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archives |
Tuesday 02.16.10
guest post: halcyon days.
Hello everyone! It’s Kelly from Halcyon Days. I thought perhaps you might enjoy a peek into my good friend Robert Münzer and his husband, David’s, place. I had the good fortune of meeting Robert while working at Limn furniture for a wee bit while still in school, oh so many years ago. Robert had been at Limn over ten years when I arrived. I remember my first invite to his place, he told me, “My place does not look like Limn.”
I hadn’t thought much about it before, but what could someone’s place look like with such significant access to the design world? My curiosity was piqued. Needless to say, it was one of the first windows into a space I hoped to inhabit or at least try to emulate. It is a lovely mix of design icons, antiques, perfectly combined with industrial objects and original works of art. A home where every piece has a story and is not in the least minimalist, which was huge at the time. Robert no longer works at Limn but is still very much involved in the design world via his consulting business Cornell & Münzer.
Robert’s & David’s entrance is filled with pieces from their travels, Limn gallery, and myriad of other originals. A feast for the eyes upon your first step inside.
A gorgeous Belgian antique piece found at the now closed Grand Central Antiques on Castro Street. It was designed to hold sheet music.
Copper Penny sculpture by Oakland artist Dave Meeker; ‘Wheel Nose Head’ by Albuquerque artist Page Colman. Boy on little pillow by unknown Honolulu artist; and “Monkey Boy” by Sacramento artist Gale Hart.
Driade, ‘Empty Chair’ by Ron Arad (he designed it originally for the Tel Aviv opera house); ‘Liz’ pendant (made of over 9000 drinking straws) by Oakland artist Dave Meeker; And sweet Smoky posed for me.
Robert deejayed for many years and has one of the most fantastic record collections. He is also Swiss (if you couldn’t tell) hence the great collection of Swissair travel bags and fantastic vintage poster. The desk is vintage by Jens Risom.
I immediately thought the paintings were of NYC but apparently they are of San Francisco before the water towers were realized to be a huge hazard because of our seismic activity. They are early 1960’s paintings by San Francisco by artist Richard Roberts. The lights are Flos, Taccia lamp by Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni and the Akari floor lamp by Isamu Noguchi. The chandelier is vintage 1950’s Italian.
Brazilian head grid sculptures on the wall. The blown glass ‘blossoms’ were found by David at a small flower boutique on Gough Street. Vintage 1960’s bedroom chairs, slip-covered in Italian ‘Poppy’ fabric. Solidarity painting by San Francisco artist Eva Dottore.
A simplistic kitchen with a vintage table and Verner Panton chairs. A window filled with planted sculptures by Robert’s husband, David. And ‘Shovel Face’ Art by San Francisco artist Vernon The Gardener.
And finally their bedroom with rich dark brown walls, light fixtures creatively tweaked and 1960’s paintings by Richard Roberts and Ann Levinger.
Wednesday 02.03.10
unexpected guests: bugheart.
today on unexpected guests we’re traveling to our nation’s capital, to the lovely home of gwen bugheart from washington d.c. gwen is an entomologist – which means she really does have a ‘bugheart‘, or at the very least a fondness for the small creatures of our world. i love gwen’s visually beautiful photographic blog, bugheart, as well as her etsy shop, where entomology meets art & craft, and gwen sells her handsewn and adorable bags and accessories, and her other etsy shop jenny penny vintage. now, let’s check out her amazing home in washington d.c.’s u street/cardozo neighborhood.
What is your idea of a perfect day in d.c.?
the day would begin with a leisurely morning latte and bagel at big bear coffee with my partner, john, after we would peruse the thrift/vintage stores on u street, next we would head downtown and visit the new exhibit at the national gallery of art, have lunch at oyamel, and a movie at e street cinema, and finally we would return to the U street corridor for an evening cocktail at the gibson.
