mies and carrots.

Project Update: Master Bedroom Refresh

2008-12-20T17:51:00.000-08:00

When we moved into the house, we had purged most all of our bedroom furniture, except for the SO's heirloom dresser. For the past handful of months, we've been furnishing our bedroom and have had a ton of fun doing it. I wouldn't say it is finished, but the bulk of it is done.

We wanted a serene bedroom that was restful and we both love blues and greens, so we went with it.

We started with a new ceiling fan from the Modern Fan Company, then added the Tate bed from Crate & Barrel in a custom woven fabric.

I found the Paul McCobb night stands from an L.A. dealer, and the rug is toy poodle from Flor. The lamps are from Crate & Barrel and the white vinyl-covered square Paul McCobb stool was an eBay find.

It still needs a few pieces of flair, however. Maybe a subtle graphic treatment on the wall behind the bed?

Project Update: Trough Pond A Go-Go

2008-09-27T13:54:00.000-07:00

The pond is alive!

Austin Outdoor Studio sealed it a few days ago, and after letting the seal cure for 48 hours, we filled it with water. No leakage, much to my relief.

We've added a hardy water lily and some blue flag irises, along with some snails. The lilies are still under the water, stretching to reach the surface, and will show themselves in a day or two. Fish will have to wait about two weeks for the water to temper itself and some beneficial bacteria to build up in the pond and filter.

Voila!

Cool Art: Jill Rosenwald

2008-09-21T10:48:00.001-07:00

If you've read the blog for any length of time, you know that I'm a ceramics and pottery addict. And you can probably do the math.

etsy + me = big problem.

Jill Rosenwald has some really nice pieces on Etsy.

Modern and delicate, with a beautiful muted pallette.

I want.

Project Update: Pond Landing.

2008-09-20T15:53:00.000-07:00

A monolithic black steel pond appeared in our courtyard this past week. It is all done except being sealed.

Austin Outdoor Studio is doing it, and it will be another week before it is ready to be filled. We already have some plants and a large batch of Chinese snails waiting in our front door pot pond.

I can't wait to see it full of water, with plants and a fountain.

The fountain itself will be nothing but a short, bubbling jet. Water movement is healthy for the pond and the sound is nice, but we are not fans of high-drama water features.

We are really happy with how it is turning out.

Project Update: More Landscaping

2008-09-07T07:59:00.000-07:00

A few updated photos of the backyard transformation.

Jonathan from Austin Outdoor Studio installed our tree well and metal edging, seen above. He did a great job. And, we added a couple of pavers. They're rather heavy.

Below you can see how nice the metal tree well looks. It'll look even better with a little rust on it.

Coming up: Jonathan installs a metal fountain/pond. Stay tuned.

Landscaping Continues on and on.

2008-09-02T16:01:00.000-07:00

Once you start landscaping, it is difficult to find a stopping place. So, we're poor.

When we moved in, we a modern wall/fence combo designed and installed by Mark Word, and that was our big investment in major home improvements for a while.

After a break, we're back in the landscaping saddle and writing so many checks we're getting wrist aches. And headaches.

But it is looking great. The low retaining wall and dirt work was done by Jose from J.C. Masonry here in Austin. He had done a few friends' work, they recommended him, and he was great. He followed up every morning until I was happy and the job was done. He doesn't have a website or I'd link you there.

We installed the pavers ourselves. It was a major job and frankly, I intend to live out my days without doing that again. But we love the way it looks a bit garden-y and modern at the same time.

The rock tree well is temporary. A reader recommended Jonathan from Austin Outdoor Studio for metal work, and he's installing an iron landscape strip and a nice iron tree well on Thursday. (Thanks, Ryan!)

Jonathan will be building us a square iron pond as well, which will be installed in a couple of weeks.

More updates to come...

Concrete Conundrum.

2008-08-29T17:52:00.000-07:00

We've been landscaping.

What looked like this:

Now looks like this:

On the upper area where there is currently sand, we want to do something like this:

Big, simple plain slabs of concrete...even bigger than above, with gravel and plants between them. (and more plants than above) The sand is already in place for pouring it.

We can't seem to find anyone that could do a small concrete job like this, and do it well.

Any suggestions?

Cool Art: Heather Knight Ceramics

2008-08-10T09:15:00.000-07:00

Up until recently, I haven't really been a big Etsy freak. I think it is the site navigation that somehow turns me off. But recently, I stumbled upon the work of Heather Knight at elementclaystudio, and I've been a bit obsessed.

Her work, in mostly unglazed porcelain, pretty much rocks my world. I love the wild, weird, organic shapes and simple (or nonexistent) palette.

I've trolled her site for a month or more now. Today, I woke up, poured some coffee, and bit. The large urchin bowl to be exact. At $65 for handmade porcelain that clearly took hours to build, it is a steal.

It was a hard decision because I am also really loving the fungi micro-sculpture. I may indulge in it yet.

Modern Metal Ponds

2008-07-20T17:32:00.000-07:00

I'm on the lookout. I can't seem to find a local source for a metal garden pond, similar to these.

Ideally, it would be black or cor-ten steel. And of course it would need to be water-tight.

And I don't want a galvanized farm trough. Pointers, anyone?

Inspiring Houses: Dairy House

2008-07-19T16:54:00.000-07:00

Check out the Dairy House by Charlotte Skene-Catling, which is a modern conversion of an early-20th century dairy in Somerset, England. In my opinion, nothing short of brilliant. And very inspiring.

Obsessions: Dishware

2008-01-19T07:59:00.003-08:00

I got dish issues. I think I'm an addict.

For several years I've collected Russel Wright pottery, particularly the Iroquois line. In fact, I've blogged about Wright twice before. Here, and here.

I've dabbled a bit in his American Modern and have a couple of pieces of his coveted art pottery from Bauer, but the Iroquois is so durable that we can eat off of it every day, so I'm able to justify my growing (and growing, and growing) collection.

I'm proud (and fairly ashamed) to say that I have enough Iroquois dishes to serve an intimate dinner for 80. The stuff is scattered all over the house and shoved in cabinets wherever it will fit.

And hey, at least I'm spending money on something tangible that will increase in value, right?

Right?

Until I add another dish obsession to the mix.

I was on eBay not long ago and ran across a live auction of these babies:

They were manufactured by Metlox Poppytrail and were dubbed the 'California Aztec' line.

I loved them and I bought them, without stopping to talk myself out of it. That's how I roll. Look at the fun shape of this baby:

I haven't been able to find out a lot about the line, and there aren't a lot of them for sale on eBay or online, but that's probably a good thing. I'll be forced to take it slowly.

One day at a time.

Random Post: My Childhood Lake House

2008-01-07T16:32:00.000-08:00

I was surfing the internets this past weekend and landed on a house plans website. You know, one of those sites that boasts "Thousands of House Plans for Today's Lifestyle!". Never mind how I got there. However, I happened to run across the original plans for my childhood lake house.

My family built this house. I grew up spending weekends there, on Lake Cypress Springs in the piney woods of deep East Texas.

Granted, my mother couldn't build it "as is", so she replaced the giant standard staircase with a 1970's metal spiral stair....painted chartreuse. I kid you not. And, we moved the fireplace to the front outer living area wall to open up the space and extend the kitchen counter.

The design isn't really modern, per se. It is more "1970's Contemporary Lake House". And that's when it was built. We're talking cedar paneling here, folks.

Running across the plans brought back a thousand happy memories. My parents let me help select the house plans; I suppose because it was a secondary home and they felt indulgent that day. It was a thrill for me, at about 8 years old, to help my parents make decisions on what the house would look like. I thought it was indescribably beautiful.

I wish I still had that house.

Project Update: New Bed

2007-10-09T16:44:00.000-07:00

Crate & Barrel is having their annual custom upholstery sale, and we decided to take advantage.

We ordered the Tate Bed in a custom mini-stripe fabric in aqua, blue, tan and green that will look incredible in our master bedroom.

We want our master suite to feel like a spa, and we both love water. Our master bath already has blue glass tile, so we'll carry that palette through to the bedroom and pretend we're waking up here.

The custom upholstery thing takes longer (delivery around the end of the year), but we really love this bed and we've looked around for other options...and nothing else measures up in our eyes.....and also in our budget.

For less than $1500 we're getting a custom bed that no one else (at least that we know) has. That's worth the wait.

Eye Candy: Archaic Benches

2007-10-06T11:08:00.000-07:00

The November (November?!?!? Who stole 2007?) issue of Elle Decor magazine arrived in my mailbox today. (Elle Decor is my favorite design magazine because while they are still pretty high-brow, they like to focus on homes that people actually live in.) And when I turned to page 216, I had a minor freak out moment.

The spread is on architect Michael Gabellini's Brooklyn apartment, and while the place is stunning, one particular piece of furniture jumped up and grabbed me in a choke hold.

It seems that Mr. Gabellini partners with one Stavros Neonakis, a Greek furniture crafter, to market furniture based on ancient designs. And I am, to be perfectly clear, enthralled with the 'Archaic' benches and stools.

The maker's website is mostly in Greek and there isn't much on the web about them. I can't find anyone that retails these pieces, so I'll likely need to call the architect's office and inquire. Let's cross our fingers that they are not priced out of my league. Hope springs eternal.

Cool Stuff: Modern Fans ON SALE

2007-08-31T17:51:00.000-07:00

If you've ever eyeballed the Modern Fan Company's products, now is your chance.

Ylighting has their products on sale at very nice discounts right now.

Shopping: VivaTerra

2007-02-11T15:43:00.000-08:00

Maybe I've been living in a cave, but I just now discovered VivaTerra.
Or better yet, they discovered me. Their catalog landed in my mailbox about a week ago with the 78th Pottery Barn tome of the year.

Aside: Am I the only one that seems to get a Pottery Barn catalog once a week? The merchandise never changes....they just switch the covers. It makes me want to stick a fork in my eye. I mean, how much are they spending on printing and how many trees are they killing trying to get me to buy some slipcovered chairs? Sheesh.

Anyway, so I try to be green. I really do. But 90% of the eco-friendly furnishings, accessories and decorative stuff out there is, um, a bit crunchy for my taste. I don't want hemp throw pillows filled with recycled wood chips. I just don't.

Enter VivaTerra and I am a new man.

I am drooling over this timber block stool/table thing. Fantastic.

I have a crush on this lotus flower chandelier.

I'm smitten with this Shiva stone thingy. Forget that it is supposed to be good Feng Shui. I just like shape.

And I am in love with these raku eggs handmade in Portugal. Sensual and gorgeous. I want one to sit on a stack of books somewhere.

Look at this great hand-dyed linen woodgrain table runner! Will you just look?

