standard magazine, issue 11: artists at home, early summer 2012
DESCRIPTION
We're at home with some of our favorite artists and designers—and bathing ourselves in color (and reader contests!) in celebration of summer!TRANSCRIPT
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STANDARDinternational design, live from Austin
artists at homeearly summer 2012
4 garden giveaways!
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every issue
artists at home, early summer 2012
The Letter 10
Newsreel Trend-Predictor 17extreme furniture and nerding out on super powers
On The Boards 22meet our staff and their giveaways
A Design Affair 104Emily Henderson and cognac leather, a match made in heaven
Darling & Daring 114our parting shot
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artists at home, early summer 2012
columnsPerfectionist 102goodbye movie posters, hello artwork
Wear the Room 108flora turned fabulous contests
Win The Room 14lighting, towels, accessories, and pro advice for your bathroom
On The Boards 22seriously, we’re all giving stuff away
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featuresColor Chameleon 34designer Stephanie Moore and her not-so-secret obsession with fabric
Scavenger Hunt 46foraging artist + antique junkie = gorgeous
The Magic Eye Effect 66click, clip, snip, stitch; Gwen Samuels in her studio, home and garden
Le Jardin de Papier 80the many layers of paper mosaic artist Karen Sikie
Standard Visits 92artist James Sommers in Austin
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Sometimes it’s me.
In the early days of Standard it was almost always me—photographer, writer, art director, you name it. But as time passed I found help from smart people who were (are) kind enough to lend their talents to help make Stan-dard stronger and better. Damn if I am not super grateful for these people, and I’m happy to have an opportunity to introduce a few of them in this is-sue’s “On The Boards” section.
Assembling our Artists at Home issue has been a delightful opportunity for us to bathe ourselves in color, light, pattern and inspiration. From Gwen Samuels’ transparency-stitched-one-dimensional-couture to James Som-
mers’ canvases swathed in saturated hues, we’ve explored what makes these artists tick, and how they bring their work into their own homes and the homes of others.
A special treat awaits HGTV fans on page 104 where “Secrets of a Stylist” designer Emily Henderson gets good and sassy with us in “A Design Affair.” I cannot help but love anyone who throws aside their ego and just gets real. Emily H., you’re super fly.
Over the summer and into the fall you are going to see some pretty awe-some things happening with Stan-dard. Make sure you’re linked in with us on good ole’ Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest (and for God’s sake, if you’re not a subscriber just click this giant or-ange box already) so you don’t miss out on all the fun.
Now go pour yourself an iced coffee and enjoy the issue.
Kelly LaPlanteEditorial Director & Founder
the letter
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Editorial Director & Founder: Kelly [email protected]
Associate Editor: Jenny [email protected]
West Coast Features Editor: Kelly [email protected]
Staff Writer & Senior Copy Editor: Mallory [email protected]
Columnists: James Saavedra, Katherine Brown
Staff Photographer: Spencer Selvidge
Content Manager: Dan Reade
Interns: Joanne Kim, Mona Miltenberger, Patrick Jones
Advertising: Monarch MediaChellie Thompson [email protected] Exter [email protected]
STANDARD
PRINT VERSION is NOW AVAILABLE
WHAT’s
NEW?
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Bamboo and Organic Cotton Towels from Nandina
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A Video Design Consultation from James Saavedra
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Reach Your Standard.
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NEWSREELWhether you need something to give your home super powers, or to narrow down your dining chair situation, we’ve got you covered. Here we present two noteworthy news items that are sure to aid in your search for new treasures.
trend-predictorearly summer 2012
Lisa Occhipinti
it’s a bird, it’s a plane...Summer is approaching so brace yourself for the onslaught of comic book and super hero films. These adaptations may have been fodder for the nerd purists before, but now it’s chic-to-be-geek (have you seen hipsters lately?). This July’s Comic-Con will be for fans and nerds-in-training alike. Impulse Purchase on
Not on the High Street
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we predict...An embrace of all things Super! The bold primary colors that cover comic pages will be infused into décor, and you can ex-pect a lot of “BOOM” and “POW” graphi-cally smattered across simple objects like coasters and vintage comics turned into objets d’art.
Ellie Ellie on Not on the High Street
The Letteroom on Not on the High Street
Koncepts by Karyn
FUNBUS on Blik
the western expanseAs Americans have been getting bigger and bigger, so has furniture. But with more than one-third of American adults now in the official “obese category,” as well as the tremendous rise of childhood-onset diabetes, something has got to give. We’re about to see designers sending Americans a message to shape up or ship out with smaller furniture that is not designed to enable poor eating and exercising habits.
Colin Tury Furniture
we predict...To encourage an all-American slim-down, the scale of furniture will begin diminish. Though skinny doesn’t al-ways equal healthy, sometimes extremes have to be taken to get the message across. Expect hyperboli-cally thin seating that will serve as a backlash to our ever-expanding waistlines.
Cattelan Italia
Decoratum Cattelan Italia
on the boards
James Saavedra, Columnist
Mona Miltenberger,
Intern
Patrick Jones, Intern
Joanne Kim, Intern
Jenny Gumbert, Associate Editor
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James Saavedra, Columnist
Our Austin staff members photographed at Big Red Sun.
Dresses designed by Ruby Pearl, sold exclusively at Stella Blue; Vintage men’s shirts from New Brohemia.
