”There are days when I think there really is some huge plan out there and we’re all woven into it – this fabulous, complex pattern of life and death, full of recurring motifs and waves of color, and we’re each one tiny thread in the weave.” -Jane Johnson

Suzani comes from the Persian word for “needle,” and  refers to embroidered hangings or fabric coverings that are synonymous with the finest old embroideries of Uzbekistan, in Central Asia. The birthplace of suzanis is in what is now Uzbekistan, the area along the Silk Roads that interconnected the cultures of Europe, Turkey and China with the Muslim world. With the establishment of the Silk Road, the Suzani art flourished. In the 19th century, Uzbek women produced excellent embroidered hangings, table covers, bed covers, wrapping cloths, and prayer mats for their households and their daughters’ dowries.

In recent years, there has been a revival of this traditional art form.  One of our favorite finds are these vintage Suzanis that we picked from a vendor with a great eye that travels to Asia several times a year to gather one of a kind pieces.  At first glance I said we have to make pillows out of these!  Part of what makes these so appealing is that no two are alike, and part of the charm is that the patterns aren’t perfect as they are hand embroidered.

We are always gathering interesting textiles when we come across them.  From antique swatches to old feed sacks, that are re-born into pillows or unexpected upholstery, half the fun is the hunt to find them!  Recently a customer brought in an embroidered remnant from a tea towel her mother had made.  She said she wanted to make something out of it, but thought it was too small.  Nonsense!   We put it in the center of one of our embroidered pillows and voila!  Old meets new and the customer was overwhelmed her updated keepsake.   What have you done with your old embroidery?

  XO, D.L.

“Design is an art of situations.  Designers respond to a need, a problem, a circumstance that arises in the world.
The best work is produced in relation to interesting situations – an open minded client, a good cause, or great content.” -Ellen Lupton

Do you remember what these rooms were like in the before pictures?!  This is the completely renovated and remodeled Women’s room we did for the Beit T’Shuvah Designed from the Heart project.  What an exciting journey it has been!  It was so inspiring to create functional pieces that were beautiful to look at too.  New floors, refurbished vintage furniture, custom day beds to double as couches during the day, and new outdoor furniture and lanterns to enjoy time on the balcony.

The bathrooms were completely gutted.  New counters made of marble, a handmade green limpet shell from our studio, mirrored pendant light, and vintage glass containers for new towels, candles and my favorite soap and lotions from Antica Farmacista. Even the toilets are new!

The Men’s room was just as fun!  Custom nailhead vegan leather day beds, faux bois floors, DL Rhein pillows, and vintage marine framed prints. Matchstick shades to replace the non existent window treatments and a smoky lotus chandelier.

The men’s bathroom is modern and sleek and a far cry from the original pictures. Green glass tile floors, polished chrome accessories, fringed Turkish bath towels and an antiqued mercury glass mirror.

This project was aptly named Designed from the Heart.  It is for a wonderful cause and the residents were overwhelmed with their new rooms.  While in recovery, to have a clean and comfortable space of your own that is also pleasing to the eye, goes a very long way.

From the bottom of my heart, a huge thank you to all of our vendors and friends who so generously donated to make this project a reality.  You helped make this as wonderful as I hoped it could be.  And to my partner in this project, Debbie Adelstein.  Thank you for your taste, class and companionship!  Making a new friend in you was an added bonus.

XO,
D.L.

Related Posts:

Wonders of White

Faux Floors

Inspiration for Designed from the Heart

Designed from the Heart – Before

What do you do with well made vintage furniture that looks totally dated thanks to old age and dingy color?  Paint it white!  It never ceases to amaze me what white paint can do to transform a tired piece into one that is fresh and modern.  It was the perfect choice for our women’s room remodel at Beit T’Shuvah for the Designed from the Heart Project.

The hardware was super groovy so we wanted to use that if possible.  With a little elbow grease, off came the old paint and voila!  Vintage brass becomes good as new and keeps the aesthetic of the pieces that originally caught my attention.

We love the contrast of the white to the fab faux bois floors and it is beautiful against the soothing blue walls.  The residents were thrilled with their new furniture.   Form and function, the perfect marriage in our eyes.  Reinvent, Redesign, Re-purpose.

XO,

D.L.

I think we can all agree, at some point, you have to say goodbye to old carpet.  If I had my druthers, I would banish it  forever in most environments.

 This wasn’t even a question in regards to the remodel of residence rooms at Beit T’Shuvah.   It was dated, in bad shape, and in areas that get constant foot traffic and turnover of residents.  We had to come up with a practical solution that was both economical and pleasing to the eye.

