The Spa Channel is Rather Intense on a Saturday Night

Vintage Halston

1970

To Japan

Yokohama, Japan - Spring 1969


Le Labo 100% Proceeds


Kenzo Minami x Ace Hotel 100% Proceeds

James Perse 100% Proceeds


Culture is Not Your Friend 100% Proceeds

near Tokyo, Japan - Spring 2011 from my friend Atsushi



for preparation

Design Lover - Le Klint 130 Pendant Lamp

Designed by Sinja Svarrer Damkjær - in stores April 2011
The Bouquet is the first product in Le Klint's 68 year history to use LED. I wonder if this means it will also be the first product in the Royal Danish Court to use the technology?

Style Inspiration - David Hemmings

David Hemmings

Quote of the Week - confidence

It ain't what they call you, it's what you answer to. W.C. Fields

From the Archives - The Decline of West Coast Modern Architecture

Originally published June 3, 2009

Since I initially wrote this post I've moved to West Vancouver and have been watching more and more homes continue to tumble.

West Vancouver has been stereotyped as predominantly white, affluent and over the age of 65. I'd argue this stems from the 80s with the Eat the Rich manifestos and the pretentious Pretty in Pink preppies rolling down from the 'Properties' at about the same time. Well, I'm white -that's about it.
I moved here because of:
1. the location
2. the architecture, art, culture
3. the community

Last weekend was the highly anticipated West Van Seniors' Flea Market - it was nice running into some of you there! One of the volunteers at the Flea Market, a beautiful artsy woman in her 80s, and I got to talking. We spoke about the rampant demolition of residential homes in West Van - most of which are mid century 1950s-1970s. Most of these homes are being bought up by off shore developers and left vacant to rot until they can be replaced with McMansions or resold. Where else can you hide your money, besides a Swiss bank account, where you can get a 20% return on investment?

West Van Seniors are riled up, passionate and vocal about their community. At a recent town hall meeting I attended, held at the Seniors' Centre, to discuss the redevelopment of a Safeway site, the crowd filled out of the auditorium into the hallways. The proposed plans were called down - meaning back to the drawing board for the developer. Unfortunately, I think I was the youngest one there. This is not because there aren't any mid 20s-mid 40s living here - come on folks get on the band wagon.

As I promised the beautiful woman at the flea market I'm planning on living here another 40 years and I'll do my darndest to get my crowd educated on the senseless destruction of an important part of BC culture.

more here: West Coast Modern Demolition

-------------
Many significant modernist homes are at risk due to rapidly increasing land values, lack of recognition, lack of maintenance and inappropriate alterations. Below are five before and after examples from West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The last selections show the deterioration of a significant modernist home due to lack of maintenance.

1. before
W.G. Marr, Designer, 1950

Horizontality is the dominant design element in this single family home. A flat roof with exposed twinned roof beams adds a decorative feature to an otherwise modest facade. A small deck is cantilevered off the second floor living room. Horizontal board siding is used as the primary cladding material, broken into modular sections marked by vertical beams.
(1994 West Vancouver Survey of Significant Architecture 1945 - 1975)

1. after

2. before
Duncan McNab and Associates, Architects, 1961

Two storey house incorporates vertical board cladding and a low pitch side gable roof. Ribbon windows are used on the first and second floors. A distinctive breezeway and entry court is created by extending the roof beams over the carport. The site is enhanced by a rock retaining wall, and mature cedars and rhododendrons.
(1994 West Vancouver Survey of Significant Architecture 1945 - 1975)

2. after
3. before
F.M. Polson, Architect, 1950

Two storey horizontal board clad structure capped with a dramatic monocline roof, and fronted by a two storey cantilevered deck. The residence is situated at the base of a hill, and retains its original landscaping, including shrubs and bushes which has now matured to provide lush surroundings. This house was published in the RAIC (Royal Architectural Institute of Canada) Journal 1951. (1994 West Vancouver Survey of Significant Architecture 1945 - 1975)

