Modern Works Presented By Pasadena Heritage

If you love modernism, don't miss this event tomorrow! Pasadena Heritage gives a nod to some of its mid-20th century architecture with a tour featuring the work of Edward Durell Stone and Smith & Williams.  Alan Hess, the preservationist/architect and author who wrote this book (one of my favorites!) will also be giving a lecture at 1pm.  Attend the lecture only, the tour by itself, or both! Get your tickets right here.

Included on the tour is the Stuart Pharmaceutical Co. Building (pictured above), now known as The Stuart at Sierra Madre Villa, that I've long admired but have never been inside. You know you want a peek inside too. I'll see you there!

Meet Webster

As I opened my eyes this morning, I  thought "Yay! It's Friday!" which quickly turned to "Oh no! It's Friday!" when I started making a mental to-do list. That mega-post I mentioned earlier this week has been postponed until Monday, but for now may I introduce you to Webster the bed. This guy comes in a rainbow of powder-coated colors plus black or white. The price? Just $799 for a queen (Available in five sizes).  Three cheers to Room and Board for this one!

Modernism Show Recap

It was such an exciting weekend jam-packed with fresh inspiration which I can't wait to share!  I'm going to pace myself though and start with just a recap of the 2011 Los Angeles Modernism Show.

The Los Angeles Modern Committee had a booth generously offered to us by Dolphin Fairs and as the Vice Chair of ModCom, I was there to raise awareness of all the mid-century gems in LA that need to be protected. (Did you see our booth there? And sign-up for the mailing list? If not, you can still sign up here for monthly updates and find out about our meetings here)

Now that I've plugged ModCom, let's move on to the eye candy!  For those of you who aren't familiar with the Modernism Show, it features the best of the best when it comes to 20th century art and furnishings. If you have a little extra cash lying around (and by a little I mean, at least a thousand bills), you can take home something to call your very own.  Yes, the prices can be kind of steep. There are some affordable finds, however, like this great modular sofa for $1100 from Modern Home in Palm Springs. He actually had a pair of these (one in storage) and the 3-sections of each sofa can be arranged and rearranged to suit your needs.  For example, you can have two seats together with a table on one end. Or put both bases together to create a sectional.  Or even put three seats on one base to create a traditional sofa and two tables and one seat on the other base. I love flexible, functional furniture!

The star of the show was this Paul McCobb booth from Reform Gallery featuring almost a complete set of rare pieces from a collection called the Planner Group.  It took a decade for Jonathan Goldstein and Gerard O'Brien to assemble it all and there were some one-of-a-kind pieces, literally. It was incredible! They even had the original product brochures from 1953 on display. I took a couple of overview shots, plus close-ups of a great desk lamp and vase. Who knew Paul McCobb even designed ceramics? And this 1950s vase feels fresh as if it were just conceived yesterday. Check out Jonathan's blog and his Flickr set for more detailed photos of the individual pieces and if you have any McCobb questions, this is definitely your go-to guy.  He's even working on a Paul McCobb book. 

Another great booth was ModernHause. Oscar had some impressive furniture including this fantastic orange-lacquered George Nelson-designed bedroom suite for Herman Miller (Actually designed by Nelson, not one of his associates). The asking price was $5k for the entire collection. Not bad at all considering it includes a king-size bed with storage, two cabinets, and a chest of drawers. Let's face it, you can easily drop that for some mass-produced contemporary bedroom furniture and you won't get this quality or unique design.

Among the other pieces I coveted were a pair of Russel Wright spun-aluminum floor lamps offered by Studio 101.  It's really rare to see a pair together!

Also on my wish list? A General Dynamics poster from Vintage European Posters. I see this Berkley-based company at all the trade shows and I always stand mesmerized at their booth as they flip through the stacks of oversized, beautifully-designed posters. I have not yet had the opportunity to use one in a project or buy one for myself. Someday soon, I hope. This particular poster reminds me of a box of 64 Crayola crayons! Just wonderful in every way!

Last, but certainly not least, my heart actually skipped a beat when I saw this desk offered by Roy Aldridge Antiques. That colorful combination of laminated drawer-fronts and beautiful teak veneer had me counting my pennies to see if I could swing the nearly $1700 price tag. Sadly, I walked away sans desk. Bummer. Stay tuned though, because I definitely have a future DIY idea inspired by this piece.

So, that's it for my adventures at the Modernism Show. Check back later this week, as I continue the weekend recap with a mega-post about two of my all-time favorite designers on the planet!

