American Lifestyle Magazine Issue #94

Compliments of Mike Hirner

ISSUE 94

PAGE 36 |

An inside look at HGTV Smart Home 2018

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Dear Lisa & Robert, In the 1970s, songwriting pair Peter Allen and Carole Bayer Sager composed the lyrics to "Everything Old Is New Again," and it's easy to see this in our country today--vintage is all the rage and a generation of makers has emerged. This issue of American Lifestyle magazine explores the bridge between the past and present.

The McMenamin brothers, Mike and Brian, embody those lyrics very well, having transformed over forty properties, including an elementary school, a 1920s theater, and a jazz dance hall, into gathering spots.

They take care to use materials associated with each building to honor the property and its history.

Designer Tiffany Brooks balances the world of technology with the relaxed culture of Bluffton, South Carolina, in her design of the HGTV Smart Home 2018. The house has a wraparound porch perfect for unplugged, lazy afternoons, but it's also the ultimate in technological advancement.

What will you reinvent this season? As always, it's a pleasure to send you this magazine.

Mike Hirner

Mike Hirner, Broker Associate CA CalBRE # 01081000 Â

Cell: (415) 722-4862 Direct: (650) 931-2081 E-mail: mhirner@apr.com www.MikeHirner.com Â

Alain Pinel - Peninsula and San Francisco Burlingame - 1440 Chapin Ave, Ste 200 San Francisco - 3701 Buchanan St

co

Pottery is a prime example of a skill that's been handed down through generations. Ceramicists often create pots using the same technique as their teachers for a time before branching out and evolving their own distinctive style.

advancement.

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Pottery is a prime example of a skill that's been handed down through generations. Ceramicists often create pots using the same technique as their teachers for a time before branching out and evolving their own distinctive style.

53939 38570 Mike Hirner, Broker Associate CA CalBRE # 01081000

Cell: (415) 722-4862 Direct: (650) 931-2081 E-mail: mhirner@apr.com www.MikeHirner.com

What will you reinvent this season? As always, it's a pleasure to send you this magazine.

Alain Pinel - Peninsula and San Francisc Burlingame - 1440 Chapin Ave, Ste 200 San Francisco - 3701 Buchanan St

Mike Hirner

Back of Tear Out Card 1 Alain Pinel - Peninsula and San Francisco Burlingame - 1440 Chapin Ave, Ste 200 San Francisco - 3701 Buchanan St

Cell: (415) 722-4862 Direct: (650) 931-2081 E-mail: mhirner@apr.com www.MikeHirner.com

CA CalBRE # 01081000

Mike Hirner, Broker Associate

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AMERICAN LIFESTYLE

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THE FARE-EST OF THEM ALL GOURMET FOOD FOR COMFORT CRAVINGS MCMENAMINS ON THE MENU FIRED UP ABOUT CERAMICS

THE GEM OF THE KEYS LAID-BACK LOW-COUNTRY LUXURY RARE AIR THE UDVAR-HAZY CENTER

ISSUE 94

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THE FARE-EST OF THEM ALL

© Fare Well

writte n by alexa bricker | photogra phy as noted

GROWING UP IN A BIG FAMILY OF

Decades-long success and increased demand for her products prompted Petersan to open a second restaurant in 2016, a diner-style eatery and bar called Fare Well, that serves vegan comfort dishes and cocktails.

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New Yorkers who loved to cook, Doron Petersan spent the majority of her childhood in the kitchen surrounded by homemade meals, which instilled an early love of all things culinary.

As an adult, Petersan discovered a second passion in caring for animals and began volunteering at a local animal shelter.

The experience gave her a newfound appreciation for all animals but also made her fondness for prosciutto and steak a point of moral concern.

Eventually, she decided to adopt a vegan lifestyle, only if she could find a way to still eat well, deliciously, and in the same capacity.

