Photo by Scott Francis

I think some may miss this because, let’s face it….we may not have the desire or the funds during this economy to get every magazine we want to. But I didn’t want you all to miss an article about the incredible Michael S. Smith. So I am suggesting that you may want to take a look at Architectural Digest this month.

Photo by Scott Francis

Michael Smith has designed a house in Rancho Mirage, California….just outside Palm Springs, and it is not what one might expect of a desert house. No Brat Pack terrazzo. No Hollywood glam.

Photo by Scott Francis

Michael has his own take on things. A bit of quiet comfort. Luxury, yes…but not one of those places where you have to keep your feet off the couch.

Photo by Scott Francis

I never tire of his style.

Not a lot to add to the AD article….just passing it along.

Cover Photo by Durston Sayler

Also…check out the section shown on the cover “Shop Like a Designer”. Well, most of us can’t really shop like this, but it is fun never-the-less to see where the top guns shop. There is a very comprehensive source list at the very back of the magazine with websites. So thanks, AD, for that!

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According to the (western*) astrology newsletters I read, this new moon is unique because the Sun, Moon, Mercury, and Uranus are all very close together in a tight pattern that supports inspiration, new ideas, greater insight and intuition through alignment with higher consciousness, and breakthrough problem-solving and decision-making. All of that also means this is a good time to choose to move beyond any old emotional patterns that are no longer serving you.

“If you’re ready to do something different, then this New Moon on the Ides of March is a time to set some intention.” — Madeline C. Gerwick

“The creative impulse that is borne out of this New Moon is powerful and intelligent in its impact, and can be harnessed for great things. … This New Moon is definitely worth planning for due to the inspiration that is unlocked here. This is not so much time for collaboration as it is for initiating new ideas and new inner awakenings.” — Lynn Hayes

This weekend into Monday is a good time to reflect on what new directions you’d like to take over the next few months. I especially recommend doing this if it’s been more than a few months since you’ve done any new feng shui in your space.

Revisit the ba gua, and think about (and/or meditate on) which areas represent the changes you’d most like to see over the next few months. Since “thinking about” implies a logical, left-brain approach, be sure also to allow your intuition space to speak up. It might point you in a new direction you haven’t yet considered.

If you’ve been focused on one particular aspect of life for a while (relationships, or prosperity, for example), be sure to remain open to looking in a different direction at this time. You don’t have to set those relationship or financial ambitions aside, but do be open to an intuitive nudge that points you in a new direction. The energy of this new moon is about changing your focus in some way; you have the opportunity now to do that deliberately and with strong intention, rather than waiting for something to surprise you down the road.

Be sure to focus on the positive OUTCOME you desire, not on any specific problem or challenge you want to overcome.

Once you’ve clarified a strong new moon intention, write it on a piece of paper, and place it in the relevant gua within your home or office. Or, use this new moon ritual to choose the gua most appropriate for you.

For this new moon, I’ll be focusing on the steps my husband and I are taking to move our online businesses both forward and in some cases in new directions over the next few months. (Lots going on behind the scenes the past few months, one reason I haven’t been posting here.)

This will be the first spring in quite a few years that we are not moving, or having family come to visit, or going on a trip ourselves. Being able to stay home and focus on taking our planned “inspired actions” for our business feels like a luxury.

What “new beginnings” will you focus on for this powerful new moon?

Aloha,

Stephanie

PS: Don’t worry, this isn’t turning into an astrology blog! I’ll be back with more feng shui Q+A and other topics and news when my current projects are a little further along.

* I’ve nothing against the Chinese astrology that many feng shui professionals incorporate into their practice, but have been following/using western astrology since long before I got into feng shui. It works for me, and I’m sticking with it. Please note that I am not an astrologer, and do not offer interpretations or forecasts; I’m simply passing on to you information that I find interesting and useful.

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Jay Jeffers Home

I was recently at an event in San Francisco and had the pleasure of catching up with the extraordinary Interior Designer, Jay Jeffers. Mega-talented, charming, fun, and handsome…what more could one ask for in a designer?

See? The talented Mr. Jeffers in his office space.

Jay recently did a bit of a revamping of his own home as well as his fabulous office spaces. His home project started with a kitchen spiffing, and one thing just led to another….

