Birthday, Secret, Painting

I have been patiently anticipating writing about this for a month now.

On February 10 I received an email from Jake Gorst announcing the opening of artist Jamie Geller Dutra's store on etsy. Jamie is Jake's mother and daughter of Shirley and Andrew Geller, architect of The Cool House. The email came fortuitously as I was looking for something arty and modern for "the guy's" birthday. I fell in love with original abstract painting in shades of green, bright blue, purple, red and gold, quickly purchased it and as soon as it was in my hands I dropped it off at the Framing Workshop in Huntington in the hope if getting it framed by this weekend.

The whole time I wanted to blog about how fabulous the painting was, how the colours would fit perfectly in our bedroom, especially how the abstract reminded me of lakes and mountains, shafts of sunshine and waterfalls, and I couldn't because I wanted it to be a big birthday surprise. I did blog about Jamie's site on 2modern design, but I couldn't add any personal elements in case the guy got wind of it. Very frustrating.

That I'm impatient is no secret but did you also know I am hopeless at fibbing and getting the painting home without the guy finding out would stretch my artifice to its limit? First I had to rope a neighbor into picking up the framed painting because it was too wide to fit in my car; this entailed many secret phone calls and emails and eventually a fictitious trip to look at furniture with said neighbor. The guy was suspicious, and very reluctant to leave the house at all yesterday (normally he's running errands all over the place on Saturdays) but the five inches of rain we had may have been responsible for that. Finally we went out to dinner and per the plan our neighbors snuck the painting into the garage while we were out, hiding it behind my car.


This morning I placed it in the kitchen and he was totally blown away by it. I picked a wood frame with a brushed stainless steel finish that picks up on the cool grey tones and an off-white matte that really defines the colours in the painting. We hung it over the sofa in our room and suddenly the guy understood why I made him rearrange the furniture in there last week. I told him it was so the room would appear larger (which it did) but really it was so the painting could be positioned on this wall and seen from the great room, back stairs and landing.


All this subterfuge was exhausting. I have only the greatest admiration for people who pull off surprise parties for family members, I don't know how they can get everyone to cooperate without letting the secret out. But all the drama was worth it when I saw the wonderful work of art as I walked up the back stairs and the look on the guy's face when he opened his present this morning.

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.

Casulty of winter?

Checking the yard yesterday I made an upsetting discovery. One of the pretty azaleas had snapped of at the base and was lying on the ground. What made it worse is that the leaves were just starting to uncurl, a sure sign of the approaching spring.I'm not sure if it succumbed to a overload of wet snow from the previous week's downfall, a falling tree branch knocked it off or a cat jumped off the fence and landed on it.


This would be the cat most likely to do the damage. Look at the way he is eyeing the azalea. And, sob, look at how beautifully it blossomed last year.


There is nothing left but the stump, so I picked up the branch and buried the broken off part in a pot outside the back door. I don't expect it to magically blossom but at least it doesn't look so forlorn.

One small village, one big price difference

Two houses went on the market yesterday: one to the left us and one to the right. The first is a 1955 farm ranch that looks, apart from the new (2007) roof, as if it hasn't been touched since it was built in 1955. The second was the gardener's cottage to the Ferguson Estate and was completely redone and extended vertically in 2006. It's asking price of $1,750,000 reflects all the work that has been undertaken to turn the former cottage into an Italian-inspired villa. Even so it only has has three bedrooms, which may put off a lot of potential buyers and this house is situated right on the edge of the property line, backing up to a steep hill. You are literally 3' away from the road, so imagine the potential noise of trucks and schools buses making the incline all day long.
The price of the fixer-upper (that's Great Opportunity! in realtor-speak) is $799,000. Almost a million less than the renovated home. You do get a full, flat acre and 5 bedrooms but farm ranches aren't a popular style these days. My best guess is that this would be the value of the land only, and we're looking at another teardown. And at that price, in this village, it's a bargain.

File it under lust, baby

Looking through some inspiring photos on the internets today I came across the Legna Lightbox 2 from Jef Designs. This digital painting is illuminated by three fluorescent tubes creating a soft, back-lit work of art.
I want something like this to replace the Artimide Logico light on the landing. I'm not sure that the Legna lightbox would provide enough light along the corridor but it's certainly the right size (20h x 30l x 3.5d) and has the wood effect in it that we just can't get enough of in the Cool House. Can you image how striking it would look there? As it costs $1500 and our lighting budget right now stands at $0 or less I won't be able to find out if it would be as stunning on our wall. I'll just have to worship it from afar.

Beach Stones

We walked on the beach early this morning, in celebration of temperatures in the fifties. The tide was low and calm and the water crystal clear. I took this photo on the edge of the Sound with all the tiny stones and shells glistening through the water in the morning sun. It reminded me that Spring is almost here.

Living with a blogger

Saturday morning, the guy (formerly known as Steven, but a recent conversation with a friend reminded me that her three year old daughter knew the names of everyone around her except for Steven who she referred to as "the guy") who had been away for a week, came into the kitchen looking puzzled.
"Can I ask you something?"
"What?"
"That sculpture in the great room. Did we always have that?"
"Why?"
"Well, I don't remember it but I read your blog while I was away and there was a photo of it but you didn't mention it in the post."
"So you thought....?"
"I thought I was losing my memory, because if you'd bought it you would have blogged it."


