Set Staging for Lumens Elle Decor Ad

As a designer, there is nothing more fun, and thrilling, than to put all of the finishing touches together in a room for its grand debut for a client. You work for months, sometimes years for a large project to be completed. Oftentimes, a project may never get to that final stage where art and accessories are all in place.

So....I feel very lucky to be able to be able to work with Lumens Light and Living where I get to design and stage the sets for their print ads which have been appearing in Elle Decor and Dwell magazines for about a year now. Talk a bout instant gratification! I get to choose from all of the products that Lumens offers through their online shop, including designer brands like Missoni, Tom Dixon, Dwell Studios, Jonathan Adler, Ralph Lauren, Artek, Kartell, Blu Dot and Moooi. That just names a few of the furnishings vendors (who also provide amazing lighting design as well!). Don't get me started on the Lighting vendors! Better that you hop on over to their website for the full list. 

After the design is finalized on paper, the items for the shoot are pulled together and we shoot a few weeks later. Then it appears in print about a month after that! While a timeline like this can have it challenges, it is so much fun to see results this quickly! It is just one more reason I anxiously wait for the thud of Elle Decor or Dwell as they drop through my mail slot each month. 

In this latest ad placed in Elle Decor, the focus was on a new light fixture by Kichler. I pulled together elements to create a vignette that is somewhat industrial casual, and a little bit Shaker in feeling. I pulled the Tom Dixon Screw Table with a white marble top and caste metal base. I love that the top can be raised or lowered by screwing the table to up or down. Next, I chose the Mademoiselle Lounge Chair by Artek. Designed by Ilmari Tapivaara in 1956, this chair still looks modern and fresh.... a sign of a true classic. To accessorize, I picked the Eames House Bird by Vitra. No one knows the exact origin, but this black bird is in many Eames house photos. Alessi's La Stanza Dello Scirocco Cachepot by Italian designer Mario Trimarchi is perfect for holding orchids. Raw pine paneling and simple linen curtains create the perfect backdrop.

To get the scoop on each item, you can scan the lamp at the bottom right corner of the Lumens Light and Living ad with your smart phone, or hop on over HERE.

Happy Shopping!

Set Staging in Latest Elle Decor: Lumens Light and Living

I have had the pleasure of  working with Lumens Light and Living, a fantastic lighting and home decor resource, for the past several months. I have been designing and staging the sets to display featured light fixtures, and in this case, ceiling fans in ads for Elle Decor and Dwell magazines. This latest ad is in the July, August 2011 issue of Elle Decor!

  The process for designing the ads is similar to designing a room, but there are some very important differences. I do come up with a design concept based on "imaginary" clients. The client is based on a demographic that is interested in great contemporary design and wants it for their own home. They aren't afraid to "mix it up" and get creative.

I do use items that are available from the online furniture, area rugs, and decor that are offered on the Lumens website. The vendors and brands being offered by Lumens is expanding every day and include favorites like Tom Dixon, Dwell Studio, Kartell, Blu Dot, Artek, Moooi, Missoni and Thomas Paul. This is a sampling of brands in the Furnishings Home Decor section of the website and does not even scratch the surface!  Lighting is a whole other category and includes pieces by designers like Mary McDonald, Ralph Lauren, Tom Dixon, and Jonathan Adler. Truly, the list is just too long to attempt to capture here. I suggest taking a look over on the Lumens website. Click on "brands" to check it out.

So....I do have a lot to work with! After I come up with the concept, I meet with the amazing group at Lumens to make sure we can procure all of the items we would like to use within our time frame. We are working on a project schedule that includes building the set, or "room" if you will. It may include floors, walls and ceilings, but not always. In this set, it did include all three. Next we need to schedule the photo shoot and dress the set with furniture and accessories, and of course the light fixtures! Next, the Art Director does his magic composing the finished ad in time to meet the magazine issues' deadline.

I am lucky to be working with the amazing crew at Lumens, and look forward every month to hunting for the ads in Elle Decor and Dwell!

Right now, I am right in the middle of the process for some new ads that will be coming out in October! Stay tuned....

My Work in Elle Decor and Dwell!

