Ultra Swank - Playful lifestyle, music and design adventures: June 2008

Feedback

Ultra Swank has been around for almost three years now and I thought it would be a good idea to check in with my readers. So if you are a frequent reader of this blog, I would very much like to know what you think of it.

What do you think of the content? Is there too much of something - or too little? What do you think can be improved? How do you like the comment function? Does it work correctly? Do you like that it opens in a dynamic window? And is there something on this blog that isn't working correctly for you (anything that looks or behaves in a awkward way)? I am trying to make some improvements on the blog and I really value your feedback. Please take a minute or two and post some feedback in the comments so we can make this blog even better, thank you!

Labels: miscellaneous, personal

Welcome to Sweden

Enjoy fine dining and lodging at our many motels, eateries, gas stations and... castles conveniently placed along highways stretching cross country. Bottom postcard is especially for a certain janepeepshow.

Restaurang Kronan, Norrköping, Sweden, 1960s

Motel Skara, Skara, Sweden, 1960s

Stadsparkens Restaurant, Kalmar, Sweden, 1960s

Labels: postcards, sweden

Paris chic

Three postcards depicting the chic and fabulous (or maybe not) Paris red-light district nightlife of the 1960s. Famous cabaret Moulin Rouge (the red windmill) can been spotted on one of them. For more lovely and kitschy postcards and photos head over to Popcards.

Moulin Rouge, Paris, France, 1960s (from popcards.fr)

Paris, France, 1960s (from popcards.fr)

Labels: france, phostcards

Mid century houses

I have a passion about the mid century homes that was built in southern California by great visionaries such as Joseph Eichler and John Lautner. The Eichler homes are especially sought after today and the prices of them are getting higher and higher. Perhaps common people have finally realized how amazingly simple and beautiful the houses were back in the '50s and '60s? Today over 11 000 single-family Eichler homes are still in use in California and to inspire you I present three high resolution photos from the Case Study House project that was initiated in the late 1940s to experiment with residential architecture. Thank you Royalton for the heads up on these photos syndicated from Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne.

If you want to read more about the CSH program I can highly recommend the Taschen book with the same name. Available to buy at all good bookstores for less than $10 it's a bargain!

Links
Eichler Network
Eicher homes in Southern California

Case Study House no 29, California, 1960 (Photo by Julius Shulman)

Case Study House no 21 Los Angeles, 1958 (Photo by Julius Shulman)

Chuey House (Not part of CSH), Los Angeles, 1958 (Photo by Julius Shulman)

Case Study Houses by Elizabeth A. T. Smith from Taschen

Labels: architecture, interior design, photos

Mies van Der Rohe likes Barcelona

Famous architect Mies van Der Rohe was not only a architect - but also a designer. He designed among others the Barcelona and Brno series furniture. Today we are looking at some of his designs from the wonderful Barcelona series. Designed in 1929 for the German pavilion at the Barcelona exposition in Barcelona, Spain. I was fortunate to visit it when I was in Barcelona in December 2007 and I must say that it is quite the thing - a timepiece that always will remain modern.