Tag Archives: Interior Design

Artful Living with Romi Cortier is here!

September 21, 2017 romicortier@yahoo.com Leave a comment

I’m thrilled to announce the debut of my new TV pilot Artful Living with Romi Cortier! The concept has been years in the making, inspired by my multiple DIY mural making videos on Youtube, of which I have over 1,500,000 views. Yes, that’s 1 1/2 million views!!

Artful Living with Romi Cortier is a celebration of Art, Architecture and Interior Design. As an artist and a purveyor of good taste, I want to focus on what’s right and beautiful in this world. There is so much to be explored, and that’s our concept for this show. Interviews with designers, artists, architects, scholars, all threaded together by the history of the built environment. Art Deco, Hollywood Regency, Post Modernism… they’re all words we’ve heard, but what do they really mean? I’ll help you understand that in my show, and I’ll also show you some fun DIY tricks for things that you can do around your own home.

Romi Cortier and Coco, aka Malibu Pom on the set of Artful Living, Photo Recio Carrington Young

And did I happen to mention that my co-host is the cutest white Pomeranian you’ve ever seen? Her name is Coco, aka Malibu Pom, which is the name of her Instagram page. (Hey, this is Hollywood and all the cool pups here have their own Instagram accounts). But what’s even more fun is that she actually LOVES riding around in the car with the top down, cruising Rodeo Drive and brunching at Villa Blanca. If there’s a camera around you can bet Coco has a smile on her face… and with that cute mug she makes friends everywhere she goes.

Coco, aka Malibu Pom, Rodeo Drive, Photo Jacob Kelso

In this pilot episode you’ll learn a little bit about the history of Palm Springs and some of the hallmarks of mid-century modernism. You’ll also see a beautiful mid-century inspired table setting that I created, which was done in front of a mural that I’d painted earlier that day. The Mural was inspired by the drawings of Saul Lewitt whose work I’d seen at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. I like to think of Op Art (optical illusion art) as an art movement that dovetails nicely with mid-century modernism, because it has it roots in the early 1960’s.

Romi Cortier on the set of Artful Living, Palm Springs, Ca., Photo Recio Carrington Young.

Here’s a close up look at a few of the details on the table. The plates with the platinum dots are from my personal collection of Bernardaud (fine china from France), and the crystal glass is by Reed and Barton available at Bloomingdales.

Table setting for Artful Living with Bernardaud plates and glasses by Reed and Barton. Photos Jacob Kelso

Here are our two cameramen making the magic happen while on set in Palm Springs: Willy Lazlo and Jacob Kelso… it takes a village, especially when it’s over 100 degrees!

Cameramen Willy Lazlo and Jacob Kelso, Romi Cortier, and Coco, Palm Springs, Ca., Photo Recio Carrington Young — Cameramen Willy Lazlo and Jacob Kelso, Romi Cortier, and Coco aka Malibu Pom, Palm Springs, Ca., Photo Recio Carrington Young

And lastly, here’s a great photo from our wrap party with our editors Antone Hammers and Amanda Bliss Taylor. They were hands down an extraordinary duo. Antone was our story editor and created the rough cut, and Amanda created the finished product complete with a final polish. And most importantly, meet our producer Recio Carrington Young of Red Carpet Recio Productions. He pulled together this amazing team, spent countless hours with our editors choosing music, directing cuts, and creating the overall tone of the show.

Antone Hammers, Romi Cortier, Coco aka Malibu Pom, Recio Carrington Young, and Amanda Bliss Taylor. Artful Living wrap party, Beverly Hills, Ca.

We’d really love your support and hope you’ll check out the pilot while it’s available on Go Indie TV. Please follow the link below to watch the entire 22 minute pilot for free.

Artful Living with Romi Cortier

Inside the SLS Hotel in Las Vegas

September 7, 2017 romicortier@yahoo.com Leave a comment

Elevator Art, SLS Hotel, Las Vegas, Photo Romi Cortier

SLS Hotel, Las Vegas, Photo Romi Cortier

SLS Hotel, Las Vegas, Romi Cortier Selfie

I recently spent a night at the SLS Hotel in Las Vegas. I was there in late August of 2014, just a week after it opened, and I promised myself that I’d return. It took me three years, but I made it.

