TJCAIA News Blog

“No matter where I serve my guests, they seem to like my kitchen best.” This embroidered observation was framed and hung on a wall in our house. In contemporary homes, the modern kitchen is often the center of family activities and entertaining. TJC placed this kitchen literally at the center of the floor plan of a new home on 17 Mile Drive in Pebble Beach. The kitchen counter and cabinets back up to one wall (the stairwell to a mezzanine) and opens up on the other three sides to adjacent rooms under a high sloped ceiling. Standing at the counter, you can look left, past a breakfast nook into the courtyard; or you can look across the living room to the ocean through a curved wall of windows. In this floor plan, the guests will always be near the attractions of the kitchen.

-TJC

Kitchen Island - Pebble Beach Residence

Tom Carleton has special guest, Harold Gordon, for today’s installment of the Your Town television (Channel 24) and radio (KNRY 1240AM) program. It will also be simulcast on the Internet at www.ampmedia.org. The live broadcast is scheduled for 5-6 PM on Monday, July 27, 2009 (the 4^th Monday of the month). The entire hour will be spent with Harold Gordon, the author of The Last Sunrise, a true story of how he and his father survived the Holocaust. The book, The Last Sunrise, and the DVD, “Stop the Violence”, is available from H & J Publishing, 1118 Palo Alto Way, Salinas CA 93901. Call 831-422-7360 or order on line at www.peace2.com.

Touring a city is my ideal vacation, and London is among my favorite destinations. It is a quirky, fascinating, congested metropolis that mixes modern skyscrapers with ancient cathedrals. What could be better? Anticipating a visit to the capital of the United Kingdom, a friend asked me about my favorites spots, so here are a few:

• St. Paul’s Cathedral was built between 1675 and 1710 in the shape of a cross. It still functions as an active parish church. Standing under the huge dome, you look up to intricate murals of prophets and saints. The scale is overwhelming. I have a souvenir poster hanging in my office to remind me that is one of the largest domes in the world, designed by Sir Christopher Wren. The city is populated with his church spires.
• Millennium Bridge is a modern pedestrian span on axis with St. Paul’s. It was built during the millennium celebration in the Year 2000. Enjoy the views up and down the Thames River.
• Westminster Abbey (1066 ) is a beautiful late-Gothic cathedral. It has been used for many royal coronations and the final resting place for famous British dignitaries, like Winston Churchill. Again the scale is out of sight. Think about the expert masons who constructed this masterpiece.
• Tower of London is a must stop for anyone interested the British sometimes gruesome royal history. The red uniformed Yeomen Warders entertain with amusing stories.
• Harrods opened in 1849. Wandering between retail displays in this seven-story department store brings you through a variety of bizarre interiors, the chocolate confectionery being particularly memorable.
• British Museum is said to be the nation’s largest with more than four million objects on display. It has a monumental collection of Egyptian and Greek sculpture and architectural pieces. The food court is now enclosed by a soaring steel and glass dome, designed by Sir Norman Foster, one my favorite contemporary architects.

“The Gherkin" London

• Swiss-Re Headquarters is a pickle shaped skyscraper nicknamed “the Gherkin.” also designed by Foster and Partners. Another of Foster’s modern designs is the spherical City Hall, described by our guide on the double-decker bus as resembling a stack of round pizza boxes.
• Hampton Court Palace is a pleasant train ride out of town and well worth the trip. It is a mere country residence built in the1500’s. The most famous resident may have been King Henry VIII. The succession of rooms and halls in the royal palace goes on and on. Then there are 60 acres of formal gardens.
• Back in town, you can easily get around in the subway or in the more comfortable black cabs.

I am saving my pennies for our next visit.

-TJC

Bathrooms of yesteryear were simply utilitarian. On a tour of Colonial Williamsburg, they called it “the necessary.” Today, we expect bathrooms to have multiple functions. In this remodeled townhouse in Pebble Beach, the original 1970’s master bathroom was awkwardly divided into a series of small compartments, closets, and vanities. TJC’s design opened up the bathroom suite with a large tub, a glass-enclosed shower, and two sinks in a corner counter with large mirrors. The high rectangular windows bring in more natural light while providing privacy. The former storage rooms and cabinets were combined into a large walk-in closet with a dressing area.

The new windows and subdued colors give the appearance of a larger space. The wall tile at the tub and shower is cut from larger pieces of calcatta marble. The floor tile is cut from larger limestone pieces and laid out in a unique pattern. One guest who had seen the “before” bathroom asked: “Did you add on to make this room larger?” No, we just organized the existing space more effectively. Thanks to the superb work by Groza Construction, everyone is pleased with the results. The former dark and divided space has become a bright and open spa.

