Living Etc.
This time it's an office, and here's what Heidi had to say: "I have been searching and searching for inspiration... maybe you could help. I am in the process of furnishing my new home. I have a great sized, dedicated home office. I use it every day as I run several businesses out of it. Problem is, right now it is just a Brazilian Walnut hardwood floor, blank walls, and an incredible bay window. I NEED some inspiration! I want a modern, clean, minimal look. This is so hard to achieve in an office! I need storage, desk space, and a sitting area, but beyond that, I have no idea which direction to take this room. I'd love to see what you could find to get my brain working again. It's been in a slump since the construction phase has ended." I tried to find photos of modern office spaces that weren't shoved into little corners as they often are (Heidi, you are SO LUCKY as it sounds like you have a decent amount of space to work with). So hopefully this gets your brain going and have fun with it!

New York Social Diary	Jowa
Alda Pereira	Alda Pereira
Apartment Therapy	Delshon or Sherman Architects
Ghislaine Viñas	Hans Zeegers
Jeff Andrews	Paul Massey
Apartment Therapy	photo-locations.com
PointClickHome	Stephen Alton

Alda Pereira is based in Vancouver and she is an unbelievably talented interior designer. I adore her style - refined modern with bold hits of colour, graphic artwork, and to-die-for furnishings. It's young and hip and simply fabulous. And I love it. LOVE IT.

Rayman Boozer is the creative talent behind Apartment 48. His work is "a rustic approach to modern design". Unexpected colours, styles and patterns are characteristic of his spaces. I remember bookmarking his apartment when it appeared in Elle Decor in 2006. Loved it so much. Now I'm on love with the leopard carpet!

I found this selection of photos on the website of photographer and journalist Gareth Gardner, based in the UK. It's a wonderful dose of modern design that draws your attention to the architectural detail and the stunning materials used (I must point out the multi-coloured timber flooring that is sooooo incredible).

Coink piggy bank via Modern Nursery.

The economic stimulus checks have started to arrive, putting anywhere from $600-1200 in your bank account. Politics aside, what are you planning to do with the cash? You could get an Eames rocker, buy yourself some art, or do some eBay shopping. Or maybe you’d prefer to put the money aside in case the economy takes an even more serious downturn. So what are your plans for the extra cash? (Thanks to reader patty bolgiano for suggesting this question!)

Here are some fabulous prints that caught my attention today over at Thumbtack Press, who happens to have a very strong collection of prints online featuring the work of some of my favorite artists. I'm hoping that you'll enjoy them along with me. :)

I adore Bride Diving by Penelope Dullaghan and Gossip by Chris Silas Neal. I always seem to go for images of girls jumping, not because I secretly have thoughts of suicide or anything (he he), more because I am constantly jumping into new things and love the thrill of just getting involved in something I'm passionate about. Also shown above is Bluebell by Lilly Piri and Presagio di Primavera by Gianluca Folì. Drool.

Long Beach Shoreline by Shiho Nakaza, I Miss You Already by Jared Drew Moody, Angel by Irana Douer, and This Flooded World by Sarajo Frieden. Isn't Irana amazing?

The Great Flood Series (set of 3) by Oksana Badrak, Spam One-Liners: Happy Life by Linzie Hunter (fun!), HiFi by Chris Silas Neal, and India Dawn by Oksana Badrak.

And finally, Don't You Leave Me Here by Matthew Woodson. Isn't this a melancholy, tender, emotionally charged glimpse into the life of the modern relationship? We all have fears of being abandoned at times and I think artist Matthew Woodson did such a great job capturing this emotion here.

(images from thumbtack press.)

Just some quick Modern Economy-related updates:

-Congratulations to Hae Min Cho of SF for winning the $150 prize package raffle!

-Thank you to Jane Maynard for posting about the sale on her blog and for taking great pictures of the sale. We brought our camera but forgot the all-essential battery so we didn't have any images from the event.

