feb ‘20
// nimmo architecture - project: oldrange
West East Collection
crystal case
RICARDO BELLO DIAS + STUDIO ORNARE
Dallas Design District - 1617 Hi Line Drive, Suite 190a, Dallas, TX, 75207 - (214) 377 1212
@ornareusa | www.ornare.com
1019 Dragon Street | Dallas | Design District | 214.350.0542 | www.sminkinc.com
by J. Claiborne Bowdon
poetic S P A C E S
// project: oldrange
The layout of a home can be determined by many factors, but if you’re Joshua Nimmo of NIMMO architecture the layout is a dynamic conversation. Rather than being what he calls “static objects for viewing” his living spaces are meant to encourage moments large and small between both people and the space. Nimmo is particularly adept at focusing the attention on the natural landscape, not just ensuring the survival of old growth trees and settling the building into the site, but placing a focus on the outside with large panels of glass that look outwards. The views from the structures often look onto communal spaces. This also ensures that the structure does not feel confined or confining. Instead, it is in fluid communion with its surroundings. The footprints of the homes are arranged for a natural progression from public to private space,
and with suggested spaces within the larger spaces that can offer a quiet place to be alone, or a large focal point for gatherings. On the website for Nimmo Architecture there is a page called “Process.” There are three audio files that describe the beginning, middle, and end of the design journey called “Discovery,” “Darkroom,” and, finally, “Emotion.” Each illuminates the language of thought applied to each project. The first is “discovery” because it allows for a response to the site itself without preconceived notions. The second is “darkroom” because, like a photograph, the structure begins to reveal itself through engagement. The third is “emotion” because it’s the ultimate response to something that perhaps can’t be described. Each of Nimmo’s buildings reveals a different aspect of these three stages of creation, and, naturally, each has a name.
2 Homes Available
Museum Tower 1918 N. Olive Street Dallas, TX 75201 Missy Woehr + Ilene Christ missy.ilene@compass.com M: 214.213.9455
Shi Jon is a lot like a figure in a Romantic painting with its back to you. The figure is incidental because its focus, and (in the painter’s intention) yours, is on the sublime vision of nature that dominates the canvas. The approaching stairway along the side of the house is met with a sheer plane of corrugated metal with a small rectangle of a window at the base like a peripheral eye. Once inside you find yourself in a multi-level structure with elevations of glass opening the house up to natural light and the wooded landscape beyond. It’s a multi-level structure out of necessity. The desire to not lose any of the trees from the site meant building upwards on a small
// project: hillen
footprint, and the house certainly hasn’t lost anything in the process. White oak beams give the house a fantastic signature in the form of stairs and screens within the structure- simply assembled with a refined but handmade feel. The placement within the setting makes it feel like a treehouse, and the stairways and floors help to reinforce that sense of wonder. Hillen is a product of place and time. It was built for a family with grown children who would be visiting rather than consistently occupying the home. With that in mind, the house takes on a multi-prong layout that radiates from
// project: oldrange - interior design by joshua rice design (furniture selection, artwork, accessories)
the living and dining area. The flow of the home begins at the entrance, which leads directly into the living and dining area. To the right are the guest bedrooms, so that anyone staying at the home may immediately drop their bags off there, and then rejoin everyone in the central public space, which if you keep moving forward will take you to the kitchen with the attached patio at the other end of the house. The orientation within the landscape, and the premium put on preserving the older trees on the property, have also determined the shape of the house
by ensuring it offers the best possible views, as well a clear path between the public to private spaces. Each off-shoot also serves to enclose the public spaces framed by the windows along each side of the house to give them a more intimate feel than the open expanse of wooded areas beyond. The property that the Oldrange family home sits on is essentially a rectangle, but it’s hardly a regimented space. The walls present in the home help to create private
// project: shijon // project: shijon
EMMI WHITEHORSE EARTH & SKY WITH DON REDMAN
JANUARY 25—MARCH 21
KIRK HOPPER FINE ART
DALLAS