All of this stuff is made of recycled, reused or renewable products. I'm probably going to have to buy something just to insure that they keep sending me their catalog forever. I'm serious.

Yeah, I'm getting a raku egg.

Projects to Watch: 707 Cardinal Lane

2007-02-11T07:48:00.000-08:00

One street north of our house sits a new development that has barely broken ground: 707 Cardinal.

I have no info on the expected completion date, but they do have a bare-bones website up and running.

Driving by the property makes me feel like this is something to watch. They are saving the trees and it looks like it will have nice topography with a shady neighborhood feel that can't be found in a downtown high rise.

And like our place, the location is incredibly convenient. 5 minutes to downtown, 2 minutes to South Congress. 15 minutes to the airport. And prices starting at about $260K make it attractive to people looking for a modern feel for less than $300K.

Shopping: Brocade Home

2007-02-09T16:46:00.000-08:00

My fellow design junkie friend Kelly turned me onto Brocade Home today. I'm embarrassed that I hadn't heard of it. I like.

They don't yet have an online catalog, so you'll need to request that they put you on their mailing list.

It is a bit like West Elm meets Jonathan Adler meets Orange County circa 1968. Or something like that.

Check it out.

Project Update: New KRDB Website

2007-02-08T17:58:00.000-08:00

KRDB, the architecture firm that designed our house, has a new website.

Our little 4-house development is on it.

Along with some cool stuff I hadn't seen before.

Cravings: Wormley Benches

2006-12-30T13:50:00.000-08:00

Why am I so obsessed with finding a pair of these benches that aren't $8000?

I want them. I need them. They're keeping me up at night.

Designed in the 50's by Edward Wormley and manufactured in mahogany by Dunbar, these simple and elegant benches already have a home waiting in my living room. The examples above are priced at $7900 on 1stdibs.com. Ugh.

I'd have to recover them with a richer fabric, however. My baby dachshunds need comfort.

Good Books: The Perfect $100,000 House

2006-11-21T07:00:00.000-08:00

This book is at the top of my Thanksgiving weekend reading pile.

The Perfect $100,000 House chronicles a former Dwell magazine editors trek across the country, searching for a thoughtfully-designed, well-built home that is (gasp!) around $100,000. Along the way she meets several architects, builders and designers that we've talked about on this blog.

Here is a little review of the book on the Design Within Reach site that first caught my attention.

Fab Find: My Favorite Console Table

2006-11-19T16:30:00.000-08:00

I've wanted a cool console table since we moved in, but we're recovering from the house purchase and landscaping, so I refrained.

However, I learned a while back that Storehouse was going out of business. And they just happen to have my absolute favorite console table ever. I'd link to it, but their site is no longer, other than the front page.

Therefore I avoided going there like the plague.

Then my friend Kelly, otherwise known as THE DEVIL, came into my office and reported that she had made a visit, and they indeed had my console at 30% off. I still resisted.

And a week or so later, she came in and told me that it was now 50% off. So we drove out there on a lunch break. She bought one too.

I absolutely love it. Nice thick glass with a glass shelf for just at $300. You can't beat that.

P, the partner, liked it so much that I didn't even get in trouble! So, it was meant to be, me and my console table.

Landscape Complete. For Now.

2006-11-19T12:18:00.000-08:00

The first (and most costly) part of our landscape is complete. The fence/wall is installed and functioning beautifully.

Here's a before:

And the after:

At first, the wall seemed a bit monolithic and the new courtyard area seemed a bit tight. That was just an immediate reaction, however, to the change. Now that we've had a little time for it to settle, we love it.

It isn't flashy.

It is, we think, appropriate. The houses in our mini-hood all have concrete block walls, so this isn't a new design element that we've all had to get used to.

And the wired portion of the fence will be completely covered with a pale yellow-blooming jasmine, which will be a nice scented touch in a small garden. Can you spot all the critters?

The installation is quiet, which is important to us at home. We want a restful outdoor space. And the shadows on the wall, created by the shifting sun, are a nice textural bonus.

We'll eventually remove a great deal of the lawn and gravel, replacing them with hardscaped seating areas and planting beds. We also definitely want a larger water feature with more room for fish. Gobbles and Nibbles, our fantail goldfish, have requested more swanky quarters.

Meanwhile, our dogs are thrilled to be able to lay in the sun for hours and our cat can sit on the garden bench and listen to the birds.

Behold the cuteness:

And the fatness:

Surprise: We're Landscaping

2006-10-02T16:20:00.000-07:00

Here's what we've been all about these past few weeks:

Immediately after we closed on the house we started looking for a landscape architect. We could've hired the houses' architecture firm but we wanted someone who really understands plants and soil. I've kept this under wraps because I suppose I'm a bit superstitious. We don't need any bad design karma, thank you very much.

We met with two designers. The first (a young, cool and confident gal who had a nice portfolio) seemed a bit indifferent to our project and couldn't get us an initial design until as late as October, much less start digging.

The second, Mark Word Design, seemed genuinely interested in working on our project and wanted to get to work as soon as possible. Mark, the designer half of the company, wanted his design to work for our lives. And aesthetically, there were a lot of things we agreed on, right from the start. Like fake river beds and unnatural rock waterfalls. He turned in his first sketch within a week of meeting. We did a few quick tweaks and here is what we ended up with:

To kick off the project we've started with the fence/wall, because A) our house has a lot of glass and we need some privacy and B) our spoiled dogs can't hang out in the back yard for hours upon end, which is not working for them at all. The dogs are really driving this entire project.

The back courtyard area will soon be enclosed with a wall of plain concrete block. The space really called for it because our neighbors have concrete block walls that will compliment this perfectly. (And vice versa.)

Here's how it looked as of Friday, once the trench had been dug, the foundation poured, and a few courses of block laid. The gate will live between the block pillar and the wall.

And here is how it looked when I got home tonight, still with wet mortar:

Our wall will be connected to a shorter wire fence that will curve around to the corner of the house, completing the courtyard's privacy and pet security but maintaining some air movement and a sense of openness. The fence material is shown above, coiled at the lower right.

Below, the view from the sliding glass doors into the courtyard.

The gate itself will be built by a master carpenter, and we are eagerly waiting to see what it will look like.

I'm into the idea of really heavy block construction immediately contrasted with a short, open, non-existent wire grid fence.

Mark Word Design currently maintain and update the landscaping at the Hotel San Jose on Congress Avenue and have recently been written up in House & Garden magazine as one of "The New Tastemakers: 50 for the future of design".

As a little eye candy, here are a couple of photos of his work.

More very soon. Promise.

Fickle, Fickle.

2006-10-01T16:27:00.000-07:00

See that post just underneath this one about buying a rug?

Uh huh, that one.

Literally the day after I ordered it, I received a packet from Crate & Barrel welcoming me to the new house. It included a current catalog and a 10% off coupon for any purchase in the store.

I thought I'd seen everything from Crate & Barrel in detail, but the catalog revealed a pretty cool rug that was in our color palette, just within our budget, and much more appealing than the one we'd just ordered.

(Trust me, you have to see our color palette to understand how restrictive it is in our price range, so we literally scoured the planet.)

I liked the rug and went with my gut. I picked up the phone and cancelled the order from CB2.

And then we went to Crate & Barrel this weekend and ordered it.

I am MUCH more happy with this rug than the one we had ordered. The pile is very subtly cut between color fields and the quality seems to be nicer overall. It will look great in our living area, and we'll have it installed come Friday night.

We also took this simple media unit for our master bedroom.

We needed something uber simple and this was a decent price and unassuming. Also, we got the bonus 10% off. Good enough.

And, a labratory-style glass measuring cup set, just because they were on sale and rather cool.

Crate & Barrel is mucho happy because we spent much more money than planned...all because of that 10% off coupon. And as customers, we're happy too.

Marketing works.

Project Update: Big Ass Rug II

2006-09-24T16:36:00.000-07:00

We've been debating rugs for a few weeks. Meanwhile, our living room is like an echo chamber. One high pitched bark from the girls can burst an eardrum.

This weekend, we finally narrowed it down.

The first thing that weighed into the decision is that we really can't afford to make any other new furniture purchases at the moment due to impending landscape project. (More on that later). We can only get a rug.

So, that leaves me a new avocado/chartreuse sofa that we love, a Barcelona table that we adore, an Eileen Gray side table that we really like, and two inexpensive Crate and Barrel upholstered chairs that we kinda like okay, but hardly love. And with the impending project, the chairs are staying for a spell.

Since we really shouldn't spend much money and the chairs are part of the decor, it made sense to buy a less expensive rug that somehow magically makes the buff/lichen color of the chairs work with the groovy mini-striped green sofa.

That narrows the field down quite a lot.

We also really wanted some pattern in the room, although nothing too busy.

We really liked this rug from Angela Adams there for a while. However, it is not inexpensive and is probably too trendy in the end.

The cut-pile texture in the dots and circles is cool, though.

And this one from Room and Board was a favorite, but the pile is low, and very even, and pretty much lacking in texture.

Otherwise we would've bought it.

But I'm into the idea of a rug with a little texture for this room.

Finally, after much deliberation, we ordered this one, from CB2.

Wide chocolate, avocado, gray, blue and beige stripes with varied pile heights. That should provide some textural interest. And the colors will tie our chairs and sofa into a visual whole, I hope.

The other photos of the rug on the CB2 site are better, but the site wouldn't let me save them to post.

I think we'll be happy with this one. If not, we'll send her back and continue the quest.

Read This.

2006-09-11T17:49:00.000-07:00

Take 2 minutes to read this post on apartmenttherapy.com.

Basically, he's intimating that minimalists are more evolved, right?

I'm not sure I agree with him, but I do want to bring up the obligatory house tour, referenced in the post.

Being carted around as if on a tour of a little museum is a pompous act on the part of host (to offer or insist on it) and guest (to suggest it). A good host will allow her/his guests to wander the house as they wish. A good guest never suggests them taking time away from other guests (or from preparing dinner) for the ridiculous house tour.

As a host, when someone asks for a tour, I simply say "roam around...make yourself at home". As a guest, I only go on house tours if the homeowner seems hell-bent. And I grit my teeth and smile.

And as a minimalist, I don't really feel more evolved. I do feel more free though. I have enough responsibility in my life.

Even if we're talking about candlesticks and occasional chairs.

Design Find: Melt

2006-09-10T09:56:00.000-07:00

Melt is Josh and Shane, two Dallasites who saw an unfilled niche in the art marketplace...and filled it quite successfully.

