From the category archives:
Jay Heritage Center, Rye N.Y.
I recently came across an article in the local news about the Jay Heritage Center, located in Rye New York. This historic 1838 Greek Revival mansion was the home of young John Jay, a first chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court and one time governor of New York and beloved resident of Westchester county.
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Wherever I go I always keep my eye open for historically preserved buildings. I spotted the Schiff House (Beit Schiff) a few weeks ago on the corner of Herzl and Lillienblum, Tel-Aviv. The Israel Discount Bank Tower does dwarf it, however the care with which the building was preserved and restored to a museum lends itself to a worthwhile visit. Click here.
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My girlfriend Sara Eisen actually sent me this picture ages ago. I always meant to get to it – but never did. Until today.
Sara hates the “balatot” (terrazzo) tiles in her front entryway, but getting the area re-tiled isn’t currently an option. So she asked me about cutting out an area of the tiles and putting in decorative tiles instead.
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Paint is a small miracle waiting to happen, one coat makes it cleaner, two coats give it personality and three coats do the trick for a full update to old furniture.
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Junktion is another store in Jaffa that left me in awe of what can be done with all sorts of stuff instead of throwing it out. Their philosophy that there is enough stuff in the world and that you can create with what already exists is one that I share. The designers at Junktion take what you thought of as JUNK and create something completely out of the ordinary. They like to take things out of context and I am seriously wowed by their designs.
One of the first things that fascinated me was this bar stool made out of bicycle parts. They make several variations of it:
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I was looking through some photos I took on past European trips when I came across some beautiful examples of balconies. I think that the balcony (or mirpesset as it’s called in Israel) can be such a decorative feature on a building. Click here.
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Anyone who has taken a walk around Tel Aviv this year probably noticed the strange lighted glass blocks embedded in sidewalks throughout the city. I had heard that they have something to do with the 100th anniversary of the city’s establishment. Well today on my way home from work I stopped by a recently restored apartment building in Nahalat Binyamin Street called “Beit Hatamar”, or “The [Date] Palm House” in English, and took some pictures (with my phone—sorry about the quality). And I called the phone number listed on the little glass brick in front of it. Click here.
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On one of my afternoon walks, I found 3 wooden drawers that must have been part of a dining room cabinet. There are these really great labels on the front, in German.
I went to a German-English online dictionary to translate the labels for those who are curious:
Fischbestecke means Fish cutlery
Diverses means Miscellaneous
Theelöffel, Tischgabeln & Tischloffel mean Teaspoons, Forks & Tablespoons.
It saves time when you know what’s in the drawers, I guess.
Click here.
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Who would think of building on an island that can only be reached at low tide? Click here.
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Recently I had an opportunity to take a road trip up the coast of Maine to Atlantic Canada. I saw some incredible views and sites that I hope to share with you in the coming weeks. Staying in B and B’s is always so much nicer than hotels. Nothing compares to the hospitality you receive from innkeepers. It’s interesting that such a large number historical homes in the Northeast part of the U.S. have been converted to heritage inns. This one in Kennebunkport caught my eye. Click here.
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