Dan Reade, Content Manager
Kelly LaPlante,Editorial Director & Founder
Mallory Hamel, Staff Writer & Senior Copy Editor
Spencer Selvidge, Staff Photographer
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This page: 1. Linen Napkins, in Intense Grey, by MYdrap, $38; 2. Cube Birdhouse, in Leaf, by loll designs, $79; 3. Egg Press Linen Napkin, in Heraldry, from Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co., $14, “This is a great pattern that feels traditional but playful at the same time. It’s so fantastic that I actually had a dream about it.”; 4. Glassybaby, in Gratitude, by Glassybaby, $44; 5. Ripple Teapot from Task, $90; 6. Lago Chair, in Leaf, by loll designs, $496, “This lounge chair is the perfect merger between comfortable and sleek. I just bought 22 of them for the ecolodge I’m designing in the West Indies.”; 7. Satellite Accent Table, in Grey, by loll designs, $199; Opposite page: 8. High&Dry Dishrack by Black+Blum, $49; 9. Soho Dining Table, by Viesso, starting at $1428; 10. Glass Terrariums from Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co., $45; 11. Seed Bombs from Big Red Sun Austin, $40 for set of three, “The hand grenade design of these seed bombs is one of the rare occurrences where being literal is actually quite clever.” - Kelly
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Win This!Win This!
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This page: 1. Denizen Cube Towers by WilliamsSorel from Coalesse, $6047; 2. Allegra Hicks Flower Pillow Cover, in Flax, from West Elm, $29; 3. Not Your Grandma’s Vintage Whites from Greenhouse Design Studio, $29-39 for set of four; 4. Olivewood Spice Spoons from Leif, $5, “I’m usually attracted to the small details in a home, and these little spice spoons are a perfect example of bringing great design to even the tiniest objects.”; 5. Milk Stool, in White, by loll designs, $184; 6. Pretty Embellished Napkins from Greenhouse Design Studio, $49 for set of four; 7. A-Frame Plant Hanger from Poketo, $78, “Despite my lack of a green thumb, I’m totally in love with all things plant-related right now.”; Opposite page: 8. Re-turned Birds by Lars Beller Fjetland; 9. Toolbox, in White, by loll designs, $114; 10. Cabrio Lounge Chair, in Sand, by loll designs, $399; 11. Metallic Sand Leather Pouch by ANN-YA, $30, “I was already a big fan of Anja Verdugo, but her new line of leather goods really takes the cake. Swoon.” - Jenny
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6This page: 1. Thomas Paul Crab Flax Pillow from Design Public, $88, “I love this pillow for its subtle print and unique design, but also because I do like to laugh, and c’mon—crabs are pretty funny.”; 2. Classic Bowls from Greenhouse Design Studio, $29; 3. 4 Slat Adirondack, in Sky, by loll designs, $609; 4. Owen Steel End Table, in Industrial Yellow, from Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co., $195; 5. Mid-Century Desk, in Mustard Yellow, from Mint Home; 6. Metropolitan Ave. Coffee Table by 31 and Change; Opposite page: 7. Classic Birdhouse, in Yellow/Blue, by Tweet Tweet Home, $13.95; 8. Thomas Paul Flock Dhurrie Rug, in Corn and Cream, from Design Public, starting at $196; 9. Step Stool, in Sky, by loll designs, $138, “I’m five feet and two inches tall, and after a lifetime of crawling onto counters just to reach shelves, I can say that a stool is a shorty’s best friend—this one would add a funky contrast to the mustard yellow walls in my kitchen.” - Mallory
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This page: 1. Pitch Birdhouse, in Apple, by loll designs, $79, “I would love to live in this house—believe me, I tried.” - Patrick; 2. Tyvek Watch by Sprout, $60; 3. Linen Napkins, in Aubergine, by MYdrap, $38; 4. Wool Felt Coaster Set by MOUFELT, $22, “These bright red coasters can add a pop of color and geometry to your stark white coffee table. Or you can easily string them and make a garland!” - Joanne; 5. Alfresco Bench, in Apple, by loll designs, $479; 6. Large Bucket Bowl, in Lilac, by Core Bamboo, $54; 7. Bob Lounge Chair by PearsonLloyd from Coalesse, starting at $1999, “I love this chair —it’s The Jetsons-meets-Mad Men!” - Mona; Opposite page: 8. Modern Bamboo Vases, in Lilac and Cherry, $100 each, Round Bamboo Vase, in Lilac, $100, by Core Bamboo; 9. Draper Stripe Amethyst Throw by DwellStudio, $150; 10. Zoom Cojín Pillow, in Purple, by Nanimarquina, $560
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colorstory by mallory hamel
photography by spencer selvidge
chameleon
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“I’m kind of a chameleon. I can walk into someone’s house and see their style and interpret it easily. If someone likes color it re-
ally excites me, it’s more fun for me.”
The words of Stephanie Moore, a woman with her own unique brand of creativity. Stephanie specializes in de-signing drapery, upholstered furniture, lampshades, bedding, and the like. Her company is Cush Cush Design—Cush Cush meaning, “happy” or “joy” in Hindi. Previously a high-end bou-tique in Austin, Texas, Cush Cush was open to the public from 2000-2004, providing fabrics, furnishings and jew-elry. When Stephanie closed the store, she began fully focusing on custom-designed work.
Although the distinctive style which Stephanie has developed over the years is that of personal passion and education, her history with textiles is also rooted in her heritage.
“My grandmother passed away when I was six years old. She inspired me more than I can say. Even at that age, I was so enthralled by her. I feel like
I inherited her creativity,” Stephanie notes.
After having learned to sew from her mother, Stephanie studied fashion de-sign and fabric design in school. At that time, she would often make her own fabrics for her projects.
