Design Pacesetters 1968

The vintage Home copies I purchased have been fun to look through especially knowing they are as old as I am! The advertising reflects happy home life, the amount of recipes using mayonnaise astounds, and Kleenex featured its Boutique collection of toilet paper in Hot Pink, Bold Gold, and Avocado Flip!

In April of 1968, LA Times Home Interior Design section featured exhibits from the International Design Center with exciting "new" furnishings. 
Some of the award winners for 1968:  

A beautiful Jens Risom polished chrome ring base chair and the Wave rattan chaise by Tropi-Cal.














A molded fibreglas chair by Moreddi - Morris and Eddie Frank were the Frank Brothers who were among the first to import Danish Modern to the US. I've read they helped furnish many of the case study homes.  


Below, chaise by Hall Bradley for Brown-Jordan; hexagon rug by David Hicks, the British interior designer and decorator; and a John Mascheroni polished aluminum table. "Tubo" group I believe.
These pacesetter pieces are still winners today.

A Fashion Beat of 1968

The March 1968 issue of LA Times Home magazine featured this cover !

Inside Sgt. Pepper looks that were the "latest bandwagon" 

A Guest in the House?
This interior design for a guest room featured in the same issue  is for the "tuned-in circle" according to the description. It was created by Jay Steffy who  had quite a reputation later in the 1970's.  Far ahead of his time here but later known for his metallic interiors, massive furniture, and vibrant colors.  Love the chair !

Sights & Sounds of 1967 !

A recent find of LA Times "Home" magazines from the 60's includes this visual trip cover of October 1967. The room featured at the International Design Center in Los Angeles was designed by the mother/son team of Adele Faulkner, FAID, and Lloyd Faulkner, AID, who did their research in the "teenage nightclubs and youth centers of San Francisco"! "They want loud music, wild lighting effects and casual living"  - guess not much has changed !

This feature has some great pictures:  items and interiors that would please the mid-century enthusiast.  Architectural Pottery planters,  Van Keppel-Green, a globe chair wired for sound by Stendig, a "Wall of light" (shown in cover shot), and Saarinen tulip stool and a hi-fi cabinet designed by Hubertus Liere, furniture designer/maker and "plein air" artist.
I'll be sharing more photos of other features over the next few days!

Cool Cardboard Dream

The first house Barbie dreamed of was cardboard and still the coolest I've seen. Issued in the early 60's with foldable furniture, books, and albums that are still being collected on E-bay today, The Dream House of the 60's is due for a re-issue in all it's Mid-Century glory. Hear that Mattel!

Cardboard is making a comeback and is the "new" cool toy.  Interactive, clean, affordable and eco-friendly = win, win!
 Break out the shoe boxes or ask at your local store and recycle that cardboard with your imagination. Companies like Kidsonroof, Kid-Eco, and Calafant offer fantastic playthings so check out those options for your young ones, too.  And cross your fingers someone tells Mattel they are missing it...Barbie is.

image is our Dream House scored at the flea market

Living on Air

Unique, exotic, and modern. Air plants or Tillandsia (the genus name) are in the Bromeliad family.
Black thumb? No worries! 
They only require a little water and some sunlight to survive but can be quite intriguing with the variety of forms, colors, and textures.  I love what Flora Grubb has created with air plants and the atmosphere created for a recent wedding. 
These plants are ever so modern used as decorative accents. 

check out the on line store for miniature terrariums and lots of ideas for use in your modern decor.
photo from www.floragrubb.com

Give me Shelter, Jonathan

Strolling Fashion Island in Newport Beach, one of my stops is always the Jonathan Adler store. Initially a pop up, rumor has it that a BIGGER location is coming soon. Right next to the Trina Turk, of course! 

But you will have to wait until August to immerse in all that is JA including a bigger selection of the Junior range.

Prepare for summer now- this Shelter Island Chair with iron base and hand woven rattan pops with orange cushions.  They also have a great catch all that matches to display all your juicy summer reading.

see the catch all at link  http://www.jonathanadler.com/product.php?cat=&productid=18048

Weekend Escape: Napa

Spring brings the need to refresh and on my calendar it also brings an anniversary, Mother's Day, and my birthday. All good reasons to plan a weekend a way without the offspring!
Ma(i)sonry in Yountville near Napa sounds like the perfect destination. Wine tasting, art, outdoor lounge area and vintage furniture in one spot. Even live music Saturdays in May.  
Alexandra von Furstenberg lucite furniture, vintage Danish chairs, and a glass of f*&ng merlot!