 I hit the jackpot when I found this flooring.  No, it’s not hardwood….It’s not even laminate.  It is…drumroll….LINOLEUM!  This is not your Grandma’s linoleum that’s for sure.  Aside from looking fabulous, it was the perfect choice as it is extremely durable and a cinch to clean. Without a doubt, these floors may be the most exciting design find I’ve had in a very long time.

]]> http://www.dlrhein.com/faux-floors-designed-from-the-heart-remodel/feed/ 3 http://www.dlrhein.com/inspiration-for-designed-from-the-heart/ http://www.dlrhein.com/inspiration-for-designed-from-the-heart/#comments Thu, 03 May 2012 01:54:28 +0000 admin http://www.dlrhein.com/?p=3169

The inspiration for the resident rooms at Beit T’Shuvah was an interesting and challenging process.  I wanted to create a serene and  healing environment while sticking to my design aesthetic.  Because the residents are of all ages, I wanted to make the space appealing to anyone who may reside in it for 3 months at a time.

 The biggest challenge was regarding storage.  There was no storage, clothes and belongings were everywhere.  We had to create closets from scratch and Ikea had the perfect solution.  There was also no space to sit in the rooms.  I had custom upholstered bed frames made that would go against the wall and double as a couch during the day.  Here is a peek into what we are using to transform the rooms!

For the women’s room, green limpet sea shells were the main source of inspiration.  These are one of my all time favorite natural wonders and make you feel like you are on an island somewhere. Feminine and subtle, the perfect choice for our palette.

We’re co-ordinating everything around these, even the wall color.  Wait until you see the hand made mirror for the bathroom! Narcissus himself  would undoubtably be stuck looking at it for hours.

The inspiration for the men’s room started with the faux bois floor we installed (wait till you see it).  A greyish brown palette, lending itself to Navy, Chocolate, Taupe and Grey.  Masculin and Modern is what we are going for, not the typical bachelor pad often filled with burgundy and hunter green.  My son Jack even approved, and he has very discerning taste.  ”This is a room I would definitely enjoy living in…hint, hint.”

A mixture of textures.  Linen, marble, cotton, sea fans.

This has been one of the most inspiring projects to date in my career.  Stay tuned, the best is yet to come.

XO,

D.L.

I’m schvitzing as I pack up the truck with my haul to Beit T’Shuvah, an organization that provides shelter, treatment and spiritual healing to those afflicted with addictive and behavioral disorders.  Beit T’Shuvah directs its resources on treatment, recovery and re-entry.  Their latest endeavor is a project called  Designed from the Heart. 40 Los Angeles Designers were asked to donate their time and services to renovate and redesign the 40 primary bedrooms for the residents of Beit T’Shuvah, which are in dire need of repair and remodeling.  There’s nothing I love more than a creative challenge, and the fact that it is for a charity makes it even more exciting.

At the first meeting of designers,  I met a fab gal (D.A.) who has become a fast friend.   D.A. was assigned a women’s room to remodel and I was assigned a men’s room. We quickly concluded that it would  be more fun to combine efforts and talents by doing our rooms together.   Last week was spent demoing the existing space, and today is the first chance to get our hands dirty.  I am so looking forward to chroniciling this experience with you and am filled with grattitude for the friends, family and vendors who have donated money, services and goods that have allowed me to make this happen.  Big kisses and thanks to: N&V M., P&L R., B&K S., J &L T. , J&R W., JG, SH, C&D F., R&J L.

And a  big shout out to all of the vendors:
Brico LA, Discount Tile, Waterworks, A&B Home, Roost, Peking Handicraft, Anderson Moulding 

MENS ROOM BEFORE REMODEL

MENS BATHROOM BEFORE REMODEL

WOMENS ROOM BEFORE REMODEL

I am so excited to share the progress of this exciting project with you!  Stay tuned for the next phase of Designed from the Heart.

 XO, D.L.

“In Morocco, it’s possible to see the Atlantic and the Mediterranean at the same time.”
-Tahar Ben Jelloun

Star patterns, mesmerizing tile work, pierced  lanterns, bold color combinations and intricate wood and bone carvings.  Moroccan style is one of the most intricate design aesthetics in the world.  Steeped in centuries of history, the look lends itself to modern homes with lots of color or traditional abodes that need a little kick of flair added to them. Always hunting for the next  great piece, here are some of our favorite Moroccan Inspirations.