3. after
4. before
Arnulf H. Petzold, Architect, 1955

One storey vertical board clad structure, with a low pitch front gable roof, features a rectangular form with a central chimney, clerestory windows and an angled entry. The site is landscaped with a rockery feature at the entry, decorative fruit tree, spruce vine maple and many pines. (1994 West Vancouver Survey of Significant Architecture 1945 -1975)

4. after

5. before

Lewis Construction Company, Designer, 1955

Two storey vertical board clad structure displays a rectangular form, exposed roof beams, a projecting second storey deck and ribbon windows. The site is extensively landscaped with a rock retaining wall, rockery garden with sculpted shrubs, river rock staircase, two mature cedar trees and decorative fruit trees.
(1994 West Vancouver Survey of Significant Architecture 1945 -1975)

5. after

Furniture can be reproduced and so can photographs, but architecture is unique and once it is lost it is gone for good.
Giovanni Brino

(click to enlarge)

Arthur Erickson & Geoffery Massey, Architects, 1966

(click to enlarge)

Heavy timbers are used to frame the form of the house, which steps down a very steep slope in a series of overlapping narrow triangles. Posts and beams are cut to the same dimensions to balance the distinction between horizontal and vertical forces. Infill panels of horizontal siding, latice and plate glass are used within the heavy grided frame, while the entrance is marked by a sloping shed roof over the carport and entry court.

(click to enlarge)

The ends of the beams are carried past the ends of the house in flying extensions that contrast the vertical lines of the natural forces.
(1994 West Vancouver Survey of Significant Architecture 1945 -1975)

(click image to enlarge)

Every work of art reveals its creator, an exact image and likeness of the person who made it. Carlo Mollino

Design Lover - Variable Position Double Globe Lamp

Less than $100 at a hardware store

Hennessey, James & Victor J. Papanek, Nomadic Furniture 2. 1st ed. New York: Pantheon Books, 1974.

 

Slow Glow, aka Fat Lamp, by NEXT

$810 at Droog

'The light source is immersed in fat. As the heat from the lighting element slowly melts the fat, an intriguing process gradually unfolds. The light glows brighter and brighter, and the lamp becomes warmer and warmer in a comforting way. This process takes about 2 hours. After turning it off the fat returns to its original solid state.'

Style Inspiration

gotcha!


Happy April 1st.

Quote of the Week - Benjamin Franklin

 

He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.

Vintage Universal Geneve

circa 1971

Inspiration - Robert Silverberg Cover Art

Robert Silverberg 1st Edition Covers

Contrast the 70s Space Age to the 50s Space Age. What a difference 20 years and LSD make.

Read about Cary Grant's 72nd acid trip here - and you thought he was just about cocktails.

Quote of the Week - Warren Buffet

No matter how serene today may be, tomorrow is always uncertain. Don't let that reality spook you.

From the Archives - 10 Unique Bedroom Ideas

Originally published in BL August 20, 2009
We spend the most time in our bedroom. Let's make it good.

Style. Get that television out of your bedroom now and put in a dimmer switch. Good lighting, texture and personal style can turn that rental white box you call a bedroom into whatever your fantasies desire. After all, it is the bedroom.

Ambiance. Reel to reel, projector, candles, mini bar and I'm sure there's a smoke machine somewhere in there.

Consistency. Let's say you love brown but have reservations about painting the entire small room brown. Why not take shades of brown and extend them throughout the space by using texture, accessories and furniture. Striped wall paper hung horizontally stretches a small room even further by the use of a mirror. In this room the lamps, clock, wardrobe fixtures, sable crushed velvet bedspread and mirrored vase play off the reflections of the mirrors and the silver stripes in the wall paper.

You. Remember how you decorated your bedroom as a kid. Collages of rock posters, fashion spreads, baby animals, cars, supermodels, or whatever, it set you apart from your parents. I remember the feeling of pride I had in my bedroom when friends would come over to listen to records, gossip or put together outfits. When I moved out at 19 a box of incense and a bag of candles were the first things I bought.

Design Lover - WWF Rattan Chair

note Suicidal Tendencies t-shirt.

Thanks so much to @Rachel_H for forwarding me this coolness via designboom. What do you say we bring rattan back?

ps - We picked up a rattan couch for free at a yard sale last summer here it is on its way home.