A degree in nutrition and dietetics from the University of Maryland helped her to better understand the chemistry of food and what ingredients could easily be swapped to make a well-balanced vegan meal. “I took a food science class and started experimenting with different recipes while I was still in school,” says Petersan. “Friends started asking to buy what I was making, and, as I was getting more requests, I thought, ‘I might be onto something!’”

Petersan knew she was baking treats that would be popular with vegans and nonvegans alike, and, shortly after graduating, she decided to make her treats accessible to the public by

© Fare Well

opening Sticky Fingers Sweets & Eats— the first of her vegan bake shops—in Washington, DC. At first, it was just Petersan and two other employees manning the ship. She admits she knew nothing about business but was able to get the restaurant off the ground with a small loan from a friend and her own naïveté. “Completely stupid is how I’d put it,” laughs Petersan.

“But I think that actually helped us in the long run.”

© April Greer

The team started revising popular bakedgoods recipes, looking at the ingredients and what could be swapped, like soy milk for cow’s milk and oil-based

margarines and spreads for butter. Some of the first treats Sticky Fingers offered were cinnamon buns, oatmeal cookie sandwiches filled with vanilla cream (dubbed Cowvins), and traditional cupcakes, all of which are still among the bakery’s most popular offerings.

Though sweets remain at the heart of the restaurant, the menu has expanded over the years as Petersan’s creativity in the kitchen soared. Customers can now choose from a number of breakfast options, like biscuits and gravy (made from mushroom gravy and tofu scramble), challah French toast, and a breakfast burrito stuffed with scrambled tofu and plenty of fresh veggies. The

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RECENT YEARS, IT’S GOTTEN SIGNIFICANTLY “IN EASIER TO FIND AND BUY VEGAN INGREDIENTS

IN MASS QUANTITIES, THANKS TO AN INCREASED AWARENESS OF AND EDUCATION ABOUT A VEGAN DIET, PETERSAN SAYS.

menu steps into adventurous territory with a Reuben made from marinated tempeh and an alt-tuna melt—chickpea salad and homemade cashew Swiss on toast.

The seemingly complex menu is actually quite simple, according to Petersan: keeping the recipes uncomplicated, while still experimenting with different flavors and textures, is key in catering to so many different dietary restrictions.

Aside from being 100 percent plantbased, many of the meals are wheat-free, nut-free, and soy-free or can be made to order in any of these ways. “The goal is to make dishes as uncomplicated as possible,” she says. “Pasta, for example, can be made from different grains and rice. But it really depends on the item. There’s more labor involved in everything we make, so we just have to put a little more science behind it.”

In recent years, it’s gotten significantly easier to find and buy vegan ingredients in mass quantities, thanks to an increased awareness of and education about a vegan diet, Petersan says. More companies, like Earth Balance, for instance, are producing vegan-quality ingredients that bakeries like Sticky Fingers can trust.

The bakery won the Cupcake Wars All-Stars competition in 2011 with its quartet of vegan cupcakes, including a brown sugar and rum cupcake and an orange cupcake with blueberry cinnamon filling.

Vegan baking has become so popular that Petersan was invited to compete on Food Network’s Cupcake Wars—not just once, but on three separate occasions.

Decades-long success and increased demand for her products prompted Petersan to open a second restaurant in 2016, a diner-style eatery and bar called

8 | AMERICAN LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

© April Greer

Fare Well, that serves vegan comfort dishes and cocktails. “We listened to our customers, and they wanted a place to sit, eat, and stay a while,” she says.

“It’s not just a place for vegans to come and eat, but a place they can bring their nonvegan friends and show them vegan eating isn’t as scary as they may think.”

Similar to Sticky Fingers, Fare Well serves breakfast staples like pancakes—

© April Greer

successful. Twenty years ago, when Petersan first opened the bakery, many people were unsure of what veganism even was and couldn’t believe you could make delicious cookies and cupcakes without milk or eggs.

