Avanti

What did The Guy do while I was enthusing over the gardens on our mini-vacation? He did what guys are supposed to and admired this 1964 Avanti that is mid-way through its restoration. This is the same model that Alice Cooper once owned that was recently for sale on ebay.


The Studebaker Avanti was designed by Raymond Loewy in 1961 and despite the demise of Studebaker it remains in production today. But it's those early futuristic sports cars that capture the imagination and have enthusiasts forming owners' clubs and spending thousands to bring them back to their original state. And, of course, have grown men drooling over them in the streets.

Modernism in Peril

When I wrote this post about the connection between Lord & Taylor and The Cool House I didn't know I'd be visiting the commercial legacy of Andrew Geller again a mere two weeks later.


Between 1959 and 1969, while at Raymond Loewy and Associates, architect Andrew Geller designed stores for Lord & Taylor, including the one pictured above at Stamford, Connecticut. This building, important not only in architectural terms but representative of the growth of suburban shopping centers and as such an important part of the cultural heritage, is threatened by redevelopment. To preserve the integrity of the building there is a movement to nominate the Connecticut store to the State Register of Historic Places.

Modernism is an important part of American architecture, the significance of which we are only starting to appreciate. Preserving buildings of the recent past, particularly commercial buildings, can be a daunting task but once they are destroyed we are left only with regret and recriminations. To allow a prime example of mid-century commercial architecture by one of the foremost design firms of the time to fall victim to the wrecking ball is to do a disservice to future generations. Globally, The World Monument Fund has launched Modernism at Risk, a program dedicated to raising awareness and preserving modern architecture. In Connecticut there is the opportunity to work at the local and state levels to declare the Lord & Taylor store an architectural landmark.


For an overview on why we should preserve modern architecture read Why must we save places of the Modernist movement and the recent past? an article by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and visit The Recent Past Preservation Network.

Support the Lord & Taylor store preservation effort by sending letters to:
Stacey Vairo
Ct. Commission on Culture and Tourism
One Constitution Plaza
Second Floor
Hartford, CT 06103
Fax: 860-256-2763

Antique shopping online

If I had unlimited funds I'd spend a good chunk of it on unique vintage furniture. As I don't, I spend an obscene amount of time window-shopping online.
One of my favourite resources, 1stdibs, the antiques portal and source of much design insporn has a slick new website with bloggy articles about dealers, designers, and furniture. As usual it abounds with interesting objets. Enjoy!

Speaking of Raymond Loewy

In one of those serendipitous moments, details of this original Raymond Loewy Associates 1951 "Look" Kitchen appeared on my desktop. The metal mid-century modern kitchen in good condition and is available from Little Paris Antiques in Los Angles, CA for $7800.


The "Look" kitchen is so iconic it's featured in the Library of Congress. How cool is that? Almost as cool as being responsible for this car or working for NASA.

Modernist Architecture Reality Check

For lovers of modernist residential architecture there was mixed news this week. While the Richard Neutra Kaufmann Desert House (above) sold to an unidentified buyer for a respectable $16,800,000 ($19,000,000 including an adjacent plot), the Louis Kahn Esherick House (below) failed to reach its reserve.


Both houses were offered for sale as part of Contemporary Art and Design auctions and their selling price was expected to far exceed their real estate value. Auctioneer Richard Wright, who was hoping to sell the Esherick House for between $2-$3,000,000, didn't blame the declining housing market for the failure to sell, pointing out that bidders at auction would be paying cash and not worrying about a mortgage. Christie's, who sold the Kaufmann House, were also disappointed that bidding was at the lower end of the valuation. They had marketed the house as a work of art with a estimated price of between $15-$25 million.

DWR Saarinen/Knoll Event

From last night's DWR-Roslyn Event celebrating 50 Years of Saarinen. This is how my den looks in my imagination.


The Tulip tables and Tulip chair in Platinum, the new base color introduced to mark the 50th Anniversary. Originally the three colors were black, white and aluminum but for many years only the black and white had been produced.
Just visible in the background is a blow-up shot of Saarinen's iconic TWA Terminal at JFK airport.


