Design Public

Just checking in with a little vintage inspiration. I’ve had this issue of H&G sitting out in my guestroom for awhile. The cover is so fantastic. It reminds me so much of Dorothy Draper and Kate Spade style. This issue is from May 1965. I am having deja-blog because I feel sure I must have shared this one with you before, but I just did a search and don’t see it in the archives.

There is another great article in here called “Same Space: Two Kitchens.” I should totally cut it out and send it to Susan Serra, I know she’d get a kick out of the kitchen organization and spatial issues and how they were addressed in 1965. My favorite part are the following two images. I will always be a sucker for a black and white checkerboard floor; it will NEVER go out of style with me. Neither will pop floral prints. Also, these colored square-ish cabinets are so fantastic. With a few tweaks, the blue kitchen could be a wonderful IKEA display room today.

I have a ridiculous amount of beautiful design books, and I realize that I don’t pull them down often enough. I’m making a conscious effort to keep the coffee table real estate in rotation, so that I can pick up a different book every few days and enjoy it all over again. I was enjoying my favorite Barragan book so much that I decided I had to share some images with you (the subtitle is Armando Salas Portugal Photographs of the Architecture of Luis Barragan)*.     The collaboration between architect and photographer featured in this book is as good as it gets. Luis and Armando worked together for forty years.

As I studied the images, I immediately thought of Donald Judd, Martha Schwartz, and Ed Bye, just to name a few. Barragan’s mastery of use of materials whether for commentary, contrast, practicality or as ruled by site remains unrivaled by anyone practicing today (IMHO!). As someone with training in landscape architecture, I don’t know that I’ve ever seen someone with such astute mastery of outdoor spaces - the way he responds to the context and immediate site, frames views, considers scale and contrasts with color continues to blow my mind. Anyway, here are is a smattering of some of my favorite photographs of Barragan’s work, taken by Armando Salas Portugal:

I should also add, well, you know on design shows how they will put a stencil of a leaf on something or hang a bay leaf wreath and then say “yeah, we’re really CONNECTING THE INDOORS TO THE OUTDOORS!”? It’s become an embarrassing bad cliche. However, Barragan is one of the best examples of a designer who understands architecture, interiors and landscape, and how to balance and maximize these relationships in his site planning. If you want to see true connection among these elements, look to Barragan’s work.

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I’ve been thinking about the relationship between interior design and fashion design for awhile now. I think my very favorite example is this:

For those of you too young to remember, this is from The Carol Burnett Show spoof skit, “Went with the Wind.” When Michael Kors references Scarlett O’Hara, Carol and curtains on Project Runway, this is what he’s talking about. God I miss that show. It was HILARIOUS!

Lately I look around at fashion and interior design and the trends are interchangable. Right now, exotic textiles seem to have spread from beds to bodies. It’s hard to know which design field started it first. Oscar de la Renta, who has home furnishing and fashion designs seems to be leading the suzani and ikat fads over to fashion:

For zebra, who knows? It’s been a staple at Dior for years:

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I rarely venture over to Buckhead. The traffic sucks. Usually Jeffrey (formerly Bob Ellis, by FAR the best shoe and accessory boutique in the country) and the Neiman Marcus Last Call sale (starts today! 65% off) are the only reason I will sit in the horrible traffic of Piedmont, Lenox, and or Peachtree. However, a quest for a nickel lamp from Circa Lighting (that store rocks!) sent me sailing right past Pieces, the store I’ve been hearing so much about for years. The first time was in Cottage Living (green bungalow bedroom below). It was everything I thought it would be and more.

The owner, Lee Kleinhelter, has exquisite taste - everything in the store was perfection, from Hollywood Regency light fixtures to vintage bamboo sofas painted bright yellow, from fabulous custom driftwood mirrors to Hable Construction fabrics showcased in the best way possible. Do you pay for Lee’s amazing eye? Big time! But if you are not a thrifter or a do-it-yourselfer-fixer-of-furniture-upper, Lee has it all figured out for you. I saw dashes of Kelly Wearstler, Jonathan Adler, Dorothy Draper, Billy Baldwin and David Hicks all rolled into Lee’s unique style. There are also great affordable gifts, including preppy dog collars, Adler and Hable Construction accessories and a nicely edited selection of design books. If you are ever in Atlanta, Pieces is worth braving the Buckhead traffic. Plus it’s in very close proximity to Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, ShopSCAD, DWR, Circa Lighting, and a slew of other great design shopping.

Most recent glossy spotting of Lee’s work, as seen in Cottage Living Nov. 2007:

horse lamp available at Piecesinc.com (click on photo for purchasing information)

second photo by Timothy Street-Porter for Cottage Living

third photo by Robbie Caponetto for Cottage Living

I love it when I get good information from the comments y’all leave me.  Yesterday’s was a goldmine.  First, Nicole from Making It Lovely (one of my favorite blogs) let me know about eBay seller U-Turn Vintage Wallpaper.  Thanks Nicole, and congratulations on your one-year blog anniversery!  This cuts out a lot of sorting through the horrid ’80’s wallpaper (the kind that scared me away from wallpaper for the last decade or so) when doing an eBay search.   The selection they have in their eBay store includes the following:

The other comment came from Melissa.  Of course I clicked on her URL as I always do when reading comments, and I came across her blog, The Inspired Room, where I found a few kitchen pictures that are T.D.F.: (more…)

Lately I’ve been a bit bored with design, in the sense that I’ve felt oversaturated with it. I read too many design blogs, I receive too many design magazines, I have too many gorgeous design books. At least that’s how I was feeling before the holidays. Now that we are into boring January and I’m laid up with a headcold, I’ve been able to peruse all my glossies at my leisure without guilt, enjoying and studying the beautiful spaces (BTW, I stopped counting at 6 hand or foot sculptures and countless Suzanis - in fact, it became a challenge to find an issue without a suzani in it).

Sometimes a space just jumps out at you as just right. Although everyone and their brother seems to have a Saarinen tulip table and these wonderful chairs from DWR, this eating area is just right. I love the colors, the funky, unique, vintage-looking light fixture , and the amazing framed piece of vintage wallpaper framed from floor-to ceiling. How great to pull up a crazy modern paisley upholstered bench up to the round table. They shot is styled to casual-looking perfection. Bravo and thanks to Metropolitan Home, photographer John Ellis and Interior Designer Sasha Emerson!
photograph from Metropolitan Home Dec 07, photographed by John Ellis.

Hooray!  We have an inspiration source from Jonathan, one of our readers!  I recently begged you all to share, and he shared this guy:

Here’s what Jonathan had to say:

The Banksy ‘Laugh now, but one day we’ll be in charge’ ape really struck me.

I know it’s a little cliched now, but when I first moved to London and bumped into one of his ‘art shows’ (basically a bunch of his work sprayed under one rail bridge and a transit van with beer and music), I was so impressed that something so DIY and awesome was happening right on my doorstep.

Plus, I’m a big fan of ‘Planet Of The Apes’, so I love the reference on that particular piece.

Jonathan, thanks for sharing!  Anyone else want to share?