Soho House New York

Located in New York is Soho House, a private member's club and hotel in Manhattan's Meatpacking District. The Soho House was "born out of a reaction to the pomposity of the traditional private members club." In an area where private clubs are generally made of a similar crowd - a place for corporate men and women to gather together in their suits to drink some brandy, this private social club has a strict requirement allowing only those working in a creative, unconventional field to qualify for a membership.

I was in a club once. Meetings were held beneath the tree in my grandparent's front yard. We gathered once or twice to discuss in hushed voices what game we should play next. 

I was in another club too, one that met in the closet beneath the stairs in my old house. That club never got further than calling itself a club. 

Soho House has a history far greater than either of my wimpy clubs.

While the Soho House is certainly not in want of money, the designers did an excellent job at keeping the space from feeling like a ritzy museum. Their intention of a comfortable and cozy feel is evident in every room of this renovated factory. They maintained the original brick and aged wood as part of the space and chose inordinate amounts of tufted sofas and arm chairs, detail-ridden ceilings, ridiculously cool light fixtures, and a mix-and-match style to highlight the existing features. 

I'm pretty sure this place is home to every chair crush I have ever had.

Eclectic and Dark Home

Full of texture, patterns, comfortable linens, picture frames, classic shapes, and classic pieces. Yum.

SuzAnn and Will's Eclectic Chicago home from Apartment Therapy.

Introducing: Factory 20

Factory 20, you must stop. Your pages are filled with sawdust, rusted nails, raw wood, clean lines, worn-in drawers with labels on their fronts, and....and black! So much black. You make the 20th century look so good. And yet, you tease me. Your prices jump far, FAR above my own meager bankroll. Hmm.

I saw the Old Industrial Infinite Drawer Cabinet (seen above) and let out an audible gasp. My fingers left my keyboard and shielded my open mouth, and I sat that way for a minute or so. Then I realized my reaction may have been too much and I tried to put my hands down, but they couldn't bring themselves to close the page and get back to reality - a reality where that piece is not looking at me saying, "hey, thanks for buying me and putting me in this room. I'm happy here." A reality with cabinets that have six drawers at most because that is practical. Wretched reality.

Caged Light Pendants and 1920's Saltoon Town Hall Wall Clock

Switchboard Operators Stool

Kennett Textile Chest and Artist Sculpture Stand

Victorian Ornate Steamer Trunk

Vintage Shoe Factory Rack

Typesetter Box and Switchboard Tabletop Cabinet

Factory 20, you say that you are "confident that we can give to you the unexpected and the unforgettable". You have achieved that goal for me a hundred times over. Congratulations.

Some find it to be over-priced junk (dad?), and others, like me, are avid obsessors. What is your take?

Toast UK - Hello Autumn

One joy about living in rented apartments is receiving the tail end of the prior tenants magazine subscriptions. Anthropologie, Brides, and Fitness Magazine were common, but my favorite surprise I recieved in the mail was a Toast catalog. Bringing in this rainy, autumn weather with their latest catalog, I find myself once again pouring over each page of old-fashioned homes filled with raw wood, perfectly worn-in linens, cozy crocheted blankets, and subdued light seeping in through wavy glass windows.

Greetings, autumn. I've been waiting for you.

What are your favorite things about autumn?

Scattered Blacks and Whites

Thanks, Habitually Chic. Really, I thank you.

Roman and Williams, you can do no wrong.

A room inside a room - how creative is that?

Why does this work?

• Textures galore! Even the flooring, though it isn't so much a tangible texture as it is visual.
• Complete cohesiveness in their style of furnishings. Rustic, yet tailored.
• A room inside a room. Did I already mention how insanely creative that is? It seems so comfy as well.
• The white isn't a dull, lifeless white. There is a tint of cream in it, allowing it to remain white but dance in the light with different hues. 

Thinking Out of the Box

This is the background on my computer:

Thanks, you.

This background sustained me though my final weeks of design school. It kept me willing to think of and try new things within my final projects. Now, with the phrase running through my mind every day, I'm discovering more out-of-the-box designs. Here's a look at a couple that have caught my attention.

Thanks, Contemporist

CUBE Architects designed the bookshelves for a book store in the Netherlands.  What most impresses me about this is that CUBE maintained the practical needs of a bookstore within and still managed to shine a creative (and bright!) light on the bookshelves. They certainly reinvented a magnificent wheel.

