Nostalgia is touching me as I say goodbye tomorrow to San Diego, who has been a lovely and faithful home.   As an Ode to San Diego, I would like to share with you some of my favorite places (that I have photographed) in San Diego and its North County. I hope that you may have an opportunity to visit a few on your next journey to San Diego!

Along North County, the waves gently wear away at the beautiful cliffs that are covered in moss and algae.  Moonlight Beach is exceptionally beautiful after it rains, as mini-waterfalls cascade down the cliffs to mingle with pools of seawater below.  While the best surf is undeniably at Swamis, beginning and intermediate surfers enjoy excellent rolling waves at Beacon’s Beach, which is just a few blocks from my (soon to be) old house.

On the cliffs of Swamis surprisingly sits the Self-Realization Fellowship.  If you are in Encinitas, this is a fantastic place to rejuvenate your soul and mind.  Around every corner and through every path, you stumble upon secret meditation spots surrounded in alcoves of green, as well as breathtaking nooks, such as…. 

…this one!  It took my husband and myself about six visits before we found this secluded sitting spot, complete with marble benches that allow you to take in the ocean views while you contemplate life.

Most Saturday and Sunday mornings, you can find my fellow Leucadians and myself indulging in a cup of Joe at our local Pannikin Coffee Shop, which resides in a repurposed train station.

I live(d) in a town where our motto is, “Keep Leucadia funky.”  Traverse through Pacific Coast Highway in Leucadia, and you’ll see quirky shops and wonderful vintage type.

Despite all of San Diego’s commercialization, there are still a few places of mom-and-pop surprise, such as the aptly named Hideaway Cafe in Solana Beach.

While San Diego is not known as an epicurean capital, I have been enamored by Marakkesh, a Moroccan restaurant in the heart of La Jolla.  From its amazing ambiance to its wonderful staff, Marrakesh enticies me to visit weekly.  In fact, my husband and I had wanted to hold our Mainland wedding reception here!

As we travel south to proper San Diego, I find myself roaming about Balboa Park every week.  There is magic in this park, stemming from its beautiful gardens to its stunning Spanish architecture.  From the San Diego Art Museum (who hosts fantastic Culture and Cocktail parties complete with a DJ) to the Japanese Friendship Garden, everything a soul needs in terms of culture can be found within Balboa Park.

Of course, one of my favorite destinations in Balboa park is the Arboretum, where you walk into a tropical rainforest enclosed within beautiful architecture.  However, they are not open on Thursdays, so plan accordingly!

When I lived in Point Loma, I would frequently visit the lighthouse.  My husband and I like to picnic on the old bunkers and watch the waves.  The tide pools are always a fun experience, and I’ve found the most interesting rocks here.

Goodbye San Diego.  You will always have a piece of my heart.

We all enjoyed stylish Courtney’s fantastic typewriter light, and today, we are truly treated to visiting her home in this House Without a Key installment. Each room presents a medley of eye candy, complete with vintage treasures that all have a fun story to tell. Without further ado, I welcome you to chic Courtney’s casa, located “inside the loop” in Houston, Texas.

My coffee table serves as a rotating library for all of my favorite-of-the-moment art books. Right now I have it paired down to a box set of vintage Japanese books, which we do pick up and read from time to time. The fireman’s hose is one of my favorite oddities. It’s never been used, so the brass ends are still wrapped in their original burlap. I also have a thing for vintage science posters and found the Genetics chart while rooting around a prop shop on Houston Street in New York City. I like to hang them from curtain rod holders so they stand out from the wall and have a three-dimensional feel.  (pH note: I love Courtney’s combination of old and new, and the genetics chart is such a refreshing piece of conversational art!)

I’m still as in love with Anthropologie’s Ditte Sofa as the day I bought it 2 years ago. It’s deep enough to fit my 6’5″ husband and long enough for us both to stretch out. When Elle Decor dubbed it “the best make out couch,” it was an immediate buy for my husband!

For our second anniversary, we drove to Pieces in Atlanta and invested in some furniture. We love our woven fiberglass chairs and because they’re insanely light, we’ve dragged them all around the house for additional seating where needed. The metal medical cart in the corner is our makeshift bar. With two shelves and a drawer, everything fits perfectly and it’s even mobile!