Stephanie landed in the film industry, where she worked in costuming. It was at this time that she realized she didn’t want to continue in fashion, but most definitely wanted to take her work with fabrics to the next level. She began dabbling with slipcovers and drapes, and then fell into the realm of interiors.
“The results were more rewarding...to see a room and how you’ve changed it with fabric.”
The rooms in Stephanie’s home are evidence of her reverence for textiles. When choosing fabrics for the main space, Stephanie allows that she was in a “purple zone.” This has since be-come the present blues and yellows.
“I tend to get bored very quickly and redo things a lot. The house has gone through so many transformations.
When I’m looking for things or pull-ing stuff for clients, new fabrics will in-spire me. I like to bring in new stuff. Sometimes it’s the one new thing that changes everything.”
In her living space, a colorful seating arrangement pays homage to Stepha-nie’s talents, as the richly involved pat-terns meet at their own boundaries. A soft, taupe sofa sits across from two
roomy recovered chairs purchased at a festival. An antique console, formerly belonging to her grand-mother, Verna Mae Moore, is the platform for one of Stephanie’s most intrigu-ing assemblages. Atop this console is a quirky ar-rangement of bizarre and fascinating items.
“I put little things that I col-lect and love there. I like to make vignettes.”
Alien sculptures from Aus-tin Art Collage, crystals and rocks, and a hummingbird nest are but a few of the oddities grouped together in an off-beat harmony.
The crowning piece to this little set-up is a wintery white jackalope from the Corner Shoppe in Austin.
“I was working on a Stubb’s BBQ re-model, just giving it a little face-lift. When we were looking for items for the project, we thought we may use the jackalope. I ended up keeping it and putting a choker from India around its neck.”
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In Stephanie’s living room, vintage pieces are given new life with fabrics —many from
Designer’s Guild.
Stephanie (left) and her friend Laurel Kinney sit at her vintage dining table. Behind them is an old movie backdrop from Howl Interiors.
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In her dining area, one of the most beautiful attributes to her home hangs behind the dining table (which was snagged at an estate sale). A wall-sized canvas—stretched specifically for the space—from Howl Interiors in Austin, has printed upon it a movie backdrop which reminded Stephanie of Hanalei Bay on the north side of Kauai, Hawaii.
“I walked into the store and was like, ‘Oh, I can have the beach in my house!’”
Stephanie likes to find vintage pieces and spruce them up. Many of these items come from festivals in Round Top, Texas. Another interesting source for some of Stephanie’s fabrics was a shop owned by two little ladies (fabric hoarders, according to Stephanie) in Monterrey, Mexico. The rolls are vin-tage (60s and 70s), and were just be-ing stored, lonely and forgotten, in a back room. Stephanie brought them to the states for a revival.
“Usually it’s colors that I have a crush on at the time… yeah, I get color crush-es,” Stephanie jokes. “Then I start in-jecting them into the house, working
around that. I’ll buy a new piece, move stuff around and change colors.”
In the bedroom, Stephanie has creat-ed a very relaxing environment—one that is most conducive to slipping into dreams. Grays, pinks and white are the basis for this sleepy area.
“In the bedroom, I just wanted to turn it off and not have too much focus.”
However gentle in its design, the bed-room is still very chic. A vintage chair, recovered in a lovely light pink, is po-sitioned in one corner near a beck-oning bed. Off-white, paneled walls are accented by the simple border of the long drapes, and meet the slen-der planks of the floor. Several framed photographs are the work of James Evans—an artist and friend of Stepha-nie’s mother.
“I’ve followed his work over the years and have always loved it. He has sev-eral beautiful books out.”
Two matching side tables are en-livened by fresh flowers (thanks to a friend at Pollen, an Austin floral design company, floral arrangements can be
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Stephanie’s grandfather, an acclaimed designer for Universal Rundle, designed the tiny, pink toilet (right) that sits atop one of her bedside tables.
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seen throughout the home).
Stephanie’s studio is delightful for the eyes. Rolls of fabric hang from racks along the walls, and her worktable is busy with materials for current proj-ects. Some of her completed work can be seen in Austin restaurants; Uchi, Uchiko and Perla’s. More beautiful ex-amples can be found at the Hotel St. Cecilia, where she completed all of the draperies and valences in four suites of the classy guesthouse.
Stephanie is currently working with Kelly Wearstler (one of her idols), in-fluencing the ambiance of some of the residential penthouses at the W Hotel in downtown Austin. At the moment, Stephanie is juggling several proj-ects... and is always looking forward to the next opportunity to change someone’s life with fabric. ucushcushdesign.com
“yeah, i get color crushes.”
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story by mallory hamelphotography by spencer selvidge
huntscavenger
Throughout Paul’s homebuilt, open and airy studio, a myriad of his corollary lines the
walls, and the tools that he employs fill the interior waiting to be applied.
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There are individuals who become notable creators through education, dedi-cation and practice. And then there are those who
have been put on this Earth to create through intrinsic talent, and gift to the world the fruits of their calling. Those like Paul Meyer.
In the small community of Montgom-ery, Texas, along a lonely wooded road, Paul shares a tranquil home with his wife Stephanie (a talented graph-ic designer), and their 4-year-old son Dylan. This beautiful family, their home, Paul’s studio, and the natural elements of which they surround themselves, form an inspirational tableau of trans-formation.
Working with unconventional mate-rials on a grand scale, Paul creates literal bodies of work which silently persuade you to consider the natural birth of all corporeal things. He sees potential for resurrection in the other-wise overlooked and discarded.
