had never thought about it before but...yes please!) I adore so many fashion designers. Who's my one favorite?! This was an impossible question. My brain started slowly flipping through my mental rolodex looking for an answer. After a lot of hemming and hawing, I threw out some names but I wasn't really satisfied with my answer. When I got home I grabbed my hefty scrapbook of inspirational tear sheets and the answer jumped out at me. Of course! I love Naeem Khan. I have clipped more images of Naeem Khan's designs than any other fashion designer.

His designs are dramatic and regal with Indian influences. Before starting his own company, Naeem Khan designed for Halston (one of my all time favorites). Both Khan's father and grandfather were well-known designers who dressed royalty. I think that "Halston meets Indian royalty" is the perfect way to describe Naeem Khan's work.

Not surprisingly Naeem Khan's home is also appointed beautifully with the same mix of the modern and traditional that you see in his fashion. These images are from his Elle Decor feature.

My Kind of Yacht!

I discovered "Guilty" (great name) on one of my favorite design blogs, Yatzer, a few months back. It's owned by Dakis Joannou a Greek industrialist and one of Europe's leading art collectors. The yacht was designed by Ivana Porfiri. The exterior graphics were designed by Jeff Koons one of my favorite contemporary artists. How amazing would it be to coast into St. Barth's on this floating piece of art?! I've posted some images below but the original posting at Yatzer is definitely worth a visit.

Guest Bedroom

The other day I wrote about a crazy boutique hotel for dogs. Well, I realized that my cats are just as pampered. They have claimed the guest bedroom as their own (admittedly I allowed it to happen). When I have guests come stay with me, they have to share the room with the cats. It's sad but true. Just ask my sister. Below are a couple shots of my cats enjoying the furnishings I have so lovingly provided for them. I used to try to keep the cats off the furniture but my attempts were futile. They are much smarter than I am. Plus they are just so damn cute. So I relented and invested in a good pet hair vac.




Jack is perched on an ottoman covered with laser-cut wool flowers manufactured by Arteriors and available online at Modern Dose. They also have a gorgeous one covered in more delicate white flowers.

Rubin prefers the Chippendale wingback from Room Service Home

"Unlock the Cure" in the News

My "Unlock the Cure" design series for Orange 22's Blank Canvas project benefiting the Cancer Research Institute was featured in Garden Design and Surface magazine. The articles were published months ago but I'm only just now getting around to posting them. Better late than never? For the full articles please visit the press section of my website.

D Pet Hotels...This is not a joke.

I was driving through Hollywood last night and noticed a brand new boutique hotel that I had never seen before. On closer inspection I discovered that it was a pet hotel! So of course, I had to google it this morning. This is what I found. D Pet Hotels (clever play on the W Hotels) caters exclusively to the four-legged.

Forget "Mom". I Love Eames...Forever!

I am very passionate about good design. I live for it! But I can't compete with these people when it comes to expressing my devotion. I own a few Eames chairs and love me some Mies van der Rohe but... WOW. These amazing tattoos were created by artist Nick Baxter. I much prefer these to butterflies and unicorns any day.

Kahi Lee Lifestyle: Current Projects

Happy New Year! I hope all of you had an awesomely gluttonous and sugary holiday. I certainly did. We Angelenos have lucked out and are enjoying some unseasonably high temps. 82 degrees in mid January!? We've got traffic, smog, gangs and The Hills but the weather, in all of its blue sky and sunshiney glory, makes it all just a bit more bearable.
Below are a few snapshots of our current project. Unobstructed views from Catalina island to Malibu. Absolutely breathtaking with a sunset to die for. Sure beats sitting in a cubicle all day.

Michelle Caplan featured on Design On A Dime!

Wow! I've received an overwhelming number of emails asking about the collage art featured on this week's episode of Design On A Dime. The wonderful artist that helped me create the beautiful artwork for the show is Michelle Caplan. She's amazingly talented and her work is gorgeous. Please be sure to visit her website for more information.

