H&H is back after a lazy August and hot on Katrina's trail (who isn't?). The lead story is a gem, In Mississippi, History Is Now a Salvage Job, and the first detailed report we have seen of the damage to these historical homes.
Top Stories
- Can Design Prepare for Disaster?
MoMA is preparing for a new show, "Safe: Design Takes On Risk," in October. This is a good introduction, with Q&A from Rob Rogers, Gregg Paquarelli, Sulan Kolatan, Stefan Sagmeister, Michael Rakowitz, Masamichi Udagawa, Tobias Wong and Paola Antonelli.
- In Her Hands, Felt Is Fashionable
Covered in Metropolis Mag last month, Claudy Jongstra is getting a lot of press for her felting. This is a softball profile. Maharam is selling her interiors felt this fall.
- Polished Primitives in the Dunes
Raul Barraneche is back! This time with CHARLES MILITE'S weekend home in the Hamptons, designed by Andrianna Shamaris. (Photo by Laurie Lambrecht)
- Personal Shopper: It's Getting Easier To Be Green
Marianne Rohrlich does a great run down on easily accessible "green" products. There are some good links here.
- Q. Are kitchen materials like copper and marble more trouble than they're worth?
The answer is "yes," but they are still real pretty.
CURRENTS
- The new de Young Museum opens in San Fran next month designed by Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron
- Watch out world! Rob Forbes of DWR says "Kids are born Modernists," and is launching a new catalog, DWR Jax this fall
- The Reef Collection by Michele Oka Doner is Steuben's latest effort.
- Felissimo Design House shows off the winners of their international contest called "Love/Why?". It's on display in midtown until the 28th.
It looks like its "easier being green" if you have a lot of green. That's beautiful furniture but way out of the average person's budget.
Regarding CHARLES MILITE'S weekend home in the Hamptons... am I the only person sickened by the idea of someone paying $14,000 for a sofa? Especially now, with what's going on in our country (not to mention the rest of the world). Millions of Americans can't afford medical care for their own kids and the NYTimes is slathering over some rich guy's obscenely expensive furnishings for his WEEKEND house... yuck! Wouldn't it be better -- and even more interesting -- to print stories about people who utilize their creativity to do more with less? Stories about average people solving design problems with style and ingenuity, rather than simply writing a giant check?
To focus attention on this kind of wretched excess / conspicuous consumption borders on the immoral, in my opinion.
The only part of that article that made me gag (and not in a good way) was "Mr. Milite had the assurance that Ms. Shamaris's clients include George Clooney, Daryl Hannah and Katie Ford."
Oh, then she MUST be good. puke.
I have trouble pointing fingers at (the many) wealthier folk than myself for their indulgences. Can't the hardworking and successful reward themselves with things they find worth it, personally? (and it does indeed create a chain of commerce that enables things to happen, societally). Yes, we live in a larger society, and yes, it would be nice to expect philanthropic aspirations from all our elite, but, um, where do you draw the line? Should I feel guilty because I can afford to live how I live (modest by NYC standards, but exorbitant by most of the rest of the country's), or should I donate all my earnings and live in a box?