Yves Saint Laurent-VIP Lounge

ok, lovelies! here are the Before/After photos you've been waiting for!

|the space was a mezzanine level overlooking both the main entrance to the Denver Art Museum as well as the entrance to the Yves Exhibit. Prime real estate!|

Before Shot 1: Notice all the cool architectural angles and lighting in the space.

Some furniture that was removed before we began the install. Isn't the wall mural really stark and graphic. Love it in this space!

|The museum closed at 2pm which allowed us to move freely through the space {amidst a million other people doing their own prep work!}. Four of our delivery associates were so generous to give their time towards this. I am so grateful because it was seamless; they are amazing!|

 

Laying down the cowhides...

This is Brooke! She is our Room & Board liaison extraordinaire. :) She got us this opportunity and was an invaluable part of the coordination and planning!

Here comes the furniture!

Large sofas stacked on each other.

Our amazing team! I owe them big time: Kirke, Brian, Jeff and Ted.

|While we were working on our installation, the atrium installation was taking place. This is the longest, most amazing balloon garland I've ever seen! It wound up the staircase to the top! I was able to talk to the artist to hear his inspiration; he was inspired by Yves' ground breaking decision to introduce black models to the runway. So he used black balloons to emulate a draped string of pearls through the space. Pretty amazing, right?!|

There were only a few pops of exploding balloons. Pretty impressive given the level of risk for this art installation!

See the draping effect?

|The event is showcased around one of Yves' famous gowns that has a giant pink bow on the back. They asked that we do all black and white in this VIP area because there are pink lights, pink walls, pink carpet, etc...everywhere else. So we did a black, white, grey design.|

 

Cowhide rugs at some nice contrast on the slate floor. White leather chairs with grey-smoked glass side tables. Sheepskin and mohair pillows. Natural wood shapes to soften the blunt ends of the sofas.

I decided to break this long space up with back to back sectionals. This maximizes the seating and we chose a tight-back, tight-seat piece so it would feel very modern and clean. I really like the visual statement it makes with the strong architecture all around.

A small seating area to fill a corner with great lighting. Black leather, stainless steel and white marble.

Our discreetly placed GIANT sign. :) The wall you see actually has a pitch to it that causes it to "lean into" the room; in other words, it doesn't go straight up...so I picked a bench to snug up to the lower part of the wall. I am also quite in love with this cocktail table-so sleek!

The whole space.

See the big pink bow in the background?! That is the main entrance to the exhibit. Pretty spectacular.

The two sets of tower lights on either side of the sofas really anchor the space. If only we had access to some plugs...

|This is the pink carpet entrance! This will be swarming with paparazzi tonight as dignitaries, celebrities, etc...descend on the party. How dreamy to walk the "pink carpet"!

Lovely light post banners announcing the event.

Spotlights with colored films on them...I'm sure this will be stunning at night!

The Big Picture! Gorgeous architecture down here. Truly, this is a one-of-a-kind event!

This was such a great experience! I am hoping some of the professional photos of the space come floating in soon too...I'll share if they do!

eats.

the kitchen photos are where i always linger when i scroll through a blog spread of a home. it is the most utilitarian space in a home; the 'epicenter' of daily activity. kitchen design also happens to be one of the most difficult and technical aspects of the home, requiring extremely detailed measurements and complete functionality. the ultimate space planning challenge!

yet they are incredibly inviting when they are designed well. take a peek at some spaces that have recently caught my eye!

this is the boldest space i have seen in a long time...and I LOVE IT! just the right amount of color; fresh! the natural light makes this possible without being overwhelming.

the wood floors alleviate this space from feeling stark. clean black and white with the warmth of the wood floor. love the pendants!

clean, classic, killer light fixture.

the tile walls and the window define the space. stunning appliances, barstools and pendants. did you notice the built-in espresso bar on the right side?? *swoon*

marble tiles on the wall add a subtle visual layer. cool tones (minus the espresso machine!) and the clear pendants were a PERFECT choice for the space.

all the way from sunny Australia, this space has delicious floors. the half-height wall is genius and the appliances are all white (unusual in America with the stainless craze). another example of how impactful windows are to a space!

oh i swoon over this one. i love the glass frame around the doorway; it separates the space but allows you to visually absorb the two room together. this whole thing feels very....*perfect*. :) unassuming and charming!

now this is a space for SERIOUS espresso lovers! notice the wine refrigerator down below (convenient!) and the butcher-block top on the island; nice visual texture.

CLASS. classic space with amazing peek-a-boo windows. architecturally striking!

this is such a playful space! great color palette. i think that tile wall above the oven with the exposed vent is ideal for the aesthetic and orientation towards that wall of windows. great space for entertaining!

Gah! this space slays me. i can't get over it! so many juxtapositions of style and the result is SWAG. i have no words.

seaside palette. so soothing and the pendants are my favorite element.

if you could pick 3 things to put in a custom kitchen, what would they be??

Yves Saint Laurent

 

i am so excited to be a part of this event! Yves Saint Laurent is doing ONE U.S. show. a couple other small towns are part of the tour: Paris and Madrid-ha! it is a retrospective of the legendary fashion mogul's career; 40 years worth. pretty incredible. the Denver Art Museum is hosting and i get to design the VIP Lounge!!!! Room & Board is incredibly lucky to get the exposure we'll have through this and the city of Denver scored a huge one landing this event!

 everyone who is anyone will be there; the French Ambassador, Pierre Berge (Yves' longtime partner), E-News, celebrities, etc... Ballgowns and Penguin Suits are a must! one of the best things is that the event is entirely centered around pink! the stair carpet, wall paint, accents...all pink!

the space for the VIP Lounge is a mezzanine level with very angular, modern architecture; grey slate floors, white walls. they asked us to only use black & white in the furnishings. i will certainly do a before/after post with pics but just imagine white marble, stainless steel, black leather, cream leather, mohair, etc...LUXURY!

the event is March 23rd, so i won't have pics until that day. HERE is the link for the event if you want to know more! 

Paris. Madrid. Denver.

A sweeping retrospective of the designer’s 40 years of creativity, Yves Saint Laurent: The Retrospective features a stunning selection of 200 haute couture garments along with numerous photographs, drawings, and films that illustrate the development of Saint Laurent’s style and the historical foundations of his work. Organized thematically, the presentation melds design and art to explore the full arc of Saint Laurent’s career, from his first days at Dior in 1958 through the splendor of his evening dresses from 2002. The DAM will be the only United States venue for the exhibition.

succulents.

yesterday i spent the entire day shopping for flowers! it was really fun (and slightly overwhelming) to find just the right flower for each room in the showroom. in addition to being responsible for all the furniture, paint, lighting and accessorizing, i also have to refresh all the cut flowers, some of the plants, and the fruit on a weekly basis. this week was my first week, as another gal has been filling in for a while. she took me to all the wholesalers, nurseries, etc and we filled up the car twice with plants, fruit, flowers and soil of all kinds.
we have a big visit (company bigwigs!) happening on tuesday and freshening up the flowers was an absolute must!
just last wednesday, we set out our first glimpse of outdoor furniture. i am so ready for summer, so i was excited! this is also the first "set" that i've done on my own. (i'll let you know after tuesday how they liked it!) :) one of the perks in this job is that i have a lot of freedom with propping, so i decided that we would have 3 planters full of succulents! :) they are such cute little plants, chubby with water and a unique color palette all their own. here are some shots of succulents that i loved!