Spaces 12

Canyons & Valley

Before After Remarkable remodels from 8 local designers

Before‌

Chef Nadav Bashan brings artistry to Valley bistro Design center accents the positive January/February 2010

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contents

southern california January/February 2010 spacessocal.com

cover story

26 The Peak of Chic

Stylish and sophisticated makeovers showcase fresh ideas for redecorating every room of the house.

SO CAL SO COOL

13 Shop Treatment

Customers come from far and wide for an eclectic selection of Old World furnishings.

18 Trade Secrets

Coming to interior design as a second career, Bonnie Sachs infuses each project with beauty and comfort.

DEPARTMENTS

44 Chef’s Table

A husband-and-wife team offers attractive and appetizing fare at Bashan in Montrose.

46 High-Tech Home

The latest accessory for flat-screen TVs leads off a slate of must-have gadgets.

50 Cause for Applause

Famed director Steven Spielberg wins kudos from the Anti-Defamation League.

58 Finishing Touch

Nothing is safe from the paintbrush of watercolor artist Marilyn Haber.

Above: A West Hills house was remodeled as a Tuscan villa, including a master bathroom suite of marble, travertine and other natural stone. “Each room has to tell a story,” says Genaro Lagdameo, the principal designer on the home makeover.

Photo by Jessica Boone.

On the cover: All signs of the 1980s were banished during this kitchen remodel, with custom touches like a back-splash of tin ceiling tiles, dining chairs covered in fabric by Kravet and a custom credenza topped with Hermés marble.

spaces january/february 2010

editor’s letter

True confessions of an HGTV addict

H

ome decorating shows are

my secret addiction, the

certainty of instant gratifi-

cation a temptation I cannot ignore.

I love the makeovers, of course, the renovations and remodels. But even more, I love watching the designers on these shows. They never falter. Their furniture choices are perfect, their color choices exact. Their efforts to make a room look bigger or cozier or prettier always succeed. There’s never

the trial and error (and error and error) that I encounter in tackling a home-improvement project.

I was thrilled, therefore, at the opportunity to

talk to eight veteran designers for Spaces’ annual Before & After issue. These talented and creative professionals take us inside their makeovers, explaining how they transformed simple to sophisticated, flat to fabulous. They offer tips, share their expertise and open a world of design possibilities—large and small. We hope you find inspiration, and instant gratification, in the projects they present.

contributors

D

uring his 35 years in the upholstery business, Susan Abrams’ father imparted knowledge she was able to use when she spoke about refurbishing furniture with designer Lori Gilder. Susan is a general-assignment reporter for the Los Angeles Daily News who enjoys visiting photo exhibits and watching independent films.

A

n avid baker with an active daughter at home, Sandra Barrera yearns for the kind of beautiful and functional kitchen created by Burbank designer Bonnie Sachs. Sandra is a features reporter for the Daily News, covering design, fashion and entertainment.

F

or a decade, Dana Bartholomew has been a general assignment reporter at the Daily News. During his spare time, he hikes the local deserts, tinkers with old cameras, practices his accordion, rides his vintage motorcycles and shoots avatars on the Internet.

A book and magazine hound, he has never owned a television in his adult life.

J Have a good story idea to share? Comments about the magazine? Write to me at spaceseditor@langnews.com.

spaces january/february 2010

essica Boone is a freelance photographer, with a special eye for color, light and composition. She is a graduate of the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena and has contributed to Real Simple, Sunset and Wine Spectator magazines.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Volume 3 • Issue 1

spacessocal.com

publisher Gregg Bertness

associate publisher Meaghan Miller editor Barbara Jones

national editor Denise Gee

designer LeeAnn Nelson

photo director Dean Musgrove

contributing writers

Susan Abram, Sandra Barrera, Dana Bartholomew, Holly Berecz, Sue Doyle, Natalie Haughton

contributing photographers

Jessica Boone, David Crane, Grey Crawford, Martin Fine, Douglas Hill, Andy Holzman, Jason Merritt advertising sales

Lauren Becker, Kim Broman, Sue Chadwick, Claudia Erek, Karen Fernandes, Jennifer Ramos, Maureen “Mo” Ruz, Jeff Spencer, Robin Stewart marketing director Bill Van Laningham

research director Liz Hamm

creative services manager Paul Schraeder creative services Chaivat

Trongnetrpunya

office manager Mary Anne Rozinsky

Los Angeles Newspaper Group

president & ceo Fred H. Hamilton

executive vice president & cfo James Siegrist

publisher, daily news Jack Klunder

contact us editorial 818/713-3710 spaceseditor@langnews.com advertising 818/713-3373 meaghan.miller@dailynews.com Copyright 2010 Southern California Spaces magazine by the Los Angeles Newspaper Group. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher.

Southern California Spaces magazine is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photos or artwork even if accompanied by a stamped self-addressed envelope.

