Latest news with #Arts&Crafts
Sydney Morning Herald
5 days ago
- General
- Sydney Morning Herald
There was plenty of scope for things to go wrong for this home reno
When a Sydney-based architect took on a Melbourne couple's home reno, there was plenty of scope for things to go wrong. Surprisingly, given the variety and choice of architects in Melbourne, the owners' search ended beyond Victoria's border. Complicating things further was the client's architecture background. Would they be tempted to change, interfere and make the process more challenging? Luckily for Sydney's Pohio Adams Architects, the clients – a couple with two children – were open to pushing the envelope as much as running with ideas. And what started out as a tired old Edwardian house in St Kilda is now a light-filled family contemporary home that also creates touchstones to the past. The client, who only worked as an architect for a relatively short period, had been in the same year in the school of architecture at Auckland University as Bianca Pohio, a director of the practice. 'There were few constraints when it came to the design. Our client regularly travels the world looking at great architecture, including by architects Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier,' says Pohio, who worked closely with her life and business partner, architect Chris Adams. 'I've known this client for 30 years, so there's also that element of trust,' she adds. Loading Located in a leafy heritage streetscape, the Edwardian house set on a 475-square-metre site, was always going to be retained. However, the house – renovated over intervening years with a number of Arts & Crafts and Art Deco elements – 'fell away' at the back with a poorly added lean-to. 'We were also faced with a three-level apartment block to the rear of the property which meant that we had to address issues such as overlooking,' says Adams. Pohio Adams Architects retained the front four rooms of the period home but reworked them into two separate bedrooms for the children and a large main bedroom and an en suite – with the remainder of the space used as a separate bathroom. Beyond this more traditional arrangement with open fireplaces and decorative plaster ceilings, the house starts to express new forms and materials.
The Age
5 days ago
- General
- The Age
There was plenty of scope for things to go wrong for this home reno
When a Sydney-based architect took on a Melbourne couple's home reno, there was plenty of scope for things to go wrong. Surprisingly, given the variety and choice of architects in Melbourne, the owners' search ended beyond Victoria's border. Complicating things further was the client's architecture background. Would they be tempted to change, interfere and make the process more challenging? Luckily for Sydney's Pohio Adams Architects, the clients – a couple with two children – were open to pushing the envelope as much as running with ideas. And what started out as a tired old Edwardian house in St Kilda is now a light-filled family contemporary home that also creates touchstones to the past. The client, who only worked as an architect for a relatively short period, had been in the same year in the school of architecture at Auckland University as Bianca Pohio, a director of the practice. 'There were few constraints when it came to the design. Our client regularly travels the world looking at great architecture, including by architects Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier,' says Pohio, who worked closely with her life and business partner, architect Chris Adams. 'I've known this client for 30 years, so there's also that element of trust,' she adds. Loading Located in a leafy heritage streetscape, the Edwardian house set on a 475-square-metre site, was always going to be retained. However, the house – renovated over intervening years with a number of Arts & Crafts and Art Deco elements – 'fell away' at the back with a poorly added lean-to. 'We were also faced with a three-level apartment block to the rear of the property which meant that we had to address issues such as overlooking,' says Adams. Pohio Adams Architects retained the front four rooms of the period home but reworked them into two separate bedrooms for the children and a large main bedroom and an en suite – with the remainder of the space used as a separate bathroom. Beyond this more traditional arrangement with open fireplaces and decorative plaster ceilings, the house starts to express new forms and materials.
