High Maintenance

Val Verde

You know those kinds of memories where you’re not really sure whether it is a real memory, or a memory of watching yourself in a home video, or even a memory of how you imagined a story someone told you?

Well, I recall going on a hike with my sister soon after she moved to Montecito, when I was about 14, and that the trail, which she had found with a friend on a previous hike, took us right up to the backyard of an abandoned mansion.

I remember peering through bushes for glimpses of the mansion in its slightly decaying glory and my sister telling me that there were rumors that one of the descendants of the former owner still lived in there and tried to keep it up, as evidenced by the still-pruned shrubs and other such details. Supposedly sometimes hikers (trespassers) spotted someone swimming in the pool, but neighbors never saw cars come or go.

She also told me that in the 1920s, when the house was in its heyday, the owner often held glamorous days-long parties for celebrities up from LA and East Coast polo players who vacationed in Santa Barbara.

I asked her years later where that hike was, and she didn’t have any recollection of it, and said the story I described didn’t ring any bells. That is sounded somewhat like Val Verde, but that Val Verde was run by a foundation and that there’s no way some squatter lived in there.

Love the stripes above. The clock propped on the floor makes this shot perfectly eery.

Click for the rest:

Ever since, Val Verde has become woven into that memory as the images of what I saw, but I’ve never stopped wondering if I imagined what we saw on that hike or the stories she told me. Maybe we just went on an ordinary hike and she told me about Val Verde and I imagined the rest? Or did the whole thing happen, and she just doesn’t remember, and the hike and that mansion are still out there for me to rediscover?

I still think about it whenever I hike a new trail in Montecito, wondering if I’ll come across that old house… Interestingly, Ann Mitchell’s dreamlike photos of Val Verde, the black and whites above, capture the way I remember the house I saw… mysterious, shadowy, and intriguing.

Regardless, Val Verde is beautiful and worth sharing, and I’m convinced that whatever the case, Val Verde itself has some mysteries to it. From my research, I learned that Val Verde was built in 1915 by architect Betram Goodhue, and that it was the first single-home family built in the Spanish Colonial Revival style in the US. The landscaping was done by Lockwood de Forest, who also later remodeled the buildings.

It is called the best-preserved California home in this style, and is considered one of the finest examples of this style of architecture in California. It is also the best-preserved California home in this style, and is considered one of the finest examples of this style of architecture in California.

Tiles from the facade of a Middle Eastern building thought to date to the third century.

I couldn’t find much information about Henry Dater, the original owner who commissioned it, but I did run across the intriguing snippet that the house was “once a retreat for the nation’s gay cultural elite,” though it wasn’t clear during what years this was true. It was actually quite difficult to find information about the house, especially surprising given its architectural significance.

The next piece of history is that in 1955 Heaton Horth Austin, an heiress from Chicago, bought Val Verde as a wedding present for her husband, Dr. Warren Austin. The Austins started the Austin Val Verde Foundation, which preserved the property until it went bankrupt (after their death) just a few months ago.

Unfortunately, even while held by the foundation, it wasn’t open to the public because Montecito residents thought it would cause “traffic issues” to have tourists coming to see the house, even though traffic studies proved this wouldn’t happen. The only access to the home the foundation was allowed to give was through the few parties per year they were permitted to throw.

After filing for bankruptcy, seemingly because Montecito residents managed to block the foundation from any me
ans of making money, it was purchased by a Russian millionaire, Sergey Grishin, for $15.2 million in September of this year. ($15.2m? Only?! I’m serious! It’s a landmark and it’s like 20 acres!) He hasn’t stated what he plans to do with the property, and its fate remains a mystery.

Ok and lastly, what is this about? I came across this blurb is from a Santa Barbara Independent (our newspaper) obituary.
“Betty Gallagher, the wife of the first president of the Associated Press, who helped him run the Berlin bureau after World War II, died Thursday. She was 93.
She died at her home in her Val Verde Casa Dorinda home.”
Printed like that! With Val Verde crossed out! What does that mean? What do those writers at the Independent know?!


Images and information from Austin Val Verde: Impressions of a Montecito Masterpiece by Ann Mitchell and Jay Belloli, Austin Val Verde: A Montecito Masterpiece by Berge Aran, and the Santa Barbara Independent.

Paris Hotel Boutique

I love this antique Edwardian pendant with a piece of a letter on one side and a portrait on the other. What a wonderful idea. Clearly I have somewhat of an obsession with handwritten letters anyway, for their sentiment and beauty, and incorporating a little snippet of someone’s handwriting takes the locket concept to a much more personal level. Apparently, this was the woman’s brother.

It’s from the Paris Hotel Boutique, which has lots of wonderful stuff in addition to antique jewelry. I can waste a lot of time browsing their offerings, including this vintage Gucci horse goblet:

These suitcases…

This old cast iron shaving mirror and tray (for some reason I am nostalgic for the era I didn’t live through in which shaving for men was a much more decorated ritual, with shaves done by barbers, pretty razors, shaving cream brushes, etc., it was quite a handsome thing and elevated a mundane task)….

and odd, fascinating bits like this antique French hand warmer, which, according to the translation, you boiled in hot water to warm it up. Again, way to make a boring thing pretty!

Two For the Road

I recently watched Two For the Road and couldn’t get enough of the styling and visuals– the colors, the outfits, the scenery, the cars, it’s all pretty much perfect. It’s the kind of movie that makes you want to live IN it. Interestingly, Design*Sponge featured the movie on their “Living In” column, which shows you how to give your home the same style of the movie, as though you were… living in it. I absolutely love the feature. Below, the blog equivalent of a “retweet,” with images from their post, as well as more stills I grabbed off the netflix.

