LUKAS MACHNIK DESIGN BLOG

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“The pieces at MOCA have become more sculptural and less definably furniture than before. For a museum show, it’s kind of like a runway show. Do we really need to see the functional stuff on a runway show, or do we need to see the story?“

LMD/studio designer Rick Owens on his and Michele Lamy’s show at MOCA Los Angeles

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Phoebe Knapp’s Gate frames the landscape whilst simultaneously becoming it. Visit lmd-studio.com to view more works by the artist. 

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Magnasoma Monolith

Tim Jarvis

Magnasoma: Monolith II

Original taken by James Cambourne

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Mosquées sahéliennes

Sudano-Sahelian Architecture

Indigenous architectural style common to Islamized West Africa

Dogon Country, Mali

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IMPACT: Tadao Ando

Tadao Ando

Cement Abstractions

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IMPACT: Carlo Scarpa

Carlo Scarpa

Landscape Interventions

Location & Dates Unknown, Italy

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IMPACT: Carlo Scarpa

Carlo Scarpa

Entrance to the chapel of the Brion Tomb

Brion Cemetery, San Vito d'Altivole, Italy (1969-1978)

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PANORAMA: Design In Context

AMERICAN DREAM BUILDERS EPISODE 107: COLONIAL DUPLEX

Editors: Lukas Machnik + André Carlos Lenox Photography: NBCUniversal, Inc. + Lukas Machnik Design Digital Retouching: Lukas Machnik Design

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – The field of original designers has been cut in half – with only six competitors remaining, the strenuous race against the clock begins to fray friendships, nerves and the will to survive. This week, Jay, Elaine, Lukas, Dann, Nina and Darren reimagine and renovate a pair of adjoining duplexes in the colonial style. Home to an extended family, this duplex is comprised of two side-by-side, mirror-image units – not only are these households architecturally identical, they ironically possess the same maintenance issues, and are in need of more than a little tender loving care.

After greeting the contestants, Nate surprises them by reshuffling the teams – Team Red now consists of Lukas, Darren and Elaine, while Jay, Dann and Nina make up Team Blue. The teams head to a Los Angeles neighborhood to examine the duplex, and then reconvene in their tents to strategize, as well as learn more about the homeowners. The contestants watch a compassionate video of the family members, and learn that the patriarch of the family is confined to a wheelchair. We see agonizing footage of the grown son pulling his elderly father up a set of stairs to a bedroom. Moreover – while the duplex's "bones" are solid, the walls and counters are worse for wear, and most rooms need major updating. In particular, both teams are charged with creating a "dream bathroom," and receiving full-access to materials from Lowe’s bath department.

AMERICAN COLONIAL ARCHITECTURE – The standard Colonial design, with a symmetrical front -- central door, centeral chimney, two windows on either side, and five windows across the second floor -- remains the most popular architectural plan in the United States today.

Comprised of several design styles associated with the European colonization of the Americas, colonial design remains the most popular architectural plan in the United States to this day. Although many countries had staked a claim in the uncharted territory of the Americas, not all colonization programs were strong enough to withstand the fierce competition for land. Ultimately, four domestic architectural styles prevailed during the colonial period in what would become the United States: French Colonial, Spanish Colonial, Dutch Colonial, and Colonial Georgian. Although these sub-styles are very regional and distinct, they possess several mutual characteristics that have influenced our modern conception of the colonial home.

FIRST PERIOD architecture (1626-1735) – Considered to be late-medieval, these wooden homes were influenced by techniques and styles found in southeastern England. Typical characteristics: a steeply pitch roof, semi-asymmetrical plan, central chimney, exposed chamfered frame in the interior, and diamond-paned casement windows.

The succeeding colonial period is dominated by Georgian architecture –  a family of design styles eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover. Unlike earlier styles which disseminated through the apprenticeship system, the Georgian style gained acclamation through the use of intaglio methods of printmaking, such as engraving and etching. Georgian residencies were typically constructed in brick, with wood trim, wooden columns, and a coat of white paint. In the British colonies, however, the COLONIAL GEORGIAN could additionally be built of wood with clapboards, possessed multiple chimneys, and was often painted in a pale yellow.

