While innovative highways channel thinkers racing in an infinite world of hi-tech competition and dizzying speed – who will build these innovations? Just read an interesting article and it spurred thoughts around an old subject about which I have passionately expressed urgency in the past. A subject addressing our preoccupation and emphasis on hi-tech advancements at the expense of, rather than in concert with, the trades. Let’s examine why the following might be applicable in every community where intellectual design creatively and successfully melds with tangible old-style craftsmanship. INTERNATIONAL NEWS FLASH from Istanbul – Kerem Alper – whose brain works on both sides of the fence holds dual Masters from Stanford in both design and business. Alper obvserves, “We’re seeing a hybrid world where digital and physical design collide, which could be called “physical computing” or “embodied systems” or, as we say, “sensitive products” (because “smart” implies only the left side of the brain) but it all hints at: If you’re doing an app or a website, what is the physical counterpart of this? Partner with dual degrees also from Stanford in architectural design and structural engineering, Paired with a degree from NYU in media arts Engin Ayaz, address why Istanbul is ripe for collaboration between the high tech intellectual design and hands-on design fabrication: “One factor is convenience. We can work closely with craftsmen and makers here; they still reside in central areas of city and they have a lot of know-how in the techniques of making. They are the last generation of their kind, so we treat them as precious collaborators for our projects. IMPORTANT lesson for all listening: to nurture a partnership between the trades and the fast-pace of the innovations of our technological world with all productive members of our society – emphasizing each ones strengths and contributions and cultivate expertise and pride in all work. Lest we be reliant on other countries to fabricate our dreams.
A True Beach House…
The soft diaphanous salt air wafts through the open concept of this simple yet effective architectural design – would that it had gauze draping the sides to illustrate the motion of the ever so soft breeze. Thatch top still green from the recent construction, sturdy crooked legs like that of the broken men who braved the seas and might have found themselves beached here to build this primitive, yet artistic structure. It was picture perfectly inspired dwelling on this glorious tropical day.
Here we are lolly-gagging along…shelling, exercising, making our way across this pristine stretch of fine sand exaggerated in girth by the low tide that allows the seemingly unrestrained beach to read with expanded proportions when we come upon this precious little structure.
What a find! When you least expect it, you often encounter the best opportunities – like this one – strolling down the beach and encountering this creative little casita – beachfront for sure – organic, open and airy!!! Surfers? Nomads? The possible stories of our imagination are limitless within the physical parameters of this delightful discovery.
The roof allows filtered light in and open sides allow the sea breeze to flow through…organic material used to create these authentic and so very contextual furnishings speak volumes about the focus of the fabricators. Nestled against the out-cropping of jungle trees and wild flowers spilling onto the sand, the scene is more magical than Gilligan’s – maybe even more so that Robinson Crusoe!! Tom Hanks would have thought he had stumbled into the Ritz! Yet, the simplicity of it all was the emphasis of less is more – spare and understated – it pared down the essential elements to create this special little one room accommodation.
The furnishings are minimalist – yet so very functional. The sofa is crafted from a log supported, and suspended above the beach sand – quite comfortable and ergonomic as a seat structure. A triad coffee table is comprised from three logs topped with three handsome flat stones. Perfect! And a sculptural, beautiful branch of driftwood sits off to the side reminding us that beauty without function is essential.
Take a walk in the woods…of into the fields…onto a wild untamed beach and discover the natural elements that were the primitive beginnings of our interior design – the modified native habitats that we reside in today. And see that stretch!!!!! Evolution can reverse its course as we investigate and appreciate the value and beauty in simple things…
Mad About Mosaics!
When in doubt – go for the gusto! The easy options were just that – too easy and after envisioning all of the obvious options it hit me. I adore color and texture and the varied effects of bits and pieces making a whole. Fragmenting and reconstructing, creating and melding, mixing and matching…mosaic is magnificent. Taking disparate shards and creating a scene, combining a collage of materials and making a mosaic of their complimentary shapes and textures.
Architecturally, walls are faced with murals of mosaics on grand scales that pull the public eye into fantasies of fine, fragmented details.
Inspired for years with this colorful, playful and loose art form, I recently attacked my fireplace surround. Why not break convention from the traditional use of material such as tile, stone, perhaps glass and use ALL of these materials in a bold collage of color and make a statement that lasts!
Mostly broken tiles from a variety of sources along with simple glass stones, broken ceramics, and even treasured polished Atlantic beach stones that my father collected and took to the glossy, glassy high polish of his tumbler that spun in the garage day and night with the different frits to gradually transform the smooth pebbles into those highly polished prizes. This sort of project can be an intensely personal collection of fragments and memories.