Eater
24-06-2025
- Business
- Eater
Nopa's Neighborhood Bar Graduates to Palo Alto
The pros behind San Francisco's Horsefeather are looking to strike gold again. Their bar has become a staple of the Divisadero corridor in the years since its 2016 opening, but now the bar's next phase is just around the corner: As of Friday, June 27, Horsefeather will debut inside the Town & Country Village shopping center, just across the street from the Stanford campus, where the team feels the bar will translate well. 'What we've done really well in San Francisco is the level of hospitality in that convivial environment,' says co-owner Hanson Li. 'From service to food to drinks, it's at a pretty high level, but with a price point and an environment that's very approachable, from the family with a stroller at 5 p.m. to people coming after the show.' It's a big move for the Horsefeather team, and one they've put plenty of thought into. Expanding within San Francisco would have felt like 'a hat on a hat,' as co-owner Justin Lew puts it, too much Horsefeather in one city. 'Having the opportunity to be able to bring it to a place that's more of a suburban area works for the brand,' Lew says. 'It gives us an opportunity to serve a wider demographic.' It also didn't feel quite right to start over again with a new concept, especially given that the group feels Horsefeather resonates with its customers. 'It's a brand that, from the beginning, we knew was scalable,' Lew says. 'It is translatable, it offers something for everybody — we don't really want to reinvent the wheel. It's not really about franchising at all, but it is about seeing what other markets it can fit in.' What fans of Horsefeather the Original will find in Palo Alto is an expanded version of what the bar could be, if only given the space to stretch its legs. That will be felt most in the design of the space; Palo Alto continues to echo the Arts & Crafts style of architecture, but with added elements of Brutalism and Frank Lloyd Wright, Lew says. There are also callbacks to the original, such as with vintage glass details meant as a reminder of the atrium and a back bar that mimics the angular wood-paneled ceiling. The shotgun-style space of San Francisco's outpost left little room for a true private dining room — most customers gravitate toward renting out the streetside atrium, necessitating the awkward dance of customers essentially interrupting a private party as they walk to the main dining room. In Palo Alto, the PDR is fully considered, a wood-panelled room that can be part of the space when needed, or closed off if preferred, equipped with its own TV and sound system. As for refreshments, most of the hit dishes and drinks that made the Divisadero version popular will port over to Palo Alto. That stacked, double cheeseburger, the crisp, duck fat fries topped with 'duck fat snow,' fried chicken and waffles, and the Korean crispy wings are all there, at the opening. But the team is also waiting to see how the menus mesh with the larger Palo Alto crowd and will make adjustments accordingly, holding space to add on dishes as necessary. Also down the line will come lunch and, later, weekend brunch. The cocktail options will expand to 18 drinks, with new original cocktails that they hope will embody the Horsefeather crew's motto of approachability. General manager Dzu Nguyen shares that the new Showpony cocktail is a riff on the Kansas City-born Horsefeather drink (basically a whiskey mule), but dressed up with ginger syrup, sarsaparilla, and salted barley to layer in both umami and spice elements. Nguyen says the expansion is also an opportunity for him to grow the nonalcoholic options, such as the Shorebird, which takes the non-alcoholic spirit Aplós Calme and adds it to salted green apple cordial that they make in-house, with the surprise element of verjus and ginger-scallion oil for a rich texture. 'It really adds this dynamic layer of savory to [something] floral, citrusy, and fruit forward,' Nguyen says. 'It brings a sense of thoughtfulness to nonalcoholic cocktails.' As Lew describes the different elements of the space, which he had a hand in designing, he starts talking about the Brutalist mural that's going in. 'It's going to be a nice moment,' he says. 'But the place just has little moments everywhere — and that's just representative of what we did in San Francisco.' Horsefeather (855 El Camino Real, Suite 151, Palo Alto) debuts on Friday, June 27, and will be open from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. See More: San Francisco Restaurant Openings
National Geographic
30-05-2025
- National Geographic
