6/26/08
One of the founding principles LoftLife is based on is a recognition that more and more people are choosing to live in the city. All of a sudden, moving to the suburbs is no longer the most desired choice.

Yesterday, The New York Times ran an article entitled Fuel Prices Shift Math for Life in Far Suburbs confirming the urban trend. Peter S. Goodman reports that city life is more desirable because of high oil prices. There is even some thought that suburban areas could eventually become the new ghettos. It is a convincing argument and well worth a read.

Here are some great quotes from the article:
“Across the nation, the realization is taking hold that rising energy prices are less a momentary blip than a change with lasting consequences. The shift to costlier fuel is threatening to slow the decades-old migration away from cities, while exacerbating the housing downturn by diminishing the appeal of larger homes set far from urban jobs.”

“In Atlanta, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Minneapolis, homes beyond the urban core have been falling in value faster than those within, according to an analysis by Moody’s Economy.com.”

“More than three-fourths of prospective home buyers are now more inclined to live in an urban area because of fuel prices, according to a recent survey of 903 real estate agents with Coldwell Banker, the national brokerage firm.”

“Some now proclaim the unfolding demise of suburbia.”

The best bouquets are delightful blends of distinct but complimentary blooms. The same is true in the world of retail. San Francisco’s Rose and Radish which is one part home accessories store, one part modern art gallery , and one part high-design showcase. The space is reborn each season with a fresh slate of interior delights arranged, not by common function, but by themes of sense and elegance. Throughout the gallery their founding specialties, floral arrangements, bringing pops of life and color into an often drizzly city.

The (modern) Folk show came to an end a few weeks ago and the doors at Rose and Radish were closed as they cleared the way for the summer season. ‘Fête’ opened June 17th and will run through summer promising to bring a little ‘party’ into your day to day. According to our friends at Design Sponge the shop has been “redesigned to feel like a garden party and the objects and artwork within will echo that party spirit.”

Rose and Radish offers the excitement of complete and constant regeneration, displaying products in a simple fashion while paying homage to the senses.

Located at 460 Gough Street in San Francisco, the gallery of Rose and Radish is open Tuesday through Thursday, and the floral shop is open Monday through Friday.

Posted by Alex Kain

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6/17/08
ATLANTA magazine’s June issue, devoted entirely to water, should be required reading for everyone in the Atlanta metropolitan area. Besides the obvious stories on Lake Lanier and the Georgia Legislature’s glacial pace in addressing the drought, ATLANTA also includes an insightful and informative story by Betsy Riley called “101 Ways to Save Water: A No-More-Excuses, Clip-It-And-Keep-It Guide to Saving Water.” From the bathroom to the kitchen to landscaping, pretty much all of the recommendations are practical and inexpensive. Only time will tell how much good they’ll do—or if ATLANTA readers will take heed.
Here at LoftLife we’ve come up with our own, slightly wacky suggestions, 11 to be exact, in what we like to call, “11 Ways to Save Water: A Highly Impractical, Sometimes Disgusting Guide to Saving Water.” Perhaps you have a few of your own? If so, feel free to share them with us at letters@loftlifemag.com .
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>> Shower together. And if you’re single, no worries. We’re putting together a “shower buddy list.” Email us and we’ll hook you up with a local shower partner: contact@loftlifemag.com. SAVE: 15 gallons. 30, if you take a longer-than-average shower.

>> Urinate in the sink. SAVE: 1.6 gallons per flush for a post-1993 toilet; 3.5 to 8 gallons on older models.

>> Freeze your underwear. SAVE: not all that much water; but oh, what a feeling!

>> Turn off you’re a/c. Stand in a bucket. Collect your sweat. Boil it down. Us the water for your houseplants and the salt for seasoning. SAVE: Up to a gallon, depending on your sweat glands and the heat.

>> Wring out your work-out clothes to wash your dog. Not only will your dog love being covered in your scent, you’ll SAVE 15 gallons of water.
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>> Buy dishes from Goodwill, use them once, then re-donate. SAVE: up to 8 gallons of water for a 4-person meal.

>> Have your teeth removed. No more brushing! SAVE: up to a gallon of water every time you used to brush.

>> Brush your teeth with champagne. (If you didn’t already act on the above, for some reason.) SAVE: From a half-gallon to a gallon.

