Architecture Style

I had a small supper for a few friends before a party tonight: It's not New Years Eve in my book without sauerkraut and kielbasa! I kept the centerpiece simple -just a bunch of candles on an antique mirror. A celebration of light!

I used an assortment of mismatched crystal, my grandmothers silver, my coalport harebell china and some white napkins. Nothing special but I thought it was pretty - and simple! I hope everyone has a Happy New Year!!

Probably the best part about blogging is the friendships that happen between bloggers. Along the way I've made quite a few friends, but the first was Patricia from PVEdesign. We met while I was in NYC a few months back and toured the Cooper Hewitt museum together to see an exhibit on interior watercolors (read the original post HERE).
Well imagine my surprise when a pretty little package comes my way from...PVE!Such a cute little card with a sketch of a jacket (just like the one I wear to work everyday!)Well, she must be a faithful reader of my blog, because she knew that not only did I LOVE snoopy but I collect kitschy hallmark ornaments. This is especially notable because it's a NYC snoopy -where she and I met!

Here it is on my tree, see, not too late, Patricia!

Thank you so much, Patricia -your thoughtful gift really made my day! Thanks for all the work you put into your blog and for being a great friend! If you haven't already become a faithful reader of her blog, visit her today HERE!

At home we, like most people, put our Xmas and other cards on the bookshelf in our living room. With that in mind I thought I'd display a handful of the "cards" I received via e-mail this season.


ARX Portugal Arquitectos


JDS / Julien de Smedt Architects


Leeser Architecture


Princeton Architectural Press


Super Colossal

Beautiful picnic, right? but check out the background. The Chateau d'Anet in Normany was originally built for Diane de Poitiers, the mistress to Henri II in the early 16th century as a gift from the king on the land of her former husband's estate. Interestingly enough, she was 20 years his senior, talk about cougars!Her remains were laid to rest in the chapel on the estate after her death in 1566 but were later removed during the revolution. The original grave can be seen below. While the chateau escaped being pilaged and burned during the french revolution, the estate's entire contents were put up for sale. Later, most of the chateau was torn down with interesting pieces being salvaged to be put into the famous Ecole des Beaux-Arts. After World War II these elements were given back to the chateau. the chapel on the estate

The chateau was faithfully restored first in the 1840s by the Comte Adolphe de Caraman and later in the 1860s by Ferdinand Moreau who also began to collect items originally belonging to the chateau. Moreau's family still own and live on the estate but it can be toured. In 1851 it was declared a historical monument. The main dining room, seen in the 2 photos above, is really spectacular. Beautiful paneling with tons of gilding. However, the part of the chateau I really love is in the caretakers 'cottage'. The dining room housed there is less grand, but equally as elegant.
The doors opening to the garden really make the room for me. The paneling isn't bad either!

Even the ceiling is interesting with a polychromed treatment.

I thought the flowers below, gathered from the estate were just icing on the cake. To see more pictures of the estate and also pictures of an event there, please visit New York Social Diary

Visit the official website of the Chateau HERE for visiting times and prices.

Pictures from Classic Entertaining by Henrietta Spencer-Churchill and Flickr.com

While visiting family in Pittsburgh for the holidays, I had the pleasure of meeting Heather from Habitually Chic. Here we are in front of our favorite store, Toadflax. She doesn't think the picture turned out well, but I think she's beautiful, don't you?We intended to spend the afternoon shopping on Walnut Street in Shadyside but rainy weather forced us inside for drinks. She was with one of her best friends since childhood and we had a really fun time. Toadflax carries an assortment of gift items as well as being a really beautiful flower shop. Both of us agreed, if we opened up our own stores, it would be precisely like Toadflax! The side window had this charming collection of owls, I especially love the one that lights up below -don't you? What a great nightlight!

My weekly page update:

Petit Bayle in Tarn-et-Garonne, France by meld architecture.

This week's book review is In the Chinese City: Perspectives on the Transmutations of an Empire, edited by Frederic Edelmann.

Some unrelated links for your enjoyment:

20 Predictions for '09
A new feature at Archinect that looks forward instead of looking back.

Graduate Directory 2009
Wallpaper's annual directory of artists, architects, photographers, graphic designers, etc.

UrbanOmnibus
A soon-to launch online project of the Architectural League that will create a new kind of conversation about design and New York City, currently asking for contributions.

Why Do Architects Wear Black? (2009) edited by Cordula Rau
Springer
Cloth, 228 pages



Architects wearing black is a stereotype on par with architects wearing black, plastic-frame spectacles. Most architects don't abide by these fashion recipes, but if somebody outside the profession comes across just one architect fitting the Corbusian mold then, alas, all architects must do the same. That Le Corbusier's and Philip Johnson's proclivities for a certain attire has trickled down to numerous enough architects to become a popular stereotype -- and not Frank Lloyd Wright's cane and pork pie hat -- is evidenced by this small book that asks architects, "Why do architects wear black?" Packaged in a small, sketchbook-size format are a hundred or so answers to that question, one response per spread with the original handwritten answer opposite the typed, translated text and the name of the architect, designer or draftsman. Spanning seven years, the answers reveal as much about the personalities as they do about the question itself.

The decision by Cordula Rau -- an "industry manager who left his white-blue, silver-shimmering world of car bodywork and dove into the pitch-black, mysterious world of architecture" and was asked that very question shortly after such leap -- to retain the handwritten responses is an important one. Not only does it reveal the answer in the original language (and in some instances revealing incorrect translation, even from English to English!), it lets the reader dapple in the realm of graphology, to see what the cursive, the composition, the white spaces, the messiness (or cleanliness) of the writing reveals about the architect. Only a few include doodles, surprising for a profession that uses drawings more than text to describe ideas. Many of the responses are simply one short sentence; in some cases they are only one word ("Green" in one case, "Fear" in another). Answers range from the enigmatic to straightforward, personal reasons for wearing or not wearing black. Certain strands of thought can be discovered while flipping through the book: black is a (non-)color that allows other colors to stand out, black is an easy choice, black is fashionable, black is tragic, that question is false.

