mad about mid-century modern

back in the day, when c and i were young newlyweds and living
in tucson, i received my first introduction to architecture

i remember lots of flashcards to help c study and that's when i got a brief
overview on the many types on architectural styles: from adobe,  mission, and
arts & crafts, to gothic, victorian and colonial achitecture. 

i remember i would call modern architecture, contemporary and visa versa,
and in the world architecture and design, that is a major faux pas. 
i simply didn't know the differences. 

finally after years of living with an architect, working for architects,
and having close friends who are architects, i can say I no longer get the two
mixed up.  *wink*

though c and i don't agree on everything, mid-century modern architecture is something
we both agree on.  we both love this style of home - the post and beam ceiling, open floor plans,
and floor to ceiling glass walls that are a feature in the 'true' mid-century modern style homes
{eichler homes being one of the most popular architects of this era}.

we really wanted to own one of these styled homes. {us and thousands of other designer type peeps},
but real estate in california is tough....and even tougher when a home you want is unique or in higher demand.  it's near impossible for a regular peeps of modest incomes to compete.   c and i looked at a few homes mid-century homes that came on the market over the last several years in san diego,
but we were outbid by far every single time.  *sigh*. 

we had fun walking through them and at least and dreaming for a while.  
though we didn't end up with a mid-century modern home,
we did end up with mid-century home {early 1960s} that was fairly easy to
duplicate some of the things we wanted in our home:

• a single level home with lots of openness
• lots of light
• easy transitioning between indoor and outdoor spaces
• lots of white walls with pops of color coming from cushions and prints

we still have a long way to go, but we are having fun with it {him probably more than me}.
he likes the whole process...i just like the finished product. 

i found these fun midcentury living rooms in one of our favorite magazines and had to post.
if i had tons of money, my house would be SUPER cool, but alas, i'm not.

 
 
 
 
 
 

high tech high tour

last friday i left work a few hours early to join a group of san diego architects
to participate in a lecture and tour of the high tech high chula vista campus.
the tour was lead by my architect!

c been leading tours of this high school for over a year and a half now,but i had
never gone on one (i feel like such a bad wife because of this). i've wanted to go,
it is just difficult for me to get away from work during the day.

because of the recent national architectural award it received, it's been getting a fair share
of publicity, so when the san diego aia chapter got wind of it, they contacted christopher. 

it's rare i get to watch christopher in action among his colleagues and peers,
so it was particularly enjoyable for me. he invited the architect and the general contractor
to be there so entire team was there to really share the experience of how the project
came to life.

i learned alot from the tours - about materials, construction, and c even touched on the
philosophy of high tech high, and the project-based learning model they follow.

i like the high school, but i especially love the k-8 school which opens in a few weeks.
i have a feeling this school will win some awards of it's own in the future.
here's a rendering of the school. i will post a photo once the project is complete.

i drove home with a cheesy grin on my face.
so happy to finally see these projects (which have been c's babies over the past few years)
and so happy to have a husband who truly loves what he does.


*************************************

my 3 flew to minnesota today for the week.
i came home to a quiet home...so different than most nights.
i know i will enjoy having the next several evenings all to myself,
but it will take a day or two for me to get used to this empty house.
i'll still miss 'em but they are where they need to be
and this mom will be just fine.  *wink*

c sent me this photo of the boys as they began their trip.
i wish i could see the look on their faces.

finn and scout in the cockpit of a Southwest airplane

old homes

a coworker of mine, who is based in our orlando office,
shared her thanksgiving plans with me last week.
she will be visiting her future in-laws in this gorgeous home!


after restoration

 


















i'll give you a minute to clean the drool off your computer keyboard. *grin*
she's beautiful isn't she??  i'm not sure why i'm giving this home a pronoun,
it just seems fitting and i think SHE deserves it. 

though i have a strong appreciation for modern architecture,
old homes have a very special place in my heart.
i know they do for many as this type of architecture/building is rare anymore.

i especially love old homes with deep and large front porches.
nothing says 'welcome' more than a big front porch to me.
it's like a call to friends and neighbors saying, come on up, sit down
and enjoy a glass of ice cold lemondade and stay a while.
this home's wrap-around porch is AMAZING!!

this home hasn't always been so beautiful. it had fallen into years of neglect
and looked like something that could have easily bulldozed. she need some TLC.
fortunately my coworker d's in-laws gave her lots.  here it is *before* the restoration. 
she's come a long way...


before restoration



















a little bit more on this beauty:

- located on a 700 acre ranch in jasper, fl (along the georgia border)
- 10 bedrooms (i'll get the year it was built )
- the suwanee river and the florida trail run along the edge of the property
- the family allows some of the land to be farmed (some longhorn cattle)
- some areas are heavily wooded and have hidden caverns of limestone
- my coworkers wanted to get married here, but the logisitics didn't work
(it's literally in the middle of nowhere)