Happy Thanksgiving 2010 from Palm Springs & Los Angeles

http://www.stahlhouse.com/

I wanted to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.  This Thanksgiving, I am

spending it on vacation with the other half in Palm Springs and Los Angeles.

It is my first time to Palm Springs and it has been many years since I've been

in the City of Angels as a tourist.  Staying in Santa Monica next to the pier

and promenade and dragging the other half on a tour of star homes :)  I've

been to Los Angeles so many times but I never went on the tour.  Secretly, I

just want to ogle all of those neighborhoods of gorgeous homes...



As many of you know, I'm a midcentury modern architecture nut and

 I thought this vintage illustration of Turkey day is very appropriate.

This is probably one of the most iconic midcentury house in Los Angeles.  Case

Study House #2 (the Stahl house) by Pierre Koenig.  The house has been owned

by the same family since the house was built (the Stahl family.)  Julius Schulman

the beloved and famous architectural photographer made the two houses in this

post iconic with his photos.  I had no idea the house is now open on specific

weekends for showings.  If you're ever in the LA area and would like to see the

house, check out their website:  The Stahl House

Isn't the house just wildly amazing?  It has been in many films and advertisements.

Who could resist such as setting, view and wonderful architecture?



The second house is in Palm Springs and was designed by famed midcentury

architect Richard Neutra (Viennese born architect) in 1946.  The photo is

 also by Julius Schulman.  Architectural historian Beth Edwards Harris and

her then-husband purchased the home for $1.5 million in 1992 and hired

 the L.A. architecture firm Marmol Radziner & Associates to
meticulously restore the house to the original design by Neutra.

Another iconic photo of the same house by Slim Aarons who

captured the beautiful, bold and jet setting rich and famous in

their native environents.

A photo of the Kaufmann house by Neutra after the renovation.

It is called the Kaufmann house becuase Edgar J. Kaufmann Sr.
hired Neutrato design the house for the family.  Kaufmann was a
Pittsburgh department store tycoon. The interesting thing is that a
decade earlier, Kaufmann had commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright
to build Fallingwater in Pennsylvania which is probably the most
 famous residential houses that Frank Lloyd Wright ever built. 
Wright was not happy that Kaufmann had hired Neutra instead of
 him to build his desertgetaway.  It seems that Kaufmann had quite
an eye for architectural talent having comissioned not one, but two
of the most iconic midcentury homes every built.

A Place in the Sun

by Slim Aarons

My book pick of the week of you that liked the photo by

Slim Aarons above.  Slim Aaron's photography makes for

really great art on the wall.  I would definitely check his

books out - they make gorgeous coffee table books as well

as have collections of his photos in conveniently bound

tomes.

Thoughts on midcentury houses, architects and designers?

Favorite things in Palm Springs or LA?

Photos from Google Images & Julius Schulman

Study in Pink: Betsy Johnson's Former Pink New York City Apartment

Betsy Johnson sold her very pink New York City penthouse 

apartment a while back but I think it's worth doing a post

on her over the top pink apartment.  I adore the yellow chairs

she uses in her dining room as shown in the photo above.

A very nice set of mid-century modern chairs if I must say

so myself.

 

The view from her penthouse apartment (listed at

1,660 square feet with a 1,000 square feet private 

deck.)  Original asking price was 3.6 million.

 

Betsy had very cleverly sectioned her bedroom area 

off with a black screen and pink chair and ottoman.

A different look at how she sectioned her bed from

the rest of the living space in her loft like apartment.

Love the huge pink rug she laid on the floor in this 

corner of the apartment.

 

A more pristine bathroom in whites.

All the floors in the apartment are ebony which 

really sets off the pink and other colors in the space.

I absolutely adore the hot pink chaise.  The black staircase 

leads up to the 1,000 square foot private deck up top.

A closer look at at the entrance to the kitchen from the dining area.

I love that she mixed something very industrial like

stainless steel finishes with pink.  It's not a combination

most people would think of but it works in an eclectic

way.

To full size sofas facing each other with sheepskin

rugs makes for a very comfortable and luxurious

living area.

 

You can tell that Betsy not only loves pink but mid-century modern 

touches like the lamp and coffee table in the sitting area.

 

 At one point, Betsy had redecorated the apratment and

ELLE DECOR UK had featured her apartment in their magazine.

 

More pink!

 A Very cool portrait.

 

 

 

 

She went from pink to yellow at one point. Her apartment may be 

over the top but you have to give her credit for being bold in her

taste. 

  

 Photos from Apartment Therapy, Luxist, 

Gala Darling, Fresh Home, and Elle Decor UK

Miles Redd's New York City Townhome

Recently, I did a post on sofas and couches that Miles Redd has used

in his designs.  The subject of this post is Miles Redd's own New York

City town home.  What a fantastic facade don't you think?  Superchic 

with monotone paint, striped awnings and European style shutters that

frame the outside of all the windows.

The door is painted in a very pretty Robin's Egg sort of blue.

 

This kitchen has got to be one of the most ogled kitchens on the web.

And of course, it belongs to none other than Miles Redd.  I'm not even

a fan of black kitchens and I'm in complete awe of this one.  Lacquered

black walls and cabinets with a unique countertop material - glass.  It's

not very practical but it sure is unique.  I bet it made you look twice.  The

flooring is gorgeous as are the lamps he used under the cabinets. 

 

 

State of the art appliances including a TV monitor built in.

A look from above those glass countertops.

 

Miles always pays special attention to doors and these zebra covered 

doors with nail head trimming is no different.  Super fun and chic.

 

 Here's that gorgeous crimson tufted corner sectional I just drool over.

It makes one at least consider pink as a paint color 

even if one has never considered it before.

Here's a beautiful photo of Miles REdd's bedroom.

A picture that captures a gorgeous mood.

The same bedroom with Miles Redd on his own bed.  

I love that he tufted the headboard all the way to the top.

 

The bedroom leads to a completely mirrored dressing room and bathroom.

 

Talk about stepping into a fantasy.  You'd probably imagine a dressing

like this would belong to an old Hollywood silent film star. 

 

 You can see the sink and vanity from here and the marble encased 

bath tub in the mirror opposite of the vanity.  Totally over the top.

I'm not entirely sure I could live in a room covered entirely in 

mirrors but it's a cool room to check out.

   

When it comes to Miles REdd's outdoor space, it is absolutely

like a dream - straight out of a fantasy.  I love the color palette

and all of the things he has done with it.

 

Simply amazing with the turquoise Trompe-l'oeil trellis which is 

out of this world.  The black and white harlequin patterend floors

really finishes the space off.

Photos from New York Social Diary, 

New York Times, Domino and Miles REdd's site.