my favorite five new things from dwell on design 2014

My third Dwell on Design Friday!  My first DOD, 2012, wow'd me. I was overwhelmed with all the cool things. The 2013 DOD seemed a little more lower key than 2012 for whatever reason although, I accidentally had my very own one second of fame.

 But... the 2014 DOD knocked my socks off. The exhibits and displays were impressive. And the Dwell Outdoors area was the best ever.

Having been to three now, you kinda know what to expect. I went in like a veteran, looking for something fresh and new. Here are my top five picks for new things that got my attention at the show.

dwell on design 2014 home tours west side los angeles

YAY! It is that time of year again. Dwell on Design Week in Los Angeles. Before the main Design Event next weekend at the Los Angeles Convention Center, I dropped into the Dwell on Design Home Tours, West Side Los Angeles.

I am going to go at it a little differently this time. Rather than bore you with room by perfect room of the latest and most expensive design on the West Coast, I thought I would pick out the highlights (according to me). Let's do a top five ... Shall we?

my one second of fame: jeff lewis flipping out and dwell on design

So, I was just sitting around one evening last week and got this text:

Huh?

dwell city modern manhattan: family style 14th street loft

Lucky me! I got to go to Dwell's City Modern Manhattan Home Tour and take a look at how sophisticated city dwellers live. The first house we toured was a converted Con-Edison switching station with a hipster industrial vibe. The next home was just as cool, but it had a distinctly family feel and was a tiny bit more practical.

This may be my favorite feature of the whole house. And, not really kidding. A shoe cubby by the front door, wouldn't you just die?

dwell city modern manhattan: con edison switching station turned townhouse

Oh do I have a treat for you. My annual expedition to New York City this year just happened to coincide with Dwell's City Modern Manhattan Home Tour. We get to peek into three of Manhattan's finest spaces.

Pretty unassuming right? I have seen some other pictures of the front of this home and it gets frequently redecorated by local artists. Wouldn't that make you crazy if it was your house? But the current owners seem to embrace it.

#dwell la home tours: diana wong artist studio and residence

All good things must come to an end. My summer goofing around at wineries and pet sanctuaries was fun, BUT back on the wagon.

Home tours and home improvement here we come.

#dwell home tours: atwater crossing industrial townhouse

I have another Dwell on Design house from the tour in June to share. There are two things I like about this residence in general. First of all, in the L.A. area, they are building more and more of these types of town house units on small lots in cool neighborhoods and selling to a younger generation who doesn't need the yards, the drive, and all the stuff. Honestly, it is refreshing. L.A. is such a ridiculous sprawl.

The second thing is the design. This particular home is professionally decorated and staged by the owner/designer, David Mast, and I enjoyed looking around and observing the touches only a designer could lend to a setting. Hopefully I can learn something.

#dwell home tours la: las tunas malibu, architect bruce bolander

A house tour is like a treasure hunt. The morning of, I wake up excited -- not sure what the day will bring. Don't get me wrong, house tours take a certain amount of endurance. There is the uncertainty for sure. Will the homes be spread up and down the Los Angeles freeway system? Will the tour organizers make attendees line up and go in two at a time to protect the precious houses?

But there is also the unadulterated joy, when you step into a home that you would never, ever, be able to see in your wildest dreams, in your "real" life. The last home of the June 15, Dwell L.A. West Side Tour was just such a home and something I thought we could all enjoy.

#dwell home tours: h house, richard banta, glendale

Doubling back a little bit. I have a few houses still to show from the Dwell Home Tour in June. I'll just pick off a few of my favorites, the more unusual homes.

Only in California do they build on essentially unbuildable land. But here you have it. A 1,300-square-foot-1962 home on stilts in Glendale. And yes, Glendale does get earthquakes. And there have been a few substantial ones since 1962.

#dwellondesign 2013: miscellaneous and random goodies

Well, all wonderful things must come to an end. I promised five posts in five days about the fabulous #DwellonDesign show and, sadly, today is post number five.