Jay Jeffer’s Kitchen

Jay’s kitchen now sports coral painted glass in the upper cabinet doors, a very smart plaid back splash tile pattern, putty painted cabinets ( I love when a color is sort of undefinable), and a playful brass lantern over the island. A great mix…and that is just what Jay is known for: his crazy ability to mix things up in innovative, fun ways.

Jay’s Living Room. I remember the fab rug from a recent Showhouse I think! And that view!!

I had the pleasure of getting to know Jay a little bit better through a bit of a Proustian interview. Hope you enjoy:

Jay, your projects are all so varied and unique. Where and how do you begin the process of conceptualizing your designs for your clients?

The first step is always connecting with the client - learning about preferences and lifestyle - do they entertain often, are there young kids in the house, etc. We always ask clients to go though magazines and pull examples of what they like and more importantly, things they don’t like. It’s the best exercise. My team and I always try not to repeat, so after we have the client’s taste in mind, it’s up to us to come up with new ideas for them.

Jay’s Dining Room

What/who inspires you in your work, your “design icons” if you will?

Paris, New York City, David Hicks, Suzanne Tucker, Albert Hadley.

How has your aesthetic evolved since your early design days?

Hmm. Good question. In the early days, I worked with clients with smaller budgets, so we often masked that with bold gestures like painting big squares of color on the walls or using really bold fabrics. Today I think I have evolved into more timeless design - a sense of permanence in a space. We certainly use more antiques than I did early on, which really brings soul to a space.

Dining Room

Describe your “perfect client”.

Fun and interested in the process, and who also trusts our judgement as designers. A big budget doesn’t hurt (I’m just sayin’).

How would you describe your own personal style?

Masculine, edited, collected, evolving. Madmen with a twist. My favorite outfit: The perfect white shirt by Kitune, a great tailored pair of khakis by Spurr, a Thom Browne navy blazer, Bottega Veneta vans, vintage Torneau watch. Done. (I’m really not a label whore, but I love well made pieces).

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Chandler Banner

I was gone last weekend. Gone to Southern California. I made a somewhat last minute decision to drive down to Pasadena for a reunion at the school I called home from kindergarten through my Sophomore year in High School. Chandler was a relatively small school, private…and a new High School was added to the campus when I was in 7th grade. There was one class in the High School ahead of mine and one class after when it was decided the High School part of the campus didn’t pencil out. It was closed after three years.

Sometimes, what starts as a bright and exciting new venture must change into another thing that is more viable. We students all moved on to other schools, graduated and went on to college and to our lives. But there was an attachment to this place where I had spent a majority of my childhood life. It played a large part in who I am.

Chandler has changed over the years, but still maintains it’s dedication to excellence in education. In so doing, it will be replacing the High School buildings with a bigger Middle School campus. So it was a last hurrah for the students of Chandler High School to come together and say a last goodbye. How could I miss it?

So….there we were in ‘75. You will just have to figure out which one was me on your own. And here we are now….many if not all…..with almost all of the original faculty.

The Reunion

Reunions are funny things. People change so much over the years. Some people looked exactly the same. Others didn’t and it took a few minutes to figure out who they were. They were attorneys, and entrepreneurs, teachers, Realtors, movie directors and artists. Some moved far away…some stayed put in Pasadena. It took all evening to sort it out….and then not really. It was just a glimpse.

But I am glad to have gone. Connections were renewed. Friendships rekindled.

I brought my Mom and my oldest daughter with me to Pasadena so we could explore and see old family friends. I wanted to show my daughter where I came from. She had not been here since she was about 5 .

The Langham Huntington Hotel

We stayed at the Langham Huntington Hotel, which was a treat. We just hit the end of the Winter rates, and this was sort of a special three generational girls trip after all.

The Langham Huntington Hotel

The Huntington Hotel, named for Henry Huntington, was originally built in 1910. It was called the Huntington Sheraton when I was little. My best friend and I would walk there from home and swim in the pool in the summer. During an exceptionally raucous game of Marco Polo, I ran into the side of that pool and chipped my front tooth.

Sketch of the original Huntington Hotel

It was bought out in the 1980’s and redone, due to it’s unreinforced concrete construction. It happened to be sitting on a earthquake fault line. It was then a Ritz Cartlon….now a Langham Hotel. It looks just the same and has much of the same features it had originally, like the Picture Bridge, which showed murals by artist Frank M. Moore of notable California points of interest.

