Inspirational Decor

One of my favorite inspiartion rooms. Black & White Salon from Marie Claire Maison featuring the "Bouquet" chair by designer Yoshioka Tokujin. I love the way all the black elements in this tall room bring your eye down to ground level and that the ethereal quality of the chair is balanced by the weighty ceramic bird. Beautiful.

Modern meets Historic

I stumbled upon this fabulous modern addition to a typical residential house in an historic area near downtown Atlanta and was mesmerized by the shapes and the light. Designed by architects Brian Bell and David Yocum of the modern architecture firm bldgs, the Ansley Park Glass House is a stunning space that neatly juxtaposes the 20th and the 21st centuries.

There's a cool pool to beat the Atlanta heat - its shape echoes the square lines of the new addition - and the original 1910 building.

The living space is open inside, while walls of glass flood the rooms with light. I love the soft grey-blue tones of the MCM furniture that contrast with the dark fireplace/bookshelf.

A view from the suspended staircase: Dark woods on the walls and floor give a solid feel to the space - how fabulous is the Nakashima-inspired table paired with the Saarinen Executive Side Chairs?

Possibly my favorite part of the renovation, the kitchen balances cool stainless steel cabinetry with warm wood countertops, where the staircase floats behind like a transparent sculpture - awesome.

The square roofline of the original house seen through the rectangular wall of glass: the harmonious synergy of historic and modern.

It's Friday so hop on over to Julia's Hooked on Houses Friday fest

Dwell Table Linens

A little earlier this summer I entered a Design Public contest and won these dramatic DwellStudio Table Gate cocktail napkins and coasters. Made from 100% linen, they are soft and strong and in this dark brown Java colourway fit perfectly with the rest of the decor at The Cool House.

I've bought a couple of things from Design Public and have been very impressed with both their prices and their customer service - it's more like buying something from a trusted friend with great taste than a big anonymous corporation. They have a stylish blog, Hatch that's full of interesting links, and if you are the twittering type follow @designpublic to learn all about their design ethos, products, sales and deals. Check them out, I'm sure you won't be disappointed!

Craftsman Modern

If I had the need for a bar stool, which I do not, if I even liked bar stools, which, unless they are in a bar, I really don't and if I had $1,400 in the budget, which is never going to happen, this warm, handcrafted, uniquely modern Tractor Bar Stool is the one I would buy.

Designed by BassamFellows as part of their Craftsman Modern collection I love everything about it: the ergonomic solid walnut seat, inspired by a Swiss tractor seat; the leather wrapped footrest; the mid-century feel of the tapered legs. I want to look at every day; to touch it; to sit it on it, elbow resting on the counter, one foot resting gently on that leather bar.

Despite the seductiveness of the image I just painted, practically I have no use for a bar stool but fortunately The Tractor Stool also comes in a regular height model ($1350). That would be better suited to our needs; it's just the thing to add to the table when extra guests turn up unexpectedly and would look gorgeous in The Cool House, or any modern, or Craftsman, interior.

The Craftsman Modern Collection, which includes tables, credenzas and a deceptively simple daybed, is available from The Conran Shop. You can see more of BassamFellows' furniture in a New York Times slideshow of their Philip Johnson designed house.

Vote for the Top Puppy

No, not that puppy, I think we've pretty much exhausted the topic of America's First Dog. Over at Mod Livin' the 3rd Annual Best in Show Puppy Show is taking place.


Participants were asked to decorate large and small MAGIS Puppies (designed by Eero Aarnio) to be auctioned off on April 24th and proceeds are donated to the local Denver Downtown Animal Care Foundation that assists loving pet owners on low/fixed incomes. The online vote winner gets bragging rights and a Mod Livin' gift certificate for $250.


I love the simple "The Puppy" signed by Eero Aarnio but there are many appealing designs to vote for. Do you have a favourite?
Competition ends Thursday April 23rd. Vote early, vote often.

Solid Walnut Beds

I'm pretty clear now about how my master bath will look, at least in my head - I'm still sourcing all the products for a mood board. In the meantime I've moved on to researching a new bed for our room. The one we have at present, Leggero from DWR, was bought in 2003, a time when I craved a sexy low platform bed. Five years of house renovations have taken their toll on the back and the knees and getting up from the minimalist bed is accompanied by much groaning and creaking. I still want a model that has great modern design but I need it to be a few inches higher. I also think a solid walnut bed will compliment the windows better and provide a contrast with the bamboo floors. Here are my favorites so far:


0011 Bed in Black Walnut by Atlantico. From Velocity. Available in four sizes: Twin $2245.00 to King $3295.00.


Matera Bed from DWR. Available in Queen and King, with or without storage. Prices start at $2500.