Priced at just under thirty dollars, this is the kind of book that will be given to an architect, rather than purchased by one for his or herself. Many will get a kick out of how well-known architects (Peter Eisenman, Jaques Herzog, Rem Koolhaas, etc.) answer the question, though these aren't necessarily the most interesting. Thinking about the book's design -- its small size, cloth cover, ribbon bookmark, its sketchbook qualities -- I couldn't help but yearn for some blank pages at the end to add responses from famous architects I might come across. Oh, to stumble across Frank Gehry again, look him straight in the face and ask, "Why do architects wear black?"

or

I'm coveting these St Louis crystal tumblers and glasses featured in Classic Entertaining I mentioned on Wednesday. I never really liked colored crystal-but a large portion of this book is devoted to them. I think I appreciate them more in a rainbow spectrum such as this and not matched. I'm rethinking in COLOR

This pretty dining room would be a perfect place for breakfast, don't you think? Featured in Classic Entertaining that I mentioned on Wednesday, this room features a rare lilac covered cheese dish-I assume it's Wedgewood Jasperware. Isn't it so beautiful? Love those amaryllis too!

To everyone celebrating Christmas today, I hope you all have a day full of joy and hope!
This is my tree a few years ago in a larger apartment.

I've been reading the book Classic Entertaining by Henrietta Spencer-Churchill and came across this beautiful dining room set for dinner in an Oxfordshire country house. Perfect for a Christmas eve meal, don't you think? Love these flowers, don't you?

It had been awhile since I had seen a really GREAT movie in the theater. Sure, I've seen a lot of fun fluff this year that I really enjoyed -but nothing that I would call a future classic. Now, however, I can't say that.

Doubt is so expertly written, wonderfully acted and extremely well made that it is destined to be a classic. Not only does it deal with some important issues but is totally enjoyable to watch! Not many 'important' films can boast that. Meryl Streep has a brilliant performance (of course) as does Amy Adams who finally is getting some decent roles and Philip Seymour Hoffman, who I usually dislike, also portrays his role really well. They each bring these characters to life, their attributes as well as their faults -which is the greatest compliment to any actor I guess. Set in 1964 in a Catholic church and school, the film captures this spirit we so often hear about but also their softer side and a fun loving and effective priest to boot. I think you all know the premise; a priest supposedly takes advantage of a young boy. The actual dealing of it though is intensely more interesting with many twists and turns along the way. While I was raised Presbyterian, my father's side of the family is VERY Catholic (including some nuns and priests). All of my uncles and father attended Catholic school (in this same time period) and church religiously, but all have fallen away from the Catholic church. These issues left me wondering about my own family -why did they choose to leave the Catholic church shortly after this time period? This is brought up in the film, how to make the Catholic church more modern and friendly. I think this film very accurately depicts the time period based on my family photos and dad's descriptions. I would love to hear what any of you think about this! I am in no way criticizing the Catholic church at all -these are just my thoughts about the movie.Trust me, you will love this movie. You will laugh and cry; You will be moved, entertained and touched. Official Website

In the December 2008 issue of 'This Old House' magazine is one of the most elegant conversions I've ever seen! A former 1916 Carriage House (garage and servants quarters) from a grand estate in Bernardsville, New Jersey, was bought and converted into a weekend getaway for a couple by Hiland Hall Turner Architects. Measuring in at 3,500 sf, the garage didn't even need an addition. As 1/2 of the home was already living space, that left the garage to be converted into a serious living room! The floorplans have a beautifully modern layout. I'm green with envy! That main living space is spectacular; measuring 25' by 45' with an 11' tall ceiling! The 4 original car doors were swapped out for large french doors with transoms above. As you can see in the top photo, you can't even tell this ever was a garage!

This is the main open living room above - the fireplace was added, but can you tell this was an unfinished space ever? They built in the walls with insulation and paneling. So beautiful!!
The library at the front of the house was originally the chauffeur's office. The bookcases are original (fancy office for a chauffeur, huh?). They now hold the board games and books of the owners.

The kitchen also contains some original items, such as the island which was originally the mechanics work table! The owners had the beautiful herringbone floors put down over the original concrete. You can see the original glazed-brick walls which were left exposed on the one interior wall. My old high school had these in the gym but they're really a unique feature pointing to the original use of the home.

You can see both the brick and the original island better here. The glazed brick acts as a perfect backsplash. I love that hood! Stainless steel is OVER in my opinion. The tall cabinets flanking the stove were originally lockers for the mechanics.
Here is a better view of the open living space created from the garage. Notice the thick walls and the row of transomed french doors with sidelights.

The paneling in the formal dining room is original as well, this was the workshop. The archway to the foyer and staircase is new, however.
In the master bedroom, the architects exposed the beautiful rafters creating a cathedral ceiling which soars up to 15'. The fireplace is new but fits in perfectly with the architecture I think. You would think it was original! Aren't you dying with envy??This project reminded me of the plans that Borries and Shearron have on their newly updated website for a French 'lanterne' house seen above and below. The long open living space with an enfilade of rooms is truly my favorite type of house. A country house with true outdoor connections :-) Be sure to check out the other 4 projects they have listed -you won't be disappointed!