Residential Space Planning

Architect or interior designer: who should you call?

I often get calls from clients who tell me that they want to change the layout of their homes to better reflect the way they live today, but they aren’t sure whether they should call an interior designer or an architect. I also get calls from home buyers who need help in understanding the potential of a given home before committing to the purchase. The answer, I tell them, may be a Residential Space Planner.

Space Planning is extensively used in office design to achieve the optimum use of interior spaces in order to meet the needs of the owner or occupant. In residential design it is confused with Interior Design and thus both terms are often used interchangeably. There are differences though.

Space constraints create interesting design challenges. Circulation problems, lack of storage spaces, outdated baths and kitchens can be resolved by simply moving a wall, adding details, using colors, updating wall and floor finishes, introducing ambiance lighting, etc. Small changes combine to provide spatial balance, alter the mood, change the visual scale of a room and provide warmth and the atmosphere for relaxation.

When considering a major remodeling or renovation of your home, it is beneficial to start from the inside and work your way out. A Space Planner can determine exactly how you envision your new space and how you want it to reflect the realities of your everyday living.

Before a Space Planner ever put a pencil to paper to develop a sketch or rough interior space plan, he conducts detailed interviews with clients to collect important information that not only maps out the existing square footage and layout of their homes, but also determines how they live based on their responses to questions such as:

Who are the members of your family? What will your family look like in 5 years?

Where do family members spend their time? Are they together in those spaces or alone?

How long are you planning to live in this house?

How do you manage your time while in the house?

How do you use the space? How do you cook, sleep, and play?

Does the way you live today reflect restrictions that were made for children that are no longer living in the home?

Which are the areas in your house that you feel don’t work with the overall floor plan?

A Space Planner also asks specific questions about the budget they have in mind for the project – not only with regards to short-term design and construction costs, but also how the changes they have in mind might impact long-term costs such as taxable square footage and the assessed value of their interior renovations.

Based on the answer to these questions, a Space Planner can determine whether the solution to the client’s needs is an expansion or bump out that would require the expertise and technical skills of an architect and/or engineer, or whether the client’s needs can be suited by simply re-arranging the existing spaces to better reflect the way you live today and anticipate living in years to come.

Whether a project ultimately requires the services of architects or whether it is something that can be achieved by thoughtful interior space planning and design. A consultation service is the first step to improving a given environment. Clients get the best value and outcome when a Space Planner gets involved in a project in the early planning stages. Understanding exactly what clients envision for their homes ensures that every dollar that is spent will contribute to the outcome they really want and need.

Bottom line: There’s no substitute for a well planned and professionally executed design.

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California Missions – San Buenaventura

Founded: March 31, 1782 – Ninth Mission

Special Designation: Mission by the Sea

Named For: Saint Bonaventure, a 13th century Franciscan cardinal and renowned philosopher.

Mission Site: The mission was located near the sizeable Indian village of Mitsquanaqa’n with about 500 inhabitants. San Beuenaventura is 70 miles north of Los Angeles in the city of Ventura, which developed around the mission.

Layout: Traditional quadrange, which was still standing as late as 1875.

Mission Church: The first church was destroyed by fire in 1793. The second church was dedicated in 1809, and reconstructed in 1816 after an earthquake. The walls are six foot thick near the base. The church had to be restored after it was “modernized” in 1893. Restoration was completed in 1957

Special Attraction: There is a well-landscaped garden with a fountain, stone grotto, and exterior displays on the east side of the church. The inviting mission museum (built in 1929) contains the original church doors and two original wooden bells, which were used during Holy Week when the metal bells were silent..

Current Status: Active Roman Catholic Church of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

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California Missions – San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo

Founded: June 3, 1770 – Second of the California Missions

Special Designation: Father of the Alta California Missions

Named For: Saint Charles of Borremeo, a 16th century Italian cardinal.

Mission Site: Originally established at the presidio in Monterey but relocated in 1771 to the Carmel Valley on a hillside that was “two gunshots” from the ocean.

Layout: An irregular shaped quadrangle. Only the ruins of the church remained standing when restoration began in 1921, so extensive excavation of the old foundation was required to determine the precise layout of the mission.

Mission Church: The stunning Carmel church (the seventh Carmel church) was completed and dedicated in 1797. The sandstone for the church was quarried by Indian laborers under the direction of master stonemasons Manuel Esteban Ruiz and Santiago Ruiz. The walls are five feet thick at the base.

Special Attraction: One of the most popular attractions is the elaborate Serra Memorial Cenotaph (a momunent not a tomb) sculpted in 1924 by Jo Mora. This is made of travertine marble and bronze and shows life-sized figures of Fr. Serra and three other pioneer missionaries, all of whom are buried under the church sanctuary.

Current Status: A Catholic Church designated a Minor Basilica in 1969 by Pope John XXIII.

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California Missions – San Diego de Alcalá

Founded: July 16, 1769 – First of the California Missions

Special Designation: Mother of the Alta California Missions.

Named For: St. Didacus of Alcalá, a fifteenth century Spanish Franciscan. The Bay of San Diego was discovered in 1542 by Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo but named San Diego in 1602 by the explorer Sebatián Vizcaíno, who mapped the coast.

Also Called: Mission San Diego

Mission Site: The mission was originally located on Presidio Hill overlooking the bay, at a location called Cosoy by the natives. The mission was relocated about five and a half miles inland at the village of Nipaguay in 1774.
Layout: Traditional quadrangle

Mission Church: The church was originally built in 1813 (the third church on this site). It was rebuilt and fully restored in 1931.

Special Attraction: A popular stop on the mission tour is a re-creation of Fr. Serra’s cloister or living quarters.

Current Status: Active Roman Catholic Church of the diocese of San Diego, properly referred to as the Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala.

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California Missions – San Fernando Rey de España

Founded: September 8, 1797 – The Seventeenth of the California Missions

Special Designation: Mission of the Valley

Named For: St. Ferdinand, King of Spain in 13th century.

Also Called: San Fernado Mission

Mission Site: Established at the native site of ‘Achooykomenga/Paskeeknga, In a spacious valley on the Spanish grazing concession of Rancho Los Encinos held by Don Francisco Reyes. Whereas the Spanish referred to the region as El Valle de Santa Catalina de Bononia de los Encinos, the Tataviam called the area Achois Comihabit.

Layout: Traditional quadrangle. A large hospice called the Convento, or Long Building, branched off the quadrangle.

Mission Church: The simple mission church is an exact replica of the 3rd church completed in 1806 and destroyed by an earthquake in 1971.

Special Attraction: The Convento or Long Building, built in 1822, served as the padre’s quarters and as a guest-house. A colonnade with nineteen arches borders the full length of the building, which measures 243′ x 50’.

Current Status: Active Roman Catholic Church of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

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California Missions – San Francisco Solano

Founded: July 4, 1823 – The Twenty-first and last of the California Missions

Named For: Saint Francis Solano, a Spanish Franciscan who served for 20 years as a missionary in Peru and Paraguay.

Also Called: Sonoma Mission

Mission Site: In the center of Sonoma, 40 miles north of San Francisco.

Layout: Traditional quadrangle, near which the town of Sonoma developed.

Mission Church: The current church is an authentic restoration of the 1840 church, rebuilt in 1911-13 with the support of the Historic Landmark League, which acquired the property in 1903. The last major restoration was in 1943-44. The church measures 105 feet long and is 22 feet wide.

Special Attraction: The wing that was the padre’s quarters is now a museum. What was the dining room in this section of the mission now displays mission paintings done by Chris Jorgensen between 1903-1905. The Mexican-era soldiers barracks (just across from the mission) has been restored and now contain a small museum and a gift shop.

Current Status: Sold to a private party in 1881. Now part of Sonoma State Historic Park.

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California Missions – San Francisco de Asís

Founded: October 9, 1776 – The Sixth of the California Missions

Named For: Saint Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscan Order

Also Called: Mission Dolores

Mission Site: Near San Francisco Bay which the Spanish had just begun to explore. (Juan Manuel de Ayala sailed into the Bay in the San Carlos on August 5, 1775). The mission is now located about a half mile from the original site, at present day 16th and Dolores Streets.

Layout: Traditional quadrangle, completed in 1798.

