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.

Timing Is Everything

I've joked that if I ever write a memoir, it will be entitled 'Ten Minutes Late'.  I feel like in the urban jungle of LA, with its traffic congestion and other obstacles, it's nearly impossible to make it on time anywhere.  

Maybe I simply need a new clock to inspire my punctuality.  Every single one of  George Nelson's classic mid-century timepieces make me swoon, but I've also rounded up some of my other favorites:

Starburst by George Nelson

I was lucky enough to find this one on Craig's List!

Diamond Desk Clock by George Nelson

Sunflower by George Nelson

All of these and more Nelson clocks available from Design Public

Arne Jacobsen Bankers' Clock (a contemporary of Nelson)

Fitzsu Society

This clock by Mike Reynolds is a good reminder that it's always 5 o'clock somewhere

It's hard to lose track of time with a burst of color like this as a reminder

Orange Burst Clock by Chroma Lab

Umbra Mystic Clock

Braun Wall Clock (NEW! - at Unica Home)

Alessi Blow Up Clock

CB2 Spot Clock - At 39" in diameter, this makes quite a statement.  It would be great in a loft.  It's also ON SALE right now!

Uomino clock by Diamantini + Domeniconi

Jonas Damon Twice Once Clock

At under $30, this clock from the IKEA PS collection has become a design classic over the last couple of decades.  I bought it in black in the late 90's and I still own it.  Bonus - it's got storage inside!

Times Square from Nava Milano

Orientales

My husband just returned from a trip to Taiwan and brought me this adorable little sugar bowl (below) from Alessi.  It's from the second installment of a collection called Orientales, which is a collaboration between Italian designer Stefano Giovannoni and the National Palace Museum of Taiwan.  

There's this matching bird creamer:

And these funny monkey bottle stoppers:

And a salt + pepper set that would definitely add some color to your table:

The collection is based on 'the Far East's languages and symbols, filtered through western eyes' and strives to 'rediscover decoration as an element of communication through ventures made possible by globalization'.  What it really comes down to is the collection is fun, colorful and the characters are cute as anything!  You can purchase some of the products, including items from the first collection at Unica Home.

A. Quincy Jones + Forever Fullerton

Last Friday was packed with all kinds of mid-century fun!  I first met with Birds of Ohio, a great resource for vintage textiles and patterns.  (They also happen to live in an Eichler home and I was thrilled to get a private tour!)  You can see images of their home on Design*Sponge, under 'Sneak Peeks'.

They also clued me in on a great vintage shop, Out of Vogue, and a Julius Shulman exhibit (April 5-July 19) at the Fullerton Museum.  

No one has an eye quite like Shulman.  He perfectly captured the idealism of the 1950's through his lense.  Most of the photos in this exhibit were from a housing development designed by A. Quincy Jones, called the Forever homes.  The houses could easily be confused with Joseph Eichler homes, since Jones was an architect for Eichler, before building his own tract.  I took a driving tour after I left the museum, and sad to say, the Forever homes need some tlc.  Some are in decent condition, but many of the owners clearly don't realize that they are living in a mid-century gem and the neighborhood, although it is near a vibrant area of Fullerton, is not all that desirable.

With a bit of investment and some design savvy buyers, could this be as popular as the Eichler tracts in the near future?  Be sure to check out the Forever Fullerton exhibit before July 19th to see the homes in their original glory!

Eichler in So Cal

Since I was on hiatus from blogging for a few months, I never shared the Eichler home that I worked on last fall.  I was hired for a color consultation, both interior and exterior.  Since, for know, I only dream of living in an Eichler (or a Cliff May), working on one is the next best thing!

Before - beige and boring

Backyard  - Before

I showed the owners three possible color schemes and this was their favorite.  Here are the 'after' shots:

The best feature of this Eichler floorplan is the outdoor courtyard that is completely enclosed within the house, an Eichler original

There are a few different floor plans for Eichler homes and below is another example - my favorite!  I took these when I was visiting Orange last week:

Last, but not least, the photo below is the best example I've seen of what NOT to do with an Eichler.  That second story just breaks my heart.  No matter what style of architecture your a fan of, I think we can all agree this addition is just BAD design.

For more about Eichler homes in Orange, the City of Orange website is a great source of info.  Eichler Homes of Southern California has also built a great network of Eichler owners.  You can browse properties for sale and get tips on home improvements.  

It's the last day to snag 'early bird' tickets for Dwell on Design (June 26th-28th at the LA Convention Center).  In addition to exhibitors, there is a sustainability forum, home tours, ASID classes, and AIA's MobiusLA conference.  Check out the website for more details.