The terminal will open to Jet Blue passengers in late summer 2008.

After listening to the presentation and seeing the entire collection I really want to visit the Saarinen House and Cranbook Art Museum in Detroit to get a sense of what inspired Eero Saarinen and his father Eliel. Until then I'll have to make do with lusting after the red fabric Womb chair and the Executive armchair in Volo leather that I sat in last night. Soooo stylish and comfy.

DWR-Roslyn NY Event: 50 Years of Saarinen

On May 1st, 2008 @ 7pm DWR-Roslyn Studio will be celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Saarinen's Tulip Collection by showcasing the entire collection that Eero Saarinen designed to "clear up the slum of legs in the U.S. home".
They'll also be kicking off the annual Knoll 10% Sale and Ann Skillman of Knoll will talk about the history of the company, including Eero Saarinen's relationship with the manufacturers of his designs. There will be examples of the new platinum finish Knoll has introduced to mark the anniversary for invitees to gaze upon. Plus, they're serving cheese and wine, so we'll be there and I will limit myself to one glass so I don't start singing this.


If I ever call in rich I've promised myself the 78" Tulip Oval Dining Table with a white (or maybe Platinum base) and an Extra White Marble top.
A girl can dream, right?

DWR Roslyn Studio
1085 Northern Blvd
Roslyn, NY 11576
Phone: 516.365.3158
Fax: 516.365.3458

1970s Chairs: Simple to Ornate

Mario Bellini’s Cab chair is one of the seven design pieces The Financial Times picked to represent Design decade: 1970s. A seemingly simple design, the chair's steel frame is encased in leather, an idea that has been copied often since, which gives it clean, modern lines and a timeless quality that belies its seventies origin.
I love this design but I found the original Cab chairs hard on the backside over the course of a dinner party. When it came to choosing chairs to go with the Le Corbusier LC6 table for our dining room I wanted a more forgiving version. I found one, unfortunately without the iconic front leg zipper but still Italian and in black leather but more importantly with a much more forgiving seat.


At the opposite end of the 70s design spectrum, Alessandro Mendini's Proust Chair is a colorful and ornate homage to the French: Louis XV style, impressionist Signac-inspired fabric and of course Marcel Proust himself. At one time I wouldn't have understood this design, now I covet its overblown glory.

Read the Financial Times Design Decade:1970s article here, but take note that the FT managed to place the photo of the 1976 Cab Chair on the subsequent 1978 paragraph on the Proust armchair. Any easy cut and paste mistake to make but a pretty obvious one I would have thought.

If I had $1,000,000

Or two, I'd buy a mid-century modern house in California and furnish it with this table from Carl Chaffee. Doesn't it make you want to sit outdoors in the sunshine sipping orange juice?
via Blinkdecor


Of course if I had around $25,000,000 I'd bid on The Kaufmann Desert House at Christie's next month.

Smart Car comes to NY

I was driving through Huntington on Sunday when I saw my first American Smart car. The Smart fortwo (which I once read as Fort Wo until it dawned on me it was For Two. Yes I can be a little slow sometimes!) is available in three models, the Pure, the Passion, and the Passion Cabriolet, starting at $11,590. Billed as the answer to inner-city parking problems and rising fuel prices, I knew they were coming - we have two dealerships in the area so I'd seen the cute little dinky toys on the garage forecourts - but up until now I hadn't seen one on the road.
I have to say they look incongruous here. Maybe it's because the roads are so much wider than in Europe, or there are so many more SUVs and minivans, or the trucks are so huge but that Smartcar looked like a golf caddy that took a wrong turn at the 18th hole and found itself out on the highway.
Speaking of highways, I wouldn't take a Smartcar on an American interstate any more than I'd take a bicycle. Those bigger cars just wouldn't see you, not while the drivers are busy drinking coffee, applying make-up or reading the paper, which is what goes on here. A lot. I know this because we used to have have one of these and lots of just didn't see us.