I love a good old document. And I love that there used to be passports for couples!

An awesome British racing green car and belted trench never hurt anyone’s look. Also notice plaid suitcase with leather trim.

Love the sneakers, they’re like my fave Bensimons! The preppy classic button-up + sweater doesn’t look so staid with cute sneaks + sexy hair.

A very pretty picnic.

Red, white, and blue = a classic combo. Those American flag makers knew what they were doing. Although, they probably just copied the French and British. Also, why can’t cars still be painted with these one-tone pure lacquer colors? Rather than like, pearlescent glittery colors?

I even like the canvas bag in the foreground with the leather straps.

Hello Picasso

I LOVE these fantastic photos of Picasso playing with light. They were inspired by work by Gjon Mili, who also photographed him here “drawing” with a small flashlight in a dark studio.

Via Cup of Joe and more cool photos from the series on Life‘s website.

And, they reminded me of a book I’ve been wanting – Goodbye Picasso by David Douglas Duncan. It’s an intimate look at Picasso in his studio and home. The cover is a self-portrait by Picasso of himself as an owl done in ink with a photograph of his eyes collaged in.

From the bookjacket:
“[The book contains a selection of] tens of thousands [of photos] taken during the next seventeen years when David Douglas Duncan often shared the simple meals, the constant work, the gaiety, the countless explosions of creativity.

After other guests had gone, Duncan still remained in the studio — by now his second home. Thus was born a friendship unique in the lives of both men. Two minds, two hearts, each discovering a special communication with the other.

While photographing hundreds of Picasso’s paintings, surrounded by myriad other works that overflowed the studio, Duncan also recorded many of the emotion-charged events at the heart of the household.”

Picasso sparring with his son Claude.

Picasso and Jacqueline, Picasso showing his dear Lump a plate he has made bearing his portrait.

Picasso at work.

His studio at Villa la Californie, full of his works just propped here and there. Notice Les Demoiselles d’Avignon (image below), 1907, in the background. This shot gives a good sense of how big it is! This photo was taken in 1960– I didn’t realize this painting remained in his private collection that long. It now hangs in the Moma. Or maybe this was a sketch for it? The ground looks much darker than in the image below, but maybe that’s just the lighting. Also, I love the textile draped on the rocker by Jacqueline.

His own collection included works by Matisse, Degas, Modiglianis, Cezanne, etc.

A rare posed-looking shot amongst mostly intimate, casual candids. Also, I love that he seems to be shirtless (and/or pantsless) most of the time. The more photos I looked through, the more apparent this became. His total comfort with partial nudity, combined with his often very engaged, active stances, gives him such a vital and alive loo
k, like he was just bursting at the seams with creativity.

Picasso and Jacqueline.

Missed Connections (again)

We shared a bear suit at an apartment party on Saturday night.
I asked for your number and you gave it to me, but somehow I don’t have an area code written down. I had a great time talking with you, and I don’t trust Chance enough to wait until I see you in the elevators…

I heart French Bulldogs

Especially this one!!

From this cute blog.

The Original

Original Levis from 1898 found recently in a California goldmine. How cool is that?! Sold on eBay for $36,099.

Found here.

Haute Colonialism

I have a general obsession with campaign-style everything, and my colleague Jill just turned me on to this French company, Starbay, that does awesome campaign-inspired furniture. I think we’ll have a few light campaign touches on the Los Olivos project, like a few campy (camp-like, not kitschy) folding campaign chairs with either leather or canvas seats, but the South Africa project is where I’m really hoping we can put some of these pieces center stage.

Of course you can’t go over the top since the safari-theme is already WAY overdone there, but a few pieces with historical reference here and there? Come on. This is where safari was born, you can’t not.

Who says you need hunting boots? He killed that thing in those white dress shoes. The linen suit, on the other hand, was pure practicality– it kept him cool!

Click the jump for the rest…

Travelling light is for losers.

You can see why it was handy that all that stuff folded up into a box/trunk-like shape!
Old travel photographs are from another favorite – Melville and Moon.

Here are the Starbay products…

Obsessed with this bar-in-a-trunk. Two of my favorite things: an in-home bar, and a trunk. Comes in croc, rattan, or canvas.

This is a chest of drawers! Real drawers!

Love the pull-out chair that fits right in when it’s all closed up.

You can just fold it all up and then it’s totally portable so you can take it with you and just put on your makeup right outside your office building!

Who doesn’t need a fold-out bar on the deck of their yacht? Sometimes it just takes waaay too much effort to go inside to retrive a drink. Especially when you’re midway through a midday stogie.

It sounds like I’m hating, but I seriously love this stuff. Their editorial shots are just sort of asking for it though.

Stylish Transportation Fixation

So this is fun! Urban Outfitters has teamed up with Republic Bike so that you can design your own fixed gear bike on their website… They’ve definitely caught on to the bike trend, and I’m liking it! I’m not into the fixed gear thing myself, in fact, I’m currently sick of my bike specifically because it is fixed gear, but I still like the design element of their idea, and in general I like the trend of cool looking bikes. Waaaay better than the big SUV trend of a few years back!

And while we’re on the subject, I’m dying for one of these for my Mini! Unfortunately, I think it is only compatible with the Mini Clubman… But isn’t it awesome? Designed by Fritz Hansen as a collaboration between Airstream and Mini..