June 2008

Notebook

Cooking It Up
If you or someone you know has to avoid certain foods, this class will prove you don’t have to sacrifice flavor in your meals. Held June 13 at the new Cooking with Class school in Mira Mesa, the Allergy Cooking session features menu items such as sorghum beer–braised baby back ribs with redwine BBQ sauce; gluten- and dairy-free waffle-crusted chicken tenders; gluten-and dairy-free corn bread; and quinoa with roasted vegetables. If you’re blessed with a restriction-free diet, you might consider the school’s other June classes, including 30-Minute Entrées, Summer Sushi Rolls and courses taught by celebrity chefs Jeffrey Strauss of Pamplemousse Grille and Brian Malarkey of The Oceanaire Seafood Room. 858-578-2665; sdcookingwithclass.com.

Celebrating James Hubbell
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Ilan-Lael, James Hubbell’s home and art studio in Santa Ysabel. San Diego’s premier organic artist and architect, Hubbell built the eight buildings on the compound over a span of 30 years, only to watch as some of them were destroyed by the Cedar fire of 2003. Today, the buildings have been rebuilt, and the compound is being reviewed for historical designation by the county of San Diego. “When we built our first building, we didn’t have water on the property,” Hubbell says of the compound some consider to be his most important architectural contribution. “I would take a wheelbarrow down to the end of Orchard Lane [1.2 miles], fill it up with water and push it back up the hill so we could mix concrete.” Hubbell and his wife, Anne, share their stories during an open house at Ilan-Lael on June 15, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. The event is a fundraiser for the Ilan-Lael Foundation. Tickets are $40 in advance, $50 at the door. Info: 760-765-3427; ilanlaelfoundation.com.

Homer Delawie Revived
Nakhshab Development & Design has teamed up with Magnus Architects to restore a Mission Hills home built in 1965 by iconic mid-century modern architect Homer Delawie. Not only did they renovate and update the dwelling while preserving its original architectural design concepts and characteristics, they also incorporated those concepts into two new single-family homes—each 4,400 square feet—built alongside the Delawie residence. The trio of homes is a stunning display of midcentury design revived for 21st-century living. revivalcollection.com.

Eye for Exotic
World-renowned textile maker Brunschwig & Fils’ spring 2008 collection, Etoffe Exotique, features exotic fabrics inspired by the artisans of the Coromandel coast and the nomadic tribes of central Asia. “This collection is dedicated to the wandering heart,” says Donna May Woods, director of design at Brunschwig & Fils. “These intrepid and curious adventurers, driven by a desire to explore, introduced the West to the exotic marvels of the East, which have delighted and inspired us for centuries.

“Our attraction to them today reflects our contemporary taste for designs that are interpretive rather than representational, androgynous rather than gender specific, and they imbue our rooms with an inviting, warm spirit,” explains Woods.

The collection includes a printed velvet evoking the Ottoman Empire and a jacquard inspired by the flat-weave carpets of central Asia. More information is available through your designer. brunschwig.com.

Moonlighting in Encinitas
If you’ve been dreaming of an elegant, modern kitchen, you might consider buying a unit at The Lofts at Moonlight Beach, where an Arclinea-designed kitchen takes center stage. Of course, with one of these units (the development includes 18 residences, from 1,600 to 2,500 square feet), you also get expansive ocean views and a three-story, loft-like floor plan designed by H2A Architects—but the kitchen is where you can cook and entertain like a pro.

Lisa Wilson-Wirth, president and owner of Arclinea San Diego, comments, “In each residence, we have incorporated functionality typically found in professional kitchens—like generous work surfaces, separate but connected work zones and easy accessibility of tools and equipment.” To learn more about The Lofts, call 760-943-6300 or visit theloftsatmoonlightbeach.com.

Hampton Style
If you’ve seen the film Something’s Gotta Give and have been inspired to redo your interiors in the style of the East Hamptons, head no farther than Treasures Furniture in the Miramar area. Among the many lines available at the showroom, Brownstone Furniture has recently released Hampton, occasional tables with a rain-worn texture and sophisticated, streamlined design. Ideal for a cottage or urban retreat, the Hampton Collection also includes a dining set. Visit Treasures Furniture at 7480 Miramar Road, 858-586-1900; brownstonefurniture.com.

Stitch in Time
Downtown San Diego has a new showroom for luxury carpets, Weavers Touch, a 5,000-square-foot space with exposed brick walls, a sleek interior and an expansive collection of decorative and hand-woven custom and designer carpets from Tibet, Nepal, Pakistan and Iran. Owners Reza Ghasemi and Aaron Taheri have also designed and manufactured their own collection of carpets, which can be customized to any color, texture and size. While Weavers Touch caters to the trade, the store has an on-site designer who will assist shoppers for up to two hours free of charge. In the heart of the Gaslamp Quarter at 530 Sixth Avenue, 619-239-5555; weaverstouch.com.

Do you like what you read? Subscribe to San Diego Magazine »