Newyork Blog: mid-twentieth century

Showing posts with label mid-twentieth century. Show all posts

On the Road Again: Palm Springs, California!

What could be more fun than hopping in the trusty Beemer with your sweetie and driving south from San Francisco down I-5, leaving the fog and drizzle behind, cutting over onto the old Route 66 and ending up a few hours later in Palm Springs? Where the sun shines all the time and the Mexican food simply cannot be beat? We had a wonderful trip.

OK, so the average age of the residents hovers around 85 (hey, I feel really young here!). But there is also a hip, young element encamped here in the desert that helped put the mid-century design vibe back on the map.

my good friend Kathy McGuire captured perfectly the spirit of the

California road trip with her painting...

see more of her California vernacular work at her website

and be sure to check out her new blog!

our destination!

one of the many diner stops we made along the way... gotta refuel!

in the high desert Mesa area above Palm Springs is this

stunning modern home nestled among the palms

bold colors and modern pieces

in this Palm Springs design shop..love

the iconic 50's sunburst mirror, of course!

walking the hills I came across this stunning abstract gate and love

the way the sun backlit the pattern

I just liked the way the blue/white pattern of the pillows

worked with the orangey of the cool chairs... and

the white coffee table is adorable too

love the pattern of the pyracantha bushes espaliered along

the front wall of this hacienda in the hills

perfect example of 50's modern architecture in

southern California, Case Study House No. 22 in

glass and steel was designed by Pierre Koenig

in the late 1950's and is outside LA

simple landscaping so typical for the area just

looks amazing to me

this wonderful mid-century style lamp

is the design shop's best seller!

on my ramble I wandered up the driveway to

the gate of the Sonny Bono estate... the only

reason I knew that was a friendly neighbor

taking a walk nearby told me.. four dwellings

on the property now selling for $4 m

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did we eat a "few" tacos along the way? ummm...yess..but

to make up for it, check out this yummy Mexican

fruit salad...perfect with any grilled anything!

Mexican Fruit Salad with Chili Powder*

Choose 1, 2, 3 or more fruits and/or vegetables—here are some that work well:

mango
pineapple
watermelon
cantaloupe or other melon
cucumber or fresh pickles
jicama
lime juice
chili powder
salt, to taste

Prepare the fruit. Slice up the fruits [and vegetables, if you're using them]. For the salad you see here, I used pineapple, mango, watermelon and cucumber. Slice them into big chunks and spears—this is street food, often eaten with your fingers. You can make the salad ahead, up to this point, and chill the fruit until you’re ready to serve.

Assemble the salad. Place the fruit in a large, shallow bowl. Squeeze lime juice over it [for a generous salad for two, I used the juice of one lime]. Season generously with salt and chili powder. Stir gently with a rubber spatula to avoid damaging fruit and taste. You’ll probably want to add more chili powder; keep adding, stirring and tasting until you pick up the flavor of the chili powder and a little heat. Add as much chili powder as you and your dinner guests can comfortably take—that’s a key part of this salad’s charm. Serve immediately.

recipe from Blue Kitchen

***

"hasta luego" from moi & Mr. CP!

How a Pair of Snowboarding Caterers Finally Got Some Sleep!

If you are the hottest catering team in San Francisco, and also live in a huge, light-filled loft facing south on a hill, you might have a little trouble sleeping in after those late-night weddings and soirees! These hip urbanites love where they live with one tiny exception..the bright daylight streaming into their bedroom was waking them up wa-a-a-y too early after pulling very late nighters.

Simple Fit to the rescue! When I was offered a chance to try this amazingly chic and utterly "instant-install" shade, I thought of my clients Lisa Tomasi and Steven McCormick of Pear & Pepper Fine Catering & Events. They live in a shade-challenged sun-drenched gorgeous loft facing south.

The whole process could not have been simpler: I measured the inside of their window, placed my order, and received the shade two days later. It took longer walking up the vast stairway in their glorious loft than it actually took to install the shade! 30 seconds, tops! I was ecstatic at the "no problem" attitude of this shade, and Lisa and Steven are thrilled to have a place to hibernate while the sun shines brightly outside.

