Why Dallas, Why Modern Homes
I can explain the love of Dallas. I grew up in this Metroplex. I did move to other locales and while they were fine, they weren’t Dallas. I know how people perceive Dallas. And perhaps that’s why I think Modern Homes and Dallas share some perception issues. To wit: When I originally thought of Modern Design and even Modern Furnishings they were bleak and stark. There is a term for that and we’ll discuss that in another post but the same can be said for Dallas. I know people that think of Dallas a concrete and glass. The people, the feel, the energy. Austin gets all the props for being cool and laid back and I’ll give them that. They worked hard to foster and fertilize that growth of opinion. “Keep Austin Weird”, SXSW, Austin City Limits and the expanse of live music that is everywhere in that city, has bled into the design, the culture and overall feel of the city, which is great. Dallas, on the other hand, has been the evil corporate and shallow cousin, in perception. I want to challenge that. Yes, there are parts of Dallas that are all about the money, the look and unfortunately class-based structure. I KNOW from which I speak on this.
But like this movement in many ways, the first impression is often too simple. Deeper inspiration can be found. There can be a starkness to both Modern Design and Dallas. However, push that impression to the side, dig in a little deeper, turn over some rocks/thoughts and discover what both bring to the table. There are some similarities:
- Form follows function
Dallas – We, like Houston, ended up with a lot of corporate headquarters and businesses. This meant executives, lawyers and workers for corporations. One formal downtown and a lot of ways to get there is where we get highways and glass buildings. But likewise as we have grown and OH how we have grown, Dallas and Fort Worth has spread. Some would say sprawl. I prefer to think that each city has it’s unique flavor and even if it’s in the Metroplex proper. So push through one aspect like corporations and businesses and realize that with that comes people with passions for art, dance, museums, style, etc. People are unique, they bring different life experiences and so they add their particular seasonings to a pot. Explore the food that is found with the cultures and you realize that there is a restaurant (not in a chain) for every ethnicity in this city. Neighborhoods reflect likes and feelings. Drive off the highways and explore. Yes there are rich and not rich parts of every city (even Austin) but look at the homes in Richardson, Lakewood, Lake Highlands, “M” Streets off Greenville Avenue, Oak Cliff and see how we express our individuality in such unique ways. Look at Irving versus Las Colinas, old Irving (across 183, yes keep going and check it out). Grapevine, Bedford, Euless, Fort Worth with it’s hoods. I admittedly don’t know as many over there but I worked in Downtown Ft. Worth for six years and I have a huge love affair with the people and neighborhoods there as well. Drive by the Zoo, or keep going off of 20 and explore.
I don’t mean to gloss over the bad aspects of Dallas and there are some but overall I think that if we let our first impressions be the only impressions we lose a rich tapestry of discovery.
Modern Design – My whole argument for this can be summed up in these pictures:
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- Branch Shelf by West Elm
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- Topographic Sink by Gore Design Co
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- Topographical Sink from above by Gore Design Co
Function is obvious – a shelf or a sink. Form does follow the function but not in the strictest sense. The form plays with us a bit. Winking in our general direction, taking our assumption and making that form so delectable and gorgeous that who wouldn’t want to perform the function. It makes what has to happen, something you want to happen. You need to wash your hands but NOT touching that sink while doing it would be absolutely impossible to me. I would have to feel the surface and trace the topography dips and grades with my hands. The same with the shelf. I need to put things up for display (and I know need here could be a want) but the way they are displayed is so flavorful to me, so distinct, it adds the underlayer, the umph the grainy bits to my brain oyster that it warms up the whole process.
Perhaps that is why I love Dallas and I’m coming to love Modern Design. They are unfinished. They have this perception about them but if we use our imagination and dig just a bit deeper we find the grey area, the undiscovered bit that makes it real to us. That my friends, makes it home to us. Authentic, real, flawed and up for discussion.
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Comments
Julie,
I understand the cleaning part. That would be the scariest part for me is keeping all the surfaces in a Modern Home clean. I haven’t seen the sink in action so you may well be right about splash up and depth concerns. I think soap and other leave behinds could be contained in other ways.
I however, love the debate, whether it’s functional enough to be “form follows function.” And even if that philosophy is essential to the modern movement. Part of this blog, is the debate about what makes a house, a home, a product – termed modern. Is it the removal of the superfluousness of it all or is it the design or the “art of it all”. It’s a grey area. I just know that there is a vein of design, of art, of products that touches me in an unexpected way and I’m exploring that.
My next post is on defining what makes things modern. I suspect you will be a very valuable source of information in that regard. You have a keen eye for all things design and I can’t wait to hear what you have to say.
T
I agree with form following function – but that sink seems to be all about form. It’s too shallow to be functional as a sink. The topography, beautiful though it is, creates fun angles for water to splash around at. Cleaning all those nooks and crannies will be a pain. And where does your soap, or your toothpase, or anything else besides the water go when you rinse your hands or spit? Function implies usability and practicality – which this sink seems to lack. There’s nothing terribly superfluous, so in that sense it is “modern.” But I don’t see it as an example of placing function ahead of form. For a sink, anyway. As a piece of art, it succeeds – it certainly is nice to look at and touch.