A mid-century modern home designed by architect Joseph Eichler features a landscape design that takes advantage of the home’s large expanses of glass to establish strong indoor and outdoor relationships. The design incorporates a series of walls of varying heights to define spaces and create a courtyard. The walls–a mix of smooth ground-faced masonry block and steel-troweled stucco–evoke a modern aesthetic that complements the home’s architecture. – via Landscaping Network.com

Hotel Today

Das Kranzbach is an impressive hotel that offers bold decor and breathtaking mountain views. The hotel is more of a ‘wellness retreat’ rather than a ski resort, where you will find more spa junkies than ski tourists.

Hotel Yesterdays

Once upon a time in 1913, there was a wealthy English aristocrat from London; Lady Mary Isabel Portman. She was known for her beauty, self-confidence, and independence. At the age of 36, she purchased “Kranzbach meadow near Garmisch” and decided to build “The Kranzbach Castle”.

Detmar Blow and Ferdinand Billerey, two well-known English architects who were inspired by the English “Arts and Crafts” movement, provided the drawings for the Kranzbach manor. It is the only building of its kind in Germany and dubbed the “English Castle” by the local people.

When planning the building a private concert hall and a grass surface tennis court were Mary Portman’s special request. Yet, for all her personal plans to construct a congenial place for herself and her culturally sophisticated friends, her vision was never realized with the outbreak of World War I. However, shortly before the beginning of the war the construction was completed, but Mary Portman never had an opportunity to return. It is assumed that she never saw her finished manor.

During the following years, various guests brought life to the remote estate in the Elmau valley. Young painters stayed for weeks to preserve on canvas the location’s stunning beauty. In 1929, a team from the film studios “Deutsche Universal Film“, arrived. Director Wilhelm Dieterle used the Kranzbach scenery for his movie “Das Schweigen im Walde“, based on the famous novel by Ludwig Ganghofer.

In 1931, the Dortmund Evangelical Church discovered the fascinating building when they were searching for a holiday and convalescence home for young people from the heavily industrialized Ruhr area. The Church leased the estate from the Portman heirs.

On Christmas of 1933, a fire destroyed large areas of the building. After its renovation, the Kranzbach once again served as a vacation home for young people. In 1936, during the Olympic Games in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, it was used as a dormitory. And during the first years of World War II, the Kranzbach became the home of many children from the “Kinderlandverschickung”. (A program created by Hitler-Germany to protect mothers with small children and adolescents from the effects of war.) Once World War II was over, the Kranzbach was turned into a hotel hosting recuperating U.S. Army officers.

It took until 1947 before the Dortmund Evangelical Church could restart its vacation resort activities in the Kranzbach.

In late 2003, the Church sold the property to its current owners, who already operate two highly renowned wellness resorts in Austria: “Hotel Quellenhof Leutasch“, near Seefeld, and “The Steirerhof” in Bad Waltersdorf.

The Kranzbach’s new architectural concepts and its renovation during 2006/2007 were realized by a team of architects from Innsbruck: David Edinger, Thomas Fischbach, Martin Aufschnaiter and Heinz Pedrini. The main building’s interior design featured in these photos is by IIse Crawford.   - via Das Kranzbach.

Roy Lichtenstein, Grrrrrrrrrrr!!, 1965. Oil on canvas

The Art Institute of Chicago explodes this summer with the energy of Roy Lichtenstein in the largest exhibition of the influential Pop artist to date. More than 160 works—from the familiar to the completely unexpected, including never-before-seen drawings, paintings, and sculpture—present a profound exploration of Lichtenstein’s signature style and its myriad applications. The result—a dazzling array of color and dynamism, traversing art historical movements, magazine advertisements and comics, nudes and heroes, sea and sky—captures the power of Pop with works of art as fresh and revolutionary as they were 50 years ago.

Roy Lichtenstein, 1962, Oil on Canvas

Roy Lichtenstein, Bread and Jam, 1963

Both rare archival material and gorgeous current-day high-definition cinematography highlight Long Island’s often underappreciated modernist architectural treasures. “Long Island has a rich heritage of midcentury modern architecture,” says Director Jake Gorst. “Sadly, much of it has disappeared because of redevelopment and natural disaster. We believe the film will foster renewed awareness and appreciation for Long Island’s remaining modernist structures and its unique architectural history. – via Design Onscreen

Image via Classic Design. Thanks for sharing!! Be sure to check out Modenica’s version of the Papa Bear Chair.

And then there is the chair… regardless of the size of your home or how many options you may have, there is always the one chair.

Your seat, your spot, your oasis… which after many years of enjoyment is much like falling into an easy conversation with an old friend— effortless enjoyment. If you are looking for such a spot for your home, Modernica may have the answer.

Modernica’s Papa Bear Chair is now available in a natural, lightly cured, saddle-quality leather. This quality of leather is the type used exclusively by high-end traditional European furniture-makers and saddlery-craftsmen. The golden cognac, reddish-brown leather hides are unbelievably soft and smooth to the touch. The hides are sourced from cattle that are raised on ranches without any barb wire. This attention to detail is important to note, as the leather hides are without flaws and contain no irregularities.

Through the years the chair will patina to a dark pecan color. Much like a saddle, the oils from your body will gradually darken and soften the leather, giving it a signature look that only you could produce. Aging beautifully and with distinction, this chair will become your ultimate spot in your home to curl up with a cup of tea and relax—again and again.

Modernica’s Papa Bear Chair in this natural, cognac leather is available to see on our showroom floor. Additionally, this leather is available to use on any of the pieces in Modernica’s collection. Please contact our Los Angeles showroom to discuss your design options at 323-933-0383 or at lashowroom@modernica.net.

Blocher Blocher Partners an Architecture and Design Firm in Stuttgart, shared with us photos of their amazing new offices (see below), with their recently acquired new Case Study Arm Shell Chairs. Love the openness and light.

Harper Bazaar Magazine Ad in March of 2000 for Louis of Boston

Modernica’s Case Study Eiffel Tower Wire Chair available here… and we sell seat pads too.

Desert Utopia: Mid-Century Architecture in Palm Springs is a 58-minute long film which traces the history of modern architecture in Palm Springs from the first bold forays into modernist design to the preservation challenges facing the region today. Director Jake Gorst’s film features rare archival images and footage as well as interviews with historians, homeowners, and the architects who helped create this mecca of modernism. Check out this DVD today.