-TJC

Bathroom: After

Bathroom: After

Bathroom: Before

This bungalow designed by TJC is decorated with patriotic bunting

Flag etiquette says that the U.S. flag should not be draped as decoration; we are to let it hang free. So along with flags, we display red, white & blue bunting decorations of all kinds on Independence Day. It seems that we have done so since our flag was made official in 1777. Our second president, John Adams wrote to his wife Abagail urging 4th of July to be remembered. He wrote that the holiday “ought to be celebrated by pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other…”
On July 4^th, 2009, houses all over the country were covered with patriotic banners and bunting. And so it was in the small town of Spreckels, California,  known for its annual parade of vintage cars and firetrucks. The Boy Scouts were marching, the 4-H Club was selling sodas, and the PTA was roasting hot dogs and hamburgers. It was that special day when Americans of all ages and backgrounds celebrate our nation’s history. We are so grateful for the freedoms and opportunities our nation offers.

-TJC

To learn more about flag etiquette, go to: www.vfw.org.

Architecture: Form, Space & Order by Francis D. K. Ching (published by Van Nostrand Reinhold, NY) is a favored book. His beautiful pencil illustrations of historic and modern architecture make the book a worthwhile selection.  And his analysis of design principles is just inspiring. For example, Ching has pages about entrances following a section on the building approach. He explains that entrances “can range from a simple hole in the wall to an elaborate, articulated gateway.”

In a residential remodel in Pebble Beach, the front door is not visible from the street. But the pathway clearly guides the visitor from the lower driveway to the front door on an upper level. Wide stairs (three steps, landing, three steps, landing…) between stone walls invite you up past the landscaped planter and around the corner. The curved walls diminish in height as you progress and they disappear by the time you have arrived at the porch. The new door that we selected has side lights and a transom with narrow glass panels. The added transparency seems to makes the entrance more inviting. The rectangular glass panels in the door compliment other “slot” windows added throughout the house to create a contemporary and sophisticated style. We were pleased, as were the homeowners, with the good work done by Groza Construction.

-TJC

Pebble Beach Remodel - Entry

Pebble Beach Remodel - Entry

Pebble Beach Remodel - Entry

Tom Carleton has lined up another group of stimulating guests for this month’s installment of the Your Town television (Channel 24) and radio (KNRY 1240AM) program from 5-6 PM on  June 22nd, 2009.

Dennis Hodgin will discuss modern architecture on the central coast and free guides available  from the Monterey Bay Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Then Dinah Irino will discuss landscape design and her classes at Monterey Peninsula College. Later Timothy Wong will discuss the educational programs at Calvary Christian High School and their plans to move into a former auto dealership in Monterey.

You can also watch the program live on the web at ampmedia.org.

Outdoor Living

Outdoor patios are a unique feature in the benign California climate. Even with our cool summer evenings on the Central Coast, a patio can be used all year long. A patio becomes a functional and pleasant expansion of living space. A patio can:

• provide pleasant views into side and back yards;
• reclaim a portion of your front yard behind a low wall;
• enlarge your kitchen with outdoor appliances;
• expand living space for entertaining family and friends.

When we added to our own home, the skilled workers from Chapin Construction installed interlocking pavers. On one side, a low curved wall separates the patio from the rest of the backyard landscaping. A curb on the other side defines the planters. By adding a wood table with chairs and a sun umbrella on our patio, and we have immeasurably increased the enjoyment of our home.

-TJC

New Life

Buildings have life cycles. A structure may be designed for the original client, but altered to fit the needs of subsequent occupants. For 601 E. Franklin St. in Monterey, TJC designed a unique building to merge a car dealership’s prototype with the city’s regulations. The dealership closed shorty after it opened, and since then, we have shown a variety of companies how they could adapt the building to their retail needs, including another auto dealership. However no one committed until now. Calvary Christian High School has announced that they will be moving into the former dealership next fall. We will coordinate renovation drawings for permits from the City of Monterey. We are happy for the owner and the high school, and glad to see the building being put to good use.

My favorite aspect of architecture, and design in general, is creativity. A new emphasis on green design and high tech materials has spawned a slew of inspiring ideas. I have collected some examples that range from weird to genius, but all are creative.

• Grow your Carpet with Moss
  
• Ceiling Fans with Aerospace Engineering
  
• Shipping Containers: From Cargo Ships to Homes
  
• Futuristic Styled Gas Station
  
• Wallpaper that stands out, in 3D!
  
• A Plant-like Room Divider
  

-James Carleton