What are a few of your favorite local shops?
i enjoy shopping for unusual vintage items. ruff n ready is a great vintage store in an old dilapidated building on 14th Street NW. it’s packed to the gills and you really have to dig to find anything and then haggle to get a reasonable price. i also love to go to good wood and millennium on U street for interesting home decor pieces.
What’s on your wish list?
we have one ib kofod-larsen chair and i’d like to get a matching one. i’d also love a large painting by deborah bell or kristen cochran.
What’s your favorite bargain find or product?
a few years back i bought a swedish DUX sofa locally through ebay. the only reason i was able to buy it for a song was it was “pick up only.” they even delivered it from Towson, MD for $25! recently i found a 3.1 phillip lim (barneys) sweater for $4 at value village!
What is your biggest interior design nightmare?
wall to wall carpet.
Who are your favorite artists? And why?
i am biased- my favorite visual artists are my brothers – joe shlichta and john shlichta. i also love the work of lisa solomon, saul becker and camilla engman. i am currently smitten with the occupied homes and landscapes of todd hido and the music of blind pilot and alexi murdoch.
Where do you find inspiration?
i am most inspired by found objects, dilapidated buildings, old science books, and laboratory ware. i often wander down to hirshhorn or the national gallery of art for inspiration.
Do you collect anything?
i collect too much! i have collections of insects (or course), train cases, vintage cameras, music show posters, rocks with lines, scientific models, belt buckles, and more — currently i am collecting vintage wind-up clocks, beat-up teddy bears (for an art project), old rubber office stamps, and bell jars.
What’s your favorite feature in your home?
our patio. it’s the first time i have had an outdoor space. i have always wanted a space to grow my own herbs and vegetables and enjoy my morning tea or an evening glass of wine. i hope to have a beehive on my patio this upcoming summer.
If you could photograph anyone in the world, who might that be?
i don’t think that there would be any one person i would love to photograph. i have always wished that i was invisible so i could take those perfect shots of people who i was too shy to photograph — the old woman sitting in the afternoon sun at the bus stop, a child checking out his reflection in a subway window, or a woman in a red dress leaning against a crumbling blue wall in mexico.
Who would you like to sit down to drinks with?
i live far from my family — so i’d have to be boring and say that i would love to have drinks with my siblings in seattle.
Do you have a guilty pleasure?
staying home all day and knitting.
What is your most treasured belonging?
letters and photographs, especially old ones from my grandparents and parents.
what is your greatest indulgence?
cheese from cowgirl creamery. real champagne. sleeping in until noon.
What’s souvenir did you bring back from your last trip?
i went to quintana roo, mexico with my partner for a butterfly/moth meeting. i brought back pieces of broken coral that had washed up on the beaches.
What is your idea of living hell?
going to a mall. being stuck on the LA freeway.
What are some of your favorites websites/blogs to visit?
habit, pitchfork, the jealous curator, nerd boyfriend, poppytalk, 3191, 100 abandoned houses, and the herman miller blog.
Monday 11.16.09
sneak peek of alysia’s home on ATLA.
there’s a fantastic home tour of alysia cotter’s silverlake, los angeles home on Apartment Therapy Los Angeles that just must be seen! be sure to go check it out. I love it!!! It’s like a mini museum with tons of vignettes of charming nooks and crannies, and lots of lovely bright light. well done alysia! and, you can see more of alysia’s photography on her flickr photostream, and her blog.
[ photos courtesy of Apartment Therapy Los Angeles. ]
Friday 11.13.09
a girl with flair.
let’s face it, i just adore everything this girl designs & creates, photographs, and now apparently lives in. sandra juto just has flair! she submitted some wonderful photos of her home on flickr this week, and kindly allowed me to share! they look like they’re having such a relaxed, swanky and fun evening. maybe we could all aspire to that one night this weekend. wait until you see — ready? okay, prepare for ultra cool. and for more cool sandra stuff, visit her blog.
