Oh, Ross...Karina, Karina!*

As a follow-up to my last post, here's an example of a home I could move into immediately!** This is an example of a Ross Chapin Architects small home design, the Karina, designed by Karen DeLucas, former owner of the house shown. Please check out that last link, that blog will take you through the house timeline of construction, from insulation, interior/exterior paint colors, vendors used for lights and fixtures, flooring, and landscaping through text and loads of great photographs.

Yes, you do see stainless appliances and granite countertops in this kitchen. However, I feel the kitchen's small scale and practicality stand for more than those so-called HGTV "must-haves."

I love the wood tones and crisp calming colors of the interior design and truly adore the exterior house details.

Click to enlarge

The Karina home plan comes in at 1,606 square feet and is part of their collection of small homes over 1,000 sq ft. It's entire foot print is only 22' X 55'; however, the smallest of the three bedrooms is a healthy 11'-6" x 12', it still has 2 full and one 3/4 sized bathrooms and even a separate 2nd floor laundry room with space-saving pocket doors.


Brilliant, right?!



Now, the bath is a bit more swank than I would prefer with its attached-yet-separate tub and the glassed-in shower with "rain" head, but I wouldn't turn my nose up at the soft-close, low-flush toilets.

Lovely wrap-around back porch


* Loose adaptation of "Corinna, Corinna".
** IF I had the money and/or a job where I could afford the upkeep! ;)

World's Fair Survivors

At work we get an email of links to news article relating to preservation in the State of Virginia and nationwide. I just came across this mention of a structure in New York, the New York State Pavilion at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park that is now eligible for state landmark status. This building was erected for the New York World's Fair in 164-65. 

A book that I've mentioned before on this blog is The Devil in the White City, a murder story (not a mystery) based in Chicago during the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. Within it's story it also describes the architectural goals put forth by the exhibition building committee and the fact that none of the building were meant to last "the test of time." Therefore, the remaining examples we have from the fairs are truly worth saving, for they are true survivors. Also many of the buildings were designed by architects who later became known as masters of their craft, such as Louis Sullivan and Phillip Johnson.

Years ago, on a business trip I vowed that I would one day get married in the St. Louis 1904 World's Fair Pavilion. Isn't it lovely?!

   

But then while doing research for this post I found that the Pavilion didn't even exist during the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, instead it was built as a monument to the fair and financed from the revenue accumulated there. 

Oh well. I also haven't moved to St. Louis yet and I don't have a husband-in-waiting.

St. Louis images: Chandler Curlee and gobucks2's Flickr stream

Anthropologie, give some credit, ok?

I just received the latest Anthropologie catalog and from the very first picture I thought I knew where they had set this photo shoot. However, there was no information within the catalog to confirm. I'll have to search the Web for that, but before doing that, here is my guess:

An architectural masterpiece designed by Mexican architect Luis Barragan; Casa Gilardi, in fact? With maybe a few shots of his Cuadra San Cristobal too?

Check out the shots:


Compare them to pictures of his work and it's pretty clear to me. In fact on page 13 of this July 09 catalog there is this quote "Any work of architecture which does not express serenity is a mistake" by none other than guess who? So why not give the location; the incredibly gorgeous location, credit?

I have been a fan since I was a freshman art student in the late 80s. I actually heard of him through a great book that I bought, Casa Mexicana that had pictures of his buildings, his own home, and the homes of many others, including Frida Kahlo and Robert Lopez (aka El Vez!).

Images: Anthropologie July 2009 catalog

Adaptive Reuse for Living

A co-worker directed me to a compilation of stories on WebUrbanist about adaptive reuse projects. These projects range from a family home created in an airplane to a complete beach resort contained within an airplane hanger. Links to more complete stories on each project are included in that post. Definitely don't miss the story about the chapel-to- apartment or the house within a pigsty.

There was one (via adaptivereuse.net) that especially interested me; it involves the bureaucratic troubles one owner encountered when trying to convert his garage into a small residence for his mother-in-law. Even though the project was designed to fit into the preexisting urban landscape and was created with an architect to meet all city codes, he still came up against problem after problem. You can follow his story on his blog, Bottleworld. But first, some pictures of the project:

Exterior

Interior Loft


The alternating tread staircase that "the City" did not like.

All photos: Bottleworld

A Space Created In Nature And of Nature

Note: Originally published at the 2Modern Design Talk blog. When I think Spa I usually think of cedar wood steam rooms, neutral colors, and stacks of white towels. You can imagine how surprised I was to see this spa-like hotel in Austria. Known as Rogner's Bad Blumau, this wellness spa and hotel is an architectural fantasy with colorful and amorphous shapes forming it's city-like landscape. 

