Design Public

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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I’ve been meaning to tell you about this great book my Mom brought me as a hostess gift about a year ago. It’s a monograph of the work of Samuel ‘Sambo’ Mockbee, appropriately titled Rural Studio: Samuel Mockbee and an Architecture of Decency. I kept putting it off, because frankly, scanning stuff is a boring chore, plus, it’s really hard to pick just a few projects from this book. I doubt I can summarize it better than the book jacket:

For almost ten years, Samuel Mockbee, a recent MacArthur “genius grant” recipient, and his architecture students at Auburn University have been designing and building striking houses and community buildings for impoverished residents of Alabama’s Hale County. Using salvaged lumber and bricks, discarded tires, hay and waste cardboard bales, concrete rubble, colored bottles, and old license plates, they create inexpensive buildings in a style Mockbee describes as ‘contemporary modernism grounded in Southern culture.’”

This is the first project from Sambo I remember seeing back in architecture school. It’s The Cardboard Pod and is made from baled sheets of corrugated wax-impregnated boards:This is the incredible Yancey Chapel, built around an existing rusted trough and constructed from 1000 dirt-filled used tires:This property near The Yancey Chapel is called The Goat House, a former shed for animals that Rural Studio originally planned as part of an artists’ colony. The colony never, um, colonized, and the building is now a residence. You see the Chapel aesthetic influence on the structure: (more…)

Honestly, I am so sick of “the green movement” I could puke. In fact, I predicted this awhile back. I KNOW it’s a good thing and I’m happy that there is so much awareness, but I don’t need G.E.-owned N.B.C. or ultra- conservative Fox throwing it in my face in the middle of my comedy (how hypocritical is that). I don’t need my high fashion magazines to have green issues, and I don’t need my D.W.R. catalog to have real and plastic sod on the covers, asking the “deep” question “is this green?” I think it’s funny when Oprah preaches green one day, then gives away a Ford Explorer to a man so he will no longer have to use public transportation the next. Stop force feeding it people. As someone who went to a school where William McDononugh was the Dean at the time, I really don’t need anymore “green tips” about turning off the water while brushing my teeth. Mrs. Wilson taught me that in second grade.In fact, Philip Nobel ranted about it most eloquently in a little ditty called “Green but not Heard” in Metropolis magazine:

I finally figured it out. For years I’ve avoided reading much about green architecture, let alone writing about it. And not only because it’s boring. As saving the Earth has become the cause of all causes (Hi, Brad!), I thought this might just be my usual knee-jerk recoiling from things earnest and popular. Now I know it’s a deeply principled stand based on the defense of public manners. When one does something good, does one then crow about it, seeking gain? That would be the opposite of grace. But that is exactly what we see in page after page of project after project, each claiming to be LEEDier than thou. Here, planet, I’ve done you this kindness. Look everyone, I’m saving the planet! Clearly there’s a place for specialized literature, a quiet little spot on the journalistic margins where green architects and clients can trade best practices and grow the field. It’s the right thing to do. But that doesn’t mean we need to hear about it.

Anyway, I received this email from a source that has been green and sustainable and responsible since its inception, which does NOT annoy me at all. Dwell.com is having a green contest. Here’s the 411:

Hello Dwellers! We want to invite you to participate in a new contest hosted by Dwell.com and the American Institute of Architects — “How Green Are You?” We want to know. Show us innovative and interesting ways you have “greened” your home and you can win prizes totaling $2000. Entry is really simple, submit your photos and write a short essay on your project. Dwell and the AIA will evaluate entries and choose a winner. The winning project will be featured on Dwell.com for up to one year — great exposure! Enter today at: www.dwell.com/greencontest. Contest entries are evaluated weekly so get yours in today! 

Go on, go act LEEDier than thou and sign up! P.S. Happy Earth Day!

Clotheslines have been on my brain all weekend. It started on Friday morning. I finally got around to reading the rest of The New York Times from the previous day (it took me until then to get the whole Charlton Heston thing that was going on the crossword, and I’m not allowed to read the rest of it until I’m done. It’s an O.C.D. thing, you wouldn’t understand). The International Report had a great article called “A Line in the Yard: The Battle Over the Right to Dry Outside.” It seems some Canadian renegades who like, want to save energy or something crazy like that, have the audacity to hang their clothes on a line behind privacy fences in a neighborhood that prohibits such an obscene act. With Earth Day being in April and all, I thought I would take a look at good old clotheslines.