>> Turn your waterbed into a camelback. No one’s ever said, don’t drink in bed. SAVE: Up to 15 gallons a week.

>> Follow your cat’s lead: lick yourself clean. SAVE: Up to 15 gallons for every shower you skip.

>> Get rid of your car. One less thing to wash- think about how much you’ll SAVE on gas.

6/16/08
As an art fiend, I couldn’t turn down an invite to this year’s Affordable Art Fair. Meandering the countless cornered-off cubes of the galleries displaying their art, I mainly stopped at what caught my eye (most often figurative, portraits, photography, and colors that popped). Price-tags range from $100 – $10,000 at the fair, which is seemingly cheap but can add up quickly. To narrow down this year’s Affordable Art Fair (AAF) NYC to a couple handfuls of artists, almost puts me in a meltdown. After careful deliberation, however, I have managed to pick some favorites. Here are nine artists and their artwork that left the biggest impression on me among the sixty-plus galleries from around the world.

#1

“Helen”
David Gista
The Cynthia Corbett Gallery
Wimbledon, United Kingdom

Gista’s work is a mélange of burnt paper and watercolor that creates a blurry distortion, a combination I found inventive.
#2

“Frida y la vida”
Corinne Dalle Ore
Envie d’Art Gallery
Paris, France

Dalle Ore’s work combines a little françoise with the iconic Frida Kahlo. I’m passionate about both, so the piece was quite memorable.
#3

“Kingi”
Patricia Steur
Amstel Gallery
Dronton, The Netherlands

Steur cites that tattoos are a major concentration in her work, and her photograph of a man’s facial tattoos juxtaposed against the civilized setting and his attire was truly jarring.
#4

“Anna May Wong”
Christian Develter
La Lanta Fine Art
Bangkok, Thailand

This piece is part of Develter’s series on Chinese divas, with bold colors that evoke Andy Warhol’s Pop Art masterpieces.
#5

“Portrait No.1,” “Portrait No.2,” and “Portrait No. 3”
Le Thong
Hanoi Studio Gallery
Hanoi, Vietnam

This triptych had a palpable softness in style yet edginess in color. I loved how the three hung against the wall. Their large scale would complement any industrial loft.
#6

“Dior”
Biliana Velkova
Jeffrey Boone Gallery
Vancouver, Canada

Velkova calls her work in this series, “original knockoffs,” as she traces fashion magazine pages and then uses watercolor as the main medium. I enjoyed the graphic quality they evoked.
#7

“ Hair 4” & “Hair 15”
John Ryan Solis
Visual Arts Gallery/SVA
New York, New York

Solis’ stunning graphite series captures various hairstyles in heightened detail. These drawings were by far the most affordable in the whole fair, and I could envision taking an armful of his work and making one large collective statement.
#8

“ Au coeur du sujet”
Massimo Guerra
Joyce Yahouda Gallery
Montréal, Canada

Another large-scale piece that would hang well on a typical loft-size wall. Guerra’s surreal tonalities appealed to me greatly and as a result stood out from the rest of the fair’s artists.
#9

“FK13” & “C1”
Jordan Eagles
Krause Gallery
Atlanta, GA

Last but not least, I have to plug the only Atlanta gallery to hold space at the fair. But even more important and looking past my biases, Eagles’ artwork seemed to hold a much higher potential (because it’s provocative for sure) than anything else I saw. Eagles’ unique series manipulates preserved blood (obtained from old slaughter houses) on UV resin and Plexiglas and is genius in its own alluring gruesomeness.

Posted by Kyra Shapurji

6/13/08
On the intriguingly named Image Avenue, in what some developer undoubtedly dubbed, “Midtown West” (aka the “King Plow/Railroad Historic District” by the National Register of Historic Places), you’ll find the workshop of furniture-maker Reed LaPlant. LaPlant’s work is not only attractive, functional, and highly unique, it’s also made from sustainable, reclaimed, and recycled materials. LoftLife met up with LaPlant in a Castleberry Hill photography studio that he recently refurbished and asked him about his work, his neighborhood, and his preference for making tables and benches.

LoftLife: On your website, under commissioned projects, there’s a picture of a white pew you created. Tell us about that project.
Reed LaPlant: An architecture firm where I worked when I first moved to Atlanta was responsible for a mountain community development in South Carolina; I maintained a good relationship with the firm after I left, and they asked me to build 25 pews for the community’s small chapel/gathering hall. So I did—all 25, by hand. I ended up painting them in the parking lot of said architecture firm because I couldn’t move around them in my 1,100 square-foot shop.

