Two White Tulips

Leap into modern Long Island

On Leap Day, February 29 2008, Design Within Reach, Roslyn, Long Island will be offering a taste of modernism with the screening of Robert Altamonte's film “History Along the Turnpike: Levittown”.
There will also be an opportunity to win a George Nelson clock and a copy of Nelson’s book, “How to See.” Oh, and wine and cheese, too. It sounds like a must-do for lovers of mid-century modernism.
Contact DWR for more details.

No eBay, but some Ikea

To ease the pain of the eBay boycott I made another purchase at Ikea instead. A pink Stockholm throw to cover the scratch marks on the Harvey Probber sofa in the Great Room.


It's mostly mohair and extremely soft, which unfortunately, makes it irresistble to the cats. At least it cost a reasonable $29.99 rather than the $100+ that these things can sell for, so if it gets ruined I won't be too upset with them.

It's tropical

Inside the Cool House, that is. I'm sitting here in my bikini, sipping on a cocktail, skin glowing from the heat of the sun's rays. The strange thing is that outside it's a very chilly 38 F.
We knew there was a problem at 4:00 AM when we awoke to Hermes coughing up a hairball and found the temperature difference between our bedroom and downstairs was at least 10 degrees. Turning down the thermostat was no help, so we switched off the heat to the first floor. Gradually the temperature fell but it's still jolly pleasant here.
I don't know how much extra fuel oil we have used but I guess it was cheaper than a Caribbean vacation? And I jest about the cocktails. 4:00 Am was a little early to start drinking, even for me.

Willow

Willow in blossom. It's almost Spring.

A little restoration

I have been meaning to try to restore this table for, oh, as long as I can remember. It used to be the telephone table in my parents' house and I inherited it on the promise that I would bring the lustre back to the wood and replace the leather insert.


Apart from an occasional wipe over with Pledge I didn't do anything to this table because I was worried I would do more harm than good. Then I heard about Restore-A-Finish. Instead of stripping the table I could blend out the scratches and water marks while bringing back the color, restoring it without damaging the existing finish.


I lightly sanded the worst blemishes and applied the Restore-A-Finish with a white stain pad. It took no time at all. Then I wiped off the excess. The legs look a lot better. They're not perfect but they've been splashed with floor cleaner many times in the past so I don't know if they would ever be perfect.


The top is amazing. All the rings disappeared along with the scratches. What is left are the ink marks. These were caused by me doing my homework at the desk and filling my fountain pen (yes we had to use fountain pens in European schools, still do, in fact) there, against the express instructions of my mother. I guess that will be a permanent reminder of childhood.
All in all I'm happy with my attempt at preserving the table. It cost less tha $20 and I probably have enough Restore-A-Finish to go over all the wood trim in the house. I have yet to do anything about replacing the leather top, though.

Going Modern

Shiro Kuramata, 49 Drawers (1970), Museum of Modert Art, NYC.
We renewed our subscription to MoMA and as no-one has to work today we popped in to the city to see the Lucian Freud exhibit. Just the two of us and twenty million other people who wanted to see modern art on a warm wet Monday morning. It's really not possible to enjoy looking at anything with these crowds so we cut our losses and joined friends for a long (4 hour) leisurely lunch at The Modern.
The $55 pre-fixe was possibly the best meal we have had in NYC since we ate there back in 2005. Light and velvety lentil broth with foie gras flan, garlicky carpaccio of sea bass, crispy trout and the tart apple and pear dessert were the stand-outs. The service was impeccable and the amuse bouche and complimentary petits fours were greatly appreciated. My only tiny quibble is that MoMA offers a 10% discount to members dining in their other restaurants but apparently not in The Modern. Still, I can't think of a better way to spend President's Day. It sure beats shopping my way to poverty.

Fruitbowls: for rich and poor

Stainless steel fruit bowls to be exact.
I've been hankering for one for a while now but I'm not sure it would look right in my kitchen.


The NY Times featured this beauty from Ligne Roset. The Eplaff, in lacquered stainless steel, measures 23"in diameter and sells for a whopping $265.


