Archive | March, 2012

Other People’s Homes: Mid-Century Mod of Art Linkletter

31 Mar

(Via Pursuitist.)

Okay, that’s it.  I am moving to California into this house if I can find $10.25 million between the sofa cushions to buy Art Linkletter’s house.  No shots of the interior, so I wonder what kind of shape it’s in.  Check out that entry way and gorgeous patterned block exterior wall.  Talk about a ‘House Party’.

Mid-Century Mod of Late TV Host Art Linkletter Lists in L.A.

The late Art Linkletter graced many a home during his days as the host of the CBS original series’ House Party and Kids Say the Darndest Things, and now we have a rare opportunity to see how the television and radio icon lived after his mid-century modern estate in Southern California was listed over the weekend. It is the first time that the celebrated property, which graced the pages of Architectural Digest way back in 1959, has been made available in roughly 40 years, which presents a rare opportunity for trophy-home collectors who have $10.25 million lying around.

Designed by AIA architect Philmer J. Ellerbroek, one of the more esteemed residential and commercial architectural authorities of the 1950s, the home rests high above the city on a prime 4.6-acre lot in the hills Bel Air, CA. Rows of staggered blocks and intricately patterned concrete were used to form the exterior of the home, giving it a striking and textured appearance, while a pair of atriums, one of which includes an outdoor patio, sculptured metal screens, floor-to-ceiling glass and pocket doors are just a few of the other examples of organic design found within. The home itself boasts an open and flowing 5,000-square-foot floor plan, with five bedrooms and five baths. It includes all of the standard home offerings like the dining room, formal living room, family area and kitchen, while the rear of the Linkletter property features a sports court and a large pool that looks out over Los Angeles.

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Heal’s (or Pleasure Should Be Taken Seriously)

30 Mar

Of course, no trip to London is complete without my pilgrimage to the Orla Kiely store on Monmouth.  I had a free afternoon on Sunday, so I got on my walking shoes, my sunglasses, my ipod (yes, I still use an ipod) and headed to get my shop on.

And you know what, nothing floated my boat.  Nothing.  I think since I was there in February, not enough of the inventory had turned over.  Some new spring stuff that didn’t really excite me and all the housewares were the same.  I decided to check out a store I had heard about many times and headed to Heal’s on Tottenham Court Road.  Heal’s is the manufacturer of the awesome Orla furniture that costs more than a college education.  And take note, you fine folks, they had more Orla than Orla.

And truly, who could resist a store with this Eames quote proudly displayed on the ground floor in the spa section?  Yeah, a housewares and furniture store with a spa section.  Someone pinch me.

And not kidding about the Orla-gasm.  Check all this out:

And, to add insult to injury, two Orla chairs were on sale.  I actually spent about 15 minutes trying to figure out how to get them in my suitcase.  Of course, even at 60% off they were way more than the cash I have in the bank.  Mucho dinero.  Or mucho poundos.

Okay, lest you think it’s only Orla, it’s actually a 3-story department store filled with everything you could imagine including kitchen and bathrooms.  Think very high end and curated with more taste than Ikea.  And there was a cafe, but no meatballs.  I coveted this awesome starburst clock.  I want one of these for the kitchen and love the design of this one, though it was a smidge too big.

I also love the new trend for Pantone products in homage to the color matching system of the same name (PMS…hmmm).  Fun and cheerful, even with PMS.

And finally, in the art section, these very slick images of the two best Bonds ever.  James Bonds.

And just to verify that Catherineholm is hot, Heal’s had its own version of an enamelware print.

Of course, I did have to walk away with something.  I bought some super cute Orla enamel planters for these very sad plants sitting on the kitchen windowsill, naked in their plastic pots from the nursery.  I am sure they will cheer up in these pots.  And if I actually water them.

 (Apologies for the shoddy picture quality.  Maeve wasn’t here to be my genius photographer.  Plus, I took these surreptiously on my phone to avoid being thrown out of the store.)