In the 70s, my Dad worked at a bank in Louisiana that was undergoing a remodel. When they started tossing Bertoia chairs to the curb, Dad snagged 6 for his unfurnished patio. 30 years later, I had them chromed dipped at a local metalworks shop. My dining buffet is from the now defunct Storehouse and the lamp is a thrift shop find. The vintage orange and white enamel cocktail set is from Austin Modern and the mirror is an old Kirkland’s purchase my mother-in-law had in her previous house.   I love how big and gold it is! We’re huge John Derian fans in this house as he’s one of the few artists my husband actually loves as much as I do. We exchange his pieces every holiday and it’s a fun common interest. My favorite are his Hotel Algonquin series, one hangs above the frog.

My husband and I love to ride our bikes around the neighborhood on weekend mornings. Someone was having a yard sale and I almost flipped over my handlebars when I saw this ratty art easel that’s covered in layers of paint and oil. For $3 it didn’t pay to leave it behind, so my husband rode the rest of the way home with it over his shoulders. I have a few funny (and granny) needlepoint embroideries and the hawk was a perfect fit for this nook in our bedroom. I, too, have the ubiquitous “For Like Ever,” but I don’t care. I love the fluorescent colors and teen slang, and it brightens up our overly brown room. My nightstands are a dirt-cheap Craigslist find and I had my husband build up the bottom so they’d be 8″ taller. They’re now more suited to our bed’s height and I use the extra room underneath to shove unsightly things like routers, modems, and endless cords; no one’s the wiser!

In Round Top, Texas, I found these neat hotel door numbers and knew I had to bring some home. I hunted down numbers to spell out our anniversary, “4″ “20″ “5″ (we were married 4-2-05) and placed them above each bedroom light switch.  (pH Note:  How incredibly sweet and romantic!)

My “office” is located in the second bedroom, so it tends to be a more personal space for me than any other area. When I moved to New York, Mom framed a print of she and my grandparents in 1958.  (As seen against the right wall). My Grandfather, Arthur Ory, owned an appliance store in Louisiana and won a trip to NYC for selling them most Fedders Air Conditioners in his region. They put his name in lights on Broadway and I feel like the luckiest girl in the world for having this piece of family history in my house.  (pH Note: Mixing old and new perfectly is certainly Courtney’s forte!  Doesn’t the vintage mannequin somehow look appropriate amongst her laptop?)

Thank you SO much Courtney for graciously inviting us into your inspiring home!

Imagine walking into a cafe filled with warm colors, creative furniture, and vintage Indonesian film posters — one that is a stark contrast to its minimalist, yuppie neighbors.  As the delicious aromas of coffee brewed from local Indonesian farmers fill your spirit, your eyes are surprised by all of the unique ways the restaurant design has been repurposed.   Welcome to KEDAI, a wonderful cafe located in Kemang in South Jakarta, Indonesia.

Tika is the creative proprietor behind this splendid cafe, where I know I would spend most of my evenings if I lived an ocean closer!  She was inspired to incorporate her love of colors, creative upcycling, used objects and second hand furniture to create a chic ambiance – with help from her power tool wielding mum!  When she went hunting through Jakarta looking for old wood that would become tables and cup hangers, she found much more than she had imagined….

Customers wash their hands at a tin bucket fashioned into a sink basin,which sits on a gorgeous table made from reclaimed wood.  Better yet, the water comes out from a chicken faucet purchased from a Bangkok market.

Forget particle board!   At KEDAI, you can be part of the alternative energy movement by dining at repurposed tables made from oil barrels that Tika cut in half.   Enjoy the cafe’s healthy food, clearly made without additives or MSG, and be inspired by all the creativity around you.

Using metal rice bowls commonly found in all Indonesian households, Tika created gorgeous lamps that let out the perfect amount of starry, diffused light.  She drilled the patterns into the rice bowls, although if you want to “borrow” this idea from KEDAI, you could possibly substitute vintage colanders for metal rice bowls.

Taking repurposed lighting to a new level of creativity, Tika fashioned a chandelier from vintage silverware pieces, and the result is magnificent!

Tika utilized reclaimed wood pieces, leftover from chair and desk projects for the local public schools, to create unique and charming chairs.   It’s also so lovely to see the entire ambiance of the creative cafe.

If two creative repurposed lighting fixtures were not enough to impress you, then dine under the “stars” created from upcycled bicycle rims. I absolutely adore all of the subdued lighting in KEDAI.  Not only is it inspirational for writing, but also the perfect place for a first date!

Now, are you ready for the best part?   Tika and her friends just opened the doors to Bikin Barang, a “Little shop of handmade knick knacks, vintage treasures, and craft supplies,” which translates into “heaven” in my vocabulary. 

