lunch with the Eames

Today I got to take a little road trip to visit the 8th house in the 1940's Case Study program; the home of Charles and Ray Eames.

A little bit of history: the program was created to challenge architects and designers to build modern-day housing with materials derived from World War II (i.e., simple, industrial, economic). The couple decided to build the home for themselves rather than a hypothetical client and began designs for an efficient living space and work studio that would "make no demands for itself but would instead serve as a background for life in work, with nature as a shock-absorber."



The lot sits atop a hillside overlooking the ocean and surrounded in lush green. After scrapping the plans for a cantilevered box because it didn't do justice to the meadow, the Eames opted for a simple plan, nested into the hillside. The home was constructed with prefabricated off-the-shelf parts and was considered a conscious move in a post-war era. Charles and Ray finished the home in 1949 and lived there the rest of their lives.



the image on the left is the doorbell. so cool!


the studio loft




In design school we learned about the many talents of Charles and Ray Eames and it was amazing to see the culmination of their work in this iconic home.

For more information visit the Eames Foundation

free {design} advice is worth every penny

I am excited to announce that beginning in March I will be doing a monthly column called resolutions in design. Send me images of your most challenging spaces or furniture pieces and the reader with the biggest woes will get some free advice on how to deal.

I will include a sketch of my design solution and even some ideas on cost-effective items that will make a big difference in your space.


To Enter
2-3 photos of the space (plus 1-2 photos of any problem pieces)
a couple of images of things you like to give me an idea of your style.
email to linsi.brownson@gmail.com

*Submit photos by March 6 for March resolutions
*Submit photos by March 30 for April resolutions

layers

I don't think this is anything groundbreaking, but I am addicted to layers. Layers of pattern, color, texture, you name it. So I hit on this site Polyvore where you can take images you find anywhere on the web (or in your own photo files) and create a collage of all that inspires you.

Here is what inspires me today.

pattern & texture - by linsi_brownson on Polyvore.com

the write idea

A certain number of us remember the days when the school blackboard suddenly turned white...when the boring white chalk (or sometimes pastel) was left behind for brighter shades of red, green and blue. Aah, the marker board. Standing in front of class became fun again. Okay, maybe not, but the absence of screeching chalk and the ability to fully erase that wrong math equation was pretty exciting wasn't it?

Well here is a new take on that genius. Paint. It's called Idea Paint and, you guessed it, it works like a dry erase board. You can paint it anywhere; classrooms, conference rooms, children's bedrooms, even replace the family chore board with it.

There are endless options and endless positives about this stuff. First of all it's non-toxic, a pre-requisite for anything I would suggest in your home. It can be painted over so there is no lifelong commitment and, best of all, it inspires creativity every time you pass by!
Who can resist a blank canvas?