Mission Church: The small chapel (114′ long by 22′ wide) was dedicated on August 2, 1791. It has survived earthquakes, fires and other calamities. It was restored in 1917 and received a complete restoration and retrofit in 1990 and 1994. The ceiling has a distinctive chevron design painted with natural pigments.

Special Attraction: The cemetery (much reduced from its original size) is a well landscaped oasis in the middle of a busy city. The mass grave of the Mission Indians buried here is called the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine.

Current Status: The old mission chapel is part of the Basilica Parish of Mission Dolores. The basilica, which towers over the original mission, was dedicated in 1918. Basilica status was granted in 1952.

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California Missions – San Miguel Arcángel

Founded: July 25, 1797 – 16th of the California Missions

Special Designation: Mission on the Highway

Named For: Saint Michael the Archangel

Also Called: Mission San Miguel

Mission Site: About halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles in the town that developed around the mission. The site was called Valica by the Saliman and Paraje de los Pozos by the Spanish. It was surrounded by level land that was suitable for growing wheat.

Mission Church: The present church, begun in 1816 under the direction of Fr. Juan Martin, was completed in 1818. A picturesque colonnade which leads to the church contains twelve arches of different sizes and shapes, unique among the California missions.

Special Attraction: The worn adobe walls, ancient gateways, and simple adobe structures of the mission complex make this one of the most authentic looking missions in the chain.

Current Status: Parish Church of the Roman Ctholic Diocese of Monterey, and post-mission period Franciscan novitiate since 1928-29).

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California Missions – Santa Bárbara

Founded: December 4, 1786 – The Tenth of the California Missions

Special Designation: Queen of the Missions

Named For: Saint Barbara, a legendary martyred church figure of the 3rd century.

Mission Site: In the city of Santa Barbara on a hill commanding a striking view of the sea.

Layout: Santa Barbara was laid out in the traditional quadrangle, with separate granaries, a weavery with patio, tannery, and neophyte housing forming additional courtyard-oriented squares. Many of the exisiting buildings at the rear of the mission complex, however, were created to meet the needs of the seminary, established in the 20th century. Most of the new construction follows the foundations of the old quadrangle.

Mission Church: The church was completed in 1820 with one tower. The second tower was added in 1831, collapsed within two years, and was rebuilt in 1833. The Neoclassic facade was inspired by a mission archives copy of the Spanish edition of The Six Books of Architecture by Marcus Vitruvius Pollio. a Roman architect of 1st century B.C.

Special Attraction: The beautiful Moorish fountain located in front of the monastery wing, to the left of the church, was sculpted by mason and carpenter José Antonio Ramírez in 1808.

Current Status: Active Roman Catholic Church owned and operated by the Franciscans.

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California Missions – San Rafael Arcángel

Founded: December 14, 1817 – Twentieth of the California Missions

Special Designation: Mission of Bodily Healing.

Named For: Saint Rafael, patron of good health and travelers.

Mission Site: 15 miles north of San Francisco at the native site of ‘Anaguani. Since San Rafael was intended to be a “hospital” asistencia, a key consideration was that the location be in a sunnier and more protected environment than San Francisco, which was foggy, damp and windy. The original mission buildings were razed in 1870. In 1919 the new St. Raphael Parish Church, with an imposing tower, was built on the site of the original chapel.

Layout: No effort was made to build a full complex. The initial building was a structure that measured 87 feet in length and 42 feet in width. It contained a hospital, chapel, padre’s quarters and a storage area.

Mission Church: In 1949 a replica of the original mission chapel was constructed on mission property to the right of the main church built in 1919. The replica has a Mudejar or star window said to have been copied from that at the Carmel Mission.

Current Status: The mission Chapel is used for special events and is part of the parish of St. Rafael of the Roman Catholic Archiocese of San Francisco.

After the mission ruins were removed in 1870, all that remained of the old mission site was a solitary pear tree. In 1909 the Native Sons of the Golden West erected a bell and sign on the original site.

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California Missions – Santa Clara de Asís

Founded: January 12, 1777 – Eighth of the California Missions

Named For: Saint Claire of Assisi, a 13th century Italian nun, cofoundress with San Francis of the Order of Poor Clares or Clares.

Also Called: Mission Santa Clara

Mission Site: Located on the southern end of San Francisco Bay in Santa Clara, on a site originally chosen by Jan Bautista de Anza, the Spanish Pathfinder. The site was originally founded as La Mision de Santa Clara de Thamien at the Costanoan village of Socoisuka on the Guadalupe River. The mission was destroyed and rebuilt on six successive occasions.

Layout: Traditional quadrangle

Mission Church: The current church is a tasteful modern interpretation of the mission’s fifth church constructed in 1825. The 1825 church was completely destroyed in a devastating fire.

Special Attraction: The well landscaped grounds of this mission, nestled in the middle of a large university, are quite appealing. A portion of the original adobe walls have been preserved.

Current Status: An active Catholic Church of the Roman Catholic Dioces of San Jose that is the spiritual center of a modern Jesuit university.

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California Missions – Santa Cruz

Founded: August 28, 1791 – Twelfth of the California Missions

Named For: The Exaltation of the Holy Cross of Christianity

Mission Site: On a bluff in the city of Santa Cruz, near the mouth of the San Lorenzo River and the native site of Uypi on the Monterey Bay. Moved to this location in 1793.

Layout: Traditional quadrangle with a large garden and orchard near the mission.

Mission Church: The current mission chapel is a well-executed smaller one-third scale replica of the 1795 mission church. It was erected in 1931.

Special Attraction: A portion of the original nephyte housing area of 1822 has been restored and may be seen in the adjacent Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park.

Current Status: Parish Chapel of the parish of the Holy Cross of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Monterey. The mission chapel is a popular site for weddings.

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California Missions – Santa Inés Virgen y Martír

Founded: September 17, 1804 – The Nineteeth of the California Missions

Special Designation: Mission of the Passes

Named For: Saint Agnes of Rome, a thirteen year-old Roman girl martyred in A.D. 304

Also Called: Santa Inés

Mission Site: An inland mission, Santa Inés was established near a rancheria, Alajulspu, in the Santa Inéz Valley and sits on its original site. It is on the eastern edge of the town of Solvang, founded in 1911 by a group of Danish educators. Note that the name of the valley and the town of Santa Inez is spelled with a “z” while the mission is spelled with an “s.”

Layout: Traditional quadrangle and neophyte housing area

Mission Church: The current church, with its plain facade, dates to 1817. The interior was repainted with the current design in 1825, and the nave was recently embellished with additional floral motifs along the whole of its length.

Special Attraction: In 1820 a grist mill fed by Zanja de Cota Creek was constructed about a half mile from the church. The mill system consisted of two large stone reservoirs, a stone mill building wiht a water-propelled horizontal wheel and mill stone, and a network of zanjas or canals. A second (fulling) mill was added at the upper end of the large reservoir in 1821. The mill ruins are now owned by the California State Parks, with long-term plans to provide public access in a new State Park in Solvang.

Current Status: Santa Inés is an active Catholic Church of the Archdioces of Los Angeles.

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Crazy House (Dalat, Vietnam)

Tumbling out of the imagination of architect Dang Viet Nga, Hang Nga’s Guesthouse and Gallery is…well…all sorts of crazy, from its rustic tree-like base with spiderweb windows to winding, nook-and-cranny laden interior that promises to keep you guessing at every turn. The artsy designer and daughter of Vietnam’s former president tapped into her entrepreneurial spirit by wisely charging admission to the storybook structure, knowing full well that spectators would happily gobble up its funhouse like details, including seemingly melting interior and exterior facades punctuated by somewhat goofy zoo animals.

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The Mushroom House (Cincinnati, Ohio)

Sprouting up in Cincinnati’s Hyde Park section, professor of Architecture and Interior Design Terry Brown – along with his students – hand crafted this one bedroom residence throughout a period of 14 years until its completion in 2006, at which time it was put on the market for $525,000. Sadly, Brown met his untimely demise just two years later in a car accident, but his Mushroom House – constructed with multiple types of metals, tinted glass, ceramics, wood and shell – serves as his most outstanding legacy and one of Cincinnati’s most esteemed landmarks.