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PANORAMA: Design In Context

AMERICAN DREAM BUILDERS EPISODE 106: CALIFORNIA CRAFTSMAN

Editors: Lukas Machnik + André Carlos Lenox Photography Courtesy of NBCUniversal Media, LLC + LMID Group Digital Retouching: Lukas Machnik Interior Design Group

GLENDORA, CALIFORNIA – This week the #DreamBuilders reassemble into their original teams: Lukas, Dann, and Erinn on Team Red; Darren, Elaine, Jay and Nina on Team Blue. In the past five weeks, these top designers have renovated 12 homes – with five more weeks until the finale, the competition is heating up. Tonight, the teams are presented with yet another iconic California home: The Craftsman Style. In addition to each renovating a historic Craftsman, the designers are faced with the task of creating functional work environments in their homes.

The Craftsman Style home – also known as the Craftsman bungalow, or California bungalow – is perhaps the most iconic image of Southern California architecture. The stylistic origins of the Craftsman are closely associated with the works of two master architects – brothers Charles Sumner Greene & Henry Mather Greene. Heavily influenced by the English Arts and Crafts Movement and Japanese woodworking techniques, the Greene Brothers expressed the honest use of building material, incorporating exposed structural components in favor of unnecessary decoration. Like many of its forefathers, the Craftsman was created in harmony with its surrounding landscape – in this case, it was one of unexplored subtropical valleys full of new wealth, upward social mobility, and vast potential.

After the Gold Rush, the “California Dream” was not merely one of riches and fame – it was a dream of private homeownership. At the time, the concept of homeownership was foreign and abstract for most, so it was only fitting that the homes themselves be equally exotic. During the British Raj, officers were introduced to Hindi bangalas – Used elliptically for a “house in the Bengali style,” bangalas were thatched roof cottages with verandas and low, heavily overhung roofs. In Indiana and Pakistani city living, “bangala” refers to any single-family unit, and its ownership is a highly significant status symbol. British officers brought this Indo-Aryan architecture to England and adapted it to build summer retreats known as bungalows. The bungalow style emigrated across the Atlantic during the mass migration to California, and experienced a heyday in the early 1900s. With their low, extended roofs and shaded porches, Craftsman bungalows were particularly suited to warm climates, and were the ideal architectural style for California’s new suburban middle class.

STYLE GUIDE – TEAM RED: The homeowner is a chef and cookbook connoisseur who desperately needs a chef’s kitchen, and a place to wright her new recipes. Upon first walk-through, the designers discover that the existing kitchen is a nightmare, and recognize the amount of work that will need to take place – especially in order to transform this residence into a functional work-from-home environment, while retaining a hint of Craftsman aesthetics and charm for visual impact.

Like most bungalows, this home is on the smaller side, and feels very compartamentalized. The first thing we decide to do is change the interior architecture layout, build a new addition, and recapture the home’s Craftsman architectural details. Main changes to the interior layout – transform the existing living room in to a formal sitting room, and convert the dining room into a family room. Lukas then transforms the kitchen into a new dining room with a large butler’s pantry, and relocated the kitchen to a new addition on the back of the house. Due to limited kitchen storage for the homeowner/chef, the team considered how Martha Stewart might allocate space – with Martha on their minds, Team Red installed French doors so that the kitchen can expand onto the back deck.

Multiple ares of the home’s atmosphere is prepared for entertainment – Most notably with Lukas’s interpretation of Craftsman style: dining room with a large slab walnut table, and a second table on the deck. Outdoor living room beautifully balances the kitchen and deck with the the interior sitting and family rooms. All walls in main areas have 3/4 high wall paneling that would traditionally be dark – but Team Red painted them light cream and light gray; a new take on the Craftsman style. Overall color palette is soft and muted, very natural and organic – creams, grays, pale blues and pale sage. Team Red’s attention to detail was extremely high – a mix of styles that normally would normally clash end-up complimenting each other very well, and create a complex story that is tight-knit with monochromatic colors. Take this as a perfect example of how you can mix-and-match style, yet retain a cohesive atmosphere within all interior and exterior spaces.