- And with all the busy-ness preparing for the sale, I didn't realize that tickets went on sale for the Flight of the Conchords concert in SF. And now, the all the tickets are sold out. Not cool.

(Image above: ©2008 jane maynard design)

I don't know what the weather's been like in your neck of the woods, but here in Northern California it was blistering hot this weekend. (Is it global warming? Is the Bay Area the new Palm Springs? I'm busy plotting our move to Vancouver through the sweat over here ... )

Anyway, all this unseasonal heat has me itching to move mealtimes outside, where we can take shelter under the shade of our towering birch tree while praying for a cooling breeze. And what better way to dress the patio table than with these brand-new oilcloths (such as Family Tree, above) from Denmark's Ferm Living, the maker of some of the coolest modern wallpapers around?

Even if it's still chilly in your area or you don't have an outdoor dining space, these are a fun way to dress up your kitchen or dining table -- and are particularly great if you have spill-prone kids.

Take a look:

Branch

Walldots

Bindweed

Berry

Ferm's oilcloth is about $28 per linear meter, which is roughly 39 inches; the oilcloth comes in 55-inch widths, so if you want a tablecloth that's about four and a half feet wide by six and a half feet long, order two meters. It's available through the Scandinavian Design Center -- which also carries beautiful oilcloths from Marimekko, Pappelina, and Susanne Schjerning.

Check them out right here.

Did you know that you could buy live plants on eBay?

Yep, in addition to just about every other item on the planet, you can also procure plants for your garden from the auction super site. (It's a particularly handy service if you don't have a great nursery nearby or if the ground hasn't quite thawed in your area and your local garden center isn't yet stocked up for gardening season.)

I love succulents -- because not only are they almost impossible to kill, they make great modern houseplants (group several in a wide, low planter for a stunning centerpiece or just one in a small container for a pretty, natural accent) as well as interesting and textural additions to your outdoor landscape. Can't decide? Enjoy succulents both ways -- keep them inside until you're ready to get your hands dirty, then incorporate them into your garden.

This succulent selection up for auction on eBay includes a mix of twenty cuttings, including hens and chicks, volcano plants, echeveria, sedum, agave, euphorbia, and several other hardy varieties. The cuttings are easy to grow -- simply stick them in well-drained soil (either potting soil mixed with sand or gravel, or perlite), protect them from hot afternoon sun, and water them every once in a blue moon. I promise, they're practically black-thumb proof.

Current bid: $30

Hey, we're having another Modern Economy sample sale this Saturday! New to the SF sales will be goods from designers like Virginia Johnson, Dermond Peterson, Fleurville, Petunia Pickle Bottom, J. Mendicino, Offi, Petit Collage, Ses Petites Mains, Xenia Taler, and Agnes and Hoss. Most everything will be marked down from 25%-75% (sometimes more) off retail. Come to get stuff to jazz up your house, get clothing and accessories for the summer, and get gorgeous goods for your baby! Here are the details:

Modern Economy Sample Sale
Saturday, April 12, 2008
10:30am to 3:00pm

Fort Mason Center
Bldg. A Conference Center
San Francisco, CA

Admission is free.
And credit card only, people!

For more info, visit: http://www.modeconomy.com

My fiancé’s dear friend Nancy moved to Joshua Tree, California, several years ago with her long-time love, sculptor and furniture maker Alma Allen. We visited the couple, in their newly built, nearly finished home, this past Christmas, and I immediately fell in love with their modern, bio-regionally designed, green home, which was built to suit the harsh, gorgeous desert climate. Nancy and Alma built the home together over the course of a couple years, with minimal outside help. Here, Nancy tells us about the trials, tribulations, and rewards of living, working, and building with your true love, and how their home has inspired their design sensibilities, future project ideas, and new, rural lifestyle.

Elka: Tell me a little about the process of designing your home.