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Eliphante (Cornville, Arizona)

An exercise in artistically imaginative organic architecture, this dwelling – built into 3 acres of natural Arizona landscape by husband-wife team Michael Kahn and Leda Livant – would likely trigger Seussian envy in Theodor Geisel himself. Consisting of five separate hand-crafted structures linked together by their shared idiosyncratic themes, the main living quarters are housed within Eliphante and connected to a meditation zone, art gallery, bath house, sculpture garden and wading pond. Raw materials were scavenged from the desert and integrated into the homestead with decisive artistic flair along with stone and glass mosaics, wood, tile, plaster and metal sculptures, yielding a one-of-a-kind home that lives, breathes and communes with Mother Nature.

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Ideal Palace (Hauterives, France)

Throughout a 33 year period, rural postman Ferdinand Cheval – who lacked any architectural background whatsoever – collected all the individual stones necessary to create his elaborate carved limestone and shell studded structure via pocket, basket and wheelbarrow. Incorporating a bizarre conglomeration of architectural styles inspired by Hindu and Biblical mythology as well as Algerian, Northern European and Chinese elements, he finally completed his outstandingly quirky monument just one year before his death in 1924 at the age of 88. Grottos, flying buttresses and statues of animals collide in what is today one of the most outstanding examples of “naïve art” architecture and France’s most beloved cultural landmark.

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Echinus

On Classical columns, there is an ovolo under the abacus. When this is decorated with egg-and-dart or egg-and -anchor it is called an echinus. In modern times, the ovolo is often called an echinus even when there is no design.

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Drip Mold

A projecting string, hood, or molding over doorways, arches, windows, and niches, first installed to direct rainwater away from the opening. Dripstones can be very ornate. They don’t generally extend past the spring of an arch.

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Dormer

A gable end window that pierces through the sloping roof of a bedroom area. (Dormer is French for sleep.)

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Doric Order

The oldest and simplest of the three original Greek orders, the Doric is characterized by a plain column with no base, a shaft with twenty flutings, and a simple capital comprised of an echinus or ovolo, and an equally simple entablature. A Doric entablature generally includes Triglyphs and Metopes.

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Doorway

The entrance to a building, or an apartment in a building. Since the middle ages, the doorway is a striking and important feature of the building showing clearly the style. The size of the doorway and the door surround are important.

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Door Surround

A continuous concrete, wooden, brick, metal or stone “border” around a door that is designed to complement the style and enhance the style of the building.

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Dome

Any roof structure that is curved and spans an ultimately circular base. Squinches and pendentives are used to provide a circular base on a square or rectilinear tower.

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Dichromatic

The use of two colours of tile, brick, or slate used on a surface is termed dichromatic. Slate roofs on churches around 1900 often had dichromatic tiling. Gothic Revival cottages often have dichromatic brickwork to provide a pattern.

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Dentils

An even series of rectangles used as ornament to decorate cornices of classical buildings and fireplace mantels. First found in Greek architecture 400 B.C., the dentil can be found on almost any Classical style building.

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Cupola

A domed or curved roof rising from a building as a decorative element. or a concave ceiling covering a circular or polygonal area. A cupola can be mistaken for a dome.

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Home Remodeling Projects – Hot New Kitchen Trends – Part 2

Update your kitchen with some of the hottest interior decorating trends.

Consolidated Activity
As houses get smaller, kitchens are carrying more responsibility. Today’s kitchen is still the hub of the home, and also a spot that’s big on multitasking.

But packing all the functionality into one area takes some coordination. Space-saving solutions often include banquette seating, hideaway laundry appliances (inside pantries or behind veneer panels), and small, built-in workspaces that allow parental supervision of homework time. Kitchen-side desks are also prime spots for sorting mail, paying bills, looking up recipes, and catching up on email while you have a pot on the stove.

Certain hard and fast rules of workspace design must not be broken, however, even in spaces that perform double or triple duty. Space allocated for storage, counter space, and appliances should be evenly balanced. The “path of food flow” (i.e., where cooks do their thing) should not intersect with flow-through traffic through the space, and every kitchen should have at least one 36” countertop for prep work.

Ergonomics for All
The graying of the baby boomer generation will no doubt raise important issues relating to functionality and user-friendliness.

Beyond that, the new mantra in kitchen design is multiplicity. Multiplicity acknowledges the variety of sizes, shapes, ages, and abilities of people who are in the kitchen. In other words, everyone.

In the future, houses with the best resale value may well include kitchen work surfaces and storage areas of varying heights, with appliances that are easy to reach. Drawer appliances (dishwashers, refrigerators, and even microwaves) are gaining popularity, as are side-by-side refrigerators and ovens, and storage options that fall between 15 and 48 inches off the floor.

One of today’s most popular configurations that is not universally-friendly is the microwave/hood combo. Whenever possible, it’s better to put the microwave in a more accessible position that’s easier for kids and others to reach so they are not reaching into the microwave over top of a hot stove. Putting a microwave almost at counter level or even lower in base cabinets makes it accessible to anybody.

Luxury for Less
Mortgages for starter castles are no longer attainable for home buyers of average means, meaning they must now pick and choose their luxuries strategically.

Every kitchen should have at least one special design feature, but it doesn’t have to break the bank. Think backsplashes that provide a unique point of interest with an interesting pattern or antique artifact. Plate racks, exposed stemware holders, and glass cabinet doors also provide stylish accents that don’t cost a fortune.

One simple way that you can conserve costs without sacrificing functionality or good looks is to combine certain appliances. If you have a cook top and a separate wall oven, you will spend 15 to 20% more than if you buy a range that includes both.

Small and Powerful
Although kitchen square footage is less vulnerable to pruning than other rooms in the floor plan, many kitchens are getting smaller as houses get proportionately smaller. That means they have to work smarter and harder.

Maximize every square inch of volume space with space-savers such as skinny, vertical pantries, pull-out cabinets and spice racks, and wine cubbies that fill odd cavities. Anything that pulls out is an absolute winner today. That includes pull-out wastebaskets and recycling centers, which are an absolute must.

Moreover, in these smaller kitchens, you can deploy various design tricks that help “grow the space,” such as horizontal lines, lighter finishes, mirrored backsplashes, and diagonal patterns on the floor or ceiling.

Planet Smart
Today’s buyers want green features. That means Energy Star appliances and Water Sense-rated plumbing fittings, combined with good ventilation and air filtration.

Reclaimed, recycled, and raw materials also remain popular, for reasons aesthetic as much as altruistic. Countertops [made of recycled aggregate materials] are number one recycled product in the kitchen. Other eco-favorites include salvaged beams, concrete floors, and concrete block walls, all of which become part of the design statement. Materials used in their raw state tend to cost less and do not produce off-gassing.

Style Conscious
Taste-wise, there are certain tried and true favorites that have yet to lose their mojo with buyers, including stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, and hardwood floors.

But other substrates are making inroads, such as quartz and paper composites, glass and stainless steel work surfaces, large-scale (18” square) floor tile, chrome fixtures, and lightweight hulled concrete.

And one more thing: Wallpaper is making a comeback. Yes, it’s true. “We’re seeing designs that are very graphic and used as a large scale feature on accent walls in the living spaces opposite open kitchens.

Light Bright
Aging eyes need good lighting. The key is to specify layered lighting for practical usage and visual effect. That includes a combination of ambient, task, and accent lighting.

Decorative light fixtures certainly help carry forth a theme (be it art deco or rustic farmhouse) but they also supplement a room’s overall brightness and help to eliminate the “swiss cheese” effect of too many recessed can lights in the ceiling.

Task lighting is usually installed under cabinets or in the form of pendant lighting over the island that shines directly on a work surface, whereas ambient lighting provides an overall glow. Accent lighting highlights specific points of interest, such as art niches.

LED and fluorescent lights now provide energy-saving alternatives to conventional incandescent bulbs, but it’s important to ensure that the color of the light emanating from various sources is consistent.

Devilish Details
In a small space, the entire kitchen becomes a focal point, so it’s important to attend to every detail. For example, refrigerators and other appliances should run flush with cabinet faces to maintain clean lines.

Two additional areas, in particular, that can make or break a small space are outlets and endings. You can maximize the impact of your cabinet design and backsplash by integrating or camouflaging outlets with plug molding, decorative plates, or undercounter strips, and be sure to design the returns on moldings, especially when the design includes cabinets of varying heights or depths. Or when the cabinets return into ceiling molding.”