Comments?

Southern California Spaces welcomes story ideas and comments from our readers. Write to: Spaces, 21860 Burbank Blvd., Ste. 200, Woodland Hills, CA 91367

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SoCal

so cool

Leslie Bufano built up Karma Home Accents after starting the decorating showroom in her garage.

Photos: Andy Holzman

SHOP TREATMENT

Good ‘Karma’ Casual approach strikes a winning chord at Westlake Village shop

By Dana Bartholomew

W

hen Leslie Bufano walks into

a home, she can feel its space, sense its potential and intuit its

interior design. That’s because the owner of Karma Home Accents in Westlake Village has a knack for color, home furnishings and comfort. “My approach is to feel my way and not to think too much,” Bufano says between

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january/february 2010 spaces 13

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so cool “ When people think too much, a look becomes contrived. There’s nothing worse than perfect . . .

It’s cold.” phone calls at her upscale accessories and design studio. “It’s one of the things my dad taught me. When people think too much, a look becomes contrived. There’s nothing worse than perfect…It’s cold.”

Bufano’s interior design business, a warm

jumble of Old World and Tuscan accents, has become a one of the preeminent places to stop for the Italian villa look. Clients from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles have returned again and again for her home consulting, design and staging services. And to peruse the collection of Peruvian tables, leather chairs, chenille sectionals, Bombay credenzas, ornate etagérès, end tables, lamps, paintings, chess sets, ceramic fruit and the jillion sconces, candles and hard-to-find accents layered floor-toceiling in her 1,800 square-foot store.

“Whether it’s designers or homeowners,

everybody is searching for this kind of stuff,” said Bufano, who has hunted far and wide and perused hundreds of catalogs for each piece. “That’s really why I started this.”

A native of Tarzana, she developed her

eye for design while working at SK Interiors, the studio owned by her father, Sy Katz, who founded The Leather Factory. Thirteen years ago, the single mother of three began peddling home accents out of her garage. Within months, customers began lining up for her monthly sales. Her design business became so successful, she opened her retail store in the Villa Colinas Design Center, across from the Four Seasons Hotel.

14 spaces january/february 2010

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so cool She also has a warehouse of accents used to stage unsold homes. One such house, an ocean-front estate in Malibu, had been on the market two years. After Bufano staged it with a homey cream-colored sofa and shag treatment, the home sold in two weeks for $4 million.

Her business, she says, is based on trust.

Unique products. Affordability. And an ability to listen. Although she’s been asked to expand into other areas, she says she aims to stay local in order to serve her customers.

“My biggest compliment is that people keep coming back,” says Bufano, whose daughter, Marisa Bufano, has also become an interior designer. “People are comfortable with me.

I’m casual. I’m easy. I’ll work with any price range. I love my customers. I want their homes to look good.”

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TRADE SECRETS

G

rowing up in the tiny upstate New York town of Montecello, Bonnie Sachs demonstrated an artistic

flair with her stylishly decorated bedroom and her success in classes that fell under the “home economics” umbrella. Yet she ignored those early hints and poured her creative tal-

ents into acting and singing, performing with traveling theater companies and working in the entertainment industry. Years later, living in Southern California, she experienced a life-changing moment that brought her true calling as an interior designer into focus. “I remember leafing through the catalog for UCLA Extension, and there it was,” she says. “I didn’t know it was four intense years of hard, staying-up-until-4-o’clock-in-themorning work, but that’s what I did.”

More than two decades on, and design

remains a constant source of creative expression. “I really like working one-on-one with clients so that their lives, their home, their ideas and my ideas—those four things—really get approached and taken care of… It’s really an amalgam of what we all want to

Remodeling projects meld the best of the past and present

By Sandra Barrera

An abundance of storage space keeps clutter to aminimum and enhances the clean lines of a monochromatic bathroom.

january/february 2010 spaces 19

SoCal

so cool see,” says Sachs, who takes us inside the de-

out. We brought in oak and cherry and gran-

sign process.

ite as opposed to white wood and pine. The

Tell us about a project where the design presented itself.

beam ceiling was dropped to put in recessed

I did a beachfront condominium in Marina del Rey. We took a unit that was designed in a farmhouse style and redesigned it for a single man who wanted a much more citified, sophisticated look. Architecturally, we were very constrained because it’s a condo and you can’t move plumbing, and you can’t move certain walls. If you made a room that wasn’t already there, you weren’t going to have windows in it.

How did you work around it?

lighting. There is now a wine fridge, a full pantry and a good working oven. The space is exactly the same size. We just moved it around so that it worked a lot better.

What changes did you make to the master bathroom?