Thanks, Anna Kern

The stark contrast of black to white has its edge taken off by the natural materials in this loft. And anyone who can feel secure painting a wall black deserves a round of applause.

Jonathan Alder has intrigued me for years. Though he is a world-renowned creator of pottery, fabrics, and interiors, his designs remain...graspable. That is a made up word, I know. They look as if they are filled with collections of pieces purchased because the owner loved them and the thought of "where will this go?" and "what does this go with?" was thought about after the fact. 

"I think a room should be 95 percent chic. There needs to be a solid 

foundation of good design, functionality, and harmony. Then you 

have the remaining 5 percent to layer on a playful vibe. 

If a room is merely playful it's usually wildly unchic. Conversely, if it's 

too chic it's dry and off-putting. I try to strike the perfect balance of 

chic and cheeky — an inclusive, unsnobby sort of buoyant spirit." 

Jonathan Alder

Craigslist Lovin'

Despite my somewhat abusive relationship with Craigslist (notably called Tedslist, as in Ted Bundy, by my brother) I can't stop searching it's unorganized pages full of usually ugly items and always misspelled words. My latest fiasco has been in the pages of CL Worldwide, where I peek through the doors of available rooms in London and Paris and South Africa. Feel free to leave comments telling me how stupid I am, but not until you look at this:

 If I were living here I'd probably add a few rugs to ground the furnishings into place and create spaces that look intentionally separated rather than their current sparse feel, but I'll let it slide this time.

Yeah right. Good luck trying to sell a room with that pathetic view...

I love the quirkiness of this apartment and the character that is visible everywhere you look. What I've discovered is that the items with character generally don't cost much more, but they are more difficult to find. Creating a home that is uniquely you takes a lot of time and even more patience but the end result will be something you will love far longer than some run of the mill furnishing. For as long as I remember my mom has told me that you can't finish your home in one weekend. My parents have lived in their home for nine years now and it's still a work in progress (my dad loves that, don't you dad). But that search for the right piece and the patience of waiting for an item to go on sale has resulted in a beautiful home that so many visitors admire. Stick it out people. Wait for the charming armchair like the one above to finally grace your presence, keep searching for the perfect mirror for above your fireplace. And for heaven sakes, if you learn nothing from this and the past post, let your character ooze into every corner of your home. Including your floors. (those floors!)

Spicing up forgotten spaces

This.

Thanks, Country Living / Victoria Pearson

This hallway. The frames, the chandelier, the out-of-place chair, and, of course, the walls! This hallway has been stuck in my head for nearly my entire school career.

Speaking of which,

Nailed it. 

Now back to the stripes. I love the way the homeowners applied their personality into such a small and generally forgotten space. I have wanted to do something like this for so long, but none of my "clients" had the personality for it. I'd be curious to try it with the glossiest paint finish in the business and in a space, like this hallway or a guest bathroom, that could use a little sprucing and can handle an overwhelmingly noticeable finish like this. I will continue to wait until someone has the gusto to live in such a stripy wonderland.

The Importance of Character

I had a free morning today (you know, because I'm graduating tomorrow so most of my classes were already done. Because I'm graduating) and decided to spend time going fake house shopping.  My neck is constantly twisting and turning as I drive around Salt Lake City admiring all the adorable architecture and store fronts that surround the streets.  Usually when I'm in the car I am on my way to something and don't have the ability to stop and wander, but not this morning. This morning I was on my way to 9th east to walk the streets and snap a few pictures. I think they call this "free time." So I thoughtlessly put on my most uncomfortable pair of shoes and started walking. Take a gander at what I discovered.

Mind you, these were all found in about 5 blocks of one another.  One thing I love about Salt Lake is all of the character - it's everywhere.  This city has been around for about 150 years, and it still holds a many original buildings and homes.  The residence work hard to maintain the charm of the olden days in both interiors and exteriors, and though there comes additional maintenance and cost with living in an older home, I think most people can see the attraction that people like my new friend Charlie and his puppy, Jimmy, have in living in these colorful and unique places. Charlie and Jimmy have lived in the the third home on the top row for "way too long" but Charlie loves it.  When I walked by he was digging for a new walkway in his front yard and told me of his plans to paint the exterior soon. In the meantime, Jimmy was running through all of Charlie's dirt piles getting flecks of soil all over his long coat. He's going to be a sad pup when he discovers Charlie's plan to give him a big haircut tomorrow.