Couch vs. sofa - a dialogue

I was thrilled to have lunch recently with one of my favorite bloggers, The Blue Remembered Hills, while he was traveling through DC. As so often happens when bloggers meet for the first time we began chatting at once like old friends and eventually the topic naturally veered towards design.

Both of us have 'pet peeves' with wordage, his being the incorrect use of the word couch instead of sofa (mine is the incorrect use of home vs. house). Above you see the famous couch of Madame Recamier.

The term sofa is what we normally are talking about, the article of furniture found in everyone's living room. It's not a 'formal' term or interchangeable with couch -they are DIFFERENT things. A couch is a specific term reserved for pieces of furniture on which one lies. I immediately thought of Madame Recamier, so well known for having been painted in repose by numerous artists.

While in the Louvre on my last visit I loved Madame Recamier's furniture made for her by Georges Jacob as well as 2 very well known paintings of her, in which she is lying on a couch.

 The rest of her furniture is really beautiful and I just had to have an excuse to post!

In the future think of Madame Recamier on her couch and the sofa you have at home; unless you have a fainting couch or daybed, well then that's another story!

Charles M Schulz Museum

While many readers of ArchitectDesign probably think I'm a boring, dry architect, I do have my whimsical side which comes out now and again on the blog. While in California last month I made sure to visit the Charles M Shulz Museum in Santa Rosa.

Designed by C. David Robinson architects, the post-modern building expresses this whimsy through its design. Charles Schulz himself was involved with the design before his death.

In the nearby separate gift shop building are a number of exhibits, one of which was an exact Lego replica of the museum. Compare the 2 photos above, the likeness is amazing!

The gift shop itself is worth a visit.

Located between the museum and the gift shop is a whimsical hockey rink and Warm Puppy Cafe which Charles Schulz would visit everyday and still in operation.

 The black and white facade of the museum echoes the cartoons made famous by Schulz.

Life-size statues of snoopy and the gang are littered around the grounds.

Charles Schulz's office where he drew decades worth of his cartoons was installed piece by piece into the 2nd floor of the museum; a period piece if you ever saw one!

 The colors throughout the museum echo the cartoon strips.

Artworks based on the Peanuts series are to be found throughout the museum as well as many of the original cartoons and stories behind them.

 I loved this 'Snoopy' version of the famous Knoll Bertoia chair.

The 'backyard' is a playful place to rest and enjoy the weather. One of my favorite pieces in the museum wasn't connected with the comic strip at all but rather was a wall mural Schulz created for his daughter early in his career which the current homeowners donated to the museum.

Any visit to northern California isn't complete without a stop to the Charles M Schulz museum in Santa Rosa; it will be sure to put a smile on your face!

Filoli entry

The thing I adore most about visiting  house museums is checking out the amazing details caught in time. While at Filoli I must have taken 20 photos of the entryway itself!

Everyone knows the neo-Georgian front facade of Filoli from numerous tv shows and movies but it was used by Hollywood for a reason; the quiet good taste and great details just are dying to impress.

Looking up to the portico ceiling is rewarding with amazing plaster and stonework. Even the bronze lantern with leaded glass would be beautiful on its own.

Flanking the front door are antique Roman birdbaths - each slightly different but similar enough to appear a matching pair to the common observer.

Once inside even the front doorknob is a work of art, chased with detail. One small overlooked detail however: the screws are all different directions!  Horizontal or vertical I want them all to align!

The interior plaster walls are scored to resemble stone, a common technique used in my own coop building lobby.

And as everyone knows by now I adore a vintage light fixture.  These iron sconces  in the entry vestibule are also works of art.  Detail is everywhere if one just opens their eyes to SEE!

Legion of Honor Museum, San Francisco

While in San Francisco I visited one of my favorite museums which I see every trip to California, The Legion of Honor museum.  While on this trip I went primarily to see the newly restored Salon Dore and the coverage on its restoration, I was happy to revisit old favorites as well. (more on the Salon Dore in a later post).

This museum has everything going for it in my book; the architecture is modeled on the Hotel de Salm in Paris, the collections span everything from porcelain, Egyptian relics, decorative arts and paintings from the golden age of Europe, and the views of San Francisco and the bay from the hilltop location are stunning.

 The entry is a long procession between the gallery wings past one of Rodin's 'The Thinker' sculptures.

 Inside each gallery houses a different genre of art so there really is something for everyone!

Each gallery also has its own color scheme -the English Country house room is a striking red.

 One of the period rooms featured excellent natural wood and gilded boiseries.

The stunning Italian rock crystal chandelier dates to 1730 and was a gift to the museum from Madame Jacques Balsan, nee Consuelo Vanderbilt.

 I loved how the case protecting this lovely terra cotta lady allowed her to gaze upon herself in reflection.