Before, it was mirrored and had faux marble counters and gold fixtures. It was horrendous. Again, we couldn’t change the layout or where the plumbing was. I blew out the

was designed in a farmhouse style and redesigned it for a single man who wanted a much more citified, sophisticated look.”

back wall so the bathroom opened to the bedroom, but the toilet room and the tub

In the kitchen, I switched the peninsula from

were kept behind closed doors. We raised

the other side because the client entertained

the height of the doors and simplified every-

a lot, and he needed the flow to get in and out

thing, yet made it more modern.

of the kitchen. I opened up that wall so that

The color was very neutral, subdued and

I could steal light from the windows and put

masculine. He chose a lot of really fine art.

it into the hallway. Then I added windows

We built a wardrobe closet rather than a slid-

in the hallway that brought even more light

ing-door closet, which I don’t allow in my

into the unit. I changed all of the materials

houses. Those, and medicine cabinets.

20 spaces january/february 2010

“ We took a unit that

The condo’s new floor plan better directs the flow of traffic through the kitchen while enhancing its visual interest.

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so cool Classic white cabinets give this 1938 home an updated look without erasing its original charm.

Why no medicine cabinets?

years and, with older people, you have to

There are a hundred different ways to store

pay attention to the muscle memory of how

things that would normally be found in a med-

they work in a kitchen. You can’t change ev-

icine cabinet. In a lot of cases, I’ll use organized

erything or they will never be comfortable

pullouts below the counter instead of drawers

there. The dishwasher has to be on the same

so that you can put things that you would oth-

side or their baking station needs to be adja-

erwise put in the medicine cabinet.

cent to the window. In this kitchen, the mix-

How does the client influence your design?

Everything I do is client driven. I did this

er is pretty much in the same place because that’s what she was used to.

absolutely loves to bake. One of the first

And you incorporated beams into the design of the ceilings?

things she said to me was, ‘When I bake

Ceilings are an important plane that many

cookies for my grandchildren, the kids will

people forget about. They don’t realize that

wonderful kitchen for a grandmother who

often sit up on the counter next to the mixer,

they’re just as important as the walls in a lot

and I don’t want to lose that.’ These were the

of cases. Adding something with the intent of

kinds of hints she was giving me.

pulling the whole room together is important.

So how did Grandma’s hints translate?

The old kitchen had no light, no room, no

Does the design reflect the architecture of the house?

storage. There was a laundry room and a

Absolutely! This is a classic Georgian 1938

little breakfast room and a patio. We blasted

house so it is important to reflect the archi-

through three rooms to create the new kitch-

tecture. It doesn’t mean that you can’t do a

en, and also extended the back of the house

modern kitchen, but sleek stainless steel was

to include a breakfast room. We put in Cae-

not our vision for this home. Our vision was

sarStone counters and custom cabinets, and

to make it look like it had always been there.

then, through the design process, we worked

That is usually the intent when working with

out where everything would go.

older homes while at the same time giving

people what they need in today’s world.

She had lived in the home for years and

24 spaces january/february 2010

“ Ceilings are an important plane that many people forget about.

They don’t realize that they’re just as important as the walls in a lot of cases.”

EVERYTHING

THAT

expert kitchen and cabinet remodel A L L

A M E R I C A N

C A B I N E T R Y

8 1 8 . 3 7 6 . 0 5 0 0 M

A

D

E

I

N

U

S

A

MATTERS. AT

HOME.

Use this gallery of before-and-after projects to make your home resonate with personal style

Divine inspiration

26 spaces january/february 2010

I

t used to be your dream house—its style, color and furnishings the perfect fit for your lifestyle. But times have changed, your life has changed, and you want

to remake your surroundings to match. You can transition from ornate to sophisticated, ordinary to striking, casual to sublime, with creative solutions offered by local designers.

—Barbara Jones

“After” photos: Jessica Boone

Genaro Lagdameo & Wendy Huffman There was an extensive art collection to work with, along with a Swarovski crystal-encrusted wall mirror and a couple pieces of classic furniture. With those elements as their inspiration, designers Genaro Lagdameo and Wendy Huffman Tuscan columns, left, and wrought-iron scrollwork, top right, add drama to the entrances of the family and dining rooms and enhance the new theme of the home.

launched a top-down remodel of a sprawling five-bedroom West Hills house. “We went in with a feeling of possibilities,” Lagdameo says. “We knew what they were looking for—comfort, and a way for their family and friends to enjoy their home. They wanted every room to be usable.”

That isn’t to say that the husband-and-wife owners didn’t have their own ideas for erasing every vestige of the 1980s from the two-story house. Yet, Lagdameo found that he and the husband had “the same eye” when it came to envisioning

january/february 2010 spaces 27

“After” photos: Jessica Boone

Above right: The designers created a focal point in each room. Clockwise, from left: A spectacular wrought-iron entryway, the hand-painted bedroom ceiling, the xx painting over the living room fireplace, the crystal-

The designers created a focal point in each room.

Clockwise, from left: A spectacular wroughtiron entryway, the hand-painted bedroom ceiling, the Sabzi painting over the living room fireplace, the crystal-encrusted Jay Strongwater mirror.