areas for the members of the multigenerational family that lives in it, but in the open communal spaces what few walls there are create areas and channels that allow its occupants to make choices. The entryway follows a wall to the left, on the other side of which is the living/TV area with a gap to allow for whoever comes into the door to immediately join the family. If they would rather not it’s a direct channel to a study or other areas that offer a quieter place to be alone. To accomplish a sense of place, but leave the floorplan open, Nimmo has cleverly employed different color and material cues. The TV area has a warm golden wall of walnut veneer that is mirrored through the glass along the opposite side of the house with an outdoor façade of mahogany. It gives the visual experience unity, but allows the space of the living room to be clearly apart in distance and mood from the native Texas Lueders limestone that creates the fireplace. Nimmo’s openness to what may present itself throughout the process, and what life itself may present once the structure is complete, is what makes these gentle choices and suggestions possible. Several of his homes are constructed with multigenerational family living in mind, and all boast some environmentally conscious sustainable design components. They range from solar panels, reduced heat-retention design and materials, efficient HVAC, water-reclamation, and recycled or recyclable materials. Designing with an eye to a future that perhaps does not include what you built is possibly the boldest statement an architect can make, and Nimmo readily embraces that. His design approach is fully centered on quality of life, both now and later. // nimmo.am
// project: shijon
by Kendall Morgan
MEXICAN ART IN BLOOM
// rosa rolanda, self-portrait, 1939, oil on canvas, colección andrés blaisten, méxico
// francisco dosamantes, three women with braids, n.d., lithograph, dallas museum of art, dallas art association purchase, 1951.88. image courtesy dallas museum of art
A long-lost painting by artist Alfredo Ramos Martínez anchors a gorgeous new exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art. With its monumental size and intense coloration, it seems Flores Mexicanas would automatically be the jewel in any museum’s crown. Painted over nearly 15 years by Mexican artist Alfredo Ramos Martínez, the nine-by12-foot work was initially given to the aviators Anne and Charles Lindbergh as a wedding gift by Mexican president Emilio Portes Gil. Yet in the deluge of presents celebrating the Lindbergh’s union, Flores somehow ended up stashed in the Missouri Historical Society’s Library
and Research Center. Perhaps they didn’t possess a wall huge enough to show it off? “It was not lost, but it was not on view, so it was quietly forgotten,” says Dr. Mark A. Castro, the Dallas Museum of Art’s first Jorge Baldor curator of Latin American art. “It’s not through lack of interest or lack of love, but when you have collections of thousands of objects, even large things can fade in memory.” When Historical Society president Frances Levine happened to walk by the piece, she decided to restore the painting and its ornately carved frame, bringing it out
// alfredo ramos martínez, mancacoyota, 1930, oil on cardboard, colección andrés blaisten, méxico. © the alfredo ramos martínez research project, reproduced by permission
// don redman
CONTACT
DALLAS
214.828.9888 www.collageclassics.com info@collageclassics.com
2034 Irving Blvd. Dallas, TX 75207
NEW YORK 200 Lexington Ave. #1058 New York, NY 10016
Conoid Table and Chairs George Nakashima
Alfredo Ramos Martinez, Flores Mexicanas, 1914-1929, Missouri Historical Society Collections. © The Alfredo Ramos Martínez Research Project, reproduced by permission. Image courtesy of Dallas Museum of Art
of hiding for a 2019 show focusing on the Lindberghs. Once Castro joined the DMA last September, he decided it had to be the focal point of his first curated show. By the time Martínez completed Flores in 1929, the Mexican civil war was over, and the meaning of the painting had evolved. Where the quartet of nubile damas formerly represented the four seasons, they now also stood as icons of the four racial “types” of Mexico’s women. “I think this painting, for me, is such a good reminder of how incredible works of art can carry so many meanings in the boundaries of a single canvas,” Castro says. “On the one hand, you have these two historical explanations—an allegory of the seasons and an allegory of the races. Over the 15 years until it came time to sell the work, it was
reinterpreted by the Mexican president to suit the national identity of the time. “It almost feels like Martínez was painting this very romantic notion of these beautiful women in this beautiful landscape that you’d expect to see in the home of a wealthy family of the last regime. I think (the artist) is uncertain if the future is going to take the country back to that, or if he’s aware on some level, it’s the end of the period.” While building his exhibition around Flores, Castro took the opportunity to both highlight Martínez’s oeuvre as well as take a deeper dive into the ever-shifting portrayal of women during one of Mexico’s most transformative periods.