For a whole lot less money, $29.99 to be exact, Ikea has Stockholm, a stainless steel bowl with a less gimmicky flower pattern. It's slightly smaller at 16.5 ", but that may fit better on the average person's sideboard. Not to mention their wallet.

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.

Insporn: It inspires shameless longing.

Inspiration for master bath remodel, The sleek white look.


Inspiration for master bathroom shower. The sophisticated version. Via mtiwhirlpool


Tokyo hotel inspiration: everything just where you need it.

Taking Out the Trash: Finally

The last brick from the old barbecue we dismantled back in the summer. We saved the good ones in case we need another patio or path somewhere on the property. But we still had three large trash bags full of bits of bricks to get rid of. We reckoned if we put three half bricks into every sack of garbage we should have them gone by Labor Day. Hmm, that would require us to actually remember the plan, and act upon it.
Today, only five months behind schedule, Steven ceremoniously put out the last piece of brick and I recorded the moment for posterity.

My newest guilty obsession

Just to tide me over the ebay boycott next week I have been wasting many hours researching the wonderful decorative items for sale on Etsy.
I found this really cute glass dish from deSignSSglaSS. I'm going to use as a soap-dish in the girls' bath. The size is just right and it has a nice modern feel, plus it's unique. The weird thing is that the stripes are more sage green than pewter in real life.
Funny how the camera lies isn't it?

Valentine's Day: The modernemama Edition

Those who know me are aware that I came without the Romantic Gene. It was just a programming error, it really doesn't affect my life for 364 days a year. But on Valentine's Day I'm supposed to make an effort to be all cutesy hearts and flowers. It's tough, it's not me at all.
Then I found the perfect card for my Valentine.
Enjoy.

Valentine's Day: The British Edition

For all those homesick Brits, here's one more thing to crave on Valentine's Day.


Champagne with the black stuff? Mmmm.
Last year it was Guinness for St. Patrick's Day. I wonder what they have in store for 2009?
via Trendhunter.

An environmental dilemma

Redwood trees versus solar panels: Which is the more environmentally-friendly?
I caught this cautionary tale and moral dilemma about a neighbor dispute and a supposedly "green" law in California on story on NPR's Morning Edition. Listen to the podcast here.


I have a gut reaction to this. I'm on the side of the trees. Perhaps I'm biased, after all my house has redwood siding, a redwood ceiling and landing and this wood is now protected. I really appreciate the beauty and strength of the sequoia, all the more so because it's really difficult to get any if we have a siding disaster at any time.
Trees are inherently more eco-friendly than solar panels. They are, after all, living things not "public nuisance hazards". Imagine the global warming effect if every person with solar panels on their roof decided to use this law to force their neighbor to remove their trees. If we chop down all the trees to allow more sun to reach the solar panels we choke and die on the smog they absorb for us. Then there's the useful shade they provide, the habitat for birds and animals and the seeds...
Dr Seuss said it best
I'm the Lorax who speaks for the trees
which you seem to be chopping as fast as you please.
But I'm also in charge of the Brown Bar-ba-loots
who played in the shade in their Bar-ba-loot suits
and happily lived, eating Truffula Fruits.
NOW...thanks to your hacking my trees to the ground,
there's not enough Truffula Fruit to go 'round.

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.

40th House Anniversary

It didn't hit me until I opened the New York magazine this morning but our house will be 40 in June. At least the blueprints that Andrew Geller drew up are dated June 1968. This is so exciting. We have to celebrate!
Any cool, swinging-sixties ideas how?

A Welcome Intervention

Just as I was thinking I needed an intervention to control my ebay addiction I find out we have to boycott ebay for a week starting Monday February 18. It's just the break I need to kick the habit. Unfortunately it still means there are six more bidding days to go and at this rate I'm going to be in serious trouble by then.

Orange Slice Chair update

Update to the post on the Pierre Paulin Orange Slice chair. The auction was Sunday and the chair and ottoman fetched $3000. It went to a floor bidder so I guess no one bid on it as a gift for me. Sob.