Lagdameo & Huffman continued how the two-story house could be re-created as a Tuscan villa. Lagdameo and Huffman selected an element in each room that helped guide their design. They added plum and green hues in the living room, colors picked up from an eye-catching Sabzi painting hanging over the fireplace. The centerpiece in the downstairs powder room is an enamel-and-crystal Jay Strongwater mirror, backed by a rich plum-colored wall and flanked by panels of mauve and turquoise glass tiles.

That kind of opulence was a “tough act to follow” when it came time to design the master bedroom, Lagdameo says. He and Huffman answered the challenge with a richly textured bedroom suite, with the image of a blazing sunset painted on the coffered ceiling over the seating area. The kitchen and breakfast area got a makeover, as well, with custom cabinets and a hand-crafted table enhancing the functionality and flow of the space. “My goal was to update the look,” Lagdameo says, “but to make it look like it’s always been there.”

january/february 2010 spaces 29

30 spaces january/february 2010

Lisa Adams While many people view a closet as merely a nook to hang their clothes and stash their shoes, Lisa Adams sees it as a place where anything is possible. A wardrobe, a dressing room, a laundry center, a spa—any element can be incorporated into what Adams considers a “living space.”

“A closet is a room that people care about,” says the owner and CEO of Lisa Adams Closet Design. “This is where they start in the morning, and that experience sets the tone for the rest of their day.”

During her eight years in business, Adams has seen the evolution of closets as an extension of the design process rather than as merely an after-thought. Architecture, lighting and furnishings are just as important in a small space as in a vast room, which is why her custom closets often feature chandeliers and seating areas. She’s increasingly being called on to create separate closets for men and women — each project with its own design challenges. “Men like a place where they can sit down, read and watch TV,” Adams says. “Women like the feel of a boutique, that they’re shopping in their own wardrobe.”

All of those elements were incorporated into one recent project. Adams knocked down the wall between a bland closet and jumbled bathroom and transformed the space into his-and-hers sanctuaries. “Her” oasis features a glassDesigner Lisa Adams created his-and-hers closets that keep wardrobes organized, while offering such luxury features as a whirlpool tub and mini-fridge.

enclosed shower and whirlpool tub. “His” refuge has a breakfast bar and mini-fridge. And each has its own floor-to-ceiling closet system, made of soothing maple with leather pulls.

Shirts and blouses hang crisply on corner carousels, sweaters nestle in deep, glass-front drawers, and shoes and purses, belts and neckties all have their own special place. This proj-

“After” photos: Douglas Hill

ect goes to the heart of Adams’ design secret: “Homeowners want to maximize the space with a well-designed closet, to ultimately achieve calm from the chaos of modern life.”

january/february 2010 spaces 31

Victoria Reitz The kitchen remodeling projects were vastly different—one

and laundry area to create a new fashionable and functional

involving a confined condominium, the other, an expansive

space. Instead of an island or peninsula, Reitz’s clients re-

home. Yet, in both, Victoria Reitz used the elements of space,

quested a classic table that could accommodate large fam-

light and color to create the “wholeness” of the final design.

Maximizing every inch in the Glendale condo, Reitz used floor-to-ceiling cabinets and built-in appliances to create enough space for a built-in office. Honey-colored wood, shiny

ily gatherings. Scouring antiques shops, she found a walnut table that can seat 18, as well as a carved mantle and surround that were customized to fit the fireplace.

Reitz also designed the creamy colored cabinets and used

black countertops and glass-front cabinets create an open

different but complementary materials for each of the back-

feel, despite the small space.

spashes, including classic tin ceiling tiles installed over the

With pastel-pink and slate-blue floral wallpaper and

cooktop. “Most people would probably use the same material

country-style curtains, the kitchen of the Northridge home

for each area, but a designer helps you think outside of your

appeared mired in the past. Reitz literally blasted it out of

comfort zone,” Reitz says. “It gives a home a custom look, not

the 1980s, gutting the kitchen and the adjoining dining room

like a model home in a tract.”

32 spaces january/february 2010

A walnut table and ďŹ replace mantle discovered at a local antiques shop create a welcoming atmosphere in the remodeled live-in kitchen, above. At right, a Glendale condo gets a new look with well-designed cabinets.

january/february 2010 spaces 33

Fernando Diaz Interior designer Fernando Diaz mined his Mediterranean

gives each person their own space, they they can get cozy

and Latino heritage when he remodeled his own home, a

with each other. It’s great for conversation.”