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PANORAMA: Design In Context

AMERICAN DREAM BUILDERS EPISODE 105: MODULAR MAKEOVERS

Editors: Lukas Machnik + André Carlos Lenox Contributing Designers: Lukas, Elaine, Nina, Vanessa Photography Courtesy of NBCUniversal Media, LLC Digital Retouching: André Carlos Lenox, LMID Group

This week on Dream Builders, our teams of top designers encounter their biggest challenge yet: they are faced with newly assembled modular homes! Bare-to-the-bone, these homes are blank canvases, so to speak. Splitting into teams of two, the designers race against the clock to turn four identical modulars into upscale homes… In merely three days time! Only one team can win immunity and a coveted spread in Better Homes & Gardens Magazine.

Modular homes are factory-built and come with a more approachable price tag than traditional homes built on-site. For this reason, they're increasing in popularity amongst home buyers.  This week, the much-feared neighborhood council is joined by the editor in chief and contributing editors of Better Homes & Gardens.  They alone hold the power to choose the winning team, who not only is safe from elimination, but receives a spread featuring their home in Better Homes & Gardens.

LUKAS + ERINN Text by Lukas Machnik

For this week’s challenge, we wanted to create the antithesis of modularity. While extremely affordable and customizable, Modular homes often lack character – the components are manufactured and assembled off-site, and can therefore disregard their surrounding environment. In response, I injected decades of history into our home – unique furnishings from various design movements have been passed-down through generations; recycled cork board floors agglomerate time, feeling worn and lived-in with each passing step; as you nestle-up on the cozy shag rug, you daydream about it’s obscure place of origin, and when and where it was procured. Upon waking up, your eyes adjust to a brilliant daylight glow, and slowly recognize the kitchen’s warmth and familiar scent. It has a contemporary-yet-timeless essence – like a white cube gallery, the kitchen’s elements are immediately visible: flatware, cooking utensils, and ingredients are put on display as if they are always in use (and as if company is expected).

Modulars are often associated with mobile homes, and are viewed as transitory and ephemeral. However, in the domain of human perception, the whole is other than the sum of its parts – although its parts were formerly interchangeable, a modular is first and foremost a permanent residence, a nest in which to dwell. I really wanted to infuse life and permanence into my modular, and decided it needed a unique element that would last throughout generations to come. My solution was a daybed – a marriage between the aesthetics of Better Homes and Gardens, my personal furniture practice, and iconic Bauhaus figures such as Walter Gropius and Mies van der Rohe. As you bathe in the sun and gaze out the window, you imagine the house’s concrete foundation settling anywhere from the Highlands to a sandy dune surrounded by beachgrass. Your eyes suddenly stumble upon a lush green bed with roots planted firmly into the ground – and you realize that this home, no matter where she may land, is here to stay.

DARREN + ELAINE Text by Elaine Griffon

When I walked into our modular home, I had a Major Beach Moment -- the lightness and airiness really made it  feel like I was in a charming beach shack.  I wanted it fun, fresh and feminine, too, with a traditional twist -- hence the Malibu Beach Shack Goes to the Upper East Side to Visit Her Vassar Cousin style concept!

The kitchen area overwhelmed the unit's front space, so Darren and I removed the cabinetry that intruded into the living area, which let the living area dominate, space-wise.  No other team thought of doing that and it made all the difference in the world.  Once the cabinets were gone, the living room part of the space breathed again.

I hung our curtains at the ceiling line, which was a generous 9'-0" (the butterfly ceiling dipped in the center), and extended them a full foot past either side of the window trim, which created the visual effect of ginormous windows and added character to the room.

The middle space became our dining area, and Darren built a custom shoji screen-style divider to help visually delineate the bedroom, so that room truly felt separate from the rest of the house.  I stationed a desk in the bedroom so the room truly multi-tasks.

P.S. -- The modular home was my most favorite build on the show, thus far!

JAY + NINA Text by Nina Magon

As I walked into the modular, all I saw was a white box for me to do something visionary with. My vision was to take a completely different approach to a modular home and design a space that was grandeur and had unbelievable elegance and grace, hence the name of our modular “Park Place Modular Luxury”. 

My initial reaction that I shared with Jay was to add moldings on the walls (which is generally not seen in modular homes) and paint the wall a tone on tone luxurious gray color so not to make the moldings to obvious.  I wanted to contrast the walls with a dark floor to increase the sex appeal of the space.

