An Inspiring Seminar from Larry Laslo

This morning I attended a wonderful seminar by designer Larry Laslo that was held at the Robert Allen Showroom in Woodbury NY. After hearing Larry talk, I can see why he is so successful - he is so down to earth, funny and warm that I can see why his well-heeled clients love him.  He gave a slide show of many of his projects and showed how he went about designing the spaces.  Some of the homes were so huge that you have to have a mastery in the art of scale and balance in order to pull it off successfully. 

Here were some of the images he shared with the designers in attendance...

Most people would think that using dark and bold colors on a wall would make a room seem smaller, but in Larry's hands the dark colors actually expand the sense of space.  I loved his use of padded charcoal gray walls with the black and white theme. 

In the above room he also mentioned that he chose just one light fixture instead of two sconces on either side - for a neater more functional look for his client.

Speaking of black and white, Larry loves to use Carrerra marble because it creates its own pattern. He kept the rest of the space simple because of the busyness of the pattern.

He also showed us several rooms that had beautiful mosaics, as in the bath above.  Several thousand small tiles make up this beautiful feature wall.

Larry is a master at mixing genres and styles.  These Christopher Guy dining chairs have antique damask backs and white patent leather seats. Many of his rooms feature a hearty mix of now and then - mixing old and new. 

What was really wonderful though was that he said that if you have the talent for using color - don't be afraid to use it and be confident about it.  Just because your client might be timid about it - if you know it's the right thing to do you really need to do it.  I really took this to heart because I have felt that I pushed the color envelope with my clients and I felt a little bad about it (although I knew it was the right thing to do in their homes).  I felt validated and it was a freeing message that he sent to us today.

Above, a small collection of his fabrics that I picked up today.  I can't wait to use them.  I have some great ideas for using these gorgeous designs. The largest sample in the above collage is called Scrolling Art. I have plans to use this on two chairs.  I love how he isolates a motif so that you can use the fabric as a central design on a chair. 

It was great to connect up with other designers I have known for awhile and to meet some new and talented people as well.  I learned some great tips even after the seminar from other designers in attendance. We talked about getting together to network and to help each other. 

And besides all that...the seminar was catered and the lunch was fabulous!  You can't beat that. Everyone had a great time - so thanks Larry for your inspiration and Robert Allen Fabrics for hosting!