White Paint

By Erin Ferucci

Celebrity Lifestyle Designer

White paint. It can be a designer's best friend. It's functional, elegant and delightfully versatile. Nothing can refresh a space faster than a beautiful coat of white paint. It reflects light and creates a feeling of clean, airy space. White in a living room creates peaceful ambience. You can almost feel a summer breeze looking at these pictures. White paint, it is a quick, inexpensive way to create elegance in any room.

Celebrity Lifestyle Designer Erin Ferucci is the owner and creator of EFerucci Designs with Designs Studios located at 1636 Abbot Kinney; Venice, CA 90291 (310) 745-1300. Follow Erin on Twitter

Larry Rizkowsky at the Pasadena Showcase House 2010

By Erin Ferucci
Celebrity Lifestyle Designer

Larry Rizkowsky, a fellow designer and a friend for many years has designed a room at the 2010 Pasadena Showcase House of Design. Last Sunday a group of us went to this wonderful annual event where an entire residence is redone by a group of designers, each one taking the creative lead for just one room or space.This year the amazing home is the Graven's Estate. It's now the 20,000 sq. ft. home to The American Red Cross. Larry did a spectacular job on this sitting room. Augustus Francis, son of the late famed contemporary artist Sam Francis , did the two contemporary works of art that hang on the wall. They are a part of a "triptych" actually. Augustus Francis now lives in England with his mother at their home, Gledstone Hall in Yorkshire. He is a lovely chap that I wish well.

Larry's room along with the art was a big hit at the Showcase House. You can visit the 2010 Pasadena Showcase House of Design from now through May 16. Tickets are $40 at the door with the proceeds going to three different music programs that impact the greater Los Angeles area. The Showcase home is closed on Mondays.

President Obama in Los Angeles

By Erin Ferucci

Celebrity Lifestyle Designer

The other day I had the great pleasure of being on the tarmac when President Obama landed in Los Angeles. I thought it would be like being back stage with a really big rock star. Oh my! Did I underestimate the experience!

I had to be vetted the day before in order to get security clearance and security the day of was TIGHT! And rightly so! It was like watching a well organized ballet performed by security guards and secret service.These guys and gals are serious! You can't even imagine the amount of planning that must go in to planning a day with the President.

The President himself, Wow, there really are no words. Come on, it's no secret that I have worked closely with Hollywood royalty, both literally and figuratively, so I am not really easily blown away simply by "star power". But I have to say that President Obama is the real deal. There was something really measurable that seemed to radiate from him. It was exciting. It was inspirational. It was heady.

Integrating Nature with Donald Kaufman by Erin Ferucci, Designs 4 Living

By Erin Ferucci

Celebrity Lifestyle Designer

It's spring and I feel inspired by nature! One of my favorite ways to bring nature into any space is to start with paint. There is no better paint to do this with than Donald Kaufman Paints and I have to tell you his new architectural colors are impeccable! I was in New York on a shopping trip for a client a last fall and couldn't resist. The paint chips alone were $75. Who charges $75 for paint chips? Donald Kaufman does. Why? Because his colors are to die for. Seriously, you can't go wrong. He has the perfect cream, the perfect french blue. He is an amazing colorist with impeccable good taste.

And they are all beautifully inspired by nature. Look at how rich these colors are! The bottom line is that Donald Kaufman Colors are incomparable and there are some very important reasons why. DK colors contain as many as 13 different pigments making them both rich and transparent. The transparency of the paint is what sets them apart from commercial paints. Also DK never adds oxides to their paints, oxides diminish paint's ability to reflect light. So with DK colors you getter a richer tone that reflects light and actually transforms the light in the room.

What is truly amazing is that he draws inspiration for his colors from raw nature,
creating rich, expressive color that is unique and lush. DK colors are more expensive than other paints, but the colors are unsurpassed. For maximum results DK colors suggests painting over white primer, as opposed to neutrals and expect to use 2 to 3 coats in order to achieve the best results.

The Best Things in Life are Free, Like the Getty Villa!

By Erin Ferucci

Celebrity Lifestyle Designer

Inspiration is priceless, but at the Getty Villa they give it away for free. Most people have heard of the Getty Museum, but the Getty Villa which re-opened its doors in 2006, is a new chapter in museum delectability. Located in the beautiful Pacific Palisades, situated on luscious landscaped ocean front property, the Getty Villa offers ocean scented breezes, awe inspiring Art and a wide variety of programing including concerts and lectures. Did I mention it's free? This is a great place to go on a date, or spend an afternoon with the kids, and best of all this is the perfect place to go when you need to take a little "you" time. On a sunny afternoon at the Villa you can easily convince yourself that you have taken an expensive vacation to the isle of Greece. What a wonderful, inexpensive way to recharge your batteries.

When you see the opulent gardens, and the Grecian, Roman and Etruscan statuary you can't help but marvel at how much money it took to create such an amazing non-profit extravaganza of eye candy. It's mind boggling.

The Getty Villa has just had a massive renovation. It closed in 1997 and after $275 million, yes million, was spent, the new incarnation of the museum reopened in 2006. The new version sports an amphitheater, a restaurant and an entire new wing.

J. Paul Getty, whose renowned riches paid for both the Getty Villa and the Getty Center was a visionary in more ways than one. He was born into a wealthy family but by the age of 25 he was a millionaire in his own right. At 26 he decided to retire in order to pursue his true passion, being a playboy! Retirement didn't last long but being a playboy did. Getty made a number of shrewd business decisions that lead to his legendary wealth. During the depression he acquired companies and properties at rock bottom prices, then in the late 40's he began amassing mineral rights in the Middle East. At that time there were no oil fields in the Middle East, Getty invested over 30 million dollars into drills and derricks, sure that it would be worthwhile. For over four years there was no success. Can you imagine 30 million dollars in 1949? People must have thought he was crazy. Crazy like a fox. Starting in 1953 those oil fields produced more than 16 million barrels of oil a year. Wealth beyond reason. Fortunately for all of us Getty used a great deal of his money to buy artifacts and to endow his philanthropic efforts. The Getty Villa is a spectacular jewel in the Getty Legacy. Treat yourself to it as soon as you can.

Robert Kuo by Erin Ferucci, Designs 4 Living

By Erin Ferucci

Celebrity Lifestyle Designer

While on a trip to Ann Sacks' Tile and Stone Showroom I saw some really interesting Robert Kuo tiles.

Look at this carved stone wall tile. Where else can you see something like this?Robert is a very talented and versatile designer. I've used his lamps for several clients.

His unique craftsmanship with elaborate, copper repousse and cloisonne techniques is unparalleled.