Featured Project: Blue Star Corner

Rick Holliday's twenty live-work homes in Emeryville, CA. are officially on the market. And Blue Star Corner is finally bringing L.A.'s new favorite counter surface (Caesarstone) to Nor Cal, as well as all the other key things happening elsewhere, like Ann Sacks soaking tubs and Kohler everything (why doesn't someone go after the gorilla that is Kohler faucets and toilets? It's been three years since we've seen anything else used at almost any price point.). The project was inspired by Amsterdam and designed by the ever-popular David Baker + Partners, San Francisco.

Featured Prefabber

We love their site, love their city, and love that they offer an "accessory" model in addition to fully-functioning prefab homes. Still, we're just cynical enough to find it a little over the top to claim that buying a Place LLC prefab structure is as simple as buying a car. Place offers small (1,247 SF), medium (1,660 SF, shown above), large (2,091 SF) and TINY (935 SF). At the listed sizes, the average starting price amounts to about $210/SF for the structure itself, exclusive of decking and any walks or podiums covering the unstructured parts of the footprint.

Customization possible. You select the site and, most likely, the structural engineer who will say it's a go. Place provides permitting docs and the builders and estimates that you'll move in within a year of beginning this process: info@placehouses.com.

Showroom of the Week: Milan and the Cows

As probably will happen a million times before this blog is over, the entire City of Milan got our attention this week, as a holder of Europe's 2007 Cow Parade this April: "Life-size cows, made of fibreglass, are sponsored by businesses, painted and decorated by artists, then displayed on the city’s streets to create a free, fun and interactive art event, unlike any other public art exhibition before." NYC got to live the Parade in 2000, but much has changed since then. Google Milan Cow Parade for a hundred images, or go for it in Italian: http://www.cowparademilano.it/stalla.php..

Photo credit: Pol Oxygen magazine

40 Bond - "Last Remaining Units"

40 Bond, the most fabulous of fabulous high-end/over-the-top/celebrity service projects in the U.S., is sitting on its final 6 units. Ian Schrager's foray into residential, which began in a cast glass and iron building on Bond Street and a sales office on Lafayette, reports no market softening in the upper eschelons of purchasing power as well as recent sales exceeding $3,000/SF. Smoked oak walls, Austrian oak floors, turn-down service, and everything else under the sun comes standard. You were probably beckoned to stand in front of it and stare at its glassy skin about a year ago, but if you haven't worked your way into the sales office, it's worth a try before the final units are "discreetly sold".

Lucite Makes it (Back) to the Desktop, and Everywhere

A $34 lucite stapler and its sister $32 lucite tape dispenser--finally. I'm unfortunately already happy with my desk accessories, but want to share Homework LA's (Hollywood, of course) website nonetheless. Homework should probably make an appearance as Showroom of the Week, for their ability to make everyday objects feel like little moments. (See, especially, their egg timers and alarm clocks.) Avenue G is featuring William Stranger's reclaimed credenza today too.


Bigger picture, watch coffeetables and desk chairs in sales offices this Summer. Lucite and acrylic are everywhere, with an always-useful credibility injection by Philippe Starck's Louis Ghost Armchair remake of the Kartell classic Louis XVI armchair ($334 at DWR). Please, DWR, make granite go away for good next.

Showroom of the Week: Beck's Fashion Experience

Surely you like Beck, Berlin, or both. Have your Babelfish handy and visit http://www.becks-fashion.de for opening night (March 29th, 2007) and runway shots. Did you know Italian Greyhounds on the runway are the thing? While fashionistas we are not, the store is really a design experience. Beck's Fashion Experience: Alte Schönhauser Str. 4810119 Berlin

Featured Project: The Hollywood

Architect Stephen Kanner goes right ahead and says it: This project was inspired by mid-century modern and the blending of indoor/outdoor living. We love the facade and signage (If you must have signage, this is the kind you want.). Interior design by Pedini (the Pedini, that is) guarantees high ceilings, European kitchens, and other Pedini mainstays that are viewable on the Hollywood's online virtual tours. And while it's not "green", there's a little light green at The Hollywood. 6735 Yucca St., Los Angeles. Online at: http://www.livethehollywood.com/