Lumens in Dwell Magazine, March 2011

OK, it is not quite the ten page editorial spread....but I am still very excited to be working with Lumens Light and Living in creating their newest ad campaigns featuring gorgeous lighting as well as furnishings and accessories available through the Lumens website and store.

The ad above can be seen in the March 2011 issue of Dwell magazine! I am lucky to have worked over the years with the creative forces behind Lumens Light and Living, owners Ken Plumlee and Peter Weight. Ken and Peter have guided Lumens into an international resource for the very best in residential and commercial lighting fixtures emphasizing contemporary, but providing the best in classic design as well. And if you are looking for creative modern furnishings, fun accessories, area rugs and bedding, Lumens has so much to discover. Best part? Lumens originated right here in Sacramento where I get to visit their flagship store all of the time. (Perfect for meetings with clients when we are choosing their lighting!)

So...what was my role in the creation of the latest advertisements? I had the fun of creating the sets and pulling together all of the elements in the "rooms" you see. For the ad above, I created a "loft" atmosphere by using a brick wall and wood plank floor for the backdrop. I decided on a black and white palette using a contemporary bed from Blu Dot, and bed linens from Dwell Studio. Tom Dixon designed the Screw Table incorporating a Carrara marble top and caste iron base. I love how the height can be adjusted by turning the top one way or the other. The Cubist Throw on the bed is also by Dwell Studio. And the main event? The lighting : The Tear Drop Multi-Light Pendant is by Sonneman.



On Set

Perhaps the most fun part of the project was the photo shoot itself. It was a blast working with Fred and Elizabeth from Photographer Link getting the shots just right. And there were lots of laughs along the way (especially the tree incident...see below).



Fred hard at work

I have been through many photo shoots of completed client projects, but a shoot for an advertisement was a bit different. We were focusing on a small vignette of space in a warehouse large enough the create individual sets for each "room". So I was designing for the shot itself, not a whole room. As you can see in the photo of the set above, I only needed enough flooring for what would show in the shot. The placement of all of the furnishings and the light fixture was determined so that the "star" of the show, the pendant light, was front and center. Perspectives only count on film, so the placement became a little wacky....the table was pushed forward, and the fixture pushed forward farther still. It all came together for a great shot! 

Oh yes....the "tree". Owner, Ken and I decided we needed a bit of life in the picture....so we made a tree...what do you think?

Our "Tree"

 It all came together with the artful expertise of Lumens Creative Director, Drew Newbold, who put together all of the ad graphics and web "article" you see below: 

Lumens Article, on the Web

To get a better look and find out details about every item in the shot, click on over HERE.

The advertisement in Elle Decor was for the Kiev Pendants by Tech Lighting. I think these pendants are classic and fashionable....sort of like the perfect little black dress. So I created a space to match! 

Lumens in Elle Decor, March 2011

I chose a white lacquer desk from Blu Dot, and black Papyrus Chairs from Kartell to furnish a "home office". Wood Paneling on the walls is the backdrop for the Francois Ghost Mirror by Philippe Starck for Kartell. Jonathan Adler frame adds a spot of color.

Here is a little behind the scenes look at all of the little tricks it takes to get the perfect "shot":

Behind the Scenes

A few of the details behind the shoot: the chair in back is placed on lifts so we can see it in the final shot. Pendants are hung from a boom so they can be moved as needed. As you can see below, we moved them forward so the perspective in the shot would be correct.

Strange Perspective

You can also see how far out the sliding shelf had to come to appear like it was just a little bit out in the photo below. And to have the ability to place the mirror properly in the shot, we put it on a tripod so it would be easy to move.

Camera Angle

This ad is in the March 2011 issue of Elle Decor right before the main Editorial section! (I am one page away....grin!).

And here is the ad Article which you can see better HERE:

"It takes a village" to create the final product: Myself, Owner Ken Plumlee, Fred and Elizabeth for the Photography, Drew Newbold the Creative Director, and the coordinator of everyone's efforts, the amazing and tireless Kathy VanVelzer, Director of Marketing. I have to say, I could not ask for a better group to work with.

Many thanks to Ken for asking me to be a part of the team, and for everyone else who made the experience so rewarding!

Keep a look out for the April issues of Elle Decor and Dwell...there are more to come!

And hop on over to Lumens and take a look around!