The True Art of Farm to Table
Now so over-used as if this culinary trend which actually started 30 plus years ago just landed at our dinner tables, farm to table descriptions of valid attempts by independent restaurants to bring fresh local produce and food systems to their clientele are still growing in number. Yet while creative chefs enjoy utilizing the freshest ingredients, often grow their herbs at their cafes and support local growers as they can, it must be the next best thing but can’t beat the sensible tenets of back-on-the-farm’s honest approach to planting and harvesting for your own table .
I read Meredith Ford making the point “that we must vigilantly support eating locally and seasonally whenever possible. We must support food systems that do not deplete the environment, as Big Ag currently does. We must support the fair treatment of small farms and farmers, and we must support the humane treatment of animals in farming environments. When something as sensible as these tenets – embraced by our grandparents as a way of life – have to be outlined as a cause, something has gone astray in our food system.
To that end, the catch phrases are tossed about like the tender field greens that were just picked minutes ago for your salad. Exaggerations of the truth regarding how “local” locally grown really is and over-used fashionable references to slow food models sell well in today’s market. The nostalgic, guilt-ridden and health-conscious will bite. The consumer must sift through the fine flour of it all, make smart decisions and support and enjoy local whenever possible.
But last night was the real deal. With the warm glow of the farmhouse kitchen in western New York state illuminated from the within where happy conversation was exchanged as our hosts prepared the final stages of our dinner, I couldn’t help but whip out my phone and photo the ingredients I discovered in the kitchen and immediately go out to explore the land where most of those oh so fresh ingredients were harvested just minutes before.
Talk about farm to table – we were living it as our dear friends do every day in their picturesque rural setting surrounded this year by large green walls of corn, their bountiful victory garden and abundant orchards. Hard work, diligence, study, practice, attention to detail, appreciation for the good and bad in nature, all contribute to the successful harvest of each lovingly planted seasonal seedling or many years’ nurtured tree.
The light of the setting sun washed a warm bath of a golden aura over the brilliant green of the corn stalks and other garden delights. I caught still scenes of farm equipment in primary colors – so perfectly yet unconsciously placed ready to do the work of the day. I shot clusters of flowers that banked the side of the house. I walked through the tall grass and stepped on fallen sunflowers, tip-toes through the ruts and rows to capture shots of magnificent golden cauliflower nestled in the center of enormous smoky green leaves, green cabbage with heads the size of basket balls, plump aubergine eggplants peeking from their bushy foliage and pale 
purple flowers, dark green clusters of broccoli florets and left-over picked sprouts going to yellow flower, beets bulging from the earth with their stands of gorgeous green and red leaves, tomatoes of all shapes and sizes punctuating the greenery with blasts of red and then there was the orchard…
Picture-perfect Americana agriculture on the charming scale that paintings romance – the ladder standing ready for access into the taller reaches of the trees – the perfect picker’s perch. I had to climb up and pick a perfect apple and bite into its crispness with wet juice running down my chin. Now THAT’S an apple! Several varieties of both apples and pears were heavy on the limbs. Bushels of fruit ready to be harvested. Grape clusters that begged to be picked. The freshest of fresh!
Farm to table within feet, it was wonderful. Back inside it was all coming together, we enjoyed home-made wine that was crisp, cool and dry, plump baked chicken and savory sausage by local butchers, fresh mashed potatoes, roasted orange cauliflower and broccoli, freshly sliced tomatoes with basil and arugula and finished with a freshly baked peach pie.
It was an astonishingly intimate experience with good friends and good food. Which makes me realize that if only a pot of basil on your doorstep to make a pesto or garnish a tomato, or plant a row of lettuce in your flower garden we can all benefit from the satisfaction of growing your own on any scale. Do it yourself (DIY) farm to table one step at a time.
We’ve done it before at the beach with shells and stones and simple candles, then again in the foothills of the Sandia Mountain with stones and crystal votive holders. Now we find ourselves with an abundant centerpiece for a magazine spread – but for practical purposes, we tone it down – waaaay down – so that guests can visit across the table without spreading the foliage like a stalking through the jungle.
Large centerpieces are spectacular and provide a dramatic focal point for dining talbes or buffet tables…but when dining, it is tough to wrangle around the massive spray of flora between you and your would-be or wanna-be conversation partner.
In a pinch – go outside and discover what is in your yard. Here we found a simple fan palm frond – two really – and placed them opposite each other in the center of the table and added an old-fashioned Mexican dulce sugar mold as a long candle holder – now used often for candles as they are the perfect size for votive candles.
In YOUR yard it might be an oak or maple branch in the fall, photinia – a good green-leafed bush for all seasons, pine boughs, holly sprigs, long banana leaves, or round sea-grape leaves. The idea is to just scatter leaves, and add dimension. The stones and single candles in the previous scenes were dimensional. In this case, the wooden sugar mold sits atop the fronds – but in either case do not block the view and are easy to enjoy while conversing across the table.