© April Greer

which you can get all day—as well as traditional favorites like pierogi and even house-made burrata made from cashew and almond milk and served with tomato, arugula, and capers on a baguette. Luckily, one of Petersan’s favorite cocktails, the Manhattan, is already vegan—as are the many other cocktails Fare Well mixes up. Beers and wines are offered on tap to reduce waste, and many are locally sourced, too.

Petersan’s efforts to be as sustainable and community-minded as possible don’t stop there. Every month, Sticky Fingers partners with a different organization or charity, selects a specific cupcake flavor, and donates a dollar to the charity for each one sold.

But multiple television appearances and two restaurants later, people are warming up to the idea that vegan food can taste amazing. “One day I was standing at the bakery counter and I noticed a table of octogenarians sitting together, enjoying their vegan cupcakes, and it just struck me,” Petersan said.

“Historically, vegans were people who were younger or extremely healthconscious. Now, it’s people from all walks of life!”

For more info, visit stickyfingersbakery.com or eatfarewell.com

A better-educated consumer is part of what has helped make businesses like Sticky Fingers and Fare Well so

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comfort food for

gourmet cravings recipes by patterson watkins | p hotog ra p hy b y shana smith

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When the days and nights are chilly, there is nothing better than a nice, cozy fire and warm, rich homemade macaroni and cheese. This recipe can be made on any wood- or charcoal-burning fireplace, pit, or grill—all you need is a cast-iron pot or Dutch oven.

fireplace mac and cheese SERVES 4

1. Start a fire in a large fireplace, pit, or charcoal grill. Create a well in the hot coals that will fit your pot. Heat your empty pot for 1–2 minutes before adding any ingredients.

½ cup butter 2 tablespoons flour 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 1 cup heavy cream

2. Melt butter, and stir in flour, creating a roux. Whisk in Dijon, heavy cream, whole milk, and cream cheese until smooth, slightly thick, and bubbly. Whisk in cheddar cheese a handful at a time, and season with hot sauce, salt, and pepper.

1 cup whole milk

3. Stir in cooked noodles until thoroughly mixed, sprinkle with extra cheddar cheese, and cover with a lid.

1 tablespoon hot sauce

4. Cook for 10–20 minutes or until cheese has melted and browned slightly and is bubbly.

1 (1-pound) box macaroni noodles, cooked

1 cup cream cheese 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, plus extra for topping 1 teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper

5. Carefully remove from the fire, and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Tips: An infrared thermometer comes in handy when making this recipe, as it allows you to check the temperature of the coals before cooking. Heat your coals or wood to 400°F–450°F, and then reduce the temperature to 350°F for the “baking” by letting them cool down naturally or moving the mac to a cooler spot.

Make sure you can reach your pot easily, and make sure to wear oven mitts.

For video versions of these delicious dishes, visit americanlifestylemag.com/video

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Elegance does not have to be complicated. This showstopping puff-pastry-wrapped filet is seasoned with Worcestershire sauce and grainy mustard and then encased in mushrooms and chard.

worcestershire filet en croute SERVES 4

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2 teaspoons oil 2 pounds beef tenderloin, trimmed

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Sear beef on both sides until brown.

Remove from the pan, and set aside.

3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced 1 shallot, peeled and chopped 2 pints button mushrooms, sliced

3. Reduce heat to medium, and stir in garlic, shallots, mushrooms, and salt. Cover, and cook for 5–6 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Remove from the pan, and puree in a food processor until smooth. Scrape into a bowl, and set aside.

1 teaspoon salt 8 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 4 tablespoons grain mustard 1 pound frozen puff pastry dough, thawed

4. In a small bowl, whisk together Worcestershire sauce and grain mustard. Brush marinade over seared filet until thoroughly coated.

5. Dust a clean work surface with flour, and roll out puff dough into a large rectangle. Brush with egg wash. Lay out a large sheet of plastic wrap, and layer with blanched greens. Spread mushroom mixture over greens, and place filet in the middle. Roll into a tight cylinder.

