Happy Birthday, Alvar Aalto!

Alvar Aalto, Finnish Architect and Designer

When you think of mid-century design, few names loom larger than Alvar Aalto. The Finnish architect, designer, and glassware-maker helped usher in, then popularize, modernist design concepts, and his focus throughout his career on creating a “gesamtkunstwerk,” or “total work of art” with every project (those gorgeous chairs and vases that he designed were meant to complete the stunning buildings, so every part of the whole worked together) was truly inspiring.

In honor of his birthday (Aalto would have turned 115 over the weekend, on February 3), we wanted to give our Amperfans a few pieces of eye-candy (or should it be eye-cake?), highlights from a long and prolific career. Enjoy, and please feel free to show us some of your favorite Aalto buildings, textiles, furniture pieces, and glass designs in the comments!

A detail from the Baker House dormitories at MIT (1947-48). Viewed from above the building undulates, serpentine, from end to end.

A bird’s-eye view of the Baker House dormitories.

Following the concept of gesamtkunstwerk that Aalto applied to his entire career, the Paimio chair was originally designed to furnish the Paimio sanitorium, a building Aalto also designed. Aalto claimed the angle of the back was perfectly calibrated to ease the suffering of tuberculosis patients.

The Aalto-Musiktheater Essen, in Essen Germany, was designed in 1959, by which point Aalto had entered a more experimental phase of his career. The performing-arts venue wasn’t actually built until 1983, seven years after Aalto’s death.

The Aalto Vase, designed in 1937, has become an icon of modern design. It’s often referred to as the “Savoy Vase,” since Aalto and his wife, Aino, originally designed it for the Savoy restaurant opening in Helsinki that year.

This wonderful video is from the current Alvar Aalto exhibit at Jackson Design Berlin. The exhibit runs through the end of this month and contains rare and important pieces from the Finnish Architect and Designer.

We’ve collected more Alvar Aalto images on our newest Pinterest board, and you can find out more about his life, including a more comprehensive list of his major works, here.

A Writer’s Take On the Ultimate Creative Space: The Tree House

Tree Djuren by BAUMRAUM Architecture

The older I get, the more minimalist and earthy my taste in décor gets. No longer do I dream of living in an old Victorian with banister bookcases lining the parlor, pirouetting staircases, and a cupola adorned roof. As far as my home goes, what I lust after is conceptually airy, minimally adorned—surrounded by and constructed from the elements of our environment.

Tree Houses. Fairy Tale Castles in the Air – TASCHEN

While spending the morning at Boston’s MFA I spotted a familiar book in the museum’s gift shop I’d once flipped through in college, Phillip Jodidio’s Tree Houses: Fairy Tale Castles in the Air. The tree house is one part idyllic childhood dream, one part survivalist reality. Using an existing tree in your yard to create a retreat, a living space, or an office is ideal when your intent is use what you have instead of burning through our planet’s finite resources. Many of the tree houses I looked at, both in Jodidio’s book and in my research use reclaimed, recycled, or at the very least, sustainable materials, something we can all feel good about.  Aside from being perfect, “off the grid” spaces, tree houses offer designs that are as functional as they are fun. Here are several cool things happening in the realm of tree house design.

Spaces

Whether you have the cash or are simply day dreaming about the possibilities of  one day inhabiting a tree house (as I am), check out 02 Treehouse (a  design firm that specializes in designing and building tree houses—they’ve got some cool buildings under their portfolio).

Gennaker Tree House from O2 Treehouse that incorporated and reused a sailboat sail.

Although not technically a tree houses designer Scott Newkirk’ 300 square foot cabin in Yulan, NY has the aesthetic I hold dear: simple, rustic, and sustainable.  Check out the cool profile on Newkirk’s one-of-akind weekend retreat home here.  One of my favorite parts of this profile was the iconic George Nelson platform bench adorning the guest cottage, a staple for any mid-century lover.

Hotels

If you’re looking for an alternative to the Marriott or the Motel 6, check out these two tree house resorts in Oregon and Guatemala. Takilma, Oregon’s Treehouse resort boasts almost a dozen distinct dwellings to treelax (sorry, I just couldn’t resist).

Out n’ About Tree House Treesort

And then there’s Guatemala’s eco-friendly Earth Lodge, located about 20 minutes from the picturesque city of Antigua. The Earth Lodge is a rural mountain resort and avocado farm with a smattering of rustic cabañas and a tree house where one can stay. The tree house comes with its own hammock and a stunning view of the volcano, and what’s more owners Drew and Brianna give back to the community in a big way.

