CA Boom Review + Coolhaus

Our visit to CA Boom was relatively short and sweet (something about the U.S. playing in a soccer match that Cezanne just HAD to see), but I did find some noteworthy products to share.

Moduture had three products to unveil that will be going into production this fall. The most interesting was this coffee table called 'the puzzle' table. The two halves slide apart to reveal the puzzle in construction, so you no longer have to feel like you have to finish that 1000+ piece masterwork in one evening. If puzzles aren't your thing, there are plenty of other objects you could store below and they're also working on a similar dining table, which means plates, placemats, even flatware, can be stored right below the eating surface - smart for small space dwellings.

Although it's not even close to the holidays, I couldn't help but fall in love with these mod ornaments from 9 Mile Schoolhouse. The Montana-based company integrates traditions and cultural influences from all over the world into their holiday collections and they have recently expanded to gifts and home decor, such as pillows and mobiles.

Harbour Outdoor, which made it's debut in the U.S. at ICFF this year, had its West Coast premiere at CA Boom.

Ronan + Erwan are certainly having a stellar year, with 'Kvadrat Clouds' for Ligne Roset showcased at Dwell On Design and the Vegetal chair (top) and this amazing sofa, the 'Alcove' for Vitra, on display at CA Boom. The Vitra booth (in conjunction with Magedman Modern) even had a child sleeping on the sofa just as in the photo above! Completely unintentional, but oh so cute! I didn't take a photo, as I didn't want to wake him.

Last, but not least, we finished the day off with an ice cream sandwich from Coolhaus. These cool treats are built to look like modern homes, and wrapped in edible rice paper to hold the miniature work of art together. And check out the names - 'Orange Julius Shulman', 'Frank Behry', 'Mies Vanilla Rohe' and many other creative flavors not only taste great, but also make you smile.

Also coming up this week, more on Dwell on Design including Unison Bedding and Charley Harper, photos from my discovery of a mid-century enclave in Gardena, and products from the Rug Company and Blu Dot. Check back daily!

Dwell On Design Review + Wurstküche

I'm downing a cup of coffee trying to recover from a long weekend of design cons. Two major events hit L.A., the annual Dwell on Design show sponsored by Dwell magazine and the West coast design show, CA Boom. Both had a wide variety of vendors and products and here is just a sampling of what caught my eye.

'Clouds' (above) by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for Ligne Roset was originally introduced at January's Maison de Objet in Paris, but this was the largest installation that they have displayed yet. It was certainly dramatic, although it costs tens of thousands of dollars. Don't be discouraged though. What I love about this system is that you choose how many tiles and how to configure them - cover a whole wall, create a panel to use as a room divider or link together a small group of tiles to create a 3-D focal point.

Another fun felt product were these stools by Tema Home. They're available through Hold It, a modern store in San Diego that's a one-stop shop for other products like Blu Dot, Blomus, and Nuevo.

This chair, from H. Studio, is not necessary my style, but yet I can't help but be drawn to it. I guess I just have a thing for glamourous chairs!

Modular shelving units are a great storage solution, because they adapt to your space. Easily arrange them in a new way for a fresh look, or when you move to a different home, stack them to fit your new space. The hexagon-shaped shelves in the top two photos are from Boom Design and the other is from a new collection at Target by Dror. Snag this nesting shelving system for a fraction of the cost of designs that Dror Benshetrit has done for luxury furniture powerhouses like Cappellini.

Okay, this was one of my favorite stops at Dwell. Lindsey Adelman Studio produces these drop dead gorgeous modern light fixtures. They can be custom ordered with as many handblown glass globes or 'branches' as you like. I was mesmerized by these pieces and it was seriously hard to tear myself away from their booth.