I'm A Star

At last official recognition of my Star Status.
I'm touched and humbled by this honour. I'd like to thank first the eBay sellers who put up for auction the mid-century furniture and art I cannot live without. And eBay itself for making it so easy for me to bid. But most of all I'd like to thank my husband, Steven for supporting me in my quest to shop so much on eBay that I received this award. The months of penury will now all be worthwhile, darling.
Thank you, thank you all.

Valentine's Day: The "weekender" edition

I would like to thank our neighbors for a fun-filled Saturday evening of great food and wine but especially for the Valentine's related topics of conversation ranging from serial engagements to love handles (both on the body and the handles in the shape of hearts on the Valentine's mugs, which I named "love handles") and from fig leaves to E.D. and what to do if you are afflicted by a four-hour erection resulting from an overdose of Cialis. Would a dip in a neighbor's icy-cold pool take the ahem edge off, so to speak? I haven't laughed so much since 2007.
I was suffering from verbal diarrhoea, the result, I think, of not being able to speak for the last couple of weeks and a couple of glasses of red wine, which always loosens my tongue. It was so bad that even when we went to bed I kept waking up every couple of hours and I WAS STILL TALKING. I seemed to have got it out of my system now, though.
So once again, thanks both for the wonderful hospitality and for the opportunity to mention erectile dysfunction on my blog.

Dressing made easy

Ever since we moved in I've had difficulty getting dressed. No, not with the buttons or zippers, it's colours that have been the problem. I can't tell you the number of times I've left the house thinking I was dressed head to toe in basic Soho black and found out I had on a brown shirt, black trousers and navy boots. While Stacey and Clinton may tell you navy and brown are neutrals and you can wear any neutral with anything else, this is a BIG FAT LIE. You just look like you have no sense of style, or you got dressed in the dark. Which is pretty much what I've been doing since June 2004.
I'm feeling much better after the recent bout of sickness. And a little restless (nothing done on our 2008 House Resolution List) so I went to Ikea to get a $5 lampshade to go on the recent ebay purchase. $5 I figured wouldn't break the bank and it would only take me 5 minutes as I knew exactly what wanted. Ha, I was cursed by the Ikea fairy as I walked in the door. Actually not fairies but two "greeters" a la Walmart. Normally this would scare me but they weren't too cheery, and were quite young and fit and while I was wondering when Ikea Long Island started to employ people to smile at you as you entered, in fact when they started to have enough employees they could afford to station two at the entrance, and whether they were expecting a riot? Or someone taking up residence in the store without permission, that I was unexpectedly pulled deeper into the lighting department by some really bright halogen ceiling lights.
Really bright lights that would fit in our master closet. So that I could see what I was pulling on in the morning. So I wouldn't leave the house looking like I didn't care what I looked like. And they were only $35 each. I bought two.


It took Steven 30 seconds to take down the old lights and put one of the new ones up. They've changed the fittings on the Ikea ceiling lights and they are a joy to fix. Could have done it myself it was so easy. No fiddling twisting wires together - it's a push/pull system. All lights should be this easy. Then it took an hour to fix the second one because the electrical box is buried in the ceiling and we had to devise a system of spacers and screws to get it to the correct depth (thank you original electrician, I wish only good things for you) but I wasn't about to give up on this.


Eventually though we made it work and turned the lights on. Oh my god! So this is what my clothes look like. I had no idea.


I was so impressed that I will be going back to Ikea next week to get another fixture to go in the laundry room. So I can see if the clothes coming out of the washing room really are clean.


Oh, yes, the lampshade I went to Ikea to get. That fitted, too.

Chair Lust

I love Pierre Paulin's designs. There was a pink Pierre Paulin Ribbon chair in the great room when we viewed this house and I fell in love. Even though they cost over $5000 and the pink color is no longer available I lusted after that chair. I still hope one day when we are rich I'll be able to own one, maybe in a cranberry colour.
Yesterday I found this chair and ottoman on the live auction part of eBay. It's an Orange Slice chair by Paulin and I am lusting so badly after it. Wouldn't it go beautifully in the master bedroom? It's starting at $1000, cheaper than the $5000 for the Ribbon chair but still way out of my prce range. Unless someone wants to bid on it for me (don't forget the 22.5% buyer's premium and shipping charges if you do) it's destined to go to another admirer.
If you are into mid-century chairs LA Modern Auctions has another 140 beautiful original designs for sale. They're all in the $500-$3000 starting price range. But hey, looking is free!