Wednesday 11.04.09
unexpected guests: homebug.
today on unexpected guests we’re headed all the way across the pond to visit with Zita Spring, aka zee of the blog homebug. zee lives in dublin, ireland with her boyfriend and two very cute dogs, polly the the basset hound, and django the dalmation — two very sweet looking pups. I loved zee’s cheerful, eclectic home and all the bright, happy colors. here’s a look at what it’s like living in dublin, ireland. thanks for sharing zee, and for those of you readers looking to find more about zee, be sure and drop in on homebug.
What is your idea of a perfect day in dublin?
The formula for my perfect day doesn’t involve anything out of the ordinary and I do variations on it just about every weekend! My boyfriend and I will start the day with a cooked breakfast and a read of the newspapers, before taking our dogs Django and Polly for a walk in the park beside our house. Then later on we’ll stroll into town stopping in every charity shop along the way picking up vintage clothes, knick knacks, records and books. Once in town, we’ll get a spot of lunch somewhere along South Great George’s Street. We’ll catch an indie movie in the Irish Film Institute in Temple Bar and afterwards meet up with friends or family for dinner in the best Chinese restaurant in the whole world – the ramshackle Sichuan House on Parnell Street – followed by drinks in the Welcome Inn on the same street. It’s a bar where time has stood still; it retains the faded grandeur of 1960s décor and plays a great mix of music. Then home to our house or someone else’s to chill out and chat.
What don’t you leave home without?
I’m the sort of scatterbrain who regularly leaves the house without my keys, phone, purse, you name it, but I always have a book or two in my handbag.
What’s on your wish list?
An extension of our 600 sq. ft. house, please! A kitchen-diner for entertaining in and a bathroom rather than a shower room would be life changing!
What’s your favorite bargain find or product?
I think it’s got to be my antique Chesterfield sofa – it’s one of my dream items of furniture and I got it for €100 through a small ads website. The person selling it had listed it as “old couch”!
Who is your favorite artist? And why?
I love Danish artist Christina Blaabjerg and have one of her paintings in my living room. I love her use of colour and the influence of architecture on her style.
What is your biggest interior design nightmare?
Having two big silly dogs means that I have recurring interior design nightmares involving rugs and soft furnishings! I can’t get too precious about anything in our home because someone is bound to chew on it or pee on it eventually!
Where do you find inspiration?
I find blogs like Door Sixteen, Making It Lovely, Design*Sponge and Sfgirlbybay plus loads of Flickr members very inspiring. I love Living Etc. and Irish interiors magazines too. And I always keep an eye on my favourite interior designers like Suzy Hoodless and Danielle Mac Innes. But I also find inspiration in movies, fashion, art, everywhere!
What is your most treasured belonging?
I have a patchwork blanket that my Grandmother made about forty years ago (it’s in the photos of my bedroom) – my attachment to it is more than sentimental, as it’s such a beautiful thing; every patch of fabric used is stunning. It’s the one thing I own that’s truly irreplaceable.
What’s your favorite feature in your home?
The cute little fireplace in the bedroom was what made me fall for our house. Of features that we’ve added ourselves though, I love the white painted floorboards in the den, and I intend giving our bedroom the same treatment soon.
Who would you like to sit down to drinks with?
Michael Chabon, George Pelecanos, Smokey Robinson and Alain de Botton.
Do you have a guilty pleasure?
Spending too much time online and ordering takeout. Sometimes at the same time!
What is your greatest indulgence?
Music. It’s one thing I never even try to curtail my spending on, and I get withdrawal symptoms if I don’t have something new to listen to! Every nook and cranny of our little house is stuffed with records and CDs. The thought of converting it all to digital and freeing up some space makes me sad, though. I’d sooner move to a bigger house!
What is your idea of living hell?
Busy nightclubs with awful music. I like to keep it low-key.
What are some of your favorites websites/blogs to visit?
I read loads of blogs. My favourites at the moment (besides the obvious big ones) are by people whose individual style I admire, like Blanaid, Nestled In, Emma’s Designblogg , Chez Larsson , and oodles more..!