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Tate Modern

25 Mar

It’s been a while, huh?  Miss me?  I am back in the UK, sitting in my hotel room at 1pm because I just woke up and am seemingly not adjusting well to the time difference.  All my travel lately has really screwed up my blogging pace, though trust me, I am not complaining.  (In fact, I am just now realizing it’s Sunday and this is supposed to be a Weekend Show and Tell, but whatever.)

When I land at Heathrow, it’s usually noon or early afternoon.  My routine is to try to stay awake until 9 or 10pm to get my body adjusted to the time zone as quickly as possible.  (See how well that’s working for me?)  And how do I do that?  I dump my bag in my hotel room, change clothes, hit the streets and walk.  And walk and walk and walk and walk.  Being here is always a big exhale for me.  No matter where I am staying, some part of my walk covers St. James Park, which yesterday was stupid with half-dressed Londoners in the unseasonable 70 degree weather exposing flesh that has been hidden for months.  Heaven.

Then I passed Buckingham Palace and went toward the Thames via Parliament, Westminster Abbey and Big Ben.  I hit the riverside and kept going with the intent of walking down to the Tower and back.  However, I was about to pass the Millenium Bridge when I saw the Tate Modern Art Museum on the other bank of the river.  So I climbed the stairs and headed across at a pace dictated by the Noisettes on my headphones.  People, sunshine, music and the scent of caramel roasted nuts sold in little cups.  And like many of the museums here, the Tate is free.  Most of it.  You have to pay to see special exhibits, but I just wanted to kick around.  And I am so glad I did because I can really geek out over this stuff.  (For more of my art musings, see here and here.)

Click on photo for link to original.

The museum focuses on art from 1900-present day, which I love because it’s less representational and more conceptual.  (Enough words have been used in this blog to describe my ridiculously conceptual nature, so let’s just say I loved it.)  I saw a monstrous huge Lichtenstein that blew me away.  Those teeny tiny dots all in perfect rows.  I caught myself wondering if they had paint pens back then because that’s the only way I could ever do that.  I saw some Picasso cubist paintings, Modigliani portraits, those damn water lilies by Monet (that are everywhere…anyone else sick of them?), a Hockney here and there.

Roy Lichtenstein, Whaam!, 1963

Pablo Picasso, Seated Nude, 1909-10

Amedeo Modigliani, Portrait of a Girl, circa 1917

Claude Monet, Water-Lilies, after 1916

But the stuff that blew me away was from artists I had never heard of.  For me, what I love about modern art is the wit.  I know that people stand in front of these things a lot of the time wondering ‘What the hell it is all about? I could do that.’  We are so used to looking at art from a decorative or narrative perspective.  (Or evaluating it based on whether or not it matches the sofa.)  For me, I love it when it presents an idea, preferably in a funny ‘gotcha’ kind of way.

For example, I saw this amazing piece by Michelangelo Pistoletto called ‘Venus of the Rags’ (1967,1974).  I love this Renaissance-esque marble female nude, her back facing you and her arms reaching into a huge pile of unfolded clothes as tall as she was.  Ha.  I know that feeling, don’t you?  And what a wonderful expression of a human experience that has so many layers.

Michelangelo Pistoletto, Venus of the Rags, 1967,1974

Another favorite of mine was called ‘Shooting Picture’ by Niki de Saint Phalle done in 1961.  From the website:

The emphasis on the violent gesture in post-war abstract painting culminated in Saint Phalle’s Shooting Pictures. She filled polythene bags with paint and enclosed them within layers of plaster against a blockboard backing. Spectators were invited to shoot at these constructions, releasing the paint. This one was shot by artists Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns. The moment of action and an emphasis on chance were as important as the finished work. Saint Phalle stopped making these works in 1963, explaining ‘I had become addicted to shooting, like one becomes addicted to a drug’.

Niki de Saint Phalle, Shooting Picture, 1961

Umm…wow.