I’d never seen the rooms before, only the lobby, which I loved!! To be honest, I’m not a big fan of Vegas, where every hotel is pumped up on steroids. So I instantly fell in love with the scale of the SLS, as well as how artfully the interiors were laid out. In fact, I previously wrote about the hotel in an earlier blog post, and I’m thrilled to be able to follow up that post with some images inside the hotel rooms.

In case you haven’t noticed, I’m a big fan of all things black and white. It’s such a strong design trend right now, and includes everything from luxury auto’s, to building exteriors, as well as commercial and residential interiors.

It took my eyes a moment to focus as I entered the hallway leading to my room. Yes, it was disorienting, but I loved it. I forced myself to move slowly so that I could absorb every detail: the chrome door handles, the textured carpet, the ah-mazing wall paper with the organic grass vibe… it was fantastic. And then I entered the room itself. What a great color pairing, palest pinky salmon, mixed with black and white. It felt oddly 1940’s, in a good way. I turned on every light in the room and marveled over how brilliant it was. Soft soft soft, setting the mood for a perfect selfie. And that really cool chrom-ish tree stump as end table has been on my must have list for ages. Yes I left it behind when I checked out, but I did wonder if they’d notice. And to make things even more perfect, they had a large scale piece of black and white art in the bathroom. Love it!!

I hope you’ll consider the SLS Hotel the next time you visit Vegas. It’s a little off the beaten path in the north end of town on the site of the former Sahara Hotel. They also have a dedicated stop for the hotel on the Las Vegas Monorail.

And lastly, while we’re talking about Artful Living, check out the sizzle reel for my new TV Pilot Artful Living with Romi Cortier, produced by Red Carpet Recio Productions. The full 22 minute pilot can be seen for free on Go Indie TV. It’s a celebration of Art, Architecture and Interior Design… all things that are very close to my heart.

Interior Design

Artful Living with Romi Cortier

October 13, 2016 romicortier@yahoo.com 1 Comment

Artful Living with Romi Cortier, After photo

Artful Living with Romi Cortier, Photo Recio Young

Artful Living with Romi Cortier, Romi Cortier, Coco aka Malibu Pom, and Recio Young — Artful Living with Romi Cortier, Romi, Coco aka Malibu Pom, and Recio Young

Artful Living with Romi Cortier, Romi & Coco, aka Malibu Pom

Artful Living with Romi Cortier, Coco aka Malibu Pom, Photo Romi Cortier

Artful Living with Romi Cortier is a new hybrid reality show that I’m currently working on with my fiance Recio Young. The show will be co-created with Red Carpet Recio Productions, Recio’s newly launched production company. Initially it will be viewable on my YouTube Channel Romi Cortier, and our longterm goal is to sell it to a network.

The concept for the show is an upscale reality show that’s hopefully drama free, with a focus on the arts and interior design. Imagine Huell Howser’s California gold combined with Paris Hilton and her cute little dog. Cue Romi and Coco walking into Lalique on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills having a conversation with their manager about what it took to bring one of their finer pieces to market. Or having a private tour at LACMA or MOCA, discussing the latest acquisition to their collection. Or better yet, how about a trip to a thrift store looking for a few lost gems to add to a newly styled room. I want to help my viewers develop their eye to better appreciate the beautiful things around us.

One of my passions when it comes to interior design is how we curate our spaces, adding in family heirlooms with new modern pieces. It’s about mixing the old with the new, creating an environment that’s not full of disposable goods from China. I’d rather have fewer but finer things… they always last much longer. Take for example the blue rug seen above. I purchase it over 20 years ago for about $1500 from the now defunct Dialogica furniture store. It’s made of wool and features 5 different shades of blue. It’s still stunning after all of these years, with an average cost of $75 per year. On the other hand, I’ve got beautiful paintings in my personal art collection that I paid as little as $50 for at auction, and I love them just as much as my expensive pieces. It’s all about how we mix and match.

The educated eye is a marvelous thing, and it doesn’t happen by accident. Hours spent window shopping or going to art openings, ultimately pays off. I want to share that journey with you. Stay tuned for our sizzle reel coming soon. In the mean time, show a little love to my co-star Coco by following her on Instagram at MalibuPom.

Art, Interior Design

Up Up and away, @ The London West Hollywood

June 1, 2016 romicortier@yahoo.com Leave a comment

The London West Hollywood, Photo Romi Cortier

Friends of mine recently stayed at The London West Hollywood, and I was invited to spend an afternoon in one of the rooftop cabanas. What a blast!

