Design Public

What is modern? What does it mean to you? I think people are asking and struggling to answer this question all the time. Of course one may start with technology and engineering, back to when the International Style emerged from an ability to construct from the steel grid and allowed for features like ribbon windows. I’m going to keep it simple and tell you what modern means to me today, as I was reminded by the homes I toured last weekend.

Modern is about space and proper proportion, not square footage. That is something developers and realtors have lost in their quests for maximizing profit. I mean, the teardown/spec house going up next door to me has a “tasting room” in the plans. Are they going to be growing grapes in the remaining undeveloped five square feet on the lot and start a vineyard? Next to the tasting room is the media room and all the other useless, out of scale, pretentious noveau-riche stupid crap that no one needs, like a garage with no turning radius to actually manuever a car into it. But I digress, sorry, it’s the bulldozer noise and dirt all over my car making me pissy. By the way, thanks to Kevin the Project Manager for bringing me a car wash gift certificate today. I’m sure he went home to his wife last night and said “I can’t believe I have to go buy this bitch neighbor a car wash gift certificate tomorrow - my job sucks.”

Back to the M.A. tour: In the homes I saw, there were magnificent two-story living rooms with proportions that would have made Palladio swoon (see above). In exchange, many of the bedrooms were small by today’s McMansion standards. By “small” I mean there was plenty of space for a bed, two nightstands, and a dresser. How much more space do we really need in our bedrooms? My last bedroom was very small and cozy, and I actually preferred it to my new larger bedroom. In a smaller bedroom, one is much more motivated to edit, organize, and keep things neat.

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I know, a DP designer is featured in the news nearly everyday, but upon the event that you didn’t see the latest features in the Los Angeles or New York Times…I’ll share ‘em!

First up: Looolo Textiles in the New York Times

The folks at design*sponge also just did an awesome sneek peek into Joanna Notkin’s home (designer of Looolo Textiles).

DP Designer Feature #2: Mod Mom Furniture article in the Los Angeles Times

This past weekend I went home to Colorado to visit the parents. While there my dad pulled out the Home and Garden section of the L.A. Times and said, “Hey Ali, look at this article I saved for you…this mom is making toy boxes in her garage!” My response: “Whoa! We just added her to our site!” My pop had no idea that Mod Mom Furniture was now part of DP, but thanks to that article we had a nice father/daughter bonding moment.

View all Looolo Textiles and Mod Mod Furniture pieces on DP.

Since it’s that high pollen count time of year, I could not resist sharing some of the modern gardens I saw this weekend.  Pictured above is the edge of a roofdeck.  Below is the rest of it.  I love the simple wooden planters, and it looks like they are constructed to be proportional to the floor tiles.  Do keep in mind that you have to worry about weight on a roofdeck; be sure your roof can handle the weight of large planters full of soil, plants and the water they will require:

I love the use of these cheap home superstore aluminum tubs as planters.  I use the smaller sizes all around my house for keeping things organized and even as vases, but I had not thought of this.  You can get them in the painting supply aisle at Home Depot or Lowe’s.  Note how the range of textures of the plants work so well together:

Now this is a real outdoor room.  I know I am always complaining about the “bring the outdoors in” cliche, but this is the way to do it!  Or maybe they are bringing the inside out, I’m not sure.  Regardless, the two story living room has a huge glass garage door that opens right into this fantastic space. It’s enough to make one forget he’s an urban pioneer in this place:

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I’m not sure if I’d succeed as an interior designer.  It takes me too long to find EXACTLY what I’m looking for.  It took me a year and a half to find the perfect dining room chairs (in the meantime, I shoved a bench at one end of the table and some too-low wicker chairs from Gram with cat hair covered cushions at the other).  I finally chose the French aluminum cafe chairs (cat hair doesn’t stick to them!).  Next, it was time for a light fixture.  It took two years, but I finally found the perfect one at Circa Lighting*.  The medium antique nickel Goodman lamp, for release in Spring 2008.  I’m so glad I waited.  I passed by my iron chandelier phase, they “why the hell didn’t I buy Fortuney when I lived in Venice instead of blowing $2K on my calling card” phase, the “I must have a Regency bamboo chandelier from eBay” phase (thanks to whomever outbid me last summer), the “I must have that $2000 unique vintage fixture from S.O.M. or Pieces” phase (the two best places in Atlanta to get such a fixture, I’m NOT knocking them, just considering my budget), and found the one that made me happiest:

