LEISURE
With all the work to be done appointing your home, you may feel that leisure is a luxury that you simply don’t have time for. But it turns out that leisure is more important than you may think. Scientists are forever unearthing evidence that supports the importance of adult play. Whereas children use play to learn basic life and interpersonal skills, adults rely on play to alleviate stress and to chase that ever-elusive state of being: happiness.
When designing your home and landscape, set aside an area devoted to outdoor recreation. We’re not talking about football fields or volleyball courts. (Although if you do host a party that demands group athleticism, we find dodgeball to be the only game that offers the appropriate level of irony.)
Instead, there are water features and fire pits to consider. Lap pool or koi pond? Raised or sunken fire pit? And, of course, the most important question an outdoor-loving modernist can face: bocce or croquet?
Good Sports
House parties are infinitely enlivened by organized games. When warm weather allows, take the party outside for a spirited game of bocce, pétanque, horseshoes, or croquet. These games harken back to an earlier time, when evenings were spent enjoying vermouth-based cocktails and nibbling from tiny plates packed with pickled hors d’oeuvres. The right equipment is key; you can’t make do with standard fare from a sporting goods store. Instead, take a few months to seek out vintage game sets at flea markets or on eBay. It should go without saying that teak is best. If you can’t locate an authentic vintage teak set, it is possible to find pricey reproductions through online specialty retailers.
BOCCE
Since ancient Roman times, bocce has been the game of choice for leisure enthusiasts. Although most refer to the game by the Italian bocce, it’s played worldwide under myriad names: boule Lyonnaise in France, bochas in South America, and boc?anje in Yugoslavian countries. However, it’s most often associated with elderly Italian men, making it the perfect game to be co-opted by hipster elites. It’s played on a packed soil or asphalt court, with two players rolling hollow steel balls toward a smaller “jack” ball, which is used to start the game. The team with the most balls closest to the jack wins.
PÉTANQUE
This charming game began at the turn of the twentieth century in the south of France. Players gently hurl a number of hollow steel balls (boules) as close as possible to a small wooden target ball, called a cochonnet (French for “piglet”). Once all of the balls are tossed, the team with the most balls closest to the piglet wins. Although similar to bocce, in this game the balls can be thrown in the air, whereas in bocce they must remain on the ground. The style of pitching the ball and the court also differentiate the two; pétanque players toss their balls palm down and the court doesn’t need to be flat like in bocce. In fact, pétanque can be played on any outdoor surface with minimal setup. Extra points for proper pronunciation: “pay-tonk.”
HORSESHOES
Deceptively easy, horseshoes is played with two teams of up to four people each. Players take turns throwing a horseshoe toward a spike set in the ground. A shoe that lands around the stake is called a “ringer” and garners the most points. However, players can rack up their score by merely throwing a shoe near the stake. Extra points for constructing your own setup of hillbilly horseshoes, in which the small metal washers used to connect nuts and bolts are tossed into the opening of a sawed section of PVC pipe glued into a wooden frame.
CROQUET
Croquet took England by storm in the mid-1800s but evidence suggests that it was played as early as 1600. This game of “ground billiards” has often been synonymous with out-of-touch bourgeoisie, but today the sight of a tattooed graphic designer in skinny jeans wielding a croquet mallet is deliciously anachronistic. The game itself is simple: Two to six players aim to tap their ball through a course of nine wickets. Extra points for boning up on croquet lingo. For example, a “bisque” is a free turn during a handicap match.
Organic architecture seeks superior sense of use and a finer sense of comfort, expressed in organic simplicity.
FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT (1867–1959)
A notoriously poor money manager who was accused of stealing ideas from subordinates, middle-aged Wright left his wife and six children for Mamah Borthwick Cheney, a married client. Mamah would eventually perish with her own children in Taliesin, the love nest Wright built for them, when a deranged household employee axed them to death and then burned the house with their bodies inside. Wright then became involved with a glamorous opium addict. Throughout, he won admirers with his organic style and became the first architect to design custom lighting and furniture for a residence. He lived to ninety-one with third wife Olgivanna, who decided his body should be exhumed, cremated, and interred with her and her daughter in Arizona. Today, his marked grave near his beloved Taliesin is empty.
Notable Works: Fallingwater, Pennsylvania. Guggenheim Museum, New York. Taliesin, Wisconsin.
Liquid Courage
Water encourages contemplation, passion, and reflection. It’s an essential element in any well-balanced outdoor area. You’ll find yourself centered as you gaze at the ripples across a concrete-lined pool, listen to the dribble of a squat, square fountain, and glare at the sunken gravel pebble that plunked into the pond as a neighborhood child ran across the dry garden. Frankly, even beachside homes benefit from the calming energy of a subtle water feature. These pools don’t need to be over-the-top Olympic affairs. Something clean and simple that offers a gentle trickle or a stagnant expanse will do.