10 places to stay while you're at Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park welcomes approximately four million visitors every year. Not surprisingly, travelers from around the world are drawn to the 748,000 acres of natural beauty which include Yosemite Valley, Half Dome, El Capitan, Glacier Point, numerous waterfalls, and Mariposa Grove, where visitors can walk through a giant sequoia. With so much to see and do, visitors to the national park should consider finding a home base nearby to allow enough time for a multi-day adventure to explore. Outdoor enthusiasts looking for an ideal place to stay should check into these 10 places to stay in and near Yosemite National Park, each offering something for every type of traveler. (Related: Here's everything to know about Yosemite National Park.) 1. The Ahwahnee, Yosemite Valley Best for: Architecture lovers Built in 1927 and designed by Gilbert Stanley Underwood, the Ahwahnee is a stellar example of National Park Rustic Architecture, fondly called 'parkitecture' by park service staff. This style involves using stonework and concrete, disguised as wood, to help buildings visually melt into nature. The Ahwahnee sits at the base of a sheer granite cliff, and its interiors include Native American designs on tiles and stenciling, 34-foot windows with views of Half Dome, and an astonishing amalgam of Art Deco, Arts & Crafts, and Middle Eastern styles found in its furnishings, rugs, beams, and fireplaces. 'We're running a hotel out of a museum,' says front desk manager Cole Estrada. Good to know: For more privacy, guests can elect to forego the main lodge in favor of small cottages in the forest. 2. Château du Sureau, Oakhurst Best for: European luxury Referencing Versailles may be putting it too boldly, but this five-star resort is an opulent sprawl. Guestrooms open with an iron key, and each has beautiful textiles and antique furnishings that evoke the French countryside. Instead of a lobby, Château du Sureau has a grand sitting room with a library, where guests can play games, read, or play the piano. It's a half hour from the South Gate, well worth the drive to be enveloped in luxury. Good to know: The on-site restaurant, the Elderberry House, is helmed by head chef Ethan de Graaf and showcases an exquisite three- or five-course tasting menu. Serving French cuisine with Japanese and American influences, the restaurant's must-try menu items include a red wine demi-glace that takes two days to prepare and is served on most entrées. Other favorites include the Brandt Farm ribeye and the cherry wood old fashioned are favorites. The latter is served with a tableside presentation of releasing the trapped cherry wood smoke infused into the drink; its orange oleo ingredient is prepped ahead of time and sits for several days marinating. (Related: Discover the best day hikes in Yosemite National Park.) 3. Yosemite View Lodge, El Portal Best for: Tranquility Located a five-minute drive from Yosemite's Arch Rock entrance, Yosemite View Lodge provides a serene setting where guests can sit on the balcony and hear the calming sounds of the Merced River which runs through the property. If possible, book a river view room on the ground floor to be mere inches from the water. It's a priceless experience. Good to know: If you can't score a river view room, bask in one of seven on-site hot tubs with mountain views to relax your hike-weary body. 4. Firefall Ranch, Groveland Best for: Families Opened in May 2024, this newer hotel located a half hour from the Big Oak Flat entrance is a goldmine for families. Firefall Ranch's outdoor heated pool is open 24 hours, a boon for active kids (and sleepless adults). Individual cabins encircle a frog-laden pond, and on-site amenities and activities include a mini golf course, climbing wall, nightly s'mores, and guided art activities to keep kids busy. According to the property's General Manager Joe Juszkiewicz, the ranch started offering horseback riding on its extensive acreage in April. Good to know: For a family activity that merges nature and sports, try the ranch's forest disc golf course. It features 18 holes across 300 acres. As the hotel's name alludes, a seasonal package in February called the Firefall Express brings guests into Yosemite to see the Firefall phenomenon where a portion of El Capitan appears to be aflame; other excursions can be booked as well. (Related: These are the 10 most popular national parks.) 