Designed by the late Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser, his vision was to create "life in harmony and in harmony with nature." All I know is that he created a delicious box of treats for the eyes and other senses. More examples of his beautiful work can be found here. Two of their thermal spa offerings. The Augenschlitzhäuser or "slit-eye" apartments and the Arcades. A detail of Stammhaus or the main part of the hotel, which includes Reception and the administrative offices. All images shown are from the Hotel's own website.

I Wish...

Note: Originally published at the 2Modern Design Talk blog.





To see the Chapel of Notre Dame du Haut in person. This unique and beautiful church located in Ronchamp, France was constructed by Le Corbusier in 1955. I always think of it as the "little church with the Dutch hat" (of course, having no idea if the Dutch have ever worn such a hat but it does remind me of their clogs). I can imagine spending hours in and around this structure because there is so much detail to observe.

Allowing for places of worship inside; framed by randomly placed windows, and outside with the open-air pulpit on the east side, I consider this, of all Le Corbusier's work, to be his most whimsical and fun.

It shows that Modern design does not need to have sharp angles, straight sides, and a sterile feel.

Exterior Images: Dan Delgado photos photos via the Bluffton University Digital Imaging Project
Interior Images: Galinsky

Dreams Can Come True?

Note: Originally published at the 2Modern Design Talk blog.

Have you ever dreamed of living in a mid-century modern home?

Let us say that your dream does not include paying a mint for it and still having to invest more money into the house to re-fashion it back to the original floor plan and design after an absolutely hideous 1970s remodel? Let us also say the dream does not mean having to move to some rare community in the country where they still exist and paying an inflated property value required for living with history under your fingertips.

Let's say you just want to buy a piece of land now and recreate the mid-century house of your dreams but not have to design it from scratch either. OK, still with me?


Photo by John Ellis

Well, the truth is you can have those dreams come true*. The Maxx Livingstone company is the dream maker of my story. They are re-releasing the William Krisel A.I.A firm's Butterfly Home designed by architects William Krisel and Dan Palmer in 1956. The company's desire is to retain the architectural integrity while also updating the home for modern times. You can find more information here and a story on the rehab of one of the original models here.


*I saw this story on the B.E.L.T. website.

Oh, To Live In A Glass House

Note: Originally published at the 2Modern Design Talk blog.

You may have noticed; as much of the consumer buying public did, that clothing company J.Crew placed the photo shoot for their last catalog on the immaculate grounds of the Richard Neutra-designed Kaufmann Desert house.


Kaufmann Desert House

If you didn't get enough modern design love from that, there are a few more design gems from that period in architecture that are still standing.


Phillip Johnson Glass House


This building, known as Da Monsta, is the visitor center at the Philip Johnson Glass House site. The site also includes numerous constructions by Johnson in a few different styles.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has acquired two new modern-era designed buildings, the Philip Johnson-designed Glass House and the Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Farnsworth House. Both houses can be seen in this month's (May/ June) issue of the organization's Preservation magazine which discusses a new appreciation of Modernism in terms of architecture and the need for on-going protection.


Farnsworth House

Other modern masterpieces around the country include:


A Rudolf Schindler House


Philip Lovell House


Pierre Koenig Case Study Home

Photos from Time magazine and MOMA.org.

A Small Jewel Box of a House

Years ago, I saw my first Henry Doelger-built home on Flickr and immediately had to know more. A book, Little Boxes by Rob Keil, was published two years ago that has even more delicious photos of these funky little houses. In fact, a whole group of these mid-century designs preside in the Westlake neighborhood of Daly City, a suburb of San Francisco.

These houses were built by Doelger's firm but designed by a small group of architects who must have loved their jobs from the look of the designs. Just check out what they did to the garage doors.

Westlake Garage Doors 1958-1965

It must have been great to have that much artistic freedom. When was the last time you noticed a garage door, let alone it actually looked different than all the other garage doors.

Another great thing about this book is that it includes my favorite thing, FLOOR PLANS! Yes, I love floor plans, especially of small homes. I enjoy studying the beauty of their clean uncluttered spaces and in these cases, their efficiency in design. It is strange how much I love these things.

You should also check out the Westlake section of the official Daly City history site that Rob collaborated on, this was where I received my first dose of Doelger background.

The Little Boxes Book website also has links to articles on Doelger architect Ed Hageman, who designed the "fish and chips" house shown at top. In addition, the site provides tips and resources for restoring and taking care of a Doelger-built home and its period fixtures and materials. This kind of information could be valuable for anyone owing a mid-century abode or just trying to emulate one.

If you have any information on these homes, (you know someone involved in the construction, who lived in one of the houses, or you posses vintage photos or film footage of these homes, I'm sure Rob would love to hear from you at robertjkeil@yahoo.com.

Source: all pictures from littleboxesbook.com.