Fashion design for a cause

The downside of life, the part that you hope never happens to you, the shivering in the cold and rain part; thats what I have witnessed more much often since I have lived in Castleberry Hill. Partly because I used to live next to a homeless shelter and partly because where I live now the homeless people like to hang out. One of these people is usually very friendly and will frequently say hi to Lola as I walk her. He'll ask for a "dime". I'll throw a couple quarters. His smile is electric and he literally hangs out just outside my gate walking up and down Peters St. He tells me he will not go to the shelter. He seemed to be OK with that decision. However, the other day was completely miserable. 40 degrees, raining, windy. Not pleasant. Luckily, I bought this great wool coat at Rag-a-rama back in September for something like $12. Lola had chewed off one of the toggles. I wasn't going to use it and I knew just the person that needed it. All I can is that there are a lot of people out there that need this kind of help. A lot of churches in the midtown and downtown area will distribute coats to the homeless. You can always bring them to the Baptist Rescue Mission on Peters St. in Castleberry Hill. Hey, if you see somebody that looks cold and not too terribly unfriendly help them out with some warmth. It's cold out there this time of year and I'm sure they will appreciate it.

Castleberry Hill Loft Tour 2009

Castleberry Hill Loft Tour was another hit this year. 9 lofts in various sizes and floor plans were displayed. One of the highlights was seeing the photographer Calvin Lockwood's residence. He as a multi-story loft above his gallery/photography studio called the Granite Room. He has impressive collection of furniture. A wide variety of architectural elements like a spiral staircase and rooftop koi pond add appeal to his unit.

America's Mart

I've lived downtown for 4 years now and I usually take the Georgia Dome exit off of the connector to get home if I am coming from the North. I drive by the America's Mart buildings every time. Still, my first time going in there was last week. I'm glad I did too, because they have amazing deals. They act as the distributor and wholesaler to other buyers for boutique stores. Therefore, they have incredibly low priced items. Everything ranging from low-end $4 jewelry items to expensive pieces of furniture.

Herman Miller Sale

It only happens once a year. Herman Miller is having a sale. 15% off some of the most iconic furniture pieces of the 20th century including many of Charles and Ray Eames most famous work. Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman, (LCW) Lounge Chair Wood, and the Eames rocker. Sale ends June 20th.

Jens Risom found in thrift store

A small nook of a store in the Poncey-Highlands called Highland Row Antiques is where I found this here dandy. I couldn't believe it; the best stuff really does come from thrift stores. It does not have any tag but it definitely pays homage to the late Risom's lounge chair for Knoll designed way back in '41. I love the nylon web strap look. At $10 I couldn't say no, it will make a great desk chair.

Green Thumb?

This blog isn't only about interior design, it's also about green car design. In July I will have had my Prius for two years. On a day to day basis I don't think about what it means to drive this car. Every once in awhile I really appreciate it, like yesterday when I drove all over the city for work. Here are some raw numbers. I've driven over 37,000 miles in the past two years in this car. I average 44-47 miles per gallon depending on the weather conditions. On one tank of gas I average around 430-460 miles before I refill. The best way to get great gas mileage is to watch the data output screen that explains at that second how much gas you are using. I've taught myself how to coast and glide and therefore extend my gas tank for longer. I like that Toyota went back and redesigned some elements for the 2009. The front grill needed some tinkering. But, I think this car is doing fine and as long as something catastrophic doesn't happen, I will be driving for many more years. Oh, that reminds me, I need to get an oil change. It does require oil changes...

Market Lofts

I love the open floor plan on this one. When you walk in, the only real separation is between the kitchen and bedroom. I like the vintage touches like the chalkboard and the school map. The ceiling has wooden rafters that create an interesting architectural element.

Castleberry Hill Loft

This home was on the Castleberry Hill Loft Tour last year. I thought it would be interesting to add this. The owners were interior designers I believe. I don't think anyone was actually living in this loft at the time it was on the tour. I'm not crazy about a lot of red in a bedroom, but it definitely creates an effect. Every inch of the space it seemed had some sort of design move on it. To me, it seemed cluttered and a little contrived. Obviously, the people who designed this have a passion for art and design and they show it. I thought the wall size poster of the 60's era couple created an interesting dynamic.