Thank you Tika for sharing your wonderful space in this Room (or rather, Cafe) Without a Key Tour!  I hope to visit in person in the near future!

This week’s Room Without a Key Tour brings us to the lobby of an intriguing hotel in Dire Dawa, home to the  only occasion of secular mid-century modern design cosmopolitan traveler A. Davey witnessed in Ethiopia.   Can you imagine lunching amongst these gorgeous room mid-century modern inspired room dividers?

Intrigued by the presence of such western design in Ethiopia, A. Davey was kind enough to delve into the history of Dire Dawa, whose existence was largely influenced by a railroad that connected Addis Ababa to Dijibouti on the Gulf of Aden.   Decades ago, passengers frequently traveled this route, but its prevalence in commerce and leisure has since diminished.

As a French-Ethiopian enterprise, the railroad ran through Dire Dawa, creating a resting point for passengers.  Subsequently, the French may have very well influenced the design of this lobby, especially considering that the imagery on the room dividers represent coffee service — much more European in influence than Ethiopian.   A. Davey concludes that the brass containers that are showcased in the room dividers are most likely shell casings.

According to A. Davey’s research, the Dire Dawa hotel dates back to 1964, which concurs with the heyday of mid-century modern design.  I love how there is such strong mid-century modern aesthetic, made even more unique with the influence of local materials.  Thank you so much A. Davey for sharing your beautiful photos, knowledge, and travel experience for this fascinating Room (or rather, lobby) Without a Key Tour!

Last week, I professed my love for seeing your drawers, and I was so delighted to see these beauties arrive in my mailbox!   How charming is the fact that each of these artists’ inspirational drawers compliments their blog banners in ambiance and style?   What inspires us truly permeates through all aspect of our life!

Without further ado, please say hello (or a kind comment) to these wonderful artists and their not-so-shy drawers!

From the inspirational Livy of A Field Journal, whose blog just takes my breath away upon every visit: This is my drawer of trinkets I’m holding onto…some objects have a particular memory attached – the menu from the “birthday tea” I put together for my best friend, the second prize ribbon I won for my favorite painting, and the cocktail umbrella from my cousin’s college graduation (at which I greedily drank 8 (virgin) pina coladas and ended up with the worst stomachache of my life!).

From the creative Heather of Lark & Lola whose talents for creating ephemera collages are splendid: I call this my “Ephemera Drawer” and I keep all the beautiful antique labels and papers and letters I find in there, as well as other pretty things I plan to use in my crafts. When I’m having “Crafter’s Block” or am trying to unwind from a stressful day, I LOVE to pull open my Ephemera Drawer and see what lovely little items I can use in a craft. Some people keep a little secret stash of chocolate for themselves, well, this is my equivalent, as an artist.

What are you hiding in your drawers?  If you care to share, please send me an email.  I’d love to see your drawers too!

Prepare yourself for a visual journey through mid-century modern delight!  Barry Smith, of STUDIO SMITH, a communication design firm, was kind enough to open his office doors for a Room Without a Key tour.  Generous Barry also shared a fabulous secret with us, especially for those in the Chicago area: Jubilee Furniture Company is an amazing source of mid-century modern treasures at garage sale prices!

Barry, with his excellent taste in vintage design, now takes the {pH} floor in taking you through his inspirational office!

Left Photo: This art is by the American born Black Finnish artist Howard Smith.  Howard Smith moved to Finland 45 years ago and has made an impressive career in Finland as a designer of ceramics and textiles. The Howard Smith art from Goodwill, the lamp from a mental health sponsored thrift. Right Photo: Various shots around the redesigned and refreshed office space. (pH Note: It’s great to see all the mid-century modern elements together in context!  I’d also like to call dibs on that amazing lamp.)

(pH Note: This “secret” box is what drew me to Barry’s office in the very beginning). The box is painted metal from IKEA.  I left the key in it for effect. Fun to see people want to open it. I keep vitamins, extra light bulbs, plus coffee and tea in it. It really looks like an electrical utility box, right?  (pH Note: Industrial magnet clips keep the fabulous Moo cards in place.)