Their affordable, modern modular decorative wall pieces are printed on wood and come in one size: 15" X 15" X 1.75". They do offer custom projects in other sizes:

"Frustrated with our search for affordable, modern artwork to fill our place, we sought to take matters into our own hands. Eventually in 2005 we took our modern, clean graphic approach and combined it with our passion for interior design, thus was born melt- modern elements living together."

These little pieces are more than just printed square images. Most of them allow the grain of the wood panel to show through, giving them a handmade feel and adding a textural layer that you just can't buy at your local poster shop.

And, at only $200 each, they add a lot of quality punch to a space. This motorcycle image is cool:

As is this image of the old Alamo Plaza Motor Court in the Dallas suburb of Oak Cliff.

In that nebulous and neglected space, somewhere between the world of highbrow gallery art and poster store reproductions, lies melt.

Shopping: A Little 'Off'

2006-09-09T08:18:00.000-07:00

Our friend Joanna Satana, a colorful, creative and lovable character to say the least, recently posted a comment about this chair from Vivre. She has quite the eye.

I promise you, if I had an extra $2600 laying around in a drawer somewhere, one of these would soon be living in my house:

Every house needs something arresting or just a bit off. And I've been keeping my eyes out for some ugliness to shake up the new casa decor. The place is a little bit too pristine right now, for real.

Vivre has some distinctive stuff. I am also quite taken with this carved wood deer head, although the facial expression is a little bit too 'cute':

And I think I might have to buy this silver Manzanita tree. I need it.

Last weekend, I spotted a pair of heinously beautiful 60's ceramic lamps in a vulgar turquoise color at a resale shop. They've been on my mind a lot, and I must assume that they want to come live with us. I think I'll go have another look at them today.

Project Update: Art Install

2006-09-04T16:28:00.000-07:00

I've surprised myself when it comes to the art installation. Usually, I know well in advance where most of the pieces will hang. It is intuitive.

And, I'm a gay man, so that usually helps a new place get "styled" rather quickly.

With this house, however, it took me two weeks to drive the first nail.

Perhaps subconsciously I didn't want to mar the walls. Or maybe I've put more pressure on myself to make it perfect since I'm publishing the entire process through the blog. Or maybe I'm just lazy.

Whatever the reason, I've just now managed to hang most of the art. The guest bedroom floor is still littered with the leftovers:

And, I need to relocate a towel bar in the master bath for a favorite paper piece on a prime wall, but I'm pretty much done with the big art installation.

Good Books: Lake Flato

2006-09-03T17:47:00.000-07:00

In case you missed it, a new Lake-Flato book is out.

Coffee table-sized, thick soft-bound, and loaded with photos, it features a few houses I've never seen published elsewhere. I've really enjoyed having it.

Right now marked down on Amazon.

If you like the 'modern Texas vernacular' thing, well, these guys pretty much brought it to the forefront. In my opinion.

Fun Finds: Ultimate Tree Houses

2006-09-02T08:33:00.000-07:00

Everyone loves the idea of a treehouse; an arboreal retreat built above and outside the responsible world. Just for us and our allies. Grownups not allowed.

Every year, the Dallas Arboretum hosts an exhibit of Ultimate Tree Houses.

This year, fifty five entries were submitted and thirteen were selected by the jury then built on the 60+ acre grounds.

Granted, we're using the term "tree house" somewhat loosely here. Most all of the structures are on the ground, making them accessible to everyone.

Which is a good thing.

The exhibit is up until the end of the year. Check it out.

Inspiring Houses: Un-named House

2006-09-02T07:49:00.000-07:00

A friend of a friend recently completed this house out west of downtown on Mount Bonnell Road, and I hear it is now for sale, although I can't find a listing.

The house was designed by Dick Clark Architects and is three stories with a pool...and from what I hear has every amenity one could dream up. I don't know the square footage or particulars.

However, the photos are really inspiring and I wanted to share.

Let's take guesses on the asking price. I'll shoot for 1.3 million.

The photos are by Matt Schodorf.

I'm sure if anyone can dig up a listing, it is our friend over at Modern Austin.

Shopping: Good Deals.

2006-08-28T17:13:00.000-07:00

Occasionally during my online shopping sprees, I run across some really great deals. Here are some that are available right now.

This bamboo stool from Gump's is timelessly elegant would work with almost any home decor imaginable.

Regularly priced at $325, it is on sale for $81.25.

And this great looking 21-inch vase, also from Gump's, was originally $55 and is on sale for $15.

These linen pillow covers in great colors are on sale for $9.99, originally $19. That's basically half off.

And as these timeless oval glass baking dishes are $9.99 at Crate and Barrel...

Along with these Calphalon nonstick frypans, regularly $130 and on sale for $39.95.

Bargains galore.

Design Decisions: Big Ass Rug.

2006-08-21T18:38:00.000-07:00

Looks like for now I can post photos. Neat.

Our main living area is screaming for a rug. My head hurts from all the noise.

In a perfect world, we'd have something along the lines of this rug from West Elm, which is reasonable and would be a nice fluffy contrast to the polished concrete.

However, I'm not going to pretend that with 2 dogs and a big fat black and white cat we should buy something in white.

This design decision could go one of two ways. Either we buy something cheap and trendy and end up switching it out in about a year or we go ahead and buy something of quality that will last.

I'm not willing to go too trendy if the rug is on the upper end of our range. If we go high end, I want something that I'll still love in 5 years.

This one, from Storehouse, is really appealing. I like the sky blue punch.

But is it just me, or does the edge treatment in the photo look a little funny?

Angela Adams is doing some really nice rugs.

They are in the upper echelons of our current house-poor budget. However, there are more than a few of her rugs that would work in our space.

This little number of hers is our current favorite rug.

Yes it is a little trendy. Yes it is a little bit expensive. So maybe we won't bite. But it would look great with our new sofa. The colors are exactly what we were looking for, too.

Getting Impatient.

2006-08-19T17:19:00.000-07:00

My technical difficulties haven't gone away. I've tried everything imaginable, including re-installing and re-booting my entire wireless cable internet, which is an undertaking. I've plugged in to the internet, which I never do. I've rebooted and re-everything.

I still can't post photos.

I'm waiting for a return email from blogger.com, the program/company I use. It has been almost a week and I'm not so thrilled right now. I have a lot to show you!

In the mean time, check out design*sponge, who has recently attended the New York International Gift Fair and returned with some really cool stuff, just in time for the shopping season.

I really appreciate the design*sponge aesthetic, but it tends to lean a little feminine for my life. Nonetheless, an excellent design blog.

Shopping: Lotta Jansdotter

2006-08-10T17:10:00.000-07:00

Houston, we have a problem.

Lotta Jansdotter is a Finnish designer (living in Brooklyn) who works in ceramics, textiles, paper goods and accessories. I want to buy everything she's selling.

And we just bought a house and already have service for 75+ in Russel Wright. I have no business buying any dishware. But look at this:

And we have bigger things to accomplish...

So I'll back away slowly, like a good new homeowner...who wants a new table runner...

I did order these calendar dishtowels, which are deeply discounted because the calendar is about to expire...one would assume.

Some of our dishtowels are in embarrassingly bad shape, so for $5 a pop, well-designed dishtowels that are literally outdated are literally fine by me.

Little rationalizations are fun.

Project Update: We're In. We're wired.

2006-08-10T16:06:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay in posting. We haven't had internet access at the house since we moved last Friday. Let's just say that Time Warner Cable is very challenging to deal with...then move on with our lives.

We have unpacked (mostly) and are getting settled in the new place.

I suppose this is a good time to put it out there: we're in love with the house.

We discover something new every day. Like this surprise, which is the view outside an upper bedroom window at sunset.

And this, through a similar window on a different wall.

We have a lot to do to the place. Art to install, landscaping to hire, stuff to arrange.

More furniture to buy.

This arrangement in the living area is temporary. The chairs and benches will either live somewhere else in the house....or end up living in someone else's house.

And we need a rug. And lamps. And a few new sets of bed linens. And a new bed and one other rug. And a new guest mattress. And bedside tables for the guest room. And...

I'll be posting a lot more in the next few days as we play catch up on the site. Stay tuned.

We're Hot? We're Moving.

2006-08-03T15:59:00.000-07:00

Big thanks must go out to the groovy kids at FD!Lux magazine in Dallas for including the blog in their August “Hot” issue, and on their blog today.

We’re honored to be thought of as even remotely, slightly, barely lukewarm. Much less hot.

If you are new to the site, be sure to check out the archives and categories on the right side of your screen, because there’s a lot to explore.

I won’t be posting a great deal until the end of the weekend, because tomorrow is Moving Day.

For the past two weeks, we’ve been visiting the new house at least once a day to water the lawn and meet installers of landscaping, installers of security systems, installers of cable and installers of furniture, among other installers.

We have more installers to go. Lots and lots of installers. I hate installers. I’m going to run an installer down with my Volvo when I next see one on the sidewalk.

We made the commitment that, when we visit the new house, we throw something in the car and move it in. Even if it is one Russel Wright platter sitting on the back seat. We always put something in the car.

And, like magic, in two weeks’ time we made a big, gaping dent in our stuff. In fact, we weren’t supposed to move our furniture, dogs and lazy bodies until one more week, but we pushed it up and are moving in tomorrow.

Long story short, we don’t know whether to we’re coming or going, or where we really live. But that all changes at 9:00 in the morning.

The next set of house photos I post won’t be so spare and empty. And I’ll be back to the site regularly after the weekend.

Give us a few days to get our tchotzkes arranged and put some starched doilies on the backs of the recliners.

Hang tight.

shopping: dermond peterson

2006-08-01T19:29:00.000-07:00

I've told you about dermond peterson before.

They've recently expanded their line, and I am literally frothing at the mouth.

I am struck absolutely stupid over this sand dollar table runner.

And this artichoke kitchen towel still gets my goat.

And I do like the Eden pillow.

The line is available in Austin at Loft and in Houston at Unika Deco, among many other retailers. Check it out.

Eye Candy: Sofa Unbound

2006-07-27T18:33:00.000-07:00

Our sofa was delivered today from DWR. We ordered it exactly one week ago. Not bad!

When I first saw it, sitting alone in the great room, I somehow felt strangely violated.

We haven't brought in many pieces of furniture and I've come to enjoy visiting the empty, quiet white space at least once a day. It is so calming to be there. (What does that say about me? We'll think about that tomorrow.)

The sofa, at first, seemed absolutely enormous.

But after leaving it and coming back post-work (to water the new mediocre landscaping that will all be replaced eventually), I've gotten much more comfortable with it.

Now, I'm happy that we didn't order something smaller.

I'm making sense now and the feelings of abuse have passed.