Earth Lodge Guatemala

A Little More Daydreaming…

Stunning Wooden Tree House Design by BAUMRAUM Architecture

For Tree House naps. Design by BAUMRAUM Architecture

Free Spirit Spheres in Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada featured in Pete Nelson’s book, “New Treehouses of the World” – Chicago Tribune

Trillium Treehouse: Fall City, Washington featured in Pete Nelson’s book, “New Treehouses of the World” – Chicago Tribune

Beach Rock Treehouse: Okinawa, Japan designed by Japanese builder Kobayahsi Takashi, as featured in Pete Nelson’s book, “New Treehouses of the World” – Chicago Tribune

Since it’s midwinter for most of us it just means you have plenty of time to plan and design your or your kids small little retreat from the world. Enjoy – Claudia

Quote of the Week

“I have an affection for a great city.  I feel safe in the neighbourhood of man, and enjoy the sweet security of the streets.”  

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Quote of the Week

“People are like stained-glass windows.  They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within.” 

~Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

Quote of the Week

“You learn something every day if you pay attention.”

~Ray LeBlond

Decorating with…Chevrons!

For those of you less familiar with the chevron, it is an inverted v-shape pattern that is a classic in the world of decorating and design. It is commonly seen as an insignia of rank in the military. However, the chevron has been used as decoration for thousands of years–early examples have been found on ancient pottery that dates back to 1800 BC.

Chevrons are a trend that has been riding pretty strong for a few years now and it’s easy to see why. The simplicity of the pattern allows it to integrate into a variety of styles – contemporary to traditional – adding dynamic movement no matter what the context of the space.

Clearly masculine to subtly feminine; bright and bold to understated…

Scaling the pattern up brings an immediate bold punch to a room, while integrating chevrons in a smaller way – through a throw or pillow – can add just a touch of drama within a larger room.

The simplicity of the pattern makes it easily accessible for the DIY’er.

Andrew transformed our cornhole boards in a weekend!

For something less permanent, incorporate chevron with art!

Regardless of how you decide to incorporate this timeless pattern, the chevron can provide just the right amount of texture, impact, and pizzazz to any space!

Photos courtesy of Design*Sponge, Etsy, Pinterest, Sabbe Design, Apartment Therapy, and Andrew Arbaugh. Thank you!

&VM’s “Better Half” Featured on Apartment Therapy!

Of course, by “better half” I am referring to the beautiful, ginger-headed…REX!  Haha, I’m kidding! He is adorable, but I would really like to direct your attention to the lovely home he shares with his mamas, Clytie & Claudia.

After viewing this Apartment Therapy house tour, it will come as no surprise why I had to be patted down and my bag searched the first few times I hung out at Clytie’s place–there are SO many interesting and cool objects and vintage goodness around every corner!!! Starting Ampersand Vintage Modern was kind of a no brainer.

Enjoy! And let her know what you think! 

Quote of the Week

“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.”

–Margaret Atwood

TGIF: Craft Beer Salute of the Week

Goose Island is the only island on the Chicago River in Illinois. It was settled by squatting Irish immigrants in the mid-1800′s. The island and the squatters where as migratory as the birds that also inhabited it. Polish and German immigrants soon followed, giving way to many taverns and bars popping up everywhere. This became a real center of activity for the residents and hence the origin of the Goose Island Brewery’s name–a very fitting tribute to this early enclave.

Chicago is the home of gangster Al Capone battling away during prohibition. I feel like I need to thank him, is that wrong? Anyhoo, this bustling metropolis experienced a huge shift in architectural design after the Great Chicago Fire in 1781, but especially so when it was chosen to host the World’s Fair: Columbian Exposition in 1893. This event single-handedly relocated many of the most iconic architects known at the time to Chicago, including Frederick Law Olmsted, famed founder of American landscape architecture and designer of that little known park in New York City, Central Park. A very interesting nonfictional account of this can be read in the novelistic styled, The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. Soooooooooo  so good and a must read if you haven’t already!  Chicago is also the home of famed architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, whose imprint can be seen throughout Illinois, as well as, many other states in the country. P.S.- There’s an app for that, aka the WRIGHT Guide, which has a complete catalog of Wright designed homes. One last note, if you’re in the area on a Sunday, make sure to check out Chicago’s vintage flea market, the Vintage Bazaar.