Having been around construction throughout his life, Paul not only has access to a wealth of leftover, fre-
quently trashed supplies, but also an understanding of their compatibil-ity and aptitude for beauty (and who doesn’t love a good dumpster dive now and again?).
Although Paul had been crafting his style for several years, it was the time spent working towards his BFA at UT Austin (which he completed in 2000) that afforded him the realization that this passion was to be his life’s work.
“The professors would let me work from home, which was important due to the nature and weight of the mate-rials. In the summer, they would give me a whole studio floor. I felt like that was a really rich experience. It awak-ened all of this stuff, and that’s when I really realized that this is what I want to do.”
And thank goodness, because Paul was meant to douse our world with the nontraditional results of his metier. His work contains often faint imagery of those things which follow his mind indefinitely. Abstract boats, burros, and vultures show up in his work con-sistently. Paul has a connection to vul-tures that affects his method.
A cowhide rug pulls together a white sectional sofa, and two re-upholstered armchairs which had belonged to Stephanie’s parents. A sunburst mirror made of reclaimed materials hangs above the mantle (a Christmas gift created by Paul for Stephanie).
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“Vultures live off of the remains of things. They’re scavengers. They’re like the burro—very humble.”
Depth and texture bring a commanding pres-ence to his work. Although he employs mini-mal use of color, the structure of his output draws the eye regardless. Paul has branched out from just painting, now working on inte-rior objects, such as light fixtures, decora-tive mirrors, and unique furniture. Some of these pieces are found throughout the Meyer household—a work of art in itself.
When the Meyers purchased the structure that has turned into their home, it had just ended its life as a machine shop. In fact, their beauti-ful, light-filled living area was formerly a car-port. After adding on living quarters to accom-modate a growing family, Paul and Stephanie focused on revamping the house to meet their creative needs. A base of white throughout the home is given life with well-blended furniture, collected antiques, and touches of metallic tones. High ceilings provide an extra element of spaciousness. Stephanie elaborates,
“Paul’s family is huge and mine’s pretty big too. When we have everyone over, it’s like 45 people. But it doesn’t feel cramped, because of the ceilings really.”
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Also contributing to this open feel is the per-fectly arranged interior accoutrement. The Mey-ers’ home has evolved to classic French country meets modern with hints of industrial—the ap-purtenances of an open-minded approach.
“All of the mixing shows us maturing in our space,” Stephanie reflects.
Exquisite elements include accents of metallic hues: gold handles on cabinets, gold vintage pheasants on a living room side table, and a simple gold frame defining Paul and Stephanie’s bed —in lieu of a headboard. The harmonious furniture has come from many a source. A sea-soned antiquer, Stephanie has an eye for pieces that coalesce flawlessly, however different their styles may be. The sofa in the master bedroom, as well as a living room chair (upholstered in moss green fabric with highlights of gold thread), came from The Guild Shop in Houston. And a large majority of the home’s furnishings were snagged at the biannual, miles-wide gathering of antiques dealers and craftspeople at the Round Top Antiques Fair (Stephanie’s “happy place”).
While designing, the Meyers took care to ana-lyze how they were forming their ideal space.
“It’s important to consider the view so that colors complement what’s outside,” Stephanie notes. “That helped our design process—to consider what we’re looking at and make it work.”
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The bright kitchen boasts a long island for culinary work or coffee time gather-ing, and open shelving highlights deep green drinking glasses (from Sur La Table), an assortment of white dishes from Crate & Barrel, and a tempting collection of cookbooks. The dining area directly across from the kitchen, contains a large, richly toned wooden table that Paul built for the space, sur-rounded by super comfy bench seat-ing that lines the walls of the inset area. This nook is especially fine in its completion due to the previous chal-lenges caused by its shape.
“This room was always an issue,” Stephanie notes, “it never seemed to function right. Especially aesthetically, because we have this long kitchen island, so putting a long table here was too much. Weird amounts of wall where something should be but wouldn’t fit… we had this idea and it worked out really well.”
At the far side of the dining table, tall and narrow windows look over the long porch into the greenery of the coun-tryside—this off-shoot of the kitchen is now a wonderful place to enjoy food and company.
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A small table in between the living room and kitchen holds a collection
of found objects from around the world, including a sculptural piece
by Paul’s sister Kimberly .
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A farmhouse-style laundry room (top left) looks out onto the beautiful backyard.
A pin board in Stephanie’s office (bottom left), is covered in Les Touches by Brunschwig & Fils.
In the dining room, a custom light fixture and oversized canvas, both created by Paul, help to modernize the antique furnishings (bottom right).
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Past the kitchen, Stephanie’s office credits her knack for graphic design. Her desk is the table that she grew up having meals on, and is particularly special due to its age. This entirely handcrafted piece is complete-ly devoid of screws and other modern fasteners. In-stead, it is sturdily held together with wooden dowels and dovetail joints. An array of neat objects are placed around the room. Several antique scissors (something that Stephanie seeks out) lay on one worktable. A bul-letin board covered in handprinted fabric (Les Touch-es by Brunschwig & Fils) holds colorful photos. Open shelving contains such things as a large sand dollar- shaped vase, and a Frida Kahlo puzzle (completed by Stephanie’s best friend) hangs framed as a burst of color. Another special find of hers sits in a corner—an old WWII artillery shell basket which holds a variety of old construction blueprints. Her creativity is evident in every facet of her workroom.