Project Update: Landscaping, Sofa Ordering, Window Coating

2006-07-25T18:53:00.000-07:00

Busy busy busy.

We're busy little bees.

We're meeting with two design/build companies to design the back courtyard and fence/wall/enclosure. I'll intersperse some photos that inspire me, although they are not exactly what we want.

We've met with Jackie Nadler from Seed Garden Design and we'll meet with Mark Word tomorrow. Both of them are up and coming garden designers who can easily create something that compliments the design of the house.

We decided to go with a landscaper rather than use the original architects because we want someone who will deeply explore and understand the planting possibilities in the design of the space.

In short, we like plant people.

We'll make a final decision on the landscaper tomorrow night, I think.

We also ordered the Bantam Sofa from Design Within Reach.

It should be delivered before Friday. I'll post photos.

And, this morning before work I met with a window film guy about having some UV film applied to one west-facing window and some frost film applied to our front door and just a few other key locations for privacy's sake.

I don't want window coverings, but we do have a few privacy issues we need to address. Frosted window film, which will make the glass look sandblasted and create a safety coating, sounds like the answer. I'll let you know how that goes.

Night Photos.

2006-07-19T19:00:00.000-07:00

We made the commitment that, whenever we visit the house for any reason, we'll throw some stuff into our car and move it in.

Last night we went out to dinner and put some blankets, un-installed artwork and a few chairs into the car and visited the house afterwards.

It was the first time we've been there at night.

The house looks even better at night, with the recessed lighting and outdoor lights. Here are a few photos, although I'm very disappointed in the quality....my digital camera was not cooperating.

And here's a photo of my vintage refurbished Bertoia wire chair with new cushion from DWR. I posted about it before. Turned out nice, huh?

We think we've found our landscape architect. More to come on that front tomorrow.

Project Update: The Little Things

2006-07-17T18:32:00.000-07:00

Is it pathetic to get really excited over a refrigerator?

The filtered water and ice alone sends me into orbit, and I haven't even used it yet.

Goodbye, Brita water pitcher....

Project Update: Finished House Photos

2006-07-16T16:56:00.000-07:00

New photos, taken today.

The great room, facing the den, hallway and front door. I'm looking for something really cool to put in that corner to the left of the entrance wall. Maybe an etagere.

And this one is looking in the opposite direction, standing in the doorway to the den. The dining area will be near the alcove.

I can't for the life of me get a decent shot of the den. It is hard to get in the right position. This is the best I can do, and I was literally splayed on the concrete floor. It is certainly intimate. We'll have enough room for a comfy sofa, a comfy chair, a drinks table or two and a media cabinet.

The guest room, with a rectilinear window looking out to the courtyard.

And, with a window looking out to some old overgrown shrubs on the service side of the home.

Another shot of that horizontal window.

Now to the master bedroom, where you can see what we've already dubbed the cat's window. I promise you we'll have to move his food bowl next to it. He'll be mesmerized.

A bedroom window facing the courtyard. We hope that a future water feature will fit right outside that window.

And, every house has a few quirks, right? Here is ours:

That cubby is about 4.5 feet deep and 2 feet wide. And, it is in the guest bathroom. It is completely finished and flawless from floor to ceiling with no hint of function. The architect's plans supposedly didn't specify it as a closet, but an open space. We're in a quandary over what to do with it. An enormous sculpture? An aviary? Several sets of snowskis? A one-person sauna? Choices, choices.

And, some exterior shots.

The end of the master "wing", with cat window.

A different angle to the interior courtyard.

The entire back side of the house.

And last, the front. You better bet that we're changing that yellow on the stucco wall.

The yellow clashes with the wood trim on the right. A darker color would make the warm wood pop. I'm leaning toward a nice aubergine or gray/sage/green.

The front entrance.

And just for fun, a nice photo of one of the other houses in the foursome. This one is almost finished and the only one still on the market. Its lot includes the big trees.

Tomorrow: fridge delivery. Pray that it fits.

Tuesday: Meeting our first landscape architect. Lots of fun to come on that front.

Design decisions: Sofa Conundrum

2006-07-15T17:53:00.000-07:00

We're in the upholstered furniture market.

Our new place needs a sofa and chaise, sofa and daybed, or sofa and two chairs. Or possibly two sofas, facing one another.

We're putting the living area in what the architects designated as the dining area. The space is a little constricting, so every inch in length and depth will count. However, we really want our living area floating in the middle of the main room, in front of the windows, rather than back against a wall. We can't buy a sofa longer than 75 inches, maximum.

They'll live right here, perpendicular to the wall of glass, with our cocktail table in between.

I don't get too excited about upholstered furniture. I've posted about it before. Whether I spend $800 or $3000, upholstered pieces seem to lose their luster after about 3 years. And reupholstering is expensive these days and can cost as much as the original piece.

So, when it comes to buying upholstery, I'm all about value. I'll spend my money on lasting things like our cocktail table, designed by the master Ludwig mies van der Rohe.

For about a thousand bucks, it will never, ever go out of fashion. I'll have it until the day I go to modernist heaven.

After a whole lot of retail sleuthing, we've narrowed it down to the following pieces.

Room and Board have some nice pieces that are very affordable. We originally thought this sofa and matching daybed were the answer.

I like the fact that they are the same exact length and would lend a very quiet, subtle look to the room. They are also available in about 8 different solid colors.

However, the finish on the pieces is a little casual. No welting. Not very tailored. The cushions look like they'd get lumpy and mushy pretty quickly.

Then, there's this diminutive guy, also from Room and Board.

At only 65 inches wide it's bigger than a loveseat and smaller than a standard sofa. It would certainly fit the space. And, at only $849 it is quite the bargain.

And finally, we've been tire-kicking this little number from Design Within Reach.

At 73.5 inches, it approaches the max on size, but it could still work. We just wouldn't be able to put a table on both ends, I think.

We like it in this fabric, which is a gray/sage/taupe stripe.

It looks a little chartreuse from a distance.

Today we went to the house with fabric swatches, spec sheets and measuring tape and tried to make a final call. We attempted impromptu cocktail table and sofa shapes out of leftover paper floor protectant, without scissors. We're crafty.

And we decided on the DWR model. The fabric won us over, along with the button tufting. Once we decided that it would fit, the choice was easy. It's a good looking sofa.

We'll look around for a few more days to make sure there's nothing we haven't unearthed within the size limit, but we're feeling pretty good about the decision.

Now I just have to find something to sit across from it. A cool vintage piece would be welcome.

We Own a New Home.

2006-07-14T16:35:00.000-07:00

This morning at approximately 8:45 a.m., our hands were cramped, our carpal-tunnel syndrome was flaring up and our minds were awash with visions of 30-year debt.

We had signed all 2,387 pages of our closing documents and were the proud owners of our new modern home.

It is officially ours.

At lunch, we drove over there, turned the key, and entered in silence. We both walked from empty white room to empty white room, flipping light switches, turning on faucets, opening cabinet doors and looking up at skylights. All basically in silence.

The floors are satiny smooth, the walls are pristine, the windows sparkle. I have the urge to leave it just as it is, keep our rental, and simply go visit it from time to time.

I suppose there should be an over-the-top Whoopeeeee! moment. It will likely happen the morning after we move in and take our first sip of Whole Foods' Pacific Rim blend coffee in our first (and definitely not last) modern house.

More photos coming tomorrow!

Great Stories: The Southern Bulb Company

2006-07-11T15:31:00.000-07:00

The Goddess that runs D Home magazine in Dallas recently posted about The Southern Bulb Company and a New York Times piece all about it.

She wasn't exaggerating when she called this great story.

25-year old Chris Wiesinger, fresh out of a college internship, started an heirloom bulb company in the tiny East Texas town of Mineola, focusing on bulbs that thrive in the hot, humid Southern climate.

Most flowering perrieniel bulbs are imported from the Netherlands and simply aren't suited to our climate here in the South...or will suffer while adjusting to it. This guy focuses on bulbs that are prepared to thrive in our part of the world.

One doesn't encounter many 25-year old guys with a passion for heirloom flowering bulbs. We don't really see this as a trend. Which makes the story that much more intriguing and inspiring.

Hopeful, even.

Read it. Then buy a few bulbs. I'll be planting spider lilies.

My grandmother (in East Texas no less) had them. I've always loved them.

Random Posts: More New House Photos

2006-07-09T17:58:00.000-07:00

A few more new images.

Another view of the back courtyard, which will be changed dramatically with landscaping.

From the kitchen looking toward the front door and the den on the left.

I've not shown any photos of the den, which is cozy and cool. It has good window placement. I'll work on that.

Here is an extremely uninspiring photo of the guest bathroom (the one with green glass tile) looking from the tub to the counter.

The guest bedroom, which has a long, narrow window looking out to the courtyard to the left, but not visible in this crap photo.

Hallway from the master bedroom to the master bathroom, with walk-in closets on either side. We consider this pure luxury.

Back hall to the guest suite. I think I'm a rare breed in that I like hallways.

And here's one of the Cute Sig Other checking out cabinets. The dining area is to his right.

These aren't quite as inspiring, but they show the rest of the house.

So there.

Inspiring Houses: The Dwell Homes/Resolution:4

2006-07-09T08:53:00.000-07:00

We've written before about The Dwell Homes, a set of prefab homes designed by three different architects and manufactured by Empyrean. First, we explored the Flatpack House by Lazor Office.

Let's look at the home offered by Resolution:4 Architecture.

The firm is based out of Manhattan and rode the first wave of the new prefab movement. At the beginning, Resolution:4 offered modern modular components that could be arranged in hundreds of configurations.

Dwell magazine's first dwell home commission was awarded to Resolution:4 and the design and build process was documented in successive issues of the publication. This project was dubbed "arguably the most high profile modern prefab house in America" by The Washington Post.

The floorplans.

The lower floor is composed of a living/dining/kitchen area that is rather compact, with a separate study/den behind the service core. Across the covered parking area is a flexible space that could be used for storage, a studio or workshop.

The upper floor includes expansive decks, a master suite, guest bedroom and yet another den/media room/flex space.

At over 2600 square feet, this Dwell Home has a love of living space, both indoor and outdoor. And plenty of flexible space as well. The downstairs study could easily be used as a third bedroom and the studio is completely open for interpretation, although it doesn't have plumbing utilities.

I admire the expansive decks and the ample square footage of the home. The house would interact with the outdoors and would be well suited to a rural or wooded setting.

However, I'm troubled by the fact that the living areas of the home are so chopped up. I don't know about you, but we live and entertain in the areas closest to the kitchen, and the main living/dining/kitchen area of this house seems remarkably cramped for 2600 square feet. I could see the upstairs media room gathering dust a great deal of the time and the studio becoming one big junk room.