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Hot New Kitchen Trends – Part 1

Update your kitchen with some of the hottest interior decorating trends.

Kitchens are a tricky room to update or decorate because it can be outrageously expensive getting new counter tops, flooring, appliances and accessories. But not all kitchen decorating projects need to be all-inclusive. Approach a kitchen decorating project with a reasonable budget and a good foundation of knowledge in kitchen trends. Knowing what is cutting edge trendy versus last year’s trendy can stretch a kitchen decorating budget much further and keep the kitchen looking fresh and new much longer.

Kitchen Color Trends
Grey is really gaining popularity in kitchens. For decades brown was the neutral for kitchen cabinets and often expressed in different woods but a pickled wood look is gaining momentum and grays are being seen throughout the kitchen.

Blue is also finding its place in the home again. For a long time blue has sort of been the left out child of the color spectrum, especially when decorating a kitchen but blue making a comeback and gaining momentum in the kitchen. And we’re not talking about washed out faded blues and light blues but blues that fit more into the country blue of the 80’s category or denim shades.

Sea foam and lighter green shades are also hot. These colors are usually accents or used in conjunction with glass, as in slightly tinted glass drawer fronts or backsplashes.

The color trend for kitchens are moving away from reds, oranges and yellows and colors that are associated with food and hunger and toward colors that are more calming and encourage less eating and slower consumption.

Kitchen Surface Trends
As mentioned above, sea foam or light green glass is a popular choice for backsplashes, drawer and cabinet fronts and even countertops. Other colors of glass are appearing in backsplashes and will probably soon be seen everywhere in the kitchen. Glass is a great surface for the kitchen because it doesn’t hold bacteria like wood does and it’s fairly easy to clean.

Stainless steel never really went anywhere it was just patiently waiting for its turn as the center of attention again and now it seems as though that time has come. Stainless steel appliances are once again the trend in kitchen décor.  Seamless stainless countertops are gaining in popularity.

In addition to steel and glass, kitchen countertops are seeing a move to a few other surface toppers such as limestone, brickwork, and sandstone are gaining ground while granite is finally losing some ground.

Kitchen Amenity Trends
Grill top counters are cropping up in many houses.

Under the counter refrigerators and specifically wine fridges are quite popular and if one doesn’t make it into the kitchen it’s almost guaranteed to show up in the basement bar.

The sinks are changing with flexible faucets and pot fillers. And the biggest amenity trend is the dishwasher drawer, something that is bound to be a household staple before the decade runs out.

Kitchens are becoming more of a place to socialize and not as much about the family as they were in the past. Grazing and entertaining seem to be the focus of much of the décor and appliance design in the future and even the latest trends in kitchen colors reflect this attitude.

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Kitchen Cabinets

New cabinets can enhance your kitchen’s appearance, add value to your home and improve how your kitchen functions. Selecting your cabinets may seem intimidating at first, given the large number of styles, types, materials and accessories to choose from. This buying guide will help you understand the many factors to consider so you can feel confident you’re selecting the kitchen cabinets that best meet your individual style and storage needs.

First Steps
Explore cabinet style and become familiar with the different types and designs available.

Measure your kitchen and draw up a floor plan so you’ll have an idea of the types of cabinets you’ll need, how many and their approximate dimensions.

Set a budget.

Review your floor plan and budget with a Cabinet maker or Designer who can help you find the perfect cabinets to fit your kitchen, lifestyle and budget.

Your Cabinets at a Glance
Type of Cabinets
Stock – These cabinets offer economical pricing, a wide range of standard sizes, styles and finishes and are often available the same day or within a few days of purchase.

Semi-Custom – These cabinets offer more flexible options for storage, design and style as well as a wider selection of wood and finish choices. They usually require a longer lead time for delivery and are priced in the mid-range.

Custom – These cabinets are constructed by hand to fit your kitchen to your specifications. Custom cabinets make use of all available space and are an ideal solution when non-standard sizes are needed to fit irregular-shaped spaces. Delivery time can take up to nine or more weeks and is most expensive of the three options.

Construction
Framed cabinets, have a frame on the front of the cabinet that makes the box highly stable and helps keep it square. Door hinges attach to the frame.

Frameless cabinets, have no frame around the face of the cabinet box. Thicker side panels lend stability, and drawers and hinges attach directly to the cabinet’s side walls.

Materials
Particleboard – This material is made of wood chips or shavings bonded together with resin and compressed into rigid sheets. An economical alternative to solid wood.

Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) – An engineered wood made from fine wood particles and glue formed into sheets, MDF is often used as a backing material for laminates and other finishes.

Plywood – This engineered wood is composed of layers of veneers stacked and glued together with alternate layers oriented at right angles, providing strength in its length and width.

Wood veneers – thin layers of wood sliced from trees that are adhered to plywood or particleboard and treated with a variety of stains, varnishes and other finishes.

Thermofoil – a flexible vinyl applied to engineered wood to cover cabinet boxes, doors and drawers. It has a smooth to slightly textured easy-care surface that resists chipping better than paint.

Laminates – thin, layered plastic coatings fused to the cabinet material with heat and pressure. They offer a wide range of options for colors, patterns and textures.

Melamine – Similar to laminate and made of a durable plastic applied to cabinet frames, shelves and drawers with heat, pressure and adhesive.

In addition to synthetic laminates and wood veneers, stainless steel and enameled metals are popular choices for cabinets in kitchens with contemporary designs.

Features to Look For
Box – Solid frames constructed of solid wood or furniture-grade plywood offer the highest quality. The box should have a solid back.

Drawers – High-quality drawers have solid wood sides, dovetail joints and plywood or hardwood bottoms set in grooves on all four sides.

Drawer hardware – Drawers that extend to three-quarters or full extension offer easy access to the back of the drawer. Soft-close features keep drawers from slamming shut.

Doors – High-quality doors have a solid wood frame surrounding a solid wood or plywood panel.

Cabinet Types
Base Cabinets rest on the floor and support a countertop. They are typically between 34-1/2”-36” tall and 24”-30” deep and consist of one drawer with doors and shelves below, or three to four stacked drawers. Specialized versions of base cabinets include sink and corner bases.

Wall Cabinets hang on the wall and are 12”-18” deep. Standard heights are 12”, 15”, 18”, 30”, 36” and 42”. Wall cabinets can be installed with or without a wall soffit. They’re typically installed 18” above countertops.

Tall Cabinets are ideal for narrow spaces too small for a cabinet and a counter. They are a popular choice for pantries and provide plenty of convenient space for dry goods, brooms and mops.

Door Styles
Standard overlays, also known as traditional overlays, leave the face of the cabinet box visible around doors and drawers, creating a type of “frame”. Most common type in cabinets and used in traditional design installations.

Full overlays have the cabinet doors mounted so they completely cover the cabinet box with virtually no cabinet frame showing around doors and drawer fronts. Often used in more contemporary design installations.

Inset – The door rests within the frame and is flush with the cabinet box. It is opened using a knob or handle.

Lipped – The door has a groove, called a rabbet, cut completely around the back edge of the door’s perimeter, leaving a lip on the front side.

Wood Types
Each species of wood varies widely in how it absorbs stains and glazes, providing a wide range of options for individual colors and finishes. Most popular choices are Cherry, Maple, Oak, Hickory, Birch and Pine.

Door Design
Slab – Offers a flat, clean canvas for hardware with a streamlined and minimalistic style ideal for contemporary designs.

Recessed Panel – Similar to slab with a minimal style that adds depth and interest. Versatile enough to go with country or modern designs.

Raised Panel – A classic style that blends well with formal classic, traditional looks.

Cape Cod – Reminiscent of bead-board and ideal for a cottage look with a casual, timeless style that blends well with informal kitchens.

Arch – Adds sweeping elegance to most kitchens. Styles include a raised panel topped with an “eyebrow” arch or a “cathedral” arch.

Door designs can be further enhanced by replacing wood panels with decorative glass, turning storage into displays, especially when paired with in-cabinet lighting.

Finishes
Wood Tone – Finishes range from natural to dark, bringing out the natural beauty of wood species by showcasing their individual characteristics.

Color Casts – Adds vivid punch to kitchens with varying shades that include reds, yellows, blues and greens. Casts are typically opaque rather than translucent.

Glazed Finishes – Adds richness, texture and warmth to cabinets, creating soft highlights in corners and recesses.

