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Frank Lloyd Wright’s Long Lost Doghouse

Architizer — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:00:20 +0000

Frank Lloyd Wright is generally considered to have been an arrogant, irascible curmudgeon, whose voracious egotism was and remains legendary. But he could be a gingerly grandfather as well. Case in point, the Jim Berger doghouse. As Architects & Artisans reports, Wright designed the canis domus in 1956, after the 12-year old project’s namesake wrote the famous architect asking if he would fashion a house for the Berger family’s then 4-year old black Lab, Eddie. The boy, who specified in his letter that he would cover the expenses of the plans and materials with wages he earned from his bike route, wrote to Wright in June of 1956, saying that he “would appreciate it if you [Wright] would design me a dog house, which would be easy to build, but would go with our house.”

The Jim Berger Doghouse for Eddie

The house to which the boy was referring was the Robert Berger House in San Anselmo, California, designed by Wright as a kind of prototype which fulfilled the architect’s original conception of the Usonian homes. Wright furnished the plans for the $15,000 house, while Robert Berger, a trained engineer, would build the house entirely by his own means – a project that would take 20 years to complete. At first, Wright politely declined, citing his busy schedule but suggested that the young Berger write to him again later in the year in the off chance he would have something by then. “A house for Eddie is an opportunity,” responded Wright, “Someday I shall design one.”

Image credit: W.A. Storrer, from FLW Companion

After writing the architect a second time, the boy was surprised to receive a complete set of drawings for a small triangular hut whose form bowed to the hexagonal geometry of the house’s hexagonal plan. Wright specified that scraps of the Phillipine mahogany and cedar used in the main home be incorporated in the doghouse. Among the plans are several Wrightian details such as a inconspicuous entrance hidden on the opposite side of the structure and the low-pitched roof with generous overhang. The Bergers didn’t actually construct the hut until 1963, when they made changes to the location of the door and removed the concrete base Wright had planned so as to make the house portable. Unfortunately, neither Eddie nor any of the Berger’s other dogs ever took to it, and the structure was dismantled just 10 years later.

“Frankly, it’s the best story ever about Wright,” says filmmaker Michael Miner, who has launched a nationwide promotional tour for his new documentary Romanza on Wright’s work in California. Miner has recruited Jim Berger to showcase his reconstructed version of the house. The new house remains faithful to Wright’s design, while fixing some of the old problems. Wright’s original leaked.

Plan of the Robert Berger House
This post by Samuel Medina originally appeared on Architizer, a Flavorwire partner site.

‘Teenage Wasteland’: Niklas Coskan’s Punk-Rock Gang Illustrations

Judy Berman — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:00:35 +0000

Could your day use an extra dose of punk rock? (Note: The answer to this question is always “yes.”) If so, you’ll want to check out Teenage Wasteland, Berlin-based designer/illustrator Niklas Coskan’s fun collection of teen-outlaw character drawings. Each image features a cigarette-smoking, occasionally weapon-wielding juvenile delinquent uttering classic punk lyrics, from the Runaways fan singing, “Hey boy, you’re my good time” to the Bowie T-shirt-clad gent surrounded by Iggy Pop’s immortal words, “No fun.” Check out Teenage Wasteland after the jump, and then visit Coskan’s website to see more of his work.

Image credit: Niklas Coskan [Spotted via BLDGWLF]

An A-Z Guide to ’70s Decor

Claire Cottrell — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:00:44 +0000

The 1970s was an exciting time in the world of design. Architects and engineers were competing to build the tallest building in the world. Buckminster Fuller perfected “Spaceship Earth.” Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers “turned the architecture world upside down” with the inside-out Centre George Pompidou in Paris. And as we discovered via our favorite passport to another time, Retronaut, Graystone Press published a massive, eighteen volume anthology known as The Practical Encyclopedia of Good Decorating and Home Improvement. Arranged alphabetically by topic, the books cover everything from “how to select chairs that are comfortable and durable” to “how to arrange collections to create focus and visual rhythms” to “why the ancients used color.”

We were so inspired by the quirky range of entries that we had to make our own abridged version of our new favorite design reference. Let us know in the comments what has you wanting to invest in some avocado green accent pieces or give couching a whirl.

Astroturf

Image credit: Sandi Vincent

Pantone Swatch Remakes of Classic Album Covers

Judy Berman — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:30:54 +0000

Reimagined album covers are apparently the new minimalist posters. In the past few weeks alone, we’ve enjoyed brand-new art for classic hip-hop records, covers inspired by the experience of listening to music, clip-art versions of famous album sleeves, and even covers where dead musicians have been Photoshopped out. But our inner design geek is especially excited about the latest take on the trend, graphic designer David Marsh’s series of album covers recreated in Pantone color swatches. See Primal Scream, Grace Jones, Patti Smith, and David Bowie albums through the eyes of a color expert after the jump, and then be sure to check out more of Marsh’s work on Tumblr and Flickr — where you’ll also find some excellent minimalist posters.

Primal Scream, Screamadelica. Image credit: David Marsh [Spotted via Creative Review]

Ai Weiwei and Herzog & de Meuron Will Design This Year’s Serpentine Pavilion

Caroline Stanley — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:57:49 +0000

Since launching back in 2000 with Zaha Hadid, the Serpentine Gallery’s annual pavilion series has featured work by some of the most noted architects in the industry — from Oscar Niemeyer to SANAA. Today it was announced that controversial Chinese artist Ai Weiwei will be reteaming with the Swiss architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron (his collaborators on the iconic “Bird’s Nest” stadium in Beijing, pictured here) to create this year’s temporary structure. What can we expect to see in Hyde Park? Their vision calls for “a bowl-shaped auditorium carved into the earth and protected by a flat, circular steel roof raised five feet above ground level.” Supporting that roof will be “columns that thematically echo the designs of the previous eleven pavilions,” as well as a “wild card” column reflecting their own contribution.