Design Boom showcased the latest in industrial design, from fruit bowls to 'green' concepts that will help save the earth. Here are a few of my favorites:

'Stem Herb Planter' by Peter J. Pless

'Nova' Fruit Bowl (right) by Mauricio Valdes and the 'Canasta' Fruit Bowl (left) by Emiliano Godoy for Nouvel Studio

'Log Bowls' designed by Doha Chebib for Loyal Loot Collective

I couldn't finish up this post without mentioning how we ended the day. It made my husband a very happy man. We trekked across downtown to Wurstküche, a hip new beer garden and sausage house. They have an amazing selection of German and Belgian beers and a variety of sausages from exotic, like Rattlesnake and Rabbit, to classics like bratwurst and kielbasa. The Belgian fries were also excellent and served with a selection of sauces ranging from curry ketchup to bleu cheese and bacon. It was all mouth-watering and if you're downtown near the arts district, it's a must! Heck, it's even worth a special trip. Enjoy!

Stay tuned for my review on CA Boom later this afternoon...

The Nest

Photo by Mark Lund

The Nest, a website geared toward newlyweds, is chock full of advice about buying and decorating a home. I've magically been added to their mailing list ( I guess since I previously registered at their sister site, The Knot, for wedding planning) Even though I didn't ask for it in my inbox, I opened the message anyway, read through it, and even went so far as to click on one of the links. Turns out it is a great site for anyone who is into DIY decorating and looking for some inspiration. It features many styles, diverse color palettes, and some very creative solutions. So, check out the reader's choice top-20 fave bedrooms and let me hear what you think.

This Weekend in Los Angeles

The rest of the week is going to be a busy one. I wouldn't normally try to pack two events into one evening, but tomorrow, from 4-8pm, I'm stopping by B&B Italia for the opening of Burton Machen's 'Urban Evolution'. Then at 7pm, I'm headed just a few blocks away to meet with the Designer's Networking Group. Herzog Wine Cellars and Design Hardware & Hardwood Flooring join together to host this month's DNG.

The two big events of the weekend are Dwell on Design and CA Boom. Check out their websites for a schedule of events and ticket info.

Trade day for Dwell on Design is Friday, and your free pass will get you in for the whole weekend (excluding special events). Don't miss mid-century architect, William Krisel, relish in the much deserved spotlight at Friday night's soiree.

CA Boom is going to be held in the old Beverly Hills Robinson's May department store, which I believe was threatened to be demolished, but I guess, at least for this weekend, it is getting a new lease on life! Mod Com (The Los Angeles Conservancy Modern Committee) is sponsoring an installation of Julius Shulman's work (the 98-year-old infamous architectural photographer) and Alan Lieb, chairman of the committee, will be there on Sunday at 3pm to speak about 'Saving Civic Modernism'

If only I could be in two places at once, I would love to go to this event too! Check out the Neutra exhibit at the LAPL. At 3pm on Sunday, the ALOUD lecture series presents "Hollywood and Uncle Sam: Richard Neutra and the Great Depression", hosted by exhibition curator, Thomas S. Hines.

Enjoy the rest of your week!

National Martini Day

Okay, I've gotten some conflicting reports on this.  Some say that National Martini Day is today, June 18th, while others say it's tomorrow, June 19th.  My position is why not just make it a two day event?  That way you can hit up more than one locale for this classic cocktail.  

First we have the legen - wait for it... - dary establishment, Musso & Frank's.  This restaurant, located on Hollywood Boulevard, first opened in 1919 and since then they've certainly served a martini or two.  If you're looking for classic Hollywood, this is the place you want to go to celebrate National Martini Day.

This Musso & Frank's waiter has been there since 1956!

 

If you're looking for a slightly more hip scene, head downtown to Seven Grand, where they are masters of the mint julep, but don't miss a beat serving up other classic concoctions as well.

Another must on this list is Bar Marmont on Sunset Boulevard.  It's as classic as they come.  Sure, Lindsay Lohan has gotten sick in the bathroom more than once, but that surprisingly doesn't affect the glam quotient of this infamous lounge.

One of the newbies on the list is Nineteen 12.  It is instantly awarded points for being located at the Beverly Hills Hotel, although to be fair, it hasn't received many compliments from Yelpers. 

