Lori Dennis, Inc. is an interior architecture, interior design and construction firm for residential, hospitality and commercial interiors, exteriors and landscape. The company owns and operates SoCalContractor.com, a licensed and bonded contractor, allowing for a seamless design-build experience for major renovations, remodeling, historical preservation, room additions and new construction. (Interior designer and construction teams may be hired individually.) The firm works with the best and most well regarded artisans, manufacturers and vendors in the world.
Lori Dennis is a top Interior Designer, speaker, best selling author, star of HGTV’s The Real Designing Women and co-founder of Design Campus. She specializes in green, luxury and high end, interior architecture. Lori holds product licenses with Jaipur Rugs, Tile Bar and Casa Catorce Furniture & Fabrics. Under her direction, the design teams in Los Angeles, New York and Miami work on projects internationally.
A multiple award winning designer, Lori has been profiled in magazines, websites and TV on six continents, including Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, LUXE, Dwell, People, New York Times, House Beautiful, Coastal Living, Los Angeles Times and The Wall Street Journal. Recognized by industry titans like American Express, Verizon, Vovlo, HGTV, ASID, NBC, Viking, Food Network, Oxygen and countless others as an expert in luxury and green lifestyles, Lori speaks at events around the world.
Basically she is for anyone wishing to create green interiors, not only for celebrities from Hollywood.
Biography: the woman before the myth
Lori Dennis was born in New York in 1969 and lived in San Diego, Pennsylvania and New York before moving to Los Angeles to attend University High School. Influenced by turn of the century buildings in New York City, the landscape of Southern California and arts and crafts from the Amish country, she knew early on that she loved interior design and architecture. Even as a teenager she attended weekly open houses in Los Angeles, exposing herself to some of the world’s most desired properties in Bel Air, Malibu and Pacific Palisades. Now Dennis lives in Los Angeles with her husband and daughter.
Lori’s first break through design moment came at the young age of four when she was living with her single, struggling student mother far away from their support system in New York. Not having the time or the money to put anything other than a cot in Lori’s room, it resembled a jail cell. When she put her new Popeye sheets on the cot, a birthday gift from her aunt, Lori noticed that her room was instantly transformed into something lively and fun. That was the moment that she began to pay attention to her environment. Even as a young girl she could see the difference that design could make in a space and how joyful her room became just from doing one small thing. From there she always paid attention to architecture and buildings.
Green design all came together and gelled in 1998 when in design school Lori met Jeffrey Mora, a sustainable chef for the Lakers and a member of NRDC. He was friends with a lot of people who were very committed to the green movement long before it really got legs: Ted Danson was involved with Oceana, Jean-Michel Cousteau and Leslie Hoffman. Lori was thrilled that she could marry her love of design and architecture with this way of being that she had always been and form something called a green design business which actually made editors pay attention to her at a time when she was a new designer and it was hard to get people to pay attention to you. It was something interesting and unique, it all worked out really well for her and here we are now a decade later when so many people know about it, it’s become a mainstream way of being.
Background & Realizations: the projects
The areas the company is working in: Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Hidden Hills, Manhattan Beach, Palos Verdes, Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Montecito, La Jolla, Rancho Santa Fe, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Houston, Dallas, Aspen, Miami, Palm Beach, Boca Raton, New York, Chicago, Moscow, Dubai and more!
Her projects :
Newport coast
Old world luxe
Showcase houses
Zen villa
Modern oasis
Tahoe rat pack
Century city chic
Historic renovation
Urban vibe
The Most Iconic Projects
Hollywood hills
Club laurel canyon
Bond at the beach
Funny Facts about Lori Dennis ? Well, We definitely have one – Lori Dennis’s zodiac sign is Leo.
Check out as well : TOP INTERIOR DESIGNERS | ALLEN SAUNDERS
All creators together (special project / partnerships)
Design Campus Live is a destination summit for interior designers, architects and landscape architects within the Architecture & Design community. Live events offer industry professionals the opportunity to learn from and connect with leaders in their fields, press, tastemakers, top vendors and colleagues. Design Campus Live includes guided and self-guided tours, presentations by A-list experts, giveaways, networking lunches and cocktail parties. By providing partners, sponsors and attendees with unique experiences that help build successful, thriving businesses, Design Campus Live offers techniques to help participants successfully brand, market, position and promote their businesses online, in magazines, on television and through social media channels. Design Campus Live offers the A & D professional the insight for an inspired career and a well-balanced personal and professional life.
About the Co-Creators:
Lori Dennis and Kelli Ellis, internationally known from HGTV, Bravo, NBC, Oxygen, TLC, Food Network and coverage in worldwide publications, have spent decades educating interior designers, architects and landscape architects. Authors, brand ambassadors, product designers, public speakers, experts in sustainability and design psychology, Lori and Kelli are insightful mentors to the A & D community. After building successful personal practices, Design Campus Live is their opportunity to give back to the A& D community in a dynamic and refreshing way.
Inspirational quotes by Lori Dennis
“Something interesting happened at the park the other day, I watch these shows with my child where they talk about recycling and not wasting water, and this little 3 year old girl told her daddy ‘We have to pick up the trash because if you leave it on the ground it’s bad for the environment.’ I thought that this is really becoming a success.”