Heirlooming – Emulates natural wear with selective sanding that exposes underlying layers.

Distressing – Achieves the rustic look of a gently-aged antique with imperfections that emulate dents,
wormholes and chisel marks.

Hardware
Drawer pulls, knobs and hinges are like jewelry for your cabinets—they unify your cabinets’ appearance and define your kitchen’s personality. Complement your cabinet’s architectural style with hardware made of metal, ceramic, crystal and even plastic.

Finishing Touches
Mouldings – Enhance the look of cabinets that run to the ceiling by adding crown mouldings or stamped trim.
Corbels – visual size and weight lend character to cabinets, particularly for shelving in open areas or

countertop overhangs.
Onlays – Add a touch of elegance and an eye-catching focal point to your cabinets.

Columns – Add a stately elegance and handcrafted look to cabinets.

Fillers and Blocks – Fillers “Fill in” cabinet gaps. Decorative blocks and ornaments provide a finished look with classic designs like grapes, pyramids and rosettes.

Feet – Enhance and decorate toe kicks with carved feet that give your cabinets the appearance of handcrafted furniture.

Accessories & Add-Ons
Pull-Out Shelves – Offer the convenience of quick access to everything on the shelf.

Two-tiered Cutlery/Flatware Dividers – Store nearly twice as many utensils and flatware.

Lazy Susans – Make items in corner cabinets accessible with one- and two-tiered spinning shelves.

Pegged Plate Organizers – Slides out for easy access to plates with adjustable pegs for flexible storage.

Countertops
Factors to Consider – Budget, Maintenance & Lifestyle
Materials – Granite, Quartz, Solid Surface, Laminate, Wood, Stainless Steel & Copper
Other Considerations – Corners, Edges & Inlays, Sinks & Faucets, Custom Shape

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Jorn Utzon (1918 – 2008)

Pritzker Prize-Winning Architect of the Sydney Opera House, Jorn Utzon was perhaps destined to design buildings that evoke the sea. Utzon’s father was director of a shipyard in Alborg, Denmark, and was a brilliant naval architect. Several family members were excellent yachtsmen, and the young Jørn became a good sailor himself.

Utzon has created a style marked by monumental civic buildings and unobtrusive housing projects. He incorporates the balanced discipline of Asplund, the sculptural quality of Alvar Aalto, and the organic structures of Frank Lloyd Wright into his designs. Influenced by architectural tradition, he attempts to create architecture for living that adheres to a strict structural and constructive process.

Utzon always considers site conditions and program requirements before he designs each building. He transcends architecture as art and develops his forms into poetic inventions that possess thoughtful programming, structural integrity and sculptural harmony.

Jorn Utzon is certainly best known for his revolutionary Sydney Opera House. However, Utzon created many other masterpieces in his lifetime. He is noted for his courtyard-style housing in Denmark, and he also designed exceptional buildings in Kuwait and Iran.

Notable Buildings:
1974 – Church at Bagsvaerd, Copenhagen, Denmark
1956 – Kingo Houses, Elsinore, Denmark
1959 – Houses in Fredensborg, Fredensborg, Demark
1957 – 1973 – Sydney Opera, Sydney, Australia

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Louis Sullivan (1856 – 1924)

Louis Sullivan is widely considered America’s first truly modern architect. Instead of imitating historic styles, he created original forms and details. Older architectural styles were designed for buildings that were wide, but Sullivan was able to create aesthetic unity in buildings that were tall.

Sullivan’s designs generally involved a simple geometric form decorated with ornamentation based on organic symbolism. As an organizer and formal theorist on aesthetics, he propounded an architecture that exhibited the spirit of the time and needs of the people. Considered one of the most influential forces in the Chicago School, his philosophy that form should always follow function went beyond functional and structural expressions.

Sullivan’s designs often used masonry walls with terra cotta designs. Intertwining vines and leaves combined with crisp geometric shapes. This Sullivanesque style was imitated by other architects, and his later work formed the foundation for the ideas of his student, Frank Lloyd Wright.

Louis Sullivan believed that the exterior of an office building should reflect its interior structure and its interior functions. Ornament, where it was used, must be derived from Nature, instead of from classical architecture of the past. The work of Louis Sullivan is often associated with the Art Nouveau movement in architecture.

Notable Buildings:
1890 – Wainwright Building
1907 – National Farmers’Bank (Sullivan’s “Arch”)
1907 – Babson House, Riverside, Illinois.
1910 – The Bradley House
1910 – St. Paul’s Church, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

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Robert A.M. Stern (1939 – Present)

New York architect Robert A. M. Stern takes history to heart. A postmodernist, he creates buildings that express affection for the past. Stern served on The Walt Disney Company Board of Directors from 1992 to 2003 and has designed many buildings for The Walt Disney Company.

Robert A.M. Stern’s Boardwalk at Disney World suggests an American seaside village from the early 20th century. The buildings illustrate the evolution of architectural styles from the Victorian to the Vienna Secessionist movement. The mini-village is not intended to be historically exact — rather, it presents a dream-like walk past artifacts from several eras. There is an ice cream parlor, a piano bar, a 1930s dance hall, a vintage roller-coaster, and an authentic 1920s carousel.

Although he is best known for his house designs, Robert A.M. Stern has been involved in vast urban planning projects such as the 1992 renovation of 42nd Street theater block in New York City. Along with architect Jaquelin Robertson, Robert A.M. Stern was the master planner for Celebration, Florida.

The firm of Robert A. M. Stern also designs furniture, lighting, fabrics, and other decorative household items. He has served as dean for the Yale School of Architecture since 1998. Stern narrated the PBS television series and companion book Pride of Place: Building the American Dream and has written or edited nearly two dozen books about design.

Notable buildings:
1990: Disney Beach Club Resort, Florida
1990: Disney Yacht Club Resort, Florida
1993: Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts
1996: Disney Boardwalk Resort, Florida
2005: Jacksonville Public Library, Florida
2006: Federal Courthouse for Richmond, Virginia

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Eero Saarinen (1910 – 1961)

Finnish-American Architect

Whether designing furniture, airports, or grand monuments, Eero Saarinen was famous for innovative, sculptural forms.

Eero Saarinen began his career designing furniture in collaboration with Charles Eames. Their work was featured in the 1940 exhibition “Organic Design in Home Furnishings” at the The Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Although Eero Saarinen’s early education was grounded in Art Nouveau, he was drawn to the streamlined International Style. However, Saarinen’s most famous works, like the TWA Terminal at Kennedy Airport, are sweeping and expressive. Eero Saarinen is often cited as a master of Neo-expressionism.

Eero Saarinen was also a product designer. He designed furniture with curving, organic shapes. Examples include the “Tulip” chair and a collection of Pedestal tables. Saarinen said the objective of these furniture designs was to clear the “slum of legs” from home interiors.

Notable Buildings:
1946-1956: General Motors Technical Center, Warren, Michigan
1955-1957: Milwaukee County War Memorial Center
1957: Miller House, Columbus, Indiana
1958-1962: Washington Dulles International Airport, Chantilly, Virginia
1961-1966: Gateway Arch, St. Louis, Missouri
1956-1962: TWA Flight Center at JFK Airport, New York, NY

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California Missions – La Purísima Concepción

La Purisima is the most fully restored mission, with over 20 buildings. Restoration was done between 1934-42 by the National Park Service and the Civilian Conservation Corps. The mission is a frequent site of reenactments and encampments.

Founded: December 8, 1787 – The Eleventh of the California Missions

Special Designation: Sometimes referred to as the “Linear Mission.”

Named For: Mary, the Mother of Jesus. (Also Called La Purisima)

Mission Site: Originally established at the Indian village of Algsacupi (on the edge of present day Lompoc). An earthquake on December 21, 1812 destroyed the mission, which was then relocated about 4.5 miles to the northeast in the Valley of the Watercress.

Layout: The rebuilt mission was laid out in linear fashion, only mission not organized as a quadrangle.

Special Attraction: La Purisima is a “living history” museum.

Current Status: Now a California State Historic Park. The most fully restored mission in California.

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LA Architecture Tour – Masters of 20th-Century Residential Architecture

These three historic residences have short hours, so it’s important to start on time in order to visit all three places. Also, this day on the itinerary lets you see the homes in the order they were built.

