"Food Life"

One luxury I really enjoy about my job is the requirement to travel, whether it’s out of the country or to neighboring states, I enjoy being on site and able to see our work in tangible form. Something I’ve noticed over at least the last decade on my travels for business, and especially those for pleasure, is the evolving “food life” throughout the country. Going out to dinner twenty-five years ago meant something completely different than it does today- and it really has become an enjoyable adventure.

Even during the last 10 years, there’s a real revolution that’s happening with food and dinning when you travel. It’s no longer about going to a big name chef or the most glamourous restaurant; it’s about finding young and creative people trying new and interesting things – things that haven’t been done before in a particular place.

It’s much more fun to find people who are being creative with their food and the space that they’re in. Take for instance, food trucks. Gone are the days of the greasy fair food vendors – food trucks have become even more interesting than restaurants. It’s like “gorilla art” for food. If someone wants to try something interesting – they can do it. They want to do it in a new place, and with a new audience – they can do it. The new chef doesn’t necessarily need to have all of the overhead of a bricks and mortar restaurants. They can experiment and play. And we – their audience – can enjoy their energy and insight. It is exciting and inspiring.

As Anthony Bourdain has said:

“Everyone should be encouraged at every turn to develop their own modest yet unique repertoire—to find a few dishes they love and practice at preparing them until they are proud of the result. To either respect in this way their own past—or express through cooking their dreams for the future. Every citizen would thus have their own specialty. Why can we not do this? There is no reason in the world. Let us then go forward. With vigor.”

Wainscoting: In Pursuit of Excellence

As the recent owner of a 100 year old craftsman-style house, much of my free time is now consumed by home improvement projects. Of course, in the architecture profession, everything must strive for historical accuracy while still incorporating the right balance of modern elements.

After refinishing some floors, my attention has recently been on wainscoting the living and dining rooms to add in some historic character. While I haven’t landed on an exact solution, I have learned an awful lot about wainscoting.

Originally devised to protect plaster walls, wainscoting now serves a primarily decorative purpose. Over the last ~600 years it has been spun off into numerous styles. These are a few of the most familiar:

Wall Frames:

This type is typically seen in Victorian-style homes, usually in more formal spaces like the dining room. The cap and panel molding typically have an ornate, rounded profile.

Bead Board:

Now sold in plank or sheet form and probably the most familiar, bead board is traditionally seen in cottage-style homes. This material is often a durable covering for entire walls and ceilings, or mixed with cap and base board moldings of various styles. 

Raised Panel:

This is perhaps the oldest and most traditional wainscoting type in America, often seen in colonial-style homes. It can also be more complex to install and introduce more texture and depth than the types above.

Board and Batten:

Also referred to as shaker wainscoting, board and batten reflects the simplicity of form that characterizes the craftsman style. This type is often extends 6 feet or more above the floor, and is capped by a flat rail.

Images:

http://www.colorsizzle.com/how-to-paint-a-room-with-molding/

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/design-definitions-whats-the-difference-between-wainscoting-and-beadboard-175574

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/wainscoting

http://artsandcraftshomes.com/wood-wainscot-revival/

1920's Era Bathroom Renovation Update

Four months later, the bathroom is finished- (the tub still needs to be re-glazed. Be warned...thinset will stain your tub)

For the light fixture above the vanity we chose a SchoolHouse Electric sconce in Natural Brass (Yes. I said brass) with a "turtle shade".

The handtowels are from Anthropologie, the Maleda Collection