lowelldown

Hey everyone,

I’ll be on my way to San Francisco next weekend for the grand price give-away from our House to Home Sweepstakes. Grand prizewinner gets an in-person design visit from me. So we want to thank all the entries. I’ll let you know how it went.

In about two weeks we’ll be gearing up to tape more episodes of HOMEnext. You’ll start seeing the previews any day now. The first go-around focused on open spaces and this new batch will focus on the master suite.

Thanks for your comments on the new book. We’re very pleased with the reaction to it across the board and it’s been fun promoting it in radio interviews across the nation. I’ve already begun formulating book number seven. I plan for it to be quite comprehensive about how we’re living now versus only five years ago. It’s a book I’ve wanted to write for a while but could not until now.

I’ve been asked by many on my staff to write a few words on how to use the blog versus the message boards — and there is a distinction. So here goes. The message boards are there for you to talk amongst yourselves about anything you want. Although it’s monitored we try to stay hands off as much as possible. As long as communications are polite and not mean spirited, have at it — it’s your forum! We encourage you to talk about what you’re doing, ventures you’re contemplating going into, projects you’re willing to share with us and each other — it’s all good! My staff keeps me up to speed on what’s happening and I do rely on them heavily regarding the message boards are concerned otherwise, frankly, it would drive me crazy. Some of you dispense design advice that I would not — but then it’s not my forum. Therefore anyone who reads what’s there has to know that what’s posted there — unless from a member of my staff — are strictly your opinions and not mine.

The Blog however was created specifically to share my personal insights, news, and observations. What I write in my blog is directly from the “horse’s” mouth – so to speak. It’s also your opportunity to comment and react to my opinions directly and I encourage and expect you to. Your reactions to what I post there can be in agreement or disagreement with me. Nevertheless, what’s important is that they remain topical to my postings. It’s not designed as a launching point for you to chat amongst yourselves or self promote. Again if you’re so inclined, feel free to do so but please do that on the message boards. If you want to write me a personal letter then that can be done through viewer mail and it will be forwarded to me.

On the blog, I often try my best to answer any questions I feel comfortable with but more importantly I feel are universal to all those reading — whether they leave a comment or not. For the most part, I try not to mention specific names because I think it’s obvious by reading the comments who asked what. And remember far more are reading the blog without commenting than you might suspect. Therefore I don’t want anyone to feel excluded by getting into a dialogue with only those who comment. Some of you who frequently comment do raise great questions that I absolutely think are universal to everyone and I thank you for that.

I hope this helps you better understand the difference between the message board and my blog. Our goal is to provide you various ways to share effectively with each other and with me.

Later,
CL

So, OK. How uninformed am I? I tend to only have time to scan the message boards, read the blog portion of the web and get my new letters to our webmaster. So I was unaware that the DirectBuy announcement had already been posted on the site, too. As part of the new site revamp (which is gorgeous, by the way), we’re creating a new page that does not necessarily fall under any of our other categories, but represents all the other places that we are making impressions worldwide, such as Ladies Home Journal online, From House to Home and a variety of media where we participate all the time that many never see.

So, deep breath…here’s the skinny on DirectBuy. DirectBuy approached us looking for us to help their members navigate through the hundreds of product binders that comprise their members-only showroom. The good news is that the savings are amazing. However, for the novice, actually getting through all the catalog offerings (it can be time consuming) and for some without a clear vision of how they want their new home or remodel to look when completed, it can be an overwhelming process.

Impressed by the nationwide success of my Seven Layers of Design philosophy and the popularity of my entire library, DirectBuy wondered if, in fact, we could create a program for their members which would streamline the order process and offer an enhanced kind of design support that they felt their members deserved.

So over the past months we created a program that has resulted in The Christopher Lowell Dream Rooms program. Instead of the members going through all the product catalogs, we did. My team and I spent months pre-coordinating fully actualized rooms which we felt were reminiscent of where many new home and new remodeling projects were going…open, flexible, non-gender specific spaces that we feel will remain classic for a long time. Now their members can look through the book and use the photos as inspiration or to simulate the actual rooms.

The Dream Rooms book, along with our complete library, will be rolling into DirectBuy showrooms nationwide over the next few months.