Begin in Pasadena at the Gamble House. Designed by brothers Charles and Henry Greene, this 1908 bungalow (at 6,000 sq. feet, hardly what we think of as a bungalow) is perhaps one of the finest examples of the Craftsman style in the world, incorporating broad horizontal lines, Asian influences and, most of all, an incredible use of wood. This is the only Greene & Greene home anywhere that is open to the public. Docent-led, one-hour tours are the only way to see the interior: Thursday to Sunday noon to 3 p.m. The tours often sell out early, so it’s best to be here by 11:30 a.m. The bookstore has the best collection of Arts & Crafts-related books in LA. Also, you can pick up a walking tour of the immediate neighborhood, which includes more Greene & Greene homes plus Wright’s Millard House (La Miniatura).

From here, drive down Orange Grove Boulevard to the 110 Freeway, past Downtown LA to Sunset Boulevard. Take Sunset west to Hollywood Boulevard. Hollyhock House is on the top of the hill at the southwest corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Vermont Avenue. No dawdling, because you want to make the 2:30 p.m. tour.

Hollyhock House was Wright’s first LA project (finished in 1921), designed for oil heiress Aline Barnsdall on property once known as Olive Hill and now called Barnsdall Park. The Maya-inspired complex — recently opened to the public after an extensive restoration — is Wright’s first attempt at his concrete textile block design. This house is actually wood and stucco with concrete detailing of stylized hollyhocks. The interior can only be seen by docent-led tours, which are given in the afternoons Wednesday to Sunday at 12:30, 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30 p.m.

Continue on to the MAK Center/Schindler House by driving south on Vermont Avenue to Melrose Avenue, then west. From La Brea Avenue to Kings Road, there are dozens of restaurants for all palates and budgets. After lunch, continue west to Kings Road, then north. The Schindler House, built in 1922, was Rudolf Schindler’s home and studio. This is one of the best examples of the architect’s focus on integrating interior and exterior space. Schindler first came to LA as one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s protégés (he supervised much of the work at Hollyhock House). Then he made a name for himself as one of the 20th century masters. The MAK Center has frequent exhibits on related subjects.

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LA Architecture Tour – Classic Architecture

Walking tour begins at Downtown LA’s Union Station. The last of the great rail stations (opened 1939) and carefully restored to its full glamour, Union Station is a romantic blend of Spanish Mission, Moorish and Streamline Moderne elements. Imagine glamorous movie stars rushing across the elaborate marbled floor to catch a train east.

Walk down Alameda Street to Temple Avenue, west to Main Street to LA City Hall. The landmark has been recently restored (post-earthquake necessity). Built in 1928 in a quirky mix of styles, the top of the building pays homage to an ancient mausoleum. Add to that a little American skyscraper, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Romanesque and Byzantine design. The rotunda dome is elaborately tiled and is a “must-see” for any trip to LA. For years, no other Downtown LA building was permitted to be taller (32 floors). The 27th floor Observation deck is open Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Exit on the Spring Street side and walk south to 5th Street, then five blocks west to the LA Central Library. Watch your timing so you can take a docent-led tour (Monday to Friday 12:30 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m.) or roam around on your own. The library — opened in 1926 — is a mix of Egyptian (the post-Tut influence), Byzantine and Spanish designs. The second-floor rotunda of the old wing has a spectacular chandelier, ceiling and massive murals — an LA tradition. After that, go see the postmodern, eight-story atrium in the new Tom Bradley Wing.

As you leave the Library on the 5th Street side, look up — way up. Across the street is the U.S. Bank Tower, the tallest structure west of Chicago (more than 1,000 feet tall — no roof access). Next to it are the Bunker Hill Steps, 103 graceful steps patterned on Rome’s Spanish Steps.

Just east of the Library is the Millennium Biltmore Hotel, the place to stay for presidents, kings and movie stars since 1923. The lush Italian/Renaissance style lobby is filled with columns, frescoes and boasts a dazzling ceiling.

For a late lunch, head to Grand Central Market by continuing east on 5th Street to Broadway, then north. Opened in 1917, this is one of those bustling, tempting marketplaces reminiscent of Europe. Plenty of choices are here when it comes to a fast meal or snack: Mexican, kebabs, Chinese, Salvadoran, Mongolian and more. The stalls sell fresh and sometimes, unusual fish and meats, plus produce.

At the southwest corner of Broadway and 3rd Street is the Bradbury Building, a 1893 reddish brick, Renaissance-style structure. “Office building” doesn’t begin to do it justice. The one-of-a-kind interior features a five-story atrium finished with glazed bricks, wrought-iron grillwork (including the cage elevator that will be familiar from the many movies filmed here). The building is open to visitors Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and you too can ride that famous elevator.

Stroll south down Broadway for several blocks, probably the busiest street in LA, to see the elaborate facades of long-ago movie palaces. This district has the greatest concentration of pre-WWII movie palaces and office buildings in the U.S.

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LA Architecture Tour – Pritzker Prize-winning Architecture

Often called the “Nobel Prize of Architecture,” the international Pritzker Prize is given to one living architect annually to honor his or her body of work. Today’s itinerary takes you to Los Angeles architectural masterpieces designed by three Pritzker Prize-winning architects.

Start at the southwest corner of Main and 1st Street in Downtown LA. CalTrans District 7 Headquarters sounds like a snooze until you discover that Thom Mayne and his firm, Morphosis, designed this modern wonder. CalTrans calls the 13-story structure futuristic with a design that goes beyond merely providing a functional workplace for almost 2,000 people. On the Main Street side, the building’s street number “100” rises four stories over the entrance. The main lobby, in typical LA style, blurs the boundaries between inside and outside space. Notice the neon tubes that grace the façade and comprise the massive environmental artwork — appropriately named “Motordom” — by artist Keith Sonnier. The tubes evoke taillights streaming down the freeway. Also look inside the lobby up to the third-floor conference room.

It’s a five-block walk west on 1st Street to the Walt Disney Concert Hall. The first glimpse is breathtaking. The stainless steel curved exterior unfolds like rose petals or the sails of a ship. The interior is a stark contrast, with Douglas fir in an abstract, tree trunk arrangement. Here, Frank Gehry has designed one of the most architecturally sophisticated concert venues in the world, with perfect acoustics designed by Yasuhisa Toyota. when they do not conflict with performances. The auditorium itself is not included in the tours when performers are rehearsing there. More often than not, you’ll have to attend a performance to see that.

Take the 110 Freeway south from Downtown LA to the 10 Freeway going west, then the 405 Freeway north to Getty Drive to reach the Getty Center. Richard Meier designed this breathtaking cultural center with views of the city and the sea. This $1 billion complex actually contains six buildings — far more than just one museum. Meier captured the essence of Southern California living with the open spaces and stunning gardens. Meier used Italian travertine marble (16,000 tons imported from Tivoli) for the Getty Center’s massive façade because he liked how light plays off the finish.

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LA Architecture Tour – Landmarks and Tour Companies

From Spanish Revival historic landmarks to homes and other buildings that span more than a century of design by the world’s most lauded architects, LA has so much superb architecture.

Downtown Los Angeles’ El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument (125 Paseo de la Plaza) features several Spanish Mission-style historical buildings around a plaza. The focal point of the area is the Avila Adobe, the city’s oldest building, off of which runs Olvera Street, a pedestrian street full of mariachi bands, Mexican food and craft stands, and folk dancing. The Old Plaza Firehouse (134 Paseo de la Plaza) was the city’s first firehouse and has recently been restored and turned into a museum of photographs and firefighting equipment from the 19th century.

Just around the corner from El Pueblo are some of the city’s well-known examples of Art Deco architecture — the movie palaces of Broadway – including the classic Orpheum Theater (842 S Broadway). Hollywood is home to several more classic movie palaces, including the infamous Grauman’s Chinese Theater (6925 Hollywood Blvd), the Egyptian Theater (6712 Hollywood Blvd), and the groovy Pantages Theater (6233 Hollywood Blvd).

Several homes in LA are architectural landmarks, including gems designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, Richard Neutra, Eero Saarinen, and R.M. Schindler. The MAK Center for Art and Architecture (835 N Kings Rd, West Hollywood) is housed in the home Schindler designed for himself, making it a great place to start getting acquainted with modern LA architecture.