A long hallway is lined with bookshelves —custom built by Paul and dotted with photos of family—lead-ing to the master bedroom. This is a passageway that you don’t just walk through listlessly. Stacks of books about art and artists are joined with many collections of various design magazines—Elle Decor, Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, and many more—further con-veyance of the Meyers’ respect for the work of others and the institution of art for art’s sake. A little further in the sleeping quarters, the ambiance is a toned-down version of the rest of the home. A large, plush bed sits adjacent to a beautiful Victorian sofa (from The Guild Shop in Houston).
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Dylan’s lively bedroom is the former master bedroom. Fun, interactive toys fit into canvas boxes with animal fac-es, and a hodgepodge of colorful art hangs on the walls. A rich, emerald leather sofa (a former resident of Ma-donna’s favorite room at La Columbe d’Or Hotel in Houston) awaits the trio for a bedtime story, or perhaps a good
nap. Hanging above Dylan’s bed is a large canvas that he and Paul painted together. Other than the burro central to the painting, Dylan can be credited for this one. Interestingly enough, one of his focal contributions to this piece was an unintentional image of a vul-ture. Like father, like son.
Outside, a patio offers seating at a vin-tage bench and table set from a Ger-man bier garden. Above the table, a unique lantern (another of Paul’s cre-ations) lends a modern element to the area. Rose bushes and plenty of grass are contained by a wooden pri-vacy fence, creating an open, natural interior playspace with the wide, lush woods behind the residence.
From the inside of the Meyers’ home, to the revelations found in Paul’s stu-dio, this place is an ongoing scene of art’s imitation of life. How is Paul’s
style allowed to grow and expand so perfectly? What is the driving force be-hind his experimentation? Paul—with a can of cold La Croix Pamplemousse in hand (a signature of sorts)—confi-dently states,
“Say yes to everything, trust your gut, your instincts, things that sound in-teresting—and then figure out how to make it work… Just go for it and figure it out.” u
paulmeyerstudios.commeyeronthewire.blogspot.com
Arched lever doors were added to the house to help keep the interior cool when the sun strikes in the afternoon.
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the magic eyeeffect
story by mallory hamelphotography by kelly laplante
“For me, stitches are the first female lan-guage. They con-nect and create pathways, some
meandering, others direct, reflect-ing varying emotional responses, like when handwriting shifts in response to emotions. Strings randomly hang from the edges, signifying the ‘work in progress’ that is life. The pieces reflect my love of the handmade, mended and discarded.”
Gwen Samuels, an eccentric woman with a hairstyle that mimics her per-sonality (black and electric red with a nice shock of white on top), has been using the sentiments she speaks of to visually translate her conception of life through a never-before-seen form of artwork. Like a wise sage, she has a calm and confident presence, which has as much guidance to offer as it does openness to the unknown. Gw-en’s working method is that of many thoughtful and patient processes, re-sulting in absolutely one-of-a-kind pieces.
Her home, garden and studio are very reflective of Gwen’s natural abilities, as well as her fondness of creativity out-side of her personal realm. Filled with the work of others, Gwen’s residence is quite inspirational and multi-faceted. Her own art is rarely seen throughout the house, instead, she allows differing pieces to serve as décor. This modest approach to receiving the graces im-parted through the ingenuity of others lends a heightened awareness of what else is out there, what her fellow artists are doing. In one living area, a simple arrange-ment of furniture is welcoming. Neutral upholstery, and earth tones comple-ment each other in a soothing way. A duo of soft and simple chaise lounges anchor the space, accented with large pillows that have chromatic ethnic de-signs. A slender, wooden side table is a geometric version of a tree trunk, and blends in perfectly with the terra-cotta tiled floor. A cozy aspect of this area is a perfectly fitting fireplace.
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A central skylight bathes the room with a re-freshing amount of brightness, and a small group of paper butterflies, by Paul Villinski, create the illusion of independent flight. A va-riety of plants fills the interior of Gwen’s home, and in this particular gathering space a plant hangs—upside down—in a simple white pot by New Zealand designer Patrick Morris. Gwen reflects,
“Mostly I don’t live with my own art. After I’ve first made it, I love to look at it, you know, for the short period of time when the creation is done, and then it’s out into the world and I’m not attached to it.”
The landscaping is as lively and beautiful as her home. Designed by Big Red Sun in Los Angeles, the gardens are filled with a variety of succulents, grasses and bamboo. This native landscape is vibrant and flourishing, and adds the breezy quality that city life often lacks. A few sculptures placed among the other gar-den inhabitants can be seen in the form of a gurgling water fountain, and a plaster head en-titled “God’s Head,” by artist Lola Del Fresno.
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Gwen’s gardens in front and behind her home, by Big Red Sun in Los Angeles. “God’s Head,” by Lola Del Fresno lays
silently among the grasses.
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Although in a different locale, Gwen’s studio exhibits the same artful organi-zation and colorful weight as her other personal spaces. Housed at the Santa Monica Art Studios—a 22,000 square foot, out-of-service airplane hangar at the Santa Monica Airport—Gwen’s studio feels open and all-encompass-ing. Inside of the space you can hear the powerful propellers and jet tur-bines overhead as you gaze around her private, gallery-like space. Many of her completed pieces and projects in the works hang from or lean against the walls, and her arsenal of supplies fills bins and lays upon worktables.
She begins with photography, shoot-ing things of interest to her—monu-ments, structures and the stuff of our world that is scattered about; people, places and ideas coming true. She then prints the images onto transpar-encies and expertly cuts, manipulates and stitches them together. Her com-pleted works appear as layer upon layer of dimension, although most are only 1D in reality, giving a Magic Eye-like effect.
