SUMMER LOVE Part III: Re-discovering An Old Friend

When I first moved to San Francisco in the 1980s, I had a dear friend who lived on an estate in the Napa Valley and I would go up to wine country as often as I could get there.

On my trips to Napa we would often sample the local eateries. I remember going to Tra Vigne (which literally translates to “amongst the vines”) over 20 years ago and loving it. Since that time the amount of choices for dining in wine country have become overwhelming, so Tra Vigne has faded into the background in favor of establishments not yet tried.

On a recent visit to Wine country I had the opportunity to eat there again and I have to say it was one of the most amazing meals I have ever had. We went for lunch and it couldn’t have been more perfect! The amazingly fresh food and the wonderful service were just what I remember. The cheese (mozzarella), the bread and the pasta were all made fresh on the premises and it was evident in the taste.

On your next trip to the Napa Valley, I encourage you to eat at Tra Vigne, especially if you haven’t eaten there before. The restaurant is located on Oak Avenue right on Highway 29 in St. Helena.

David Hansen

SUMMER LOVE Part II: 50 Ways To See Desire

My dear friend, and former design school classmate Denny Holland is a very talented artist. He has a wonderful blog where he shares his art and glimpses into his life, which you can find here.

For the second year Denny is participating in a 50/50 show put on by the Sanchez Art Center in Pacifica, California. The concept is simple; Produce 50 artworks in 50 days based on a common theme. This year’s theme was “Objects Of Desire”. The subject matter of his paintings this year ranged from chocolate to guitars. He would post the artworks on his blog every day after completing them, and I must say I will miss seeing what object of desire the day holds.

The 50/50 show opens to ticketed previews starting on July 28^th. Get more information about it here.

Please take a moment to take a look at this talented man’s work here.

David Hansen

Photos (from top):

1.Objects Of Desire Day 41: Money

2.Objects Of Desire Day 6: Home

3.Objects Of Desire Day 17: Guitar

SUMMER LOVE Part I: The Lady In Red

This is the first time in history that architect Jean Novel has built a structure in London. Mr. Novel was asked to design the Serpentine Pavilion in Kensington Gardens for the Serpentine Gallery.

Every summer for the past ten years the gallery constructs a pavilion under the direction of a widely recognized architect. Past and notable architects have included Frank Gehry (2008), Rem Koolhaus (2006) and Oscar Niemeyer (2003).

Mr. Novel has added a bit of passion to this year’s structure by creating a structure entirely in red. This passionate red makes a poetic and forceful statement in the context of the green of the surrounding gardens. What’s not to love?

The pavilion will be on display from July 10 through October 17, 2010. To learn more about the Serpentine pavilion go here.

David Hansen

SUMMER LOVE

Summer already has enough to love about it. . .longer days, sunshine, and blooming gardens come to mind. It’s hard to imagine any more to love, but this summer has presented the opportunity for new discovery. I’ve discovered some new diversions to be inspired by and fall in love with.

I’ve fallen in love with more than one thing, so I’ll take the next few days to revel in my new amusements.

Some are actually old friends, and some are new acquaintances. Let me take you on a journey of what I have fallen in love with this summer…

David Hansen

*Photo of Fornasetti fabric from decoratum.com

All Things Cream

CREAM IS A SHADE OF WHITE, but it’smore than that. Just saying the word out loud evokes a softer image. CREAM sounds delicious, CREAM sounds luxurious, CREAM sounds heavenly, CREAM sounds royal, CREAM sounds elegant, CREAM sounds pure. Why is it that just thinking of a color can create images in our minds, awaken the senses, evoking feelings and even experiences.

Cream was a ROCK & ROLL BAND

Cream is the texture of WHITE BURLAP

Cream is the color of AN ELEPHANT’S TUSK

Cream is the scent of A GARDENIA

Cream is the image of AN ELEGANT BRIDE

Cream is the essence of a STRAND OF PEARLS

Cream is the feel of WHITE KIDD GLOVES

Cream is the feel of a PIANO KEY

Cream is the color of MY BERBER RUG

Cream is the color of A PARCHMENT SCROLL

Cream is the color of a COOKED NOODLE

Cream is the color of MY DRAFTING VELLUM

Cream is the color of RICE PAPER SCREENS

Cream is thecolor of a JOHN F. KENNEDY ROSE

Cream is the color of A WHITE DINNER JACKET

Cream is the shade of WHITE BUCKS AT A SUMMER WEDDING

Cream is the color of a POLAR BEAR’s FUR

Cream is the color of CORN SILK ON SUGAR CORN

Cream is the color of LINEN SHEETS

Cream is the color of SHEEP’s WOOL

Cream is the color of QUEEN ANNE’s LACE

Cream is the color of an ERMINE STOLE

What does the color CREAM evoke in you?

Barbara Ashfield

Images (from top):

1) Cream image by James Paulgaard

2) Elephant photo from German Vogue

3) Gardenias with sole from Etsy.com

4) Wedding gown by Carolina Herrera

5) Herb Albert image from John Mariani

6) Sean Connery as James Bond

7) Polar Bear image from British Vogue

8) Queen Anne's Lace from fototime.com

"I Think That I Shall Never See..."

"They took all the trees and put 'em in a tree museum"

Joni Mitchell / Big Yellow Taxi

Earlier this month Swiss landscape architect Enzo Enea, along with Oppenheim Architecture & Design (OAD) joined forces to design and build a "Tree Museum" in Zurich, Switzerland.