project that brought warmth and comfort to the austere sur-

During the renovation, Diaz replaced a nondescript mantle

roundings created by the previous owners. Walls came down

with a classic French-style stone fireplace. “It is generous and

to combine what Diaz describes as a “multitude” of unused

commanding and provides the focal point,” he says. “The top of

rooms into an open floor plan that allows him to use and en-

chairs are very high, which balances the room, and the drapes

joy the entire house. The great room now flows into a dining

provide the perfect backdrop.” He covered each of the chairs in

area and the chef’s kitchen, where the stained crown mould-

patterns from the same color palette, pulling together the ar-

ing picks up the richness of the generous island and dark

rangement with a sophisticated rug in complementary hues.

hardwood floors.

signer, but has focused the last 20 years on residential proj-

An enthusiastic entertainer, Diaz designed conversation

Diaz spent the first decade of his career as commercial de-

areas around the massive marble dining table and in the wel-

ects. “I design for how the clients live, how they work and

coming seating area. “Instead of the usual couch and chairs,

how they play,” he says. “I design so their environment re-

I put four chairs around the round coffee table,” he says. “It

flects who they are.

34 spaces january/february 2010

A foursome of chairs from the Robert Hall/ Beacon Hill collection creates an intimate conversation group, pulled together with a rug from Aga John Oriental Rugs.

“After� photos: Martin Fine

january/february 2010 spaces 35

Lori Gilder Space planning is creative, like piecing together a puzzle.

Every inch counts. Guided by this concept, interior designer Lori Gilder infused 21st century style while doubling the size of a 1,400-square-foot Sherman Oaks bungalow. In a project that took nine months to plan and 15 months to execute, she gutted the 1940s-era house, added a second story and reconfigured the floor plan to better suit the owners’ lifestyle.

What was a nondescript two-bedroom, 2½ bedroom house now boasts three bedrooms, five baths, a family room and a dine-in gourmet kitchen with custom cabinets and stained maple butcher-block countertops.

“It’s important to get a good sense of who your client is— how they really live and how they want to live,” Gilder says.

“My job is to interpret what they’ll feel comfortable in.”

36 spaces january/february 2010

This Sherman Oaks home was gutted–only the fireplace wall was left standing–during a 2-year project that added a second story and modernized the floor plan. The original living room fireplace now warms the formal dining room which, like the kitchen, features custom lighting by Paul Ferrante Inc.

Reupholstering can make the old new again The sofa cushions are misshapen. The Photo: Andy Holzman

leather ottoman is torn.

The peach-and-teal flowered wing chair harkens back to the ’80s. Still, that piece of furniture has great lines, and you’re loathe to throw it away.

Maybe, you think, it can be saved.

It’s possible, says interior designer Lori Gilder, although there are several factors to consider in deciding whether to reupholster a treasured piece or to simply replace it. “We buy furniture in the course of our life that may not be of the highest quality and keep reinventing them,” she says. “You have to consider the quality of the piece. You have to ask yourself, ‘Is it worth keeping?’”

Weight is the first test in determining quality, Gilder advises, because hand-crafted furniture made with harder woods is typically heavier. “If you can lift a corner of the couch up easily, it’s machine made as opposed to hand made,” she says. Price is also an important factor, as fabric and labor can easily push the cost of recovering a couch past the price of buying one new.

Once you’ve decided that reupholstering is the way to go, Gilder says, it’s important to think about how the furniture is going to be used in the future. The elegant brocade couch that adorned your mother-in-law’s living room may not last long in your more active household, so you may want to recover it with a cotton blend or chenille. “It depends on the style and amount of traffic it’s going to be getting,” she says. “You won’t put a silk fabric in a family room where you’ll have dogs or where kids will be eating snacks.”

New fabric isn’t the only way to give new life to an old favorite. Gilder suggests replacing the cushions, changing the legs of a couch, or updating the arms of a chair. “All kinds of accessories can reinvent a piece” she says. “It’s less about trends and more about style. It all goes back to if it’s a great quality piece.”

—Susan Abram

“After” photos: Grey Crawford

Linda Allen The house in the Hollywood Hills was the very definition of mid-century modern—built in 1950 as a “gold medallion” home certifying that it had the most up-to-date conveniences available. How appropriate, then, that interior designer Linda Allen drew inspiration from that era while updating the home and infusing it with hints of the owners’ Japanese heritage. “I researched vintage ‘Better Homes and Gardens’ magazines from the late 1950s and early ’60s and found the perfect combination of Hawaiian-Polynesian decor,” Allen says. “I also pulled colors and design references from the Broadway musical ‘Flower Drum Song,’ which gave an uplifting, fun and fresh approach to defining the spirit of Polynesian cultures.”

Allen used a different cultural reference in the master bedroom, transitioning to a “Chinese moderne” theme that she based on the image of a 1930s Shanghai cigarette girl poster. Golden cherry blossoms float across the wallpaper and highlight the white lacquered dresser. Peacock blue drapes complement red, Chinese-patterned Roman shades, and carved wooden screens create a sanctuary around the cozy fireplace.

