The incomparable eye of Julius Shulman brought us some of our most iconic images, beginning with Richard Neutra’s architecture in 1936. He was captured by John Skalicky at a photo shoot in September 2007 as he photographed furniture for Peter Schifando of William Haines Designs (shown with him).

Jim McHugh,who photographed Shulman in November of 2008, said, "We went out to breakfast after the photographs were taken. At age 98, Julius spoke excitedly about the shoot he had just completed the day before and the assignments he had coming up--all the while, he was finishing off a very large stack of pancakes!” During an interview last year, Shulman told DesignCommotion he felt cities like Miami were not being wise at preserving architectural heritage. He cited Palm Springs, a place he knew well, as an example of appropriateness. History owes him a great debt, as it is through his eyes that we see some of modernism’s finest moments in America.

Beginning August 26, the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) in New York will exhibit works by the winners of the Abraaj Capital Art Prize honoring contemporary art from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia. Works by Zoulikha Bouabdellah, Kutlug Ataman and Nazgol Ansarina (whose “Sketch of First Week,” 2009, is shown) will be on view through October 4.

Vintage and Modern, one of our favorite online marketplaces for antiques, modern furnishings, art and jewelry, is daring to imagine all connected with the launch of VandM 2.0, a social networking platform to encourage dialogue between dealers, buyers and collectors in 36 different languages no less. The site will also provide enhanced statistical analysis for dealers. Word up!

Martha Stewart says of the new book Parks, Plants, and People, just released by W. W. Norton, “...it will make us all look at these spaces with new reverence and appreciation. Thank you Lynden Miller.” Bette Midler says of Miller, the author, “It’s no exaggeration to call Lynden Miller the godmother of New York City’s public green spaces.”

Miller, director of The Conservatory Garden in Central Park, is an internationally renowned public garden designer with 27 years’ experience and an artist’s eye. She has changed the face of New York City’s public places by providing a connection with nature for neighborhoods, rich and poor. She calls on everyone who cares about the quality of life in urban areas to create and support well-planted parks and gardens as essential urban oases that reduce crime and have positive effects on the economic welfare of cities and their citizens. The book is here.

OUR FRIENDS AT ROLLOUT GO GRAF WITH BANDIT AND KAORI

A new series of murals being produced by the company reflect Rollout’s commitment to creative collaborations, and to beautifying the mental environment of cities and neighborhoods. After a stint of intensive work that included high-end events like fashion week in New York, the powers that be at Rollout decided it was time to have some simple improvisational fun that included letting their hair down and getting some paint on their hands. If you know anyone who has an outdoor wall space that is begging for one-of-a-kind works of art, Rollout is all over it. (And there’s nothing like living in the present!)

While attending a dinner at the Guggenheim honoring Robert A. M. Stern, who is adding buildings to the storied Frank Lloyd Wright architecture on the Florida Southern College campus, DesignCommotion had the great pleasure of meeting Tim Hoeft of Straughn Trout Architects. The firm just won a Tampa Bay Chapter AIA Merit Award for their design of the McKay Archives Center on the campus in Lakeland. 

Summer is disappearing at an alarming clip. Though Labor Day doesn’t officially bring the season to a close until September 7, get your toast-worthy equipment ordered now so you’ll be ready to say goodbye to the lazy days of summer in style.

The Riva and Siena decanters by Spiegelau are available online at cooking.com.

Gloster is seeing red thanks to it’s Elan collection. The outdoor furniture line, designed by Axel Enthoven--president and founder of Enthoven Associates Design Consultants in Belgium, garnered the company an honorable mention in the reddot design awards. Elan includes dining chairs, a reclining armchair, a sofa and a lounger. There are also four styles of tables: dining, coffee and side tables, and a serving trolley.

How important is a faucet to a bathroom? Though small compared to many of the elements in the room, the wrong faucet in a beautiful bath is the David sleighing the space’s Goliath style. Los Angeles designer Cory Pernicano selected the Empire Moderne from California Faucets’ Art Deco Collection for his master bath at the 2009 Pasadena Showcase House of Design, which ended in May. Pernicano and twenty four other designers created spaces in the Italian Renaissance Revival estate built in 1917 in San Marino. He chose the Empire Moderne for his young adult’s master bathroom for its art deco style, which was all the rage in architecture, décor and art during the twenties and thirties. “To be true to the period, the predictable choice would have been a white porcelain faucet,” he says. “I decided on the Empire Moderne for a more dramatic impact.” Choose your own stylish faucet with the Virtual Faucet Creator®.

Known for decorating nurseries of royalty and celebrities around the world, AFK brings their passion of children’s design to Beverly Hills with their first flagship boutique. The company’s dictum is that a nurturing environment for their children is the mark of the most savvy parents. Renowned for classically styled, bench-made furniture, detailed carving and appliqués, as well as painstakingly applied designer finishes, AFK’s furniture pieces are hand painted in their California workroom using water-based non-toxic finishes so parents can breathe easier.

Silver State introduces Textures, the company’s first Nano-tex® collection. The high-performance finish made with nanotechnology builds permanent spill and stain protection into the fiber structure of any fabric, which means, of course, you’ll be able to clean it in a nanosecond. (Sorry, we couldn’t resist!)

Right: Myres in Nutmeg, Balfour in Caramel, and Minard in Wheat. Below: Birkhill in Peacock, Aberdeen in Fuchsia, Glasgow in Grape and Myres in Spring.

TO HONOR THE ANNIVERSARY OF WOODSTOCK (40 YEARS AGO ON AUGUST 15), WE BRING YOU CARLETON VARNEY’S NEW FURNISHINGS LINE FOR HSN WITH MORE FLOWER POWER THAN ANYTHING WE’VE SEEN IN A WHILE.

Troy Adams is taking the art of Tepanyaki out of the restaurant and easting it into your home with the TepanGrill Table. The outdoor dining table with built-in stainless steel cooktop is shown in honed absolute black granite, but it can be custom built in any material or size. The infrared heat from the grill has a similar effect to that of traditional coal charcoal but a downdraft ventilator eliminates smoke and other cooking odors. The grill is suitable for all types of meat and seafood.

Photo by Brahl Fotografi.

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