I looked at buying a Smartcar when they were launched in Europe about 10 years ago. The local dealership was just up the road from my house and I was intrigued by the various models featured in the glass tower visible from the autoroute.


In the end though, the hype didn't measure up to reality. I couldn't park the thing any easier than I could the car I ended up buying, a Renault Twingo. The Twingo was also cheaper, had a similar gas mileage and was much roomier inside. (It was more a forfour than a fortwo) I also think it was better designed, resembling a cute baby carriage inside but a real car on the outside. The Smartcar? Stick a pole on it's back and it looks just like a fairground bumper car. But the Twingo isn't available here and the Smart fortwo is, so look for them on a street near you in the coming months.

Window shopping on the web

I'm currently lusting after a couple of items I've seen on auction sites on the internets.
First this modelicious 1970s Pucci Rocker available on 1st dibs. I'm totally in love with it but I think it's just too much for this house, although it might go here.


On the other hand these classy Lithic Floor Lamps, also from the 70s at Vintage and Modern are totally modern and in keeping with the style of this house. They are still produced today by the original manufacturer, J. Robert Scott so I can keep them on my wish list for now.

Danish modern in the English Home Counties

The Danish architect Jorn Utzon, who designed the Sydney Opera House, also designed residential houses. Up for sale for the first time since it was built, is what the Times describes as "probably the best modern house in the world".*
Not only was it designed by a great Modern architect, it was built for Povl Ahm who worked for the engineering firm Arup and who demanded only the best for his own home. Built of yellow London brick, concrete with teak window frames, the house looks exactly as it did when forty-five years ago. Inside Höganäs floor tiles, similar to those used in the Sydney Opera House, flow from room to room and the kitchen and baths have cabinetry of Oregon pine that looks completely fresh. The rooms are filled with Arne Jacobsen Egg chairs and other Danish modern furniture. Check out interior and exterior shots here, but do it quickly, they're bound to disappear once it's sold.
The 4,000 sq' house is offered for sale by The Modern House Estate Agents listed at £2.5 million ($5.000.000). Buyers will not be able to significantly alter the house, as it has a Grade II listing, which is given to "particularly important buildings of more than special interest" and planning permission has to be sought before any renovation can be considered. But really, when a house is this well-built, well-maintained and well-decorated why would you change a thing?

*that's only because they haven't seen mine yet.

Modernism on Long Island*

* including a personal surprise


Studio Proprietor John J. Fondrisi with Account Executives Melissa Beck (left) and Denise Garcia at the DWR Roslyn Leap into modern Long Island Event, February 29 2008.


Lovers of architecture and design were celebrating modernism on Long Island last night with a showing of the documentary "History Along the Turnpike: Levittown," by Richard Altamonte. Responding to a shortage of housing for returning World War II veterans, Levitt & Sons built 17,447 Cape Cod and ranch style houses between 1947 and 1951. Although tiny by today's standards at 750-800 sq ft, the houses were designed to be readily extended and came equipped with Bendix washing machines, Tracy All-steel cabinets and Themopane Insulated glass. All this and a TV built into the space under the stairwell for $7,990. Incidentally, some of Levitt's innovative ideas were influenced by the work of Frank Lloyd Wright on a house in Great Neck, NY.

One of the most fascinating aspects of the film were the interior shots of the homes with their now iconic furniture. The Noguchi table designed in 1947 was the centerpiece of one living room, while others featured the Eames Eiffel Chairs and George Nelson clocks. The DWR team showcased the designs with screenings of the films of Charles and Ray Eames and a draw to win a George Nelson clock and a copy of his classic book How to See.

The DWR studios are great venues for screening movies, after all you get to test out the comfort of their furniture for a good while, check out the lighting in the dark rather than daylight and they provide great nibbles, not just cheese and wine but salami, vegetables and dips, too. And you meet other lovers of modern design and architecture. At last night's event we had a totally unexpected meeting with the architect Joe Scarpella and his wife Diane who, it turned out, had almost bought The Cool House in 2004. How's that for a coincidence?

