Featured in Lunada Bay Living Magazine

One of LCD, Inc.’s most recent projects was featured in the March issue of Lunda Bay Living Magazine! Click the image below to read the full article.

Sherwin-Williams 2018 Colormix Forecast: SINCERITY, CONNECTIVITY & UNITY

Last Fall, we got the opportunity to attend Sherwin-Williams Colormix Forecast presentation at the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles! We continuously look forward to this presentation and are always excited to see what the new trends and color palettes will be for the upcoming year. The Colormix Forecast for 2018 was nothing less than extraordinary.

If you’ve ever wondered how trends are chosen, we have the inside scoop for you. The Sherwin-Williams Colormix Forecast team took us behind the scenes to their summit room, where they discuss driving forces of new and emerging global trends and create a wall mood board full of inspiration. They then determine three unique color palettes that will strike conversation and inspiration. Sue Wadden, Director of Color Marketing Sherwin-Williams says, “it’s really a fusion. Looking at key colors that are out there and trends that we see in fashion and combining them in an interesting and relevant way for interiors.”

Sherwin-Williams Colormix Forecast Team created three color palettes for 2018: SINCERITY, CONNECTIVITY, & UNITY. The Forecast team explores influences and drivers for each color story which provide insights and exploration where color is moving. Insights and drivers can be figurative and literal. They can be ideas and thoughts, arts and cultures, events, fashion and behaviors. They result in color pallets that evoke an emotion and can easily be applied to product design, fashion design, interior design, and architecture. Let’s dive into the three Sherwin-Williams color pallets for 2018.

SINCERITY

Influences & Drivers: Less is more as we’re de-cluttering and moving more possessions into the cloud. There is a need to disconnect from our phones and the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Silence holds possibilities and is craved. Seeking what is real and staying away from filters.

Translating to Interiors: Hushed tones are seen in interiors. Flaws can be treasured in uneven shapes, such as ceramic cups & plates. TV’s are removed from living rooms and replaced with reading corners to encourage family time and reading among the younger generation. Sound proofing to reduce loud noise and eliminate stress.

Color Palette: Sand, Complex Greys & Hazy Botanicals. 

CONNECTIVITY

Influences & Drivers: Techies are the new hippies. Moving to the beat of their own algorithm. Full of breakthrough ideas and utopian ideals. They are not creating apps but creating the future. It is a generation waving the flag of color freedom and Instagraming every moment. From choosing a dry cleaner to choosing a college, data powers nearly every decision.

Translating to Interiors: Homes are being interconnected with smart home feature networks to control lighting systems and appliances. Refrigerators can send grocery lists and ovens can pre-heat while you’re at the grocery store with a click of an app. Geometric shapes, grid line patterns, mirror metallics and lacquer are seen in interior products. Smarter not harder living is being harnessed with Micro living to make creative use of space, either using smarter design or by combining function.

Color Palette: Orange, Violets, Digital Greens & Hi-Def Yellow.

UNITY

Influences & Drivers: We’re craving security and adventure in equal measure. Airbnb, car sharing, and e-learning have created a culture of everyday nomadism. Traveling and getting experience abroad has become a necessity. This approach to learning influences how they consume and how they think. In a world full of distraction and excess, ethnicities and new cultures begin to influence daily life. The mix of trends and styles give a persona influenced by worldly flavor.

Translating to Interiors: Transcultural influences are expressed in surfaces, textures and materials. From patina metal and glass look surfaces. Exaggerated textile pillows, rugs and bedding can be seen with tassels, knots and fringe. Black woods are being finished with cerusing for a more organic take on the trend showing the natural beauty and imperfections of wood grains. Lastly, folk patterns, from decorative cushions to wall tapestries.

Color Palette: Memorable pops of Peacock color.

Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!)

For the second year, Jane and Roger Biggeln are volunteering with the Palos Verdes Peninsula Chamber of Commerce to mentor young Entrepreneurs in the Palos Verdes YEA! program!

This program was developed at the University of Rochester with support from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. The Academy is registered 501 (c)(3) organization and a proud partner of the United Sates Chamber of Commerce and the Campaign for Free Enterprise. YEA! Is now offered through local Chambers of Commerce in select communities. Since its inception in 2004, several thousand students nationwide have participated in YEA!

The Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) is a groundbreaking and exciting after school program that transforms local middle and high school students (grades 7 – 12) into real, confident entrepreneurs. 

Jane and Roger are a part of the local business leaders team who will work closely with these students to cultivate and research business ideas, write business plans, pitch to a panel of investors, obtain funding, develop their brand and launch their business or social movement. The young entrepreneurs may also compete for significant college scholarships.

By learning entrepreneurial skills before they exit high school, the students develop not only the business and social skills so often attributed to entrepreneurship, but the mindset that will help them achieve success with, and bring innovation to, all their future endeavors.

The YEA! program will be organized and managed entirely by the Palos VerdesPeninsula Chamber of Commerce.  The twenty-week curriculum is provided by the Academy and the classes are taught by local business professionals.  YEA! functions as an after-school club, meeting three hours per week.  Up to 24 students from our school district (public and private) may participate each year. 

If you have a student who is in this age bracket who would be interested in this program, please contact Eileen Hupp at the Palos Verdes PeninsulaChamber of Commerce. 310-377-8111 or eileen@palosverdeschamber.com 

YEA! Class of 2017

DIY with LCD & Client: Succulent Pot Planting

For this month’s DIY project, the LCD Team collaborated with our client, Kay Gargas, to put on a Succulent Pot Planting Day! Kay is a part of a garden club and recently had a succulent planting workshop, so she was excited to share with us all the tips and tricks she had learned. Our DIY projects are always inspiring and planting succulents was another success! We set up our supplies outside on a picnic table underneath an umbrella to create the perfect planting atmosphere and got to work. One of Kay’s tips that really stuck out to us was to use different sizes, shapes, textures, and colors when creating your succulent display. Scroll below for more tips and a step-by-step guide on how to create your own succulent pot.

The Overall Look

Succulent Pots by the LCD Team!

Step 1 – Gather Supplies

What you’ll need: succulents in various sizes and colors, cactus/succulent potting soil, pots, window mesh screen, popsicle sticks, wheel barrel or container (to mix the soil), water, shovel or trowel, scissors or pruning shears, paint brush (for dusting off soil from plants), and gardening gloves.

Tip: Set up supplies outside in a shaded area or underneath an umbrella for protection from the sun.

Step 2 - Prep Soil

Create the perfect soil consistency to root your succulents in. Place soil into a wheel barrel or container, add water, and mix soil together with a shovel or trowel. When dry soil is used it sinks when watered, therefore it can ruin your succulent display. By adding water to soil beforehand this will eliminate settling soil.

Tip: Moderately coat soil with water and do not soak. Succulents do not like soggy roots.

Step 3 - Cut Mesh Screen

Cut a piece of window mesh to cover the hole at bottom of pot. Adding a piece of window mesh to the bottom helps drain water and keep critters out.

Tip: Kay’s gardening group has found that window mesh has worked best for them, rather than plant netting, due to window mesh having smaller openings.

Step 4 - Pack Soil into Pot

Grab or scoop soil into pot to create a soil bed for your succulents.

Tip: After each scoop of soil, use your hands to pack it in, then repeat.

Step 5 - Select a Succulent for Your Centerpiece

Select a succulent that you love and stands out to you the most. It is usually the largest or most colorful succulent. This will become your centerpiece.

Tip: Cut the stem at an angle, then use a popsicle stick to create a hole in the soil to root it. After you root the stem, fill in soil around stem to secure it.

Step 6 - Plant Succulents

Start with your succulent centerpiece as a focal point, then add succulents around it ranging in size, height, textures and colors.

Tip: Adding taller succulents in the back and smaller succulents in the front creates a balanced look!

Step 7 - Succulent Care

Succulents only need to be watered once a month. Yep, that’s it. They love being outside under the sun as they are desert and drought tolerant plants. If there is a chance of rain, make sure to place your pots under an awning or bring them inside for protection. Too much water, can make the roots rot.

March Giving

For our March Giving, the LCD Team gathered and donated items to the YWCA in San Pedro. The YWCA is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. racism and empower women.

Photo: YWCA Harbor