If you can't get there, view their vintage items for sale on 1st dibs http://www.1stdibs.com/furniture_search.php

Stem It To Me!

Many blogs have featured items from the recent Milan Design Week show but here is one I found intriguing and useful at the same time.
*STEM*  
Peter Pless who is based in Michigan designed this indoor plant/ herb stand to allow easy growing at home which would eliminate excessive packaging of buying herbs at the grocery.
Makes sense when you think of the return of victory gardens, meals at home, and the sudden fashion of wall gardens - doesn't it!
He is looking for a manufacturer to take this prototype of plastic and steel to the market, so I am really hoping a company sees the genius in it and brings it to market. 
I want one!  no two, maybe three!  








image via www.peterpless.com

Modern Down Under

As I browsed my local Borders recently, I noticed they are now carrying one of my favorite Australian mags!
HOUSES, a unique source of information, featuring brilliant new houses and renovations. (their own description).
Larger photo layouts, floor plans, detailed product lists, as well as a time schedule for the project. All very useful for those renovating and decorating a modern home.
And I didn't even have to fly 14 hours this time! 


To see some sample pages
http://www.architecturemedia.com/houses/splash.php?issueid=71&articleid=1

Hattenbach Residence

The Hattenback Residence, a Ray Kappe designed Mid-Century home in Santa Monica. Love this entry !
This home is currently for sale which means you can browse the interior photos on redfin and see the wonderful use of  glass, natural light, redwood, and open floor plan.  Great inspiration if you are doing a remodel.

Could be yours for a cool $2.4!

Pottery on Air

One of my favorite restaurants in Long Beach features pottery displayed in the front windows. The pottery and plants raised off of the ground makes a great visual picture, especially when viewed through glass. Great to duplicate in an atrium or entry way of an Eichler or MCM home. 


I plan to use if for herbs and lettuce and I won't even have to bend over to pick 'em!  

Clayful Play

The Orange County Museum of Art exhibit "100 lbs. of Clay" is a fun, interactive installation by Charles Long. 100 1 pound squares of colorful goodness to squish and mold as you please.
Kids and adults alike can create their own sculptural forms that are displayed for museum visitors.








Through September 19th

Momma Mia! Modern Kid's Rooms

In the search for modern kids interior ideas, these great room ideas from GAB were found.   And my offspring who generally opposes modern design (since mom likes it), loves them!  
They have some great space saving interior ideas and take kids play in to consideration. Alas, Made in Italy - Momma mia! 

visit the GAB website to view the gallery www.gab.it/prodotti/collezioni_en.html

MOD SWAP !

A week away! 
Sunday, April 25th 
9 am to 1 pm
San Diego
15 - 20 collectors selling modern art, furniture and other items. Corner of Kettner Blvd & W. Kalmia St.
Great section in Little Italy where quite a few mid-century shops have popped up. 

Good time

These bamboo clocks by Decoylab  remind me of the playful clocks George Nelson created which became modern icons. The owl and elephant have a great modern feel













pic www.decoylab.com - go buy it there!

Pillow Talk...

                                              

The hand silk screened pillow case designs by Hola Amiga feature art by Nate Williams.  His illustrations and patterns are almost childlike and could be mistaken for vintage, but yet perfectly modern. These are "lines", "space shapes", & "petri dish".

pic www.holaamiga.com

Honey, I shrunk the Eames!

The mini-e is a child size replica of the classic Eames lounge chair created by Ray and Charles Eames in 1956. An icon of mid-century design recreated in a child's size by Little Nest, an Australian furniture company.
Sort of makes me wish I was a kid again! or maybe just shorter........





photo www.clevertomato.com ....buy it there!

Herb In

Egg planters by J. Schatz. I can see these  hanging in multiples  at varying heights to create a herb garden for the MCM or contemporary home.
Also a great house warming gift idea with  a succulent plant.

photo www.jschatz.com

Heath + Ferry

The Heath Marketplace at the San Francisco Ferry Building has opened! Smart folks even rescheduled  their Sausalito tours around the ferry schedule leaving San Fran for Sausalito. Great day trip to hit 2 beautiful NorCal cities and enjoy the amazing wares they offer.
If you have read my earlier post regarding seconds you will be excited to know they will stock some seconds at the new Sausalito location as well.

Photo from Heath website

Cross my Heart

The Criss Cross series available from Modernica. The first Bubble Lamp was designed by George Nelson over 60 years ago. Modernica official reissues follow the original specs.

Photo from Modernica website, www.modernica.net.