The Cool House: Leisurama Now

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Leisurama Now


While Jake Gorst was over at The Cool House I got him to sign my copy of Leisurama Now: The Beach House for Everyone 1964- that had arrived the previous day. The book by graphic designer Paul Sahre, is a comprehensive look at the Leisurama phenomenon, which for Sahre began the day he started looking for a summer rental on Long Island and wound up at Culloden Shores at Montauk where some 200 Leisurama homes form a beach community.
Gorst, who wrote, directed and produced Leisurama - A documentary, contributed a chapter to Leisurama Now on the architect Andrew Geller who, as a designer for the firm Raymond Loewy Associates, was responsible for making the Leisurama homes both appealing and easily mass-produced.


The mid-century prefabricated homes were sold by Macy's and came complete with a murphy bed, lamps, color-coordinated linens and even a toothbrush. Sadly the one thing Paul Sahre failed to find as he researched his book was an authentic Leisurama toothbrush, but everything else is photographed and documented in the book, which is a nostalgic snapshot of part of the American dream - owning a second home at the beach.

4 comments:

Jean Martha said...

unrelated to your post...but we went to shee Sheryl Crow last night at Jones Beach and there was a couple sitting next to us that I thought for sure was you and your guy.

modernemama said...

not us, we were in the pool!
You've seen photos of The Guy but moi? I keep it behind the camera. There are no photos of me anywhere, are there?
I'm intrigued. What did she look like?
How was Sheryl Crow?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cwhAB-bQe0
for my favorite Crow song - oh wait, it's a song about Sheryl Crow not by her.......

Jean Martha said...

Sheryl was kinda boring...but the Fiance thought she rocked. Mostly I laughed at the gaggles of women doing synchronized "Club Med" style dances.

The guy at the concert looked like your guy and I think I saw a picture of you once on your Flickr, but maybe I'm imagining it. Or isn't there a picture of you with a car in Belguim or the UK?

modernemama said...

eeeek!