I, to this day, still disagree with the judges on the furniture placement in our modular. For a future television, the sofa needed to be placed in the direction of the wall or there would be no place to watch television in a comfortable position. Even our breakfast area was placed so that all the seating faces away from the bathroom door, which I believe was genius.

I absolutely, LOVED working on even playing field against the other designers on this build, and think that Jay and I knocked this design out of the park!

DANN + VANESSA Text by Vanessa Deleon

When we found out that the Better Homes & Gardens viewer would be judging, Dann and I decided to go simple-easy – more of a DIY type home. The concern I had in the back of my mind was if we go to simple, do we not stand out? Dann and I worked on every part of the house together – as a team we decided to create an office in the hallway area, which really broke-up the space in an interesting way.

I really wanted to bring a bold statement with the wallpaper, so I coordinated the colors of the kitchen cabinet, countertop, and office wallpaper, and came up with this brilliant way to create depth with the grass cloth: I cut the cloth into squares, and rotated every-other square so that the cloth’s texture would alternate directions (horizontal and vertical lines). The wallpaper created a lot of interest and a great focal point.  Since Dann won the last challenge, he felt adamant about shopping. While dann was gone I worked on the exterior landscaping, exterior design and built the dining room table.  We had very little budget and very little time.  When Dann came back from shopping, the most interesting pieces were the easel, desk and a living room chair that I had selected online.  A modular home can easily feel cluttered, and there wasn’t enough room for an easel, painting, and a flat screen – so I thought of using the easel as a TV stand!

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PANORAMA: DESIGN IN CONTEXT

AMERICAN DREAM BUILDERS EPISODE 104: CABIN FEVER

Text by Lukas Machnik Interior Design Editors: Lukas Machnik + André Carlos Lenox Photography Courtesy of NBCUniversal Media, LLC Digital Retouching: André Carlos Lenox, LMID Group

STYLE GUIDE – TEAM BLUE – Daren Morre “EcoMacGyver” had a big challenge ahead for himself and his team, home owner the team was renovating for has ADA needs and the cabin had to meet those requirements in addition to creating a cozy retreat.  

Kitchen was the first focus on EcoMacGyver’s list – he reconfigured the entire design, lowering the cook top and sink making the kitchen more accessible and functional. To spice-up the kitchen, Darren added a custom back-splash. For more on Darren’s ADA cabin kitchen, stay tuned for panorama-104-ada-kitchen

The rest of the cabin got an ADA treatment as well – the Master bedroom got a major overhaul, all the furnishings placed with wheelchair access and clearance, and new ramps were added to make it much easier for the homeowner to get in and out.

Jay took on the exterior and transformed what once was once a sandbox with a tin roof into a true cottage, adding an outdoor gazebo which can be easily transformed into a screened-in porch. Self proclaimed “Jay the general”  made the homes exterior  so much more appealing and inviting. Jay didn’t stop there – a massive fire pit and pavers  created a gathering spot for the family and friends (all from Lowes - make an easy weekend warrior project ). Un expected color choice – gray made total sense, and updated the exterior façade – a new color can dramatically change a space and is the lease expensive transformation. Over all, the outside was a true camping excursion in the woods.

Venturing in to the interior the team decided to go with a more eclectic esthetic bringing in charm and a hint of glam in to the cottage. Nina and Andrew worked very well putting those looks together.  Nina’s dining room featured a large tree branch as an architectural statement, those accents can be very powerful and easily achieved. Bold mix of pattern, French style chairs and modern accents make the space feel current and far from Grand Mo’s cottage.

In the bedrooms Both Elaine and Andrew created a posh but still relaxed fell, bringing a little bit of the city to the woods. Andrew’s bedroom has elegance, his attention to details is very clear. Each object, furniture piece, and fabric chose play a big role in an overall design that is very successfully executed. Andrew is a master in mixing-and-matching styles, and making them into his own signature that is undeniably chic and elegant.

