years later.......

Blogging hasn't exactly been my priority of late and that is regrettable. I find that life has been controlling me rather than me controlling my life. I have been so busy juggling running the West Elm store, doing design projects for the store, and trying to get my own design business, blog, and craft projects going. I have so many ideas that I am excited to see if I can make happen. My new design blog will hopefully launch by March 1st. I am looking for great ideas to cover in my new blog. If you have any ideas or questions that you would like me to address. Please email me at joshuaglentaylor@gmail.com

This are changing fast and I am starting to get really excited. More to come......

Dear Sarah Palin and Harper Collins.....

Dear Sarah Palin and Harper Collins Publishing,

I just wanted to make sure that you are aware that "Going Rogue" has many many meanings according to Urban Dictionary.

1. The feminine version of "going commando"
2. A male that allows a transgendered man to penetrate his anus, yet still claims to be straight.
3. A euphemism for unprotected anal sex.
4. "Going Rogue" is slang for not wearing a tampon or pad during menstruation.
5. Refusing to use toilet paper


Now that you are both aware of the connection between Going Rogue and these risky behaviors, I am sure that you will pull all the copies of the book off the shelves because you have no concern for the $12 million dollars that you are expected to make off this "autobiographical memoir".

Thank you,

Joshua Taylor

"Less is more"...

A Design Legend:

Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe was born in Aachen, Germany in

1886. He developed a design approach based on advanced structural techniques and Prussian Classicism. He made

major contributions to the architectural philosophies of the late 1920s and 1930s as the artistic director of the Werkbund-sponsored Weissenhof project and as the Director of the infamous Bauhaus. Famous for his dictum "Less is more" Van der Rohe attempted to create contemplative, neutral spaces through an architecture based on material honesty and structural integrity.

Most famous for his Barcelona Chair which he created for the German Pavilion at the 1929 Barcelona Exposition. The chair represents a clear expression of Van der Rohe's work to create a universal, simplified architecture. In 1962, his career came full-circle when he was invited to design the New National Gallery in Berlin. His design for this building achieved his long-held vision of an ex

posed steel structure that directly connected interior space to the landscape. He returned to Berlin several times while the gallery was under construction, but was unable to attend the opening in 1968. He died in Chicago on August 17, 1969.

Above: The Barcelona Chair at the Barcelona Pavilion

"A chair is a very difficult object. A skyscraper is almost easier.

That is why Chippendale is famous." - Van der Rohe

Above: A rendering of the Barcelona Chairs that I did as an undergraduate.

The Farnsworth is another of Van der Rohe’s major works. It is significant for two primary reasons. 1) It embodies a certain aesthetic culmination in Van der Rohe’s experiment with this type of building and 2) the house is the fullest expression of modernist ideas that took seed at the Bauhaus but were culminated in the United States. This house is located in Plano, Illinois and was severely damaged by flood in September 2008. Estimates indicate that the damage to the house was in the neighborhood of $500,000. Donations can be made at http://www.farnsworthhouse.org/ .

Above: The Farnsworth House

Below: The Farnsworth House under water

Van der Rohe is a personal inspiration. I am extremely inspired by the entire Bauhaus movement and his work is a fantastic example of everything the school represents in Design History. Van der Rohe is widely considered one of the most inspiring designers/architects of the 20th Century and his work has inspired many, many other designers. To me, the simplistic beauty of his work represents the ability of clean modernity to feel comfortable. His work is timeless and all designers hope they can achieve a certain level of timelessness in their work.

Fall has finally arrived....

I have been waiting forever to see some sign that there might be any other season than summer here in Vegas and this week Mother Nature gave notice that fall has arrived. The high temps dropped about 20 degrees this week. On Monday when I got in my car to leave work, my car said it was 103 outside. (My car is still pissed that we moved here and she has to sit in the hot sun most of the time.) Wednesday was a completely different story. When I got in my car, my black leather seats seemed to wrap themselves around me as to say, "did we move again? its so much nicer here." Alas, we didn't move but the temp that glorious day was only 79 according to my car. Windows are open, winds are blowing, and this desert might not be so bad after all.

A crafty obsession...

So, I have long been obsessed with the Random Light by Dutch Designer Bertjan Pot. I want one for my dining room really badly. My dining room currently has this very tacky circa 1995 gold fixture that looks like it should be in either a) a tacky model home in the mid nineties or b) the garbage.

So I obsess over this light. I look at it and know that it started out as little more than a craft project and has become an obsession of many modern enthusiasts. I know that this fixture is likely something I could make myself; however, I can't seem to make myself attempt to create one. I take random things from West Elm and put them together thinking this could work as a much less expensive almost as dramatic statement as the Random light, but perhaps there is no substitute. I guess I either have to create it or save. Neither of which sounds all that appealing today!

I can't remove myself from this sofa.....

I have more than just a small obsession with MidCentury furniture. Unfortunately, I don't have the budget that would allow me to shop at Design Within Reach and must look elsewhere for similar furniture that makes me smile. Back in May shortly before our decision to move to Las Vegas, we stumbled upon the Corona Sofa Series at Macy's. Now, I am not a fan of Macy's. Well to be honest, I am not a fan of "department stores" at all. This is likely linked to my loathing of malls, but I digress.

After much thought and consideration, I purchased the Corona Sofa (in Chocolate) and the matching Side Chair (in Pear). The fabric on the sofa is a very cool

textured cotton that is meant to look like tweed and it really does. This is a great midcentury inspired sofa and has a very vintage look and feel. No I don't want to go so far as to say it is a rip off, but its close to reproduction without the reproduction price. Needless to say, I love this sofa. Its comfortable but sleek and beautiful without being over done. Basically, its everything I love about midcentury design.

But there is one problem, It doesn't seem to matter what I have going on. I am naturally drawn to sitting on this sofa for hours not necessarily doing anything but sitting. I thought I could blame this on facebook/twitter/the entire internet but I have drastically been reducing my time online. So then I decided it was the TV's fault; however, I could watch the TV in the bed which would likely be more comfortable.

The only conclusion that I can then draw from all this speculation is that the sofa speaks to me or more importantly wraps its nice cushion around my big ass in a way that I just walk away. oh, Corona Sofa, "I wish I knew how to quit you!"

MIA....

No, not the rapper. Just me. I haven't been keeping up with things like I should. I am behind on just about everything. So, today I vow to get caught up. I came. I blogged. I conquered. Today marks the start of a whole new dedication to getting things done again. I have 2 months to finish my thesis and 7 minutes until another job interview. I am ready. Its time. I have to get going.