“For me, I see it all as different layers of a single story,” he says. “I started to recognize these patterns of how Martínez portrays women before Flores and after it. That led me to wonder how male artists represent women of different races and how women artists represent themselves.” Thus, the exhibit’s front room offers both an array of Mexican works focusing on the female, including self-portraits from the likes of María Izquierdo and Rosa Rolanda, as well as portrayals of indigenous women by Diego Rivera and Francisco Dosamantes. The backroom centers around Flore, but the real revelation here is how Martínez’s style changed so intensely over just a few decades, particularly after he moved to Los Angeles in to provide greater access to medical care for his daughter. His early society portraits possess the same dreamy beauty as Flores. In contrast, later works like 1933’s The First Indians of America and paintings of the poor and working-class of his native land offer a more clear-eyed view of his subject matter. “He was a sophisticated and canny artist,” says Castro. “In the decades following the war, he saw the rise of the mural painting movement, so he’s changing with the time. When he arrived in L.A., he was aware collectors were newly fascinated with Mexican art and wanted to buy things that represented authentic scenes of life there.” // alfredo ramos martínez, portrait of nahui olin, c. 1915, pastel on paper on canvas, colección pérez simón. arturo piera and the alfredo ramos martínez research project, reproduced by permission
Having spearheaded the major Latin American presentation Paint the Revolution: Mexican Modernism, 1910-1950 in his former role at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Castro is passionate about bringing a broader view of Latin American art to our city. If Latinx art is having a moment, he says it’s one that’s long overdue, and one that he hopes to extend even further. Considering the patron saint of Mexican painters —Frida Kahlo—really only made her mark in the cultural landscape in the late 1980s, it stands to reason that many more treasures await his curation. Next up will be an exhibition devoted to Abraham Ángel, an artist who died under mysterious circumstances at age 19, having produced just 25 works. “Our cultural history is much more intertwined (with Mexico) than we realize,” Castro explains. “The DMA has been collecting Mexican and Latin-American art since its founding, but the creation of my position is a deepening of that, and a desire to expand representation of such a rich culture. We want to do great projects that reflect our community—to present works that will speak to our audience, but not to shy away from complicated stories.” dma.org
// maría izquierdo, self-portrait, 1940, oil on canvas, colección andrés blaisten, méxico. reproduced with the permission of maría rosenda lopez posadas
lush GARDEN
by J. Claiborne Bowdon
“Natural,” like “gourmet,” is a word we often dismiss outright because it seems to be everywhere. It likely meant something at one time, but its value became perceived value and its meaning quickly eroded. “Natural” is not a designation, unlike “organic,” that has any regulatory significance, it doesn’t require certification, so the designation of something as “natural” is only as good as who or whatever is making the claim. Enter Bar and Garden. This well ordered white box of a liquor store is here to help you understand and make a more informed choice on what you’re imbibing, which is invaluable in an era of mindfulness. We’re all trying to be more aware of our