Lastly, there's the Viceroy in Santa Monica.  It's not exactly a Hollywood classic or a legendary celeb haunt, but it does provide the perfect atmosphere, courtesy of Kelly Wearstler, for sipping a martini, by the pool or in one of the many cozy corners inside.  

Happy National Martini Day to all!

Shopping Trip

Yesterday, I was in Silver Lake and finally made it to Alegria on Sunset, which I've wanted to try forever.  Yum!  Then, I stopped by Yolk, one of my favorite shops in all of Los Angeles.  It's located on Silver Lake Blvd in a Neutra-designed storefront and they have a wide array of products from Marimekko, Design House Stockholm, and Iittala (just to name a few).  

I fell in love with these melamine plates from Lucky Feather.  Fun for kids and adults, they are a gentle reminder to mind your manners. 1.) Sit up straight 2.) Chew with your mouth closed 3.) Napkin in your lap 4.) Elbows off the table

And every designer you know needs one of these Pantone mugs in their favorite shade:

I also loved the latest Marimekko trays and tins, like this one:

My home office is in desperate need of reorganization, so I was obsessed with all of these fun small containers imagining how perfect they would be for sorting small items to keep on the desktop.  For $14 each, these were adorable!

See you on Monday!

Sarah + Cezanne

So, what was I doing with all that time that I wasn't blogging? Planning a wedding!  My wonderful new husband and I were married on May 17th in Manhattan Beach (Our one month anniversary is coming up this week!) Check out Jesi Haack Weddings for the highlights of our wedding day. We really had the most amazing time and we owe so much thanks to Jesi, wedding coordinator extraordinaire, Melody Brandon from Sweet and Saucy Shop, and all our our amazing vendors, family members, and friends who helped make our day oh so perfect!

This Weekend in Los Angeles

Who decided that the work week should be five days and we only get two to pack in all this good stuff?  Here are a few things on my calendar for this weekend: 

Take My Picture, a gallery in downtown LA, is having an opening reception from 5-9pm on Saturday for 'The Billboard Show' which highlights the 'bright, bold and sometimes bizarre billboards of the 50's and 60's that captured a city on the move'.

Also on Saturday, you can check out Los Angeles after dark on a Neon Cruise offered by The Museum of Neon Art, which highlights the city's vintage signage and movie marquees.

Saturday morning, there's a truly unique event, '150 Antique Aprons: A Personal Collection', sponsored by the Culinary Historians of Southern California.  Ruth Reeder will share her knowledge (who knew there were apron enthusiasts out there!) at the Los Angeles Public Library at 10:30am.  The event is free and open to the public.  (Hint, Hint: Also check out the Neutra exhibit while you're at the library - May 3rd through November 1st, 2009)

Last, but certainly not least, Turquoise sent this invite to me for a book signing on Saturday from 7-10pm.  Turquoise is featured in 'The Find', by Stan Williams, along with preservationist, Peter Moruzzi, (who just wrote a book himself!  Find it here.) Check out the Retropia website for more details.  Have a great weekend!

Trina Turk

After a week at the Parker Palm Springs following our wedding, I am having major withdrawal from resort living.  Until I have a new excuse to hit up the Parker, I can at least shop for what I'll need for my next trip which will again include some fun fashion from Trina Turk.  Her colors, prints, and new interpretations of old ideas are a huge inspiration to me when it comes to designing interiors and her look perfectly fits into the happy chic world of my dreams.

(Above) Trina Turk

(Below) Spring '09 Collection

Turk also recently launched a residential line.  Limited items are carried in most of her boutiques, and the full collection is at her Palm Springs location.  I am absolutely in love with the graphic patterned pillows, retro shapes and juicy colors. 

This interior shot is from the East Hampton boutique, a pop-up store, which is a temporary location set to open Memorial Day weekend and will carry vintage furniture upholstered in Turk's indoor/outdoor fabric line from Schumacher.