That said, the fact that this house was actually erected and is being lived in is commendable and exciting. There are a lot of prefab homes on the market. However, you don't see many that actually get built.

And that's why the Dwell home was the most high-profile prefab house in America. It actually exists outside of paper and ink.

We'll explore the 3rd Dwell home soon.

Cool Stuff: cul de sac design

2006-07-07T18:55:00.000-07:00

Cul de sac design, a tiny ceramics operation out of Vancouver, offers simple organic shapes with a graphic punch.

This small triangle dish, at $30, is just plain cool.

I'm probably going to buy the ostrich platter.

I love it. I have an urge to serve tea sandwiches on it.

And this serving dish is cool. I love the bright turquoise-y color.

Check it out.

The Golden Age.

2006-07-07T17:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning I sat down on a plane and opened Fast Company magazine to a big feature on fine design and how, supplanting art, it is the big big thing for collectors right now.

I also recently read Emotional Branding, a business-focused book that is, somewhat surprisingly once you get through it, essentially all about design.

I’ve been obsessing about how design is such a strong influence on our culture right now.

From my perspective, it ramped up when Target launched the first Michael Graves line. A little lightening bolt in the design world.

Around the same time, companies like Design Within Reach started selling iconic modern furniture by Eames, Mies van der Rohe, Aero Saarinen etc., making them available under one roof for the first time ever. And, in stock and ready to ship.

Companies like Apple have certainly embraced design with a chokehold. The design of their products, brand image and advertising is nothing short of groundbreaking. Innovative design has literally become a part of their culture and brand.

Frank Gehry and Richard Meir are practically household names. The business community is having in depth conversations about design. You can have a George Nelson marshmallow sofa delivered to your front door in less than a week.

Isaac Mizrahi has a TV show.

Some say good design for the masses peaked in the 1950’s. I say that was just a dress rehearsal.

Ladies and gentlemen, we are entering the golden age of design.

Enjoy the ride.

In most people's vocabularies, design means veneer. It's interior decorating. It's the fabric of the curtains of the sofa. But to me, nothing could be further from the meaning of design. Design is the fundamental soul of a human-made creation that ends up expressing itself in successive outer layers of the product or service. - Steve Jobs, CEO, Apple Computer

Shopping: Exploring Moss

2006-07-02T18:41:00.000-07:00

Folks know Moss as one of the finest retail collections in the country (and possibly as having one of the snootiest staff, from many reports).

The website has a huge selection, from $45 stainless corkscrews to $15,000 chairs made out of carnival stuffed animals.

And in between, some amazing stuff.

This repeat porcelain bowl from Hella Jongerius is truly, simply beautiful.

And I am seriously in love with Marcel Wanders' foam bowl.

Many are familiar with Tord Boontje's Midsummer Lights, which run under $80.

And of course Moss offers one of the most extravagant, beautiful and functional pieces of furniture ever, the Eames La Chaise.

Shop Moss Online and eliminate the wicked shopgirls.

Project Update: Random New Images

2006-07-01T15:57:00.000-07:00

We took some new photos today during the inspection and walk-through. Here's a random sampling.

The house is 99% complete.

We won't see any other visible changes until we start to move our stuff in.

The remaining work is paint touchups, very subtle tweaks, and the final finish on the floors, which is the very last step.

I think the builder will be hosting a reception for the houses, and I'll be sure to post the date and time here on mies and carrots.

Needless to say, we're exceedingly pumped.

Project Update: Inspection

2006-07-01T15:41:00.000-07:00

You know how everyone says "always get a house inspection"?

Always get a house inspection. Even on new construction.

Even though our house is brand-spanking new, we decided to pay the 300-odd bucks for a professional inspector. This morning, we met him at the house and went over his report, and while the house is in excellent shape (it should be, right?), there were a few things that we never would have noticed.

As one example, just a few of the windows didn't have metal flashing above them, so the top trim would eventually begin to rot. Not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things, but that little fix alone is worth the $300.

These little things are normal for new home construction. Builders are people. People get distracted. And inspectors serve as a great checks-and-balances mechanism.

We'll go back to the builder with our final punch list and should be closing on the house next week, if all goes according to plan. After we close the deal, we'll embark on a few small projects that we hope to complete before we move and make the house our own.

More to come...

Shopping: Online Sales, Cont.

2006-07-01T07:37:00.000-07:00

DWR launched an extended online sale, adding some limited-time merchandise to the overstocks and discontinued items.

This stacking stool is beautifully simple, and on sale.

And this beeboard storage unit would provide some cool texture to a space, not to mention the storage.

And these alpaca throws are on sale for more than 50% off.

He Shoots He Scores.

2006-06-30T17:28:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday night, we went to a fundraiser for a local charity, and of course they found room for the ubiquitous silent auction.

I'm a closet fan of silent auctions. I usually find something, and they benefit a nonprofit.

Once at the event, we rounded a corner, chatting amongst ourselves, and there it was. A chrome Bertoia chair.

It looked nothing like the photo above. It was covered in these terrible brown nubby fabric pads that completely hid the form of the chair, front and back.

I lifted one pad quickly to see a perfectly preserved chrome Bertoia. And no one was bidding on it.

The minimum bid was only $150, so yeah I went there without blinking an eye. Our group left a bit later, so I didn't know until yesterday that I won it.

I brought it home today, pulled off the old brown yucky pads to reveal a perfectly preserved vintage Bertoia wire chair:

And the $150 went to a great charity.

How cool is that?

I'll be ordering the Knoll replacement pad. I'm thinking white.

Cool Stuff: Adrift Mobiles

2006-06-29T17:13:00.000-07:00

Our new friends at Land+Living recently featured these cool mobiles.

Mobiles remind me of the 70's and how hot Alexander Calder was back when I was a tyke. I'm not a fan of many mobiles these days.

Except Adrift Mobiles.

They are constructed using sustainable and planet-friendly materials, they're sleek and elegant, and they provide movement to a space. I like.

We have 13 foot ceilings everywhere in the new casa. I am wondering if a mobile isn't in order.

This centric design is cool.

And I also like the vessel model.

They have a retro feel, and I like it.

So get your shag carpet on. I'm having a fondue party so we can all talk about Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Be sure to tell Barb and Ron. It wouldn't be a party without Barb's clam dip.

Shopping: Online Sales!

2006-06-28T17:09:00.000-07:00

It is summer sale time, and that's exciting when you are moving into a new home.

Our friends over at the D Home blog in Dallas recently reported a sale at the Moma store (thanks Todd!), and I am seriously in love with this awesome spice grinder:

If you cook, please consider toasting and grinding your own spices. Fresh toasted cumin seed, ground in your own kitchen, will make you want to jump up and slap your Momma. The difference in flavor is...arresting.

This wood veneer carpet is cool, although my dogs would hate me for it. They like soft.

I just received the latest West Elm catalog and one of those annoying cards fell out onto the floor, advertising their online sale, which just started. West Elm is the retailer I want to hate but can't help but love.

For example, just look at this stunning brushed nickel arm sconce. For 39.99. I mean really.

Ikea who? Crate and Barrel what?

Recently, our art director at work decided to completely remodel our reception area just for giggles. She did it through West Elm for about $5.47.

Look at this fab lamp for a whopping 79.99. I'd probably change the shade.

And check out this metal pharmacy cabinet for one hundred bucks.

We need something to hold folded towels, potions and lotions and other shower sundries that can literally sit inside our huge shower at the new house. I was thinking teak, but for a hundred bucks this thing might be the answer.

I'll spend the leftover $500 on more Russel Wright!

Fridge Glamour Galore

2006-06-25T17:29:00.000-07:00

Barring final inspection and punch-list delays, we should be closing on the house within two weeks. Because appliance delivery lead times are often preposterously long, we decided to buy a fridge this weekend.

Since I cook like a madman, this was a pretty weighty decision for our household.

All the kitchen appliances are Jenn-Air, so we originally planned to buy the same brand, simply for some design consistency. This model was very attractive:

However, the Jenn-Air fridges we inspected don't necessarily fit our functional needs.

While the exteriors are always stylish, some of the functions were a bit clumsy. For example, one Jenn-Air "bottom freezer" model had a pull-out freezer shelf that was not on runners or casters and, when weighted with frozen stuff, would no doubt be a pain to use. And, because of the design, you would either have to get down on your knees to access frozen food or use the "pull out shelf" that resists pulling out! Absurd.

After much soul-searching, we invested in this model, from KitchenAid:

It is also a counter-depth fridge, so it won't stick out and look awkward in the space. I like that. (Why didn't someone come up with counter-depth fridges a long time ago? Hum?) We're also pumped about the filtered water and ice so we can give our old Brita pitcher a final rest.

Here's the inside, shown in black:

I assure you it will never be that organized or empty.

Notice the fancy footed dish full of cherries towards the top. I always keep a footed glass dish of fruit handy in the fridge, as I'm sure you do.

Project Update: Actual Kitchen.

2006-06-22T17:38:00.000-07:00

Ladies and germs, we have a kitchen. Look at this eerie and interesting shot that I didn't intend to take. No, it wasn't snowing inside the house. Who the hell knows.

I'm thinking we'll probably have to remove the stainless backsplash and replace it with tile. Because the room is so full of light, sunny weather makes the backsplash too bright and reflective.

Heath tile would soften up the space with a handmade feel, but keep it nice-n-modern.

There are some stunning glass tiles on the market as well.

This Erin Adam's Quilt design from Ann Sacks, for example, is so beautiful I want to slap someone. I'm craving it.

We'd only need about 50 square feet of tile, so it is an area where we could splurge on some high quality goods.

It'll be fun to find the right tile for that spot.

Stay tuned.

Modern Masters: Meeting Mr. Wright, Part 2

2006-06-17T19:33:00.000-07:00

I've posted before about Russel Wright. A lot of modernists are familiar with his work, but I've found only a few who are passionate about it. I am definitely one of the latter.

Wright's first mass-produced tabletop line, American Modern, was once the best-selling dinnerware of all time. It is prized by collectors, and for good reason. The forms are beautiful.

However, it tends to craze (a term for the vein-like lines that appear in some pottery over time) and therefore it really isn't advisable to use it on your table every day.

So, I collect Iroquois Casual China.

Iroquois Casual was launched by Russel Wright in the late 40's. It is extremely durable and can go from oven to table. I also put it in the microwave with no explosions or visible tumors.

I have three colors. Sugar White:

Avocado Yellow:

And Aqua (note the vintage photo):

(And a few pieces in oyster.)

We use the Sugar White every day. I've dropped the plates on the floor and not had them crack, break or chip. The stuff is very durable. I've put them into the oven cold, directly from the refrigerator. I've abused them in general.

