The Jet Set House

Do you guys read the website, Curbed?  It's a site that focuses on real estate... with a celebrity/interior design twist.   It's great.   Highly recommend it for the factual, yet sensational articles.   This week, they posted a bit of interesting news.   If you're a Mad Men fan (and I most certainly am), you might remember that amazing mid-century gem of a house in Season 2.   The episode was appropriately called "The Jet Set".   Remember?   Don travels to LA, goes off the rails and escapes with those gypsies?   They stay at this STUNNER of a home and the scene appears to be taken right out of a Slim Aarons photograph...

Anyway, that place is for sale. And, if you have a cool $12 million to spare, it might be a great investment for you:

This home has some serious Hollywood history:

(taken from the Curbed LA article)

"The Fox Residence in Chatsworth is up for sale. The 1951 Pereira & Luckman house has an incredibly star-studded history from its early days all the way to today. It was built for Chase Manhattan Bank heiress Dora Hutchinson, who, according to Forbes, threw "massive who’s who parties for Hollywood, hosting the A-list likes of Lucille Ball and Ava Gardner, and shooting off fireworks to signal Happy Hour to her neighbors." The listing says that Judy Garland and Vicente Minnelli were married on the property. After Hutchinson moved to New York, she rented the Fox (also known as the Farralone) to Frank Sinatra for almost a decade, who in turn sublet the guesthouse (which has its own pool) to Marilyn Monroe. She had her last, famous photoshoot in one of the pools and supposedly spent time there with John F. Kennedy. More recently, it made Mad Men viewers drool playing a Palm Springs house in the episode "The Jet Set." Dreamgirls, Ali, and Californication also filmed there."

What a remarkable life this house has lived!  And, this gorgeous piece of architectural history also EARNS money.  It brings in about $2 million a year in filming fees.

And, I'd say it's worth it. Talk about picturesque.

(isn't Jon Hamm so handsome?)

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A Mid-Century Delight

I spotted these pictures over at Design Milk and I thought they were so good, I had to share them with all of you.  This mid-century modern gem of a house, located in Pasadena, California, was originally designed in 1959 by Buff, Straub & Hensman.  And, it was most recently remodeled by Los Angeles based architecture firm, Space International, keeping the original bones of the home intact.  Based on the images here, the design project looks like a major success.

That pool alone makes me swoon...

To read more inspiring posts from Design Milk, visit their website HERE.

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Sunset Magazine, Then and Now

I found this spread via Domestic Reflections, a blog written by Jora (a gorgeous wife and stay at homie).  So, apparently, not only is Jora (and her family) gorgeous, but so is her San Diego home.  It was featured in a 1966 issue of Sunset magazine!  Fast forward to 2009, and it's still knock-out beautiful.  If you are a mid-century modern fan, I think that you'll love this...  Enjoy!

Living room in 1966...

Living room in 2009...

1966...

2009...

A few more pictures of the beautiful interior, with floor to ceiling glass windows, updated (energy efficient) appliances, and tree top views...

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Loving LOVIG

So, I see that the Mid-Century Modernist is also a fan. Too bad I cannot participate in this auction! Bidding is up to $1,025.00 and the reserve has not been met. I just don't have a few grand laying around.


Lucky Person-who-can-afford-this stunning Peter Lovig Nielsen desk.

Here it is in one of my favorite tear sheets:


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Mad Men & The Modern Wet Bar

I've said it before: there is nothing cooler than having friends over for cocktails and serving them drinks out of vintage glassware. I mean, how chic is that? Granted, these are civilized friends who don't get sloppy and carelessly break your treasured one of a kind vintage glassware... But, I don't know anyone like that, do you? If you must invite that person to your party, regulate them to the big red cup. Or, you could just tell them to please be careful.

I've caught a few episodes of the AMC hit show, Mad Men, and to be honest, I couldn't really focus on the sexy storyline because I was constantly saying, "Oh! That desk! Oh, look at that lamp! That CHAIR!" If you are a design freak like me, you know what I am talking about (even during Harry Potter, I leaned over to my husband during a great scene and said, "Don't you LOVE that banister?" He knows I'm nuts).

You're looking at the headboard aren't you? Me too.

Ok, back to mid-century barware and Mad Men. Have you seen the beautiful glassware on that show? Don't you love that there is always a wet bar within sight?



And, don't you think that these vintage glasses should be on the set of Mad Men?

Vintage set of 8 silver ombre highball glasses, $48.00

Vintage set of 6 silver ombre lowball glasses, $38.00

This brings me to my point. Why not have a beautiful wet bar set up in our own homes? Use that buffet in your dining room, or the corner of your living room... I've even seen tight NYC apartments with a wet bar tray in the hallway. Really, you can make a party anywhere.














Take a shelf from your bookcase?

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UPDATE:  Thank you for all of the emails informing me that these are actaully DRY bars because they are without a sink.  So sorry!

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Living In A Time Capsule

There is an interesting article in the New York Times Home & Garden Section about homes that have been left untouched, with their yellow Formica countertops, and even vintage appliances. Calling them "time capsules" — a home that has been preserved for years and years, giving visitors the feeling of being in a "décor-warp."


Identifying exactly when a home became stuck is easier. “Pink-tile bathrooms, Dishmaster faucets, colors like aquamarine and sunbeam yellow — all very 1950s,” said Pam Kueber, who runs retrorenovation.com, a Web site devoted to midcentury design. Shag carpet and avocado appliances indicate the ’70s. Lava rock and ultrasuede? As ’80s as a Rubik’s Cube.

Ms. Kueber posts midcentury time capsules on her site with photos provided by readers, often taken from real estate listings. In many cases, she said, the homes were occupied by elderly couples who were immensely proud of them. “I think the owners of these homes were tremendously invested in them emotionally, as well as financially,” she said. “They came from an era where a house was very hard won.”

As a rule, she said, the homes were well cared for, and the belief was “Why change something if it’s not worn out?”


And, in my opinion, why change something if it is still beautiful? Don't some of these spaces stand the test of time? These three images below are my favorites. Read the article HERE, and check out the full slideshow HERE.











Pam Kueber's site, Retro Renovation is really great. If you love vintage accessories, historical homes, and mid-century design, it's a great read. Check it out the galleries of images HERE.

Great Scott

David Scott is a New York interior designer, and his apartment was recently featured on Desire to Inspire. Impressive, no?

Enjoy.