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PANORAMA: Design In Context

AMERICAN DREAM BUILDERS EPISODE 104: CABIN FEVER

Text by Lukas Machnik Interior Design Editors: Lukas Machnik + André Carlos Lenox Photography Courtesy of NBCUniversal Media, LLC Digital Retouching: André Carlos Lenox, LMID Group

BIG BEAR, CALIFORNIA – This week American Dream Builders venture deep into the woods of Big Bear Mountain.  Not only are Designers challenged with the renovation of two cabins, but they additionally have to rely on their creative skills and natural resources. A major curve-ball was thrown when the designers found themselves with limited supply stores in the wilderness! Driving through rivers and forests, both teams’ endurance was tested by cold weather, rain, snow, and bears lurking behind the trees!

Log Cabin is a big part of American culture – even if you haven’t been on a cabin retreat, you can still smell the pine needles, and hear the crackling of ambers in a huge fire pit, with family gathered around the flames sharing campfire stories and memories. The traditional feel of a cabin is very rustic and organic, furniture and design elements typically based on one’s surroundings. Both teams successfully created a cozy and relaxing atmosphere. Ultimately, you will begin to notice signature designs and looks.

This weeks team captains were Dan Folley from #TeamRED – who batteled mice behind kitchen cabinetry, among other wild visitors. Darren Moor (EcoMagayver) took the lead on #TeamBLUE – her adventurous camping spirit lifted spirits and united her team.

STYLE GUIDE – TEAM RED – Classic details and architecture was the main direction for the Designers, keeping the essence and feel of the log cabin, preserving the integrity and adding modern touches that felt very organic while updating the function and esthetic to modern times.  “We are not going to be designing a modern cabin, but it’s a cabin for modern living,” says Lukas.

Kitchen was the first example, of how modern meet the cabin esthetic - clean lines on the cabinetry with minimalist sile stone countertops, juxtaposing the log walls keeping some of the existing cabinets and adding floating shelves. The original stove was the star of that space, mixing new with the modern giving a fresh updated family style kitchen designed by Lukas Machnik. For more on the Cabin kitchen go to panorama-104-rustic-kitchen 

In the living and dining rooms, the log details and beams were accentuated with lots of hidden lighting that brightened up the space. Spotlights, floor lamps, wall sconces, and track lighting on top of the beams (all from Lowes) turned this dark space around. Tip – consider highlighting objects and architectural detail, rather than illuminating the entire space. Vanessa and Erin designed these spaces with nostalgic feel in mind, making them feel as if they always were as they are now. 

The bedroom Cabins turned in to cozy sanctuaries, all very small but with one big design style in mind that was effort less and organic. Erin V, Dann Foley, and Vanessa Deleon kept the same design thought throughout all the bedrooms, giving them a very cohesive look. Think Ralph Lauren in the woods, plaids, all shades of deep green, found objects and re purposed antique furniture.

Lastly the front porch was transformed in to additional sitting room that in total only cost $400.00 – the tree branch chandelier, wood stomp stools and custom-made sofa with out door cushions from Lowes all made by Lukas. At the end this space is chic and relaxing, inviting the family and guests in to a cozy evening summer retreat. The team took inspiration from nature using resources found in the woods as their main inspiration – and in the end, they achieved a cohesive environment that still retained the soul of a 100-year-old cabin (with a modern twist).

Stay tuned for Team Blue's cabin photos + style guide...

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PANORAMA: DESIGN IN CONTEXT

AMERICAN DREAM BUILDERS EPISODE 103 (DETAILS) – SPANISH GARDENS

Text by Lukas Machnik Editors: Lukas Machnik + André Carlos Lenox Photography Courtesy of NBCUniversal Media, LLC Digital Retouching: André Carlos Lenox, LMID Group

For this challenge, I had the opportunity to embellish the whimsical outdoor space of this revival home. Although much smaller than the traditional villa, the Spanish Mediterranean home remains true to the concept of free circulation: open stucco walls provide mobility throughout the interior, and the outdoors become an extended living space. The interior courtyard, being the most iconic architectural embodiment of this comfortable lifestyle, becomes the axis point of all activity throughout the home. A rustic door in a monumental wall of Cyprus trees opens into a tranquil courtyard, with a luminous gravel pathway that leads behind the house to a luscious garden.