Lourdes Sánchez for West Elm

I was immediately drawn to this rug (first image) introduced at West Elm a few months back. It's one of those elements that just instantly cheers up a room. I've heard over and over again how just a gallon of paint can transform a room. Very true, but a rug like this can also have major impact and at West Elm prices, it's nearly as affordable as paint. (Well, at least low-VOC paint plus all the supplies and the labor involved.  You get the idea.)

How great is it that retailers like West Elm are able to make work from artists like Lourdes Sánchez available to the masses? I know that in today's world, there's a trend toward creating one of a kind rooms assembled with unique pieces that you're not going to be able to craft from goods at mass retailers. That said, it's hard to ignore how fabulous this rug is! Not to mention the artwork that was just added to the Lourdes Sánchez for West Elm collection.

"Cuban-born artist and textile designer Lourdes Sánchez trained at New York's School of Visual Arts and spent 20 years creating in-demand prints for the fashion industry." - Learn more at West Elm

Flea Market Fun: April Edition

My top flea market finds for this past weekend at the Long Beach Antique Market --
I didn't purchase them all, mind you.  I still haven't rented that storage space I talked about in this post.

1960s bathroom scale $45

1950s ice bucket with penguin motif (I've actually seen these a few times, even two on this particular day. The best price I've seen is $12, although this one was marked $20)

The best find of the day was this coffee urn with a great walnut tri-pod base (I talked them down from $65 to $50!) Every hostess needs one.

Lovely little Japanese address book that was completely unmarked and will definitely serve as inspiration for a color palette on a future project

This mod floor lamp was in good shape and selling for $100

The grand finale --

An Emeco high chair! Yes, the same company that's so well-known for this chair.

Neutra Anniversary Weekend

Yesterday, Daily Icon posted a wonderful glimpse inside Neutra's 1934 Sten-Frenke house in Santa Monica, CA. Ever been up close and personal with a Neutra?  Sure, the photographs are great, but there's nothing like stepping inside one for the full experience and if you're in Los Angeles, there are so many Neutra-built homes right at your fingertips. 

Right now, in fact, you can purchase tickets to the 85th Anniversary Celebration for the Neutra practice (Richard's son, Dion, has carried on the business since his father's passing). The event involves a jam-packed weekend culminating in an exclusive tour featuring nine stops:  The Neutra office, Dion Neutra House, VDL Research House II, Lovell Health House, Treehouse Apartments, Flavin House, Ohara House and Inadomi House. The dates are April 8-10th and you can read more and purchase tickets at Neutra.org

Photo of Sten-Frenke House via Daily Icon

Cordelia's Nursery: Part II

And the winner is....

If you missed Part I, it's worth a look back at the five different inspiration boards I put together for my daughter's nursery and the sources for all the items in the collage above. The runner up was the orange and grey collage with the Thomas Paul rug, but this happy multi-color room won out for several reasons 1) It's a bit more feminine 2) I can add almost any accessory (called 'toys' in her world) without them sticking out like a sore thumb 3) I scored that PB Teen rug for next to nothing and it's still on sale here. 

The bookcases worked out just as planned. I already had the Kartell storage unit on hand to use as a side table and I snagged the Fat Boy ottoman designed by Dwell Studio at Marshall's of all places for a mere thirty beans (also available right here on clearance). 

Some things were just happy accidents like that as well as the rocking chair that I mentioned I picked up at the Rose Bowl. It was recovered in an ivory shag from Deco Home. Other things in the room had more thought behind them and were shown in the original collage. The Oeuf crib, Jonathan Adler Havana sconces, Kate Quinn bedding, Puka Puka mobile, and Multi-boxes were all must-haves.  The Adler initial pillow was also on the original wish list, but they were out of stock and we ended up with this one instead.  If you look closely it includes the word 'gin', but my husband jokes that Jonathan is simply referring to the card game, not the adult beverage!

Smaller items of note not mentioned above are in the source list at the bottom of the post. Of course, the most adorable thing in the room, Cordelia, is in the last photo.  Enjoy!

Wall Art - Suzy Ultman

Piggy Bank, Turtle and Snail - Jonathan Adler

Mushroom Lamp - Vintage

Mirrored Discs - PB Teen

Toy baskets - Land Of Nod

Floor lamp - West Elm

Wall color - Sherwin-Williams Harmony paint in 'Bubble'

Cordelia's Nursery

Every mother obsesses over a nursery leading up to their first baby, right? You have to make sure everything is perfect and you're ready to welcome the little one home. Well, that's exactly how I ended up with six different inspiration boards for my daughter's nursery! Let's just say decisiveness and pregnancy do not go well together. 

