50 Strange (or are they??) Buildings of the World

"I like big architecture and I cannot lie, you other brothers can't deny..." Okay, those aren't really how the song lyrics to that song go, but I do love me some truly unique, insane looking buildings. Below are several of my favorite structures and lots more can be found by visiting the awesome site, Village of Joy.

Since you guys know Prague tugs at my heartstrings, it's where we board this crazy train...

Dancing Building, Prague, Czech Republic

Nautilus house, Mexico City, Mexico

Stone House, Guimarães, Portugal
I just love the landscape in this photograph.

Hole House, Texas
Hellooooo? Anyone order a large pepperoni pizza? Pizza? Pizza?? Pizza???

Let's get blobby with it, people. Speaking of blobs...I am pretty sure the interior of this dom-y domicile is decorated exactly like this. FYI, Erin, upon seeing the fabulous Mexican wrestler photos, I had a major epiphany regarding my bare dining room table wall. Thank You!

Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Spain

And last but not least, my favorite futuristic fantasy...Is this not the most bad-ass structure you've ever laid eyes on?? It's actually a media pavillion which was built for Swiss Expo 2002 and a detailed and very interesting article can be found here.

Blur Building, Yverdon-les-Bainz, Switzerland

Cool Austin - Austin's MCM Architecture

An exhibition of Mid–Century Modern Architecture in the Capital City

This exhibition, sponsored by AIA Austin, features fine examples of Austin's own Mid–Century Mod­ern structures, and keys off Birth of the Cool, now at the Blanton Museum of Art. Cool Austin includes architectural land­marks like the Municipal Audito­rium (now the Long Center) and Robert Mueller Air­port. It showcases familiar building typologies that were estab­lished in the 1950's—the motor court motel, schools, churches and progressive homes spanning the 40's, 50's and 60's.

The exhibition is comprised of historic drawings, period photo­graphs, models and plans. It illustrates how Austin's leading architects of the time interpreted the Modernist ideals of clean lines and blurred bound­aries between man and nature, interior and exterior space.

Click here to download a copy of the self–guided driving tour map of neighborhoods and individual projects that epit­omize Austin's mid-century modern archi­tecture.

MCM Mondays - Richard Neutra

To kick off House of Slappy's new 'MCM Mondays' posts, the featured Architect is the grand-daddy of the modernist movement, Richard Neutra! Born and educated in Europe, Richard Neutra introduced the International Style to America, and also introduced Los Angeles design to Europe. His firm designed many office buildings, churches, and cultural centers, but Richard Neutra is best known for his residential architecture.

Homes designed by Neutra combined Bauhaus modernism with Southern California building traditions. They were were dramatic, flat-surfaced industrialized-looking buildings placed into a carefully arranged landscape. Constructed with steel, glass, and reinforced concrete, they were typically finished in stucco.

Neutra designed the Kaufmann House in Palm Springs, California, in 1947, and it still stands as a prime example of modernist architecture.

The house was commissioned by Edgar Kaufmann, a department-store tycoon, who had hired Frank Lloyd Wright to build Fallingwater in Pennsylvania the decade before. After Kaufmann died in 1955, his Palm Springs house stood vacant for several years, but later had a series of famous owners including Barry Manilow.


The house was made famous by photographs taken by Julius Shulman (who will be featured in a post dedicated to his work in the future) such as these:

In 1992 it was purchased by Brent and Beth Harris for $1.5 million and they spent another $5 million painstakingly restoring the home to its original design. Neutra had died in 1970 and the original plans were unavailable, so the Harrises looked through the Neutra archives at UCLA and Columbia University and studied original, never-published photographs of the home’s interior taken by Shulman.

The couple divorced, however, and the home was sold at auction by Christie’s as part of a high-profile sale of contemporary art. Its auction at Christie’s in 2007 made international headlines. The auction house expected it to sell for upwards of $25 million, but in the end an anonymous bidder scooped it up for a cool $19 million.

According to Christie’s: Neutra’s Kaufmann House is one of the most important examples of modernist residential architecture in the Americas and remains singular as the most important example of mid-century modernist architecture in the Americas to remain in private hands. It sold for $16,841,000 - and the buyer exercised an option to buy the orchard, taking the total for the house to $19,025,000.

The Lovell House (1927-1929) created a sensation in architectural circles in both Europe and America. Stylistically, this important early work was similar to the work of Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe in Europe.


Later in his career, Neutra designed a series of elegant pavilion-style homes composed of layered horizontal planes. With extensive porches and patios, the homes appeared to merge with the surrounding landscape. The Kaufmann Desert House (1946-1947) and the Tremaine House (1947-48) are important examples of Neutra's pavilion houses.

Neutra's Tremaine House

New Business Card!

I picked up my new business cards yesterday evening. Needless to say, there is nothing more rewarding than having one of your goals come to fruition:

Spring Cleaning Week

It's Friday which means I've saved the best for last. This final tasty treat come courtesy of...you guessed it - Elle Decor September 2007 (I really didn't mean to post this entire week's pics from one magazine, but these truly are some of my favorite spreads.)