Her handstitched dresses fall into a fluidity with differing imagery—the subject for this particular grouping is “Clothing as Identity.” Gwen (who is commissioned often) completed a series of these dresses for Blooming-dale’s when it was opening a store between the Third Street Promenade and the Santa Monica Pier.
“They were asking for Santa Moni-ca-based imagery, the ferris wheel—things like that. So I shot that and turned it into ruffles.”
Gwen relates that her concepts come from her visual interpretation of the world around her, whether working on personal pieces, or those for others who’ve sought out her talents.
“It’s just the way that I think. The way that I see things.” u
gwensamuels.com
A prototype piece of Gwen’s shows her dimensional experimentation.
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Le Jardin story by mallory hamel
de Papier
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Le Jardin de Papier
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Karen Sikie is the kind of person whose mere pres-ence lights up any room. She glows with positivity and smiles truthfully. This
Mother Earth aura which she graceful-ly carries about doesn’t just stop with her personality, it pours into her pas-sionate work as an artist. Karen has been bringing to life her visions and inspirations for many years now. From sketching, to painting, to working with tissue paper (her trademark), her abil-ity to turn ideas into something amaz-ing is a testament to her continuously expanding skill-set. And the design of
her home is a product of her creative identity.
Karen sits in her breakfast nook next to a selection of cookbooks. Above her is a circular piece resembling a bursting sun—this was a dumpster find (some-thing she gleefully revels in). She sips a cup of tea as she begins the slow unraveling of her home’s story as she knows it, and how she has made the place into a work/live haven.
Located in Inglewood, California, Kar-en proudly trashes common miscon-ceptions,
“It’s a really cute, family-oriented neighborhood. A few dodgy areas, yeah, but that’s anywhere. You know the place where they were eating in Pulp Fiction, Hawthorne Grill? That used to be right down the street.”
In the living room, a long coffee ta-ble is punctuated with flowers and decorative items. A cushy, beige sofa beckons you to park your tush and relax. Adding a larger pres-ence to the room, a beautiful car-amel-stained bureau sits beneath a panther painting by Karen’s grand-mother. Many of the items scattered about are family heirlooms and spe-cial gifts from those in her life.
“As you get older, your house not only reflects who you are, but is also filled with things that reflect the peo-ple that love you.”
The elevation of the home—and the view that it offers —is also very im-portant to Karen’s interior principles,
“I like being up high because the view of the trees is important. There’s a little group of parrots that hangs out around here.”
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A tattoo-style paper mosaic tree on Karen’s bedroom wall brings both
whimsy and unexpected edginess.
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Throughout the residence, paper sculptures and framed prints exist in many dimensions. This extends to in-terior applications such as windows in the dining room, fitted with beautiful, cream-colored paper coverings, pro-ducing a warm light when hit by the sun.
“I really like the architectural elements of the windows, and didn’t want to cover them. I had just started working with tissue paper and was doing some privacy screens, and thought, ‘Well, what if I did that here? Let’s see what happens.’ I really love the yellow glow that comes in the morning. It’s one of my favorite rooms in the house.” It is in her bedroom, however, that one of the most intricate and amazing con-tributions to the design of her home can be seen. Along a rust-colored wall behind the bed, is a paper mo-saic of a tree with winding branches.
The pattern and manner of which this work lays on the surface produces a delicate tattooed effect. Karen elabo-rates on the birth and process of this feature,
“I had this extra paint from a job, and we were in the process of getting a new bed, and I saw the opportunity to do this here, and was like, ‘It’s now or never.’”
She comments that it was a big, messy process, but with a certainty she states,
“I’ll still paper a room.”
Through a back room and into the ga-rage is Karen’s home studio—another world, shaped by an artist’s mind and soul.
Like Karen, her studio is bright and colorful, but not in an overwhelming
way. It carries her personality into the physical realm. Her long work-table is covered in a variety of sup-plies—pencils, markers, paint, pa-per, and current pieces which she is working on. An industrial chair at her table is an Art From the Ashes res-cue (a nonprofit founded by friend Joy) which reclaims materials from buildings after fire strikes.
Clippings, inspiration boards and art books fill many spaces. Karen notes that these not only help with her creative process, but also aid in the formation of exhibitions and installa-tions—certain words often give her ideas for the names and focuses of her shows.
Rolls of decorative paper are held in a large, box-shelved compartment, waiting for their fateful transforma-tion. These raw materials offer a glimpse into her delicate, one-of-a-kind process. Karen’s light truly em-anates from corner to corner of her studio design.
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A new work in progress, featuring Karen’s daughter as the subject, rests
upon flat files in the garage studio.
Her collages come in many shapes and sizes. Karen will sketch her base images, then carefully apply the fragile paper. She also produces engravings which she uses to create rubbings.
Her work extends beyond stand-alone prints and paper sculptures—she also works with designers and other pro-fessionals to complete such things as commissioned murals.
Karen is modest about her talents and what they bring to life. She credits na-ture and the guiding work of others for helping her bring ideas into the physi-cal realm. She notes that as an artist, she strives to continue learning from the elements of our world. And this is what gives her pieces their own mes-merizing control.
She has a steadily growing presence in the art world (an active member of the Los Angeles Art Association), and some of her work can be seen in the Cisco Home showrooms in LA and Pasadena, California, and fine dining locale, Elements Kitchen (as well as various exhibitions).