PONDS
To make a statement, situate the pond on an elevated plateau, where a natural pond would be unlikely to form. Higher ground brings the added benefit of avoiding flooding during rainy seasons. Keep in mind that unless properly installed, a pond can imply Zen; lily pads and lotus flower will only make this problem worse. Children also may mistake it for a kiddie pool. Be sure to install a circulation system to avoid dangerous algae/mold growth.
WATERFALLS
Cascading waterfalls are a nice way to highlight a retaining wall. Use the slope to create an irregular path along which the water can travel, ideally following the linear outline of the wall itself. Create a channel inset on the wall; if the wall isn’t on a slope you may need to install a water pump to encourage flow. You also may need to install a spout that delivers water from one level to the next. Under no circumstances should you consider an electronic “waterfall wall” or bubbling fountain spilling down a sheet of faux boulders. These features should be left in sushi restaurants and cheesy nightclubs, where they belong.
SWIMMING POOLS
In certain communities, swimming pools are de rigueur. But that doesn’t mean you should compromise your values and design aesthetic. An aboveground monstrosity is never acceptable. (In fact, if your neighbors subject you to such eyesores, we suggest starting a petition campaign to ban these visual assaults.) Instead, a crisp rectangular pool lined with subtle, shimmering recycled glass tile is best. Pool patios can either be realized in great sheets of bluestone or a pattern of concrete pavers around which grow bright green grasses.
PRACTICAL CONSIDERATION
Square concrete pavers set on concrete columns are the modern answer to new age stepping stones.
Although swimming in your pool is appealing, it’s best not to disturb the pristine surface, even if your lap pool is big enough for a college swim team. Splashing is unbecoming for the serious modernist.
Your outdoor furniture choice will determine your water features. Refer to page 125 for guidance.
Most city planning codes require hideous fencing be installed around pools to prevent small children from falling in and drowning. Either install the pool after the premises have passed the building inspection or erect temporary fencing you can remove postinspection.
CASE STUDY #1112
“It wasn’t funny then or now. The only difference was her ability to mask her rage.”
Fire Starters
Since the dawn of time, fire has held a sacred place in the hearts and homes of humans. Even though we’ve mastered the art of managing and containing flames, from gas-lit stoves to indoor fireplaces that are lit with the flick of a switch, an undeniable urge compels us to sit ‘round a fire at night (especially outdoors) with friends, sipping hot toddies and discussing the latest issue of McSweeney’s or our favorite Rick Moody novel. The shadows cast on the walls, the fluttering flames, and the crackle of logs combine to create an intimate, mysterious atmosphere, heavy with longing for an earlier, simpler time.
FIRE PITS
The vast majority of fire pits on the retail market are rustic metal barrels more fitting for a troupe of cowboys than a modern idealist. For a movable flame, invest in a stainless-steel fire “basket” (German manufacturer Blomus makes this excellent fire pit). These circular steel bowls are supported by tripod legs and offer a generous bucket for piling on firewood.
ETHANOL DEVICES
It’s difficult to enjoy rooftop decks without the aid of some sort of lighting (aside from the cold glow of streetlamps). The temporal nature of a roof converted to outdoor living space precludes the installation of a permanent fireplace yet simultaneously calls out for the warmth and softness of natural firelight. Ethanol-fueled “fireplaces” offer a portable solution. They are available in a variety of sizes, from full-scale fireplaces to small compact models that flicker softly with a sad, solitary flame. These mini versions are best used in a series of three to nine to create a dynamic pattern of light that adds ambience to even the most desolate rooftop terrace. While you might not be able to ironically roast marshmallows and sausages on sticks, you will be able to stare into your soon-to-be estranged partner’s eyes over the man-made flame.
OUTDOOR FIREPLACES
If you have an excess of space you can find unusual profiles that demarcate the untrammeled wilderness from your domain. To situate the fireplace, consider where the pattern of speckled light from the fire will be scattered and plan for a reflective surface as a backdrop, using materials like recycled glass tile (with discretion, of course). Here, a distressed finish may actually offer a lively interplay between slick concrete patio flooring and spiky agave plantings; allow the stainless-steel hearth to weather naturally. Over time the patina will develop into a dull, muted gray that is nearly impossible to achieve by artificial means. It goes without saying that it’s essential to match the shape of your fireplace to the architecture of your home for visual cohesion.
BOXED
DOMED
FLUTED
PRACTICAL CONSIDERATION
In order to cut wood into the appropriate size for piling handsomely into a pit, the logs must be split with a maul, sledge hammer, and wedge. The wedge is inserted into the top of the log and then pummeled to shear the wood apart. Among fire-starter enthusiasts, there is a general consensus that Australian pine is the finest wood available. You can purchase bundles of presplit Australian pine, but be sure to leave a wrought-iron wedge and maul in the firewood bucket to impress friends with your back-to-nature skills. Another alternative is to invest in New York–based KleinReid’s sculptural set of white porcelain logs.