LL: How long have you been crafting a line of furniture for Verde Home ?
RL: I’ve made furniture for Verde since they opened about a year ago. I started with three pieces (two coffee tables and a bench), and after some really positive responses, they asked me to develop more. They had a fantastic concept for their store and were looking for someone local; so I was thrilled to be asked, and I’m really enjoying the relationship. They’re great people and it’s a terrific store.

LL: Your workshop is located in “Midtown West.” How do you like it there?
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RL: It’s funny because up until about two years ago, (the neighborhood) was pretty much light industrial—building supply companies, scrap metal yards, and mechanics—plus a lot of photography labs. Also, there are warehouses, with not a lot of reasons to stop. The light industry and the photo labs are still there, but now you’ve got lofts, bars, and design stores popping up. In fact, Verde Home is only two blocks from my shop. It’s a great neighborhood.

LL: Commissioned pieces versus non-commissioned: Do you prefer doing one over the other? How collaborative are you with people who commission work from you?
RL: I guess I prefer non-commissioned; it’s a little less stressful. Although it seems to have come to a point where my clients hire me for my style — not just my craftsmanship. I feel really lucky. And with that I find my clients to be really enjoyable. I’ll be as collaborative as anyone wants to be. I feel the best ideas and the most enjoyable work comes when you’re not worried about having your vision’s toes stepped on. There are too many ideas to dig up to worry about ego.

LL: You have an education in architecture (Texas A+M) and art history (University of Minnesota). How does each discipline guide your work?

RL: I certainly feel my work is heavily influenced by architecture in that I consider a lot of my pieces as little buildings; I’ve spent way more time thinking about, for example, Japanese and Prairie School architecture than I have of Contemporary Italian or Mission furniture. I think I see and understand buildings more clearly, but furniture allows for my three-week attention span. As for the art history — it reminds me to strive for a timeless style. Not sure if I’m there, but I am always mindful of the need.

LL: How would describe your style?
RL: That’s a tough question for me . . . but I’d have to say: orderly (that’s my Green Bay, Wisconsin German-Catholic roots), clean, and warm.

LL: How long have you been using only sustainable, local, and reclaimed materials?
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RL: I’ve been using sustainable, reclaimed, and recycled materials for several years, but only in the past two years have I been able to get ALL of my clients on board. And, admittedly, I am much more strict about this now than I was three years ago. It’s a lot of info to absorb and assess, and it was difficult to bring it up in a meeting with a new client. They don’t come to me to hear me preach. But it has become refreshingly easy to maintain the practice as people become more and more aware of what are now commonly discussed issues.
LL: What does “reclaimed materials” mean, exactly?
RL: Reclaimed such as lumber (e.g., walnut and heart-of-pine milled from barn timbers and prison beams or cypress pulled up from river bottoms), steel, and aluminum. I go to the scrap yards for the metals, and there are a couple of great local companies upon which I rely for the lumber.

LL: Of all the pieces you’ve created, what’s your favorite? And in general, which are your favorite pieces to make?
RL: My favorite piece is probably the bench I made for Verde. It was actually intended to sit in my own home, but I was just really happy with it when I finished. So, to Verde it went. I generally like making tables best; perhaps due to the great purpose for which they are intended: eating and drinking and socializing. I like small benches as well. Again, I think of drinking and socializing.

6/2/08

There are two happening spots in Austin right now well worth noting. One is a Moto-foto-turned-cafe and the other is a pedestrian bridge concert venue. Both are bustling with Austinites.

Hot Spot #1: Since it opened in March, neighbors have been calling the Emerald City Press , the café off Lamar Boulevard, “the bank building.” With its old night-drop instructions and narrow drive-through it’s perhaps all one could imagine the structure ever having been, but actually, the split-level stucco block was born a Moto-foto with the drive-up film drop. Utilizing the old drive-through, the goods are served on the run or over a wide counter that encourages lingering.

A steady flow of eclectic people and dogs mill around out front during the day, sampling the soft-serve and flipping through sun burnt copies of The Nation and Bon Appétit . The “Press” of the café’s name refers to the plethora of periodicals they stock. When stopping by Emerald, try either of these favorites: “Boomerang Pies” (a veggie pot pie) with “Awesome Sauce” or “Lone Star Kolaches.”