Nancy: Alma had always wanted to build his own house and thought about the design for years. Joshua Tree provided a perfect climate to incorporate a large courtyard, which had always interested him. The protected outdoor area provides shelter from the wind and creates an area for plants that would be devoured by the local wildlife outside the walls. The design of the house continues to be a work in progress. The layout was changed from the original drawings in many ways while we actually built and we continue to explore possibilities.

E: What were your biggest challenges?
N: Living in a Streamline trailer for two and a half years as we built. The trailer is the polar opposite of the passive solar construction of our house. The trailer is hot when it?s hot and cold when it?s cold. Dealing with the Building Department and local water and power companies for new construction was also challenging. Building codes do not encourage or even allow some aspects of green building. Although you have to pick your battles, we learned to not take no for an answer from the power and water companies, who often give false information.

E: Now that your house is nearly finished, what are you especially pleased with?

N: We are especially pleased with the passive-solar construction of the house. With the large south facing windows (which face directly to Joshua Tree National Park) and more minimal east/west exposure, as well as the thick cement floors with radiant floor heating/cooling and a geo-thermal loop, the house stays cool in the summer and warm in the winter. We?re also delighted with the homemade solar water heater which heats 250 gallons up to 140 degrees in the day and is currently maintaining a temperature of 115 overnight. (If we run the heating all night the temperature does go down as the tank is drained.)

E: Why Joshua Tree?

N: We had a shop for a few years in Los Angeles but grew tired of the daily commute and paying rent for Alma’s studio in downtown LA, our apartment in Silverlake, and our retail space in Venice. Alma and I are both originally from Utah and love the red rock desert. We considered moving to Southern Utah outside of Zion?s National Park, but Las Vegas would be the closest big city and we like our beer and wine. In Joshua Tree we are now only two hours away from Los Angeles, so we can easily have continuity with our work in LA, such as studio visits with Alma?s collectors.

E: What sort of interior features did you consider from both an aesthetic and practical point of view?

N: The fir tongue and groove ceiling. More work in some ways and less in others because it doesn’t require drywall and paint. Once it?s installed it?s done. It also breathes. Due to our very steep driveway, we were required to put in fire sprinklers, which have proven to be very practical for hanging lights!

E: Can you describe your interior design style?
N: Chunky minimal

E: What are your favorite objects in the house?
N: Alma’s sculpture. Fritz & Clara [the dogs]!

E: How about favorite furniture?
N: Alma’s furniture made from salvaged wood! I also love some of the vintage George Nelson cabinets.

E: What’s the hardest part about living here? The most rewarding?
N: The hardest part about living in Joshua Tree is the lack of good food. We miss abundant farmer?s markets and great restaurants, especially sushi…although we have more time and motivation to cook and recently I made my own kimchi! The most rewarding parts are the open spaces, wildlife sightings and the night skies. A giant tortoise tried to walk into our living room this week.

E: What are your needs, business-wise, for this space?
N: The space is comprised of two buildings separated by a large courtyard. The south area is living space and the north building is the wood workshop and sculpture gallery/office. Alma is also building a separate building with a steel frame for stone carving, which will house our solar panels as well as allow for cranes to move heavy materials. Separating the workspace from the living space will hopefully allow us to take advantage of increased tax incentives for solar-powered businesses.

E: What are your future building and renovation plans?
N: We?re going to build an outdoor shower using the solar water heater and the stone carving building.

E: Any advice to folks looking to build or renovate together?
N: Don?t do it… kidding! My advice would be to enjoy the endeavors that go wrong or not as planned as an unexpected opportunity for wabi-sabi - the beauty of imperfection and/or incompleteness. The epoxy that didn?t polish out of the cracks in the cement, the giant tub of permanent black dye that exploded… some of the things that caused tears while in the process turn out to be quite charming in the end.

today’s final before and after belongs to dutch d*s reader joanna and her husband marc-peter. joanna and marc-peter bought a house dating from 1820 in the center of amsterdam. not content with its current state- they decided to completely renovate it. joanna designed several of the pieces of furniture herself (the incredible wooden mirror and lamp) and then had them made locally by a trained craftsman. the rest is a mix of ikea and locally-sourced furniture and the result is a wonderfully airy space full of light and simple modern furnishings (those floors are to die for). thanks so much to joanna and marc-peter for sharing! [for larger, and additional, photos of their home click here and here]