Leisurama Wine Event

Mid-century architecture and wine. Two of my favorite things. And they've thrown in cheese. Another fave. Then there's a personal house connection - the architect of the Leisurama homes was Andrew Geller, who designed our house. Plus I've been desperate to see the film since I first heard about it. It sounds like pretty much everything I want from an evening's entertainment. And of course I can't go.
I could go if I was sure I wouldn't cough all the way through it but I've attended enough concerts, plays and speeches to know how super freakin' annoying it is when someone starts hacking and how much I've longed to pelt them with Halls Mentholated Cough Drops when they JUST WON"T STOP.
So this is payback for my years of intolerance. Karma caught up with me. I guess I'll have to catch it when it airs on PBS, just like everyone else. Sob, cough, snivel.

Lovely Lulworth

We changed the fitting on the lamp I got on ebay so it could take the spider fitting on the Mibo Lulworth shade but I think it's not quite right. While I love the drum shape and the pattern, the shade really needs to be an inch or two lower at the bottom to cover the fitting. Rats. There's nothing I can do about it until I feel strong enough to tackle the shade shops out in the real world.


On the plus side, though, the 75 watt CFC light bulb provides enough light to illuminate the whole of that side of the kitchen so we no longer have to switch on the five floodlights in the ceiling. Think of the money we must be saving. Each of those spots is between 60 and 100 watts. Ka-ching. And one measly little energy-saving bulb lights it better (light shines out the top and bottom of the shade) and doesn't scorch the top of your head either. Who knows, maybe we'll save enough to be able to buy a Mibo lamp base for the Lulworth shade?

Lingering sickness + no energy = postlessness

The view from my sick bed where I crawled last Tuesday: redwood ceiling and oak beams. I never tire of admiring its beauty but a week of looking at little else is beginning to pall. I must be feeling better. Hopefully we'll be back to more fascinating posts soon.

Still sick but at least we haven't lost our appetites

We're still too sick to do anything productive like go out for cocktails but at least I can still cook.


What's in the huge size 28 Le Creuset casserole I inherited?


Buffalo chili, lots of buffalo chili. Enough to feed 2 people twice a day for five days.


Fresh out of the oven a loaf of No-time bread


Unfortunately it looks like this bread isn't going to last a day, let alone five. It is seriously good, requires only an hour once you've collected the ingredients from the pantry to slicing it and smearing it butter and it smells like heaven. At least I think it does. I lost my sense of smell sometime around January 3 with the first cold and it hasn't returned yet.
The basic recipe was so good last time that I got creative and made a *Tuscan inspired version


*No-Time Bread (standard recipe)
1 loaf

4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast (two packets)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 cups water
3 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

In the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer put the yeast, sugar, and water and let it sit.

Heat the oven to 450°F. Put a Dutch oven in to warm as the oven heats. Get out your flour, salt, vinegar, spray oil, and anything else you need.

Now that the yeast has had a few minutes to bubble up, add 3 cups of the flour as well as the salt and vinegar and beat for several minutes with the paddle. Add the last 1/2 cup of flour and switch to the dough hook and beat for seven minutes. Alternately, knead vigorously for five minutes, or until the dough becomes extremely elastic. This will still be a wet dough, but not goopy. The dough will clear the sides of the bowl but still stick to the bottom

Oil a microwave-safe bowl and transfer the bread dough to it, rolling it in the oil. Cover the bowl with a very wet towel. Cover the whole thing with a dry towel and put in the microwave for 25 seconds.

Tuscan Loaf
To the dry ingredients I added:
I tablespoon chopped rosemary
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
To the water and balsamic I added:
2 tablespoons olive oil

Recipe via thekitchn.com

Closet Envy

Writing the post or the definition of a bedroom got me searching for closet doors, wardrobes and other stylish places to hang one's clothes.


