When the "Hunt" Becomes a Home

Yesterday...was amazing. After a year long journey across New England for the perfect antique house, we finally closed on our ultimate find (above). The original house (now the back ell) dates back to 1791, while the main house, a Center Hall Colonial, dates back to 1825. Only owned by two families in the last 154 years, the house contains almost all of its original detail: wide pine floors and wainscoting, hand forged hardware, lath & plaster walls, wavy glass windows, grain painted woodwork and a soothing peacefulness that can only come from centuries of being loved. We only hope to carry on this tradition as we restore the house in its purest form.

Portrait of a dog taken in our front yard, 19th century

Very early postcard of School Street (our house is on the left)

Hot Heads

In researching pyrography for yesterday's blog, we came across the work of David Mach and had to share it. He creates matchstick sculptures using tens of thousands of colored matchsticks imported from Japan. Most are sold at auction for $30,000-$50,000, but some he just sets aflame.

Where There's Smoke, There's Fire

Walking down 57th Street last Wednesday, we came across the charred remains of a sofa or chair. What stopped us in our tracks was the palette and textures of the remains; blue-black to russet, clots of hair to loosely-woven burlap. We'll bring some fire-related art to the blog this week, today it is Donald Sultan's Smoke Rings Suite of Four.

Donald Sultan's Smoke Rings Suite of Four, Art Brokerage

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The Style of Texture

While in Pennsylvania a few weekends ago, we shot a collection of photos capturing different types of textures. Today we pair some of those textures with a time and place to provide a point of reference and inspiration...

Robinson House by Macel Breuer, 1948

Desert City House, Arizona by Marwan Al Sayed Architects via chictip

The Tree-Trunk Garden House, Nertherlands by Piet Hein Eek via Shelter Pop

Modern Vermont Farmhouse by Birdseye Design via Remodelista, 2004

A Sunny Day at the Races

We were talking with a friend yesterday about this past weekend and realized just how full it was with disparate yet rewarding activities. From modern art to celebratory drinks, we raced around the city as if we were running the marathon...well, not exactly.

ING New York City Marathon, 72nd Street

Paul Thek, Caterpillar in Storm of Leaves 1975, at the Whitney Museum

The Standard Hotel, Meatpacking

Mark Rothko, Yellow and Gold 1956

NYC subway car

Figuratively Speaking

Kesner, West Village

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Prada on Madison

Zara on Greenwich Ave., Greenwich, CT.

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Ralph Lauren, Greenwich

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Zara, Greenwich

Unnatural Desires: Skoglund, Du Pasquier and Sowden

There are many things to love about 80's art and design...color and pattern is number one (and two, we suppose) in our book. We lived with geometries and neon, synthetic aesthetics that were completely and unapologetically designed for the sake of design. We love the excess, here are some favorites:

Sandy Skoglund, Revenge of the Goldfish

1981 Nathalie Du Pasquier textile design

George Sowden clock, Objects for the Electronics Age

Sandy Skoglund, Gathering Paradise

1984 Du Pasquier design

Skoglund's Cats in Paris

George Sowden, Objects for the Electronics Age clock

Round and Round

Sunday had us at the races (ING NYC Marathon), The Whitney for the Edward Hopper exhibit and home to post Judy Ledgerwood paintings. Though the latter creates paintings that are conceptual, they are certainly decorative at the same time--fat circles of saturated color crowd her canvases, helping us to recognize the repetition of geometries that flavor our own days.

Judy Ledgerwood, Sudden Insight via Artnet

Profile and balloon at the NYC Marathon (1st Avenue at 72nd)

Judy Ledgerwood, Green Goddess at Tracy Williams, Ltd.

Sunlight through waterbottles, early morning in Chelsea

Judy Ledgerwood, Pangea at Garson Fine Art

Ceiling lights at The Whitney Museum of American Art