[image above: living room “before”. top image above: living room “after”]

[image above: office “before”]

[image above: office “after”]

[image above: dining room/kitchen “before”]

[image above: dining room “after”]

[image above: bedroom “before”]

[image above: bedroom “after”]

Sister Parish loved handicrafts -- needlework, basketry, quilts, hand-printed textiles. Maybe this was because she enjoyed working with her own hands, doing decoupage and other crafts. Or perhaps she had seen her share of grand formal homes and longed to warm them up with homespun touches.


Working intuitively, and in collaboration with partner Albert Hadley, she often upholstered exquisite 18th century French furniture with "primitive" hand-waxed cotton batiks by Alan Campbell. The fresh and inviting bedroom of Brooke Astor, shown above, is one example.


Colorful patchwork quilts appealed to Sister too. She used them conventionally but also commissioned the Freedom Quilting Bee in Alabama to create a patchwork fabric that, according to her protege Bunny Williams, was used in a chic Georgetown dining room. In fact, Parish-Hadley became known for upholstering wing chairs and sofas with quilts.


During her famous refurbishing of the White House, Jackie Kennedy selected Morgantown glassware produced in West Virginia. A political gesture? Probably. But JBK seems to have had a genuine fondness for American crafts. The way she and Sister Parish mixed the ultra-refined with the rustic greatly influenced residential interior decorating in the U.S. for decades.


I couldn't help noticing that both Natalie "Alabama" Chanin and craft artist Nathalie Lete received coverage in the newest Vogue Living. Are arbiters of high style embracing craft again as they did in the 1980s when simple pine furniture was mixed with lavish florals?

Of course, in their own unique ways Jonathan Adler and Lulu de Kwiatkowski have been doing a 21st century mix of sleek with rustic. But it will be interesting to see if more contemporary designers -- those associated with modern glamour -- inject homespun elements into their interiors.


Above, Alan Campbell fabric currently available through Quadrille.

Reminder: Tradition/Innovation: American Masterpieces of Southern Craft and Traditional Art remains on view through May 18.

Photo of Sister Parish shown top is from Margaret Russell's 2001 book, Designing Women: Interiors By Leading Style-Makers; The Astor bedroom is from Albert Hadley: The Story of America's Preeminent Interior Designer; and Sister Parish's Maine bedroom is from Designers on Designers.

You may remember that the Downtown guys, known for their flamboyant modern edge and vintage furnishings, have embraced chintz. Here is a little peek at the fun, psychedelic spring windows of their chic L.A. shop. Included are flower-covered canopy chairs.

Love the modern details in these gorgeous necklace by Prismera.

Source and Image from something old something new.

Vintage Indie is teaming up with Eco-Chic Weddings to declare March, Indie Weddings Month. Their goal is to create a resource for brides to turn to when looking to minimize waste and create their wedding with the idea of using indie designers. The guide launched March 1st at the URL indieweddingguide.com

Master merchandiser, shop owner extraordinaire, new mom and my dear friend and former neighbor Suzannah Fischer (or is it Fisher now? She actually married a guy with the same last name, minus the “c”) has started a blog for her store, O’Suzannah Goods, called o’suz news. It’s a great blog for perusing the coolest gifties and accessories - Suz has an enviable eye for finding the freshest products. I owe most of my grad school credit card debt to Suzannah.