Play with centerpieces and see what fun you can have!!
Small Water Features for DIY Projects
Vintage celadon vessel makes perfect table-top water feature!
Large vessels make focal points for fountain features. Large containers or bored stone boulders are perfect sculptural elements for the glistening appearance of running water, the gentle sounds and refreshing effects. While we have had great fun creating dramatic site installations for outdoor living scenes, we realize that there is great merit in the smaller versions that DIY buffs can create for their interiors or patios.
First, find an interesting container. I found a pair that are footed and are dolphin figures to boot – what luck!! This celadon glazed ceramic has a nice diameter of about 12” and is raised up by its three dolphin figurine feet. It’s a perfect aquamarine theme for this table-top water feature.
Select your container and then gather things that you enjoy. You might already have pieces of glass, tokens, stones, shells, coral, miniature figurines…use what you have or collect more for this specific use.
Get a small pump at the local home-improvement store or hardware store. This should be relative to the size of your container. This one is a little smaller than my fist. The cord will drape out of the container, up over the rim and behind the fountain to plug into your electrical source. This will conceal adequately if you place your fountain on a surface that backs up to a wall where the electrical outlet is located.
Arrange your collectibles on and around the pump to conceal it from view placing the more interesting pieces at the surface.
I use distilled water to insure no residue from harsh mineral that might be present in your tap water. Fill the container to the appropriate level. It will cover much of your collectibles in the bowl. Here I have used a couple of vertical slices of local travertine to add height, texture, color and interest. Once your first turn on the pump – or plug it in as this one does (no switch), you will be pleased at the calming, refreshing results.
Send photos of your finished products!!!!!
Shown here…Nestled into the landscape, this brilliant blue glazed fountain with interesting textured exterior is tall and splendid amidst the greenery as its water recirculates and flows into a bed of stones.
Tangerine Dreams – a Fresh Design Scheme for Inside and Out!
Inspiration is often a pleasant surprise. It happens with a spark that ignites a theme and the project evolves. In a very dramatic transformation of a simple yet dated living room, we skinned two walls with stacked white stone. The slivers of horizontal texture brought a clean-lined organic feel to the space. Existing sage green carpeting was a cool contrast against the clean bleached stone – we also painted the walls white to mimic the tones in the stone. The perfect punctuation in this sage and white scheme became the fresh pop of orange. Call it melon or coral our color is that somewhat rosy version to slightly soften the contrast. See more of this project at PATRICIAN DESIGN http://bit.ly/YQCyrE
Roll the footage along over the course of this last year and the finished product receives rave reviews. We are encouraged to take the scheme outdoors and continue this project now called Tangerine Dreams. Once outside the orange can be released to express brighter versions melding the coral tones with other shades more bold and brilliant.
Existing white patio furniture provided an open invitation to continue the thread of white that was introduced inside with the white stone wall. Making things look intentional and incorporating existing elements is a cost-effective approach. But the trick is not to let it appear as though the scheme was sacrificed for savings.
So with the lush green foliage of the desert’s semi-tropic offerings that were already mature in this landscaped yard – all we needed was to introduce floribunda of orange to carry through with the tangerine themed color scheme. We planned and prepared, planted and potted for the perfect patio party! Pillows, placements and pottery also brought orange tones sprinkled throughout the design.
A new water feature will replace a lemon tree lost in the last freeze. A brilliant orange trumpet bush will nestle against the towering ceramic urn of luminous green tones where cascading water will re-circulate from beneath the stone bed.
See more photos of this project in our facebook album at http://on.fb.me/13TVGUm and watch for future posts as the plantings mature and the work continues.
Lighting as ART – Louis Poulsen’s Collection of Fine Designs
The WOW factor of lighting is a key element in design – both interior and exterior. Perking up dark corners, illuminating structures and landscaping, highlighting objects of importance, providing task light and spreading ambient light through the darkness, all have their place in the drama of design.
Lighting can often be seen but the source not identified. The effect is all that we want to achieve…like subtle shadows through trees at night or lighting a pathway while concealing the source beneath low plantings or rocky outcroppings, concealed recessed lighting or well-placed “up” lights also provide the drama without announcing the identity of the fixture – shhh – keeping it a secret. Yet, other instances scream for the light fixture to make a statement.
Ask a movie star. Lighting is known by all in the public eye to be a most important feature to enhance or destroy one’s appearance. Celebrities pay the big bucks to insure that they are properly lit for filmed interviews or still shots. So please when planning YOUR interiors, don’t put a primary light source over the top of your head casting downward…lest you look like a vampire. In vogue as they are, the bloodless dark-circled look is not what most people are trying to present when hoping to have an enhanced appearance during a cocktail conversation or on a hot date over the dinner table. Supplemental ambient light will dilute the singular direction of the light washing your faces with a softer, more even illume.
