Case Study Houses.

Since young I always knew what sort of houses I would like to have if I could build one from scratch. As I have mentioned before, one of my favourite houses is the Farnsworth House at Piano. It is a fine example of mid twentieth century architecture. These case study houses which were sponsored by Arts and Architecture magazine in the late 1940s to early 1960s started as an invitation to major architects to design and build inexpensive and efficient homes during the housing boom after WW2, and the return of millions of soldiers.

Out of the 35 designs, only 24 were built and out of that 24, 2 were demolished and another 2 were remodeled. What a pity. The most photographed and iconic one must be Case Study #22, Stahl House by Pierre Koenig. It is at West Hollywood and is a cantilever house over a cliff. However, my favourites are Case Study #9, Entenza House by Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen (which has been remodeled as a guest house or annex to a bigger house) and Case Study # 21B also by Pierre Koenig.

Case Study #8, Eames House by Ray and Charles Eames.

Case Study #9, Entenza House by Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen.

Interior of the Entenza House.

Blue Print for Case Study #18A, West House by Rodney Walker.

Case Study #21 By Pierre Koenig.

Case Study #22, Stahl House By Pierre Koenig.

Emeco 111 Navy Chair.

Emeco's original 1006 Navy Chair is so iconic and not forgetting eco-friendly. It is made of 80% recycled aluminum. The new 111 Navy Chair follows in its "daddy's" footsteps being made from 111 recycled plastic Coca Cola Pet bottles to form 1 chair. The price is around half the price of the aluminum one and it comes in an array of colours. My favourite has got to be the red as well as persimmon. They make great chairs for an outdoor dining area or even in cafes.

Red.

Snow.

Persimmon.

Grass.

Flint.

Charcoal.

Inspiration for Casual Dining Room.

I've put together some pieces which I would love to have together for a casual dining room. The dining area would also have a corner for folks waiting for dinner to be ready, and also a console table that would also double as a bar or buffet. I have selected vintage chairs for their simplicity and beauty. The Arne Vodders would flank both sides of the length of the table and the Grant Feathersons would be at both ends of the table. Above the Concorde table would be the Nautic Portreath pendant lamp. The reason why I picked the Concorde table was that usually the casual diner would be near the kitchen and it could also double up as an extra prep/pastry table (being marble). The decanter lamps would be hung above the console table.

I think that a casual diner should always fun and different without all the chi chi stuffiness that is usually in a formal dining space. It should be a space that people want to hang out in, sometimes even do work in. Something to think about. Enjoy.

Nautic Portreath Pendant Lamp.

Poliform Concorde Table by Emmanuel Gallina.

Arne Vodder Dining Chair in Teak.

The Arne Vodders to be re-upholstered in a purple tweed.

Grant Featherson R152 Dining Chairs.

Lee Broom Decanter Lights.

Another Country's Console.

Ercol Studio Couch.

Mulberry Home.

I am a fan. I love Mulberry as a brand and with Mulberry Home, it's no exception. I love the old school simplicity of their fabrics and the somewhat familiar feeling it gives. I don't think a whole room in plaid is the way to go but think of a little splash of it in a room in the form of a chair or even cushions in muted damask prints. It could bring into the room a little cosiness and yet a different touch without anyone thinking your granny had a hand in your decor.

Maison Martin Margiela White Objects.

It's a pity that I couldn't get hold of the link for the video for the F/W 2009 Maison Martin Margiela White Objects. However, you can see it here. I like the simplicity and the sense of familiarity with his objects like an empty snow dome or an old bottle converted into a lamp. These are my favourite objects from his collection.

Vers Audio.

Since the last time I reviewed Vers Audio, they have expanded their range for ipod/ipad/iphone casings, and a radio, clock, alarm and ipod player rolled into one. I love the green message that they are advocating and also the clean wood look. I own the Vers 2x myself and I strongly vouch for it's build quality and sound.

Vers 1.5R.

Vers 2x.

Ipad casing.

Dom P Black Box by Marc Newson.

A couple of years ago when the traveling case for Veuve Clicquot first came out, I went out hunting for it. It was so adorable and comes with two champagne glasses. Then in the same year (2006), Marc Newson did a lime green champagne cooler for for Dom Pérignon.

This year, Marc Newson has repeated the success of their collaboration with a traveling case. The case is made of a high-tech composite that keeps a chilled bottle of bubbly perfectly cool during traveling, while resisting wear and tear. Priced at €200, there are only 1000 pieces made. I hear you can get it from the website itself or Harvey Nichols. Personally I love it for three reasons; I am a design freak, I enjoy my Champagne very much and I love green. This is to die for.

Blood Lamp By Mike Thompson.

First things first, I will say that this is morbid and crazy. However, the thought behind this is meaningful. Would I buy this lamp, no. Watching the youtube video of the lady powering up the lamp is gross enough.

Read this quote about the lamp's philosophy and see if you'll join that camp.

"Scenario designer, and seemingly a junior sociologist, Mike Thompson has documented an environmental and social experiment to measure the value of generated power. The idea behind Mike’s creation is to bring some added value and realization to an individual in terms of wasted energy. He states that the average American consumes about 3383kwh of energy per year. That is equal to leaving a light on in four rooms for a full year. It is the luxury and ignorance of being able to flick a switch and “produce” light that makes us ultimately waste energy. In doing this we do not give a single thought to how this is effecting the environment, nor do we consider the method(s) it may take to give us this light. To put a bit more emphasis and realization on the entire process Mike has created the Blood Lamp. For the lamp to produce light one must break off the top of the lamp, dissolve a tablet in the solution and use their blood to power the light. This creates a lamp that can only be used once and forces the user to consider the most important time that they need the light. It forces them to be more considerate and reflect of how wasteful we are with energy on a daily basis. There is also a deep metaphor in this as well where the blood in our bodies represents life and the energy we use everyday effects the world we live in somehow someway, thus effecting our quality of life. See, everything is cyclical."

Poaa Dumbbells by Philippe Starck.

I know these were designed in 1999 and not exactly the most recent but the Poaa Dumbbells by Philippe Starck is almost like a sculpture. The gold ones are (each) 2kg dumbbells and the gun silver ones are 3kg each. It was designed for London's Sanderson Hotel, and part of a project led by Starck for the hotelier Ian Schrager, from Studio 54 fame. After toning your arms, you can leave it on the table as a paper weight or even on display in a shelf. It definitely looks better than the usual plastic dumbbells which should be kept hidden from view when not in use.

Henry Built.

From the first time I set my eyes on a Henry Built ad in Dwell magazine, I was mesmerized. The attention to detail, how well thought the kitchen was, the simplicity of the entire design caught me by surprise. I remember staring at the page studying their choice of materials, proportion of their pieces and colours. Without a doubt, I had set my eyes not on a luxury kitchen like a Poliform Varenna but on something that I knew I could actually have and use. That's why I am also happy to share with you this newfound interest.

Presenting to you, Henry Built. Enjoy.