I recently bought the teapot, which is one of my absolute favorite designs:

I also collect pieces from Wright's collection from Bauer, which was a very short-lived experiment in the mass-production of art pottery.

The pieces were produced in Bauer's Atlanta factory and while they were critically celebrated, not that many of them survived the kiln or made it to retail due to very heavy glazing that popped and cracked.

Check out Mr. Wright.

Design Decisions: Water Feature

2006-06-15T16:30:00.000-07:00

Someone needs to do a book on modern water gardens, stat.

We're hell bent on some type of modern water feature at the new house. What's surprising to me is how few resources I can find online or at Amazon for serious inspiration.

The master bedroom window faces the courtyard. We want the water feature to be visible from inside that window and completely respect the architecture of the house.

And I'm thinking of something along the lines of this. But ignore the palm. Way too Miami for Austin, Texas:

A simple concrete trough deep enough for some fish and a few cool plants, with some water movement, whether through a fountain or bubbler or whatever.

I'm desperately searching for inspiration. 99% of what's out there is nightmarish "natural" fish ponds that are rimmed in rocks and shaped into a fake mountain waterfall. Horrible.

Some inspiring photos I've found around the web:

Inspiring Houses: eXtra-eXtra small house

2006-06-09T18:11:00.000-07:00

The eXtra-eXtra small house by Dekleva Gregoric Arhitekti. At about 460 square feet, this house packs a lot into an extremely tight space.

eXtra-eXtra-Small House is located in a highly protected historical area.

The architect's task was to integrate all residential functions into an extra small volume and to bring sunlight to the living spaces on the ground floor through the roof openings and indirect sunlight.

The house is an urban weekend home for a couple living in the country, and I'm sure it functions beautifully for that purpose.

Check it out.

I'm Never Leaving the Bathroom.

2006-06-09T05:51:00.000-07:00

I really hope we can get a wireless signal in there so I can get some work done.

Update: We have Switches and Outlets

2006-06-07T18:25:00.000-07:00

When your house is in the final 10% stretch, you celebrate the little things.

We have light switches, and they are utterly spectacular.

Cool Stuff: Lumicor Panels

2006-06-05T16:30:00.000-07:00

A friend in Dallas built a great modern house not too long ago and had the coolest fence installed. It complements his house beautifully, let's light into the yard, isn't too private, and is just plain neat-o.

He used panels made of Lumicor:

Lumicor is a resin-based panel sheeting that is available in tons of finishes.

There are basic textures and rice-paper like designs, but I am most enamored with the botanicals, which are actual leaves and plant parts encased in resin. Fantastic.

The application options are extensive, including backsplashes, sliding doors, counters, furniture, sink bowls and all kinds of sundries.

Scratches can be buffed/sanded out, similar to many of the solid surface materials out there. It is half the weight of glass and comes in standardized sizes, similar to plywood.

If Russel Wright were around today, he'd be digging Lumicor.

Officially On the Market

2006-06-05T06:01:00.000-07:00

As of this morning, the other three South Center properties are on the MLS.

I've gotten a ton of emails and I certainly don't mind answering questions, but if you have specific questions or are interested in the houses, you should probably just go see them. I doubt they'll be on the market more than a few days.

Here is the listing agent's website: www.tarekmorshed.com

If you need a buyer's agent, our realtor has been amazing, and he has an assistant to make sure someone is available 24/7: www.chrislongaustin.com

You can't buy one of these properties unless you have a habit of baking cookies and delivering them to your neighbors. I'm serious.

Shopping: Bamboo Coil Screen

2006-06-04T14:13:00.000-07:00

This screen is reminiscent of the Eames plywood screen and is made of sustainable bamboo.

And at only $298, that's a lot of badass for the buck.

On the Market

2006-06-03T14:04:00.001-07:00

The other three houses in the set are not yet on the open market, but the listing agent has placed signs and flyers out front, so I feel comfortable sharing.

Tarek, the listing agent, asked me not to blog about them until they were ready to accept contracts.

Property Address: 900 South Center Street, 78704.

Prices: about $375,000 to $382,000

Map

There are a lot of modern homes going in to this area. A Metrohouse is around the corner and two modern duplexes are being built just down the street on Garden Villa.

I'm not obliged to publish Tarek's phone number, but if you are interested, shoot me an email at the link in my blogger profile and I'll let you know.

Project Update: Appliances and Countertops

2006-06-03T13:31:00.000-07:00

I went by the site earlier today, and there are appliances going in. Two of the houses have countertops. And, some cool landscaping is being installed.

Woo Woo.

This is a bath in one of the back houses. The countertop is a white flecked Dovae that looks really great in person.

Stainless JennAir kitchen appliances with a stainless steel backsplash across the back wall (the protective film is still on it, and we hope it stays on there until the end).

You can just barely make out the white flecked Silestone counters in upper left of the photo below, along with a glimpse of the big stainless steel sink in the island.

Our house will have black flecked Silestone for the kitchen counters and white for the baths. I think the white will look great with the glass tile in our master bath.

And here are a few landscaping photos. This cool concrete block wall was installed on our house this week, and they were installing plants early this afternoon:

A berm being created between our house and the one behind:

And a cool shot of the left back house with a nice palm that was just installed:

We're getting excited.

Eye Candy: Some More Shots

2006-06-03T09:46:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more shots of the mini-development, just for fun.

These are earlier in the build.

This house is directly behind ours:

This one is caddy-corner to ours on the property and next to the house shown above:

And this house is at the front of the property, across from ours:

Here's a back view:

And here's the front of ours. It is likely that we'll end up changing that yellow finish on the front section to something a bit more organic. We'll tackle that when we can. You have to ignore the construction trailer and imagine the section behind it finished in wood:

Random Posts: Why We Are Buying a Spec

2006-06-03T07:54:00.000-07:00

You may be familiar with our written house program, which we composed way back when we were planning to hire an architect, buy a lot, and build from scratch.

Through research and chatting with architects, and of course our Euclid Avenue experiment, we deduced that perhaps living through a new build or gigantic ugly remodel is not the best solution for us right now.

I travel a great deal for work. The better half does his share of travel as well. We could foresee something major coming up while we were both out of town that would set the whole project back without an immediate response.

"You have to select your countertops TODAY! We need the concrete finish color YESTERDAY."

Stuff like that. It does happen.

And, after the Euclid Avenue experiment, we learned that, to be in our preferred area of town, we'd end up sinking a minimum of $400,000 in a remodel or new build, which is the ultimate tip top of our total budget.

So, we set out to buy a 50's ranch in Barton Hills. We came damn close to buying a really great simple brick courtyard ranch that was ripe for a light remodel, but someone beat us to the punch. Bastards.

And then, while we were out and about one day, we came across this mini-development of four houses on a really nice plot of land:

There were no signs on the property to indicate the developer, builder or marketer. Our first impression was that they would be priced out of our range. Knowing that the Metrohouses share an average-size urban lot and start at around $360K, it didn't seem possible that these similarly-sized stand-alone houses, with larger lots, would be accessible.

But, after stewing on it, I decided to do some sleuthing and find out.

First, I looked the houses up on the tax rolls and found the legal owner's name. Then, I did a Google search and managed to track down an engineering firm that had worked on the project. A contact there finally returned my call and was able to give me who he thought was the realtor for the property. One more internet search yielded said realtor's contact information, and I left him a voicemail.

This whole primary investigation took about a week, what with the voicemails and phonetag.

But then...Voila! The realtor called me back and confirmed that yes indeedy, he was the guy.

To add another hurdle, the house we immediately liked best had already been promised to someone else, but he agreed to meet us at the property and show us around.

After a tour and quick Q & A, we still preferred the taken house.

Two weeks later, the taker backed out, the agent called us, we hooked him up with our agent, and we were able to make an offer. A week or so after that, we were officially under contract.

Our option period has come and gone, we've had our first walk through with the builder, and it looks like, barring catastrophe, the house is as good as ours.

Courtyard layout?

Check.

Great light?

Check Check.

Cook-friendly kitchen, high-end finishes, ample storage, plenty of privacy, nice mix of materials, double master walk in closets, huge master shower, room for a koi pond.

Check. Check. Check.

Having about 90% of what we originally included on our wish list, we're pretty darn happy. Sure, there are a few very minor things we would've done differently and a few things we'll tweak once we move in, but overall, we don't think we could've done much better (on our budget) by building from scratch.

The luck of the Irish. Except I'm not Irish.

Project Update: Let there be Tile.

2006-06-02T17:07:00.000-07:00

We have tile.

Guest Bath:

And Master Bath. The blue glass tile will be a bit more subdued when grouted.

Project Update: More House Pics and Some Stats

2006-05-30T17:14:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more photos and the basic info, although the place is more finished than this at the moment. I haven't had the opportunity to take any recent photos.

Very Basic Stats:
Design: KRDB
1650 square feet
2 bedrooms/2 baths
2 living areas
Stucco, Hardiplank, wood and concrete block
Concrete floors
Silestone countertops
Maple cabinets
Jenn-Air kitchen appliances
Subway and/or glass tile in baths
1 car garage

And now photos:

The living area toward the master bedroom door:

Looking into the courtyard from the living area:

Kitchen. We really like those clerestory windows:

One view of the master bedroom. Fun window placement:

Almost useless view of master bath. At least it gives a sense of the light:

Back of house, showing much-desired courtyard configuration and three nice oaks:

I'll try to post some updated photos by the end of the week. The place (thankfully) is now locked, so we need an appointment to get in.

Shopping: Coffee Mug Odyssey 2006

2006-05-29T16:36:00.000-07:00

We're low on coffee mugs and have been in the market for some new ones.

One would think that this is an easy fix. No, no, no.

Absolutely No.

We want something really whimsical and fun to hold our morning Go Juice. After all, coffee mugs host the image/design that we look at first almost every single day of our lives, so shouldn't they be inspiring in some way?

And we're also particular about size and shape. A lot of mugs out there these days are really oversized, and I'd rather refill and keep my coffee hot, thank you very much.

Can you tell this is a serious issue?

Our everyday Russel Wright Iroquois has a matching mug, but they are rare, fairly pricey, and not that nice to hold/use. Yet we would indeed like something with a bit of a modern bent.

We've seriously been to every retail outlet in Austin that we've thought of. I'm now scouring online sources for something reasonable and well-designed.

This line of tableware by Rosanna has some pretty cool designs, and Whole Foods Market in Austin carries some of them. I like the Platinum Chandelier design:

But alas, no mugs. Only cups and saucers.

Someone help! This is getting serious.

