Notes from Nicole

Last week in LA…

Sorry I’ve been MIA! Work and life have been crazy! I spent 5 days in LA last week for work so I thought I’d give you a little recap of all of the design related stories from my trip…good and bad. Let’s start with one of my favorite hotels, The Chamberlain West Hollywood.

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Stayed a fabulous two nights at The Chamberlain. I go to LA quite often and stay here a majority of the time. It’s quiet and cozy, centrally located and I love the large rooms, the pool, the service, and the gorgeous lobby pictured above. But…during this stay I was very disappointed when my expensive T3 flat iron mysteriously went missing. I realized it after I checked out and when I called the hotel said they could not locate it. And since then, hotel hasn’t been very responsive to my phone calls. I think I deserve some sort of compesation…or at the very least an apology but nothing yet. I’m hoping they’re just busy and not ignoring me because I’m going back there next week and will surely make a fuss about this if it’s not resolved before my next stay! Anyway…I extended my trip a few extra days to visit friends and enjoy LA so I decided to switch hotels and stay somewhere a bit less expensive after I was finished taking care of business. I landed on Maison 140 in Beverly Hills which is a sister property to the Chamberlain, both owned by Kelly Wearstler’s Hubby Brad Korzen.
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Let me start by saying that I had really high expectations for Maison 140. When I arrived I was expecting valet service and bellhops to take my car and help me with my luggage. But when I pulled up front and no one came to greet my car I was confused. Then I realized the hotel had a self-park lot. At first I thought to myself, “Free parking! Great! Totally makes up for having to schlep my bags inside all by myself.” But nope, $24 per night to self park. Sort of annoying but I rationalized it against the fact that I was saving money in valet tips.

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Once inside I forgot all about the parking, because all I could focus on was the lovely lobby. It was dark, moody and very chic. It felt intimate and the staff that greeted me inside couldn’t have been nicer.

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While I waited to check in, I was offered a complimentary glass of champagne, which I graciously accepted;-) Definitely my kind of place!

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Now on to my room…

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My expectations for the decor were especially high since they were designed by Kelly Wearstler. This was my room. Not terrible, but there’s something about the color orange that makes me uneasy.

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In the bathroom I noticed a weird windy sound coming from the vent and when I looked up I saw this. A dust bunny covered vent. Eeew. Right then I decided to switch rooms.

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I put on a smile and my sweetest voice and kindly asked the woman at the front desk if I could switch rooms. She was extremely nice about it and quickly moved me to one of the property’s “Mandarin” rooms which looked sort of like the one above. (Sorry, I didn’t take a photo!) My new room was small-ish, but perfect! And despite those few minor issues, all in all I had a great stay at Maison 140. I also loved the super cute, quiet location and especially the friendly staff. I’d definitely give the place a second chance.

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On Friday night I met up with interior designer Kishani Perera, who I was introduced to by a mutual friend. (She’s amazing, by the way-Look for a profile plus Kishani’s tips for decorating on a budget coming soon!) We dined at XIV which is located right on the Sunset strip. XIV is owned by LA nightlife impresario Brent Bolthouse who also owns a number of other trendy eateries and nightclubs in LA.

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The eclectic menu was created by Michelin rated chef Michael Mina.The food was A-Mazing.  I had lobster corn dogs as an appetizer and halibut as my entree plus a yummy nutty banana thingy off their vegan menu for dessert. I loved that they offered different menus and also various options for ordering. They did offer tradtional appetizer, entree dessert but they recommend their selection of small plates so you can design your own tasting menu and try a number of items. The service was also top notch.

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As much as I loved the food and impeccable service, I loved the decor ten times more. Designed by Philippe Starck, XIV’s opulent interior spaces are meant to evoke the feeling of a 17th century chateau.

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There are cozy fireplaces, built in bookshelves filled with beautifully bound books, rich chocloate brown velvet draperies, furnishings from France and Italy, gorgeaous crystal chandeliers and an incredible collection of original oil paintings and other works of art.

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An interesting juxtaposition against the restaraunt’s traditional European furnishings is its open, stainless steel kitchen which adds an element of modernity to the space.

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The restaurant also features a chic covered patio which is where we were seated.

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The space is beautiful and filled with whymsical touches like vine covered trellises and wheelbarrow shaped chairs. The patio takes advantage of LA’s beautiful weather by allowing patrons to feel the city’s cool breeze as they dine. XIV gets an A+ in my grade book so if you haven’t checked it out, it should be on your must-visit list!

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Saturday I checked out a few vintage furniture shops in and around Silverlake/Echo Park. a few I really thought were great were Living Room, Casa Victoria and Sunset Bazaar. Living room, pictured above contains a mix of new and vintage and is a bit more high-end. The  beds were covered in Dwell Studio and John Robshaw linens and most of the  vintage furnishings the sell are refurbished and re-covered in updated fabrics. Another shop i Liked was Sunset Bazaar which was small but I saw a few great quality pieces that were very reasonably priced. Sunset Bazaar was much larger and had two floors. The top floor was set up more like a showroom and the pieces were much nicer than the selection on the lower level. The lower level was actually two separate garage like spaces filled to the brim with furniture that all needed a bit of TLC but were solid pieces at amazing prices. I spotted a pair of black lacuqer asian insipred armchairs for $25 each! Casa Victoria was also great…reasonable prices and amongst the sea of the furniture there were definitely a few diamonds in the rough. All in all it was a great trip. I used to have a love/hate relationship with LA but now I just love it! I love the constant sunshine and palm trees all around you! I’m going back again next week and I can’t wait!!

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