DXV ~ Raising the Standard of Beauty

We had some fun with the nice folks at DXV.  They sponsored a beautiful get together at a restaurant nestled in the Hollywood Hills where we spoke about the American Standard brand and came to the realization that almost all of us had an American Standard product in our home.

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"DXV by American Standard is a new luxury bath and kitchen brand celebrating the storied plumbing company's rich history, now in its 15th decade."  The company believes if you design with a purpose along with performance and strive for perfection of product, you are raising the standard of beauty.  Therefore, well designed products become beautiful, and beauty becomes timeless.

The DXV collections, 70 carefully curated products in all, are distinguished by what would be considered the most influential design movements throughout the company's long history beginning in 1872.  They used this as a framework to give relevance to each period.

The Classic Movement (1890-1920) is stately, sculptural and well rounded.  Utilitarian objects were adorned with flowing lines and fanciful details as the industrial age landscape was changing.

The Golden Era (1920-1950), defined by a period of peace and prosperity, centers around a collection that has a subtle  attitude with a refined organic simplicity.  It reflects a modern society on the move in a time of prolific growth in art, design, and invention .

The Modern Movement (1950-1990) is all about artful forms and angular planes, displaying a playfulness and joy that this country was feeling.  Experimentation and growth in technology created contrasts that helped pave a path for the future.

The Contemporary Movement (1990-present) is represented by more of an individualistic approach. Pure form and a minimalist aesthetic, rich texture, and natural material.  The aesthetic is ever changing, the juxtaposition eclectic, and has a global appeal to reflect our fast paced lifestyle.

Fixtures, both kitchen and bath, are the cornerstone of the company's brand.  Like accessories or jewels that accompany the little black dress, these fixtures convey a design message when paired with the more utilitarian tub and toilet (but no less design driven).  These collections can certainly be mixed and matched for a look as individual as each of us.

DXV ~ stands for Decade 15 (clever, right?), is a brand that has artisanal character with a forward thinking, technology driven, performance powered sensibility.

I wonder what period the next collection will be called as we take stock of the fast paced, tech savvy world we are living in now.  Futuristic?

The End is Near ~ BlogtourCali ~ part 3

 The Warf Marketplace, a cafe and historic meeting place for gatherings in Monterey, provided the perfect respite for lunch and to stretch our legs, because it is on to San Francisco.

Veronika and Flo need to keep their energy up; we're rounding home plate.

I loved my walk around town, fascinated by the Italianate architecture that was built during the Victorian era and survived the great fire and earthquakes; a grand home and great feat.

I fell hard for this ~

I wish we had more time to take in the sights!  So little time, so much to see.  You can't go to San Fran and NOT take a cable car ride.

We couldn't say good-bye to California without a little shopping.  Courtney Lake was lovely enough to show us around some of his favorite stores on Sacramento Street.  Unfortunately for us (fortunately for my pocketbook) it was Sunday and most stores were closed.

I LOVED everything in Hudson Grace, everything!

especially the irregular shape of the lip on the hand blown glasses by Belgium glassblowers, sublime.

Thos. Moser, American made furniture is as comfortable as it is impeccable!  They celebrate the beauty of wood.  "It wears in, not wears out."

Built on the idea that luxurious cashmere can be attainable, Jesse Black fills her boutique with fine frette sheets, simple accessories to cashmere knitwear, and chunky throws.

Giving back is important.  African beads support the Zanokhanyo children's safety Home.

 A feast for the eyes, a feast for the soul, now that's a well designed life.



A HUGH thank you to our sponsors:  Miele USA, Zephyr, Mr Steam, West Edge Design Fair, DXV, and Veronika of Modenus who made this all possible!  I was thrilled and grateful to be included!
 I will be spending a little time talking about our incredible sponsors in the next few installments as each made our trip educational, memorable, and highly caloric!  You can never duplicate the power of connecting to these brands when you meet the people behind the company.  Their passion and enthusiasm for their products enforce us, as designers, to source them and pass on knowledge that we not only learn, but in some cases experience.  Knowledge is power, and experience is an invaluable tool to educate.  Connections are priceless!

A Coastal Journey ~ Blogtourcali ~ part 2

This Blogtour was also deemed, "The well designed life."  To live well is to live a healthy life style certainly, but it also includes creating an environment that sets you up for personal well being and as much as possible, surrounding yourself with beauty (whatever that means to you) and that which brings you happiness. 