Good Books: Compact Houses

2006-05-28T17:42:00.000-07:00

Found (and bought) a fun book today at Gardens.

Compact Houses, by Cristina del Valle, is a thick little softbound book that features 52 houses, and many of them are under 800 square feet. Of course many of them are in Europe and Asia as well.

$25 and change at Gardens or $19.99 + shipping through Amazon.

I am digging it.

At Last: Home

2006-05-27T16:46:00.000-07:00

We found a house, and have it under contract. It is a new build and fits our original list of "wants" by about 90%. Pretty good odds.

We've had our eye on the house for a good while, and jumped through hoops to track down the developer/builder because it wasn't yet listed on the market.

There are a few other, somewhat similar houses being built with it in this tiny development, and they are not quite ready to be offered for sale. I think I'll be able to let you know about them before they go on the market...or at least as they go on the market.

For now, here's a little visual teaser:

More to come...

Cool Stuff: iannone:sanderson

2006-05-27T06:38:00.000-07:00

I'm in crazy love with this sideboard/cabinet.

Via design*sponge and found at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in NYC, this piece was created by iannone:sanderson, a design duo out of Philly.

There's just something about it. Makes me want to max out a credit card and bring it home.

Exciting House News Coming.

2006-05-22T18:20:00.000-07:00

We've had our eye on a newly designed/developed property for a while now, and it looks like some activity might be happening soon.

I think we might be able to let you in on them as they go on the market.

Stay tuned.

Pioneer House: Austin

2006-05-09T06:11:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday's storm knocked out our power with dinner on the table, dirty cookware in the kitchen, and laundry in the machine.

Flash to Monday, and we still weren't back on the grid.

After four days of Laura Ingells Wilder jokes, it got old. So did those dirty dishes that couldn't be washed because the sink disposal was full of veggie debris. (Fear of major clogs) Yes, I should be composting, and I'll start that, stat.

Finally, yesterday after 5 PM, we had lights. Only to find out that our AC is no longer cooling and the dishwasher is on the fritz. I fear it was hit by lightening, because it is dead-o.

However, this ain't New Orleans after Katrina, so we're counting our blessings.

We should have some good house news by the end of the week. I'll post more when we find out!

Inspiring Houses: Kessler Woods Development

2006-04-29T15:07:00.000-07:00

Our former home base of Dallas doesn't boast a ton of exciting modern homes. That's why I'm excited to see Kessler Woods, a development in my former neighborhood of Oak Cliff, taking off and getting tons of press, press and more press.

In a city more famous for really awful McMansions, Kessler Woods offers 30 unique, architect-designed modern homes with exceptional design, construction and finish out.

Priced from $500,000 to $2 million, they aren't close to Austin's Agave development in affordability. But, they're designed by such architects as Frank Welch and are certainly more high-end.

The setting is beautiful, with thick trees, creeks and softly rolling hills. And, only minutes from downtown. The only negative thing I'll say is that, for this price point, the homes are jammed a bit too close together.

Some of the properties are already sold, but there are many left.

If you are visiting Dallas anytime soon and are remotely interested in modern development, you should seriously check it out.

Shopping: Modern Summer

2006-04-29T14:08:00.000-07:00

It is practically here. Let's get equipped.

First off, I love this line of outdoor furniture from Sprout Home. Made of steel and ipe wood, a sustainable tropical hardwood, they aren't dirt cheap but are built to last.

The bench is nothing short of stunning:

And I really like the chaise:

For the tighter budget, Crate and Barrel has this set of outdoor furniture at closeout price right now. A great amount of bang for the buck at 799.00 for the entire set up, including 6 chairs:

And this barware, from CB2, Crate and Barrel's answer to West Elm, is in a knockout color.

Love. It.

These are probably the hottest outdoor planters I've seen in forever.

From Design Within Reach, they come in nickel, bronze or black finishes and are built to withstand outdoor use and abuse. The price tag reflects the quality, but heck, consider them an investment in good solid modern design.

I seriously might have to make that investment when we find our permanent modern home.

These little terracotta birdhouses from The Well Dressed Home have a nice natural modern look to them, and at only $15 a pop, buy a handful! I definitely prefer the white glazed one. It would also be more reflective, keeping the birdies from getting too hot during the summer months.

One would make a nice inexpensive housewarming gift.

Also from Sprout Home is this new Pebble planter, boasting a lovely organic shape that would look beautiful planted with a mass of trailing sedums.

Everyone needs a beach towel or two, but unless you're Donatella Versace, you really don't want to spend much on something that's going to get chlorine, sand and/or greasy sunscreen all over it regularly.

These Marimekko beach towels from Crate and Barrel are bright, fun, modern and very well priced at $21 each:

And as a bonus, here is an online listing of Garden Design Magazine's "Way Hot 100" plants for 2006.

Hip plants. Hmmmm. Do they come with little tattoos and a MySpace profile?

Sites to Like: Apartment Therapy

2006-04-17T18:31:00.000-07:00

I don't know if you follow Apartment Therapy...but you should.

Check out their smallest coolest apartments contest.

A ton of inspiration for urban spaces, no matter the size.

Also, check out the general blog.

More Porn: Rick Black Site Schematic

2006-04-16T14:51:00.000-07:00

Rick Black's schematic for the former Euclid project reads a bit different from MJ Neal's.

Our sense is that Rick approached the project with a very real concern for the budget we laid out for him. To me it almost seems like our budget guided his vision, as opposed to MJ, who seemed to build BIG (on paper) from the start, with the ability to scale down as needed once the budget gets set in stone.

Two very different approaches. Either are workable, depending on one's comfort levels.

Here's is Rick's schematic proposal, which includes a remodel of the existing bath, conversion of one bedroom into a dressing area, and the addition of a guest suite and utilities on the opposite side of the house. This would render the spaces on the left side of the drawing as a master suite with ample closet space (a big want of ours).

The schematic also includes a nice courtyard arrangement, future dip pool, and some hardscape that would tie the structure to the ground. You can see that the additions are in green and orange on the above drawing.

Rick also included a very rough estimate of the project, based on the budget and his experience, which was comforting.

At this point, we don't feel comfortable choosing our architect.

Because we are still looking at some varied properties, we'll wait until we decide on a site before we decide on an architect. However, we feel confident that, when we do find our new home (or home site) we'll know immediately who we should work with. That's the beauty of the little Euclid Avenue experiment.

Real Estate Find: 405 Post Road Drive

2006-04-15T16:52:00.000-07:00

I had to pass this one on.

Our friend at Modern Austin posted about this house a while back, and we finally decided to check it out today, just for grins.

For the right folks, this house is a find.

Built in 1960, it has nice modernist bones and hasn't been messed up too much. In fact, there seems to have been an amateur woodworker in residence at some point, which I'll talk more about.

It has 3 bedrooms and 2 baths, and at a little over 1000 square feet, should be remodeled to 2 bedrooms and 1.5 baths, creating more living space. 3 bedrooms in 1000 square feet is silly for a first modernist house anyway.

And that's the deal. This house is perfect for a first modernist residence.

It was originally listed at $229K and has been reduced to $215. It has been on the market for a good while and might have a motivated seller at this point.

Try to buy the house for $200K, spend $50K on a remodel, and you have something pretty darn sharp in a neighborhood that will, no doubt, be picking up quickly in the next 5 years.

If we weren't interested in making a larger investment, we'd jump on it.

The living/dining area is more compact than it looks in the photo below, but it has vaulted ceilings and you could so easily knock down a wall and turn the master bedroom into more living space, along with turning the TINY master bath into a powder room (the other bedrooms are no smaller than the master anyway, so size isn't a concern).

Also, the strange white "bump outs" between the sliding glass door and high window doesn't seem to have any structural task or a/c vents, so you could rip it out easily.

The kitchen, seen in the following two photos, would need to be completely ripped out. Think IKEA cabinets.

Yes, that table above is "70's built in". Hence the amateur woodworker mention.

The guest bath is original and so damn blank you could live with it if you had to. Switch the faucets and hardware and be happy you don't have brown and gold 70's tile to deal with.

And the bedrooms are in pretty good shape, with refinished floors:

This third bedroom has more evidence of the woodworker:

The back yard needs work. The woodworker also built 4 (yes four) unattached storage and utility structures on the property. The main one, seen at right in the photo below, was built to align perfectly with the roof of the house, so she/he knew a little something.

For a $250K maximum total investment, you could have a great little modern house in a geographically excellent location that will begin increasing in value quite soon.

Another link to the website. Check it out.

Get Outside: Plant Tomatoes

2006-04-15T14:16:00.000-07:00

Homegrown tomatoes: one of the true thrills of summer. If you have a patch of sunshine they are really easy to grow.

This year I planted 4 varieties: your everyday red, a yellow cocktail-sized pear tomato, and two heirloom varieties: a purple and a black.

The red variety looks very promising. I already have some nice sized fruit:

To grow your own, all you need is sunshine, compost or potting medium, and a regular dose of water. You can grow tomatoes very successfully in pots.

When they get to a certain height and begin to bend, you'll want to use metal or bamboo cages to keep them upright, because if your diabolical plan is successful, you'll have big juicy tomatoes that will try to weigh the branches down.

Try it this year. It isn't too late to plant them, but you should get right on it.

I see bruschetta in my future.

Cool Stuff: Sprout Home Had Me at Hello.

2006-04-15T08:11:00.000-07:00

The good people at Sprout Home continue to bring in stuff that I covet.

This throw pillow is simply beautiful.

Love the "line drawing" stitching and the acid yellow color. Must back away very slowly.

A Little Porn: MJ Neal Schematic Ideas

2006-04-15T07:14:00.000-07:00

MJ Neal submitted his schematic ideas for the now-defunct Euclid project, and graciously agreed to let me post them here.

I should point out that these images are the property of MJ Neal Architects and it would be a crime to appropriate or use these images without the written consent of the firm.

Here's the proposed layout, which might be difficult to decipher because the blog program automatically formats the pic size, whether I like it or not.

The original structure is in gray. You can see that he proposed an addition that would create our desired courtyard configuration, incorporating the existing garage in the layout.

The addition and renovation would consist of a master suite, kitchen and large screened porch, along with a nice dramatic entryway and indoor/outdoor fireplaces. Pretty cool.

The first sketch below shows the front of the house, with a new roof that would cover everything, including a parking spot/covered outdoor entertaining area/whateveryouwantittobe area.

Below is the entry to the home, with off street parking on the right of the entry walk and the new kitchen on the left of it. The kitchen would have a very open feel to the front yard, with panels that could slide to create privacy and glow at night. Nice.

Below, a sketch of the reworked living space, showing the kitchen area on the right, fireplace and built in seating, which would create a nice open feel to the space.