Flour, for dusting 2 eggs, beaten with 1 tablespoon of water 2 bunches chard or green beets, blanched and patted dry

6. Place rolled filet onto the center of the puff pastry, and gently roll with seam side down. Cut off any excess puff dough, and tuck in the ends. Brush with egg wash, and cut slits into the top.

7. Place in oven on a lightly greased cookie sheet, and bake for 30–35 minutes, or until dough is golden brown. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

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This creamy, buttery polenta dish is accented with aromatic flower petals and orange zest, giving it a fabulously herbaceous floral flavor—perfect for pairing with roasts and vegetables, or as a creative breakfast porridge.

soft polenta with orange-and-flower-petal butter SERVES 4

1. Place butter, orange zest, and mixed flower petals in a medium-sized bowl.

Using a rubber spatula, fold the ingredients together until well blended. Spoon butter mixture onto a large sheet of parchment paper, and roll into a cylinder.

Refrigerate or freeze until ready to serve.

1 cup salted butter, softened

2. Heat vegetable broth and heavy cream in a large pot over medium-high heat.

Once simmering, whisk in polenta and season with salt. Stir consistently until polenta is soft and still runny.

2 cups heavy cream

1 orange, zested and juiced ½ cup mixed edible flower petals, plus more for garnish 2 cups vegetable broth 1 cup polenta 2 teaspoons salt

3. Serve hot polenta with sliced butter pats, and garnish with edible flowers (optional).

Tips: This butter is also wonderful on steamed vegetables or poached fish.

Edible flowers can be found in some grocery store produce sections, or you can ask the grocery store’s florist for help.

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Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, these delectable fritters find that perfect balance between aromatics, texture, and flavor.

port-and-cardamom apple fritters MAKES 12 LARGE FRITTERS OR 24 SMALL FRITTERS

1. Heat oil in a deep fryer or Dutch oven to 350°F.

Fritters Batter: Vegetable oil, for frying

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, cardamom, and cinnamon. Pour in milk, wine, and eggs, and whisk until smooth and thick. Stir in apples until well blended.

3 cups flour ½ cup sugar ½ teaspoon salt 3 teaspoons baking powder

3. Using a scoop or large spoon, portion and carefully drop batter into the hot oil, making sure not to crowd the pot. Fry for 8–9 minutes, turning frequently, until dark brown and thoroughly cooked.

2 teaspoons ground cardamom 1 teaspoon cinnamon 11/3 cups milk / cup port wine

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4. Remove fritters from the fryer, and drain on a rack or paper towel.

5. In a medium bowl, whisk together glaze ingredients until blended. Drizzle glaze over fritters before serving, or, if you prefer, dust with powdered sugar (or use both).

2 eggs 3 cups Fuji and Granny Smith apples, diced Glaze: 1½ cups powdered sugar 2½ tablespoons milk 1 teaspoon vanilla

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MCMENAMINS ON THE MENU w r i t t e n b y j. wandres p h o t o g r a p h y b y kathleen nyberg/mcmenamins, unless noted

The Boiler Room at the Kennedy School.

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The entrance to the Kennedy School.

IT WAS JUST AN ORDINARY AFTERNOON

at the Kennedy School in Portland, Oregon. A group was happily splashing away in the soaking pool. In an empty classroom, a couple was inscribing “J.W. loves J.B.” in chalk on the blackboard.

And down the hall in detention a good time was being had by all. That is to say, a great time in the Detention Bar at the Kennedy School, one of Portland’s more innovative dining destinations.

The former Kennedy Elementary School in northeast Portland is one of dozens of renovated venues throughout Oregon and Washington developed by brothers Mike and Brian McMenamin.