I started by thinking of the outdoor spaces as interior rooms – the function and feel were at the top on my list.  The heavy carved door on the front exterior walls transforms the visitors in to a tranquil and silent secret garden. The hidden front courtyard separates this home from the busy street – by having a wall and a solid door, the space becomes private and secure. The home owners can now open the two sets of French doors – one from the dining room and the other from the living room – to discover a fountain and lush garden awaiting them outside. The living room now visually expands to the courtyard, and feels private as well as magical. For me it was not about perfect manicured landscape, it was about lush trees, mismatched vintage clay pots with olive and citrus trees. The ground was covered with white gravel, and the fountain was the centerpiece. Vanessa DeLeon and I build that fountain with our own two hands; it’s a weekend project but well worth it! All the materials for the fountain came from Lowes – truthfully, it’s very easy to make.

Moving to the back garden – I decided to keep a lot of the original charm of the property, but enhance the lush atmosphere by adding more trees and plants. The large tree in the back became the ceiling for the outdoor dining room, adorn with a collection of Moroccan lanterns and yet another table I built. This table is very much different from my other designs – I wanted to make an old farm table and this was the result.

Table: I wet to Lowes for all my materials, using large 8’’ by 12’ wood boards as the table top, and banister newels as legs – and voila: I had a country style table! Its all about thinking outside of the box and discovering new ways you can repurpose common building materials. 

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PANORAMA: Design in Context

AMERICAN DREAM BUILDERS EPISODE 103: SPANISH STYLE

Text by Lukas Machnik Interior Design Editors: Lukas Machnik + André Carlos Lenox Photography Courtesy of NBCUniversal Media, LLC Digital Retouching: André Carlos Lenox, LMID Group

North Hollywood, California –– This week, Designers tackle a renovation of two Spanish Mediterranean homes. The main challenge is to create homes that are perfect for a combination of indoor/outdoor entertaining, and most importantly, to make the homeowners proud of their dwellings.

Remaining on their respective teams, the contestants become more acquainted with their teammates, and become increasingly more familiar with each other’s design practices. Tension rises as Designers race against the clock, eager with anticipation to see whose work stands above the rest.

Spanish Mediterranean Revival is an architectural stylistic movement introduced in the United States at the end of the 19th century. Incorporating design elements from a vast array of architectural styles, Spanish Mediterranean references such movements as Spanish Renaissance, Italian Renaissance, Venetian Gothic, Spanish Colonial, and Beaux-Arts. Early Modernism witnessed revival-after-revival of architectural styles, and many of which revivals were of revivals themselves – most notably, Neoclassicism. In the Spanish Mediterranean home, diverse styles collide, and centuries of architectural history collapse into the present.

Spanish Mediterranean Revivalism peaked during the 1920s, drawing heavily on the luxurious palaces and seaside villas. Although much smaller than the traditional villa, modern renditions remain true to the concept of free circulation: open stucco walls provide mobility throughout the interior, and the outdoors become an extended living space. The interior courtyard, being the most iconic architectural embodiment of this unfettered lifestyle, becomes the axis point of all activity throughout the home. Due to the courtyard’s appeal, Spanish Mediterranean Revivalism flourished in California and Florida, and remains popular to this day.

STYLE GUIDE – TEAM RED – Team Leader, Erin Valencich, and her fellow designers approached this challenge by invoking the essence of European Elegance and the Mediterranean villa. The team’s lifestyle concept is evident as soon as one steps foot into the front courtyard, transporting visitors into a tranquil oasis. Lukas Machnik and Vanessa D created this lush atmosphere by building a stucco wall surround, and by adding a hand-carved Spanish door for more privacy. To cancel-out street noise, Lukas and Vanessa planted tall Cyprus trees that will grow will eventually grow into a green wall. Additionally – to add an authentic feel – they added numerous potted plants and trees that felt as if they were casually added over the years. Lastly; they completed their environment by building a fountain as the courtyard’s center focal point. The fountain was an easy project you can do at home over the weekend – simply done by using Lowes materials. For details on how to make the fountain and courtyard go to: panorama-103-courtyard

For the interior the team chose to enhance and add-on architectural details found in traditional Spanish homes, but with an added twist. Staying true to the Spanish theme, the team placed lots of hand-made tile throughout the home. These tiles can be very costly, so in place of covering large surfaces like the floors, they were used on the Kitchen back splash and the fireplace. The place was opened-up to give more flow between the rooms; eclectic furniture added a sexy and collected vibe. Lastly, the back yard: a true outdoor room that consists of a sitting area – designed by Erin – and lush gardens that finally invite you to sit under Moroccan lanterns floating above a 12’ table – build by Machnik and the team using lumber from lows. Easy and effortless elegance was the key to this Spanish home that now feels as if it were designed over a span of many years.

