evergleam christmas tree

I’m dreaming of an aluminum Christmas….Introduced in 1959 by the Aluminum Specialty Company in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, the ‘Evergleam’ tree lit Christmases of the Atomic Age with a garish yet charming sparkle.  I had to have one and found this 4′ tree on eBay a few years ago.  Did you know it’s ‘green’ to have a fake tree, especially a pre-owned one? Here’s a quick sequence of how easy it is to put together: DONE.  Since every branch is the same length, it goes up in a jiffy.  The shape of the tree is created by the increasing angles of the drilled holes in the trunk: genius.  Notice that the box says “deluxe stand” and then look at the photo… really?  The trees were often illuminated with a color wheel which was a light bulb behind 4 rotating color gels – I don’t have one (yet). Below are some vintage graphics found online on manufacturing and assembling:I love that they were such a drastic departure from the traditional cut-down live Christmas trees, that they represent the mid-century, the play on the word ‘evergreen’ and that they were made in the USA.  I laughed that a Sears catalog apparently read “Whether you decorate with blue or red balls . . . this exquisite tree is sure to be the talk of your neighborhood.”  By the mid/late-1960s the trees had gone out of style. But they’re a kitsch must-have 50 years later, and there’s even a book about them:  I was excited when my mother said her family had one in the early 60s and she sent me a photo:  Lucy in the Peanuts Christmas mentions these trees when she tells Charlie Brown “get the biggest aluminum tree you can find, maybe even painted pink!”  As a kid I wondered what ‘painted pink’ meant.  I’ve seen silver, gold, green, and pink on eBay over the years.  Pink is definitely the most rare – and most iconic of the commercial aspect of mid-century whimsy and what the holiday has become – but who cares – it’s awesome!   Merry Christmas!

peninsula kitchen

It’s not a kitchen with a peninsula but it is located on the peninsula south of the city.  Sometimes it happens that a room being remodeled wasn’t so offensive in the first place, as seen here.  I’m not saying I love any of it, it’s certainly tired-looking but wasn’t laughable like an avocado kitchen.  (avocado has cred in being so gross it’s cool – I had a dryer that color once) This kitchen was remodeled maybe 25 years ago but the new owners had an aversion to it: it felt cramped to them with the upper cabinets, the soffits, the cabinets almost the same color as the floor…The first thing you saw walking to the kitchen was the side panel of the refrigerator.  The far end with big windows is nice but there was a built-in desk which got in the way of dining.  Here above is the blueprint for the last remodel.  The new idea is to eliminate the laundry room and expand the kitchen to the left, resulting in a larger room with room for a sofa as well as the dining table, as seen below:We decided to keep the old laundry room door near the corner of the new kitchen, which I imagine is for throwing a flaming piece of toast or roast out of in a panic!  It also helps achieve what the owners really want – totally open feeling, minimal upper cabinetry, lots of space.  All-white cabinetry, stainless steel, possibly carrara countertops, wood table and/or chairs to bring in some warmth.

Moving right along…..demo has started and below are some photos of the progress: bye-bye laundry, you’re moving on up(stairs)Below are some other 3D views showing the island options, and an overall room view.  More to come! I thought the wood panels at the island would be a nice view when walking into the room but they want more space for seating and shelves so we’re going with the one on the right.Eames shell chairs?  I hope so!  I prefer the fiberglass ones from Modernica, which have a translucent, fibrous quality – over the plastic ones that look very matte and static.  The sad news is that Modernica’s production has currently halted while they do some work on their factory.

case study 22

Recently, Architect magazine put out a call for letters from readers to recount their ‘goose-bump’ moments – experiences that thrilled us to the core. (lately it might be as simple as keeping your job or getting a new project to work on!)  I wrote of my chance visit to Case Study #22 in 2000 when I was in LA stalking architectural celebrities.  They ran my letter – see the image below from the October issue:  The world-famous Case Study #22 house designed by architect Pierre Koenig – and even more famously photographed by Julius Shulman – sits on an edge high in the Hollywood Hills.  It was built as part of Arts & Architecture magazine’s post-war program which invited select architects in 1945 to design homes “capable of duplication” for the average American.  I wouldn’t mind a duplicate! I still recall seeing Shulman’s photograph when I was in college – the image stayed with me, haunted and taunted me.  It was a photo of a house, but nothing I’d seen the likes of in my upstate NY life.  Barely-there, the house is made up of glass panels and steel posts.  The winning gesture is its projection out over the hillside, the drop-off unknown to the viewer.  Here’s Shulman’s photograph: Below is a photo I took in 2006 from Sunset Blvd, looking up at the house from below.  It seems so tiny and delicate from this angle.  I know where to spot it from and always look up when I’m driving in the area.  Here’s a photo of me in 2000, having hopped the security gate and walked up to announce myself to the wonderful owners as you read above.  It really was like meeting a celebrity: and going back to see it at night was the cherry on the holysh*t cake of getting there in the first place.  Not much had changed except that the owners had a catwalk built for easy window maintenance, which I’m standing on. This somewhat muddies the form but it could be taken off in the future.   A moment I’ll never forget! I believe there are occasional tours for the public so I may visit again someday.