I can’t stress enough, however, that the DirectBuy program is really for those ready for a substantial remodel or those who are building a new home. It’s not a place to get a single item such as a sofa for less. The membership fees are substantial, but well worth the price only if one is looking to do a complete room from top to bottom or, say, a complete master suite, new kitchen or a whole house. It’s not like Costco or Sam’s Club where you buy in bulk. Dig?

As a way of announcing our affiliation with DirectBuy, you’ll soon see their new infomercial. The brief portion that includes me was actually filmed here in our studios. Our relationship with DirectBuy is one of marketing and education, and this is just one of those components. My goal is to really help these new homeowners and those looking to transform their existing home with an effective program whereby they can really afford to do the job right…at the very beginning rather than having to settle for second best, or worse, be in a position where they can’t afford to really finish their homes and be proud of them.

So that’s the skinny on DirectBuy.

While some of you might be saying…What about us? Not to worry. We will be growing our offerings wtih places like Jo-Ann’s significantly along with some VERY exciting new programs offering stunning quality at single item price-points you all can afford.

Later,
CL

I just finished a radio media tour yesterday on the new book (Christopher Lowell’s One-of-a-Kind Decorating). It was sent in advance to 40 odd radio stations – hot off the press. So from 4:00 a.m. in the morning until 12:30 in the afternoon, every 15 minutes I did radio radio interviews coast to coast — you do the math!

It’s a punishing experience as you have to be as ‘up’ in the first interview as the last one. I was happy with the press’s response to the book. They seemed to really get it and were fighing as to who in the stations got to take the book home — always a good sign. So many stations wanted to book me on this tour that part two of the tour has now been rolled over to next Wednesday. And yes, there are still many homemade demos in this book for those who think we’re walking away from those. We’ve just refined the demos and updated them for today’s more casual lifestyle and lack of time.

The radio tour process (my sixth) is interesting. I hang on the line with a company rep who facilitates connecting me with each station across the country. We both have printed press schedules in front of us in advance, which allows me to know the station, the length of each interview and who’s hosting. Luckily, I have two remote phones on separate cradles in by bedroom suite. This allows me mobility but also allows me to charge one phone while talking on the other. And after eight hours of talking, you really need it.

Some of the radio stations are very homespun and local so you’re hearing their regional concerns, weather…every neighborhood has their own agenda.

Other stations, of course, are national and live where you’re communicating with millions of listeners at once — hence the motivation to write the last blog about proper use of one’s voice in the media. Many interviews are live but some are pre-taped for later broadcast so that they can be part of the tour on our schedule.

Many of the hosts I’ve gotten to know over the years, and then there are some who are new. So every fifteen minutes it’s a whole new ballgame and really keeps you on your toes — you also have to remember which listeners in which markets may overlap so you don’t want to repeat yourself. Needless to say, radio tours are not for the faint hearted or easily rattled.

All in all it was a good reception — aside from one shock-jock with whom I held my own.

That was my day…How was yours?

Later,
CL

I, like the rest of the nation watching, want to share all our heartfelt condolences to those impacted by the Virginia Tech horror. I watched dazed like you did. As the moments unfolded, I tried to separate out the sensationalized from the real reporting.

I later heard the English teacher who said her early detecting of the shooter’s writings were not legally permissible. She read his work wondering if something was up. I think we need to trust our own instincts. If someone seems creepy or volatile, we should say something.

Our language is powerful and revealing. As people like Imus are being taken to task, there should be an open dialogue in America about accountability and what the lines are between cruelty and freedom of speech.

I certainly am someone in the public eye who hates to be “handled” or censored. I don’t want other people telling me what is or isn’t important. But at the same time, those of us who have national voices should be using them to shed light on dark areas. We should use our platforms to inspire and uplift. And if we don’t, the American public should tune out — thus taking it away.

Perhaps we’ll finally get to a place where it’s not cool to denigrate, belittle and rob others of their self-esteem.

What’s so bad, corny or un-cool about being nice, civil and respectful. I know that there have been times in my own career where being nice and not ‘edgy’ enough has hindered my personal creativity message from getting to people who could really be uplifted by it.