Lisa loves succulents and poufs! she scored these

turquoise poufs blocks away at the Alemany Flea Market!

and the lucky succulents enjoy lots of natural light

in this sun-drenched loft

no one could sleep in a bedroom with this brilliant light shining in!

literally 30 seconds later, a block out shade clicked into place;

strong, sturdy shades these are, and why not? they are

made right up in Sonoma county!

up in the stratosphere of their gorgeous, two level, huge

loft home!

a deck that gets southern exposure is the perfect place for

gardening and cookouts

descending the stairway view over their living room: yep, those are

snowboards mounted on the wall..can you tell these two know to the

minute how long it takes to get to Tahoe when the snow reports come in?

their mid-century sensibilities show in the

chic dining area Lisa and Steven have created to serve

lucky family and friends their amazing culinary creations

another adorable and lucky little

succulent!

the entryway table where keys and mail are kept; they

love flea market finds and quirky signs

just in case you missed the snowboard wall, here's another

view; I love the graphic quality the boards create

Steven cleverly used these spring loaded twisting

fixtures to hold snowboards snugly to the wall

Check out this cool video on YouTube. Use them in your home, your guest cottage, your office, in houses that are staged for sale, your rented apartment..they offer a chic and sensible solution. Without a screwdriver in sight, these shades click into place, and can go with you when you move.

***

{I have not been paid by Simple Fit to endorse their product;

I was provided with a shade and asked to review it.

I am giving a great review because these shades are terrific!}

You can friend Redi Shade Simple Fit on Facebook!

Rosita Missoni Chez Elle

You know her clothing line, so you will understand completely why Italian fashion director Rosita Missoni has created a whirlwind of mad color and pattern throughout her 1930's Milanese apartment! I find it energizing, vibrant and exciting, and a little bit inspiring. I love the modern departure from tradition and the utterly sophisticated, Italian, no-holds-barred attitude.

stunning poufs in gorgeous colors from the Missoni Home Collection!

Sometimes I think it would be refreshing to just take everything out, paint all the walls and floors white, and bring in these exhuberant colors and pieces. Some of the patterns from the current Missoni Home collection follow below.

Could you live with this much pattern and color? What do you think?

in the dining room, blond wood danish table and Hans Wegner chairs are enlivened by psychedelic print cushions and dishes, both from the Missoni Home line..the walls are painted white, the better to show off the watercolor by Ottavio Missoni, the striped commodes, the Gio Ponti red chandelier and the resin floor designed to look like venetian terrazzo

supercharged colors and graphics mix well together; on the walls above the

sofa in greige linen and silk, framed drawings by Ottavio Missoni create a tapestry; glasses on the gold-leafed coffee table and pillows in tulle and poplin are from the Missoni Home line

handmade works of art by the Missoni's as well as patterns from the famous

brand adorn this space where Rosita sits

in the bedroom, above the bed hangs framed fabric in geometric motifs designed by Sonia Delalunay; it works perfectly with the Missoni Home graphic striped linens on the bed; next to the bed is a Philippe Starck chair customised for Missoni

images from Marie Claire Maison

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deep aubergine color and twine ball vases

playful and sophisticated floral motif wallpaper

carried out in the pouf

playful and modern chairs in fabulous colors

on ruby wine rug

Missoni loves to mix patterns; here florals

with stripes in bountiful presentation

just in case there was any doubt before, now you can

be quite sure that FLORALS are "in" this season!

this magical setting for an evening soriee using

Missoni fabrics and poufs!

***

above images are from Missoni's gorgeous current catalog

............................

Kit Golson Design
for elegant, sustainable and pragmatic
Chic Provence Interior Design

Tony Duquette Designs Evoke the Spirit of the Season...

Sacerdotal and ecclesiastical (fellow Catholics, you know this stuff!) icons abound in Tony Duquette's timeless designs from the mid-twentieth century that inspire and thrill today....especially now as we approach the Winter Solstice when darkness falls so early in the day, and the world celebrates fire, starlight and snowflakes.

Think of ancient Druids' Yule, of autumnal Dawali, the Hindi Festival of Lights, of Christmas stars and lights, of Hannukah with the burning candles, Kwanzaa with the lighting of the kinara candle, and Sadeh, the Iranian festivity to honor fire and defeat the forces of darkness, frost, and cold.

You get the idea. Anything that reminds of us of warmer, sunnier, longer days immediately captivates us at this season!