5. Sierra Sky Ranch, Oakhurst Best for: History and ghost lovers The 150-year-old Sierra Sky Ranch has a long history and ghosts. This was once California's largest cattle ranch with 4,000 head of cattle but it also served other purposes over the years. It housed tuberculosis patients, and after World War II, it became a rest home for shell-shocked U.S. servicemen. With such a varied history, the ranch has become the permanent home to guests who can't seem to 'check out,' including farmhand Elmer and Sarah, a nurse from the sanatorium days. Ask at the front desk to review the book with previous guests' handwritten ghost encounters. You might end up adding a 'ghost-encounter' entry before leaving this historic ranch. Good to know: Your drive to the South Gate entrance is only 20 minutes. Stop halfway to visit the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad for a scenic ride on a whistling steam locomotive through the Sierra National Forest. 6. Lodge at Tenaya, Fish Camp Best for: Rustic elegance At the Lodge at Tenaya, just six minutes from the South Gate, the luxurious lobby boasts a lofty ceiling and elaborate iron chandeliers with dozens of tapers, borrowing vibes from the 'parkitecture' era even though the lodge was built in 1990. People gather near the impressive stone fireplace to play chess and chat with strangers. Ascent, The Spa at Tenaya upscales the experience with a relaxation lounge, steam and sauna rooms, and complimentary yoga classes. Good to know: Guests can book a private cottage or, better yet, an Explorer Cabin with exclusive golf cart use, views of the nearby creek, meadow, or pond, and access to the Explorer Clubhouse with complimentary snacks and wine. Explorer Cabin #41 is completely solar-powered. (Related: See what national parks in the United States first looked like.) 7. Yosemite Valley Lodge, Yosemite Valley Best for: Access to the continent's highest waterfall The motel-style rooms at the Yosemite Valley Lodge are clean and serviceable but dated—but that's negligible considering you're an easy walk to Yosemite Falls, North America's highest waterfall. With three separate drops, it plunges 2,245 feet and is visible and audible from the lodge. Good to know: This is also the closest lodge to the seasonal Firefall phenomenon; you can walk 40 minutes, drive five minutes, or take the free shuttle to the El Capitan picnic area for optimum viewing. 8. Curry Village, Yosemite Valley Best for: Valley views Guests staying at the historic Curry Village (1899) will have a stunning view of Half Dome and Sentinel Dome. It features 424 tent cabins (wooden framework with white canvas stretched over it), providing an interesting hybrid of cabin and tent, or choose from 46 traditional cabins or 18 motel rooms. Curry Village offers guests immediate sightlines to waterfalls, meadows, and dramatic rock faces. Good to know: In winter, a skating rink goes up for the thrill of carving ice under the majestic rise of granite cliffs. (Related: Avoid the crowds at the 10 least-visited U.S. national parks.) 9. Hotel Charlotte, Groveland Best for: Exploring a historic town Charlotte DeFerrari was an enterprising immigrant from Italy who built this 1921 National Register hotel 30 minutes from the Big Oak Flat entrance. Groveland is the quintessential Gold Rush town with a mercantile store that serves ice cream, a tiny jail (1895) no longer in use, and the Groveland Yosemite Gateway Museum. The Hotel Charlotte is across the street from the Iron Door Saloon (1852), said to be the oldest saloon in California. Good to know: Plan a picnic and spend the day at Rainbow Pool, located 10 minutes away from Hotel Charlotte. Fed by a small mountain stream, this swimming hole was originally a stagecoach stop. Adventurous travelers can go whitewater rafting on the Tuolumne River where the gold rushers once plied for gold. The Tuolumne boasts 40 rapids in an 18-mile stretch. Outfitters, such as Sierra Mac River Trips and Arta River Trips, can arrange your whitewater voyage. 10. Yosemite Bug Rustic Mountain Resort, Midpines Best for: A social California vibe 'Berkeley' meets Yosemite at the hillside Yosemite Bug Rustic Mountain Resort, which began in the 1930s as a Boy Scout camp. This casual spot 25 minutes from the Arch Rock entrance offers stilt cabins, hotel-style rooms, youth hostel bunk bedrooms, glamping tent cabins, and the Starlite House, a rustic space with a 1970s hippie vibe that sleeps seven people. Guests who don't know each other can slide into the communal 10-person stainless steel tub, visit the cedar-walled sauna, join a yoga session, and eat together in this spot that feels like a European hostel with a California vibe. Good to know: At the spa, the 'hiker's massage treatment' dials back stiffness from climbing Vernal Fall or any of Yosemite's strenuous hikes. The spa has many sets of stairs, so guests who may have issues walking or have other physical challenges should let the resort know when booking an appointment. Erika Mailman is a northern California-based writer who covers art, architecture, and travel. Follow her on Instagram.
