A San Francisco interior designer named Peter Rocchia learned some time ago that the government was selling old prefabricated buildings for $425 apiece. Eager to have a weekend place, he bought one and spent another $155 dismantling and moving it to a new site, where it was set on a ground level foundation. Then, doing most of his own work, Mr. Rocchia moved the front entrance to the side, replaced the old front walls with glass, extended an end wall to provide shelter and privacy for a new sun deck, and finally shingled the exterior walls with natural redwood shingles. Inside, he created a dining area in a little-used part of the kitchen. The living room itself was enlarged by eliminating two closets. Rubber tile floors were laid in the bath and kitchen, and Formica was used for kitchen counters and bathroom walls. Mr. Rocchia's total cost for his good-looking weekend house came to just $3,000.
_______________________ source: House and Garden Magazine | April 1956
This small house near San Francisco seems twice its 1,550 foot size to its owners, Mr. and Mrs. James Byrne, because house and site were planned together. Two decks and a garden terrace add 1,100 feet of outdoor living space to the five indoor rooms. Every room opens directly outdoors and window walls vastly extend the confines of the rooms. The deck at the water's edge, overlooking Belvedere Lagoon. serves as an extension of living room, dining room and master bedroom. It is open for sunbathing, enjoying the breeze and the bay view. The other deck is a shaded spot out of the wind and overlooking the small, sheltered garden. It also enlarges the rooms. Although its location endows the lot with wide horizons of water and mountains, the lot itself is only 73' x 102' with every inch of it planned for best possible use.
_______________________ source: House and Garden Magazine | February 1956
90s Ad Magic Is Back—And I’m Here for It
Sydney Sweeney is featured in American Eagle’s fall campaign.Acre/Keegan, courtesy of American Eagle
Of course—like pretty much the entire internet—I’ve seen the new American Eagle ad with Sydney Sweeney rocking her “good jeans” pun. And yes, it’s a great pun! Honestly, it’s hilarious watching people on the left absolutely lose their minds over it. So... big shout-out to American Eagle.
video version of the article and a collection of old TV commercials below:
Now, craziness aside, it’s refreshing—like really refreshing—to see ads actually getting back to being cool again. I mean, let’s be real: 90% of today’s marketing departments have no clue what makes a good ad. They don’t know the history of advertising, they don’t understand art (which is wild because visual advertising is totally linked to art), and they’re oblivious to what customers actually want. Great illustrators, painters, movie directors—all of them did ads at some point. But nowadays, it’s just politics on repeat.
I remember growing up in the '90s. The ads from back then? Pure vibes. The colors, the joy, the fun, the sexiness, the spicy humor... From epic playset commercials like He-Man to sizzling car and jeans ads. Oh—and how could we forget the iconic Marlboro Man?
Every evening driving home, those giant billboards were lit up, showing the Marlboro Man with wild horses galloping behind him. It was breathtaking. It captured that rugged American spirit—the wild west feel of freedom, adventure, and man's resilience against nature.
And hey, if you're into this kind of nostalgia, stick around. In my upcoming videos, I’m diving deep into the history of American advertising. I’ve got tons of old magazine ads in my collection I’m excited to share with you.
LOCATED IN WESTWOOD VILLAGE, in suburban Los Angeles, this department store with restaurant on its top floor is especially interesting for its 3-level arrangement of parking and access. By closely correlating garaging and retailing, the architect has achieved a scheme that permits the customer to park his car only a few yards from and at the same level as the section he is visiting. Total parking space will handle 1000 cars.
The design capitalizes on the natural slope of the 4-acre site by providing two principal merchandising levels, each with its pedestrian entrance directly from the street, as well as making possible parking at each level. Six entrances enable the shopper to reach his destination in the shortest possible time, whether he arrives on foot or by car.
Working closely with Raymond Dexter, Bullock's planning director, the architect completely designed the interior, including dress labels and wrapping paper.
The three plans above show how the three levels are articulated for both pedestrians and cars. Middle level ramp entrance from the street is shown above, right. Note the oversized faience tile which was designed by the architect for this job and used on several of the building's elevations.
Several materials are used for the exterior walls: concrete painted pale green, Arizona mint stone, fieldstone, and architect designed large size faience tile. The extensive use of tropical planting emphasizes the California character of the store's appearance
_______________________ source: Design for Modern Merchandising | An Architectural Record Book | 1954
Americans are learning what their ancestors knew: a house can give you the best years of your life. Not just any house, of course. A house today must have all the modern mechanical blessings technology has devised to cut household labor and to create leisure for living. It should have an ingenious floor plan, designed for the comfort of the family, for convenience and privacy. And it must be beautiful in itself, in relation to its environment and to those whose home it is to be. The General Electric Wonder House shown here, built for a young family on an arm reaching into Miami's Biscayne Bay, is one example. It has all the mechanical blessings, from a petal pink dishwasher to a heating and cooling system operated by electricity. It has a floor plan that makes every inch of its 2,046 square feet count for pleasant living. Its 100' x 150' plot, complete with a swimming pool economically built of concrete blocks, is landscaped for practicality as well as beauty. On the theory that grass looks greener when there isn't too much to cut, the architect used four paved areas to break up the lawn, providing space for children's play, sunning and car parking.
IN THE MASTER BEDROOM, the early morning sun is reflected in a cheerful yellow and white color scheme. The golden cotton carpeting is not only cool and pleasant underfoot but practical because it will not mildew and is washable. Curtains are made of Fortisan, which does not stretch or shrink, is resistant to sun. At night, they can be drawn across the window wall and lighted by fluorescent tubes concealed behind the wood valances.
ON THE SCREENED PORCH, which is an extension of the living room, wrought iron furniture is covered with weatherproof sail cloth. The wide roof overhang shades whole rear of house from the hot, high midday sun.
IN THE LIVING-DINING ROOM, sofas with slip covers of washable white cotton are accented by pillows in all shades of Caribbean blues, blue-greens and pale yellows. Dining chairs are upholstered in Larkspur Blue tropical leather which remains soft and luxuriously smooth no matter how hot or humid the weather. Sand-colored carpeting of viscose and nylon does not show footprints and is impervious to moths and mildew. Curtains are the same as those in the bedroom, making one continuous sweep of pattern.
_______________________ source: House and Garden Magazine | November 1955
This kind of modern house is rooted in tradition. A small home of precisely balanced wood and glass panels, it follows traditional precedents in its fine proportions and symmetry but is neither stately nor stuffy. On rolling countryside near New Canaan, Connecticut, it has the flexibility needed for present day living. The H-shaped plan completely separates living and sleeping rooms, but lets them share a center terrace which enlarges them both. In place of traditional walls, glass panels look out over the surrounding woods and azalea-planted court. Even the solid end walls of the house have a band of glass at the ceiling to give you a view of treetops or sky from almost any point. (You can also have privacy when you want it, from the draw curtains at all window-walls.) The house is a wonderful frame for the owners' fine antiques: Wide glass walls illuminate each piece of furniture, and crisply simple architectural details do not compete for attention.
_______________________ source: House and Garden Magazine | October 1955