I believe in freedom of speech. I believe that anyone should have a right to express one’s opinion. But if that message is to spread uneducated hate at others’ expense…I wonder how meaningful that freedom actually is.

We’re living in times that bombard us with information overload. We’re walking through life chatting on cell phones, text messaging — fueling an A.D.D. culture. How much in touch is too much?

I sometimes wonder if we miss dangerous sublteties simply because we’re not paying attention as we hyper-task through life. Are we missing the simply joy of peace and contemplation? Are we missing the ability to fully be ‘present’ and yes….are we missing those blatant cries for help?

With this new technology that spurs our voracious, addicting appetite for information, are we better?

We at Christopher Lowell’s mourn the loss of these recently taken lives. Our hearts and prayers will be with the friends and families who’ve been touched by this senseless act.

Later,
Christopher

Here are some answers to comments you’ve written.

About herbs: I plant what I tend to buy most during the winter — basil, thyme, rosemary (which grows in hedges here in LA. Also, sage, chive and oregano.

I plant several pots by food groups. One I call the ‘poultry seasonings mix’ — sage, thyme and rosemary. The other is my ‘Italian pasta mix’ — basil, oregano and another type of thyme. Chive I do by itself. I’ve found that once the herbs take hold (full sun, daily water) they can take over, and I end up over-producing what I really use. Basil will yield so much that I can’t keep up with it. So containers really are better than planting herbs directly in the ground. Nothing is worse than topping off bundles of fresh basil (with several containers of pesto already in the fridge) and throwing it away. Herbs will also get stringy after time, so containers allow you to replace both the herb and the old soil mid-summer without getting the tractor out.

About the house: The last time we did Spanish, it was an authentic 1937 structure, which we tried to honor. This home has a pseudo-Spanish exterior with touches of Mediterranean inside. But we’ll be (based on furniture availability) doing more of our “from hotel to home” concept fitting the right furniture in difficult spaces. And using free-standing furniture (instead of custom building/construction) to add storage, create continuity, separate spaces and accommodate as many kinds of flexible activities as possible. As we move forward into the age of multi-tasking, and personal time seems to dwindle, heavy construction today now costs more in personal time, equipment and space than finding existing pieces that not only do the same thing, but also go with you when you move on. With the global resources available now (thus pushing down the cost of furniture by half of what our parents paid for it), it’s worth spending the time to find the right piece for the right place — of course with an eye to technology and dual function.
About TV: HOMEnext was originally the vehicle to showcase The Shade Hotel project/special. As with all our projects CL Productions develops, we shoot a 30-minute pilot and create what’s called a ‘Book.’ It describes the gist of what 13 episodes will look like along with research that supports its reason to ‘be.’ During the “shopping process,” it became clear that although the Nets liked the show very much and continually complimented us on our stellar production values, the primetime slots at the time simply were not available. In order to run the show in a daytime slot, the budgets would not be there to give the show the kind of production value we felt it needed. So instead, we decided to hold HOMEnext for our own web. And this is now the series we’re about to debut. It turned out to be a Godsend as doing the pilot really jump-started the whole website revamp in the first place.

About the Website process: Well, we’re almost there. Things are progressing very well, and Janet and her team have come up with a great new look for the site (that alone took a lot of back-and-forth until we arrived at something we all loved), the technology demands kept changing, too, as I’m considering taking the radio show live every Tuesday on the web as well. If I go forward with the plan, you’ll be able to phone us live while seeing a visual slideshow on what we’re talking about. This of course set us back some time as we wanted to make provisions for this up front should I decide to go forward with this at a later date. So now that all the final decisions have been made, it’s in Janet’s hands and now all about the “creative finishing up.”

More later,
CL

Well, after a reality check of my calendar, I decided to stay put and not travel to Carmel valley. I will instead be writing marketing plans and new articles that just came in. I will try my best to get out in the yard to spruce up my container gardens with fresh herbs for summer…gotta get the hands in soil to stay grounded, you know. Since my sister is coming out soon, I’m going to reserve what little free time I have to be with her instead…always great.

