New York Minute

I'm currently working on a project in New York, but will be back in full swing the week of April 6. I bought a couple of new items prior to leaving and should have them photographed and posted in the GGG shop by April 8.

I'm really looking forward to getting back to springtime in LA as it is cold and raining in Brooklyn!  

Vintage Saybolt Cleland Cocktail Table for Sale!

I have put a new item up for sale on Lushpad!  This is a gorgeous Saybolt Cleland Vintage Cocktail Table that has a Barbara Barry vibe going on. Priced at $125, it is a fraction of the price of one of her designs. Crafted of solid mahogany with a zebra wood trim, this table is a true classic.  Saybolt Cleland was a highly esteemed American maker of fine furnishings, on par with Kindel and Baker.  

Modern Mar Vista

My post about the T Lofts alerted my hazy memory to the paper I wrote many moons ago on the Mar Vista Tract housing development designed by Gregory Ain. I used to drive by these houses everyday on my way to work.  I'd zip down Beethoven and wonder, "What's the story on these cool modern houses?" My question was soon answered in an art history class taught by Anthony Denzer, who has since released a book, Gregory Ain: The Modern Home as Social Commentary. 

These houses were part of a 52 house tract built in the late 1940's that adapted the principles of modern design into housing for the masses. They were considered to be a commercial failure at the time, but have now become highly valued and are a part of a Historic Preservation Overlay Zone. 

When I look at a project like the T Lofts, I can't help but feel disappointed.  While a VAST improvement over the usual "Contractor Mediterranean" style, they just can't compare to the vision, ingenuity and design quality shown in the Mar Vista Tract. Time has moved forward 60 years, but our inventiveness has not. 

Check out these links for more info about the marvelous Mar Vista Tract:

Mar Vista Tract 

Eichler Network

Homes for Hipsters

LA Times Home & Garden Article

More Mod!

I just posted some new items in the GGG Shop! They are all fabulous and very, very mod!