Everyone who knows me, knows that I am a fan of IKEA kitchens.
After all I’ve installed 6 of them over the years and have been pleased every time – with only one exception – horizontal flip-up doors. The hinges weren’t strong enough. They have since been replaced with new Ferrari-designed hinges. Problem solved.
Their new kitchen campaign is worth a view.
Enjoy their durability.
2012 seems to be the Year of the Fig here in Palm Springs. Our ficus carica, can you say common fig tree, is bursting with the fruits of her branches.
Ours are green figs, not the dark swarthy, mission figs, brought to San Diego, California in 1768 by Francisican missionaries and made popular by Alice Waters when she took to stuffing them with goats cheese, poaching them in port or daringly slicing them raw and then topping a melange of field greens with them drizzled with a balsamic viniagrette.
Our figs are summer chartreuse on the outside and creamy white laced with golden cognac on the inside.
I believe there will be that most Narnian of sweets in our near future: fig,rosewater-walnut Turkish Delight.
Though not officially on the PS ModCom High Desert tour, I found this cube house by the students of Samuel Mockbee’s Auburn University Rural Studio very interesting. Also please note it is clad in rusting metal! There must be something in the air up here!
After a few quick snapshots, I continued on my way to the Mohave Sands Motel for a much needed adult beverage.
Built in 1949, owner Blake Simpson completely renovated the motel and reopened it in 2010. It appears Blake is adept with a welder! New door and window frames are custom-fabricated in steel.
Crisp metal detailing appears everywhere – from the caps of stucco walls to landscape edge detailing that keeps the desert at bay. The repurposed grating also works well as a shower screen in the private outdoor bathing courtyard.
If it’s a soak you’re after, a recycled tub a great way to relax while vintage vinyl is spinning an Hawaiian serenade.