surroundings and how we are affected by them, which in turn has caused many to seriously scrutinize what they eat and drink. “Farm-to-table” has proven to be less a trend than a radical shift in approach and thought. Rather than being a selling point it’s an ethos, and in its wake things like “natural wine” have been able to attract more interest. “Natural wine,” can mean several things–to purists it means absolutely no additives other than wild or native yeasts to aid fermentation, but others will allow for a light addition of sulfites. Naturally, there are different
standards among wine growers, not just drinkers, so Bar and Garden has tags to help you know what you’re buying. This will require a short introduction from one of their helpful staff members. There can be up to four stamps on a tag. A sunburst-like symbol at the top lets you know the wine is some variation of natural. If you see a crescent shape below that you know that grapes are grown along with the natural calendar, rather than being produced year-round on an industrial scale. From there you can find wines that meet the highest standards of natural wine. I went with a sauvignon blanc and chardonnay blend that was everything the staff member promised- “very clean, very crisp.” The sauvignon blanc opened up with a full punch of
flavor, which was then put in check by the unoaked chardonnay. It certainly left me interested to try more. To be clear, the “Bar” in Bar and Garden is specific to your bar that you have at home, as they also have an extensive selection of mixers with natural flavors that are free of dyes and other additives. They do host regular tastings and scheduled samplings, but, as anyone with a general knowledge of Texas blue laws can attest, no alcohol can be served on the premises of a liquor store. The “Garden” is also yours as well, as there are several potted varieties of plants on hand to take home and admire long after the bottle has been savored. barandgardendallas.com
VISUAL COMFORT TECH LIGHTING GENERATION LIGHTING MONTE CARLO FANS PHILLIPS COLLECTION SHADOW CATCHERS ART EMISSARY HOME BLISS STUDIO
“always to the trade only”
2000 N Stemmons Frwy Suite 1D111 Dallas, TX 75207 214.651.9565 taylorsdallas.com
MODERN SPACES
3505 Turtle Creek Blvd #18D // $3,325,000 MISSY WOEHR + ILENE CHRIST c: 214.213.9455 missy.ilene@compass.com
3613 Dorothy Avenue // $529,000 JACOB MOSS c. 214.335.1719 jacob.moss@compass.com
1322 Kessler Park // $2,000,000 JARRAD BARNES c. 214.797.1900 jarrad@jarradbarnes.com
4205 Buena Vista St #8A // $6,650,000 FAISAL HALUM c. 214.240.2575 fhalum@briggsfreeman.com
// photo: addison jones
by Kendall Morgan
THE PHILOSOPHY OF DESIGN
// photo: addison jones
You’ll definitely look like a great cook.
Show off your culinary acumen in the Alea kitchen from Poliform.
Dallas 1617 Hi Line Dr. Ste. 100 214.748.9838 Austin 115 W. 8th St. 512.480.0436 scottcooner.com
// photo: cody ulrich
What makes a house a (well-curated) home, courtesy of interior designer Joshua Rice. Joshua Rice has built a sterling reputation for his collector’s eye and sleight-of-hand mix of materials and textures. At first glance, his rooms seem to be a simple yet sophisticated blend of neutrals with accents of eye-catching art; there are more cerebral factors at play. Rice considers every element of what makes a room both chic and comfortable, and what furnishings will make his client’s hearts sing. A Tulsa, Oklahoma native, Rice graduated from Texas Christian University with an interior design degree. After spending the mid-noughties with
the acclaimed Dallas-based architecture and design firm Bodron + Fruit, he struck out on his own in early 2007 to hone his warm, luxurious modernism. His work is always contemporary, without being cold, textural, without being busy, and of-the-moment without succumbing to trends. Adept in sourcing unique pieces (even if it means designing them himself), each interior he creates is specific to its owner, yet effortlessly recognizable as a Joshua Rice original. Here, he shares his tenets of exceptional design with ModCiti: ModCiti: What are the typical first steps in your design process?