I could do this all day, but will restrain myself to one more.  (After all, I am getting a late start on the day and the Orla Kiely store is waiting for me.)  Set in a very serious series of cubist paintings by Picasso and  was this piece by Fernand Leger, called ‘Still Life with Beer Mug’ (1921-2).  (That one’s for you, babe.  Democratic art and beer for all.)

Fernand Léger, Still Life with a Beer Mug, 1921-2

After his experiences in the First World War, Léger became convinced that art should be accessible to all. He moved away from pure abstraction towards the stylised depiction of real objects, laying great emphasis on order, clarity and harmony. In the 1920s he developed a concern with geometric composition and decoration. This painting shows a relatively naturalistic still life of a workman’s lunch on a table. The primary colours of the mug and tablecloth contrast with the dazzling black and white patterns in the background. (Tate Modern website)

Thanks for letting me share my inner nerd with you guys and this magnificent afternoon of mine.  If you want to see more, you can do a room by room tour at the Tate Modern site here.  I only got through the 5th floor but will definitely find time to go back and see the rest of the collection soon.  Enjoy!

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Other People’s Homes: Los Feliz Mid-Century Remodel

13 Mar

Via the LA Times ‘LA at Home’ section.  I am noticing a lot of my ‘Other People’s Homes’ features are in California.  Must be California dreamin’ on such a winter’s day.

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Interior designer Julie Maigret’s recent update of the Los Feliz home she shares with her husband, Rob, is the latest installment of Pro Portfolio. Our Monday feature looks at recently built, remodeled or redecorated spaces with commentary from the designers.

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Project: A 1961 two-story home with four bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms in 3,100 square feet.

Location: Atop the hills of Los Feliz.

Designer: Julie Maigret Design, Los Angeles.

Designer’s description: This project was a collaboration with my husband. Since the house was built in 1961, we wanted to stay true to its Midcentury Modern roots but also make sure it reflected our own casual aesthetic.

The biggest challenge was figuring out how to make a space with white walls and white floors comfortable instead of cold, an environment where visitors would feel welcomed.

That was accomplished by bringing in warm and bright colors and textures, vibrant artwork by local artists and comfortable seating. We also surrounded the home with lush, distinctive outdoor spaces.

To see more of the house, keep reading …

Julie Maigret house

The clean, bright entryway with light terrazzo floor and photography by Scott Rhea is a glimpse of what is to follow.

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In the dining room, we replaced beige wallpaper with Dunn-Edwards Swiss Coffee paint to match the rest of the house. We replaced tan shag carpeting with bright white linoleum, which combined with white furnishings, shifts attention to the artwork and outdoor space.

Julie Maigret dining

Warming up the room are vibrant digital collages that layer photographs of fire by Los Angeles artists Simmons & Burke.

Julie Maigret house

The color scheme in the family room complements the outdoors. The blue area rug made of Flor tiles mirrors the pool. Midcentury furnishings mix with a new Louis chair from Vioski. The double-height family room provides perfect space for an Arco floor lamp.  (I LOVE the poster in red on the left.  I want that for my bedroom.)

Julie Maigret

Adjacent to the fireplace is photography by Slim Aarons. A hand-blown pendant lamp from Santa Ana glassblower Caleb Siemon casts patterned light in the corner.  (Do you think that fireplace is painted?)

Julie Maigret

The thick shag carpeting that ran throughout the house trapped dust and made the space busy. Now, Flor carpet tiles make the room appear bigger and less complicated. Many of the artworks and accessories in this room were found at yard sales, on EBay and in Palm Springs thrift shops.

Julie Maigret

Decorative tempered glass was installed in the guest bathroom door to let in natural light. The artwork is by Los Angeles artists Audrey Kawasaki and Alex “Defer” Kizu.

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In the guest room, the 1960s Calze Ortalion poster advertising women’s stockings is by Italian artist Rene Gruau.  It keeps the room from taking itself too seriously.