Although her work contains a special loftiness and holds its own place in time, Karen is one of the most down-to-earth individuals you will ever meet. She has respect for the completed works as their own entities, and she feels very fortunate to be the bridge between ethereal notions and realized visions. u
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standard visits
James in his studio, sitting in front of a new work entitled Hamilton Pool.
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Artist James Sommers tells us what turns him on... and what pisses him off!interview by kelly laplantephotography by spencer selvidge
In an unassuming studio tucked be-hind a home in the Travis Heights neighborhood of Austin, James Som-mers wears a pristine white shirt... and leans dangerously close to a wet
canvas. A visualist, first and foremost, James possesses a quiver of skills, cre-ating a complex weave between design, media, fine art, and film. My mission is to chat him up, find out his childhood secrets, and learn what pushes his but-tons.
KELLY LAPLANTE: You came into the art world with a background in film and cinematography. Tell me how it all connects.
JAMES SOMMERS: Film is a process of superimposing as many evocative imag-es as possible within a certain time frame. Cinematography deals directly with the drama between color, line, shape, and form within the confines of physical space. Paint on the canvas is instanta-neous and at the same time indefinite. Your choices are all represented within one frame, as opposed to thousands of frames within a couple of hours. Painting
North Bay hangs in the foyer of an Austin home.
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Photo by James Sommers
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Left: Italian Design in the home of interior designer Marianne Seiler and her husband, Mark Seiler.Right: Tokyo in the home of Judy Voress, by Victoria Reed Design.
transcends these two mediums in the sense that choices are fro-zen into one experience.
KL: Is there one thing that you simply cannot pick up a brush without?
JS: I like Yerba mate with a little local honey to start my process. Usually I am compelled to paint once the studio floor has been swept and my paints are ar-ranged by color.
KL: Interesting... I can actually see that organizational quality in your work, even though it is ab-stract. So where does your inspi-ration come from?
JS: Inspiration is a strange con-cept for me since I don’t always have it... possibly I believe I have been meant to paint my whole
life. And now I am doing it. So I see all the sunshine and happy clowns coming to life from some distant, far away place.
KL: And what happens next?
JS: My process is strange to some. I paint directly from the tube of paint. I use Sheetrock tools to drag and promote a variation of physical relief on the painting, and I use brushes...or sometimes my thumb. There are no rules in my process, and I never just focus on one paint-ing at a time. I usually build three or four canvases and paint them simultaneously. Experimenting with different ideas at the same time on multiple canvases really allows me to get as close to un-derstanding their direction be-fore I figure it out... up to when to stop and leave one alone.
KL: Do you ever envision the painting’s life once it leaves you?
JS: I like to imagine the painting’s life in the landscape of a museum. Or I ask myself, ‘How would the painting look on a chocolate wall? Or a white wall? Or in a living room?’
KL: Your sister is the super-awesome decorator, Ruthie Sommers. Tell us about your relationship with her.
JS: Ruthie has always been instru-mental in encouraging my creative process. When I lived in Los Angeles, she consulted me with great frequen-cy on her design plans and ideas, al-ways genuinely wanting my approval. I believe she has tremendous skill, pas-sion and experience, and continues to blow my mind. However, our taste is different, and she swiftly acknowledg-es me as the true creative talent. We have mutual respect for one another as creative forces and have collabo-rated on a wide range of assignments.
KL: What about when you were kids? What kind of antics did you Sommers family children get into?
JS: Ruthie and I would draw togeth-er and rearrange the furniture in our house. She and her friends would dress me up as a girl all the time... and she used to hold me down and tickle me until I peed in my pants. Our mother would lecture her about giving me a stuttering problem with such at-tention. She is still my favorite person on the planet and I am not sure exactly why.
KL: If you could pick one amazing person to own a painting of yours who would it be?
JS: I think I would have to say Drew, [Barrymore, who is a client of Ruth-ie’s]... she may already have one of my sketches. Drew is so down to earth and loving. She came to our home with Ruthie and spent an hour looking at my paintings. I really like her spirit and profile as a mega-celebrity.
KL: What would you paint for her?
JS: I’d like to paint her a huge green designer high heel with skinny pink legs making their way to the top of the canvas into infinity.
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Big Sur in the home of John Tracey, by Victoria Reed Design.
Photo by James Sommers
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Devine in the home of interior designer Marianne Seiler and her husband, Mark Seiler.
KL: Nice. You’re kind of a wild-child aren’t you? What is the craziest thing about your life right now?
JS: Not knowing when my mal-tese needs to go outside and pee. Sometimes she just wags her head and bounces around like a little circus dog. Other times, this means time to go out.
KL: What is your biggest pet peeve ever? Like, if I wanted to piss you off, what would I do?
JS: I don’t like anybody who is not completely honest about their intentions, etc.. Those who pretend to be my friend, and hi-jack my artistic ideas and mate-rial and pawn them off as their own.
KL: I’ll steer clear of plagiarizing you. How about if I was trying to win you over? What would I do to really butter you up?
JS: Commission me to make a series of three-story high birds with long skinny legs and fat bodies, covered in blue Astro-Turf, walking along Auditorium Shores. Or put me on a Lear-jet headed to an island off the coast of Spain.
