THE MOVEMENT to a greener lifestyle has become a significant factor influencing the choices we are making in our lives every day. By now we've all probably bought some CFL bulbs to save electricity, taken steps to make our homes more insulated and energy efficient, and tried to cut down on our driving. These steps are a good start, but in actual fact we are on the threshhold of a true lifestyle revolution. Since most of the energy consumed in our modern lives is used to heat, cool, and illuminate [...]
Author: Kerry Ann Dame
Kerry Ann grew up in the chic beach town of Newport Beach, California. She has nearly 20 years’ experience designing interiors, furnishings and accessories. After completing a degree in Art History at U.C.L.A., she was recruited to work at a prominent Los Angeles Design firm, Indigo Seas.One look at the beautiful antiques, one-of-a-kind furnishings, and glamorous tropical style surroundings, and she was hooked. She spent the next three years learning the design business from the ground up, loving every minute of it. First came the opportunity to design store displays for the 5,000 square foot showroom, filled with 18th and 19th century antiques as well as vintage slipcovered pieces. Years before Shabby Chic and Martha Stewart, the British Colonial style of Indigo Seas was the inspiration for a dramatic change in the world of design, a movement to the eclectic, intellectual, personal mix of furnishings now popular today. Indigo Seas’ clientele included celebrities and studio executives, and decorating their palatial, sophisticated homes was the best training a young designer could wish for. Kerry Ann’s design work while at Indigo Seas has been seen in House and Garden, House Beautiful, and Country Living, as well as the books “The Floral Home” and “Country Kitchens”. As time went on, Kerry Ann had the opportunity to design a wide variety of furnishings, lamps, window treatments and accessories, supervising a large sewing and decorative painting staff. Fluent in French, she traveled frequently to Europe to buy antiques, enjoying the chance to further her education with visits to historic houses in England and France.
In 2001, she and her husband Keith opened Bungalow Heaven in Surfside Beach. The name Bungalow Heaven originated in a charming California neighborhood of historic American bungalow homes. Evoking the casual spirit of life at the beach, the name Bungalow Heaven perfectly described the shop’s comfortable mix of slipcovered furnishings, one-of-a-kind finds, antiques and fine reproductions, and beautiful fabrics for curtains, slipcovers and bedding. After seven successful years, they decided to expand into flooring, lighting and area rugs, and Kerry Ann welcomed friend and longtime business associate Layla Altman as a partner. The new merchandise mix is reflected in the firm's new name, Posh Living, LLC.
True British Colonial Style
"British colonial style" has become popular in recent years. Mahogany "campaign" furniture, bamboo and rattan, wicker and leather, and design elements such as monkeys, palm trees, and ticking stripes have invaded our homes. But what does "British colonial style" really mean? Where and when did it orginate?
