Innholdsfortegnelse for July/August 2024 i Architectural Digest

“Made up my mind to make a new start, going to California with an aching in my heart.”—Led Zeppelin Countless creatives have found inspiration in California—authors, musicians, actors, screenwriters, artists, and performers of every type imaginable—and attempted to capture the enduring allure of the Golden State in their words, images, movies, and other output. Certainly the fields of architecture, interior design, and landscape are no less immune to its seductive call. The mountains, the ocean, the climate, the desert terrain, and the fantasy of an idyllic indoor-outdoor lifestyle at one with nature have proven irresistible to a whole host of legendary design talents. From architects (Wallace Neff and Paul R. Williams in the heyday of Hollywood; Richard Neutra and the Case Study crowd at midcentury; and later trailblazers like John…

IS it possible to look forward and backward at the same time? Judging by the unabashedly romantic, idiosyncratic home of Anne Crawford and Dudley DeZonia, the idea of reaching for the past while keeping an eye on the future is not only possible but, in this case, preferable. The couple’s historic Ojai refuge makes an eloquent case for the inspired coalescence of nostalgia and contemporary brio. “Rodman and I have always bonded around conversations about what constitutes an authentic idea of California—what it means to live in a way authentically connected to the land and history,” Crawford says, referring to her friend and longtime design collaborator Rodman Primack of the AD100 firm RP Miller. “This project was our attempt to reclaim the spirit of old California in a way that…

When Paris was selected to host the Summer 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, one of the selling points of the city’s proposal was that it would primarily rely on existing or temporary structures for sporting events, such as the Grand Palais for fencing and tae kwon do, the Stade Roland-Garros for tennis and boxing, and the Stade de France, the country’s national stadium, for athletics, rugby sevens, and closing ceremonies. Beyond an open-air climbing facility, only one new permanent sports venue has been constructed specifically for the Games: the Aquatics Centre, an eco-responsible natatorium in the suburb of Saint-Denis that will host diving, water polo, and artistic-swimming competitions. Codesigned by the Amsterdam-based firm VenhoevenCS and the French architects Ateliers 2/3/4/, the Aquatics Centre is a handsome timber structure with a…

In December 1913, less than a year after Grand Central Terminal opened in Manhattan, Detroit debuted its own transportation hub: Michigan Central Station, a neoclassical marvel that welcomed 4,000 daily train passengers at its peak. Both shared Beaux Arts bones and architects, the firms of Warren & Wetmore and Reed & Stem, but they would not share the same journey. Time was unkind to Michigan Central, which closed in 1988 and fell into disrepair. “It became a symbol of the rise and fall of Detroit,” notes Bill Ford Jr., who set about restoring the white elephant after Ford Motor Company bought it in 2018. “Now it shows Detroit’s resilience.” With the help of more than 3,000 artisans, the edifice has been returned to its former glory, reborn as the centerpiece…

Step onto a film set—or someone’s front porch—and you’re likely to see one: that workaday collapsible, wood-framed perch we all call the director’s chair, with its signature scissor-kick legs and removable canvas seat and back. This no-frills folding form hearkens back to ancient Egyptian stools and the classic Roman curule, reserved for dignitaries, but its modern origin story starts with what came to be known as Gold Medal Camp Furniture, a Wisconsin-based company that introduced the design in 1893 at the Chicago World’s Fair. “It was part of a larger inventory that had to do with camping, related to the back-to-nature movement of the 19th century,” explains Emily Orr, associate curator at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. “Steadily, it moved into domestic settings—backyards, patios, even parlors.” Not long after,…

“Having clients who have such a strong aesthetic really just makes my job easier.”—Frances Merrill “I collect everything; my favorite thing to do is go antiquing.”—Brynn Jones Saban…

Gazing out over a landscape where oaks and sycamores stretch across hilly terrain to the ocean beyond, it’s hard to believe you’re technically still within Los Angeles city limits. “The second you drive into the neighborhood, you just exhale,” explains one inhabitant of this home, nestled on the edge of a canyon between the Pacific Palisades and Santa Monica. Even the climate here feels different—about five degrees cooler than LA with an ocean breeze and thick morning fog. A couple with three kids had long set their sights on the woodland respite, speckled with organic modern houses by Ray Kappe, Richard Neutra, and Lloyd Wright. The area brimmed with historical lore: During Prohibition, entertainment industry bad boys and wealthy Angelenos snuck away here to blow off steam; over the decades…

Josh Greene is standing in the kitchen of his recently decorated apartment, preparing to welcome 40 guests for cocktails, when he suddenly realizes he forgot to buy ice. Nevertheless, the AD100 designer remains the picture of calm and cool, right down to his cozy house slippers. “I didn’t want my home to be stuffy,” says the California native. “But I still wanted it to feel polished and stylish.” Greene began looking for a New York City address with a well-honed wish list: a prewar building, a wood-burning fireplace, and a proper entry and dining room, all in estate condition. Though he had lived downtown for over two decades, he was less fussy about the location. “I was very open to going anywhere,” he says. “I just wanted to love the…