Time for the beer!  Goose Island founder, John Hall, had his beer light bulb go off while reading an article about “boutique beers” in a Delta Sky magazine during a flight delay. I love this story, and immediately imagine the the letter to the editor: “Dear Delta Sky Magazine, I would like to thank Delta for the flight delay and your magazine for my career change…!” Anyway, this change was heavily influenced by the distinct local brew each region had during his extensive travel through Europe.  He felt that America’s current domination of mass-produced beer left little selection and a lot of room to introduce people’s palettes to something new and local. We are exactly one month away from the 24th Anniversary of their opening, Friday the 13th of May, 1988. Lets hope today is as good of a day, eep! At least there’s beer at the end of the tunnel if today is on the more wicked side for you. So, in honor of Friday the 13th, I give you, Matilda. Insert goose honk.

They classify Matilda as one of their Vintage Ales that can develop in the bottle for up to 5 years. Not sure it would last that long anywhere! It is a delicious Belgian Style Pale Ale that comes in at a nice, start your weekend off, 7% of alcohol. It pours a beautifully rich golden color with slight reddish tinting.  They describe it as “wild in character, with a slightly fruity aroma and a spicy yeast flavor that is as unique as it is satisfying – Matilda is an intriguing choice for beer and wine lovers alike. Dry and quenching, it’s the perfect accompaniment at the dining table or for casually socializing at the bar.” I chose to quote their site because it’s spot on. It has a wonderful fruity aroma and taste where the citrus dominates, but is balanced with the spicy yeast, malts, a hint of apple flavoring, and cloves. They suggest pairing this beer with fresh mussels or contrasting it with a rich pork belly, I’ll leave both of those pairings up to the reader.

Happy Friday the 13th to everyone! Have a great weekend, and don’t forget to stop by the Drill Hall Flea Market at the Arts at the Armory in Somerville this weekend to say hi! We’d love to meet our readers and customers cause, quite frankly, we love you guys!

TGIF: Craft Beer Salute of the Week

This week’s beer comes from the storied home of the since departed Brooklyn Dodgers and present day home of the Brooklyn Brewery.  We chose to honor Brooklyn Brewery for several reasons. First, Brooklyn is an amazingly creative and design-centric place to live and work, and the home of many self-starting entrepreneurs like themselves. Secondly, they’re neighbors to one of our favorite scavenging places, the Brooklyn Flea Market, which opens back up this Saturday! Third, they have always known they had a great product and worked really hard to see it take flight. Reason #4, their logo and branding was designed by world renowned designer, Milton Glaser, who designed the “I Love NY” logo. No.5, they’re a very green company, running their entire operation on wind energy among other initiatives. Six, they’re vegan and kosher. And, last but not least, my favorite reason is that Brooklyn Brewery really sees the connection between great food and great beer.

Here at Ampersand, we are definitely foodies and love how committed this brewery is to showing people how to pair the two. That’s why their world renown Brewmaster, Garrett Oliver, is so amazing. He was actually a 2009 and 2010 finalist for the James Beard Award as “Outstanding Wine or Spirits Professional”, as well as, a current semi-finalist. He has also authored or co-authored several books on the subject of beer or beer and food. The Brewmasters Table received the 2004 International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) Book Award and was a finalist the same year for the James Beard Foundation Book Award. Sigh, isn’t he dreamy. Pick up his latest masterpiece, The Oxford Companion to Beer–a must have for beer lovers.

This week, we popped the cork on their Belgian-inspired strong golden ale, Brooklyn Local 1. We found this in the fridge waiting for us over at the Craft Beer Cellar in Belmont, brought it home and poured two glasses. It has a fruity aroma with hints of the yeast and pours a rich golden color with a nice sized head. Made with a Belgian yeast strain and German barely malts and hops, they use the now rare 100% bottle re-fermentation technique to produce a beer that’s medium bodied with high carbonation. You will certainly taste the citrus flavorings and the mild hops are right around the corner as you let it settle on your palette. This beer is so well balanced you barely detect the alcohol, even with a nice 9.0% in there. You should be happy to know that this beer is available year round and is a sure winner. By the way, they suggest pairing the Local 1 with triple creme cheeses, thai food, seafood pastas, salmon, shrimp and ham. If you’re like me, this beer and aforementioned food makes for a great Friday night date night. Drink up, Amperfans! It’s Friday, and you deserve it!