Archive for the ‘Venice’ Category
The Dennis Hopper Collection
Last summer Take Sunset wrote about the Dennis Hopper Compound in Venice. The incredibly massive property includes 5 separate parcels: a main house designed by Brian Murphy, AIA, and 3 two-story condominiums designed by the legendary architect Frank Gehry. It’s still on the market and has undergone a price drop from $6.245 to $5.8. And now a number of the late actor’s important pieces of art, memorabilia, furniture, and decorative objects are being offered at Christie’s in New York, Jan. 11 – 12.
A Warhol portrait of Mao punctured by two bullet holes, a script from the film Easy Rider with handwritten notes, and an inscribed portrait of Dennis Hopper by Helmut Newton are just some of the nearly 300 items Christie’s will offer. Other artists included in the sale are Marcel Duchamp, Gerhard Richter, Annie Leibovitz, Kenny Scharf, and Wallace Berman. Estimates range from $200 for movie posters of Hopper’s own films to $40,000 for a one-plate, signed, limited-edition silkscreen of Marilyn Monroe by Warhol.
Also up for sale, a Bubbles Chaise Longue by Frank Gehry, which is expected to go between $3,000 – $5,000. The total selection of items in the January sale is expected to achieve more than $1 million. A public preview of the collection opens Saturday, January 8 and runs through January 12.
Interview With Urbanic Paper Boutique’s Audrey Woollen
When Rob and I were planning our wedding, I made him drive from Silver Lake to Venice on a Saturday afternoon to check out the invitations at Urbanic Paper Boutique based on the amazing things I’d heard about Audrey Woollen’s shop. I was already a fan of her blog Parcel Post, and Urbanic totally lived up to my expectations. The shop is super cute and carries really great cards, papers, gifts items, and stationary. I could barely contain myself from going card buying spree, but we were there on a serious mission: wedding invitations. Audrey helped us through the entire process, making it extremely simple and orderly. She even pulled through at the very last minute, when I realized I’d forgot to have the escort cards calligraphed. (I know, major wedding drama.) Our entire experience with Urbanic was top notch, and we got tons of raves on our invitations. (You can get a sense of the bright theme from the picture of our menu above, shot by our photographer, Bonnie Tsang. She was also awesome!) Audrey agreed to do a little interview even though she’s in the midst of numerous events, moving, running her business, and due to have a baby any day! Check out our chat…
Take Sunset: I know you’re originally from the East Coast. Why did you decide to move to LA and what was that transition like?
Audrey Woollen: I moved out here after my husband and I became engaged. We were dating long distance, and he was already living in Los Angeles, so he pretty much let me pick where I wanted to live. The transition was tough! I’m a true East Coaster (it’s in my blood). I was born and raised in the city, so moving to LA felt like moving to a different country. It took me a long time to adjust and to start feeling comfortable here. Venice was my top choice when I moved to California, because I loved the creative, community feel of the neighborhood. There is lots to love about living here now, but admit I do miss the seasons.
TS: And how did you decide to open Urbanic Paper Boutique in Venice?
Woollen: My husband and I both loved how alternative and eclectic Abbot Kinney was, even before it became anything. The two of us always knew and believed it would sprout, so we were eying it for years, just waiting for the right time.
TS: Can you talk a bit about your clientele and the kind of atmosphere you want to create at Urbanic?
Woollen: We have an amazing group of customers. Our clientele is definitely one of the best parts of having a shop where we do; there really is never a dull moment.Urbanic attracts a creative and style-minded type of person, so we have many architects, actors, designers, stylists, advertisers, bloggers, and design enthusiasts of all sorts who shop here. The atmosphere we created was meant to feel boutique-y, curated, and specialized. We wanted it to be a place to find well-designed and rare stationery, as well as cool unique gifts and treasures. The vision for the bridal lounge was a cozy and refined parlor of inspiration for couples who care about all the details of their wedding day, a place to unwind and enjoy the experience of the process, instead of just another to-do.
TS: What are some of the pros and cons of owning a business in Venice?
Woollen: The pros are that the amazing neighborhood brings customers who totally get our vision and aesthetic. The cons are that the parking is tough, rents are high, and we’ve been vandalized a few times.
TS: What are some of your favorite things to do in Venice?
Woollen: I love going on family bike rides and morning strolls through all the little neighborhoods. Venice has amazing architecture, and there is always something new being built. Gjelina is hands down my favorite restaurant. A few other places I love in our area are Tortoise General Store, Colcha, Intelligentsia, Lemonade, Jin Patisserie, and our local farmers market.
TS: And lastly, anything new coming up at Urbanic that you’d like to tell Take Sunset’s readers about? Perhaps plans to open up a shop in Silver Lake? I’d love that!
Woollen: I would seriously love to open a shop in Silver Lake. It is something we’ve considered, and if we weren’t living in Venice, we’d probably be there now. We’ll see. You never know. As for immediate plans, we are working on a Holiday event scheduled for December 2nd at the Urbanic. Special guests Snow and Graham will be flying in from Chicago to host a project-social. We’ll be using scraps from their adorable wraps to make festive, stylish holiday garlands for decorating. There will be cupcakes, hot chocolate, and many other special features throughout the night. The details will be posted on our blog and website closer to the event.
TS: We’ll be sure to keep an eye on that! And thanks so much for doing this interview, Audrey.
Urbanic Paper Boutique
1644 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
Venice, CA 90291
(310) 401-0427
Open: Monday-Saturday 10 am-7 pm, Sunday 10 am-6 pm
Dennis Hopper Compound In Venice
330 Indiana Avenue
Venice, CA 90291
8 BR, 7 BA
$6,245,000 $5,800,000
Newly on the market, The Dennis Hopper Compound is a once in a lifetime opportunity to purchase 5 separate parcels totaling approximately 15,500 square feet, including a 4,800 square foot main house designed by Brian Murphy, AIA, and 3 two-story condominiums designed by the legendary architect Frank Gehry.