This place has a lot of the things that people in Austin love dearly – breakfast tacos, utensils made of soy that biodegrade in an hour (a.k.a “spudware”), national newspapers, and flowers by the stem or bunch – everything we need to get into “keep it weird” heaven.

Emerald City Press
915 N Lamar Blvd (just south of 10th)
Austin, TX 78798
(512) 472-6660

Hot Spot #2: Usually reserved for joggers and bicyclists, the Lamar Bridge has become a popular spot for unlikely bridge patrons— dancers. On two recent Saturday evenings, The Just Desserts , an Austin-based cello and accordion duo, performed on the Lamar pedestrian bridge over Town Lake (which we’re suppose to call Lady Bird Lake now?). The bridge is a hot-spot of the hike and bike trail, so when The Just Desserts were playing tangos and bistro music, joggers and bicyclists slowed down to take in the tunes.

The Just Desserts specialize in international folk music, a refreshing experience in a city built on country blues and college bands. I asked Michael Shay, the cellist, if there was any “red tape” to cut through in order to play. According to him, it’s just show up and set up, “street style, just like we do all over the world.”

Pedestrian bridge gigs are promoted by word of mouth, band mailing list, and rumor. During the city’s more famous music festivals, smaller acts take advantage of the swarm of music fans in town and play the bridge at all hours. During SXSW this year, a punk band took to the “stage” at 3 am and played to a packed bridge.

For their twilight performances, The Just Desserts kept it low-key. “We did let our friends and tango dancers know ahead of time, so the dancers could bring their shoes,” says Shay. Performances usually start at dusk, and you can count on someone showing up to play on any temperate weekend evening.

Posted by Ann Raber

I have lived close to a year now in Brooklyn, and I guess by all accounts I’m still considered a “newbie.” But that doesn’t mean that I don’t appreciate the various nuances attributed to my Bushwick neighborhood and the other “up and coming ‘hoods” of the borough. As is the standard, I revel in my typical Brooklyn “more space per rent ratio” that beats my old Lower East Side sublet ten fold, and I enjoy the Puerto Rican “flava” that my street seeps out through bass beats of the nearby music store and its sidewalk strollers.

Though it wouldn’t seem like Brooklyn if there weren’t a yearning for small changes. I would gladly hand over the noise pollution of passing sirens, the buses stopping and starting on their main route (our street of course), and my apartment’s non-insulated (had I only known!) brand new walls. And while I somehow have found myself surrounded by public housing, other Brooklyn neighborhoods have slowly but surely evolved with modern design through remodeled and gutted brownstones and the other left-over 20th century spaces.

An abundance of wall space house shelves with books.

Compiling and researching some of the borough’s modern designs, Rizzoli International Publications has published a new interior book, Brooklyn Modern: Architecture, Interiors & Design by Diana Land, helping to enlighten any Manhattanite or non-city dweller that Brooklyn and its residents are conscious and savvy about design.

The book works in three parts: “Aesthetic Improvements,” “Gut Renovations” and “New Work,” with beautiful interior and exterior shots to accompany the 18 residential examples in all three sections. Also accompanying the shots are two essays by popular bloggers, Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge and Jonathan Butler of Brownstoner, and a conclusion by Robert Ivy, the editor of Architectural Record.

A minimalist take on picture hanging.

While I was able to gather a “real places/real people” feel from the residents and their personal experiences about their homes, as a whole, the collection personally seemed so distant in its glamour. Even though the author touts that money for these projects wasn’t thrown around, I kept thinking as I flipped through each page, “I can only hope to one day have enough money and time to take on a project like this.”

But I do appreciate the book’s thoughtful conception and its desire to show Brooklyn in its current fervent excitement. The idea of a Brooklyn brownstone really has evolved into the 21st century, as each example contends with the typical narrow rectangular shape yet plays with the facade element. For anyone remotely interested in interior and architectural design as well as urban landscapes, I recommend this pictorial addition to your coffee book collection. And while, I personally don’t own a Saarinen coffee table, the book is still a lovely accessory to any abode, whether you live on a tree-lined suburban street or behind paper-thin walls along a city bus route.

Posted by Kyra Shapurji

Hardcover, 226 pages, $47.00