Purchase Tickets

Notebook

(page 1 of 2)

“Artitecture”: Michael Jantzen is a California conceptual artist whose lifework is creating dynamic and futuristic yet environmentally practical dwellings. His “artitectural” (our term, not his) thinking makes us realize what could be if we gave architects the freedom to be artists. Many of his projects, like the portable M-House or the surreal Malibu Video Beach House, have already been created. The façade of the Malibu Video Beach House, which blocks the public’s ocean view, is made of dozens of supersize video screens that display a view of the ocean on the other side, so the structure appears to be see-through. Other designs are on the boards and available, like a sustainable wine-tasting pavilion: “Curved green-colored panels are covered with a thin-film photovoltaic coating, which allows the surface of the structure to produce its own electrical energy,” Jantzen explains. “This energy is used to supply some or all of the winery’s energy needs.” His Web site, humanshelter.org, is a virtual breath of fresh air. Michael Jantzen, 310-989-1897.

Razzle-Dazzle: We asked five top San Diego interior designers to name their latest color obsessions.

  • Carol Sprong, La Jolla: “I see it in my mind, but the paint formula doesn’t exist. It’s a vivid red with splashes of yellow, and I’m calling it Pimento Red.”
  • Michelle Harrison, San Diego: “Frazee Paints calls it Fired Orange—perfect for a living room or any place you want to evoke positive emotion. It’s a very stimulating color.”
  • Marsha Sewell, Gaslamp Quarter: “Pistachio! It’s spring, it’s fresh and seasonal. Every major paint maker has jumped on the green bandwagon; there’s plenty to choose from.”
  • Megan Bryan, La Jolla: “Sea Spray, a pale, frothy aqua that I custom-mix using Benjamin Moore paint. It is a calm yet refreshing color. It can be used as a neutral or cranked up a notch as an accent. Dunn Edwards has something similar, and they call it Silent Breath.”
  • Laura Birns, Solana Beach: “Carbon Green, a mix of blue and green with touches of gray. A brand close to it in hue is Sherwin- Williams’ Riverway. I see it as a deep— but not dark—rich color that’s alive but not too brilliant. Maharam [a textile distributor] has a plush mohair in carbon green with a shiny iridescent quality.”

Tea Time: A Balinese teahouse is another cool way to stylize gardens, patios and pool areas. Now available at the David Alan Collection in Solana Beach, the custom-order teahouses are made in Bali from an Asian hardwood. Teahouses range in size (from small gazebo to as big as a carport) and price ($2,000 to $15,000). The David Alan showroom has models for sale and handles installation. Expect six months for delivery. 241 South Cedros Avenue, 858-481-8044; thedavidalancollection.com

Grimestoppers: See the forest and the trees with window-cleaning tips from Jeld-Wen, a West Coast maker of doors and windows:

When it comes to cleaning glass on windows and patio doors, gentle homemade solutions are better than expensive chemical cleaners. Here’s a recipe: Mix 1 teaspoon of baby shampoo or 11⁄2 cups of vinegar to 1 gallon of water. Wash with the solution using a clean, soft cloth or sponge. Rinse with clean water. Avoid pressurized sprayers that can break seals. Promptly dry glass surfaces thoroughly with a cloth. Dry window frames and door surfaces with a separate cloth.

Plan to wash windows on an overcast day, because intense sunlight causes streaks by drying the cleaning solution too quickly. Avoid power hoses, washers, metal tools, razor blades or other objects that can break seals, scratch glass and remove exterior glass coatings. Don’t allow aggressive cleaners to come in contact with vinyl, wood or metalclad surfaces. And be sure to clean up puddles that collect at glass edges, as they can damage window glazing.

