in the library 12.14.09

Classic and Contemporary collide in this week's book pick, with the work of designer John Saladino. His spaces feel inviting with throes to classicism, yet entirely appropriate in today's home.

you can find this book at Amazon or your favorite local retailer.

contained living

I have long been a fan of using shipping containers as architecture; they are inherently sustainable in the fact that they are repurposed industrial waste and virtually indestructable. Building with them is somewhat akin to playing with wooden blocks as toddlers, making it fun and relatively simple to come up with a really cool structure, and the aesthetic is still incredibly unique and interesting.

But the really great part about them is the ability to design and build cost effective structures. This is exciting to me because my contractor husband and I are about to embark on a housing project using these amazing materials and it's bigger than anything we could have imagined!

Still in the research phase, I thought I would share with you some of the inspiring images of container structures that really got the juices flowing. Enjoy.






images courtesy of containerhomes.net








images courtesy of architecture and hygiene

And a shameless plug of my own container design, from a project when I was in school

Check out this video from Modern Marvels

Eco-Luxury in Laguna Beach

Yesterday I attended the groundbreaking ceremony of a new project by Tresor Properties. Touted as the first LEED for Homes Platinum project on the California Coast, the two homes being constructed here are a great example of intuitive design. Going for LEED is no easy task. It requires thinking very far outside the box (or in this case, home) and a high level of accountability on the part of everyone involved. From my perspective, the OC Builder has accepted that challenge.


a modeled rendering of the future homes

One example is the filming of the demolition, which yielded 90% salvage, proving that a little foresight and good planning goes a long way. Check it out.

born in a barn

I've been doing some research for a trade client on using barn style doors in interior spaces. Everything about this just seems so cool; the hardware, the millions of finishes, the ease of use...I could go on, but instead I'll just let you see why I get so excited. Check these out.



reclaimed wine oak door from Cliff Spencer



Rocky Mountain Wildlife Furniture



image from www.barndoorhardware.com





images courtesy of Sunset

another solution to the {building} design problem

The building industry accounts for 52% percent of the CO2 emissions, a ridiculous amount when you put it into perspective - we harp on gas-guzzling cars which come in around 9%.

Take a moment to watch this fascinating clip from the TED conference a few months ago. EcoRock is a new form of gypsum board (the material used to build walls) that uses less energy and performs better than the standard. I'm very curious to see how long it takes to be accepted by builders and the impact it has on the industry!

thinking outside the box (home, that is)

Photo Courtesy of Blue Forest Treehouses

Check out this article from The Daily Green on some seriously creative houses. I've been a fan of container homes for years, but all of these houses are definitely unique.

read it here:

Treehouses, Silo Homes, Airplane Homes - Building Green Recycled Homes - thedailygreen.com

zen and the art of beer building

Architectural inspiration truly can come from anywhere. Check out this Buddhist temple constructed entirely of used beer bottles.

Read the article
One Million Beer Bottles Later and it’s a Buddhist Temple



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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