LIVING ROOM – TEAM BLUE Text by Elaine Griffin

My living room in the Spanish build is meant to be truly lived in.  Our challenge this week was to create a home that's perfect for entertaining, so I designed it as a space that Gwen could either enjoy alone -- comfy chairs in the corners perfect for reading or talking on the phone -- or while being social with others.  Two console tables provide surfaces for a buffet, cocktails or snacks, and there are lots of pull-up options for guest seating.  It's a space that is pretty, practical and comfortable.

I floated the sofa opposite the fireplace, but left room behind it for a pathway to the French doors.  The TV is to the left of the fireplace -- there wasn't room enough to put it above, really, but it's on a swing-arm bracket so it can be easily seen from anywhere in the room. The ferns in the bookcases were props!  There weren't books available for me to use this go-round, and I didn't want to leave them empty, so I staged the shelves with potted ferns I found at Lowe's.

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PANORAMA: Design in Context

AMERICAN DREAM BUILDERS EPISODE 102 – “BUILD WEEK”

Text by Lukas Machnik Interior Design Editors: Lukas Machnik + André Carlos Lenox Photography Courtesy of NBCUniversal Media, LLC Digital Retouching: André Carlos Lenox, LMID Group

This week’s challenge was to fully remodel a pair of Mid-Century modern vacation homes in Palm Springs, California. The designers remained split into two teams, each challenged to reinterpret this iconic style.

Mid-Century modern (MCM) is a style that typically describes developments in architectural, interior, and product design from the 1930s to 1960s. In Post-War America, MCM was a reflection on the International Style and Bauhaus movements, and was an attempt to bring European modernism to the nation’s masses.

1950s America saw its architectural and residential landscape redefined by a drastic housing boom. In Palm Springs, 1957 – Architects Dan Palmer and William Kristel approached the Alexander Construction Company with a new concept: to build stylish modern tract homes, with clean lines and simple elegance, that were both affordable and efficiently producible. Alexander homes quickly became the new standard of living, with over 2000 residences built over the span of 10 years.

Each given an Alexander home to restore, the two teams of designers approach this challenge with very distinct, unique perspectives. Led by Andrew Flesher, Team Blue creates a warm ambience with eclectic, contemporary accents; Team Red, under Lukas Machnik’s direction, produces an organic, minimalist atmosphere with additional hints of modern art and furniture.

STYLE GUIDE – TEAM RED: Minimalist approach to the interior and exterior architecture; without complication and visual clutter, the interior is open and bright. A New point of view gives this Mid Century Modern design a timeless feel, just as the MCM style was intended to be. The minimalist architecture truly sets the stage for the team’s central focus: to establish a strong collection of MCM furnishings and objects, found in this local mecca of design. In addition to the spaces they were responsible for, each team member was assigned a challenge – set by Machnik – to create an original piece of art. This point of view is truly reminiscent of Bauhaus and Mid-Century modern thought: to combine all disciplines of art and design in order to make a ‘total’ work of art, a forward-thinking masterpiece.

  STYLE GUIDE – TEAM BLUE: Eclectic/contemporary interpretation on Mid Century modern home. The team goes for a mix of contemporary and modern aesthetics, updating the home’s interior and exterior to what’s ‘now’ and current. In the mix you will find a balance between contemporary furniture, modern art, soft surfaces, Asian influences, playful accents, and a new take on period wallpaper. The overall palette has a rich, warm aesthetic, filled with strong pops of saturated color, and ultimately results in an updated, vibrant MCM look that’s both cozy and casual-chic.

[lukasmachnik]

PANORAMA: Design In Context

A Weekly Recap of American Dream Builders

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EPISODE 102 — "BUILD WEEK"

( Coming Soon )

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[rudygodinez]

Terence Koh, Untitled, (Vitrines 5 – Secret Secrets), (2006)

Mixed Media Sculpture

Dimensions vary with installation

[lukasmachnik]

Sunning moment, installation within installation.