Where’d You Get Those Flames, James? Funky Colored Flames, a packaged product from Canada, produces up to a half-hour of color magic when the contents are spread over a roaring fire. In five minutes your fireplace, bonfire or firepit will blaze in blue, green and purple.
Available at Wal-Mart; walmart.com

Gotta Have It! The car engine and the household toilet are necessary devices for modern living, but from a design standpoint, certainly not the most appealing. The engine has been covered with sleek hoods; however, not much has been done to camouflage the humble loo. That is, until Julien, a Europe-based bath products designer, tabbed designer Troy Adams to create the practical Bench Toilet (left) as part of its new line of Fusion Design bath furnishings. The bench pairs woods like wenge, zebra or teak with stainless steel in a brushed pewter finish. When not in use, the wood element slides to conceal the fixture and reveal a storage drawer. 866-901-5624 or Julien.ca

Quick Change: Looking for maximum curb appeal? Colin Pearce at Grand Entrances, a door and accessories retailer, says the fastest way to give a home an instant makeover is to add a new door, especially one with a vivid color. And if you want to give your tract home its own look, a creative new door makes your cookie-cutter a cut above.
Grand Entrances, 8228 Miramar Road, 858-586- 7585; sdgrandentrances.com

Green Today: Kohler tells us one-fourth of all residential and office water use is flushed down the toilet. Installing waterless urinals is a cost-effective idea any developer, bath designer, homebuilder and/or homeowner can implement today. Kohler.com

Hope Springs Eternal: An item high on the wish list of the San Diego Council of Design Professionals is a master plan for developing the Embarcadero on San Diego Bay. Since 1994, this confederation of designers has focused on issues impacting the area’s architecture and design future. Designers willing to roll up their sleeves and dive into problems are most welcome, says cochairman Howard Blackson, of the Stepner Design Group. So far, membership is young, serious and growing. Recent meetings have discussed planning issues like Grand Vision for the Waterfront, the new San Diego City Hall and the Fiesta Island Master Plan. Stepner Design Group, 619-234-2112, or the San Diego chapter of the American Institute of Architects, 619-232-0109.

The Names: Steve Doyle, president of the San Diego/Riverside division of Brookfield Homes, is the newest member of the California Building Industry Foundation’s Hall of Fame, which recognizes men and women whose contributions have resulted in long-term advancement of homebuilding, construction, development or related services. Doyle, this year’s only San Diego County inductee, joins an elite list of local homebuilders who’ve been selected in recent years, including Bill Davidson of Davidson Communities, Barratt American’s Mick Pattinson, Urban Housing Partners’ Sherman Harmer Jr. and real estate consultant Sandy Goodkin

Three young architurks right out of college join the architectural staff of Dominy + Associates Architects, San Diego: Alejandro Zimin Jr. (Wentworth Institute of Technology, Boston), Daniel Yarbrough (California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo) and Chris Nuttle (Oklahoma State University).

Adrienne Dorig, a Southern California native who specializes in residential kitchen design, has joined the design staff of Kitchen DeBonaire in Rancho Santa Fe. She is a graduate of the Design Institute of San Diego and an associate kitchen and bath designer accredited by the National Kitchen and Bath Association, where she currently serves as San Diego chapter treasurer.

Gretchen Jordan of Architectural Concepts, a San Diego–based hospitality design firm, was presented a Gold Ardy from the 4,000-member American Resort Development Association at the trade group’s recent convention.

Jordan’s prize recognized her as the industry’s top vendor/staff member. The ARDA award was presented for her fiscal expertise and human resources management.

My Space: Asked to share a cool design detail from their own home, San Diego design pros offered these insights.

Bill and Lori Schnetz, Bill Schnetz Landscaping, Escondido: an Old World– style pizza oven situated on the patio just outside a recently remodeled kitchen.

Harold Pell, Pell Interiors, San Diego: a beautiful, hinged kitchen-cabinet door, shown below, that opens like a car’s rear hatch to reveal (and hide) the microwave oven.

Gordon Carrier, Carrier Johnson Architects, San Diego: turning a beloved but diseased tree in front of his Point Loma home into a garden sculpture to fit with newly redesigned landscaping.

Steve and Lynn Lusk, Lusk Construction, San Diego: a lighted patio water feature that doubles as a spa or becomes a vanishing-edge fountain to accompany outdoor dining and parties.