Posts from the ‘Hancock Park’ Category
Elaine Scary in her book On Beauty and Being Just writes that beauty replicates itself and one of the first acts of replication is staring. “The first flash of the bird incites the desire to duplicate not by translating the glimpsed image into a drawing or poem or a photograph but simply by continuing to see her five seconds, twenty-five seconds, forty-five seconds later–as long as the bird is there to be beheld.” Beauty also increases, I think, through staring. When looking long enough at something, it can jump out at you where before it wasn’t. It’s my fun new practice.
I came across these photos I took last year at the Toile de Jouy Museum. The toiles were all traditional red and white, but I’ve been influenced my Instagram where technology helps reality be more interesting. At the museum there were two slipcover examples–a sofa and a daybed– that are just wonderful. I like them because they look like slipcovers. I have always thought slipcovers should look like slipcovers; they shouldn’t look like upholstery. I mean if you want your sofa upholstered, have it upholstered, right?
Here, the slip cover goes over the cushions–not individually wrapped. I could do without the scallop edge. It seems like a tedious amount of extra work.
The day bed–the curtains are a bit grand, but why not–who wouldn’t want a good pelmet?
Every city has smells of street food that waft in the air. Some of Beijing’s Yams & Mutton.
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| An indirect approach that is partially hidden can add interest & delight. |
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| The house is situated up off the street with casual landscape. |
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| The house is on an eased corner of a side street with no other houses obstructing the view. |
Do admit, this is the best house ever. Every morning that I walk I try to pass by it. I imagine myself idle in the upper window seat; curtains open, looking out over the the expansive view of green and blue.
It’s August. I am visiting posts started in July.
Everyone seems to love a dog, I have been finding this out as I am dog sitting this week. Here is Stanley peaking out of the red zone.
I like red. It used to be one of my three laundry loads: blacks, whites and reds. I’ve started wearing red shorts and trousers but red doors make me jittery in the early morning. “Look at me! Look at me!”
I like to think of red as a directional way-finder. In my search I was led me to a blog called, Deep in the Heart of Happy which tells that the associations of red doors perhaps related to money, hospitality, Christianity and feng shui.
But now that I’m back from my walk and typing in my Hancock park adjacent apartment aka Koreatown my floor has been thundering boom all morning with a neighbors vague electronic bass. I have been fascinated by Lynn Yaeger’s archives in the Village Voice instead of making pillows and wishing that I had planted some Swiss chard in one of my pots instead of more succulents. After studying the pictures further. I think I like the red door. It’s soothing with the yellow paint. I might however want to go and paint out the red zone on the curb.
In this second house, I find the composition and color scheme particularly charming. It’s sophisticated. The rather uninteresting windows and doors are tagged out in a color that simplifies. Skims them out to recede to the background instead of what is typically done which is to highlight and pull things to the foreground. For weeks I have been walking by this home and hadn’t noticed the green colored trim which is why it works. It pulls the landscape up and what you do notice are vines dripping from their boxes from above.
Lady Mendl said that in her house “After All” she found what she wanted : the ugliest house in Beverly Hills. She made it beautiful. It is what you think of when you look at this, admit. Architectural questionable but brilliant.
For reasons I won’t go into except to say, who knew Ford bought Volvo, I’ve been doing a lot of bike riding lately. Earlier in the week I rode by 344 Rimpau not far from my absolute favorite house on Hudson.
According to the website 344 Rimpau is a:
Unique gated 1964 compound with a large and dramatic 5 bedroom 1-story main house in original condition. A huge entertainment pavilion with kitchen, sitting area, and large gym and bath. 2 bedroom Guest House over a spacious 2 car garage and a large glamorous pool. Many original details include mirrors, hand-painted ceilings and walls, and crystal chandeliers. The main house also has large family room with bar, library, and breakfast room. Property has parking for up to 20 cars. A top Hancock Park location. 5 bedrooms, 6.5 bathroom. Offered at: $2,885,000.
I find 344 disjointed and in need of order, but it has many moments that delight, how could I have been passing it by? I must have been dreaming about my Tudor on Hudson that backs up to the golf course. Maybe it was the green trim that made me, LOOK AWAY! But suddenly there it was: struck by those palm trees and expression of an elegant awkwardness. Keep in mind that Lady M also said that she believed in optimism and plenty of white paint–the listing website has more interior shots–let’s vote on our favorite because, I’m in love!
A couple of Better Houses (No Gardens) from a Saturday afternoon walk with my friend Charles through Hancock Park. Charles boldly walks up to the porch and gets a good view of the stain glass, I do not. I love the art deco for the motifs drawn from the glorification of man and the machine (note the stain glass and spot light design apropos of Hollywood) rather than a precedent drawn from nature. I do prefer the first house as it lends itself to a more fanciful narrative.
Hancock Park, last week. Within a few blocks of each other. I keep erasing what I write. I like the four trees in a row trying to change color.
OTT in Hancock Park.