And of course, you can’t forget the 1950s-era Southern California beach-boardwalk-meets-diner kitsch. Los Angeles is full of these little gems, most notably the Tail o’ the Pup (329 North San Vicente Blvd) hot dog-shaped hot dog stand in Beverly Hills, and Randy’s Donuts (805 West Manchester) with its huge doughnut-shaped sign in Inglewood near LAX.

There are also a handful of tour companies that run architectural tours of Los Angeles:
http://www.architecturetoursla.com (Classic Tours)
http://www.laconservancy.org/tours/ (Walking Tours)
http://sixtaste.rezgo.com/ (Food and Sightseeing)
http://www.aialosangeles.org/content/home-tours (Home Tours)
www.redlinetours.com (Downtown Walking Tour)
www.pasadenaheritage.org (Old Pasadena Tours)

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Stargazing in L.A.- Cemeteries

Almost everybody who visits L.A. hopes to see a celebrity, but celebrities usually don’t cooperate. There is, however, an absolutely guaranteed method to approach within 6 feet of many famous stars. Cemeteries are the place for star (or headstone) gazing: The star is always available, and you’re going to get a lot more up close and personal than you probably would to anyone who’s actually alive. Here is a guide to the most fruitful cemeteries. If you’re looking for someone in particular, log on to www.findagrave.com. (There’s a website for everything.)

Hollywood Forever (formerly Hollywood Memorial Park)
6000 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood (www.hollywoodforever.com).
The most notable tenant is Rudolph Valentino, who rests in an interior crypt. Outside are Tyrone Power, Jr.; Douglas Fairbanks, Sr.; Cecil B. DeMille (facing Paramount, his old studio); Carl “Alfalfa” Spritzer from The Little Rascals; Hearst mistress Marion Davies; John Huston; and a headstone for Jayne Mansfield (she’s buried in Pennsylvania with her family). In 2000, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., joined his dad at Hollywood Forever.

The Catholic Holy Cross Cemetery
5835 W. Slauson Ave., Culver City (tel. 310/836-5500)
In one area, within mere feet of each other, lie Bing Crosby, Bela Lugosi (buried in his Dracula cape), and Sharon Tate; not far away are Rita Hayworth and Jimmy Durante. Also here are “Tin Man” Jack Haley and “Scarecrow” Ray Bolger, Mary Astor, John Ford, and Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt. More recent arrivals include John Candy and Audrey Meadows.

Hillside Memorial Park
6001 Centinela Ave., Baldwin Hills (www.hillsidememorial.com)
This Jewish cemetery has a L.A. landmark: the behemoth tomb of Al Jolson. His rotunda, complete with a bronze reproduction of Jolson and a cascading fountain, is visible from I-405. Also on hand are Jack Benny, Eddie Cantor, Vic Morrow, and Michael Landon.

Westwood Village Memorial Park
1218 Glendon Ave., Westwood (tel. 310/474-1579)
Its most famous resident, Marilyn Monroe, is entombed in a simple wall crypt, number 24. It’s also got Truman Capote, Roy Orbison, John Cassavetes, Armand Hammer, Donna Reed, and Natalie Wood. Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon are buried here as well, a fitting ending for the Odd Couple.

Forest Lawn Glendale
1712 S. Glendale Ave. (www.forestlawn.com)
Contrary to urban legend, Walt Disney was not frozen and placed under Cinderella’s castle at Disneyland. His cremated remains are in a little garden to the left of the Freedom Mausoleum. Turn around, and just behind you are Errol Flynn and Spencer Tracy. In the Freedom Mausoleum itself are Nat “King” Cole, Chico Marx, Gummo Marx, and Gracie Allen — finally joined by George Burns. In a columbarium near the Mystery of Life is Humphrey Bogart. Some of the best celebrities — such as Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, and Jean Harlow — are in the Great Mausoleum, which you often can’t get into unless you’re visiting a relative.

Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills
6300 Forest Lawn Dr. (www.forestlawn.com)
On the right lawn, near the statue of George Washington, is Buster Keaton. In the Courts of Remembrance are Lucille Ball, Charles Laughton, and the not-quite-gaudy-enough tomb of Liberace. Outside, in a vault on the Ascension Road side, is Andy Gibb. Bette Davis’s sarcophagus is in front of the wall, to the left of the entrance to the Courts. Gene Autry is also buried here, almost within earshot of the museum that bears his name.

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Ethnic Neighborhoods – Los Angeles

Los Angeles has the highest concentration of Mexicans outside Mexico, Koreans outside Korea, and even Samoans outside Samoa. Tiny Russian, Ethiopian, Armenian, and even British enclaves also coexist throughout L.A. But to call the city a “melting pot” wouldn’t be quite accurate; it’s really more of a tossed salad, composed of distinct, albeit overlapping, cultures.

Boyle Heights
East of Downtown; bounded by U.S. 101, I-10, Calif. 60, and Indiana St.
In the first decades of the 20th century, Boyle Heights was inhabited by Jewish immigrants, who have since migrated west to the Fairfax district and beyond. They left behind the oldest orthodox synagogue in Los Angeles, and Brooklyn Avenue, which has since been renamed Cesar E. Chavez Avenue. Boyle Heights is now the heart of the Latino barrio.

Chinatown
Downtown; bounded by N. Broadway, N. Hill St., Bernard St., and Sunset Blvd.
Many Chinese settled in this once-rural area during the second half of the 19th century. Today, most Angelenos of Chinese descent are well integrated into the city’s suburbs; few can be found living in this rough pocket of Downtown. But though the neighborhood hardly compares in quality or size to the Chinese quarters of London, San Francisco, or New York, Chinatown’s bustling little mom-and-pop shops and profusion of ethnic restaurants provide an interesting Downtown diversion. Chinatown is especially worth going out of your way for during Chinese New Year, a month-long celebration that usually begins in late January.

El Pueblo de Los Angeles
Enter El Pueblo Historic Monument via Alameda St. across from Union Station.
This historic district was built in the 1930s on the site where the city was founded, as an alternative to the razing of a particularly unsightly slum. The result is a contrived nostalgic fantasy of the city’s beginnings, a kitschy theme park portraying Latino culture in a Disney-esque fashion. Nevertheless, El Pueblo has proven wildly successful, as L.A.’s Latinos have adopted it as an important cultural monument.

Koreatown
West of Downtown; bounded by Wilshire Ave., Crenshaw Blvd., Olympic Blvd., and Vermont Ave.
Here’s something you probably didn’t know: There are more Koreans in Los Angeles than anywhere else in the world outside of Korea — some 100,000. If you drive down Western Avenue between Olympic and Wilshire boulevards it won’t take much imagination to believe that you’re suddenly in a section of Seoul. Hundreds of signs in Korean script are bolted onto dozens of minimalls and office buildings within this vibrant commercial district.

Leimert Park Village
Southwest of Downtown; bounded by Crenshaw Blvd., Vernon Ave., Leimert Blvd., and 43rd Place.
The neighborhood around tiny Leimert Park is becoming a center of African-American artistic life and culture. It features galleries, restaurants, and shops filled with local crafts and African imports. Folks flock here to jazz clubs that evoke the heyday of L.A.’s Central Avenue jazz scene, when greats like Ella Fitzgerald mesmerized audiences. In December, Kwanzaa celebrations further enliven Leimert Park.

Little Tokyo
Downtown, southeast of the Civic Center; bounded by 1st, 2nd, San Pedro, and Los Angeles sts.
Like nearby Chinatown, this redeveloped ethnic neighborhood isn’t home to the majority of Angelenos of Japanese ancestry; suburban Gardena has that distinction. But Little Tokyo functions as the community’s cultural focal point and is home to several malls filled with bakeries, bookshops, restaurants, and boutiques, as well as the occasional Buddhist temple. The Japanese American National Museum is here, as is the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center.

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Teapot Dome Gas Station, Zillah, WA, USA (1922)

This little funny looking gas station was built in 1922, intended to be a reminder of the Teapot Dome Scandal involving President Warren G. Harding and a federal petroleum reserve in Wyoming. Said to be the oldest gas station in use in the country, it survived partially because it was moved years ago, to be closer to the interstate. It is no longer in operation.

