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Hey There,

Ever wonder what a home design show looks like from our point of view? Well here ya go! These images are behind the scenes of our Fine Living Series, Work That Room with Christopher Lowell-but as you can clearly see, it takes lots of people to do a good quality show. In this show, Vertical Space,  it is all about how to deal with tall spaces.   After enjoying the slide show, scroll down and enjoy the behind the scenes descriptions.

Later, CL

P.S. Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter

That’s me with Marshal’s son who was not too happy that we were changing the room. His mother had passed away and he felt very positive about everything she ever touched. But we made friends and he loved the room when it was done.

Michael with camera looking to see of the vendor labels are visible on our boxes just before I do the close of the show in our studio. It’s a little thank you to vendors that gets their name onscreen.

I’m making my entrance. This staircase gives you an idea as to how tall this space really is—nose bleed is more like it.

Marshal with his new lady, Julie. They were thinking of getting married and a year later still have not tied the knot.

In addition to filming,  the team and I only have about half a day in the actual spaces together to choose wall color, measure, design window treatments and the whole shabang. Decorating on the fly, as it were.

Our round tables are where it all comes together. Jocelyne builds the models so we can get the entire room in the shot to give you all an idea of the proportions of the space.

Hi Everyone,

Renowned jazz great Jonathan Butler and his wife Bari are spectacular people. I’ve been to many of his SRO (Standing Room Only) concerts and she’s a decorating dynamo.

After enjoying the slide show, scroll down and enjoy the behind the scenes descriptions.

Later, CL

P.S. Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter

Here Bari is  getting made up by Gabrielle who’s been slappin’ the grease paint on me for over a decade.

Jonathan, in his studio,  has a moment with Gordon. This is just before he composed a piece of music for the segment-right on the spot.

Bari’s getting microphoned up by Bobbi, our audio tech. That guy has had his hand up my shirt and down my pants for years. The big line is “turn me on Bobbi.’ Old as the hills but we still say it!

All the pictures (except this one) were shot by JJ.  She and I have been close friends for twenty years.  There a peek of the completed room in the background. The room went from seating for six, to seating for 16. Jonathan and Bari say it’s their very favorite room . A week later I received a beautiful (expensive) bouquet from them, just in time for my sister’s visit to LA.  

That’s Brooke, our producer, harnessing the family dog to keep it out of the next shot.

Bari’s so proud of her grandchild whose feet didn’t touch the floor the entire time we filmed there. Stunning child and well behaved. Kids and pets are always an unpredictable feature when shooting.

Bari handles the kid so casually; she’s obviously an experienced mom and a real constant in this child’s life too.

I really loved my time with Jonathan & Bari who are effervescent, kind and inspiring to be around.  He and his wife make me look like a giant. I’m  usually the shortest guy in the room.

In Billy’s bedroom with Gordon getting ready to do the ‘before’ walk through. 

We’re all in the living room after the ‘befores’ are shot.  The crew is still upstairs shooting what we call ‘b-roll’.   That just means the shots are without talent and no sound—and mostly referencing what I’ve just talked about.

A brief light moment between Michael and Jocelyne.  

Billy sees the completed  bedroom for the  first time.  He is over the top pleased.  Masculine yet not too gender specific.

Just before we shoot, I tweak the accessories—that’s kinda my thing.  Sometimes we do a little editing once cameras are up as proportions change through the lens.

Jocelyne finds out that Billy  did not want ‘Old Hollywood’, but new ‘Hollywood’.  So, she tossed the ‘Old Hollywood’ swatches out and started again.

This is a great shot of a portion of our studio where we do round table design consultations.  By the time cameras roll on these segments, we have to have all designs locked in for sure.

That’s our beloved Kenny taking a rare break.   He and I have been filming together for a LONG time.  It’s a real dance of anticipation when we shoot because he has to listen and follow backwards most of the time.  We end up doing a lot of our own blocking after the director sets the scene because we know each others style so well.  

 Hey There,

Ever wonder what a home design show looks like from our point of view? Well here ya go! These images are behind the scenes of our Fine Living Series, Work That Room with Christopher Lowell-but as you can clearly see, it takes lots of people to do a good quality show. In this show, Blended Spaces, it is all about how to deal with what’s now the most important room in the house—the kitchen/family room.   After enjoying the slide show, scroll down and enjoy the behind the scenes descriptions.

Later, CL        

P.S. Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter

That’s Gordon my Emmy award-wining director setting the shot for my first walk through of the space in our ‘before’ segment. I’m somewhere writing down the key points so I don’t sound like an idiot when the camera rolls.

I’m putting Sana and Mark at ease before the cameras roll-it’s their first time on TV. She’s a great cook and a well-respected Doctor. He’s a high-powered businessman.Their favorite hotel is the Four Seasons, which was a huge clue for me.

This staging area is only a fourth of the equipment used in capturing the rooms. The tennis balls on the tripods prevent the floors from being marred.

The thing Sana loves about the Four Seasons are the flowers which we duplicated in her home. We do it right on the spot. Note the new wall color in the background.

Here I’ve tied the flowers into bundles with raffia and used what’s called the lean method. She went crazy because unbeknownst to me the ruby colored lilies are actually her very favorite flower ever, who knew?

  A week later, I did the whole floral demo again in studio.

Sana’s coming down stairs after a wardrobe change. The color in the new room was chosen to blend with the pre-existing color here in the hall.

Here I’m getting ready to open the show before the graphics package “I’m Christopher Lowell and I’m about to Work That Room—or something like that. I was sweating like a pig in really hot weather. One simple line took more time than shooting the whole room in it’s before stage because the street was so frigg’n busy.

Kenny, a genius of a cameraman is doubling as a grip too. Budget, budget!

Every show has a roundtable design conversation with me and my team. That’s the ever-stunning Jocelyne who hates pictures taken of her—why with a kisser like that, I have no idea?  Michael (he’s our “Radar”) my Supervising Producer, without him things fall apart quick.