First there was this beauty, from Spaceslide via wikipedia.


This Shoji screen inspired wardobe from Yarra Valley.


Traditional painted wardrobes from Joshua Jones.


And finally this lightbox wardrobe from architect Pierce Tynan.
Unfortunately, the first three are all UK designs and Pierce Tynan is from Dublin, Ireland. Isn't that just the way things go?

What makes a bedroom?

Another bout of snivelling colds and hacking coughs has us torturing ourselves watching reality shows and HGTV. It's about all our feeble brains and even feebler bodies can cope with. We expect nothing from this TV except entertainment but occasionally we come away with a piece of knowledge that we would be unlikely to glean anywhere else.
Watching HGTV's "My House Worth What?" over the weekend we heard a realtor say that in America the legal definition of a bedroom is a room that contains a built-in closet! We were pretty much astounded by this because we'd always assumed that a bedroom is any room used for sleeping. It also means that of the many houses I have lived in, only four had bedrooms. The majority were either too old to have built-in closets or were in countries where this was not an issue. We just purchased wardrobes or armoires to hang our clothes in and put these in our "bedrooms". We knew no better.
So I checked the internets for an online definition. Three online dictionaries described it as a room containing a bed, while another gave this definition that is at once vague and overly precise. "Any habitable room that can be used for sleeping. This typically includes, but is not limited to, a room with a proper escape window and one in which there is a closet or a door OR a closet or a door could be reasonably installed. ...". I don't understand why it would be either a closet or a door or the possibility of either that defines a room but I know if I had to choose between the two I'd go for a door every time. Because otherwise it's a box that I can't get out of, no?
Of course I couldn't leave it there. I had to know - what makes a bedroom, and I found another definition in the San Matteo, California town code "an enclosed habitable space" that is designed primarily for sleeping and contains at least one window. State building codes require that a bedroom must be a minimum of 70 square feet.
It's all very confusing but I know one thing: Most of the built-in closets I've seen have the ugliest doors* and I'd rather have a sleek modern PAX wardrobe from IKEA or a beautiful old armoire any day.

* If all closet doors looked like this I'd take that back!

Amazon's Next Breakthrough Author*

*Susan Beale, this could be YOU!
A friend has made it to the semi-finals of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. Chapeau! It's so exciting to know an almost published author.
There's an excerpt from her novel Tracings on the Amazon Digital Download page, so go over and check it out. You can even review it too. But do it before March 2nd, that's when this part of the competition will be over and the finalists will be chosen. Enjoy!

Food for a cold day

Is there anything better when the temperature is below freezing than homemade salsa soup*


A loaf of bread direct from the oven


And a hunk of Iberian cheese with red pepper?


Oh yes, it's that glass of Cabernet that adds the appropriate warmth to the lunch.

*Salsa Soup
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 chopped onion
* 2 chopped carrots
* 2 chopped sticks celery
* 1 tablespoon minced garlic
* 1 teaspoon salt and fresh pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
* 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
* carton vegetable or chicken stock
* 1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes
* 1 15-oz. can cannellini beans
* 2 tablespoons salsa

Sweat onions, garlic, carrots and celery in olive oil for 5 mins. Add beans, tomatoes, stock, red pepper flakes and oregano. Season. Cook 45 mins - 1 hour. Stir in salsa. Serve.

O eBay, how I do love you

I have a confession. I hate antiques. Or rather I hate "antiquing". All the rummaging through musty, dusty old furniture in the hope of uncovering a treasure gives me the heeby-jeebies. That's why I love eBay. I can spend hours looking for the right piece of furniture that I want need to decorate my house. Because it's all pre-sorted. Just for me.
Which leads me to a little problem. It's so easy to persuade myself that I need a particular item, and just as easy to bid on it, that before I know it I have severely depleted the master bath budget that I promised I would stick to so we can shower in there this year.


Despite the projected weaker eBay profits for 2008 I don't see any downturn in spending in this house.