Because the kitchen can be viewed from the entryway, Allen took particular care in its aesthetics as she gutted and updated its cabinets and appliances. She created back-lit art niches, and took advantage of angles and materials that allow the kitchen to be viewed as “art” from every angle. “I love the natural light, the uplifting, fresh and spirited approach to design.” Allen says. “You smile when you enter the space.”

38 spaces january/february 2010

Wallpaper adorned with a cherry-blossom design by Phyllis Morris and carved wooden screens create an elegant ‘Chinese modern’ theme in the master bedroom and seating area.

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Decorative white mirrors and brightly colored pillows complement the Osborne and Little wallpaper in the entry way, right. The same eye-popping citrus green and turquoise brighten the dining room, below. Vintage Italian dining chairs from Casa Victoria were repainted white and upholstered with fabric from Manuel Canovas. The contemporary chandelier is by Sonneman; the rug is from CB2.

Erinn Valencich There are certain absolutes for designer Erinn Valencich.

Hang the draperies close to the ceiling. Paint the ceiling the lightest shade in the palette of the wall color. And if the walls are a deep or dusky hue, make sure the moulding is white.

“That’s non-negotiable in my book,” says the HGTV host.

Those rules came into play when Valencich remodeled a 1930s, Spanish-style home in the Hollywood Hills. Inspired by the Viceroy Santa Monica hotel, she repainted the fauxfinished orange walls a rich charcoal and the dark moulding a lively white. Fabric she’d picked up as an impulse buy—“it was so cute, it showed monkeys climbing on trees”—was used to make generous drapes. “Hang them 4 to 6 inches from the ceiling and extend the rod at least 10 inches wider than the window,” she advises. “When you open the drapes, it makes the room look grander and more spacious.”

Citrus green and turquoise accents carried through into the home’s redesigned entryway, where Valencich hung Osborne and Little wallpaper adorned with hummingbirds.

“People go wild for that pattern,” she says. “It’s whimsical yet subtle. And the colors change as different light strikes it throughout the day.”

40 spaces january/february 2010

resources Lisa Adams Lisa Adams Closet Design 310/289-1311 laclosetdesign.com

Lori Gilder, ASID Interior Makeovers Inc. 310-788-0990 interiormakeovers.com

Victoria Reitz, ASID Victoria Reitz Interior Design 818/526-0017 victoriareitz.com

Linda Allen, ASID Linda Allen Designs Inc. 323/466-4800 lindaallendesigns.com

Genaro Lagdameo, principal designer Wendy Huffman, NCIDQ Designs of the Interior 818/346-3684 dotiwoodlandhills.com

Bonnie Sachs, ASID, CID Bonnie Sachs Studio 818/840-8404 bonniesachs.com

Fernando Diaz, ASID Fernando Diaz & Associates 818/989-2256 fernandodiazinteriors.com

Erinn Valencich Omniarte Design 818/849-5003 omniartdesign.com

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chef’s table

Simply sophisticated

Local bistro flourishes with multicultural menu

By Natalie Haughton • Photos by David Crane

E

ver since Nadav Bashan began cook-

but embrace the cuisine of the Mideast, Asia

ing professionally a dozen years ago—

and the Mediterranean. “When it comes to

working in such landmark eateries as

the food, I seek out the finest ingredients and

The Lobster in Santa Monica and Michael’s

prepare them simply,” says Bashan, a gradu-

in Santa Monica—he dreamed of owning his

ate of the California School of Culinary Arts.

own restaurant. That became a reality two

“Presentation-wise, you eat with your eyes

years ago, when he opened Bashan Restau-

first, so we try to make every plate beautiful

rant, an intimate establishment in the mul-

and appetizing. For garnishes, we use color-

ticultural community of Montrose.

ful vegetables and unique items—no flowers

With wife Romy working as the general

manager of the understated bistro, Bashan

or tiny greens.”

The Bashans have worked to create an

specializes in creating attractively presented

inviting atmosphere where customers of

dishes that are based on French techniques

all ages will feel comfortable. “No one is

44 spaces january/february 2010

Romy Bashan is general manager of the eponymous Montrose bistro, where husband Nadav creates dishes such as the dry aged New York steak, top.

chef’s table going to be intimidated by our food or din-

SPOTLIGHT ON...

ing,” he says. “Our service is very warm and

NADAV BASHAN

friendly—like coming into our living room.

Although we started in the worst economy ever, locals have embraced us, thanking us

AGE: 35

for offering upscale food so they don’t have

HOMETOWN: Haifa, Israel

to drive over the hill anymore.”

COOKING STYLE: California cuisine with fresh ingredients

While the menu changes seasonally, the offerings encompass eight appetizers,

FAVORITE DISHES TO COOK: Scallops, foie gras, steaks

seven entrees, three desserts and three to four specials each night. The winter dishes

FAVORITE JUNK FOOD: Fried chicken cutlets

range from seared Maine scallops to duck breast, chocolate bread pudding to a toffee

FAVORITE GADGET: Vita-Mix blender

cake laden with peanut butter and bananas.