In an ode to 1950's modernism, these photos are dear to my heart because not only is this house completely cozy and inviting, it has all of the elements which will eventually comprise my dream home: mid-century modern ranch house, high stone walls, an enormous fireplace (yes, in Texas) and breathtaking views. And a rectangular swimming pool!

As much as I would like to claim this rural Connecticut house as my own, it actually belongs to Bruce Glickman and Wilson Henley, owners of this Tribeca mid-century inspired store. Built in 1954, the couple renovated the home from straight-up country theme replete with brick floors and walls of barn siding, channeled Richard Neutra to see what he would do and...voila!

This post is actually a happy accident because as of Monday, in an effort to educate myself on the most inspiring and successful mid-century modern architects, House of Slappy will be beginning a new series of posts entitled none other than...'Mid-Century Modern Mondays' and 'Furniture Fridays' featuring some of the best and classic furniture MCM has to offer. I know, I'm so zany.

Just look at that Robert Longo lithograph taunting me from afar...

A view of the Litchfield Hills; the poolhouse, deck, and pool date from the 1960s. Ahhhh, serenity now.

Spring Cleaning Week

Moving right along, we have here another modest (yeah, right) Manhattan abode of Brazilian fashion designer Carlos Miele featured in the October 2007 edition of Elle Decor. And when I say modest, I mean ginormous triplex.

According to Miele, all he wanted was a place to admire his two favorite things in the world - sky and water. You and me both, brother. And the floor-to-ceiling windows aren't too shabby either, to which he adds, "I love the idea of sunset on three floors". As do I, Carlos, as do I...


I'm in love with this dining area. The chartreuse chairs, the 1970's mid-century modern Albrizzi table mixed with the aqua blue? Fuggedaboutit.

Miele's study... is that a freakin' Noguchi coffee table I see and if so, why does it seems everyone has one but me?!? It's just like that whole babies and car phenomena...

Okay, this is this photo out of the entire spread which made my heart go boom, boom, boom, boom! Arctic blue colored rug adorned with vintage arm chairs...and I'm not sure why, but I would totally love that large silver pillar in my house. On the back wall is a piece titled Dancers, a collaborative piece by Miele and architect Hani Rashid. If anyone happens to come across a close-up of this on-line, please let me know!

No. More. Zebra. Rugs. Period. Stop. The. Madness.

Spring Cleaning Week

Next up for Spring Cleaning week is the 1845 Greek Revival townhouse of one of my fashion heroes, Cynthia Rowley, featured in the October 2008 spread in Elle Decor. Back in the day when I had grand plans to take over the fashion world, I always looked up to Rowley for her beautiful, feminine and very fun designs. These photos of her home truly reflect the aesthetic of hers I fell in love with years ago - traditional yet modern, utilitarian yet artistic, solid yet whimsical.

The woman can do no wrong in my book, she even designed this beautiful metallic wallpaper.

Rowley and her husband's daughter Gigi...even her name is too cute.

I'm a serious sucker for swimming pools. Not only do I just love this picture, I'm drooling over those mid-century chaise lounges with pretty floral fabric.

How gorgeous is this room?! And that amazing bar cart?

Of course Rowley designed this wallpaper, too...

And what kid's bunk beds don't have a Takashi Murakami art piece hanging on the wall? Come on you slacker parents, step up your game.

A serious art collector, Rowley's collection includes pieces by artists such as Rachel Feinstein, Tom Sachs, Richard Prince, Will Cotton, Christopher Wool, and Elizabeth Peyton.

If I was resourceful right now I would totally Photoshop mine and my husbands heads onto this picture. I've also been contemplating which colors to decorate the bedroom with and right now rich deep purple and blue are lookin' really good right about now.

Spring Cleaning Week

I've recently (as of 10 minutes ago) decided the rest of this week is going to be 'Spring Cleaning Week' here at House of Slappy. I have oodles of coolness and/or covetable interiors stashed away in a lone manilla folder which has been screaming for attention since I've started my humble little blog. That being said, it's not going to be a week chalk full of brand-spanking new design porn, people. Trust me....it will be good stuff, so just sit back in your Eames recliner and enjoy.

First up we have one of my favorite (I'm afraid I'm going to use 'favorite' very loosely this week) spreads from the October 2008 edition of Metropolitan Home featuring an incredible home in the Hampton's decorated by designer Shamir Shah and built by architects by Shigeru Ban and Dean Maltz.

A long hallway parallel to the pool connects the living room and master bedroom wings. Perfection.

One canopy serves as a carport...

...and the other canopy shelters outdoor seating.

How lovely are those two Papa Bear chairs by Hans Wegner?

Can we just talk about this adorable dining area for a minute here? The neutral colors, the custom screen, the proximity towards the sliding glass door (which I'm sure opens to the pool area) all of which = LOVE! However, as much as I love it, let's not even talk about how one is supposed to dust that chandelier.

..and here we have the 'media room'. Media room? I don't see a 50" flat panel anywhere...

So this is what an actual gym room looks like...

The Master Suite...