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The sunny upstairs balcony became a relaxing spot with a built-in chaise that I designed. The seating is made of ipe wood and Sunbrella fabric, making it highly durable and functional.

Julie Maigret garden

Desiring something unusual outside the kitchen window, I turned to Annette Gutierrez from Potted in Atwater Village to create a cinderblock wall of succulents.

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The sculptural greenery planted in linear concrete adds an industrial air to the backyard.

Project Simplify 2012

12 Mar

I need this so badly, you have no idea.  We live in managable chaos, especially in the kids’ rooms.  I am not an organizer.  I am more of a ‘if-you-can’t-see-it-then-it’s-not-there’ kind of girl.  I appreciate cabinets and closets for that very reason.  And as the book says, life is too short to fold fitted sheets (or make your closet neat).  However, I am inspired by this ‘Project Simplify 2012′ brought to you by Simple Mom.

Plus, all the mid-century modern homes I lust over have super minimal clean uncluttered spaces and that is what I want!  Of course, I know myself well enough to know that it won’t last long, but I am going to make the effort nonetheless.  Below is an overview of the challenge as well as the first week (which I have already missed, of course!) about organizing kids’ stuff.

What is your hot spot in your house?  Are you able to keep clean, minimalist lines in your home?  Or do you subscribe to the maxim that a clean and organized house is a sign of an unhappy family?

From Simple Mom:

Project: Simplify 2012!

Post image for Project: Simplify 2012!

So I was thinking of skipping the spring cleaning series we’ve done around here the past three years. I passively asked you all on Facebook whether you’d still be interested in it, honestly thinking there’d only be a few raised hands.

Well, that goes to show how much I know, because well over 300 of you shouted with a resounding YES! So… let’s spring clean together, shall we?

This year’s is going to be a little different, but all in good ways. The changes are partly for my own sanity, but also because I want this series to springboard us into action for other parts of our life. I don’t want it to drain us—I want it to get us excited for the spring, and to help us see our home for what it is—a gift.

Here’s how it’s going to work.

Project: Simplify—March 5-30, 2012

For four Mondays, I’ll say “go,” and we’ll all tackle a specific hot spot in our homes. Then on Friday, I’ll share my own progress with before and after photos—and you will, too. You can share on your own blog and then link to it on my post.

(If you don’t have a blog, we’ll have a way for you to upload your before and after pics. I’m still working on that part—last year we made a Flickr pool, but this year I’d like to make it even easier for you. One way will be on Instagram, if you’re there—you can simply upload your photos and include that week’s tag. More on that soon…)

Everyone who participates that week will be entered to win a little prize. But heck, even if you don’t win, you still get a cleaner, more decluttered home. Who wouldn’t want that?

I cover a ten-step process of decluttering, cleaning, and organizing your home in my book Organized Simplicity. Lots of people used it during Project: Simplify last year for encouragement and inspiration. You don’t have to, of course, but you know, if you wanted to, that’d be fine by me.

A few differences this year…

• We’re tackling four hot spots this year, not five.

• I’ll leave each week’s link-up open through Sunday at 11:59 p.m. Lots of you worked on your hot spots on the weekends, which makes total sense. So now, when I reveal my before and afters on Friday, you’re free to share your results anytime between Friday morning and Sunday night. I won’t draw for a winner until Monday morning. Huzzah!

• I’m revealing the hot spots in advance. It was fun to pull back the curtain each Monday last year, but there were so many comments that resonated with a, “Nuts! I just tackled that area two weeks ago!” that I figured I’d spill the beans ahead of time, so that you can plan.