Joshua Rice: I spend a tremendous amount of time studying the architecture and the primary architectural intent for the space. I want to compliment the original architect’s design, not overtake it, so we can be proud of the finished space. I’ve been fortunate enough to work on a lot of projects with a lot of talented architects who understand the intent of the space. I evaluate the ideal views and preferred orientation as they relate to exterior views and how the users will experience the room. Will it be primarily for family conversation, TV watching, entertaining, relaxing? It’s a lot of predicting and feeling what spaces should be. MC: How would you describe your aesthetic? JR: I would say cerebral, curated, and comfortably/casually sophisticated. MC: What eras or designers are your go-to’s? JR: I find myself particularly drawn to the high-design and high-craft furniture of the late ‘60s and mid to late ‘70s. Tobia Scarpa, Fabricius and Kastholm, Mario Bellini. Also, mid-70’s Belgian design. MC: You tend to stick to a neutral palette in a lot of your projects. Is this important to you? JR: I actually love color, but not bold primary color. There is nothing prettier than a dark, saturated jade green, or the perfect brown/purple balanced aubergine. I even get excited by a muted salmon pink, but I have a very cautious approach to color. I want my projects to be timeless. Color is very subject to trends (millennial pink comes to mind). Just think of the 1970s and try not to // photo: robert tsai
// photo: robert tsai
think of mustard/brown/orange, or the ‘80s mauve/ weird Easter-y colors. In my opinion, it is best to keep it neutral and add smaller pops of color. Small pillows and accessories are much easier to get rid of than a large colored sofa. MC: Why do you love combining modern and contemporary, and do you have any rules of thumb for doing so? JR: Vintage or mid-century pieces allow me to use something that might be completely unique to a space or project. I am always on the hunt for something // photo: allison v smith
Engage Educate Experience Enjoy
The Dallas Architecture Forum is for everyone who wants to experience inspired design. The Forum presents an award-winning Lecture Series that brings outstanding architects,interior designers, landscape architects and urban planners from around the world, as well as Symposia, Receptions at architecturally significant residences, and Panel Discussions on issues impacting North Texas.
ď‚‚ď‚
dallasarchitectureforum.org
Spring 2020 Lectures and Panels All are welcome, Forum Members Attend for Free. More information & join at dallasarchitectureforum.org Kevin ALTER Founder and Partner alterstudio The Frank Welch Memorial Lecture
Mary Margaret JONES President and Senior Principal Hargreaves Jones
Frida ESCOBEDO Founder and Principal Frida Escobedo Architects
Jason LONG Partner OMA New York
Dirk DENISON Founder and Partner Dirk Denison Architects
Disaster Recovery – Helping Communities Come Home Emily HENRY, Moderator
29 January 2020 Wednesday, 7 pm Horchow Auditorium, DMA
11 February 2020 Tuesday, 7 pm Horchow Auditorium, DMA
25 February 2020 Tuesday, 7 pm Horchow Auditorium, DMA
25 March 2020 Wednesday, 7 pm Horchow Auditorium, DMA
7 May 2020 Thursday, 7 pm Angelika Film Center, Dallas
4 February 2020 Tuesday, 6:30 pm Dallas Black Dance Theater
// photo: michael moran
// photo: addison jones
exceptionally rare or obscure. I also keep my projects unique from each other, and—with a few exceptions— I’ll rarely re-use the same designs between projects. When it comes to contemporary, I want you to walk in every space I do and say, ‘I haven’t seen that before.’ There are a few ways to do something unique, which is to do something incredibly expensive or custom, or just a little bit odd that might not appeal to everybody. A good way to get something unique in there is to mix in some mid-century pieces that are obscure and important that give it that unique flair. MC: What are some of your favorite sources to find those unique pieces? JR: Sputnik, Scott and Cooner, Smink, and Collage. I’ve
got some hip pocket international people I work with a lot as well in Amsterdam and France. MC: How do you successfully blend newly acquired pieces with a client’s existing pieces? JR: Sometimes, clients will have a piece that is special to them, often an antique. I think (modern) and antique can be some of the most exciting pairings. If it’s an item or period I would never have gone to on my own, it forces me out of my comfort zone a little bit, and I often find I’m happy with the results even if I wouldn’t have picked it myself. And if you have something important to the client, it always makes the project a little bit more special to them. MC: How does art enervate a room, and what guidelines do you have for mixing art with furniture?