HGTV Design On A Dime: French Mediterranean Patio Makeover for under $1000!

Spencer, Abraham and I create a French Mediterranean Outdoor Dining Room for under $1000 on the latest episode of Design On A Dime.

BEFORE:

AFTER:
I made a new gazebo cover with striped outdoor fabric that I found at a fabric outlet store for under $10 a yard.

Spencer built this gorgeous mosaic tile table from scratch. I love the built in lazy Susan, don't you?

Abraham built this awesome outdoor counter around the homeowner's BBQ grill. He even added a sink that he picked up a salvage yard for just a few bucks.

I picked up 8 chairs for $10 a piece from a restaurant that was going out of business. I made new cushions to update them.

Abraham made the folding screen from closet doors he found by the side of the road. From trash to treasure!

A Sneak Peak

Here's a preview of things to come at my new site Kahi Lee Lifestyle. I'll have a new website launching soon to supplement my current site.

HGTV Design On A Dime: Patio Makeover for Under $1000

I've received several emails after the airing of our latest Design On A Dime episode, many asking the same three questions. Here are the answers. Hope this helps!

Q: What type of material was used on the pergola to create shade and where can I get it?
A: It's called sun screen and is available at Lowe's.

Q: Where did you purchase the patio furniture?
A: The furniture came from a variety of places. The chairs came from a thrift store, I found the coffee table on Craigslist and the loveseat is from Ikea. I painted all the furniture pieces white to match. I also made new cushion covers to match our gray and yellow color scheme.

Q: Where did you get the chandelier?
A: I purchased the chandelier from a thrift store for about $25 and spray painted it a bright yellow.

Below are some photos of the makeover. The homeowners wanted a patio that was a little bit country and a little bit Hollywood Regency. This is what we came up with. By the way, I do not recommend doing a patio makeover in 100+ degree weather. Yikes. We went through gallons of lemonade and almost as much sunblock.
BEFORE:

AFTER:

944 Architecture and Design Issue

I'm featured in this month's issue of 944 magazine. I'm honored that they thought of me for their article on "rock star designers". How cool is that?! "Kahi Lee, rock star designer"...has a nice ring to it. I could get used to that. ;) Don't let our serious faces fool you, the photo shoot was a blast. It was great meeting the other designers; Nicole Sassaman, Ryan and Joshua Brown, and Jeff Andrews. Thanks again 944!

Barcelona

Blank Canvas at ICFF in NYC

Here are some photos from the Orange 22 booth at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair and silent auction launch event in New York City this past weekend. Dario, Henry and the rest of the Orange 22 team did an amazing job. The booth was gorgeous.
And now...I'm off to Barcelona for a well-earned and much needed vacation. Hasta Luego!




At the Chelsea Art Museum for the Blank Canvas launch event and silent auction with my sister Annie, our mom Cathy, Dario Antonioni of Orange22 and his lovely wife Natasha: Signing my pieces for the silent auction:

Blank Canvas

We are quickly approaching the launch date for the Blank Canvas designer pieces at ICFF (International Contemporary Furniture Fair) in New York. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of these eco-friendly designer pieces will benefit several very worthy causes. I am so honored to be one of the 8 designers making a difference through design. The sale of my pieces will benefit the Cancer Research Institute. Cancer has affected far too many people in my life and I am committed to joining the fight against it.
Watch the teaser video clip for the Blank Canvas project below:

Denver This Weekend

I've never been to Denver so I'm really excited to be heading there this weekend. I will be speaking at the Colorado Women's Expo and in pretty good company I might add...Suze Orman, Bob Greene, Stacy London and ME! This is a pinch me moment for sure. I'm thrilled to be included in such an amazing lineup. So if you are in the Denver area, be sure to come on by and say hello! This is going to be a great event.

Designing For a Cause...

I've been asked to participate in an innovative and socially responsible design project. I'm honored and thrilled to have been asked to join such a talented and prestigious group of designers. The project is being orchestrated by Orange22 and is sponsored by Surface magazine and the groop. Stay tuned for more information.