Vancouver Sun
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Vancouver Sun
Dan Mangan brightens up dark times with new album Natural Light
Natural Light is the seventh album by Vancouver-based musician Dan Mangan. Due out on Arts & Crafts this week, the album was recorded at Toronto producer Jason Haberman's southern Ontario cottage, dubbed Souvenir. A photo of the makeshift studio in the front room of the cabin also became the cover art. The release is the first album that Mangan and his touring band of multi-instrumentalists Haberman, Mike O'Brien and Don Kerr recorded together. The singer admits the purpose of the cabin sessions was to workshop old ideas, develop new ones and treat it all as a zero-pressure preparation for future studio sessions in Los Angeles with a different producer and backing players. It became clear during the process that something else was taking place. Get top headlines and gossip from the world of celebrity and entertainment. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sun Spots will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. In the same way that Blue Rodeo's classic Five Days in July came out of the no-pressure cabin sessions that became the title, Natural Light could have been six days in May. 'There are a lot of things in my life I feel I really worked hard and sweated for, but this was the most serendipitous, joyful and creative experience I've ever had,' said Mangan. 'Some of these songs have been ruminating for a while, getting hummed in the shower and being extremely considered down to the choices of consonants, melody, etc. But the execution of them as a recording was unplanned and barely discussed. It's just a gift.' The album opens with It Might Be Raining, a surprisingly rare reference to our frequent weather by a Vancouver artist. The casually strummed ode to navigating the 'oceans of bull s—' that we are all up against is a perfect beginning to the 13-track recording. It shimmers with an emotional intensity juxtaposed against the kind of easy-flowing instrumentation that hearkens back to gems such as Van Morrison's Astral Weeks. 'It Might Be Raining was a new song I was excited about and the first song we did three takes and — boom — locked it away,' he said. 'Suddenly, everyone is going, 'Holy crap, that went well.' And the second day we did two songs, day three was four, and so on. When you go into a major studio like The Warehouse and everything you do is bleeding money, this was the opposite. Because we thought we weren't recording a record.' Right up until the very end of the sessions, this casual approach imbued the recording and the results were something Mangan has never experienced before. By the end of the week, it was obvious they had made a record. 'Personally, emotionally, I've never experienced that kind of total detachment from any result and it was blissful,' he said. 'I think it is a high point of my whole career. Even going back and adding some horns and strings, this whole time, I've been revelling in the experience.' Orchestral contributions came from composer Jesse Zubot, who previously recorded and toured with Mangan's big band Blacksmith. These kept in the spirit of the initial sessions, as songs such as the lead single Melody and My Dreams Are Getting Weirder are all filled with a glorious vibe of open space. The latest advance track, Diminishing Returns, may be the first pop single to reference the global climate crisis. Mangan notes the irony of having the third lead-up number to a major album being titled Diminishing Returns. He sadly reflects that the refrain of 'one place underwater, another burns, no one is surprised, but everyone is shocked' came from watching news reports on a U.S. tour leg where the West Coast was on fire and the East Coast was flooded due to hurricanes. It's one of the best songs on Natural Light. 'We're all up against it, going on with our day-to-day robotic lives like it's business as usual and planning ahead, still presuming that it's all going to be here,' he said. 'Meanwhile, doomscrolling at midnight, you're asking, 'What are we up against?' I reflect on these things and the real issues that people are facing and how you can arrive somewhere positive.' A founder of the Side Door Access booking platform to improve independent musicians touring opportunities and revenue generation, he is well aware of the personal pressure to keep positive about the modern music industry. At the time of this interview, Mangan note he is still embracing the joy of creating Natural Light before the coming business of releasing records comes into play. Then, things get serious for artists facing severe fiscal challenges. 'Every day that draws closer to the actual release date and it becoming a quantifiable marketplace product, I brace for the other side of all this bliss,' he said. 'It can or can't do well, and could be a case of so many years of my life having people react with 'So, what else are you working on?' But the coming shows will be incredible, because everyone in this band makes music together so naturally and gets along so well. Our band text stream is titled FLG, for F—in' Love You Guys.' Many dates on the fall tour in support of Natural Light have been announced already, including an Oct. 3 date at the Vogue Theatre with opener Bells Larsen. The all-ages show is already sold out. sderdeyn@
