White Fence Farm

White Fence Farm is a restaurant and mini theme park that celebrates the American farm experience. I ate at the suburban Denver location with my cousin and her family last Friday, and I loved it!

First of all, what's not to love about corn fritters tossed in powdered sugar:

Or a plate stacked high with crispy-on-the-outside/juicy-on-the-inside fried chicken (extra points for the American flag):

In addition to the food, there was a petting zoo with goats, an indoor and outdoor play area, a live music area (yes, the band was playing country), an Americana barn, a Clydesdale-drawn carriage, peacocks, and country life exhibits, like this one:

What I loved most about this place, though, has to be this:

Yay! A chicken car!

For the full set of photos on Flickr, click here.

Mile High

I've been in Denver for several days, and will have some cool blog posts (with tons of pics) when I return to L.A. I haven't blogged in awhile due to some major life changes, including a transition in my career.

My last day at my old job was this past Wednesday. I found a new position as the business development manager for a mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) firm. I'll be doing a lot of marketing in addition to some design, with a major increase in responsibility. I'm really excited to be back in the architecture/engineering/construction (A/E/C) industry, especially since the firm is involved in some really awesome projects, including several high profile museums.

Speaking of museums, the picture is of a model of the Denver Art Museum (DAM), designed by Daniel Libeskind. More DAM pictures to follow. (Sorry, I couldn't resist the pun.)

Things That Aren't Here Anymore

I spent all of today (Sunday) at home and in my pajamas, alternating between eating, zoning out online, solving sudoku puzzles, trying to finish my final portfolio and watching TV. (A nice half-lazy day) While watching KCET, I caught this special from 1998 called "Things That Aren't Here Anymore." Hosted by the now-deceased L.A. radio and television personality Ralph Story, the documentary basically goes through all the cool places that used to be in L.A., such as the Coconut Grove, the original Brown Derby, Gilmore Field, Pan Pacific Park, and more.

I have mixed feelings about shows like this. On the one hand, I love learning about how people lived in L.A. back in 20s through the 50s. On the other hand, I find it all a little depressing. Thinking about the past in this way does remind me that one day I and all the things that make up my world will be things that aren't here anymore.

When I do my tour, there is one point where I stop to talk about the Richfield Building. When it was built in 1928, it was a gorgeous Art Deco office building clad in black and gold terracotta with a huge metal tower crowning it. Unfortunately, it was demolished in the 70s (a less historically-sensitive time in L.A.) and replaced by the current Arco towers (which I actually don't mind too much.) I show my tourgoers pictures of the old building and most of them agree that it's a pity that it's gone. And then we move on. Such is life, I suppose.

I'm not a die-hard preservationist, mainly because I understand that cities need to grow and change to be relevant. Not every building can be like the Pantheon and last for more than 2,000 years, nor should they. But each city should have a good mix of both the old and new to add depth, character and a sense of place to it. I do think that as L.A. grows older and more mature as a city, its people will become even more defensive of its historical identity and cultural legacy. More beautiful older buildings will be repurposed and those that can't will be replaced with beautiful modern buildings. My dream would be for L.A. to be a intersection of historical preservation and forward-thinking design with no room for mediocrity (particularly in the form of unimaginative stucco mini-malls or McMansions.)

The Wind

This past weekend, my super-talented K finished producing a song he cowrote with Alanna Vicente, who also provided the very relaxed and soothing vocals. It's called "The Wind" and it's a great track! You can listen to it on K's MySpace page or Alanna's.

K worked very hard on it, and any positive feedback would be wonderful. Also, this is just the first song in what's looking to be a really cool series of four, so I'll keep you posted as to when the rest are released.

Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day

It's no big secret that I'm an art deco fanatic. This obsession started in junior high when I became addicted to black and white 1930s musicals (Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Busby Berkeley, etc.), gained momentum during architectural history classes in college, and fully matured during my swing dancing/flea market days (and close association with a full-blown art deco fiend.)

Last week, I treated myself and saw Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day, knowing full well that it would be the kind of fantasy that I always wished was my life. Calling cards. Catty women with elaborate hats and cigarette holders. Cage elevators. Shopping trips that play out like personal fashion shows with the chicest clothes. Social secretaries. British accents. Singing in a supper club. Falling for your earnest but penniless piano player. (Sigh.)

In addition to all that, the art direction was sublime. I want Delysia Lafosse's flat! For me, watching the movie was like going to the Queen Mary... I was practically salivating over every piece of moderne decor I saw. In fact, I think it probably took away from my involvement in the story... I was that much in awe of the scenery.

In any event, I do recommend the movie even if you don't know your streamline from your zigzag. It has a nice sweetness to it. Amy Adams does well as the effervescent Delysia in a perfectly mannered performance and Frances McDormand shows the right amount of mature weariness as Miss Pettigrew.

Also, I love the well-framed still that was chosen as the focal point of the movie poster:
To me, it says a lot about the movie without actually giving it away.

Bathroom Inspiration + A Blog I Read

My other final project (for my Design Communication I class) is to render a plan, elevations and a perspective drawing for a bathroom. Ideally, we are supposed to use our own bathroom for the dimensions and general layout with perhaps some dream design embellishments. I'm not sure if I'm going to use my bathroom or K's or a combination, but if I use mine, I probably won't change the surface materials too much since I've got a lot of the original Art Deco tile and fixtures. If that weren't the case, I'd probably do floor-to-ceiling tile like the jade bathroom featured today in Apartment Therapy, a blog I read.

I'm a big fan of intricate and mosaic-like tilework on walls, on floors, on benches, on everything. Honeycomb, penny round, subway, mini, bowtie or glass, I love it all.

Another thing I love is reading Apartment Therapy, a multi-city interior design and lifestyle blog. Its mission statement sums up why it's so awesome, in particular:

Simplicity and luxury are not mutually exclusive.

So true! I'm a firm believer that luxury does not necessarily equal excess, which is probably one of the reasons why I enjoy this blog so much.

Porcupine

This weekend, contrary to my usual procastinating ways, I finished the final project in my Elements of Design II class more than 2 weeks EARLY! The project consisted of taking an abstract paper sculpture we had created for another assignment and reimagining it into a building/place model or a functional object. I took this sculpture:

and turned it into this pendant lamp:

I used the side shape of the initial paper sculpture as a repeating element, layering two different kinds of handmade Bhutanese paper (from Hiromi, an awesome fine paper store) over a three-ply bristol board structure. The wire frame and light hardware are from IKEA.

I call it the Porpcupine pendant lamp.