We had a garden room with a patio out to the grounds. A little bit of heaven.

View from our Room

We explored a bit on Sunday. My daughter and I snuck into the Viennese Ballroom to take a peak. Can’t you just imagine the ladies in their turn of the century ballgowns swirling through this room?

Viennese Ballroom

Much of the hotel is redecorated in a much more current style. This is just one of the many seating areas in the lounge. It was Sunday evening, and we were all alone. It was a little eerie, and the ballroom felt like we had traveled back in time.

Earlier on Sunday, we had lunch with my godparents who still live next door to the house where I grew up. I still love this street with it’s Camphor tree tunnel.

My Childhood Street

It was a stunningly gorgeous day. Quite a change from the torrents of rain we had on the drive down from Northern Cal. The Magnolias were in their prime, and my godparents home was as lovely as I remembered. It is a shingled bungalow style home…there are many in Pasadena.

After lunch I took Mom and daughter to the Huntington Library Gardens. We were lucky to have such a great day and I took so many pictures, I will be showing them to you in another post.

The Wrigley Mansion

The Wrigley Mansion is just one of the beautiful mansions built in the early 1900’s by the wealthy who came to Pasadena for the sun and moderate climes. Built in 1906-1914 by chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr., the mansion was willed to the city of Pasadena in 1958 to become the permanent home of the Tournament of Roses Association. My family never missed the parade each year on New Years Day. We would get up before dawn and take our ladders to the parade route to get a good spot. Often it was right in front of the mansion.

The Wrigley Mansion

We also visited the Gamble House built by Greene and Greene for a quick once over. One of the most notable examples of Arts and Crafts architecture in the world, it was built in 1908 for David and Mary Gamble of the Procter and Gamble Company. It is a “must see” if you ever visit Pasadena. More info HERE.

The Gamble House by Greene and Greene

We passed by what was once the Vista del Arroyo Hotel which overlooks the Arroyo in Pasadena. My mother said this is where she learned ballroom dancing. It now houses the Ninth District Court of Appeals.

Vista del Arroyo Hotel

I wanted to show my daughter the Millard House by Frank Lloyd Wright, and we were able to catch a small glimpse of the entryway. It is Mr. Wright’s first use of his textile block building system. If you want to see more photos click HERE. For more info click HERE. Architectural Digest had a great article on this house in their October 2007 issue HERE.

Frank Lloyd Wright Millard House

After the bigger iconic homes, we drove around looking at some of the other houses in Pasadena. Typical vernaculars range from the Arts and Crafts Bungalow, like this one:

An artist friend of my mother lived here, and I remember going to very artsy parties here.

Then there are the storybook-like “cottages” along the lines of the bungalow, but a little more English in feeling:

There are many Italianate style homes in Pasadena and versions of the same:

Many homes took parts of Federal, Italianate, Georgian and just mixed things up a bit.

We went by another Greene and Greene house on our little tour. This one was a few blocks from where I lived. Many a carpool drove down this street.

Greene and Greene House

One more I thought you might like is the “Father of the Bride” house. For a great article on movie, click on over to Hooked on Houses blog. There is a photo of the movie version of the house. It is exactly the same except for the much enhanced ivy on the house.

“Father of the Bride” House

Our trip was coming to and end, but first I wanted to take my daughter through downtown to show her City Hall.

Pasadena City Hall

Designed by John Blackwell Jr. and Arther Brown Jr., City Hall was built in 1927 after the Italian style of Palladio. It is considered one of the most distinctive public buildings in the United States. More info HERE.

Pasadena City Hall from the Courtyard

Directly across the street is the church where I family went. All Saints Episcopal Church has had it’s share of controversy over the years. That is part of what makes it so intersting and perhaps has contributed to it’s popularity. I will never forget the standing room only Christmas Midnight Masses we went to every year. Glorious.

I almost was married here, but my husband had no connection to Pasadena, so we got married HERE by the sea instead.

All Saints Episcopal Church

It is still lovely and serene.

And with that, we almost left town.

But I couldn’t leave without checking out the Pasadena Antique Center after seeing Christian’s post about it HERE. There was a lot to see there too!….so another post about that will be forthcoming. Thanks Christian!!

The drive back North in the middle of a Monday wasn’t too bad. More on Pasadena soon!

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