Of course, I started with a focus on function and never wavered from my original floor plan.  It consisted of a crib (obviously) strategically positioned in the one spot in the room that wasn't under a window (we do live in a glass house, after all, but don't worry we recently installed 3M safety film on all the windows), bookcases lining one wall and rounding the corner, and a chair plus ottoman. Pretty simple. 

The Classic Ouef Crib was locked in, as was the Billy bookcase storage solution from IKEA which would get a birch top (an IKEA-hack since the corner solution doesn't really work with the low bookcases). I had spotted the Britten Nummer fabric, also from IKEA, and envisioned it as the perfect backdrop for the bookcases (simply covering the back panels with the fabric adhered with a little non-toxic Modge Podge). I had also spontaneously selected a light turquoise for the walls when the painters were here to cover up the oh-so-hideous hospital green walls that the previous owner had somehow thought were a good idea.  

So, those were all the decisions that had been made up until the third trimester.  In the mean time, I was distracted with all the other projects happening, which is really just my excuse for not being able to make up my mind. Designers designing for themselves is sometimes a fatal combination. Add in the pregnancy hormones and you're doomed.  

Then, a trip to the Rose Bowl Flea Market turned up a Ralph Rapson-style rocker (which I have to imagine was the inspiration behind IKEA's Poang rocker you'll see pictured in the first collage) and the room finally began to take shape. I had all the major furniture pieces. Although that still didn't stop me from contemplating repainting the walls (as you'll notice in the 3rd collage). So without further ado, here are the many variations on the nursery's color palette, textiles, lighting and decor. Can you guess which one of these five inspiration boards was the winner? 

Clockwise from top left: Mythic Paint in Turquoise, Sunny Outlook, and Sherwin-Williams 'Bubble', Jonathan Adler Havana Sconce, Frazier + Wing Mobile, Britten Nummer fabric and Billy bookcase from IKEA, Room and Board Henley floor pillow, Hable Construction fabric, IKEA Poang rocker (similar to Ralph Rapson-style vintage rocker scored at the Rose Bowl), Jonathan Adler Initial Pillow, Kate Quinn bedding, CB2 Birdwalk rug, West Elm side table, Oeuf Crib

Clockwise from top left: Puka Puka mobile, Thomas Paul sconce, Sherwin-Williams 'bubble', IKEA Britten Nummer and Billy bookcase, Oilo crib bedding, Amenity deer pillow, West Elm stump table, Monte Luca glider, Flor carpet tiles, Ouef Crib

Clockwise from top left: Puka Puka mobile, Mythic Paint in Blush of Dawn, Kate Quinn Bedding, IKEA Britten Nummer fabric with Billy bookcase, Multi-boxes, Crate and Barrel glider, West Elm Martini table, CB2 rug, Oeuf Crib, Jonathan Adler Initial Pillow

Clockwise from top left: Jonathan Adler Havana sconce, Summer Infant organic crib sheet, Puka Puka mobile, IKEA PS table, IKEA Britten Nummer fabric and Billy bookcase, Hable Construction fabric in charcoal, Modernica 'Grasshopper' chair, CB2 ottoman, Thomas Paul 'Parasols' rug, Sherwin-Williams 'Bubble', Oeuf crib, Inhabit wall hanging

Clockwise from top left: Jonathan Adler 'Havana' sconce, Sherwin-Williams 'Bubble', Puka Puka mobile, Jonathan Adler initial pillow, IKEA Britten Nummer fabric with Billy bookcase, Kate Quinn 'Clover' bedding, Multi-boxes, IKEA Poang rocker, PB Teen rug, Oeuf crib, Kartell Componibili storage unit

Fresh Fruit

Our neighborhood recently had a produce swap where we shared the bountiful harvests from our backyards. Our family just has one sad little lemon tree, but we showed up anyway and scored tangerines, limes, and grapefruit! Citrus looks so enticing when displayed in a great bowl on the kitchen counter and what could be more cost effective decor? Snag one of these delicious bowls then swing by the market and pick up some colorful produce. You can dress up your kitchen on the cheap and have a healthy snack on hand!

From top to bottom: Chilewich 3-Tier, Crate and Barrel Starburst Bowl, Alessi Citrus Bowl, IKEA Tradig bowl, Josh Jakus Egg Flat, MOMA Satellite Bowl, and Roost Farmer's Market crates