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Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Egypt (1998)

The New Library of Alexandria is dedicated to recapture the spirit of openness and scholarship of the original Bibliotheca Alexandrina. It is much more than a library containing three Museums, a planetarium, seven academic research centers, and nine permanent exhibitions. This vast complex receives more than 800,000 visitors a year.

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ING Headquarters, Amsterdam, Netherlands (2002)

As a headquarters building, it was required to represent the ideals of the company, which are transparency, innovation, eco-friendliness, and openness. The shape of the building has earned a few nicknames for it – “shoe”, “space ship”.

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The Church of Hallgrimur, Reykjavik, Iceland (1945 – 1986)

A Lutheran parish church that in addition to being very unusual is also a very tall one, reaching 244 ft in height. This Lutheran parish church is the fourth tallest architectural structure in Iceland. It is named after the Icelandic poet and clergyman Hallgrimur Petursson. The church took 38 years to build and is also used as an observation tower.

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Henry Hobson Richardson (1838 – 1886)

Famous for designing massive stone buildings with semicircular “Roman” arches, Henry Hobson Richardson developed a late Victorian style that became known as Richardsonian Romanesque, a style featuring semicircular “Roman” arches set in massive stone walls.

During his short life, Henry Hobson Richardson designed churches, courthouses, train stations, libraries, and other important civic buildings.

Henry Hobson Richardson is known as the “First American Architect” because he broke away from European traditions and designed buildings that stood out as truly original. Also Henry Hobson Richardson was only the second American to receive formal training in architecture. (The first was Richard Morris Hunt.)

Notable Buildings:
1883-1888: Allegheny County Courthouse, Pittsburgh, PA
1872-1877: Trinity Church, Boston, MA
1885-1887: Glessner House, Chicago, IL

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Renzo Piano (1937 – Present)

Pritzker Prize-Winning Architect.

Renzo Piano was born into a family of builders. His grandfather, father, four uncles, and brother were contractors. Renzo Piano payed honor to this tradition when he named his architecture firm Renzo Piano Building Workshop.

Renzo Piano is often called a “High-Tech” architect because his designs showcase technological shapes and materials. However, human needs and comfort are at the center of Piano’s designs.

Critics note that Piano’s work is rooted in the classical traditions of his Italian homeland. Judges for the Pritzker Architecture Prize credited Piano with redefining modern and postmodern architecture.

Renzo Piano is also celebrated for his landmark examples of energy-efficient green design.

Notable Buildings:
1977: Centre Pompidou, Paris (with Richard Rogers)
1990: San Nicola Stadium, Bari, Italy
1992: Columbus International Exposition, Genoa, Italy
1994: Kansai Airport Terminal, Osaka, Japan
2007: New York Times Building
2008: California Academy of Sciences

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A (very brief) Guide to Seville

Seville, the capital of the Spanish community of Andalusia, is one of the oldest cities in Europe. Its architecture is a reflection of its tumultuous history with long spells of occupation by the Romans and later the Moors.

In the 16th century, after the reconquista by the Christians the city reached its Golden Age thanks to a monopoly on trade with the New World. Many of the city’s magnificent landmarks such as the Cathedral, the Royal Alcazar and Golden Tower were built earlier, in the 13th and 14th centuries.

Predominant Architecture:
Islamic, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque elements can be found in Seville’s buildings, but the most notable Architectural style is perhaps the Mudejar.

Places to See:
Cathedral: Seville’s magnificent cathedral, built in the 15th century, is one of the largest in the world. The gothic interior of the church and the huge gilded altarpiece are simply breathtaking.

Golden Tower: The Torre del Oro was built in the early 13th century as a watchtower by the Almohades, who at the time ruled the region. The tower is now home to a naval museum.

Plaza Virgen de los Reyes: A historic square surrounded by historic buildings. It is dominated by the famous bell tower of Seville’s Cathedral, the Giralda.

Real Alcazar: The Royal Palace of Seville, a magnificent complex of patios and halls in different architectural styles, from Mudéjar to Gothic. The heart of the complex is the Palace of King Pedro I, who constructed his royal residence in 1364 at the site of a Moorish palace.

Plaza de Espana: A majestic architectural complex built as the central office for the Ibero-American Exposition, a world fair held in Seville in 1929.

La Giralda: The bell tower of the Cathedral is the most famous landmark in Seville. The tower was originally built at the end of the 12th century as the minaret of a large mosque built by the Moors.

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A (very brief) Guide to Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg was founded in 1703 by Tsar Peter the Great. During the following two centuries, when Saint Petersburg was the capital of Russia, the city quickly developed into one of the world’s most magnificent cities thanks to the construction of impressive edifices such as the Winter Palace, the Admiralty, the Mariinsky Theater and St. Isaac’s Cathedral.

Despite the many monumental buildings the city has an unmistakable charm thanks to the numerous channels and bridges which give Saint Petersburg a romantic flair.

Predominant Architecture:
The range of architectural styles is breathtaking, from the elegant charms of early baroque to the staggering ornamentation of the Russian revival. Nowhere else in the world can be found such varied architectural styles – classicism, eclecticism and Modern – in such close proximity.

Places to See:
Hermitage: One of the most famous museums in the world. Founded in 1764 by Catharine the Great, the museum is housed in the magnificent Winter palace and adjoining Hermitage buildings.

Peterhof: A magnificent country residence created in the early 18th century by tsar Peter the Great.

Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood: This remarkable church with colorful onion domes was built at the end of the 19th century in honor of the assassinated tsar Alexander II.

St. Isaac’s Cathedral: Completed in 1858 after 40 years of construction, the magnificent cathedral with its enormous gilded dome is one of the largest in Europe.

Nevsky Prospekt: A wide boulevard connecting the Admiralty Building with the Alexander Nevsky Monastery is Russia’s most famous boulevard. It is lined with magnificent palaces, churches and monuments.

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Crest

Crests were used to identify both the owners of buildings and the professions that were practiced within buildings. A coat of arms, family crest, or city crest can be found on a building either within a pediment, on a lintel, under a bracket or on a wall.

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Crenelation

Also crenellation, these are a series of depressed openings, like a battlement, but with more space between the openings. A crenelle (or kernel) in medieval times was an opening in a battlement, a loophole through which arrows and missiles could be launched.

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Cornice Return

This deviation from the normal pediment design started in the Baroque age. In Neo-Classical Ontario architecture, cornice returns are frequently employed as a decorative element on the end of a gable or pediment, and also above doorways.

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Cornice Bracket

These are brackets that hold the cornice in place. Modillions hold up the corona, and are sometimes used on cornices as well. The brackets are often paired.

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Courtyard

An open area enclosed by walls or rooms, not accessible to the general public. Usually there is a wrought iron, brick, or stone fence around the areas not confined by buildings.

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Corner

An interior or exterior meeting of two walls, facades, or surfaces, be they square, curved or stepped. Corners can be very ornate.

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A (very brief) Guide to Venice

Venice is one of those cities that are truly unique. Once the center of a powerful maritime empire, Venice is a city dotted with magnificent palaces and churches. Mostly devoid of cars and modern buildings, time seems to have stood still here. The city is located in the middle of a lagoon and is dissected by about 150 channels.

Predominant Architecture:
The city’s architecture is unique, a mixture of Gothic and Byzantine styles. If you are into modern art, the world-renown Biennale exhibitions is held every year in Venice.

Places to see:
Doge’s Palace: This Palace in Venetian Gothic style was the center of power in Venice. From here the Doge and the government of Venice ruled over the Venetian Republic.

St. Mark’s Square: Possibly the world’s best known square, the Piazza is surrounded by magnificent historic buildings that are a testament to the power and wealth of the Venetian Empire.

Grand Canal: Venice’s major water-traffic corridor, sweeping through the city. Lined with majestic buildings, it was once described as ‘the most beautiful street in the world’.

Rialto Bridge: Venice’s famous Rialto Bridge was long the only bridge crossing the Grand Canal between the San Marco and San Polo districts. The bridge was built in the 16th century and is covered with shops.

St. Mark’s Basilica and Campanile: The opulent Basilica di San Marco is the most famous of all churches in Venice. The Campanile – Venice’s tallest bell tower – is one of the city’s most recognizable buildings. The 16th century tower collapsed in 1902 but was rebuilt 10 years later.

Arsenale: During its heyday, Venice’s Arsenal was the largest shipyard in the world. It played a crucial role in the city’s role as a naval power.

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