The Cape Cod Modern House Trust as seen on Modern House Notes. I spent hours this week catching up on Tom and Gina’s blog, after seeing a story in The NYTimes about the Alice Ball House I was sure was written by Tom (we linked over to this post back in January). Turns out it was written by someone who clearly had appreciated his research on the subject. Anyway, I recommend catching up with all of Tom and Gina’s posts, as the buildings they find are phenomenal, but in particular I want to help spread the word about The Cape Cod Modern House Trust. Here is a little more information from their website:

In the late 1930s, on the isolated ‘back shore’ of Wellfleet, a group of self-taught, architecture enthusiasts began building experimental structures based on the early Modern buildings they had seen in Europe. Through mutual friends they invited some of the founders of European Modernism to buy land, build summer homes and settle. Like their local hosts, the recently emigrated Europeans admired the traditional Cape Cod ‘salt boxes’. These ancient houses were simple, functional, owner-built and designed for long winters. The Modernist summer houses were inversions of these, oriented to capture views and breezes, perching lightly on the land. In the three decades that followed, these architects built homes for themselves, their friends and the community of internationally influential artists, writers, and thinkers that took root nearby. Though humble in budget, materials and environmental impact, the Outer Cape’s Modern houses manage to be manifestos of their designers’ philosophy and way of living, close to nature, immersed in art and seeking community. The work of these architects and their clients spread around the world. These houses are the physical remnants of this unique convergence.

The Trust is trying to raise money to save and maintain some of these modern treasures…

… and in conjunction with the Truro Castle Hill Center for the Arts, has organized a Modern House Tour on August 24. I’m going to try to attend. Truro is probably the most beautiful spot on the Cape. The picture above is from the Truro Castle Hill Center for the Arts Home Page. As a chair-obsessed freak, I had to share it! The chairs themselves honor this group of artists.

The Tunnel House, as seen on Home Rejuvenation. Check out the post where they found it over at Designverb - the pictures are pretty mind-blowing!

Get your office looking sharp by checking out “Office Eye Candy” from Emma’s Design Blog.

•Jack Phillip’s Bug House photo courtesy of Florence Phillips via modern house notes

• Castle Hill chairs from CastleHill.org

•Tunnel House pictures from flickr member Brother O’Hara via Designverb via Home Rejuvenation.

• Office picture via Emma’s Design Blog

I am particularly fond of viewing photos of Design Public products in action…like folks swinging on a Fatboy Headdemock, or modeling with their Vitra Nelson Clock, or dressing up their OFFI My Pet Lamp. In this case, the “action shot du jour” is of four legged friend Mr. Buddy scratching his little heart out on a Marmalade pet care Sweet Lounge Cat Bed and sitting on a Hepper Wave Pet Bed. Obviously, Mr. Buddy’s owner, Anthony, has done a might fine job of pampering his purry pal.

Name: Anthony and Mr. Buddy (the cat)

Where do you live? Seattle, WA

What do you do? Director of Development

DP Purchase/s: Marmalade pet care Sweet Lounge Pet Bed, Hepper Wave Pet Bed, Hepper Nest Pet Bed, Weegee Floor Lamp.

What’s your favorite DP product and why? All the cat goodies. Mr. Buddy (our cat) can’t live without them! All the items in pet stores are bland.

How would you describe your design style? Retro modern

Sites/blogs you visit daily: velonews.com, yahoo.com, nytimes.com

What was the best advice anyone ever gave you? Don’t shave your legs with goosebumps (I’m a cyclist and yes we shave our legs!)

Tell us about your home, office, workspace, or favorite nook and cranny. New modern dwelling built by elemental architecture (elementalarchitecture.com)

What’s your favorite color or material? White

If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Silver

If you could redo any space, past or present, what would it be? The “Biblioteca Nacional” in Buenos Aries. Great buuilding that needs a little love

Any favorite design ideas? Old spaces revamped with an acute design sense for interiors

Any design pet peeves? “Euro” Modern, overstuffed couches and “knick-knacks.”

Do you collect anything? Tell us of your treasures….Any prized possessions? Not really a collector, but I own lots of fancy race bikes that I’d die (or get fat) with out.

Favorite member of the A-Team: Their black and red van.

Movies you can watch over and over: Anything that DOES NOT include Tom Hanks and/or Julia Roberts.

