Home Reference... Free People headquarters!

I can't tell you how amazed I am by this space.  It's the Free People headquarters in Philadelphia, and it completely blows my mind.  Ok, it's not technically a "home", but this space is just oozing with home inspiration.  Can you imagine coming to work here everyday?  Inspiration overload!  My goodness, it's no wonder their collections are gigantic each season.  I'd be pumping out the goods in a workplace like this too!  

This photo made me think of an experience I had many years ago...  

In an art class, in intermediate school, we were asked to sketch our "dream home".  I drew this building:

I guess it doesn't look like much, but it's a GIGANTIC former sugar processing facility which overlooks Nawiliwili Harbor and Kalapaki Beach.  In the next photo you can really get a sense of the scale of this building, as it sits perched on a hill above a full-sized cruise ship.  Like I said, gigantic.

I'd been enamored with this building since I was a very little girl.  It has sat empty and unused since long before I ever set eyes upon it- fuel and fodder for a little girls' imagination to run wild with ideas.  I imagined a great big wall around my great big home on the hill, an indoor arena for my horses, skylights, and an indoor park...   The possibilities (and the square footage, it seemed) were endless.  My teacher, however, thought it very strange and asked that I choose between a second attempt at the assignment, or failing it entirely.  I attempted a weak argument; something about the clarification of a dream home vs. a dream house...  in the end, I reluctantly sketched a quick little square with a triangle roof because that's what she wanted.  But the truth is, this bulk sugar mill- far past its glory, was the dream.  I still feel its influence in my design preferences, and its spirit in the spaces that inspire me.

James is obsessed with the big, green Victorian on Pacific St. that overlooks Emerson Park.

What was your dream home as a kid?  What it is now?

Periodical love...

I've been thinking a lot about magazines lately.  

I think it drives Jeffrey crazy, but I save them.  Not in the "collector" kind-of way, but in the dog-eared corners, post-it notes on pages, for reals reference library sort of way.  Last week at Ruby Rose, Stephanie and I were waxing poetic about missing Domino, loving Anthology magazine, and our mutual bewilderment of its elusiveness in town.  I mean really, Barnes & Noble, you can carry 40 varieties of "Tattoo Culture" magazines, but not a Made in SF quarterly design bible?  For shame!

Anyway, I thought I'd share a little run-down of my magazine library and how I've come to love the ones I do.

1. Living Etc.

This is a fantastic UK publication which focuses on modern interior design, and features excellent home tours.

2. Dwell

I remember how long-coming and refreshing it felt to open that inaugural issue of Dwell, and even now I rarely skip an issue.  It's such fabulous eye-candy for anyone with a pulse on clean, modern architecture.  Floor plans, home tours, green innovations...  I truly love it.

3. Lucky Peach

The brainchild of Momofuku's David Chang, this magazine is only on its third issue, but an instant favorite.  Amazingly candid interviews with top chefs, specialty recipes, food sourcing and provenance... and editorial by the bad boy himself, Anthony Bourdain!  Super fun reading for foodies.  Not for the squeamish.

4. Marie Claire Idées

I've yet to find an American equivalent to this beautiful French home and craft magazine.  Entirely in French, but guess what... photos translate effortlessly.  Each issue features darling tutorials and excellent DIY's.  Editorials focus on Seasonal decor, DIY fashion, recipes, and entertaining.  Bonus points: Animals from Deyrolle figure prominently and often.  Ahhh... the perks of Paris.  

5. National Geographic

Is this embarrassing to admit?  I feel like maybe this is the nerd who snuck into the bunch- but OH, do I love this magazine.  There's a reason why it's been around for ages, and why people bequeath their entire estates to its preservation.  National Geographic is so full of human interest, exotic locales, and mind-blowing imagery - it makes everything else just seem trivial and slight.  Ok, maybe I just answered my own question...  This may well be the grandad of published cool.

6. Vogue

Say what you will about Anna Wintour, but she and Grace and Andre keep this iconic magazine relevant, ahead of the curve, and honest-to-God glamourous.  More than any other, these are the magazines I flip through for years and years and reference again and again.  Classic.

7. Anthology

New classic.  Can't live without.  Just. So. Good.  Which of course makes me worry for its future.  Somehow the best of the best new start-up magazines in recent years have folded.  I have high hopes for this one, and fingers and toes crossed for its survival.  I love that some of my very favorite bloggers are contributors.  I love the photos, the stories, the design ideas...  now to find a local distributor.  

8. Cookie

FABULOUS.  Functional.  Defunct.  This magazine was an all-time favorite.  I would be giddy with joy when new issues arrived at my doorstep.  Wonderful recipes (including great variations depending upon ingredients on-hand), parenting and relationship advice, real moms, real homes, children's fashions, DIY's...  Even years later, the issues are relevant and wonderful.

What about you?  Are you a magazine fan?  Which are your favorites?

Home Reference: Back yard pool...

I keep a little folder on my desktop entitled: "Home Reference".

In it, I collect images of homes and architectural details that have inspired me.  Jeff suggested that I share them here... so, here we go!  I thought the image below would be a perfect starter to acquaint you with the series.  At first glance, you'll notice that uhhMAAYziiing pool, nestled perfectly into the narrow yard.  Super cool, right?

But look a little closer...  see the bedroom upstairs?  The cushy sitting area at the bottom of the staircase?  The open floor plan downstairs?  The house is small, but they've opened it up as much as possible.  With an entire wall of glass, and accordion doors to blur the divide between indoor and outdoor space, they've made it look (and I'm assuming, feel) big and highly-functional.  Notice how the outside range, connects almost seamlessly with the indoor cooking area.  I love this.  I'll admit, I'm not crazy about avant garde rooflines, but the corrugated tin makes up for the pretention of that dramatic angling.  What do you think?

Photo by James Geer