The Lyric Theater - Birmingham, Ala.

A couple of years ago, while I was working at Thicket magazine in Birmingham, Ala., we shot our Spring fashion spread in the Lyric Theatre, a Vaudeville stage that opened in 1914. Rumor has it that when it was closed in-and-around the 1930's, it became Birmingham's premiere dirty movie venue. Can't verify that, and I'm not sure who to ask. In any case, it has been vacant for over 50 years and is in a horrible state of disrepair. The decay made for an incredible backdrop for our shoot, but I'm rooting for its restoration. For more information on restoration efforts: Lyric Fine Arts Theatre





The word asbestos, in Greek, means "unquenchable."

The Arctic Club, Seattle

On my recent vacation to Seattle, my two brothers and I had no idea where we were going to stay in town until we got there. We rented a car and just started driving around, and as luck would have it, we pulled up to The Arctic Club, a recently refurbished turn-of-the-century gentleman's club. WHAT A TREAT. They've done an incredible job of preserving the architectural detail of the building, but have incorporated just a hint of modern sensibility in the decor. What caught my eye most were the colors they used in the hallways - that rich, primary blue on the doors paired with the mustard yellow walls and brown, deco-checked carpeting.

Whoever was put in charge of branding has done an incredible job as well. The logo (below) is seamlessly incorporated throughout the hotel, most notably on the handsome stationery provided in each individual room - a belly-warming throwback to the days of gold mining and heavy scotch drinking.

Over all, just an incredibly unique, luxurious, and distinctly Northwestern place. Click here for reservations.

P. Allen Smith

I hadn't heard of him either, but EVIDENTLY he's the "Martha Stewart of the South". I'm jealous.

Campers- High and a Little Higher, Brow

What is it about campers that incite such wanderlust? I see an airstream on the side of the road and visions of a "Wonder Years" silent film footage trip cross-country ensue- me, the man of my dreams, a golden retriever, good barbeque.

Ah, dreams. In the meantime, check out this camper eye-candy.




The Teardrop trailer, by Silver Tears Campers. Courtesy of Garden and Gun.







This "wagon" as they call them in Britain can be found marooned in a Cornish meadow, where the family of 6 who owns it vacations. They bought it at a roadside sale in mint condition (the family who owned it previously had all of the upholstery covered in plastic). Courtesy of The World of Interiors.

Casamidy

Stumbled upon some promotional postcards that the design firm Casamidy sent out to promote their unique vacation rentals in San Miguel de Allende and Paris, to name a few (pictures above. The settings and interiors are simply stunning.

The company, based in Mexico, was started in 1998 by a woman named Ann-Marie Midy and her partner Jorge Almada, fueled by their desire to combine native artisan talent in Mexico with the design concepts that they both studied in school. The result is a product line and design aesthetic that is a rustic, provincial approach to high style. Everything they produce seems worn and cozy and worth keeping, like an old woman with good stories and lots of wrinkles.

Check out their website to learn more: www.casamidy.com

Exciting Book Purchases

I'm on an architecture kick and can't get my nose out of these two books:



(Above) It's just a good thing to have and I hope it will one day greatly inform my real estate purchases.



This book is by the renowned architect Christopher Alexander, who teaches at Berkeley. Apartmenttherapy.com has referenced this book several times in regards to "making sense of your surroundings". So far, it reads like the "interiors" version of Jane Jacob's The Death and Life of Great American Cities (sweet original cover below).