a sunny Sunday at the ALAMEDA POINT ANTIQUES FAIR

the first Sunday of the month in Alameda finds TONS of people pouring into the Alameda Point Antiques Fair.  it basically has hundreds of vendors with the most amazing backdrop of the San Francisco skyline and the Port of Oakland with all of its shipping containers stacked like colored legos being loaded and unloaded by giant mechanical claws.  Very dramatic, I know.

would love to drop this pair over a great mid-century table

lemonade + legs

This April's fair I met a friend later in the day and spent the first few hours just slowly poking up and down the dozens of rows and unknowingly getting quite an unattractive sunburn.  Note to self: ALWAYS wear sunscreen here....foggy, cold, windy - doesn't matter.


There were two pieces in general I kind-of went ape over.  This sculpture by William Bowie:

I may go in May just to stalk this piece and if it is still there it may come to live with me.


And the piece des resistance was this teak and ceramic tiled table that Edith Heath herself made for her Living Room.


so much more fabulous in person and I wish I took better photos.  It was still unsold at the end of the day.

My girlfriend - the ultra-fab Stephanie of The Pineapple Princess - scored on these totally cute tiki lamps for PP headquarters.....I think she was stopped, oh, 50+ times after purchasing these and carrying them around.  People were freaking for them/her....!

 

Here is my suggestions of what to bring if you're planning on hitting up the APAF:


- water
- sunscreen
- a big sun hat 
- one of those little metal, basket thingies on wheels
- your charged smart phone to research art and antiques as needed
- measurements of pieces you're actively searching for
- a measuring tape
- camera
- and finally....cold hard cash.


And if you stay until 3pm then hit up Forbidden Island for a delicious Mai Tai while you bask in the post-glow of buying all the stuff you probably really don't need. Like an oil-painting of a dog named Max....which looks slightly amazing on my art wall (I think):

Soundtrack for this fun field trip:


The Slackers.....just because that was what I happened to be listening to that day, of course!

my new FAV MANI...!

a pair of shoes....launches in finding the perfect dress to pair them with....to the specific event....with that one clutch......and in my case an inspired-by-the-dress, chic new mani!


i purchased this Kate Spade dress that I had been stalking for a few months to wear to a good friend's wedding in Santa Barbara....

I decided to ditch my signature red nail color and go with pink since this would follow me into my Hawaiian vacation and seemed a bit more "tropical" than my typical ruby red.  I LOVE Sephora by OPI's "Only Gold For Me" top coat and brushed that on top of their "It's All About Me" pink for a festive bit of sparkle.

I highly recommend this top coat on dark colors as well - it's pretty glam.


What are your favorite colors for Spring?


xoxo

Sassoon + Neutra

One of my favorite reasons when we lived in Los Angeles is the prime example of Vidal and Ronnie Sassoon’s Richard Neutra home perched atop Mulholland Drive.  While still in Los Angeles proper, their terrain is one of a much more natural side.  “Its still the Wild, Wild West up here”, Vidal says.  “We have bobcats and mountain lions”.  

This type of terrain is exactly what mid-century master architect  Richard Neutra had in mind when designing his homes around the idea of “bringing the outside in”…not fighting and ignoring the plot, but rather embracing it and incorporating everything from the color palette in the materials used, to cross-ventilation as air conditioning. 

I love how Vidal discusses the relationship between hair and architecture reflecting on how this home of easy, geometric lines directly translates to his appreciation and inspiration drawn from the Bauhaus movement.  All of which can be seen in his work.

The art Ronnie and Vidal chose to showcase along with key, vintage pieces from repeated designers such as Jean Prouve, Charlotte Perriand and Osvaldo Borsani to name a few don’t overcrowd the space and perfectly compliment the structure.

You can read the whole article here in the latest Architectural Digest.  All photos by Todd Eberle.

And remember, “If you don’t look good…we don’t look good”.

Sorry, had to do that.

retaining Isamu Noguchi's original garden stones placed here when the home was built

built-in by Neutra...stool and hanging cabinet by Prouve...Serge Mouille sconce and overhead light - they used Serge fixtures in the Master as well...a quiet repetition.

i think the plywood door frame is genius.

Visiteur armchairs by Prouve, Perriand coffee table - with a Calder over the fireplace.

I think Ronnie did a fantastic job with the poured terrazzo floors in the new Master Suite.  The Bertoia sculpture slays me = yes please

New bathroom with terrazzo soaking tub.

March 11th, SF peeps:

PALM SPRINGS please...!

With my beloved city of San Francisco in a frenzy about the possibility of snow tonight, I keep thinking of warm places – my favorite warm desert town being Palm Springs.  The Palm Springs Modernism Show was last week and I must say that I am rather disappointed that I missed out again this year….note to self, get it together for next year!

Palm Springs is a magical place for me on several levels.  It is the first place I went with my boyfriend (now husband) when I was falling madly in love with him.  Him being a design enthusiast and having so much knowledge of mid-century and modern design, it was insane to see Palm Springs through his eyes. I fell in love with that city on that special trip as well.  That was nine years ago and since then we have taken countless trips down – sometimes for the day, sometimes for days on end….and every time we visit our favorite architectural spots and places.

While this is about a 5% glimpse at my favs of Palm Springs I hope its enough to take the chill off your Winter day/night and give you something gorgeous to look at!

Albert Frey House II is basically my favorite piece of architecture. It defines Palm Springs mid-century modern design and the thought process behind the house and how it was built into its surrounding landscape is inspiring.  On my first weekend to PS with my (now) hub we hiked up the hill and sat on the rock outside the bedroom....looking down at PS while Jim told me all about Albert Frey's impact and contribution to the city. Check out this book by Albert Frey to get the 411…

Richard Neutra’s Kaufman House as shot by Slim Aarons.  Can I be that girl?  Right now??

as shot by me - not Slim.  Obvi.

Elrod home by John Lautner…..just a fantastic piece of work.

Rest of these shots were shot on my honeymoon….almost two years ago!

lobby @ the ace hotel

pool side - viceroy

tram station as design by Albert Frey

viceroy

blue skies, palm trees + bougainvillea =  palm springs

random radness.

viceroy @ night

the hideaway - first date weekend :)

And then there is Jonathan Adler's adorable "Parker"....next place we are staying!

the cutest lemonade stand EVER.

one for you and one for me!

love all the textures

who wants to drink in a marble encased bar?  I do!

Soundtrack......something by Bing of course - a frequent Palm Springs-er: