Getting the opportunity to collaborate with one of our go-to rug vendors has been such a fun experience! Over the past several months we’ve been meeting and working with the team at Tai Ping to create our own custom rug collection. And after a few brainstorming sessions, we were able to settle on a theme and learn all about the technical details of manufacturing a rug. We recently sat down with Corbin Perkins of Tai Ping to get an update on the rugs and sneak a peek at two completed rug samples, fully made based on sketches and selections from the last meeting.
Sneak Peek: Our Nursery Collab with Carrie Colbert
This past April I shared a special blog post with you all detailing our plans to create a whimsical nursery design for my dear friend Carrie Colbert’s daughter (who at that time was still on the way). Now, fast-forward four months and sweet Elle Esther is two months old and I have some exciting updates to share!
Behind-The-Scenes: Chopped and Screwed Chinoiserie
As we head into the depths of summer, the design team at Laura U sat down for a pow-wow over fresh-squeezed OJ, pencils and butter paper in-hand. After putting our heads together with help from the fabulous Tai Ping team, we now have a clear direction for the design of our five custom rugs. In concert with Tai Ping’s manufacturing know-how and our design skills, we are confident that our Chopped and Screwed Chinoiserie rug collection is going to be a hit.
Read on for a behind-the-scenes look at our creative process and sneak peek of our designs!
Chopped + Screwed Chinoiserie!
As interior designers, it should come as no surprise that the Laura U team spends a good amount of time fawning over stunning products and pieces from the best vendors in the business. We are forever dreaming up ways to incorporate the most inspiring pieces into our clients’ designs. At the studio, we are privileged to host fab vendors from all over the world, sharing their new collections with us and getting our creative wheels turning. We recently met with Tai Ping – a Laura U go-to for fine and unique rugs – and talk about being inspired to create something amazing!
A collaboration was born at this latest presentation: Laura U + Tai Ping. The awesome team at Tai Ping has encouraged us to create a custom rug collection using our creativity and their depth of knowledge in beautiful rug manufacturing. The Laura U designers could not be more excited and the team is on a design mission to share ideas for our own rug designs.
Read on to learn more about what’s in-store for the team as they dream up their special Tai Ping creations and “pull the rug out from under” their design comfort zones.
Kitchen Revamp with Vetrazzo
I have always subscribed to two design philosophies when creating interiors: “classically current,” meaning I look to the past for inspiration and combine those influences with contemporary designs, and “livable luxury,” which is the idea that interiors should be stunning and able to stand up to the wear and tear of everyday life. There’s no sense in having a picture-perfect interior if one spilled glass of wine or coffee could ruin the whole design! Life happens, and I always try to ensure my designs will stand up to these everyday twists and turns for my clients.
I often test out new products or designs in my own home before recommending them to clients because if a product can stand up to my lively and curious 5-year-olds, then I feel much more comfortable recommending them to my clients.
When it came time to design my line of performance surfaces with Vetrazzo, I knew from the beginning I would want to install at least one of the four colorways in my home. I had worked with Vetrazzo on projects in the past and was always thrilled with the finished product so I was extremely excited for my own Vetrazzo install day!
Read on to see my kitchen transformation featuring the Fair Pearl surface from the Vetrazzo By Laura U line.
Colorful Collab with Carrie Colbert
Of all the rooms in a home, nurseries and kids’ rooms are some of my absolute favorites to design! The creative use of color is almost always encouraged and the imaginative possibilities are endless. So, when my friend and always-fab fashionista, Carrie Colbert, announced she is expecting a little girl this summer, I jumped at the chance to help her create a whimsical nursery.
A long-time fan of Carrie’s blog, Wear + Where + Well, I have always admired her fun and creative use of color in her ensembles and, as a huge advocate of vibrant hues in my designs, I knew our styles would blend perfectly for this project. In fact, I missed my first chance to work directly with Carrie about five years ago when my team designed the interiors for her new home because I was on maternity leave with my twins at the time!
Now that the stars have aligned, I am super excited to collaborate with her on this project and share the process with you along the way. Read on to learn more about the start of this fab collaboration!
Vetrazzo By Laura U: High Design Meets High Performance
After nearly a year in the making, I am so excited to show off the finished products of my collaboration with Vetrazzo and introduce you to Vetrazzo By Laura U!
The full product line features four colorways – designed by yours truly – and I could not be prouder of this collaboration and work accomplished alongside the fabulous team at Vetrazzo. What began as a quick visit to the Vetrazzo facility in Georgia last May – simply to meet the team and tour the grounds – has come full circle to create a beautiful line of surfaces that are equally as durable as they are stunning.
Read on to learn more about the surfaces and my inspiration for each one!
A Very Special Thank You!
As if the holiday season is not busy enough with wrapping up client projects, planning for 2016, attending one party after the next, shopping for the perfect gifts… (you get the idea!), we decided to plan a presentation of our brand new collection of tabletop linens, Ember + Frost, right in the middle of it all!
I may have questioned my sanity a bit leading up to the event but, in the end, the quick 24-hour trip to the fabulous city of New Orleans was well worth it! Our friend, the amazing and inspiring Mignon Faget, hosted us at her gallery on Magazine St for two fantastic events. I loved the opportunity to show off our new line, which we created in collaboration with textile designer, Ellisha Alexina.
Thank you to everyone who joined us at the event – you make the chaos worth it!
Happy Holidays!
XO, LU
Laura Umansky & the fabulous Mignon Faget
Wintery and whimsical table settings? Yes, please!
Seeing the finished product will never get old!
We’ll see you in New Orleans!
I am so excited to visit New Orleans this weekend and show off our new table top linen collection, Frost + Ember, created in collaboration with Ellisha Alexina.
If you will be in the Big Easy this weekend, I hope you will join us on Saturday, December 12th at the beautiful Mignon Faget Gallery (3801 Magazine Street) from 12-2 p.m. Stop by to peruse the collection, enjoy some refreshments and, of course, say hello!
In the meantime, you can read more about our new Frost + Ember collection and a few holiday decorating tips I shared with the Mignon Faget team below.
We’ll see you Saturday!
XO, LU
- What inspired you to become an interior designer?
As a child I was constantly changing my own room, drawing floor plans, and dreaming about beautiful homes. I have always been in love with the potential that lies within a historic home or a cleared plot of land, alike. Studying art and architecture and delving into the world of committed and groundbreaking designers inspired me to become an interior designer.
- Who/what was your biggest influence in designing your tabletop linen collection, Frost & Ember?
A well-dressed table welcomes your family and friends and evokes a celebratory feeling in your home. When designing this collection I kept the gracious Southern hostess in mind. What would she have on her table? I think Frost & Ember exemplifies this ideal.
3. What home trends are you seeing this Holiday Season that you love?
Painted gourds and botanicals in white, silver and gold. Paired with rich, green garlands these colors are gorgeous and classic.
4. Do you have any décor/design rules?
While I don’t have any rules as design and personal style – in my opinion – is ever evolving, I have one thing that I don’t do: I never stagger art (it should either be orthogonally placed or in a well-collected grouping). Really, that’s it and all else is fair game!
5. What is your design philosophy?
Classically Current – the luxurious liveability I incorporate into all of my interiors. Our clients’ homes are grand, but also grounded. It is the careful balance of a playful and whimsical aesthetic that is also sophisticated and refined. I strive to create well-tailored, inviting environments that are, above all, unforgettable.
6. 3 Things Every House Needs to be a Home:
- Family and Friends
- A fireplace for cozy winter nights – even in the hot and humid South
- An enviable – yet functional – kitchen where everyone can gather