I was trying to find an image of the clothesline in the middle of Muriel’s burned backyard, and I came across this fascinating and eloquent post over at makingwifi. I love it when that kind of thing happens! Am I the only person that did not realize this contraption is called a Hoist? It’s really rather genius.

This photo from flickr member Vincent Casey conjures up one memory I have of clotheslines: My classmate Peggy had all of her jeans stolen off the her clothesline in Venice (this was back in the day when most jeans were under $100; I know some of you are too young to remember way back then).  Unfortunately, Peggy and her roommates had a second story apartment, and the jean bandits would jump up and steal their pants.   Similarly, I figure in my ‘hood, where pieces of cars, lawn ornaments and copper gutters are stolen on a daily basis, a pair of True Religions on the line would not be safe, never mind the bird poop problems, so it’s a no-go for me. However, I have fond memories of my grandparents’ long line in Bristol, Connecticut, and even in historic and perfect looking Hingham Massachusetts, where the town likes to dictate what kind of mailbox one should have, my mom lets her laundry dry in the sun. What’s the big deal?

Later on that day, I was catching up on Bluelines, the blog that has taken the place of Blueprint magazine, and I saw a great feature written by Lena. She had collected some of her favorite flickr clothesline images. You can see all of them here. The one above is from flickr member turkeyfarmtreasures as shown over at Bluelines. The clothesline is a great way to air out and show off her vintage tablecloth collection!

In addition, late last week I noticed hulagirl’s mini-clothesline workspace arrangement on another blog, which right now I can’t remember. I think it may have been shelterriffic. I have been doing this with my holiday cards for the past few years and it’s a great way to show them off without involving tape on the walls.

By the way, I still miss her fabulous booth at Kudzu. Atlanta lost a lot of creativity when Hula and her family left us for Portland! You can keep up with them at her blog, Hula Seventy.

Finally, in this stream of consciousness mixed with blog hopping trip I was on, I remembered a favorite Martha Schwartz exhibit from the 1997 Spoleto Festival. It was called “Field Work”:

In case you are interested in installing your own clothesline, here’s how.  Also, here’s another article about the benefits of air-drying and how much it can reduce our carbon footprints.

It’s getting close! Tonight, don’t forget about Earth Hour, created by the WWF. No, not Junk Yard Dog and The Iron Sheik (OK, my WWF references are from circa 1984, when I actually attended some matches - scary that Hulk Hogan is STILL around and I saw him when I was in the 8th grade), the original WWF, the World Wildlife Foundation. From 8-9 tonight, turn the lights out and power down! Remember that unplugging coffee makers, cell phone chargers etc. saves a lot of energy every day. To sign up and for more information and tips, click here. If you are upset because 8-9 on Saturday night interrupts your Monk marathon, either get out some candles and read a book or go out and get a life!

I was thinking about how famous Ken Smith has become in the years since I heard him speak at my school. I think I missed his visiting professorship with the fashion and landscape studio by about a year or two, which will always haunt me. However, my class was lucky enough to visit his office and take a stroll across the Brooklyn Bridge with him in 1999. I remember the walls of his office were covered in bubble wrap and there was this strange gong music playing. We were drinking beers while Ken presented some of his work to us when my hilarious friend Lucia leaned over and whispered “this is my favorite song” to me and I about died trying not to bust out laughing. Anyway, I pulled out my Ken Smith book yesterday and his P.S. 19 dumpster planters brought a smile to my face. He is always coming up with creative ways to think about gardens, whether they are vertical, blooming from the pubic area (no, I am not kidding), involve chandeliers hanging over famous avenues, made out of light cones, providing specific aural and other sensory experiences, or are blooming from unexpected receptacles.

P.S. If anyone can find Ken Smith’s website, let me know so that I can provide a link. I can’t seem to find one anywhere, not even over on ASLA’s website. Thanks.

