Jul 25, 2018

Hello, and Future Programming

Dear readers, it's been about seven years since I touched down on this blog, and I guess it's time to post a few things. I'm feeling this blog is a good place to drop random bits about Mid-Century art and architecture that relates to Sacramento and the greater Sacramento Valley region. Most of the stuff is going to be piece-meal, and scraps about houses or designers or architects that are no-longer with us. I guess that's just what I'm interested in. In looking at what we've lost, at least that part of history is set-up to fill in the gaps around what still exists.

Keep an eye out in the coming months for these and more :

- Sacramento's Richard Neutra designed National Youth Authority Building, now demolished
- Demolished Anshen and Allen masterpiece on overlooking the Sacramento River
- The Collected Sacramento works of Joseph Esherick
- A William Wurster designed house in South Land Park
- A couple Carter Sparks and Donald Thaden designed houses from the 50's that were never built
- Carter Sparks' personal residence, as designed in 1955 and never built
- Conceptual Designs for the Cal Expo Grounds
- Remembering the Fava House, Virtually
- Blomberg's Basalite Blocks and "Operation Cue", Atomic Testing in the Nevada Desert
- Exploring the Blomberg Building Materials / Lanai shopping center, the early years
- A Serial Killer in a Streng Brothers home
- Designer Geo Louie and Don Birrell's work for the Crocker Museum
- Ceramicist, Landscape Designer and Iconoclast, Mark Askew's work
- What ever happened to Moritz Thomsen's house in Vina, CA?
- The West Sacramento CatBoat, and other things in the marsh


Mar 27, 2011

A Living-Conditioned Home in Sacramento

Rendering for the Western Prize Home by Don Emmons, AIA. LIFE May 2, 1955

Living Conditioned

Best I can gather, the Living-Conditioned Homes program was put together as a collaboration between the magazine LIVING for Young Homemakers and either GE / Hotpoint or Westinghouse. Living-Conditioned was a manifesto by the magazine which embarked to design, equip and furnish homes that conditioned.

The ... "Living-Conditioned" home embodies the principles of Living-Conditioning, and summarizes the advantages of sound-conditioning -- the acoustical planning to reduce unwanted noise; of light-conditioning -- illumination for visual comfort and beauty, carefully studied to apply to the house the benefits of electrical progress; of safety-conditioning; of climate conditioning; of color-conditioning, a coordinated interior and exterior decoration plan which makes the home visually and psychologically more pleasing.

--From a 1957 sales brochure (courtesy sparklegem)

Jan 1, 2010

Developers : Frontier Homes, Carmichael

Sacramento Bee, May 1955

 A Home of Your Own

Just right for you. Why not stop over and see for yourself?
3 bedrooms, fireplace, [ illegible ], central heating & picture windows in every room.
R.P. WATT Developer and Builder, IV 7-2812 FRONTIER Homes in Carmichael
Located on Walnut Ave between Arden Way and El Camino Ave Adjacent to [illegible] Parochial School

A Frontier Home on St. Lynn Way, Carmichael, CA

Dec 16, 2009

Seward Ct : Custom Carter Sparks


5611 Seward Ct, Sacramento, CA
"A River Park landmark, designed by Carter Sparks in 1963, on the market for the 1st time. This special home has a large lot in a cul-de-sac with access out a back gate to the American River. Large entry courtyard has a slate staircase to the 2nd floor residence where you enter a great room with wood floors, corner fireplace and a wall of windows looking out over an ipe deck, pool and river beyond. Cathedral ceilings flood the home with light. Downstairs guest quarters, 2 car garage, RV access."
 Beds
Baths
Sq. Ft
Lot
Year Built
 Asking

3
2.5
2,408
.xx ac
1963
SOLD