“ I’m surprised that almost everywhere I go I meet people are dedicated to it. In Southern California a lot of people are in tune with the environment, they hike, surf and spend a lot of time outdoors and so for me it was easy and natural. The biggest leap to get over was the price difference. But now things are pretty on par, where people can save money with rebates and many mechanical systems are now the same as conventional systems. I have found people to be very receptive. Recently we’ve been on a marketing campaign for my book “Green Interior Design” and I’ve personally contacted over 1,000 mainstream blog writers all over the country, Australia, England, Ireland and Canada with pretty expensive things on their blogs and they are all so happy to be engaged in it. Is every single person doing everything they can? No, but I’ve seen the wave starting to get traction.”
“We all know that there is nothing that is 100% sustainable and some people are going to be more interested in doing something specifically green for them versus something attractive, quick and as inexpensive as possible. In every design I am able to incorporate green things. It can be as simple as paint and it can move on deeper once their awareness grows. Another thing is that I have taken the other approach and not been touting so much about the environment, which I think we have all been beaten with a stick about how important it is for the environment and global warming, but the health aspects. Almost everyone has somebody that they know who has suffered from some type of cancer, respiratory problems or asthma and when you can explain to people that the type of products that they put into their homes can greatly enhance their quality of life in terms of their health.”
“I had never thought of myself as a “green” designer but I usually always use wood veneers and natural materials. And my own mantra is ”If it’s not beautiful, comfortable and well made it’s not acceptable”.
See also : TOP INTERIOR DESIGNERS | EVELINE ROSSI
Talent is a heritage
Lori Dennis is a very talented and active woman. We can even see her on the HGTV in “Real Designing Women”.
LA designer Lori Dennis‘s aesthetic embraces the best of California style. From her client-pleasing designs to her eco cred (she’s a LEED accredited professional), Lori has a laid-back, gorgeous, and green aesthetic that we can definitely appreciate.
The Creator’s Choice
Lori Dennis is an author of a book “Green Interior Design”. What the critics think about this published piece of useful advice?
“Lori Dennis is a trailblazer, having specialized in green interior design for over a decade. She’s a master at the efficient use of space and has all the resources and trade secrets you need to make any home more environmentally friendly, visually appealing, and comfortable.”-Phyllis Goldstein, Editorial Director,Small Room Decorating, Cottage Style, and Romantic Country
“This book is packed with easy-to-understand, practical information and resources that many interior designers have been desperately seeking. Lori Dennis succinctly addresses the challenges green interior designers face and shares her solutions and sources, further solidifying her position as a rising star in the sustainable design movement. ASID is proud to count her among our 36,000 members.”-Thom Banks, Hon. FASID, ASID Deputy Executive Director
Lori’s inspiration for writing “Green Interior Design” came about from being asked at her many speaking engagements at universities and design events “ Isn’t there a book where we can find all of this information?” There wasn’t. She had a file with the label “Book” on it, so after being asked by a publisher if she would write a book, Lori started writing. She is now getting so much feedback that this is a book that can actually be used.
Lori Dennis speaks at tradeshows, universities, design centers, retailers and corporate events around the globe. Her expertise in luxury and green living is dynamically delivered, a program that is sure to educate and entice your audience.
Her awards and Honors :
- 2015 LUXE Gold List
- 2014 American Express Holiday Designer
- 2014 High Point Market Celebrity Blogger
- 2104 LUXE Interiors + Design Cover Story
- 2014 Best of Houzz Service and Design
- 2014 Christopher Kennedy Compound Showcase House
- 2013 Verizon Angeleno 4G4HOPE Spokesperson
- 2013 Legends of La Cienega Window Designer
- 2013 Best of Houzz
- 2012 High Point Market Style Spotter
- 2012 LUXE Gold List Best Designers in the Nation
- 2012 WithIt Gala Red Carpet Celebrity
- 2012 One Kings Lane Tastemaker
- 2012 Metropolitan Builders Association National Celebrity Speaker
- 2011 LA Confidential #1 The List
- 2011 VandM Insiders: People We Love
- 2011 HGTV Star of Real Designing Women
- 2011 LA Design Magazine Editor in Chief
- 2011 Milgard Spokesperson
- 2011 ASID National Sustainable Council Member
- 2011 Sustainable Furnishings Council DESIGNINGreenLeader
- 2010 Benjamin Moore Expert
- 2010 Viking Appliances Designer of Distinction Award
- 2009 Cherokee Studios LEED Platinum Lofts Showcase for Habitat for Humanity
- 2009 Angeleno Magazine Best Modern Design
- 2008/2009 ASID/Southern Accents Magazine National Award Best Green Design
- 2008 ASID/California Homes Magazine Best Green Design
- 2008 Home Magazine Best Green Remodel
- 2007 Greenopia Best Green Business Los Angeles
- 2006 Contempo Homes Showcase for Habitat for Humanity
Dennis’ sustainable interior design work has been featured, only in 2013, in : Palm Springs Life (December 2013, “Palm Springs Designer Creates Show House for Modernism Week”) , Atlanta Homes (November 2013, Design Camp), Seattle Magazine (October 2013), “The Wall Street Journal” (March 2013, “Looking Out for #1”), Angeleno (March 2013, “Verizon 4G LTE for Hope”).
Top Projects Gallery
