Volume 14: February
P.S. I love you
For the love of Mid-Century Design
Why do I love it? I think my appreciation is related to my love of cars, or maybe my love of television - that doesn’t mean I’m a couch potato, but I do love a good Netflix binge (The Queen's Gambit, anyone?).
Palm Springs, a desert oasis, is the perfect place to get your mid-century modern (MCM) design inspiration and fix. Especially popular in the 1950s, it was a place for the Hollywood elite to escape for privacy while gathering in their unique homes or lounging on the back patio. Architects were commissioned to build cutting-edge designs for high-end clientele. Modern construction techniques of the time can be found in Palm Springs’ hotels and civic buildings, too, with metal and lots of glass which made for easy indoor/outdoor living.
Historic Dr. Franz Alexander house. Note the slight curve in the ceiling beams and fireplace.
Poolside at Limon, an all steel MCM boutique hotel.
A delightful way to see how this all became so cool is to visit Palm Springs during Modernism Week. I have gone to it a couple of times and was there again last week to not only soak up the sunshine but participate in the jam-packed schedule of house tours, lectures, and parties celebrating MCM architecture. The tours showcase renovations, preservation projects as well as new construction in the mid-century spirit. All have something beautiful to share in keeping the easy design character of the post-World War II era. Modernism Week happens in February, with a “Fall Preview” weekend in October, both of which are great times to visit Southern California.
Clockwise from top left: (1) A patio at the Polynesian themed Royal Hawaiian Estates condo community; (2) Renovation of the Dr. Franz Alexander house kitchen with walnut cabinetry featuring JennAir appliances; (3) A guest room at the Limon hotel featuring bright colors and a corrugated metal ceiling; (4) Stone and metal fireplace at the Dr. Franz Alexander house
Last week was, no question, a wonderful escape from the dreary weather we've been having in Seattle. It also fed my love for color and MCM design leaving me inspired to bring pieces of these concepts to my clients.
See you next month!
Volume 8: August
Remember those days of nervousness and excitement leading up to the beginning of September? Hoping that you could go back to school and somehow be the cool kid. It never worked for me, but I love stationary so shopping for school supplies was enough of a distraction. This is probably where my love of tile and wallpaper started.
It’s finally here!
My favorite month of the year!
August is the best of summer
Remember those days of nervousness and excitement leading up to the beginning of September? Hoping that you could go back to school and somehow be the cool kid. It never worked for me, but I love stationary so shopping for school supplies was enough of a distraction. This is probably where my love of tile and wallpaper started. 😊
As an adult, I sometimes still get those butterflies only it's for my daughter now. Back to school fashion turns into Fall fashion and, really, that's the best season for style! It means buying boots and sweaters and scarves even as we are getting every last bit of wear out of our dresses, tank tops, and sandals.
There's a wonderful laziness to the end of summer (don't worry, we're still hard at work on our projects!) especially during this hottest month of the year. This is my favorite time to hang out with friends and family doing nothing but enjoying their company. It's for sitting poolside in the afternoons or having dinner outside in the evenings.
Enjoying a cocktail on the patio at the end of the week isn't too bad, either!
We hope you're enjoying these last days of summer, too! See you next month.
Volume 7: July
We hope you are having a fun and healthy summer!
Hello from Anderson Island!
We hope you are having a fun and healthy summer!
As we get back to visiting family and friends and exploring the outdoors, we are enjoying this little slice of normal that we missed over the last year and a half. The fire pit won't be in use this year (s'mores alternatives, anyone?) at our home away from home due to the fire ban here in Washington. No doubt we'll be able to find plenty to keep us busy as there are so many ways to enjoy the Pacific Northwest in summertime and no prettier place to be!