1. Living Room | 2. Dining and Seating | 3. Moroccan Patterns
4. Moroccan Tile | 5. Moroccan Hotel | 6. Moroccan Influence 
7. Morrocan Inspired Textiles | 8. Moroccan Lounge

We love our selection of Moroccan products below available at our stores. Moroccan leather poofs are one of my staple go to pieces for style and function.  They are great for extra seating, taking a load off your tired feet, or double as an impromptu table when you throw a tray on top of them.  An antique Moorish pattern inspired our Moroccan Tile Pillows.  Hand forged silver severs make a perfect hostess gift, and traditional Moroccan tea glasses are just the right size for juice, tea or your favorite wine.

With a climate like the Mediterranean, aren’t you ready for a laid back, casual afternoon soiree in So Cal?

XO,

D.L.

“Reinventing the wheel is sometimes the right thing,
when the result is a radical tire.”
- Jonathan Gilbert

A home office nestled in horse country just north of L.A. was in dire need of a makeover.  It needed to be masculine but also an inviting space as it doubles as a cozy room for the kids to curl up in and watch movies.

What  started with just an ottoman, ended up triggering a new look for the entire room.  Warm, neutral and fitting to  the aesthetic of the natural setting in this home, we designed custom pieces that were unique to the client’s taste. Wouldn’t you love  to read a great book in here?!

Custom Couch in Chocolate Brown Mohair/DL Rhein Embroidered Chocolate Zig Zag Pillows/
Mercury Glass Lamps/Custom Hand Stitched Hide Rug

Here is the ottoman that put the wheels in motion to transform the office.
Bye Bye tufting and leather reminiscent of your father’s law office!

We stained the legs ebony, removed the castors, and recovered with a stenciled zebra hide and replaced the nail heads.  The result is a modern twist on classic design.  I’ve never met a well made piece of furniture I didn’t like…re-inventing.

XO,
D.L.

“You have taken Fester and turned him into your personal love slave. I respect that. But Debbie (gesturing at the decor around her)…PASTELS?” 
― Angelica Huston as Morticia Addams

Hand dyed eggs, paintings, vintage shoes…pastels remind us of springtime holidays and a romantic nod to the past.   Soothing and calm, they perfectly  lend themselves to food, art, and accessories.   Here is some of our fave inspiration with some decor ideas for your perfect Easter celebration!

French Cereal Bowls – D.L. Rhein | Venice, Italy | Pink Ombre Cake
Vintage Pastel Accessories | Pastel Chalks
French Macaroons | Ball Jar Chandelier | Hand-blown Glasses

What’s your favorite pastel inspiration?

XO,

D.L.

 ”We read the haggadah every year.  For artists whose lives are completely unpredictable, to retell a story that’s been told for thousands of years in our own way is amazing.” -Comedian Judy Gold, Chicago’s Downtown Seder

Passover has always been my favorite Jewish Holiday.  It has been celebrated for thousands of years and every part of the seder (traditional service and dinner at home) is brimming with symbolism, not to mention delicious food.  Anyone who has been to my house for  Passover always makes sure to ask if my mother Linda is making her famous brisket.   It has never been duplicated, as many times as I’ve watched her make it.

Vegan Chopped Liver | Beet Maror

  Every thing we eat at the seder has a meaning, and I love finding new ideas to incorporate into our traditions.  Since we do not eat anything levened or made with traditional flour during the week of this holiday, I am excited to try the gluten free recipes we found.   You will not believe the lentil based mock pate or the beet infused maror, two dishes that now even the faintest of hearts will gladly sink their teeth into. 

Saffron Matzoh Ball Soup | Kale Quinoa Pilaf

Saffron Matzo Balls!  Why weren’t these created sooner!?  Just when I thought the world’s best soup couldn’t get any better.  The Kale and Quinoa Pilaf is so hearty, your guests won’t even know it’s healthy for them too.  

Chocolate Toffee Matzoh | Passover Almond Chocolate Thumbprints

Passover was never a holiday known for its desserts unless you enjoy  flourless boxed cake mix or some coconut macaroons.  We have found the creme de la creme of Passover treats.  The Chocolate Toffee Matzoh  from She Kneads Dough  is as good as it sounds, and is finished off with a dusting of edible gold.  If  you are looking for the perfect hostess gift, bring this to a seder and watch everyone swoon.  If you love to bake, The Urban Baker has done it again by sharing her easy recipe for Gluten Free Almond Chocolate Thumbprint cookies.  Nobody will miss the carbs,  not to mention they are a blast  to make with your children.

XO,

D.L.