Isn't this display of Sunbrella fabric colors just delicious?

#dwellondesign 2013: outdoors, gardens and patios (oh my)

Today may be my favorite post. I love garden and patio stuff. When we redo our kitchen, I plan to upgrade an interior courtyard immediately adjacent to the kitchen including roofing it, and making it an outdoor living space. So I am actively hunting down ideas.

The entire middle of the #DwellonDesign convention center space was called Dwell Outdoor. On with the show.

#dwellondesign 2013: lights (and glass)

I love glass. Therefore, I love lights. Dwell on Design 2013 was last weekend at the L.A. Convention Center and it afforded me plenty of opportunity to see both.

David Trubridge Lighting. Beautiful colors.

#dwellondesign 2013: kitchens!

Dwell on Design 2013 was last weekend at the L.A. Convention Center. Five posts in five days - can she do it? Regular visitors know I am good for one or two posts a week. But I have too much good stuff to show you. I am planning a kitchen remodel so I was especially drawn to anything that whispered kitchen.

Let's get the kitchen stuff out of the way.

#dwellondesign 2013: chairs and a chest!

#DwellonDesign was at the L.A. Convention Center this weekend. On Friday, I drove my mom up to Los Angeles and had a look around. Imagine the very best of design all on one convention center floor. Spectacular and a little overwhelming. I am going to break the posts up into groups of things I am interested in (my assumption always is my interests are your interests - haha). First up... CHAIRS (and a chest)!

Coolest booth. Ever. I mean that.

#dwellondesign home tours l.a. 2013: garten and reid residence

It's that time of year again! @Dwell is back in town with their June 21-23 Dwell on Design show which also includes home tours. Sunday, June 15 kicked off with @DwellOnDesign's L.A. West Side Tour.

I walked up to this home on the tour, the Garten & Reid Residence in Venice.Yawn.

la dwell home tours 2013: treehouse-modern-green-outdoors-in. words fail me.

It's that time of year again! Dwell is back in town with their June 21-23 Dwell on Design show which also includes home tours. Sunday, June 15 kicked off with their L.A. West Side Tour.

The first house on the tour was, well, incredible. Dwell Home Venice.

dwell modern san diego #4: harris residence

We are in the home stretch now with our fourth post on last Saturday's (Nov. 10, 2012) Dwell Home Tours Modern San Diego. I won't say that I have saved the best for last. They were all pretty special in their own ways (you can see #1 here, #2 here and #3 here).

But the Harris Residence has something distinctly unique about it.

dwell modern san diego #3: modern cardiff

This week's Dwell Home Tours Modern San Diego post series: we're on the third gorgeous modern home with one more to go tomorrow (you can see #1 here and #2 here). Our third venue is the Modern Cardiff house.

The home is incredibly distinguished looking with blackened exterior planks made from trees damaged in the Cedar Fire.

dwell modern san diego #2: one19 living studio

Dwell Home Tours Modern San Diego continues! As an avid student of the modernist movement, I was in heaven in San Diego last Saturday afternoon (Nov. 10, 2012). The second home on the tour was a modern beach inspired home with references to mid-century modern architects Richard Neutra, Cliff May, and William Wurster.

This new construction of 2,200 square-feet by architect Brett Farrow, is another modern modest home which also packs quite a punch.

dwell modern san diego #1: munson residence

I drove down to San Diego from Orange County (1.5 hours), this past Saturday (Nov. 10, 2012) for the Dwell Home Tours Modern San Diego event in anticipation of a modern with a capital "M" good time. I was not disappointed. Each of the five homes I toured Saturday was unique and spectacular in its own right. I was able to take photos of four of the interiors and will post them all week. Without further ado, the first home toured was the Munson Residence, located on the Del Mar coast.

This house is located near the lagoons and coastal bluffs and has some spectacular views from its rooftop deck.