I nabbed my guest card at the front desk to access the elevators, and went straight to the top. I had no idea the hotel had such extraordinary views… it was nearly a 360 degree view. From the Hollywood Hills, to downtown LA, to Century City, the city sparkled in the afternoon sun. The overall vibe was hip, yet relaxing. To be honest, we were probably the rowdiest of the guests with 8 of us sharing two cabanas. That said, the staff was kind and helpful, and kept the beverages and food rolling in for over 5 hours.

Even though I’ve lived in LA for over 20 years, this was a completely new way to experience the city. It’s rare to find a pool with this kind of view. The designer in me has so many engineering questions, such as how much does all of this weigh? A simple gallon of water weighs 8 lbs, multiply that by a full pool, the concrete that supports it, and all of the potted palm trees and you’ve got a whole lot going on. I can’t begin to imagine what it takes to support all of that. Questions aside, I loved swimming laps in the pool. It made me feel like I was back in my massive mid-century pool in the back yard of my Palm Springs home.

I took a stroll around the hotel and found myself completely fascinated by the artwork adorning the elevator doors. My favorite was the woman in the red dress, submerged in water on the rooftop elevator door. I can’t seem to find any information about the artist who created the images, but I think the overall effect is quite fantastic.

If you’re a local Angelino, you should consider making your next vacation a ‘stay-cation’ at the London West Hollywood.

For more hotel info click HERE.

Architecture, Interior Design

1280 Angelo Drive in Beverly Hills

May 3, 2016 romicortier@yahoo.com Leave a comment

1280 Angelo Drive, Beverly Hills, Photo Romi Cortier

Imagine someone sends you a text and asks you to meet them at 1280 Angelo Drive in Beverly Hills, because they need your help ‘staging’. My mind wanders… is it a photo shoot? A video shoot? Something for TV? Knowing my friends, it could be anything. I happily showed up on the steps of this stunning home, ready for an adventure. Never in my mind did it dawn on me that I’d be helping stage a home for a private VIP Preview that would be happening just a few days later.

Now lets be honest, it was really more about ‘editing’ than it was about staging, because the home was already spectacularly furnished. You know the old saying, less is more, which is what was needed to expose the glorious details of this remodeled modernist compound, complete with 7 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms, a pool, 3,000 square feet of patios on multiple levels, and over 7,500 square feet of interior space.

My primary goal in the main living space was to create an opening from the front door, all the way out to the large patio with the panoramic city views, thus drawing the guests right out onto the patio. Normally, this would be a feng shui no no, as it’s important to keep the chi of the home, in the home. A straight path from door to door would allow the chi to keep moving out of the home. But, since the home is for sale, I wanted the guests to be drawn right out to the view with absolutely no obstacles. Therefore, you’ll notice that the two white leather sofas on the ice blue silk rug have been separated and pulled apart. My tweak for the dining room was quite simple. I removed the chairs at either end of the table and placed them in the corner of the room, making the table feel more inviting. Ten high back chairs around a table can be a little bit off putting, making you feel like you’re not welcomed… and we wanted our guests to feel very welcomed.

As for the master suite, the bed had a lot of conflicting patterns going on. I reversed the large pillows to hide the Versace inspired print that was conflicting with the duvet cover, utilizing their softer yellow side. We brought in an ottoman for the foot of the bed, draping it with a faux fur throw and matching pillow, all from the guest bedroom.

As we began rolling up rugs and taking away excess furniture, I noticed how remarkable the floors were. I realized that the same materials had also been used on all of the patios, the only difference being that the exterior surfaces had been honed as opposed to polished. What a superb way to marry the interior spaces with the exterior, especially once the floating glass walls to the patio were rolled away. There’s nothing I love more than cohesive design.

As of May 1, 2016 the home is currently listed with Sotheby’s International Realty. Visit the link below to see current photos, and if you’re in love with the home and would like to make an offer, feel free to contact Ferdinand Prinz von Anhalt at 714.260.7697 or Catherine Marcus at 310.795.8521 of Sotheby’s International Realty. (ferdinand.anhalt@sothebyshomes.com/catherine@catherinemarcus.com) I’m sure they’d be more than happy to arrange a private viewing for you. www.1280angelo.com

Oh, and one last detail… the home is listed for $17,000,000. Welcome to Beverly Hills darling.

Where Art Inspires Beauty