Archive for the ‘exterior’ Category

ACID MODERNISIM

Sunday, April 15th, 2012

The New York Times recently featured artist Doug Aitken’s home in Venice, California and I’m crushing on it so very hard.

It’s torturous.

Considering that it’s been a good long while since I’ve felt that deep gnawing tingle of a hardcore house crush, I had completely forgotten how creepy it feels to suddenly catch myself randomly daydreaming about a total strangers home.

Please stop seducing me, Doug Aitken’s house.

Also, please stop making me want piles of these Constance Holt Bolivian frasada pillows and all of Jamey Garza’s leather furniture so goddamn bad. I can’t afford this stuff. I CAN’T.

Despite being deeply obsessed with everything Bolivian textile now, I still haven’t woken up as a person who can afford to run over to Heath in LA and grab a shitload of $400 pillows. So, I’m spiraling into madness and spending dumb amounts of energy looking to source affordable Bolivian blankets and such. The reality of the sheer volume of time that’s been dedicated to this endeavor would terrify and concern folks.

Good thing all that concentrated effort has amounted in exactly squat.

On the bright side? At least I know what my next six months are dedicated to finding. Thanks again, crazy brain.

I need so much Garza Furniture in my life (to fill up that deep dark needy furniture shaped hole in my heart).

Go ahead and quit trying to tease me with that sassy little poppy leg and peek of perfect leather. I get it, chair. I like you.

You win.

Wood. Windows. Rails. Work it girl.

We just started moving ahead with some big landscaping projects (like a custom gate and steel planters and so much DG) and I keep returning back to this simple little outdoor area with it’s casual succulent and cacti plantings. I’m totally going to so casually plant desert type plants all over my yards. I’m going to do that so hard.

Hell yeah I am.

Also, did you know that this house is also a musical instrument? Yup. Apparently.

FILED UNDER: exterior, furniture, inspiration, links

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BENCH

Monday, July 18th, 2011

I picked up this large sculptural wood bench ages ago off Craigslist with the intent of sticking it somewhere outside in our sparse and minimal desert landscape. Seeing as the landscape hasn’t gotten past the weeds and dirt stage of the overall grand scheme, this little bench has just been chillaxing by the fire pit and gathering spider webs – like most of the projects around here.

Maybe one day it will go on the porch? Or by the pool? Or maybe in the front yard? I don’t know. For now it’s just going to sit outside and gather dust. I like to imagine it inside a large open all white industrial loft space as a place to put your shoes on and gather your things in a mega sparse entryway. That would be amazing – but inside my house it just feels a tad overwhelming.

Been busy working on various things and still suffering a case of house burn out. Trying to get motivated to care deeply again, but really, all I want to do is swim and read and travel and play with the dogs. Hope you guys are doing the same.

FILED UNDER: craigslist, exterior, furniture

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SIDE YARD

Thursday, June 30th, 2011

Knocked down all the knee-high weeds but everything is still a horrid mess.

Being full on freaky for furniture, I wanted to check out how the table looked in the side yard (and at least free up some storage space). I kind of feel like it might be too nice to leave out here…but maybe that’s all the ghetto looking surroundings working their magical guilt.

The ground is super uneven and it’ll definitely be a long time before that final “look” is achieved. We still have a bunch of stuff to do to get this area looking and functioning like that fancy virtually landscaped yard.

Wait? But what things?!

Things like this:

SIDE YARD TO DO

+ Rototill soil
+ Level/grade dirt
+ Drip irrigation
+ Plumb/filter pool
+ Run electrical
+ Weed barrier
+ Weld metal edging
+ Decomposed granite
+ Concrete paver walkway
+ Stain/seal fence
+ Plants
+ Tree
+ Lighting

Look at that beat up table top. This thing was ridden hard and put away wet. The teak will do well outdoors though.

I’ve got a ghetto tarp covering up the table to protect it from the harsh sun for now, but it still needs a nice weather resistant cover to keep it from getting too abused. At least I know rain won’t be an issue. Thank you wicked dry desert climate!

+++++

In other unrelated thoughts and boring stuff:

I’ve been working on the show with Laure again, as well as tirelessly on the shop and other sneaky ventures. Summer time means that it’s 8,000 degrees in the desert and working on the house is a physically torturous and sweaty nightmare. Admittedly, I’ve been phoning shit in around this old blog as of late, but in all honesty, I just got nothing. No great ideas, no fun content, no big projects I can share. I’m exhausted and totally uninspired and the house is a disaster pit that I just awkwardly walk around while trying to ignore random piles of laundry.

Otherwise, it seems that I’ve been straying away from blogs and spending more time on twitter and instagram and other micro-blogging (I hate myself for even typing that) formats which are easily accessed on my phone. As I’m traveling more and spending less and less time at a computer, these little venues feel like an immediately accessible option and are seemingly where more and faster interaction is taking place.

So, to you – you fine summer loving and attractive folks – here are a few things I’ve been asking around about:

How do you deal with crappy uninspired creative lulls?

Have you noticed a shift in the way peeps are interacting with blogs and the blogging community (please punch me for writing blogging community)?

Anyone feeling slightly burnt out? Please say it’s not just me feeling completely cray-cray crazy lately.

FILED UNDER: exterior, furniture, landscape, question, readers

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