Indie Craft Experience

Last weekend I went to the Indie Craft Experience for the first time. ICE is an arts festival located in Centennial Olympic Park. This particular festival happens once a year. I had a good time at this one. I've been to lots of festival in Atlanta, but this one had a nice comfortable feel to it. It's not huge like the Dogwood festival. Crowds were manageable but there were probably around 60-80 vendors. A lot of the vendors sell their stuff on Etsy.com, a website I really like because everything is handmade. There were a lot of great vintage finds, jewelry, and artwork. I highly recommend people who are interested in these types of things check out this list of vendors. http://www.ice-atlanta.com/?page_id=15




>

Beals Residence

This modern home is on the west side of Atlanta. There was a pre-existing home with 2,200 sq ft. Modern architecture and design from William Carpenter at Lightroom added 3,000 new sq. ft. I never go to this part of Atlanta but I think it's a great place to for a modern home.




 

Buckhead Modern

To be honest, my experience here was less than ideal. The MA tour guide was telling everyone to put on booties which was unnecessary, but that isn't the point of this blog. Anyways, once you get inside you notice the open feeling. It had that light and bright feeling with the white walls. There was a really cool lounge chair in the living area.



 

Old Fourth Ward Modern

This is another modern home in the Old Fourth Ward. The Old Fourth Ward is a in-town neighborhood, like Castleberry Hill or Reynoldestown, that is going through a transition. This home which has 3,200 sq ft. and 2,000 sq. ft. of decks and patios has a vertical feel to it when viewed from the front. TaC studios provided the architecture and included 3 bedrooms and 3.5 baths. The general contractors, Pinnacle Custom Home Builders added a spacious rooftop deck that provides a nice view of the surrounding areas.




 

Ansley Modern

This house has some serious design elements to it. The 4 bedroom, 5 bath house was designed by Dencity LLC and Giancarlo Pirrone. Complete with 4,000 sq. ft. the house actually has 4 levels, but viewing it from the street you can only see the 3 above ground stories. I find it very visually interesting and I like the way it sits up on the hill. I enjoy the cantilevered awning at the front. This house has a real cubist approach to it I think. Once inside one immediately notices they have discerning taste when it comes to furniture. An Egg chair greets you as you enter the front door. A spare bedroom includes a Bertoia bird chair. On the top floor, there is a great view and two Ball chairs hanging from the ceiling.


 

Favorite House on MA Tour

My favorite home was in the Old Fourth Ward. The neighborhood connects with Inman Park and Poncey-Highlands. This home really gave truth to the old saying don't judge a book by it's cover. I was looking at the picture of the house in the MA guide thinking it looked very boring and simple. It's not that visually interesting from the outside, but it's not an eye-sore by any stretch of the imagination. It could also be strategically smart taking into account where the house is located. The interior was very well decorated. The focal point, if you will, when you walk in the front door is a spiral staircase and baby grand piano. It's really quite stunning. There was also a really cool lap pool in the courtyard to the side of the house.




 

Modern Atlanta Home Tour

My last big hoorah was the Modern Atlanta (MA) Home Tour. It was called Design is Human this year. Basically modern homes in the Greater Metro area of Atlanta were shown. One home in the Serenbe community was included. I visited Serenbe the weekend before and decided to bypass going back down there. Although, I did see that house when I visited. There was a very nice cocktail hour art showing in one of the homes during the week. This particular home was on the 46th floor of the new building called The Mansion in Buckhead. There was some better than average artwork hanging. The artist gave a short talk about his feelings on the work. It was all very lively and nice way to ease into the tour. The view from the place was amazing.

1st Post

So, this is my first post on my new blog! What I want to accomplish from writing this blog is to create a place where I discuss ideas regarding my interest in design. I've become increasingly interested in art, architecture, interior design, and furniture in the past year. I plan to post images with descriptions of different design elements.