However, when intentionally used as a fixture of design, we want the coolest look with the best output for the function. Precise engineering paired with the decorative aspects of a well designed fixture result in an exciting art piece. Yes, a piece of art!
Recently we were visited by our regional representatives from Louis Poulsen Lighting – to be reminded of their outstanding classic collection of timeless designer fixtures bringing the best of the best into commercial and residential interiors worldwide. It got our juices going – salivating for the next opportunity when we will incorporate a magnificent lighting fixture into an interior project.
Two photos taken here in our shop feature the pierced perforations and organic cut-out designs of the “Aeros” by Ross Lovegrove and Louise Campbell’s “Collage” pendant. Two spectacular fixtures which compliment if not carry an interior design.
See more fun on facebook at http://on.fb.me/16cD99r
Peace, Love and Valentine’s Day – Comfort and a Smile
It’s funny how a theme gets into your head and you seem to see it everywhere. This is what’s happening to me as Valentine’s Day approaches and I think about it from many different angles. Because of my shop, I focus on the merchandising standpoint as I see opportunities to spread the joy of marking the day with wonderful mementos in the form of art pieces and unique decorative accessories. But then again other things just happen spontaneously and through the window of a bus the other day while toodling about in Mexico I spotted this very animated VW bug adorned with curling graphics ala the 60s with the universal peace symbol and its bilingual version of love and amor.
Like Austin Powers’ spoof on psychedelia, what goes around comes around and if you wait… you’ll see the design trends repeated in the reactionary realm of art and fashion. With our world today getting smaller ,with the increased access of high-speed transportation and cyber communications, instant gratification and homogenizing of cultures, people tend to want to slow down, relax, return to an earlier time – it’s all relative. For some that might mean surrounding themselves with organic materials, and/or slow food, to others it might mean listening to music from a past era or immersing themselves in historical research. Some jump off the grid and really get back to basics. But regardless of the manner in which one reverts to the past or reminisces about the bygone days – one common denominator is true – comfort, wherever one finds it, is a human need. What’s funny is how different those definitions of comfort can be.
As simple as something that makes you smile like this whimsically artistic little love bug did for me the other day, I hope this coming Valentine’s Day brings a smile to your face and that you can, in turn, bring a smile to someone too!
Appreciating, Protecting and Perpetuating Beauty
Auturo Perez Reverte writes about beauty and tradition in El Maestro de Esgrima, The Fencing Master, translated from the Spanish by Margaret Jull Costa. His richly descriptive narrative is engaging to read. I am currently on a third book by him – I highly recommend his captivating and perceptive work.
It struck me while reading this passage the other day that I had just witnessed something that strikingly resembled his observation regarding beauty. I watched the arrival of a bride (the novia), in a “boda en la playa” a beach wedding. Well, I don’t know if the services occurred here at the beach but the festivities certainly did, in a spectacular seaside setting. The recognizable traditions of she
in her flowing white gown on the arm of her father and the accompanying mariachis in their dress garb made an impressive procession.
Reverte wrote “Beauty, with a capital B, can be found only in the cult of tradition, in the rigorous exercise of those gestures and words that have been repeated and preserved by men down the centuries.” “But we must always remember that beauty resides in preserving precisely what others allow to fall away.” And as I further ponder this, I find that it has profound application to so many things. What Reverte has observed, I can also embrace. It’s the relevance in and appreciation for preserving things as well as skills and customs as did his character, Jaime Astarloa.
Reverte, through Astarloa, refers to the fine art of fencing – a masterful portrayal of the life and times of an aging fencing master clinging to his nearly lost art and other treasures he held dear in his intimate world in Spain in the middle of the 19th century. The sensitivity that Reverte conveys through this insightful man, Astarloa, is potent. Yes, as he sentimentally expresses, this same preservation of beauty and lost art can be found in furniture, decorative accessories, written documents, architectural detail and myriad items that have carefully passed through the ages – their masterful attention to detail and craftsmanship still in evidence.
The lost art of stone masons and fine craftsmanship of so many trades – we are losing them. And so timely that I read this novel now, for the first time, when so recently fencing did lose a master, Bob Anderson, the legendary sword-master and Olympic fencer who fought as Darth Vader in the original Star Wars and who directed many well known movie actors in the finely choreographed moves of their iconic sword fights –swash buckling on the big screen. Anderson was 89.
“Beauty, is in the eyes of the beholder?” Is there not a universal recognition of beauty that transcends individual taste and opinion? The quiet wabi sabi to the crisply refined precision of some things –the graceful carriage to the perfection of mastered moves – I think it’s worth pondering.