The museum is part architectural wonder and part contemplative space. The project is the brainchild or Mr. Enea, who was searching for a showcase for some of the rare trees he has been collecting over the past 17 years. The site is situated on 2.5 acres, the former home of a monastery, and contains 2000 different trees complemented by several simple, but powerful architectural gestures.

Mr. Enea chose to work with OAD because the firm had designed his (sustainably built) headquarters which are located at the site.

The museum is open to the general public for a nominal fee.

David Hansen

* All photos: Enzo Enea / Oppenheim Architecture & Design.

Latest Turn-ons

Recently, when shopping for lighting accoutrements, I stumbled across Forbes & Lomax, a very posh English vendor of even more posh light switches and plates whose appearance can absolutely add to the quiet elegance of a room.

Their current collection includes such lux finishes as nickel, uncoated brass, frosted glass, stainless steel, bronze, and a clear glass “the invisible light switch” which just becomes invisible on a wall. I’ve spent enough time in years past just hating so many of those dreadful switch plate covers to seek out something different.

No need to look further, this is where it’s at…Note that they are available in the States!

There must be an invisible switch plate here no doubt. Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Annie Lebovitz (c).

Visit their site at www.forbesandlomax.com

Barbara Ashfield

Peer Pleasure!

Running a business is always challenging, interesting and as many of us know, unpredictable. The latter became obvious to many of us back in 2008 when the business climate started to change drastically. It was at this point when the opportunity presented itself to look for a fresh idea. In retrospect, one of the smartest business decisions we made during that time was to join forces with other designers in San Francisco, and by that we mean getting together socially to talk about the industry and commiserate about our respective businesses.

Not long after that initial meeting, we realized that we had become a “group”; meeting regularly, once a month, usually taking turns in one another’s homes, where we would have a meeting first, then on to dinner and more conversation. We also concluded that every group deserves a name; hence Decorum was born.

Decorum is made up of 4 firms. The firms are: Ashfield Hansen Design. Adeeni Design Group, Sagrera-Brazil Design and Brian Dittmar Design.

So, where has Decorum taken us? Collectively, our businesses have thrived. Why? We think in part because of our willingness to be intimate with our peers, share resources and give input into each others business dilemmas. There is also a remarkable amount of trust that has evolved from this and the realization that there is enough business for us all to thrive.

This year we are particularly proud of our fellow Decorum members for their professional achievements. Claudia Juestel has established a feature on the SF Luxe and Reside SF web sites called “Tea with Claudia”. Brian of Brian Dittmar Design, and Cecilia and George of Sagrera-Brazil Design were chosen to design rooms in this year’s San Francisco Decorator Showcase.

To Claudia, (Principal, Adeeni Design Group) whose regular feature “Tea With Claudia” on SF Luxe’ has given her the enviable opportunity to interview notable personalities in the design arena, most recently Lord Wedgwood, John Saladino and Bunny Williams.

Claudia Juestel and John Saladino. Photograph by Moanalani Jeffrey.

Claudia Juestel with Lord Wedgewood. Photograph by Moanalani Jeffrey.

Claudia Juestel with design icon Bunny Williams. Photograph by Moanalani Jeffrey.

To Brian, (Principal, Brian Dittmar Design) who designed “Poetry In Time: The Horologist’s Labratory” on the third floor of this year’s Showcase house. The room itself was reviewed by Diane Dorrans Saeks and featured in The Style Saloniste prior to the unveiling.

Brian Dittmar of Brian Dittmar Design.

View of Brian Dittmar's room "Poetry In TIme: A Horologist's Labratory" with a floor lamp designed by Paul Benson. Photograph by David Duncan Livingston.

Detail of neoclassical chair used in Brian Dittmar's "Poetry In Time".

To Cecilia (who is a new mother) and George, (Sagrera-Brazil Design) who created “La Suite” at the San Francisco Showcase,designed “A Dressing Room and Bath designed for a young ’Fashionista’”.

George Brazil and Cecilia Sagrera-Hill in the bathroom they designed.

Bathroom from the San Francisco Decorator Showcase designed by Sagrera Brazil Design. Photograph by David Duncan Livingston.

Detail of "book-matched" stone in the bathroom designed by Sagrera Brazil Design. Photograph by David Duncan Livingston.

Both rooms were stunning and were very well received.

In closing, we too are proud of our achievement with our own blog, Design Squared, which has become an extension of our design personas. It continues to stimulate our creativity, as we are always searching for a topic that piques our interest while simultaneously expanding our horizons. We are proud to say that we have prospered in the blogosphere. Our clients seem to love it and it gives the potential client a chance to get to know us on a more personal level before engaging in a new endeavor. All in all, we believe that Design Squared has become synonymous with Ashfield Hansen Design, giving us a stronger voice in the design arena.

Our group is fortunate to have many of our sessions moderated by Lisa Boquiren, a marketing strategist and the former long-time Director of Marketing for the San Francisco Design Center. Lisa has helped us to stay focused and achieve our goals, not to mention becoming a friend and mentor as well.

More than anything we have prospered, both personally and professionally. We have made some incredible friends, some great business allies, and have enjoyed lots of laughter along the way.

See you in the blogosphere!

Barbara and David