Leap into modern Long Island

On Leap Day, February 29 2008, Design Within Reach, Roslyn, Long Island will be offering a taste of modernism with the screening of Robert Altamonte's film “History Along the Turnpike: Levittown”.
There will also be an opportunity to win a George Nelson clock and a copy of Nelson’s book, “How to See.” Oh, and wine and cheese, too. It sounds like a must-do for lovers of mid-century modernism.
Contact DWR for more details.

Going Modern

Shiro Kuramata, 49 Drawers (1970), Museum of Modert Art, NYC.
We renewed our subscription to MoMA and as no-one has to work today we popped in to the city to see the Lucian Freud exhibit. Just the two of us and twenty million other people who wanted to see modern art on a warm wet Monday morning. It's really not possible to enjoy looking at anything with these crowds so we cut our losses and joined friends for a long (4 hour) leisurely lunch at The Modern.
The $55 pre-fixe was possibly the best meal we have had in NYC since we ate there back in 2005. Light and velvety lentil broth with foie gras flan, garlicky carpaccio of sea bass, crispy trout and the tart apple and pear dessert were the stand-outs. The service was impeccable and the amuse bouche and complimentary petits fours were greatly appreciated. My only tiny quibble is that MoMA offers a 10% discount to members dining in their other restaurants but apparently not in The Modern. Still, I can't think of a better way to spend President's Day. It sure beats shopping my way to poverty.

Fruitbowls: for rich and poor

Stainless steel fruit bowls to be exact.
I've been hankering for one for a while now but I'm not sure it would look right in my kitchen.


The NY Times featured this beauty from Ligne Roset. The Eplaff, in lacquered stainless steel, measures 23"in diameter and sells for a whopping $265.


For a whole lot less money, $29.99 to be exact, Ikea has Stockholm, a stainless steel bowl with a less gimmicky flower pattern. It's slightly smaller at 16.5 ", but that may fit better on the average person's sideboard. Not to mention their wallet.

A Welcome Intervention

Just as I was thinking I needed an intervention to control my ebay addiction I find out we have to boycott ebay for a week starting Monday February 18. It's just the break I need to kick the habit. Unfortunately it still means there are six more bidding days to go and at this rate I'm going to be in serious trouble by then.

Orange Slice Chair update

Update to the post on the Pierre Paulin Orange Slice chair. The auction was Sunday and the chair and ottoman fetched $3000. It went to a floor bidder so I guess no one bid on it as a gift for me. Sob.

Chair Lust

I love Pierre Paulin's designs. There was a pink Pierre Paulin Ribbon chair in the great room when we viewed this house and I fell in love. Even though they cost over $5000 and the pink color is no longer available I lusted after that chair. I still hope one day when we are rich I'll be able to own one, maybe in a cranberry colour.
Yesterday I found this chair and ottoman on the live auction part of eBay. It's an Orange Slice chair by Paulin and I am lusting so badly after it. Wouldn't it go beautifully in the master bedroom? It's starting at $1000, cheaper than the $5000 for the Ribbon chair but still way out of my prce range. Unless someone wants to bid on it for me (don't forget the 22.5% buyer's premium and shipping charges if you do) it's destined to go to another admirer.
If you are into mid-century chairs LA Modern Auctions has another 140 beautiful original designs for sale. They're all in the $500-$3000 starting price range. But hey, looking is free!

Leisurama Wine Event

Mid-century architecture and wine. Two of my favorite things. And they've thrown in cheese. Another fave. Then there's a personal house connection - the architect of the Leisurama homes was Andrew Geller, who designed our house. Plus I've been desperate to see the film since I first heard about it. It sounds like pretty much everything I want from an evening's entertainment. And of course I can't go.
I could go if I was sure I wouldn't cough all the way through it but I've attended enough concerts, plays and speeches to know how super freakin' annoying it is when someone starts hacking and how much I've longed to pelt them with Halls Mentholated Cough Drops when they JUST WON"T STOP.
So this is payback for my years of intolerance. Karma caught up with me. I guess I'll have to catch it when it airs on PBS, just like everyone else. Sob, cough, snivel.