Attention to detail is something the Ace Hotel is know for.   I love that they go the extra mile to find new  uses for old, and interesting things.  In this case they don’t just set a bunch of towels on a shelf, something other hotels do.  Instead they neatly stack just a few towels in an old steel gym basket.    Some might remember these types of wire baskets from high school shops and locker rooms.  I remember owning one that held some old Nike’s, a pair of red gym shorts, an old shirt with my last name written in permanent marker on the front, and one unexplainable sock.  They slipped in and out of a cubby-style shelf, and could be pad-locked in place to remain closed.   Metal baskets are pretty easy to find, and are great for storing almost anything: magazines under a coffee table, shoes gloves or hats at entryways, towels in the restroom, toys on bedroom shelves, fresh food in pantries, or garage storage.   And of course, the older they look, the better they look.

Image via Humble Pie

Image via Country Living

I would start looking at nearby hardware stores, goodwill and local second hand stores, and craigslist.   If that doesn’t work, here are a few more options.  
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Potentially my favorite part of the Ace (and maybe the only real reason you would need a hotel room?) is the bed.   I have never experienced a bad night’s sleep in an Ace Hotel.   One of the things that makes their beds so amazing, is that wool blanket.  Woven in Pendelton Oregon and finished in Washington, those blankets are as local as the Ace Hotel.    Pendleton is a 140 year old company based in the Pacific Northwest.  If you want a blanket just like the Ace, they will send you one.  All you have to do is send an order form, check here for details.
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After an amazing stay at the Ace Hotel this last weekend, I thought it would be fun to do post on it.  My goal was to source as much as I could from memory and photos, and see if I could provide a short list of where you might find some of its amazing decor and details for yourself.  The list turned out to be longer than I first thought, so I am going to break it up into a few posts over the next few days, highlighting just some of my favorite details.  Hope you enjoy, and of course feel free to email over the next several days with some ideas of your own!

I have been considering ordering this book for a while now, but for some reason I held out hope I would stumble upon it randomly at a used bookstore.  I am not sure why, but when I can I prefer to buy books in places where the air smells like old paper, an old couple works tirelessly at sorting impossible stacks of books, and a cat watches sleepily.  Clicking a few times and having a book delivered to my doorstep somehow doesn’t feel like I earned it.  You can imagine how happy I was when I randomly stumbled upon this at Powell’s this weekend.

“One of the country’s most renowned modernist architects, Barbara Bestor has fully embraced and perfected Silver Lake’s “bohemian modern” style: a practical philosophy that is Californian in origin but achievable anywhere. It is a look that favors raw, authentic materials, brilliant colors, creative space planning, and a natural flow between indoors and outdoors.

The results, as Bohemian Modern presents, are striking: a flawlessly restored Neutra house decorated with both whimsy and restraint, a rooftop constructed for viewing the stars, a lavish outdoor garden delicately integrated into the surrounding architecture, a double-sided bookcase that soars three stories and serves as a functional art installation…there is no limit to the creativity and beauty of Silver Lake style.”

I highly recommend this book, overflowing with detailed descriptions and vivid interiors.  After I left there were two still left.  If you are not near Powell’s you can order online and last I checked 10 books a deal on shipping.  Also available through Amazon.

Description via Amazon.

The entry area of our home needs work.  Right now we have a small table, which is always full of papers, mail, keys, and whatever else.  Our kids have a tendency to grab things off of the table too, which means my glasses might end up in someones shoes.  To give some order to this area I have plans to construct a bench (future DIY post) with wire bins beneath and some sort of hanging system above.  The above images are a few of the ideas for for hanging things that have caught my attention lately.

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Images: Dwell

In school we covered this kitchen design briefly.  I was captivated by its simple perfection, as well as the story of the woman who is responsible for it.

Grete Lihotzky (1987-2000) is known as the designer and architect of The Frankfurt Kitchen (above images).   After her education (Vienna, during WWI) she worked to meet the need for better living conditions in Europe.   In an effort to keep cost down, she simplified building techniques and design.  The above kitchen system, the result of her efforts and research into human movement, was installed into 10,000 homes.

She later took part in a resistance effort during the Nazi era, was captured and imprisoned for the duration WWII.

“In post-World War I Germany, architect Grete Schütte-Lihotzky’s “Frankfurt Kitchen” was manufactured and installed in thousands of public-housing unit across Frankfurt am Main. Schütte-Lihotzky’s design took the kitchen out of hiding and into public light, showcasing smart, small, and ergonomic strategies for storage, appliances, and work areas.”   Via Dwell

“Designed in 1926-27, Schütte-Lihotzky’s kitchen features thoughtful arrangement of storage, appliances, and work surfaces and is the precursor to the 1950s yellow and green kitchens and the kitchen as the hearth of the home.” Via Dwell

The Frankfurt Kitchen has now been reassembled at the New York Museum Of Modern Art and can be viewed through March 14, 2011