Photoshop by the offices of Ken Smith, Landscape Architect.

Photographs by Albert Vecerka. Both are from the book Ken Smith Landscape Architect Urban Projects.

Spring is just around the corner so now is the time to start thinking about outdoor living. With the warm welcome of sunny days ahead, let me introduce the Zen Outdoor Bench by Aric Mayer and Marni Saling of Aidan Olive. The Zen Outdoor Bench is beautifully crafted using local materials, local builders, and local facilities. Enjoy the Q&A!

I am very curious about both of your previous experiences or “past lives”…

Aric, you appear to be a man of many artistic talents. I noticed that you have worked with all sorts of mediums such as paint, wood, film, photography…you even learned how to build your own tools! How has your artistic background impacted your designs and business practices? How would you describe your design style/philosophy?

AM: It seems that what I work in comes first from a personal need to be in that medium. Then I start at the beginning and strip the materials back to their basics. With painting for a while I went all the way back to Vasari’s notes and made all my own paint and ground from scratch, (more…)

I am pleased to introduce the newest baby and kid furniture line to be added to our site: Spot on Square. Co-founders, Bob and Nicole Springer bring a clean and calm collection to the scene, keeping unnecessary noise away from your child’s treasured space.

The Hiya series, a nickname given to Bob and Nicole’s son by his twin sister, conveys a childlike sense of purity, simplicity and sustainability. Enjoy!

Where did the name Spot on Square come from?

Our son was drawing on the driveway with chalk. He had drawn a square with a circle in it. When I asked him about it he referred to as the spot in the square. Nicole and I thought this was great graphically and began to think about how we could use it. After a bit of thought we came up with Spot On Square. We felt that this was a good fit being a bit of a play on words yet it was quite playful at the same time.

Bob, you appear to have quite an extensive industrial design background. Tell us about your experiences and how has it evolved into to starting Spot on Square? How about being a father, how has this played a role?

I had the opportunity as an undergrad student to be an understudy to an eccentric Finnish designer named Stefan Lindfors. During this time I worked on a number of furniture projects and gained a love for furniture design. My time since has been primarily in a corporate environment. (more…)

Briefly, I just wanted to go over just a few of the design styles and designers who had a great influence the past year. We love to track trends and trendsetters, and this group of both kept coming up over and over again whenever I was trying to post. Yes, we are leaving out a ridiculous number of hits and hitmakers, but hey, I want to get this out before 2008, so this is it. As I started to try and name trends and think of style names, I realized that it seems like we are almost running out of catchy combinations to characterize design. As a matter of fact…I’m back in love with The New York Times again, just a week after they annoyed me. Julie Scelfo’s article last week called “Marketing Decor for a Conflicted Era” really nails everything that’s going on in design, by simply discussing the problem of trying to find nomenclature for styles that are designed to defy tradition. Scelfo asks the question of “how to stand out when rebellion has become the rule?”

How indeed. This year was ruled by eclecticism. When everyone is eclectic, is it still eclectic? Or does that make the thing that used to be banal and traditional the new eclectic, since it stands out in a quirky way from all of the formerly quirky eclectic stuff. It’s kind of like going to the bike messenger bar 97 Estoria, where every girl there has the same shade of fakey maroonish-auburn hair I have personally dubbed “alternachick red.” Is it alternative if everyone you know has the same color? Have we overused different adjectives put together with “classicism” or “traditional” or “modern” so much that it’s been done to death? (more…)

In case you missed it, the SF Chronicle recently wrote about the Sunset Idea House. The article is a great teaser if you have not seen the home yet…almost a play by play of each room and feature. To wet your whistle, the picture included with this post (courtesy of the SF Chronicle) shows a smattering of DP bedding. Quite handsome, I must say.

I plan on going to the house this weekend to finally put my imagination to rest. I am sure my visions of the kitchen cabinet doors (photographs of exotic wood under layers of class), the Endless Pool, or the 50-foot wind turbine, let alone all the *DP products in action don’t do the features justice. (*To be alerted when these items will be made available for sale, sign up for our newsletter here.)

Also, a friendly reminder that this is the last weekend to view the house (more…)