     We oohed and aahed for hours, taking in the beautiful coastline.  It

         never gets old!You can't help but decompress when surrounded by 

          such natural beauty.  Something bigger than you helps keep things in

perspective.  You have never heard adults get so

                                      excited at the sight of sea lions

**

Friendship, connections, family, faith all are crucial to our personal well being, and I would add the feeling of belonging; finding "your tribe," "kindred spirits," interacting with those that share your passion or understand your vision.

What better place to take a little time to bliss out than The Bacara Resort?  Mr.Steam, Martha to be exact (above in red), lead us thru a journey of relaxation by extolling the virtue of incorporating steam into a bathing ritual after a little centering yoga.

Unwinding was easy as Ta Mé (pronounced Tammy) lead us thru our downward dogs and warriors on a bluff overlooking the ocean.  Mindfulness and quieting the (monkey) mind is crucial for a more harmonious, centered life.

**

We were like jello afterwards!  Back on the bus, feeling oh so zen, I was lulled to sleep, putting to good use the sleep mask I won playing Mr(s). Steam's version of spin the wheel.  Martha was too much fun (as I was about to find out)

***

Cambria was calling.  It's a gem of a coastal town.  The kind of place where you feel like you could escape to go "off the grid"

Caliza Winery was a blast.  The vintners could not have been nicer and chef Jeffery C. Scott's  meal was off the hook.  As the sun faded and the wine flowed, the conversation turned to song.  I cannot remember when was the last time I got up and broke into song (if ever).  That Martha (aka Mrs Steam) knows how to have a good time!

**

My room at the Cambria Landing was perfection.  The ocean lulled me to sleep and greeted me in the morning; another important component to living well:  adequate SLEEP.  Good thing, as I know there's another fun filled day ahead.  Now I am #readyforanything

But wait… there's more (I know, hard to believe, right?)…. you can't miss Part 3



photos: * Irene Turner ** Chasen West, *** Cynthia Bogart, all others CLI

California Dreamin ~ Blogtourcali ~ part 1

I'm baaack... from a slightly extended stay in California.  Oh my, how to find the words to describe the amazing time that was BlogtourCali.  I seriously do not know where to begin.  It was the kind of experience where you knew you were forever changed in some small way; feeling newly inspired, feeling like you made connections that will last beyond the days spent laughing till you were crying, discussing design, business, family, breaking out in song, and so much more.  It was the kind of experience that made you grateful you were part of a community where people feel so much passion and everyone wants to support you in ways you hadn't even considered.  It is infectious and you want to return that in kind!

There is a lot to think thru so I will begin with a summary in pictures.

From the beauty of Santa Monica ~

          Our fabulous hotel, The Huntley is a blog post all by itself

      Looking towards Malibu (insert heavy sigh)

to the beach scene ~

to the street scene ~

     Excuse me ~ this is a parking garage. LOVE IT! They did something
     #clever; there was an illuminated sign listing the number of spots that
      were left in the garage - details people

Design minded-ness is everywhere.  Just because something must be utilitarian doesn't mean it can't be attractive or whimsical!

From dawn till dusk ~

I ate well ~

and drank well ~

hell, we didn't just drink, we learned the finer points of making our own cocktails from a master mixologist

I made new friends ~
      some of whom are Irene Turner, Kim Salter, Michele Alfano, 
       Andrew Dunning, and Sharon Mccormick

and reconnected with old friends ~
       great to see Lori Gilder and Erica Islas

we posed in silly poses ~

       The exterior of Miele Beverly Hills showroom was the office of the
        popular Charlie's Angels TV show.  It is still a stop on the tour bus ride
        around LA.  Patti Johnson, myself and Sharon Mccormick HAD to
         recreate the famous stance.
     

 
           Jonathan Legate and Margot Austin: twins on the Streets of San
            Francisco

     

and played silly games ~

       right Jonathan Legate?

We found fabulous resources at WestEdge Design Fair ~

       The Barker Hanger was really cool with planes literally taking off every
       15 minutes or so. overhead.  The show was well curated and intimate
       which made it nice.  You really got a chance to talk to the designers
       about their product.

     
     I sourced:
   

Kathryn M. Ireland and Grange

EIS Studio pebble seats

Rohl rock crystal faucet

Top Brew by Scanomat

St. Frank one of a kind Textiles

Barkskin by Caba Co.

And I fell in love with a little Pomeranian named Jiff ~

       who has over 400,000 twitter followers, btw

      You know I am a freak for cool lighting and there was plenty

As Usher's Can't Stop, Won't Stop spins atop the elevated DJ booth, I felt exhausted and exhilarated!  I knew we were in for an action packed, fun filled couple of days!

AND Blogtour rocked and rolled on ~ stay tuned for more...