And in recognition of the difficult economic

FAVORITE RESTAURANT: Soot Bull Jeep in Koreatown

times, Bashan also offers a $40, three-course

FAVORITE VACATION: Kauai

prix fixe menu on Tuesday through Thursday nights, and waives the $15 corkage fee on Wednesdays.

While the chef hopes to someday open a second, more casual restaurant, he says his life’s dream has been fulfilled with the success of his first eponymous effort. “When we have a full house, are in the middle of service, doing well, running on all cylinders, everything is coming out right. Good feedback and compliments are rewarding.”

Bresaola and Burrata Salad Serves 4 ½ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and julienned 2 to 3 tablespoons shallots, sliced thin 1 tablespoon capers, drained 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 heads baby lettuce (such as butter, lola rosa or romaine) 6 fresh black mission or brown turkey figs, quartered 1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar 12 thin slices bresaola, prosciutto or other dried cured meat

restaurant

reservations recommended? dinner with wine, for two

1 cup burrata or fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed*

Bashan Restaurant 3459 Verdugo Road Glendale 818/541-1532 bashanrestaurant.com

needed. Divide salad among 4 plates and garnish with the burrata and bresaola. If desired, drizzle

Yes

with additional balsamic vinegar and olive oil before serving.

About $125

46 spaces january/february 2010

Salt and pepper Mix the tomatoes, shallots, capers and half of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Add the lettuce and figs. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and the remaining oil. Toss until well-mixed, seasoning as

*Note: The cheese can be wrapped with the thinly sliced bresaola.

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Featuring 7 bedrooms, 8 baths, separate guest house, 5 car garage.

Offered at $3,950,000.

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hiGh tech home J

ust like the color console TV became

The art of concealment Flat-screen TV fits neatly into the interior

By Sue Doyle

the must-have furnishing in the

Barbaro. “This conceals it, and you can have

1960s, the flat-screen television is a

fine art in its place.”

fundamental necessity in today’s home. But

A different look can be achieved with

instead of the hulking wooden cabinet that

now-you-see-it, now-you-don’t technology

dominated the living rooms of yesteryear,

that disguises a flat-panel TV as a decora-

today’s ultra-thin LCD and plasma-screen

tive wall mirror. Surrounded by a frame to

TVs offer countless decorating options.

complement the décor, the screen reflects

Tucked into a custom bookcase, disguised as

like a mirror when the TV is off, yet trans-

an elegant framed mirror or concealed be-

mits a high-quality picture once the set is

hind movable artwork, flat-screen TVs can

turned on. While there are so-called media

complement the décor in any room.

mirrors that can be installed separately from

“We don’t want a humongous TV on the wall with speakers everywhere,” said Dan

Wilshire Home Entertainment in Valencia, recommends the quality achieved when the

Chatsworth. “You hear it and see it when you

mirror is installed directly into the TV. That

want it. And then you don’t see it when you

level of clarity and brightness comes at a

don’t want it.”

price, however. McMaster estimated the cost

It would be easy, of course, to treat the

of a 46-inch mirror television and frame at

screen as an oversized digital photo frame by

$8,000–roughly three times the cost of a tra-

popping in a DVD or Blu-ray disc and setting

ditional flat-panel unit.

the TV to display a slide show of the family

While wall-mounted sets free up space in

vacation snaps or nature photos. However,

the home, there are other options for those

that would require the set to be on all the

who want to utilize their home furnishings,

time and is not very practical–or attractive .

McMaster notes. There are motorized lifts

Instead, consider the option offered by

that can bring the TV into view from its hid-

VisionArt Galleries, which specializes in

ing place in a wall cabinet or one built at the

systems that cloak the TV with retractable

foot of the bed. As with wall-mounted tele-

artwork–there are some 400 images avail-

visions, these kinds of systems require the

able–when the set is not in use. Just a push

wiring and components to be installed and

the remote-control button and the canvas

maintained in a separate area.

reveal the flat-screen TV. Prices range from about $1,700 for an art print and frame sized to eclipse a 42-inch TV, to $9,800 for a package that includes a 40-inch ultra-slim televi-

50 spaces january/february 2010

the television, Mike McMaster, president of

Nguyen, owner of Danissa Home Theatre in

scrolls into the custom-designed frame to

A retractable canvas can tranform a flat-screen television into a framed work of art that complements the decor of any home.

wall,” says VisionArt spokeswoman Jennifer

sion, the frame and selected artwork. “When the television is off, it can be an eyesore from a design point–it’s a big black hole in the

Danissa Home Entertainment 20517 Devonshire St., Chatsworth 818-825-6683 Wilshire Home Entertainment 24140 Valencia Blvd., Valencia 661-291-1900 • wilshirehe.com VisionArt Galleries 3000 Airway Ave., Costa Mesa 866-432-4353 • visionartgalleries.com

hiGh tech home While the ability to fly cars in space may still be a long way off, today’s technology provides us with these out-of-thisworld gadgets that make life easier–and more fun.

