DESIGN INSPIRATION

In 2012 I was honored when asked to design the set for a production of OUT OF STERNO. The talented director, basically gave me complete artistic freedom to create a world, on stage, that had never been seen before. My guidelines were simple, of course the storyline dictated some requirements but after that I could let my imagination run wild. The story revolves around the main character, an artist who is both trapped in an abusive relationship and her apartment. A simple synopsis is she sees the world very differently than others, and in turn she creates this world for herself that is part childlike fantasy and part cruel reality. She brings color to everything around her, painting nearly everything in her apartment with bright happy colors. My scenic design tried to express that with angular walls, forced perspective and everyday items that wavered between realism and cartoon versions.

When it came time to design the TLC studio/showroom we wanted it to be a fun place, a happy place, a place where people felt good and could maybe forget about whatever was bringing them down in the real world for a while and be transformed by the power of light and the encompassing setting. A wow factor when walking in was always important (the equivalent of curtain applause). The lamps and lights are certainly the stars of the show but as in the theatre, the actors simply need a place to do what they do best.

In addition to the walls, floor and other display items being vividly painted, we also custom built several "prop" pieces of furniture to both use as display space and again help set a fun and quirky atmosphere. Those pieces and some more will be making their way to the new store of course.

The store is loaded with many more lamps then when we opened (pictured below), we were just so eager to get started like we are now to move to our new space. More space will mean more lamps, bigger lamps and likely more outrageous lamps. We are working with local artisans to bring you a wide variety of handcrafted products and gift items along with some exciting imported goods.

What about the consumer who is not a fan of the steampunk inspired industrial look of pipes and wood?...let's talk about that next time!

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