This year’s hot spots

I asked you all on Facebook which areas you’d like to tackle most. Without further adieu, here’s this year’s to-do list:

  • Week of March 5: Kids’ stuff—toys, clothes, and the like
  • Week of March 12: Kitchen and/or pantry
  • Week of March 19: Closets, countertops, and drawers (oh my)
  • Week of March 26: Choose your own adventure—you pick your most-needed hot spot

Kids’ stuff organized: before and after photos

Post image for Kids’ stuff organized: before and after photosYou should know that I didn’t get everything done that I wanted to. I tell you this because I have a feeling some of you might be feeling the same way. Perhaps you haven’t even started yet; you’re waiting until today, the start of the weekend, to do what you need to do.That’s okay! Such is life. Do what you can with this week’s hotspot, and give yourself a pat on the back when you cross it off the list. (My back-patting will look like skiing on Saturday.)

I’ll waste no more time, so here you go—my before and after shots. And at the end, I’ll explain how you can share your own photos.

Books

You can see the normal state of the kids’ books above. Not bad, but it’s a pain to trip over them as they tumble to the floor, seeing as they’re all in our living room. Pulling books off the shelves is Finn’s current favorite hobby.

There. At least they’re mostly reshelved (but from the looks of this photo, there’s still some scattered about on kids’ beds). We love all our books, and go out of our way to make sure they’re mostly twaddle-free. So, no donating of books this time around.

And because I get asked all the time—this is an Expedit bookshelf from Ikea.

My family will tell you I like our books alphabetized—even the kids’ ones. They would be correct. It’s not to be all uptight (really, I promise); it’s because it’s really SO much easier to find When You Give a Moose a Muffin under “N” for Numeroff than it is to search every single shelf.

It’s not easy to keep kids’ books in the right order, but Tate’s now old enough to understand alphabetical order. For now, I’m okay with general alphabetizing with the first letter. I won’t pitch a fit if Flack is reshelved before Falconer.

I sound like a lot of fun at cocktail parties, don’t I?

I made simple dividers from foam board and letter stickers. I know they won’t last forever, and that’s okay—they’ll be cheap to replace. This way, they won’t hurt when they’re used as swords.

Games & Puzzles

Our current home is temporary and very, very small. We don’t have the space (or inclination) to build long-term storage, so for the past year, kids’ games and puzzles have been stored in an old bench.

This works well. Unless you have a toddler who also enjoys emptying out the game and puzzle pieces in his spare time.

Once I reassigned all the pieces to the right box, I culled the ones we never play with. Their new home is our local thrift store.  But I was still left with a number of loved puzzles and games with stepped-on, crunched boxes.

I cut the box top of the puzzles and tossed them in a zippered pouch with the pieces.

There. Better.

Toys

We don’t really have an issue with too many toys, either, because I like doing smaller purges every few months or so. We just needed a sprucing up.

We use the Expedit shelves here, too, along with the Trofast buckets. Great for open-ended toys.

I wanted more permanent labels that were easier to read. So, I used the same stickers as with the book dividers… which meant I ran out of letters.

So I’m going to the store this weekend to buy more letters. In the meantime, just trust me that we don’t have “car _racks,” “_inco_ _ _ogs,” “ne_f gun_,” or “ma_ble_.”

Clothes

This was the department where we needed to whittle down. I knew from pant cuffs that everyone was growing, so it was time to pass down and move on.

We love using buckets for our boys’ clothes—they’re easier to pull out and shove back for little hands. These are the Closetmaid Fabric Drawers from Target.

I ended with about half a grocery bag of clothes to donate, some of Reed’s went to storage to wait for Finn, and the rest just needed to be reshelved.

A few months ago I made drawer labels out of Shrinky Dinks… I finally put them on this week.

Just so you know, we mostly just shove our boys’ clothes into the buckets—minimal folding involved, except when fresh out of the dryer. It’s all cotton anyway.

Now it’s your turn!

You’re welcome to focus on this hotspot at any time, of course, but if you’d like to be entered to win this week’s giveaway, you have until Saturday (tomorrow) at 11:59 p.m. PST to submit your before-and-after photos.

You absolutely don’t need to do as many photos as I have here—a simple before shot of a room, followed by its after, is great. And as a reminder, if you don’t have kids at home, you’re welcome to do your own personal belongings.

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