Left Photo: Newest, best ever vintage score. 80 bucks. Original, signed Le Corbusier LC2 Petite, serial number 1370, with original Cassina Spa manufacturer label (pre-Knoll licensed model), and the Atelier International label to boot. (pH Note: What did I say earlier about his fantastic mid-century modern source secret?!) The magazine rack is a mid-century modern piece, dated 1951 and designed by Richard Galef for the company Ravenware. Thrifted via Goodwill. $1.99.  Right Photo: Featuring Vintage Ben Seibel Pyramid small pitcher and compote dish, Canonsburg Temporama mug, store exterior signage, 3D star, sweet Federal Glass packaging. I often swap these items out for new things to start a discussion with fellow colleagues and internal clients. One, to share good design and to show how it can be obtained cheaply, often for less than the price of a Starbucks. (pH Note: So true!  Especially if you have creativity and good taste.) Two, it’s a subtle way to mentor younger designers and grow clients about the value of design. Also, to tangibly show that real people were behind these everyday items, and to promote the idea of a designer as curator. (pH Note: Amen! Good design is timeless.)

Left Photo: (My first) Catherine Holm score!  Right Photo: Looks like this Caslon clock uses one of my all time favorite fonts. This Caslon flip clock works really well. It makes nearly no sound, and just beyond this photo on the right is a dial which turns continuously, counting down the seconds. The only sound is a
rather unnoticeable tick as the minute hand falls down to expose the next number. This clock is really everything I like about mid-century design. I especially enjoy the colors against the stainless body.  (pH Note: the typography is so attractive, and the tiny tick downwards must bring subtle vintage charm to the office’s ambiance.)

THANK YOU so much Barry for the wonderful experience of your office that is a true tribute to great design and mid-century modern inspiration!  For more design eye candy, visit this set of studiosmith’s photos.

Welcome to the first installment of pH’s “Room Without a Key” series, which will tour whimsical, eclectic, and vintage-inspired interiors!

Josh and Drew’s Brooklyn apartment is filled with inspired artwork, thoughtful vignettes, and plenty of vintage treasures.  In fact, most of their home decor is from a vintage store, found, or from eBay – my kind of people!  Joshua Martens, who is the talented artistic brains behind DripStick Art & Design, is the creator of much of the wonderful artwork (which is also available through the DripStick Etsy shop) we’ll enjoy throughout both the apartment and his home studio.  Without further ado, here’s Josh taking the pH floor!

This is my studio. It’s nothing fancy, just another room in our apartment that I’ve dedicated to working.  (pH note: I think the studio is so delightful!) This is where I spend the majority of my weekdays.  We found the wood bench (right) in San Francisco. A coffee shop was sold and the new owners were converting it into a bar, so they were getting rid of a lot of the seating/tables. We happen to be walking by and scored these cool benches for free!  The artwork above the benches is from a graffiti-style artist in Soho (Prince & Broadway – he’s there all the time). The photos are taken by me with my Holga camera.

My desk is a vintage industrial workbench (pH note: originally made of wood, then painted silver — gorgeous!). I got in a vintage store* in San Francisco. If you look around and have patience, you can usually find something similar for [cheap]. It’s also best to get out of the city (SF & NYC) to find the best deal!  My wonderful lockers are from eBay. Every locker came padlocked shut. I had to snip all the locks. I’m not a fan of the color, but maybe some day I can get it sandblasted. That would be cool!  The chair is from an outfit in SF that sells old office furniture. I got it for $5 bucks!

These little booklets (framing the window into the living room) are vintage instructional books from Amsterdam. We found them at a flea market on one of our trips to Holland. Such a treasure to have found these! Each cover so well designed.  (pH note: What a creative, excellent use of space!) In the background is our paint-by-number collection. The collection has continues to be refined and grow over the years. Most of these are from eBay and given to us by my mother-in-law. (Thanks Kelli!) She lives in Boise, ID, so they’re not as competitively priced over there.

Left photo: The red foot stool is retro like my great grandma used to have. It’s made of vinyl and rounded tapered legs.

Right photo: M is from a lady in Brooklyn who has a sidewalk sale every weekend. She had a couple M’s, so we bought 1 for $5. The piece behind the M is from a vintage store* in SF. It’s made of metal, glass & wood and is very heavy. I think it used to be some sort of sign. It says Jaeger with nice typography in all sorts of ways – frontward, backward, upside down, right-side up.

Thank you so much Josh and Drew for the wonderful Room Without a Key tour!  Josh was kind enough to share his wonderful source of vintage treasures found in SF — they are from the great shop “The Apartment” in the Mission District.

For more doses of Josh and Drew’s great apartment, check out their inspirational vignettes and personality-infused home here.