KL: Okay, when I get my Learjet you’ll be the first to know. u
wix.com/singing3songs/james-sommers-web
perfectionist
In every space, it is the details that make all of the difference. Cliché? Yes. True? Absolutely. The key to any suc-cessful interior is the building of lay-ers, and art can add sophistication, drama and finesse. While I am not one of those designers who demands that your art be my art—I do have a gold-en rule when it comes to procuring that finishing touch: Always choose an original over a reproduction. Hold on to your britches Bessie, because originals do not automatically equate expense. For example, one of my cli-ents once purchased a fabulous 5’ x 5’ contemporary painting at an MFA
show of inexpensive graduate work, and I myself, have done the same. Plus, with sites like Etsy and Society 6, there is no excuse for those ubiqui-tous, framed French posters with that black cat.
There is no denying that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but before you go out and drop three Ben Franklins on that black and white landscape at the mall, try and find something origi-nal and inspiring. Here are a few of the up-and-coming artists that I would love to add to my art collection right now.
JAMES SAAVEDRA
anlife
artful
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patrick dintino Patrick’s color-saturated work is just as amazing in person as it is here in print. I’ve used his work in past clients’ spaces. I loved his work then and I still do today.
robert maddenRobert takes extreme close-up pho-tographs of things we pass by or dis-miss everyday, and turns them into painterly compositions that boggle the mind. What you see will blow you away. For example, this image is actually a painted traffic cone.
roni stretch I was introduced to Roni’s work by Los Angeles based art consultant Troy Thompson at TKO Art. The mesmerizingly brilliant Roni utilizes the subtleties of Dichroism.
a design affair
Emily Hendersontells us
all the steamy
A beautiful space that Emily designed; A vintage chair that Emily found on one of
her thrifting excursions.
details
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Emily Henderson
all the steamy
Interior Designer and Vintage Maven Emily Henderson shows HGTV viewers the “Secrets of a Stylist” but we wanted to know some of her personal se-crets as well. What are Emily’s guilty pleasures? You’re about to find out...
favorite design late-ly?I’m kinda loving my new entry. It was
an awkward space, so I didn’t know
how to engage it, but I threw in a
mid-century, round, small dining ta-
ble, a rug and two chairs with some
pretty flowers, and a sculpture on
top—and boom, it’s like ‘Hello, wel-
come to the cool house,’ instantly.
favorite piece in your home?I’m torn between my sofa, my coffee table, and my club chairs. All of them I would try to
carry out of the house if it was on fire. But with a gun to my head, I would probably say my
new 70s, beautifully worn, leather Brazilian sling club chairs. The scale of them is amazing,
the comfort is out of this world, the shape and finish of the leather is perfection, and they are
pretty much irreplaceable under $3000. (I scored the pair for $900 in Salt Lake City.)
Another lovely space that Emily designed using excellent vintage discoveries.
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your design style is...?70s California vintage glam meets crazy English grandma cat lady. Kinda most males’ night-
mare, yet I have a lot of bachelor dudes as my clients. It’s strange, but somehow makes
sense. I help them get laid with better style.
favorite way to relax?Ready to start losing respect? I love downloading a whole series on my laptop and laying
in bed for like 10 hours, and watching something super addictive. Could be Veronica Mars.
Could be Vampire Diaries. It usually involves teenagers and some sort of paranormal ro-
mance. It’s my secret gross thing that I do.
favorite decade?Easiest question ever: the 70s. And while I know they are in right now, I will tell you with 100
percent assurance that I have always been a 70s girl. I’ve been wearing high-waisted wide
leg jeans since high school. I’ve had big blonde Farrah hair for 15 years. Cognac leather?
Please, I invented that shit.
“70s california vintage glammeets crazy english
grandma cat lady”
wear the room
image courtesy of articulture designs
From centerpieceto masterpiece
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katherine brownOh for the love of being inspired by those uncommon sites. We often neglect to literally, “stop and smell the roses!” Floral, fauna and fashion! Such a simple ambiance taken from a creative influence can be the main asset that will set your style soaring with flair.
the transformation to wearable style
Bloom Jackie O Dress, in Yellow, by JonanoDisco Mermaid Stuart Weitzman Gold Glitter Pumps, from Quarley
on the scene
On April 30th, Standard hosted an in-timate event inside the Art From The Ashes benefit exhibition in Austin’s historic Starr Building.
The evening was a celebration for our two exiting interns, Joanne Kim and Mona Miltenberger, who have been working with us for the past two se-mesters.
Standard’s partners Dunn Edwards, TreeHouse, RAD Furniture, and Howl Interiors each contributed elements to the design of the exhibition. With their help, the raw space was transformed into an otherworldly “industrial forest” complete with fallen Lobolly pines from the Bastrop fires.
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Top left and right: Standard’s guests view the exhibition of over 80 works by local Texas artists, all using elements reclaimed from the Bastrop fires. Bottom left: Scenes, a sculpture made of melted glass by Jamie Panzer. Bottom right: Mona Miltenberger and Joanne Kim are thanked onstage by Kelly LaPlante.
Every day, Habitat for Humanity volunteers, donors and partner families are building houses, hope and so much more in countries around the world.
So, what will you build?
800-HABITAT habitat.org
A brighter future.S AV O RT H E TA S T E O F S A F E R C H O I C E S
You’re already doing your best to raise your family in a safe and healthy environment.But did you know that today’s homes are filled with pesticides and chemicals fromeveryday objects and foods? Discover how to eliminate your children’s exposure toman-made toxic substances and provide them with the best future possible.
Discover the to a healthier and safer home >
www.healthychild.org
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Every day, Habitat for Humanity volunteers, donors and partner families are building houses, hope and so much more in countries around the world.
So, what will you build?
800-HABITAT habitat.org
A brighter future.
darling & daringStephanie and Paul Meyer jump on their bed while their son Dylan chills.