—Holly Berecz

Do it your selphy Print your own color-rich photos without a computer.

Canon’s Selphy CP790 photo printer features a 3-inch LCD screen, memory card slot and a variety of personalization set-

Webbie browser

tings. It also has a clever storage basket for paper and ink, plus

Shoot and share your videos online with just a few clicks.

an optional battery pack for on-the-go jobs. Priced at $180. usa.canon.com

The Webbie HDTM camcorder from Sony is an ultra-compact high-def camera designed with the novice in mind. The pocket model has an optical zoom, takes both still shots and video and features a large swivel LCD screen. Priced at $200, it’s available in eggplant, orange and silver hues. sonystyle.com

Affordable audio Fill your room with big sound, not big speakers. Made in the USA by Orb Audio, these speakers produce a rich sound usually associated with much larger systems. They’re modular, upgradeable and, best of all, affordable. Starting at $239 for a Quick Pack of two satellite speakers, Orb uses the most advanced technologies to form the smallest possible package. orbaudio.com

52 spaces january/february 2010

hiGh tech home

Get the picture Step out from behind the camera and put yourself in the photo with the DualView TL225 camera from Samsung. One LCD screen serves as the standard viewfinder, while a second 1.5inch LCD on the front of the camera lets the subject see the shot. The 12.2 mega-pixel camera retails for $350 and includes Smart Face Recognition technology. samsung.com

Grape expectations Deftly uncork even the most uncooperative wine bottle in seconds with the Inspire Wine Opener from Oster. The cordless, rechargeable opener is ergonomically designed with a soft-grip handle for effortless operation. A foil cutter easily removes the seal.

Sells for $20. oster.com

Shower power Some like it hot. And some, not so hot. The ioDIGITAL system by Moen digitizes your bathing experience, letting you store up to four personalized water flow and temperature settings. Available for the shower or tub, the easy-to-use product starts at $1,200 and features an optional remote control, which is super handy for chilly winter mornings.

Moen.com

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cause for applause

Spielberg honored with ADL democracy award

I

n recognition of his advocacy for Jewish causes and his Oscar-winning contributions to the entertainment industry, filmmaker Steven Spielberg received the Amer-

ica’s Democratic Legacy Award from the Anti-Defamation League. The organization’s annual fund-raising gala in December drew 1,100 guests to the Beverly Hilton Hotel, where Spielberg was lauded by as a director, humanitarian and philanthropist. “Steven, you could have just been a person of integrity and valor. You could have just been a captain of industry. It would have been enough,” ADL National Director Abraham H. Foxman said. “But it was not

enough. With success upon success, you took the time to make a difference. You took the time to care.”

In his acceptance speech, the director of the 1994 epic

“Schindler’s List” noted that memory is essential to survival and to justice. “All it takes is the right story at the right moment, one true story, to make the world think,” he said.

“Telling stories is a way of bearing witness against injustice.”

The evening included tributes by actors Drew Barrymore

(“ET”) and Richard Dreyfuss (“Close Encounters of the Third Kind”), and a prayer by Kirk Douglas, who was celebrating his 93rd birthday. The event raised $2 million for the ADL, a preeminent civil rights and human relations organization.

Honoree Steven Spielberg, top right, greets DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg at the Anti-Defamation League’s annual gala.

Other guests honoring Spielberg for this Democratic Legacy Award were, clockwise from near left, “American Idol” finalist Adam Lambert, actress Elena Levon, Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck, actor Richard Dreyfuss and sponsors Audra and Jeff Nathanson.

Photos: Jason Merritt /Getty Images

56 spaces january/february 2010

finishing touch

Marilyn Haber Marilyn Haber’s destiny was sealed in the second grade, when she entered a drawing contest and won the grand prize of 25 cents.

That early victory instilled in her the love of art and its infinite possibilities. “Nothing of interest,” she says, “is safe from my paintbrush.”

Largely self-taught, Haber doesn’t hesitate to experiment with new materials and textures. She laughingly recalls turning to the medium of collage to repair a failed watercolor painting — a trick she later used to create the stunning work titled “Olé.”

Haber fashioned the dancer’s shawl from a scrap of textured tissue paper and the dress from a nylon mesh citrus bag to salvage an unsatisfactory still-life painting of — of all things — a pile of turkey bones. Haber is active in the San Fernando Valley’s arts community–“Artists are really

nice

people” — and

exhibits her art at the VIVA Gallery. “I’m inspired by beautiful colors,” she says.

“I just want to record them so I can see them again and again.”

Olé

58 spaces january/february 2010

—Barbara Jones