Four places you would rather be right now: In Phuket, Thailand at Twin Palms resort; Winthrop Washington hiking in the woods; Italy watching the “Giro D’Italia” bike race; Stumptown coffee shop with my wife.

Thanks Anthony and Mr. Buddy!

Your turn! We can’t wait to see your photo of your friend sitting on your Orange22 Botanist Bench, or an incredible spread set our on your Blu Dot Strut Table. Join our “Design Public Peepsâ€� Flickr group and upload a photo showing how you use your Design Public purchases.

so you might be curious . . . . . what is the news? which tiny revolution will we be welcoming into the world in october?
and the answer is: a girl!
and she's already quite the dancer, since at 19 weeks i've been feeling her kick around, especially after tango class. the most delightful thing i've ever experienced, so far! ;o)

Our latest reader design dilemma from Sarah on the Chesapeake Bay. This one is a little different because the space is still under construction, so you'll have to use your imagination!

I have a loft-like space (a large living/bedroom above the garage) near the Chesapeake Bay. The room has high vaulted ceilings (about 10 feet, though of course the peak is higher), lots of windows, and board and batten extending to 7 feet on the walls. The space has windows on all sides, so gets plenty of light. There is a desk/bookcase unit that divides the space into living and sleeping areas. The furnishings are going to be low and modern.

The space, under construction

In terms of color, I was thinking of a soft grey/blue for the 7ft board & batten section of the walls (something along the lines of Boothbay Gray from Benjamin Moore) and a deeper color above that extending up across the ceiling (perhaps Benjamin Moore's Hale Navy). The color would extend throughout the space (only the bathroom will be different). I will also need an accent color for the central bookcase/desk and the trim.

Alternatively, if we decide not to paint the ceiling, perhaps the Hale Navy for the central bookcase/desk. I would love some more color options for the walls, trim, and central architectural component.

Is this a workable scheme? Or would a dark ceiling feel too oppressive? Do you have any color suggestions? -Sarah

Here are my initial thoughts on Sarah's dilemma. Some things to consider:

1.) How are you going to use the space(s)?

In Sarah's case, it's a multi-use space, with one side dedicated to sleeping, and the other for living. So, given that each side of the space has it's own purpose, it makes sense to divide the space with appropriate colors for each end. This will visually set up the two sides, as well as emphasize the desired mood for each space.

2.) What are the architectural needs of the space(s)?
This expansive loft space has a high peaked roof. If she paints the ceiling dark, it will achieve one effect, while if she paints it light, it will present a totally different solution. Does she want to emphasize the ceiling, drawing attention to it's "loftiness" with a light hue, or does she prefer to make the space feel cozy and intimate, and visually erase the ceiling with a dark tone?

*There is no one right answer, as everyone has different design goals.
For example, here's a really bad picture I shot at my favorite little gelato shop in Baltimore (yum!). They have soft custard yellow walls, and jet black ceilings that just simply disappear. It works really well in this scenario.
As for colors, each one will have a different effect, depending upon the particular space. What looks bright and fresh in one space might appear dark and somber in another. If you have enough light in a space, it will be able to hold darker colors like Hale Navy.
As a rule of thumb, the spaces you see in glossy magazines are generally professionally lit and styled, so don't take the color you see in print to be the same you'll see once it's up on your walls. Always take the chip home, or paint a 2x2' test board first.
Gray is a tricky character, and will shift depending upon the type of light you get, as well as what it's up against. There are cool grays, warm grays, brown grays, blue grays, green grays... the list goes on. So be sure to look at it's undertone to make sure that's the look you are going for.

What else can I offer... I'd like to get everyone else's opinions and design suggestions on this dilemma. What would you suggest?

From Janet:

Spotted in the NY Times: this simple glass fixture by Roost from Williamsburg shop Moon River Chattel is equally suited for modern or traditional interiors ($165 at Moon River Chattel; call 718-388-1121). The Roost Glass Cylinder Lamp is also available online at Velocity Art and Design for $130, both as a hanging pendant and as a table lamp.