Anders Bed from Room and Board. Solid walnut Queen $1,399.00, King and Cal King $1,599.00.


Again from Room and Board, the Hudson Bed in Solid Walnut has roomy storage drawers. $2699 for the Queen, $2899 the King and California King.


My final choice from Room and Board and perhaps my favourite, the Grove bed. Queen $1599, King and Cal King $1899.
Unfortunately the online stores aren't great at telling you how high from the floor the bed will be so picking one isn't as easy as I would like, but the Matera has a platform height of 15", which with a 10" mattress on top, should make standing up in the mornings a whole lot easier.

This post is part of the Hooked on Houses blog fest

House porn in La Jolla

Totally. Love. This. House.


Stunning views of the ocean


married with seclusion in the subterranean living area
Via LA Times Home & Garden

Win a Light

If you like modern lighting stroll over to 2modern Design Talk where they are currently running a competition to win this Meridian Table Lamp from Lights Up!.
All you have to do is visit the 2Modern lighting shop and then leave comments about it on on the contest page. Not too complicated is it? Competition ends June 30th.

Taxes or....

I had to pay the Town taxes this morning and I've spent the rest of today musing what I could have done with the money...


Like buy this unique and sensuous modern Ripple bench by Toyo Ito from Generate.

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.

Perception is everything

Monster showers rule.


These imposing (the larger size is 2.4m or almost 8" tall) outdoor showers from Designerzeit are certainly stunning but they need an exceptional setting to show them to their best advantage. In the above shot, this one, appropriately called Wave, dwarfs the surrounding houses


while the beautiful modern, sculptural Ocean showers shown here (on a gorgeous platform deck) are jarringly juxtaposed with a traditional carriage post lamp and a couple of small terracotta planters.
Do you think they had a professional in to style the photo shoot?
via Trendir

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?

Guest Blogging

I'm being unfaithful to the Cool House today. I'll be over here at Create my Event and here at 2 Modern Design Talk. Come visit me and check out these wonderful sites. And find out what this photo has to do with it.

The Kitchen as Art

I a big fan of Leicht kitchens. I've had their catalogues for years. When we lived in Europe I lusted after one and I'd order one today if it were raining money. They're sleek, warm and generally not as expensive as other German and Italian kitchen manufactures.
But this Largo-FG Highline? What travesty of form over function is this?
Beautiful cabinetry, don't get me wrong, and I love the idea of a floating appliance wall but you see that box thing on the floor? Now imagine the scene: modernemama is carrying a large tray of dirty plates back to the kitchen after a fabulous meal. The guests are at the dining table waiting for their espressos and digestifs, when a crash resounds through the house. Guests rush into the kitchen to find modernemama out cold, surrounded by shards of broken glass and china (some of which have caused massive bleeding, possibly severed an artery) and the remains of the Pork Stroganoff with Three Mustards dripping from the walls and ceiling. All because she fell over that stupid piece of walnut "furniture art" in the foreground of the photo.
Beautiful? Yes. Practical? Not so much.

Eric Carle: author, designer, renovator

From The New York Times via apartment therapy, Eric Carle's gorgeously renovated modern beach house in the Florida Keys. Who knew the author of The Very Hungry Caterpillar was so multi-talented? I love the combination of the warm wood with the sleek concrete and steel. And, of course, the view.
My kind of Florida retreat.

Modern Gingerbread House

I swear if it didn't cost $78 I would so get one of these.
A modern. gingerbread. house. Who'd a thunk it?

A modern house makeover

A bout of fluey colds forced us to forgo our usual Friday evening cocktail and dinner and instead stay in to watch mindless TV. We didn't hold out much hope for entertainment but sometimes there are gems out there in Friday night TV land. Clinton Kelly the host of the US version of "What Not To Wear" was making over his house in the Connecticut hills.
A makeover show, decorating a house, critiquing someone else's taste - what's not to like? But wait it gets better - it's a modern house, better still a 1969 house with odd shaped rooms, wood ceilings and distinctive windows. It's like my house (although nowhere near as gorgeous of course).
The really great thing for me was that he used the elements that I've been toying with for the master bath: wood paneling around the tub; 24x17" tiles on the walls (that look remarkably like the Porcelanosa Ferroker tiles we used on the boys' bath floor) and mosaic on the shower floor, giving me an idea of the final look for our space without spending any money.
And we got to see someone else gagging in disbelief at the price of home renovation. Priceless. Watch the repaeat if you can, otherwise the Hartford Courant has photos and a Q&A session with Clinton.