back yard cottage finished

The cottage remodel with two apartment is now completed and ready for move-in.  Here’s a view in the upper unit living-dining rm / kitchen room toward the front.  We went with mid-range / affordable (but tasteful) finishes such as Ikea kitchens because these will be rental units.  From the courtyard looking at the front of the cottage at the back.  The red wall on the left is a 3-unit building at the front of the same lot.  Below are some views of the Ikea kitchens in a white lacquer finish with large white tile backsplash:The cleaning crew hadn’t come yet when I took these photos, hence the dusty floors!  We got lots of storage in the 39″ high upper cabinets, taking advantage of the 9′+ high ceilings.  Because this building is essentially in the backyard it has lots of greenery outside the windows looking into the neighboring gardens. The front building was remodeled at the same time; I did the design way back in 2007 at my old firm. Above is a view of the Edwardian street facade.  The owner worked with a colorist to choose the palette – I really like that it’s all one color!  Obviously interior paint was still going on…  I’ll go back and take more photos – I think the front door is no longer lime. Using a monotone palette celebrates the original detail in a subtle way, rather than using a different color for each of the million pieces of festoonery.  On the left is a photo of the one of the Ikea-finished bathrooms….then looking out the window I took this photo of what I think is a chicken coop in the neighbor’s yard!  Cute little corrugated-metal roofed hutch.   Maybe rabbits live in it..The new relocated stair and railing.

Apartment Therapy buzz

In mid-September I was part of a 3-architect presentation at Design Within Reach here in San Francisco. It’s part of an on-going series that they host for the AIA Small Firms Committee. Among several guests in attendance was a writer from Apartment Therapy who then blogged about the event – read it here.

Thank you Jackie Ashton!

The upcoming event will be held on Thursday October 20 at the Jackson Street location.

I won’t be speaking this time but I’ll be having a glass of wine in the audience!

Mill Valley remodel

Face lift nearing completion….here’s the house as of a week ago.  Come to think of it, this is one of my first forays into suburbia.  Now if I can only skip ahead to rurality (which I admit I didn’t know was a word until now – fact-checking!) and do a house in a field or the woods… Suburbia is a good start: not only is this house detached from its neighbors (very un-SF) but it’s located on a cul-de-sac.     From this angle you can see the standing seam metal at the lower roof.  The Hardie siding is being applied.  The siding and the roofing are very close in color (closer than I would choose) and I’m not sure if this is the final paint color for the siding… The bay windows in the bedrooms give some movement and definition to the upper floor – they will be painted a dark color close to the window jamb color.  They are Alumatherm windows – a local company in the east bay – and have been installed at the front for a few weeks now.A view from outside what will be the front door with the horizontal awning above (a few weeks earlier before siding).  Love those pom-pom plants!  One thing I prefer about dark bronze anodized windows (or black) is that the divisions disappear, and the dark reflections on the glass blend into the frame.  It’s an unfussy look. There’s some steel in the awning, which cantilevers about 5′ from the existing lower roofline.  This is inside one of the bedrooms with a new bay window at the front – vaulted ceiling.  The exposed framed area on the right is the new 3′ addition. More to come!

duboce triangle framing

The framing is almost complete on the condo project.  You can walk through each unit and see the layouts, the rooms, the windows.  Lately I’ve been digging through the jobsite to secure some of the remaining old redwood framing to reuse on the interior.   Much of it has already been reused in new wall framing.We set some of the windows pretty high because on this urban lot the views are really up and out, not down (into adjacent yards / clotheslines). There’s the fog rolling in – but this western view shows the amount of light that will pour in.  The future’s so bright, [you] gotta wear shades.  This top floor view looking south to a distant hill. There will be wall-to-wall multiple-sliding doors in this opening out to a small deck.  Most of the condos are duplex (two-floor) setups with the living spaces on the top floor and bedrooms down below.  Given the choice we opted to provide better views and light to the rooms where you typically have your eyes open… This window looks up the street – makes for a nice perspective drawing. Some various scenes out of windows showing the range of each condo’s views. Above are shots looking down a new stair and a long skylight above another stair.More to come!