I’ll have a few folks in, do the lamb recipe I talked about on the radio show and spend the rest of the time catching up with friends via phone. Everyone will be home so it’s a good time to reach people I’ve not talked to in awhile.

About the new house:
The new house is a spec home which, while I invested in it, I did not design the actual house structure. It was designed by a leading company here in LA that I’ve worked with several times. They specialize in the right house plan for the right neighborhood. So this is a ‘typical’ new construction home that builders are placing all across the country. We thought it would be a better story, rather than me designing the house plans. Something that would not be available to the overage Joe. Not that I won’t at some point create a CL floor plan…but not yet. While my team has seen the home in its initial stages (following its progress), I purposely have not set foot on the premises since viewing the empty lot. I wanted cameras to roll as I viewed the home for the very first time. As with all new homes, there will be some things that are great, and other features that will pose some decorating issues — just like any new home that a buyer walks through for the first time. We will be choosing all the surfaces, fixtures and whatever is allowed a first time buyer by the builder. Then the interior design process will start from there.

While I love the idea of people choosing elements with us, that my dear friends, is a logistical nightmare, and it would take about a year to complete the home…something that we have to finish in about two months. However, the idea has not escaped me and there is, as a matter of fact, a component of that in the NEW TV show that we’re creating. Like minds, right?

Three hours later:
The new home walk-through was great. It was sooo the right approach for me not to see the home until we (the viewer and I) did it together. So as not to steal my own thunder, I’ll post a few pix, but won’t reveal too much until it’s presented in the proper context.

This house has a lot of ‘blended’ space, which we know is difficult for people to decorate. So the “stories” for this house will be interesting and valuable.

It was nice being on location again. We had booked a full day for my “walk-and-talks,” and I really didn’t think I’d be back until 8 p.m. tonight. But here it is only 1:30 p.m. That’s because I was “on” today and did a lot of prep last night. So a lot of great information got on film in single ‘takes.’

This really is the first time we’ve been able to film the ‘before’ of the ‘before.’ The good news is that you see it in its raw stage. The tricky part is for me not to box myself in by saying stuff on camera that might not show up in the ‘during’ or ‘after’ shots. So I have to throw out a lot of options for consideration instead on every inch of the house. Some we’ll do and some simply won’t happen due to a domino effect of time versus money versus my schedule versus crew availability versus available product versus construction delays versus posting and editing deadlines. ALL of which is subject to a sliding financial budget while all of this is going on.

Monday, I’ll sit with the crew and begin sketching my initial vision of the house room by room. Then the hard part really begins. My staff begins to assemble all the options based on my initial sketches and on my written descriptions of how I want each room not only to function, but to FEEL as well. Yes, I follow my own advice to the letter. In about a week or so, we’ll begin to get an idea of which partners and vendors will participate and what they have that will reliably arrive on time.

Historically, we end up choosing furnishings and accessories at least twice, if not more for every room, because of so many shifting variables. I will then go through the ‘take-away’ process with the staff, eliminating the furniture I don’t want (from what they have selected) and substituting second best pieces for the ones we dreamed of getting, but simply couldn’t. See, it’s just like what everyone goes through. At that point, we’ll make our final wall color selections and return back to the house to show you the what, where and why of layers number one and two, as the floor will be in then, too.

And so on it goes as we keep track of every timecode that goes with a specific segment, often out of sequence, and I make sure through all of this that I don’t repeat myself and connect all the varying dots for the viewer so it all makes sense and will ‘cut’ right once in the editing room when I’m not usually available. If it sounds complicated, it is. And I’ve omitted about another thirty steps that have to happen as well. But that’s what it takes to get GOOD makeovers on the screen that bear my name.

As far as DirectBuy…I’ll address that fully in another letter. But just so you know in advance, this is NOT open to the public…only to dues-paying members who are doing a substantial amount of remodeling at one time. You can’t wander the showroom until you’ve paid the membership dues. What I can say is that this is an extremely reputable company. We do our homework before making any associations. As I say, a more formal announcement will be made soon.

So, with a successful first pass at the new house, I’ll be able to get a lot more writing done, and therefore have at least one Easter weekend day to chill. Yeah!

Hope you get the same.

Later,
CL