Boutique Design - June 2018 - 30

GLAMAZON GIVER
BARBARA LAZAROFF, A.S.I.D. | PRESIDENT, IMAGININGS INTERIOR
DESIGN, INC.; COFOUNDER, WOLFGANG PUCK BRAND, IP; CREATOR OF
THE FLAME OF LIFE PRODUCTS - PLATES THAT SERVE THE COMMUNITY

born into a working-class Bronx household. I
dreamed about elegant travel like Ginger Rogers
with Gene Kelly, complete with dozens of steamer
trunks. My life didn't unveil itself with quite that
ease; it took many years of education, with three
jobs at a time to afford the gift of knowledge. I'm
fortunate to have a beautiful home now, often in
stages of remodel, but I have experienced that real
life is not a classic film fairy tale. Real life was years
of long hours overseeing various construction sites;
even on my hands and knees in concrete. I've
applied this same attention to detail on all of my
projects. The biggest drawback to my design and
restaurant life was being away from my sons.
I've incorporated many unique artisans' work in
my projects, storytelling with a variety of materials
as well as my love of color. Color transports me,
evoking many distinctive cultures, the beauty of
nature, and a youthful sensation of happiness and
wellbeing. I look at social media and magazines now
and finally see more color schemes and concepts
with a brighter statement on design. Being slightly
ahead of the zeitgeist is the definition of innovation.
Stepping out of your comfort zone is vital; if you are
hitting the bullseye every time you are likely
standing too close to the target.
WHAT A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT MEANS TO
HER: Wellness isn't about one aspect of the hospi-

tality, work or home design and experience. Natural
materials, recycling/upcycling are just a few pieces
of the puzzle. It's more than incorporating healthy
food into your home or a hospitality space. Lighting,
for example, has a tremendous impact on the sense
and actual physical wellbeing in the built space.
Research has shown that certain lighting, (such as
florescent) can actually sap muscle tone and make
employees fatigue faster. Color creates different
physiological responses in people, affecting heart
rate, galvanic skin response and more; emotional
responses are translated into physical reactions.
Certain health care facilities and schools have
considered color choices based on research.
WHY SHE'S MADE GIVING BACK HER LIFELONG
MISSION: Caring for others was a part of my

upbringing; even though we had limited resources my
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boutiquedesign.com june 2018

mother made helping others a must, so it's now a part
of my happiness DNA. Philanthropy is something I've
prioritized alongside my design and operations
careers. I started seeing a great deal of food waste and
it troubled me. Cofounding the American Wine &
Food Festival for Meals on Wheels has raised over $25
million in 28 years for homebound elderly and other
shut-ins, and my 34 years of Spago Passover charity
seders for Mazon have helped feed LA families. These
efforts were instrumental in receiving my 1994 James
Beard Humanitarian of the Year Award, the 2010
KindredSPIRITS Humanitarian Award and in 2013, the
National Association of Women Business Owners
Legacy Award for Philanthropy. I cocreated the California Spirit event for the American Cancer Society,
raising tens of millions for research, education and
support. As a founder of Women Chefs & Restaurateurs, we mentor and provide scholarships to women
in the hospitality industry. I support Project Angel
Food, Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Zimmer Children's
Museum and I serve on the boards of the Israel
Cancer Research Fund and Friends of Sheba Medical
Center. Recently I have become involved with YOURMOMCARES, which among other initiatives supports
the national Children's Health Fund. My mantra: "If
you want the community to be interested in you, you
must be vested in the community." Additionally, 100%
of the proceeds of my Flame of Life Dinnerware, sold
on Amazon, are donated to various causes.

always merge in my personal and professional life.
Sometimes you have to think like a stage designer
to set the mood. I certainly did with my first restaurant, Spago Hollywood, with its open kitchen; I
showcased the chefs as my stars. My medical
studies have imbued me with a lifelong interest in
health and wellness that I bring to all my work.

OTHER WAYS SHE APPLIES HER DAY-JOB
SKILLS TO HER HUMANITARIAN WORK: In

WHAT SHE FEELS ARE THE BIGGEST IMPACTORS ON DESIGN: Climate change is the funda-

2006 Aviva Family and Children's Services
presented me with their Spirit of Compassion
Award. I renovated their Annenberg home for girls
with the generosity of manufacturers, artists and
builders - it was a hands-on project. Four years
and $1 million later their once-leaky 50-year-old
building feels more like home.

mental design challenge of the era, and the greatest
test for architects and designers will be how they
respond creatively and thoughtfully with responsible
intervention. How do design professionals build for
the inevitable natural disasters? It is imperative to
engage the great thinkers in all fields, professionals
in crafting healthier, safer, more sustainable projects
that respond to our changing world.
Other design impactors include technology,
( from 3D printing and rendering to VR and generative design), that will very swiftly and continually be
supplanted by more advanced ones. Hopefully some
of these technologies, as well as more ethnical design
activism, will create more advocates for wellness
and the caretaking of this glorious world so that we
may share it more equitably.

HOW HER MAVERICK APPROACH TO LIFE
SHAPED HER WORK: I didn't have the finances

and time to experience all I dreamed of when I was
younger; however, I was a traveler in a different
manner because my education was diverse. I've
studied the theater arts, and then as quite a departure, bio-chemistry and experimental psychology,
seriously considering medical school. My degree in
design along with my earlier education and skills

Ma xine Picard

WHY REAL LIFE ISN'T A FANTASY AND WHY
DESIGN MUST STILL BE ASPIRATIONAL: I was

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Boutique Design - June 2018

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