“As we dig down into the earth we encounter a diversity of constructed realities such as telephone cables and former foundations,” the trio said in a cryptic statement. “Like a team of archaeologists, we identify these physical fragments as remains of the eleven Pavilions built between 2000 and 2011.” Look for the finished product to open to the public in June, when the Serpentine Gallery will host a major exhibition of Yoko Ono’s work. [via ArtsBeat]

Dear Costume Department: ‘Wanderlust’

Of a Kind — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:00:48 +0000

Editor’s note: Welcome to Dear Costume Department, a bi-weekly feature brought to you by our fashion-minded friends from Of a Kind, a curated shopping site of limited-edition goods by emerging designers. With each installment, they’ll bring you a head-to-toe look inspired by a buzzed-about pop culture personality — complete with info on where to grab the pieces for your own closet. Enjoy!

It’s hard not to get excited about a new Paul Rudd movie — even when the dude is playing opposite of Jennifer Aniston. In his latest — directed by David Wain (Wet Hot American Summer! Role Models!) and produced by Judd Apatow (every man-child comedy ever!) — Rudd’s character George trades life as a Manhattan power player for some time at a hippy-dippy commune that they thought was a B&B. Fingers crossed, laughs ensue. Here are our suggestions for what he should put on when he opts to wear clothes at all.

With its satin detailing, this Burkman Bros. button-down is like a blue banker shirt on opium.

Amidst the hijinx, there will likely be heartfelt conversations near the dock, and for those, this reversible Warriors of Radness hoodie will come in handy.

These Apolis trunks will prove useful until George is comfortable splashing around with the nudists.

You can’t really bring a roller bag to this sort of place. A Makr linen-and-leather weekender is much more apropos.

Nothing says “midlife-crisis” like a Miansai bracelet.

God knows these Common Projects sneakers will reek by the fourth day sans shower, but, hey, at least they’ll look good.

12 Ubiquitous Design Trends That We’re So Over

Claire Cottrell — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:30:33 +0000

A quick perusal of the latest Tumblr to poke fun at the lifestyles of those for whom design is within reach — F*** Your Noguchi Coffee Table — has us wondering, when exactly does a trend become a cliché? When does something that we once deemed original and inspiring become tired and absurd? Is mainstream appeal the death of design?

Salvador Dalí offers a few thoughts on the subject in the preface to Pierre Cabanne’s Dialogues with Marcel Duchamp. Dalí says, “the first man to compare the cheeks of a young woman to a rose was obviously a poet; the first to repeat it was possibly an idiot.” It’s a statement that speaks as much to originality and authorship as it does to poetic license and a knock-off’s taboo.

We might not know all of the answers to our existential musings, but we do know that we love the guilty indulgence of quietly judging the interiors and objects dominating our Pinterest page. Click through to see our own collection of design to uninspire, along with a few favorites from the Tumblr that started it all. Leave your own nominations in the comments.

F*** your knitting inspired ceramics.

Image credit: Yo Yo Ceramics

20 Incredibly Adorable Valentine’s Day Cards

Caroline Stanley — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:00:50 +0000

Back when you were a kid, picking out Valentines was a much simpler task. Now that we’re all older — and in many cases, selecting a card for a very special person, as opposed to an entire classroom full of people who, let’s be honest, really only cared about the candy — finding the right one can prove tricky. To make things easier, we’ve rounded up 20 solid options for you after the jump. While the sentiments they convey run the gamut from “you’re my best friend forever” to “I love you even more than my iPhone,” these tiny missives have one thing in common — they’re all incredibly adorable.

Eyes For You Card by Sugar Paper, $6

The Evolution of American Cereal Box Design

Emily Temple — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:07:42 +0000

We’re always fascinated by the way advertising and product design has evolved over the years, so we were excited to see this roundup of cereal box evolution over at Retronaut. Like so many other design aesthetics, cereal boxes have gotten smoother, more “3-d” and more, well, ecstatic across the board — characters who used to smile contentedly now invariably have their mouths wide open in wild excitement at the sugary flakes they are about to consume. The colors have become garishly bright (though in some cases, we admit, more appealing), and everything is just so much shinier. To us, the character development is the most interesting — we love seeing the 1950′s Tony the Tiger, who has morphed from a friendly-looking, almost shy cat into a striped pseud0-bodybuilder. Click through to see a few of our favorites, and then be sure to head over to Retronaut for even more.

Fruit Loops, 1963 to now

The Fug Report: Highs and Lows from the Week in Fashion

Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:30:10 +0000

Editor’s note: Welcome to The Fug Report! Each week our fashion blogger friends Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan, the sartorial geniuses behind Go Fug Yourself, will feature some of the most memorable looks of the week in this space. We hope you enjoy it!

This week on Go Fug Yourself, we took an in-depth look at the SAG Awards, examining the pleated jumpsuit of Rose Byrne (who apparently lost a bet to the Flying Elvises); giving unprecedented praise to Naya Rivera (who basically carried the banner for all the Glee actors); giving love to Melissa McCarthy (who looked the best she’s looked all awards season); and putting Glenn Close (who looked like a server at the Black Swan Saloon) and Ashlee Simpson (who was festooned in sparkly cobwebs) in a cage match. In non-awards season coverage, we celebrated Gossip Girl’s 100th episode, tuned in to the American figure skating championships, and witnessed perhaps the world’s most horrifying formal gown. Try and unsee that one.