And here's a rendering of the master suite looking towards the screened porch/outdoor living area, showing our much-needed wall of bookshelves. Sigh. Those bookshelves alone make me want to jump through a wormhole to 3 weeks ago and exclaim "let's do it!"

Here's a cool one below. It shows the master bath with a great indoor/outdoor treatment. You're looking at the shower area, with rain heads and a reclining bench. Everyone needs a reclining bench near the shower. I know I do. Hell, I'd never leave the bathroom. Bring me a tuna melt! I'm not going anywhere.

His proposal definitely made good use of the "wow factor". We received it the day that we backed out of the contract for the property, which made it that much more difficult.

Technical Difficulties Suck.

2006-04-14T16:33:00.000-07:00

So yeah. I haven't posted in a while, and I should be flogged.

Here's what happened.

We ended up backing out of the house contract because we didn't think the investment was solid. Once we spent $150K on improvements, we would be the proud owners of a house that was indeed fabulous (I'll post architectural renderings later) but would be about $350 per square foot....and NOT in a $350 per square foot neighborhood.

If we had absolutely, positively been confident that we would live out the rest of our days there, it would've been fabu.

But life pitches curve balls. We couldn't risk it.

So, I typed up a lovely post detailing the minutiae of our decision, then somehow had a techie glitch and lost the post. Aggravation.

And frankly, I didn't feel like writing it again, so suffice it to say that the deal just didn't make financial sense for us.

Done and moving on.

We're now leaning towards buying the most house we can afford in the best neighborhood we can afford, even if it means we have to sit on it before we undertake any major remodels.

We'd be able to do some tweaks here and there, but no knocking down of walls or anything else major for a while. But for the long haul and for sound investment purposes, it makes a whole lot of sense.

So that's where we are.

Hey, at least we've learned a few things and enjoyed some architectural porn, which I'll post tomorrow.

Good or Bad?

2006-04-12T17:41:00.000-07:00

Is this good? Or bad?

I'm leaning towards good.

In some kind of twisted and demented "kid of the 70's" way, I'm craving one.

Eye Candy: Jocelyn Warner Papers

2006-04-02T14:17:00.000-07:00

From Design*Sponge, one of my favorite online design indulgences, comes Jocelyn Warner, a British wallpaper designer who also offers lamp shades in the same appealing patterns.

I'm not a big fan of wallpaper (or gold for that matter), but I could really go for a single dramatic wall covered in this:

And this oval pattern would look great in a midcentury home:

And the lamp shades are inspired as well.

Elegant stuff.

Project Update: Architect Site Visit II

2006-03-30T16:20:00.000-08:00

MJ Neal and his partner in crime Viviane visited the house today.

After introducing ourselves, we launched right into it.

MJ is a little more "Zen" in his approach to a project. He talks about volumes and spaces more than cost per square foot. He talks about light more than layout. He listens hard, and seems fairly methodical in his approach to a project...but not in a bad way.

He presented what seemed like a hundred directions in one hour. And maybe what contributed to that sensation is that SO and I are feeling a little overwhelmed with the speed of this decision. But the meeting felt like a whirlwind nonetheless. Lots of ideas and information shared between the four.

We're expecting a site analysis from both of them in the next few days, and I'll post a report of how they pan out and how we react to them.

If for whatever reason we decide against this property, we will still hopefully be able to narrow our architects down to one firm. How about that?

We're on pins and needles.

Project Update: Architect Site Visit

2006-03-29T17:00:00.000-08:00

Rick and Cindy Black visited the property and spent about an hour and a half talking amongst themselves, talking with us, and getting the lay of the land.

The Sig Other really liked them. He liked that they "banter" back and forth about possibilities openly. And they do....we certainly witnessed an open exchange of ideas.

Because this property is a bit more than we planned to spend on the raw ingredients and will require a total rewire and install of a H/AC system, our project budget would be more limited than we originally communicated to Rick and Cindy a few months ago.

Surprise, surprise, right?

We don't know yet whether our budget will allow for what we ultimately want out of the finished product.

However, they left with some guidelines and will come back to us with a very rough sketch and some project ideas to look at by the weekend, which is exciting....even if it doesn't work out. They will likely come back to us with a "now" plan and a 5-year plan.

Still, the property is ideal for what we want...if we just had double the money and were not concerned with the resulting price per square foot.

A simple (and not to scale) sketch of the lot, and what might become of it. Granted, I'm no architect. This is an exceedingly simple way of approaching it:

We'll see how it all plays out in the next few days.

Project Update: A Real Possibility

2006-03-28T18:22:00.000-08:00

Getting settled in Austin has taken longer than expected. Add to that the fact that we experienced some internet connection challenges at home at the start, and I'm way behind on updates.

It looks like we may have found a property.

I've spent a lot of my rare spare time on the internets and researching neighborhoods. This past Sunday, we set out to drive the city, walk through some open houses, and see a few things that were on the market.

We ended up in Pemberton, an idiotic choice considering our wants and budget. It was a fun distraction nonetheless and we toured some cool open houses. One 2200 sq ft + house we really liked, but of course it was out of our budget. While walking through, my first reaction was "what would we do with all this space?".

I've never lived (as a grown up) in more than 1800 square feet. Even then, I've usually ended up living in just a couple of rooms in the end. The Sig Other has a similar experience. So, the more we think about it, the more we acknowledge that not only do we not need a whole lot of space, we aren't necessarily comfortable with 2000 square feet. A key learning.

We also know that outdoor space and the feel/shape/location of the lot is just as important, considering our ultimate plan.

I had pulled a certain property online.

We did a couple of drive by's. It was unoccupied, but someone was having a look with their realtor, so we didn't stop and roam around the outside.

However, after spending hours upon hours looking at what's on the market, we came back and realized it was the 'raw ingredients' we're looking for. In our price range, of course.

We called our realtor.

There was already an offer about to be put on the table, so we had to act quite fast. We saw the place the following morning at 8 AM. Did a quick walk-through and made an offer, which was accepted.

So, we're under contract.

The house is teeny tiny at 831 square feet.

But, it sits on a great lot, which is almost square and over 7000 square feet. The house also sits to one side of the lot, which allows lots of space for an addition or second structure. Lots of possibilities, design-wise.

And, it already lends itself to a courtyard type configuration, which is cool.

The interior is simple but in okay shape.

We had the inspection today, and while the house is in great structural shape for its age, there are serious electrical issues, serious HVAC issues, and some textbook issues with a house of this age. We'll work that out with the seller in allowances or we'll walk away.

Nonetheless, we're under contract and have just under 10 days to make a final decision on whether we want to move forward with the project. If we change our minds, we're out the option fee and inspection fee, which isn't a huge loss in the grand scheme.

Our approach (today, anyway) is to add onto the house, respecting the neighborhood and original style while injecting it with strong modernist strokes.

For example, we'd like the openness (added windows, doors, screen porch, etc) to face the courtyard area rather than the street. The house would be quite demure and unimposing.

We'll have our two possible architects (MJ Neal and Rick Black) visit in the next few days and I'll post updates on those visits and our decisions on this property.

The next week will be quite interesting, to say the least.

Inspiring Houses: Basis Design Build

2006-03-13T16:57:00.000-08:00

This house has been featured in Metropolitan Home and Fine Homebuilding's Houses. I'd seen both articles and managed to hold onto the Houses issue in my pile of 'keepers'.

At 2000 square feet and designed by Basis Design Build out of Toronto, this house lives large.

I could just about move right in. I like it a lot.

Great kitchen.

And a cool 3rd floor retreat and viewing deck.

From the street, the house maintains a very consistent scale and roofline as the neighbors, which is respectful.

Yet from the back, a modern home dramatically reveals itself.

It has a lovely small interior courtyard that allows natural light into the core of the house.

The floor plan is a thoughtful use of space. The front studio could be a flex space, a more formal living area or a library, and the office could easily be used as a guest room.

The house employs a good use of light, functions and materials.

This shower/bath combo, with a teak cover for the tub, is quite inventive.

A whole lot to appreciate.

I love this house.

Inspiring Houses: The Dwell Homes: Flatpak

2006-03-08T17:28:00.000-08:00

The Dwell Homes, three modern prefab dwellings manufactured in Massachusetts, have created a lot of buzz.

And with good reason.

The Flatpak house, designed by Charlie Lazor, a principal in Blu Dot (an award winning furniture design firm) offers an interesting mix of materials and comes in three different floorplans/sizes.

The larger model, shown above, has separate study and guestroom structures, connected by a second floor interior bridge, that creates a covered outdoor living area:

And the 500 square foot plan has a nice layout for the size. I like the middle room's flexibility. You could plunk a murphy bed in there and let it function in a hundred different ways:

But it is the 3000 square foot plan that has gotten the most attention:

For me, though, there is something about the exterior of the larger model that comes across as static and austere. Maybe it is the fact that the structure itself is basically one big square with a flat shed roof. There isn't much to lead the eye.

Yet the interior spaces seem very livable.

While I think this design is ambitious and exciting simply because it is readily available for purchase and installation, it isn't the one that floats my boat. Maybe it is just me.

More to come.

We're Home.

2006-03-06T17:20:00.000-08:00

The last 7 days have been spent packing, talking to utilities people, interacting with burly moving folk, unpacking, arranging, shopping and cleaning. We're beat.

We love our house. Granted, the location has a whole lot to do with it. But the livability of the place is also already evident. I like this kitchen better than the one in the house we're about to sell, even though it is smaller.

The whole place is very hospitable.

The landscape, which is a bit "cottagey", is lush and well done. The interior spaces, while traditional and snug, are scaled to the overall size of the place and very livable.

And then there's that 3 minute commute to work.

We like.

We interrupt this broadcast: The Big Move.

2006-02-27T16:18:00.000-08:00

We're all about cardboard right now and have the paper cuts to prove it.

For the next 4 or 5 days, we'll be focused on moving, unpacking, cleaning, arranging and organizing. Moving isn't the most fun undertaking on the face of the planet, that's for darn sure. Luckily we hired a good company to do the lifting and placing.

When we've hit solid ground again, the site will be back with a vengeance.

Austin, Texas here we come! Ya'll better buckle up.

Shopping: The Well Dressed Home

2006-02-24T17:14:00.000-08:00

Well Dressed Home is a pretty cool online shop. The selection is a little limited but you can always find something useful or cool.

I LOVE this canister set.

Instead of text or some cutesy imagery to signify the contents, there's a peekaboo window in the stainless exterior. Cool and functional. You definitely don't see many canister sets that would fit nicely in a modern kitchen or pantry and be functional at the same time.

Check em out.