Eight icons of design have joined forces with Orange22 Design Lab to launch the firm's Blank Canvas Project. Each designer will create a new edition of Orange22's indoor-outdoor, eco-friendly Botanist furniture. Orange22, which is preparing to unveil the new iconic designs at ICFF this May, has committed to match each designers royalty to a social cause of their choice.

"When we began thinking about the Botanist™ Blank Canvas project two years ago, we knew we wanted to produce more than furniture. Botanist is about entrusting our colleagues - each of whom we admire, to do what they love and give back in the process. Botanist is simply a unique business model that serves as a catalyst toempower design for positive change," says Dario Antonioni, founder of Orange22.

"The Botanist™ Blank Canvas Project is an exciting collaborative initiative which gives designers and artists an opportunity to be creative as well as altruistic."
-Richard Koshalek, President, Art Center College of Design.

Botanist is a winning formula, because while the project will no doubt produce breathtaking furniture, it will also effect positive social change. Orange22's original Botanist line-which includes a cocktail table, end table, and bench-features intricate surface patterns cut with water-jet technology. Each sleek, metal form begins its life as a Blank Canvas . "We designed the structures to be strong and versatile enough to sustain any pattern we could imagine," says Antonioni. "Now, the industry's most celebrated designers will do the dreaming. Consumers are embracing design more and more each year and now with the Blank Canvas program they purchase furniture products with the knowledge that they too will be making a difference."


Botanist™ was launched in 2007 by Orange22 Design Lab, an award winning design studio in Downtown Los Angeles.

This year's 2008 Blank Canvas participants.

Yves Behar(fuseproject, San Francisco)
Margo Chase (Chase Design Group, Los Angeles)
Milton Glaser (Milton Glaser, Inc., New York)
Kahi Lee (Kahi Lee Lifestyle, Los Angeles)
Karim Rashid (Karim Rashid, Inc., New York)
Joe Ricchio (Ricchio Design, Seal Beach)
Massimo & Lella Vignelli (Vignelli Assoc., New York)
Claude Zellweger (One & Co, San Francisco)

Ikat: My Latest Obsession

I've been a long time admirer of ikat prints but recently it's grown into a full-blown obsession. Lately the fashion and interior design industries seem to be celebrating ikat in a big way . You can't open a fashion or design magazine without encountering the lively woven textiles. These prints are breezy, relaxed and exotic and make me dream of chic places far far away. They are luxurious without being pretentious and for me define casual elegance. I am completely infatuated with this new trend which has been twice legitimized in Elle Decor by interior design trend gatekeepers Margaret Russell and most recently by Anita Sarsidi. I can't remember the last time I felt so strongly about a print. I want to wear it AND decorate with it. A fleeting romance? Perhaps, but aren't those always the most passionate? I encourage everyone to run out and have a spring fling with this refreshingly laid-back look.
Anthony Todd:

Madeline Weinrib:


Diane Von Furstenberg:

By Margaret Russell, Elle Decor:

Me and Dennis Kucinich

This is hilarious.
I received an email a couple weeks ago from a DOD fan informing me that I am mentioned in a new book called Aristotle and An Aardvark Go To Washington: Understanding Political Doublespeak Through Philosophy and Jokes, a political satire by best-selling authors Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein. Even though it mocks and pokes fun at politics, the media AND me, I think it's the coolest thing ever! In the book, I interview Dennis Kucinich! It's pretty funny.
Below is an excerpt from an interview with the authors.

BF: You have a hysterical last chapter where you set up your own interviews. You imagine the interviews, and you have Home and Garden's Kahi Lee interviewing Dennis Kucinich.

Thomas Cathcart: We're shameless, aren't we?

BF: Yeah, you have Robert Verdi, Fashion Police host, interviewing John Edwards. Then MTV has Barack Obama, and Rachel Ray talks with Hillary Clinton. They're much more interesting and amusing than the real debates, I must say.