 Rodin's works are to be found throughout the museum.

The most stunning item in the collection though has to be the polychromed Spanish wood ceiling from around 1500 - gasps are literally heard as one walks into the gallery.  Be sure to visit the Legion of Honor museum whilst in San Francisco!

The Heard Museum, Phoenix Arizona

In the same historic neighborhood that I blogged about earlier this week HERE is the most famous museum in Phoenix, The Heard Museum of American Indian art and history.

Founded by Dwight and Maie Bartlett Heard in 1929 the museum dedicates itself to the art and culture of native people, particularly in the Southwest.

Much of the building was built later by noted Southwest architect Bennie Gonzales in his distinctive style which blends so well with the climate. Courtyards, arches, screens, and arcades are reminiscent of both native styles as well as Mediterranean architecture.

The central courtyard is probably one of the most beautiful spaces in Phoenix. Birds sing from trees which shade one from the glare of the sun while tinkling water trickles through an interesting central water feature.

One of the most noted restaurants in Phoenix lies here and I spent an enjoyable January afternoon outside eating delicious Posole in the sun while Washington DC suffered a cold snap which I barely escaped!

The older parts of the building feature 1920s Spanish style ironwork and details such as this charming Juliet balcony. I was such a northeastern tourist and the sight of every orange tree just made me giddy.

The eclectic work of Gonzalez blends in well with the older Spanish style of the original building.

 What I assume to be the original entrance featured these handsome ironwork gates.

 And another small shaded courtyard now was silent with the entry activity confined to the large addition.

Definitely check out the Heard Museum on your trip to Phoenix to learn more about native cultures and don't forget to try the Posole and prickly pear lemonade!

You too can live artfully with Marjorie Merriweather Post!

You may remember I posted about the latest exhibit, Living Artfully, hosted by my neighbor Hillwood, Marjorie Merriweather Post's house. This Saturday, Sept. 21, 2013 you can join a host of distinguished curators to learn both how Marjorie lived so well and how to incorporate this into your daily life. Details below.

Classic Chic:  Interior Design for Living Artfully, will explore French-inspired interior design and the 20th century’s great designers September 21 from 10:30 am - 4:00 pm at the renowned DC treasure, the Hillwood Estate, Musuem and Gardens.
The day will be led by Hillwood curators Liana Paredes and Estella Chung who will discuss Marjorie Post’s Hillwood and the antique and design firms French & Co. and McMillen Inc., whose opulent French interiors combined with modern amenities made it one of Washington’s most memorable homes when Marjorie Merriweather Post lived and entertained there in the 1950s and 60s.

Next James Archer Abbott of Evergreen Museum and Library will highlight the work of global design house Maison Jansen, about whom he has written. 

Following a lunch break and opportunity to look closely at the Hillwood Mansion interiors with the design experts, New York interior designer Michael Simon will discuss the importance of incorporating history and a knowledge of the past into contemporary design, much as Post did at Hillwood.

Lastly, the curator Estella Chung will moderate a round table discussion with the speakers about mid-century design classics and contemporary applications. Hope you can make it!

Hamilton House museum, South Berwick, Maine

Hamilton House was built by Jonathan Hamilton, a shipping merchant, in 1785 but that is not where its fame nor interest really derive. Sitting on a hill overlooking the Salmon Falls River the setting is as picturesque as can be imagined and so caught the attention of 2 ladies in the early 20th century who turned it into what it has become today.

Emily Tyson and her stepdaughter, Elise, purchased the house as it had been marvelously kept intact since the 18th century.  They imparted their own version of the 18th century on the house and inserted their fascinating collection of furniture and decorative arts.

Photographs aren't allowed inside Hamilton House so I found 2 images from the website to share with you and perhaps entice you to visit! The central entry hall spans the depth of the house and features this crazy architectural wallpaper the Tysons had recreated from a sample found.

The highlight on the interior for me are murals on the dining room and parlor walls depicting both Greek & Roman scenes and other local historic houses and ships. All of the woodwork found throughout the house is original to the 18th century; I particularly like the decorative arches in the parlor flanking a fireplace. The Tysons built the shelves hidden behind them during their occupancy where their books still lay!

 Even on a gray, rainy day like we experienced the gardens and setting are stunning.

The gardens were well published in the Tyson's day, as was the house, as examples of Colonial Revival style.

 After Emily's death, Elise and her husband kept summering in the house until her death in 1949.

 Elise had left the house and its contents to Historic New England so that we can all enjoy it and the surrounding forest to this day.

The highlight of the garden is this formal patch between the house and the garden cottage built by the Tysons from other salvaged 18th century houses.

The cottage was as charming as could be and one could easily imagine having it as their own summer get away. That huge window in the main room was especially inspiring.

Be sure to visit Hamilton House and other Historic New England houses while visiting Maine!