Are you one who must finish everything at once or one who searches endlessly for the perfect piece?  That is not to say you can’t find the perfect piece right away, but if I were more organized, my sunporch would be clad in “Woods” wallpaper right now, and I’m really glad it’s not!  Let’s just hope that design ennui does not happen with the Goodman pendant.  Since I waited six months to buy it and two more to get it strung up, I’m hoping it’s safe from my usual changing whims!

O.K., I promise more coverage of the amazing modern houses in about 12 hours.  I can’t wait to show you the yards, and what the homes reminded me about what modern is.

*I highly recommend checking out Circa Lighting in person.  It’s in Buckhead right around the corner from Pieces, either of each anyone would be a fool not to peruse when one has the chance!

So I started to tell you about the Modern Atlanta Home Tour yesterday but I didn’t get very far! I wanted to show you more from my favorite home that I saw on the tour (stairs described yesterday are pictured above). By the way, I only made it to five. I’d say five to six is the maximum you can really see when driving from place to place in a five hour time limit. It’s exhilarating but also exhausting. Also, once in Decatur my car automatically drove me to Victory Vintage, and I stopped by my house for a snack before visiting the house down the street. That’s how I roll.

O.K. So first, the architects who live in the house with a soul also designed this house around the corner (photos immediately above and below). It’s absolutely gorgeous, and the inhabitants have a smart mix of high end items and art and IKEA. I just found myself wondering if all the stuff they usually keep out was smushed in the “not part of the tour” closed door rooms, or if they are really this strictly minimal. That’s cool if they are, I just know that I could not accomplish such discipline in a million years:

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So Saturday I went on the Modern Atlanta Homes Tour. I’ll tell you more about it after I edit my pictures (I’m SUCH and idiot; I forgot my camera so all my pictures are from my iPhone and thus they suck worse than usual). There was one house that stood out as not only being thoughtful and beautiful and modern, but it really, truly had a soul. For now, I want to share their dining room chandelier. It’s a bunch of twigs hanging from a wire. It’s a crap camera shot, but hopefully you’ll get the idea:

What was so great about this was also the thought of just “what the hell? Let’s give hanging some twigs from the ceiling a whirl! Who cares? If it looks stupid, we’ll take it down.” That was the attitude I got from this house with soul. Similarly, the stairs had a quote from the bride’s grandmother written on them on Sharpie, all the way up two stories. Apparently, they scribbled the quote there for a party before the stairs were finished, but when the time came, they could not bear to lose the quote, so it’s still there.

Lesson: Experiment with your home. Don’t be afraid to try things out.  Don’t even let that evil, soul-crushing word, “resale” enter your mind when you are planning out your home or decorating. That word is for dorks and greedy house flippers with no taste who watch too much HGTV and say things like “sizzle factors” about “custom kitchens” and think that means something special.   Just go for it. If something doesn’t work, you can eliminate it and move on, if it does work, it will probably be one of the best features of your home.

Just a few links to get you through the weekend:

1. Synagogue turned studio above and below as seen in New York Home:

2. Fun interview with Domino Editor-in-Cheif Deborah Needleman over at All Things Bright and Beautiful

3. A thorough guide to design blogs from Down Under, over at decor8.

4. Sumptuous Art Deco costumes and sets from the movie The Aviator, over at designsmack. It’s hard to choose a favorite, but my lord, when was the last time you saw a public restroom this gorgeous (note Leo in the mirror):

5. Design book releases we are anxiously anticipating, from one of my favorite bibliophiles, The Peak of Chic.

photo credits:

1 & 2 from New York Home by Jason Schmidt

3 via All Things Bright and Beautiful

4. via designsmack

5. via The Peak of Chic