windows at bergdorf goodman

Not quite as spectacular as last years, but still pretty breathtaking.

© all photos by me

halston

If you have any interest in fashion, branding, the 1970's or Liza Minelli, you must watch Ultrasuede: In Search of Halston. 

philadelphia: magic gardens

One of my new coworkers suggested I visit the Magic Gardens, and for someone who doesn't know me that well, he hit it right on the money. The Magic Gardens are a creation of one man (still living) over the course of fourteen years. The closest comparison I can make is to the Watts Towers, which clearly served as inspiration since creator Isaiah Zagar added an ode to Simon Rodia (see below). Other than that, it's fairly hard to describe - this is one where the photos really do tell the story.

©all photos by me

aiga/ny 30

I stopped by AIGA/NY on my lunch break today to see their poster exhibit commemorating 30 years of the chapter. I can't find very many images online, so you'll just have to check it out in person.

taliesin: the site

One of the things that's hard to describe about Taliesin is the vastness of the landscape. The 600 acre site played an important role in the design of the home, providing inspiration for both where the buildings should be built and how they would appear in the landscape.

© all photos by me

taliesin: the house

Taliesin is the home that Frank Lloyd Wright built for himself and his mistress (if you've read Loving Frank, you are familier with the story) on land owned by his family in Spring Green, Wisconsin. We took a fascinating 4-hour tour that led through the house, as well as some of the other structures on the property. In addition to the living quarters, the house also contains a drafting studio, a chicken coop and stables (the latter has now been converted into living quarters) all with expansive views of the valley below. Again, this is a must if you find yourself in this part of the country!

Like the Hollyhock house, we weren't allowed to take photos inside, so this is my only shot of the interior:

© all photos by me.

house on the rock

If you follow me on Instagram, then you know that one of our weekend adventures was a visit to House on the Rock. Bear with me as I try to explain what this is...if you follow this blog regularly, then you already know that I am a fan of unconventional experiences, but House on the Rock might be the most unconventional yet.

The "house" is actually a complex of structures built and designed by Alex Jordan over the course of his lifetime. An avid collector and inventor, the complex features music machines, extensive and varied collections (from doll houses to scrimshaw to cash registers) and the world's largest indoor carousel. 

If it sounds confusing, that's because it is. It's also incredibly dark inside, making photos near impossible to shoot (hence the random assortment here). It's suggested to allow six hours for your visit. We were there for four, leaving only because the property was closing.

Nautical memorabilia:

Music machines:

World's largest carousel (valued at over $4.8 million!):

There is also a restaurant on site (please note the "brat" option):

It's a random place in a random location, but if you ever find yourself in that part of the world, don't hesitate for a second to visit. I guarantee that you've never seen anything like it!
© all photos by me

schiaparelli and prada

Trekked uptown to see this exhibit and you should do the same. Like, immediately.

Images from here.

the glass house: environs

In addition to the Glass House, there are 13 other structures on the 47-acre property (Johnson built a new structure roughly every ten years) including his library and study (above). There are also a few site specific installations, like the concrete structure by Donald Judd (below).

 Johnson also built the Brick House (below) to serve as a guest quarters and art gallery.

It soon turned out that the Brick House was too small to hold his entire art collection, so he added a separate bunker-like painting gallery (below) and sculpture gallery.

One of my favorite structures was the Ghost House, originally built to encase a collection of lilies. Now it fills with the local grasses until you can't even distinguish it from the surrounding landscape.

More photos here.
© all photos by me.

the glass house: interior

As I mentioned earlier, I thought the Glass House was pretty much perfectly proportioned for living. It didn't hurt that almost all the furniture was by Mies van ser Rohe either.

More photos here.

© all photos by me.