This spectacular property offers unlimited possibilities for a creative live/work space in the best possible Venice location–close to both Abbot Kinney and Main Street.
1104 Nowita Place In Venice
1104 Nowita Place
Venice, CA 90291
3 BR, 2.5 BA
$1,440,000
This unique 2,257 square foot home is nestles away in a quiet pocket of Venice, on a narrow tree lined street. It was built in 1922 and features an original craftsman shell with a redefined architectural steel and glass form blended to the rear of the home, which creates two distinct faces. A modern-craftsman hybrid, this home seamlessly blends old and new, and provides both traditional function and flexible spaces.
The residence’s smart design offers maximum light and airflow. It provides warm and comfortable living space throughout. The original craftsman is two bedrooms and two baths, while the modern addition consists of a gallery room that bridges the two structures and a breathtaking second story master suite.
325 Brooks Avenue In Venice
325 Brooks Avenue
Venice, CA 90291
2 BR, 2 BA
$1,375,000
This bright and cheerful California craftsman in Venice is just a short trip from Abbot Kinney and the beach. It has been carefully remodeled and features soaring ceilings and plenty of skylights.
The 1,896 square foot home has beautiful Spanish tiles and hardwood floors and there is a contemporary addition for added space, as well as a large detached 4-car garage–part of which can be converted into a studio.
2315 Ocean Front In Venice
2315 Ocean Front
Venice, CA 90291
3 BR, 3 BA
$4,050,000
‘The Venice House’ is an architectural gem designed by Antoine Predock and is known for its infinity waterfall front and oversized red pivoting window. The 3,356 square foot home with rooftop deck is the ideal spot for luxury beach living and entertaining. The interior space opens directly to spectacular ocean views and breezes.
The house also provides 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, a den and a bonus room, a 6-car garage, central vacuum system, and security.
Interview With Kristin Kilmer Design
Kristin Kilmer of Kristin Kilmer Design, Inc. has been the interior designer of some of the most architecturally significant homes in Los Angeles, including John Lautner’s Wolff House and Stevens House, R.M. Schindler’s How House, and Ray Kappe’s Canna Road House. Kilmer combines the theories and practices of the mid-century masters with the current materials of today to create her “Eco Modern Luxury” approach to design. Her company uses the fundamental green values, demonstrating that design can be both sustainable and luxurious. Kilmer took a few moments out of her busy schedule to talk to Take Sunset about how she started working with mid-century masterpieces, how she gets into the mind of Schindler and Lautner, and what she’s doing in Grey’s Anatomy’s Sara Ramirez’s bathroom in Echo Park…
Take Sunset: How did you start working with architecturally significant homes in Los Angeles?
Kristin Kilmer: It was a bit of a fluke actually. I’d just returned from studying interior architecture at the Instituto Europea di Design in Madrid and was working at Design Within Reach, where I generated private clients while still being one of the top sales people. Michael LaFetra walked in on a Sunday afternoon and we immediately hit it off. He asked me to help him with his Ray Kappe house for the upcoming architectural tour. We had such a synergy that within a week, he asked me to design the Schindler How House as well. My last day of work, in walked Richard Baker, who owned a mid-century in Los Feliz, and he hired me as well. Talk about beginner’s luck!
Take Sunset: What are the biggest challenges when working on these homes?
Kilmer: Each one is really like a “Master Thesis” in the sense that it is important to really get inside the heads of the architects–to study and know their methodologies, history, ideology, and what made them innovative during their time period. Each one broke boundaries in architecture during their time and executed what their peers deemed impossible. Schindler built on concrete and invented a new way of framing, Launter defied gravity in ways never before thought possible… Moreover, it’s fundamental to respect the architectural integrity of the home and not just stick a Barcelona chair in the space and call it a day.
For the Schindler house, I kept everything on his 16” module while keeping his table low–just like he insisted upon during those days. I recreated a lot of his lines and architectural features as well. For example, he used a specific drip strip molding in between the windowpanes, which inspired the edge of the dining room tabletop. For the lighting downstairs, I maintained his lines as well, but asked myself, “what would he do if he were alive today?” From there, I created a more contemporary look with the lighting pieces.
For the Lautner Wolff House, I incorporated vintage, natural pieces that juxtaposed with the exterior, but also with all of the interior stone. I followed the curves and angles by adding mid-century curvilinear furniture, but I also updated the home with some contemporary sustainable pieces that integrated perfectly, such as swivel chairs incorporated with cork fabric. The sofa followed the exact same lines and the spiral staircase and a cantilevered bookshelf emphasized the steps that jetted out from the stone in the same fashion–a genius way of engineering. I really put a lot of thought into my designs. The planning and conceptual phase is fundamental. I always say, Good design takes time!
Take Sunset: What is the most memorable project that you’ve worked on? Read more…
Venice Garden & Home Tour
The annual self-guided walking tour of Venice homes and gardens takes place on May 1st this year from 10am to 5pm. With 25-30 homes and gardens on display, this is a great opportunity to see how homeowners in this creative community create peace and beauty in their carefully tended gardens hidden away from city life.
The event is a fundraiser that benefits the Neighborhood Youth Association’s Las Doradas Children’s Center in Venice. This is the one day of the year that dozens of private gardens are open to the public and if you’re like me and you’ve always wanted to peek over the fence while walking around Venice, you’ll want to be sure to check it out!
For more info visit their official web site.
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Copyright 2009 Take Sunset. Designed by Curt Ziegler.
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