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JR: I think that art is VERY important, but certain spaces will demand art, and certain spaces (if they’re architecturally distinct and on the minimal side) can be a good substitute for art. Art helps make a space a little bit more unique and tailored to the client, but I do find the more ubiquitous a house is, art really helps define the space. If it doesn’t have a lot of unique architectural features, it can do the heavy lifting. You can make a simple ranch house look great with some minimalist details and really nice art. MC: What has been your biggest challenge of a project so far, and how did you solve the challenge? JR: Keeping people on task. You have to make this unique bond with people to let them trust you and let them know I’m not trying just to sell them a bunch of stuff, I’m trying to make the space look great and something we both can be proud of. I’m straightforward with people, so I’ve learned how to get there fast. If you’ve got a client that has small dogs with small bladders or cats with claws that’s challenging, because you know that’s a factor in the design. Generally, the rule of thumb is the amount of rare and important design is inversely proportional to the number of pets in the house. People who have young kids always worry, but I’ve found that if you teach them things are special, kids, for the most part, want to be a part of that. MC: You’re known for adding that extra custom touch to all of your projects. How do you source these unique or one-of-a-kind pieces? JR: If there’s an artist or designer I like, I might approach them and say, “Hey, I like that aesthetic and material, can you translate that into a 10-foot-long cabinet? It
becomes a collaborative thing that’s pretty rewarding. Then, on my own I do designs of furniture. I’ve recently been working on some custom carved stone pieces out of Italy, and it’s been really interesting. I’ll take photos of (the designs), and if a client wants to buy it, they can. In every project, I like to design at least one or two pieces, whether it be a little side table or lighting designs. MC: What are five things any successful room must possess? JR: • Some types of greenery like a small plant, flowers, or a succulent. • A statement piece of furniture that is completely unique to your project. Maybe this is the one chair that commands the most attention in the room. • Something that has value and substance, like books, design, art, or rare pieces. • A signature scent like a candle or incense. Smell is so closely related to emotion and memory and helps a room make a lasting impression. • Finally, something to put your feet on. Even if you have a fancy room with a coffee table that you would never dream of putting your feet on, get a small, durable, movable pouf. It’s your home, and you deserve to be comfortable. Besides, the ottoman can disappear when guests come over. MC: What are you excited about currently? JR: My house! It’s a cool 1960s mid-century modern we’ve moved into recently. We put a lot of time and effort into tailoring it to my family’s needs, and I’m restoring it with respect to the design—but with an edge. And, with greater frequency, I am working on projects with a budget and scale that allow me to commission and design oneoff pieces. This guarantees a home is truly one-of-a-kind. // photo: cody ulrich
joshuaricedesign.com
modern
classics // desk by george nelson 1946 available at collageclassics.com // tizio table lamp available at artemide.com
// 526 nuage cabinet by charlotte perriand available at scottcooner.com
// womb™ chair and ottoman designed by eero saarinen for knollŽ available at knoll.com
your modern
calendar
Modern events and activities make for fall fun around the Metroplex.
AD EX Walking Tours, Skyline360 // February 29
Lobello House Open for Touring Preservation Dallas // March 07
Mark Bradford: End Papers Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth // Mar 08 - Aug 09, 2020
JoĂŤl Andrianomearisoa + Jose DĂĄvila + Friendswithyou* Dallas Contemporary // through March 15
Focus On: Alex Katz he Dallas Museum of Art // through March 20
Jason LONG - Partner OMA New York Dallas Architecture Forum // March 25
Magdalena Abakanowicz and John Chamberlain Nasher Sculpture Center // through April 05
Beili Liu The Crow Museum of Asian Art of The University of Texas at Dallas // through August 16
modern
art galleries
Modern art, exhibits, around the Metroplex. David Jeremiah The Public Trust // through Mar07
Lilian Garcia-Roig Valley House Gallery // through Mar14
Robert Sagerman + Lauren Clay Conduit Gallery // through february 22
Emmi Whitehorse + Don Redman + Lynn Randolph Craighead Green Gallery // through Mar21
Kendall Stallings + Carole Pierce + Kelsey Irvin Craighead Green Gallery // through Mar21
Whole Cloth Site131 // through March 21
Anna Bogatin Ott Holly Johnson Gallery // through Apr25
Hip Squares Geometric and Madi Art // through Apr26
Signs Of The Times PDNB Gallery // through May02