Daniel Klein: Well, the idea was that we're at the point where every little niche was having their moment. You know, the MTV, YouTube, I think the gay channel, Logo. Everybody had their chance to do their interviews. So we thought, why stop there? And imagined these other ones.

Kahi on The Early Show on CBS

HGTV Design On A Dime: Contemporary Living Room

Check out one of our latest room makeovers. We did it all for $1000 and yes, that includes the blue sectional! Smart shopping is what it's all about.
BEFORE:

AFTER:

Abraham's stylish room divider gives much needed separation between the living room and dining room.

I'm no Picasso but I think my paintings turned out pretty well. It's fun and easy to create custom one-of-kind art.

Happy 2008!

Well, so much for my New Year's resolution to update my blog weekly. We're four weeks into 2008 and I'm just now getting around to posting my first blog. I guess I was doomed to fail as soon as I made the resolution. Resolutions never seem to work out the way they're supposed to. Next year, I resolve not to make any resolutions and then maybe, just maybe, I'll accomplish something.
I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays. I wish I could say I did. Don't get me wrong, I loved spending time with friends and family but I came down with a mean cold and was in bed with a box of Kleenex from Christmas Eve to New Year's Day. Needless to say my New Year's Eve was less than rockin'. Instead of dancing the night away with champagne and confetti, I was at home with my two cats and a humidifier.
So far 2008 has been really busy and exciting. We've hit the ground running on Design On A Dime so things are cooking on the TV front. There's a lot happening at my design firm as well. I have two exciting clients. I'm still working on the Beverly Hills residence but we also have a fabulous new commercial client. We've just started work on a nightclub/restaurant project that I am super excited about. Stay tuned for details.
In addition to all that, I've started to redesign my own home. As you might imagine, a designer's home is always in flux. I am tempted by so many beautiful new styles and colors on a daily basis that it is extremely difficult to stick with any one look in my house for too long. So the metamorphosis begins once more.

I've received a lot of email inquiries lately so I thought I'd take this opportunity to answer some of the more popular questions here:

Q: How did you make the Victorian Silhouette Art for the Christmas episode?
A: A little elf named Spencer helped me create the art on the Photoshop computer program. If you are tech-challenged like I am, I suggest finding someone well-versed like Spencer to teach you how to use the program. Once you get the hang of it, it's pretty simple.

Q: Where did you get the bird stencil from the Eclectic Kitchen episode?
A: I got the stencil for $10 at Urban Outfitters. Sadly, they no longer have the stencil in stock. But they do have other interesting stencils and decals so it's definitely worth a perusal.

Q: Do you make personal appearances?
A: While I don't actively speak at conventions and conferences, I do have a couple dates scheduled. I will be in Orlando on February 13 for The International Builders' Show. I also have a tentative engagement in Denver in April.

Q: How do I sign up to be on Design On A Dime?
A: This is definitely the most frequently asked question. The show shoots in the Los Angeles (with my team) and in Chicago (with Frank's team). If you live in LA or Chicago and would like to apply to be on the show please visit Pietown.tv

That's it for now but I promise I will be posting much more frequently than I have been.
Let's have a Happy, Healthy and Stylish 2008!

Tony Duquette: Design Icon










Tony Duquette is one of my design heroes. He was an influential twentieth century interior designer, artist and set and costume designer. His career started in Los Angeles in the early 1940's where his artistry and panache quickly caught the attention of Hollywood. Duquette designed sets and costumes for Metro Goldwyn Mayer which produced some of the most lavish and iconic films of the era. In the 60's and 70's Duquette designed homes for the likes of Doris Duke, Norton Simon and J. Paul Getty (wow!). Duquette's design style changed and evolved over his 60 year career but it always remained a step ahead and a cut above. His designs have stood the test of time and are as gorgeous now as they ever were.

There is a new book out titled simply Tony Duquette authored by Wendy Goodman and Hutton Wilkinson with a forward written by another hero of mine, Dominick Dunne. I can't wait to get my hands on it. It's at the top of my Christmas wish list (hint hint).

Below are some photos from his portfolio.