farmhouse table

Years ago I found a beat-up farmhouse table in a consignment shop, offered a price which the clerk accepted, and left to go to the ATM.  In those few moments he called the seller of the table and when I returned he shook his head saying “I’m sorry, you can’t have the table at this price….”  Bummed out, I walked away from it and lived with my reproduction 1950s ‘diner’ style table and chairs a few more years, though I thought of that table and peeked in the shop window until it eventually disappeared.  Here’s the diner one: One morning I went to a rummage sale on my block that had trinkets and trash including a farmhouse table that fit the bill – and more importantly would fit my kitchen. I snapped it up for 1/3 the price of what I would’ve paid for the one that got away. Here it is:  From what I’ve seen that classifies the typical farmhouse table is its simplicity, heft, worn-down wood (from age or faked), square or turned legs, and a thick slab top.  I’m not sure if this one fits into the category of farmhouse table: is it too small, its legs too fancy, those angled corner pieces too frilly? Either way, it adds a tangible warmth to the room.The top is thinner than others I’ve seen and is made of about 6 pieces.  I didn’t love the angled corner brackets at first – they’re just decorative, but I left them.  We kept the wheels on the legs because they lift it a bit higher so we can get our knees underneath…It has a gap down the middle that would allow for expansion, but came without a leaf:  the leaf had been cut down and used to hold the two halves together from below!  The gap was pretty wide and became a nasty crumb trough, so we recently took it apart to jamb it closer together.    You can see marks on the underside of the table that were probably the parts that allowed it to expand.  The strip of wood with the screws in it is an old leaf that was cut up.  Here’s proof – the wood strip / leaf has a matching bevel along the end.  Above you can see the peg that goes into the opposite half.  The legs are bolted into angled pieces.  I don’t know the age of this table, but underneath it looks pretty old and wrecked. Even though it’s not a glossy finish I’ve thought about sanding the top down so it’s totally raw wood, but the legs and other trimmy pieces would be tough to get the finish off of….to be determined

I’m typically a modernist but I think an old wood table in the kitchen just feels right.  Food looks better on it.  Pretty much anything looks good on it. 

So, is this a farmhouse table?  Since I found it in the heart of San Francisco it’s probably never set leg on a farm, but we crowd around it like urban farmers and enjoy it nonetheless.

1920s bathroom

A cramped layout in this old bathroom – the sink was in front of the window (good view, but a reflection is preferred).  There was a closet inside the room which was a waste of space, made for a squeezed entry and the 2 doors would crash into each other.  Overall the look was a bit tired: There’s the mirror / medicine cabinet that should be above the sink!  The only slightly redeeming quality was the hexagonal tile, which has had a resurgence lately as penny-rounds.  It was all taken out to accommodate the new design.   We looked at a few options in handy-dandy Sketchup and decided on the one seen below:  This removed that bulky closet but maintained the door, window, and perimeter walls.

Some shots during the quick demo and as the new tub was put in.  We were able to keep the window – a film was added for privacy.To the studs:  since this is the only bathroom in the house, the old toilet was left in (the new position) and swapped out at the last minute.  The finished results!  Admittedly this project was a little break from my more modern design, but one that I was pleased to do.  The owner wanted the cabinetry to feel like furniture so it has legs, is held away from the side walls and finished with a crown.   The built-in linen storage is a sufficiently smaller replacement for the old closet. The pinwheel tile pattern on the floor is a mix of porcelain and glass tile.  The pattern shifts as it runs across the floor – an interesting skew that’s not immediately apparent. The bath wall tile was arranged in a herringbone pattern – subtle at this scale of tile 9″x18″.  This tile doesn’t come with a bullnose option so we finished edges with Frey reglets.  The ledge at the end of the tub is a good place to sit and stow all the bottles etc! To finish off the front of the tub we opted for a custom wood panel that matches the cabinetry.  I was sure to advise that it’s risky to have wood next to the tub/shower, but with the glass enclosure and a little daily maintenance, the owner went for the look she wanted!

duboce triangle urban views

Views:  this is urban living so we see our neighbors and that’s part of the experience in a city we love.  Duboce Triangle condos, well into framing.  The exterior walls have been significantly peeled away to pick up views, bring in light and create outdoor decks.  This is the new third floor that was inserted in the upper area of what used to be a double-height space.  The brick church and steeple dominate this southeast view.
Urban archeology:  when we cut open the massive wall on the east side we discovered there was a green building behind it.  Hi neighbor! The cut area will provide a recessed area for windows and a small deck on the lower level.   Looking west, much of the perimeter wall has been cut away for new decks and windows, leaving this remnant segment.  Not only will this create comfortable interior living spaces but it’s improving the neighbors’ experience by reducing the overall massive bulk of this building. Here is another west view at the surprisingly symmetrical arc of Buena Vista Park.  Another view to the west, toward Corona Heights with the summer fog starting to roll in…studs!  Reused old redwood framing in a future hallway.  Here’s a view of an existing alley between this and a neighboring building toward the street.  The photo was taken from a new deck that was formerly a solid property line wall. Looking out the front of the building which is located at a T intersection.  This is a section of the existing fascia that was removed as part of the remodel.  Some interest has been expressed in this mistakenly described ‘historic’ element, which as seen is nothing more than chips of wood tacked on to evoke dentils.  Nothing more than a painted wood wafer…..….for the birds!  More to come!