The philosophical question is: if it isn't blogged, does it really exist?

Geodesic Dome House

At the corner of two perfectly ordinary suburban streets in Eaton's Neck, Long Island between the ubiquitous ranches and two-storey homes is this geodesic house. We were taking advantage of a really beautiful day to drive out and revisit some of the properties we had seen when we were looking to buy The Coo; House four years ago. Turning down one residential street we were confronted by the dome house. It fits so well into the neighborhood that we'd actually driven past it in the other direction and not even noticed it.
The striking thing about this home, apart from the design of course, is that it is so well maintained. It looks very similar to the Fuller Dome Home in Carbondale, IL, the residence of Bucky Fuller, the architect and inventor who poularised geodesic domes, and his wife Anne. That dome is currently undergoing a major preservation effort.
Although the high point of their popularity was the 1960s and 70s, residential domes are still being made today and, as this GeoSphere video shows, are relatively simple to construct. What may be more challenging is outfitting them to meet the various state and town building codes. But given their energy-efficiency and relatively low build-cost, maybe it's time for a resurgence of this distinctive building model.

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?

Moving Day

m is for? moving? modern? modernemama?

New header, new favicon. Something's afoot. I'm changing things around, mixing it up a little to reflect that things are feeling different now at the Cool House. There's less emphasis on the day to day drama of renovation largely because the house is now waterproof and four of the bathrooms are fully operational again. We still have a couple of big (read expensive) projects to do but they aren't "do it now or the house will fall down" things. There's still plenty of little chores, too, but they are more maintenance than updating.

Recently there have been more posts about decor than dealing with rot, more about shopping than stripping walls. So, as we're busy adding art and sculpture that reflects our taste and the sensibility of the house, I decided to give the old blog a makeover.

Some people may have already noticed that they've been redirected to a new address. Update your bookmarks, I'm now at modernemama.com. But don't worry, you will be redirected and everything will still be in it's old place on the page; at least until I get my act together and finish arranging everything fabulously at the new place. Until then be content with the new banner, the favicon and the tag-line: The Cool House, uniquely modern.

Celebrate Years of Modernism this Leap Year

Just a reminder that tomorrow, February 29, is a very special day; it only comes around once every four years and you can celebrate it by joining DWR Roslyn in tracing modernism on Long Island with a screening of the film "History Along the Turnpike: Levittown," by Richard Altamonte.
Levittown is known as the first modern suburb in America, producing some iconic architecture during its explosion of mid-century, postwar construction.
You won't want to miss the drawing for an iconic George Nelson Clock and a copy of Nelson's book, "How to See."
The film screening lasts 25 minutes and will begin promptly at 7pm and the invitation promises wine, cheese and lively conversation.

Leap into modern Long Island
Friday, February 29, 5–8 pm

DWR Roslyn Studio
1085 Northern Blvd
Roslyn, NY 11576
Phone: 516.365.3158

Directions: to DWR showroom here

Successful shopping

I went shopping yesterday and picked up two bunches of pussy willows for $2.99 each. Very springlike.
I also got the toy-loving dog a "bearman" to replace the last one that is somewhere in the yard buried under a mound of snow, or leaves, or mud.



This 'bear man' will be named 'bear bear' because he looks like a grizzly. Polly loves a good squeaky toy and I like to name things appropriately.

Bliiiing

From the "you can never have too much bling in your bathroom" department, the Italian firm Teknobili brings you the Oz collection. In collaboration with goldsmith Alberto Cotogno, designer Nilo Gioacchini has produced a solid gold faucet with 282 diamonds, total carats: 10.24.
A gold diamond-encrusted bidet faucet. I want to know how you keep that thing clean. I guess if you're asking that question, bling in the bath is not for you. Oh, and if you have to ask the price................
via Trendir

Earthquake, what earthquake?

This is one way to make sure you wake right up. I opened my email this morning at 7 AM and received this from Steven who's in London, England on business:
"I suspect by the time you read this that the earthquake I felt last night will be old news".
Good thing I had a cup of coffee in my hand.
A quick surf to good old BBC news got me the information because I hadn't heard a thing. I'd been up at 4 with the cats and put on the BBC world service to send me back to sleep and they didn't mention it, (although I do know the value of the dollar against the euro and pound, so don't spend anything over there, darling) and I woke up to NPR and there was nothing other than the Democratic debate and sub-prime crisis on that station this morning.
It wasn't a particularly large earthquake and the Brits reacted with the typical stiff upper lip. One senior citizen was quoted by the BBC: "When we found out we both said well, that's another thing we've lived through."

Help my houseplants

Have you ever seen anything more pathetic? These brown and shriveled plants aren't dead yet. In fact they've been hanging on in this state for quite some time. The one in the middle I bought as a huge healthy mother-in-law's tongue from Wholefoods in 2002. I chose it because nothing was supposed to kill them. Well, maybe not but I've managed to do it some serious damage. It's about an eighth the size it used to be and decidedly unhappy. The other two plants I inherited with the house. The Anthurium used to have big white waxy flowers, now it barely has leaves. And the 8' tall plant? I have no idea what it is but the broom handle I tied it to to stop it toppling over only adds to the element of desperation. I feel really bad about these two because I promised the previous home owner I'd take care of them.
I moved them so they'd get more light and put them all together so they could lean on each other for emotional support. But what else should I do?


Just so you don't think I have the gardening thumb of death, take a look at the Devils' Ivy in the dining room. Just running away with itself.



And then there's this beautiful orchid. Maybe I haven't had this one long enough to do major damage? I don't have seem to have problems with outdoor plants, so what can it be? Advice please.

Drip, drip

It's almost Spring and we are thawing out here. I can hear the drip, drip, drip of melting ice. But wait. Isn't that dripping sound awfully clear? Much closer than I'd imagine. Drip, dRIP, DRIP. Getting warmer now. There it is, under the kitchen sink. The hot water hose to the spray faucet is dripping.
I think we've found the answer to what's been puzzling us for many, many months.
Of course, now I have to fix it.............

Things that go bump in the night

Last night we were fast asleep when Steven shook me and asked "Did you hear that?" "What?" Actually I was really asleep so it was probably more like "Whaa...zzz." "Those two thuds".
I hadn't heard anything and I wasn't about to wake up properly, thrown on clothes, go downstairs, find the source of the thuds, deal with potential burglars or any other catastrophe. So I let the man deal with it and went back to sleep.
A little while later (I have no idea how long, I was asleep), I was shaken awake again by the returning hero. "I found it" "Hmmm?" "The problem" "Hmmm" "Don't you want to know what it was?"
I knew I wasn't going to get back to sleep until he had told the whole story. And here, for your edification, is the tale of things that go bump in the night.
I made chicken and dumplings yesterday (new recipe that replaces the butter or suet with sour cream) but the dishwasher was full so we stacked the dirty plates on the countertop. The thuds were the two plates hitting the kitchen floor. Luckily the plates were 1970s Royal Doulton Marbella stoneware and the floor is vinyl, so they are intact. If we'd had ceramic tiles they would have shattered, and we've lost quite a few china plates on the vinyl over the years.
How had the plates ended up on the floor? Steven says they had been licked clean so I can only surmise that one or more of these felines was the culprit. They were found huddled under the kitchen table doing their best to look innocent.
The question is: How can we identify the guilty party(ies)?


This one is good at catching water. Would his paw skills be equal to the task?


This one had a definite guilty air about her.


And this one looks as if he's already in gaol. That's where all three are headed if they don't cut out the nocturnal shenanigans.


One thing we can be sure about is that this cat is innocent. That's because he thinks he's a dog and he was with his doggy buddies far from the scene of the crime.
The other thing is that once Steven had reported his tale of valiant endeavours to me he fell straight back to sleep while I tossed and turned for a couple of hours. Quelle surprise!

Cake or death?

Guess what we will be doing this evening?
We have tickets to see Eddie Izzard at the Union Square Theatre in NYC. One little "oops" moment. I booked the tickets and didn't check the time of the performance. It starts at 10:30 pm. Since the bout of bugness we've haven't made it past the 10 o'clock news, so this should be an interesting experience. Hopefully the raucous laughter will keep us awake. What? You didn't think that was funny? Then check out this one



You liked it? He'll be gigging until March 8th..
The question is, should we complete the unique Britishness of the experience by eating fish & chips at A Salt & Battery first?

Snow Day Baking

What can you do when the snow is thickly falling outside? You could spend a few hours reading your favorite blogs, catching up on the laundry or cleaning the house. Or you could invite the neighbors over for spaghetti supper and spend the afternoon making Buffalo Bolognese, Tuscan bread and Lemon and Almond biscotti.


Ingredients
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar + 1 tablespoon to finish
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs + 1 egg white to glaze
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped almonds


Method
Cream the butter and cup of sugar. Add the salt, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and whole eggs, beating well after each addition. Gradually stir in flour and almonds. Finish the mixing by hand and shape into 2 12"x6" rectangles.
Place these on a baking sheet 4" apart. Whisk the egg white until foamy and brush over the tops. Sprinkle the tablespoon of sugar over the dough and bake in a pre-heated 375F oven for 20-25 minutes. Remove and let cool on the tray for 1 hour. Then slice on the diagonal into 1/2" slices. Lower the oven temperature to 325F and bake for a further 10 minutes or so until drip and crisp.


Serve with espresso, or fruit salad with whipped cream. Or if your guests can't wait for the Fettucine to cook, they make an acceptable hors d'oeuvre!

Snow Gray?

No, he didn't go white overnight. That's simply a couple of inches of snow he gained on his head while walking the puppies to the beach and back.


Even Polly has a salt and pepper look. We're at 6" of white stuff, and counting.

Snow Day

The first proper snow of 2008. It's the right kind of snow, too: persistent, soft, large flakes; it looks like a fluffy, white blanket.

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.