The actual Kennedy Elementary was slated for demolition when the McMenamin brothers bought the building in the 1990s. Today, the old cafeteria is the Courtyard Restaurant, whose menu includes sandwiches like the Schoolhouse Lunch: turkey, salami, provolone, onion, tomato, and vinaigrette on focaccia. Several classrooms—with chalkboards—are now hotel suites. The old auditorium shows both classic and modern films, and even the boiler room was converted into a bar for the McMenamins’ signature Hammerhead Ale. The brothers also bought the farm— literally: Edgefield, the Multnomah County Poor Farm in Troutdale, twenty

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HAVE “THEY REPURPOSED

OLD HOTELS, A FORMER FRATERNAL LODGE, A CLOSED CATHOLIC SCHOOL, A BANK, AN OLD FARMHOUSE AND BARN, AND A LEGENDARY VAUDEVILLE THEATRE.

Clockwise from top left: inside the Bagdad Theater, the lobby at the Anderson School, the soaking pool at Old Saint Francis School, and the restaurant at the Kennedy School.

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© Liz Devine/McMenamins

miles east of Portland. Built in 1911, the complex was slated for the wrecking ball in 1985 until these preservationists prevailed. Now on the National Register of Historic Places, the 74-acre Edgefield property includes a hotel, restaurants, pubs, a brewery, a spa, and two parthree golf courses. In-season produce is harvested directly from the property’s produce garden, and the on-site winery produces over twenty wines and ports, including Pinot and rosé, and, notably, also makes seasonal ciders.

Overall, the McMenamin brothers have an eclectic roster of more than fifty properties, from the Anderson School in Bothell, near Seattle, to a 1912 Southern Pacific rail station in Roseburg, Oregon.

They have repurposed old hotels, a former fraternal lodge, a closed Catholic school, a bank, an old farmhouse and barn, and a legendary vaudeville theatre.

With such a diversified slate, it would be fair to ask: what is it the McMenamins look for? Mike and Brian scope out underused (or disused) places the company can transform into venues that will appeal to travelers, much like the village pubs and inns of England, France, and Italy. What motivates the brothers, who both majored in political science in college, is the challenge to create an experience for people who want more than just a place to drink, to eat, or to spend the night—they want each place to be a unique destination unto itself.

To that end, the brothers compile materials and artifacts associated with each building to commemorate both the property and its historical value to its surrounding community—even employing historians and soliciting the public for authentic memorabilia

and photos of their sites to help in the effort. They also commission area artists to make exclusive works specific to the history of each property that are displayed throughout. As a result, every McMenamins venue connects the past to the present and celebrates the building’s original purpose.

Consider the McMenamins’ makeover of the iconic Saint Francis School in Bend, a culturally eclectic city in Oregon’s central valley. Back in the day, Bend was (and still is, in some ways) a lumber town. In the early twentieth century, Irish priest Father Luke Sheehan arrived in Bend and, after decades of effort, opened the parish and school, the first of its kind in the state. By the year 2000, the school had built and moved to a much larger campus in northeast Bend. Thanks to the McMenamin brothers, the old school still resonates today as a hotel with restaurants and pubs, and—with artwork abounding honoring Father Sheehan and other school faculty—as a testament to the building’s place in Bend’s history.

As you enter the pub, you are welcomed by a masthead figurine of Ruby, the namesake of McMenamins’ raspberryflavored Ruby Ale. Should you stay for lunch, try the Expedition Elk Burger, which is served with coffee-bacon jam, black garlic aioli, and white cheddar.

Also of note for its art is the Smoke Room. Its gallery features artwork that depicts a rendering of vaudeville legend and longtime Bend resident Kathleen Rockwell, also known as “Klondike Kate.” Next is the Fireside Bar, hallowed by the Knights of Columbus as a “truly great place to pass the time.” If this is all too exhaustive, you may head directly

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Ori ginal ly a jazz d an ce hall and th e n a s q u are- dancing d e st in a t i on , [t h e Cry s ta l Bal l ro om] lat er h ost e d i con i c a ct s s u c h as Lit t le Richard , Ja m e s B rown , M a rv i n Gaye , and t he G r a t e f u l D e a d .

to the soaking pool with its iconic sun-and-moon stained-glass windows and murals made of hand-painted tiles covering the walls that reflect the life of the school’s namesake and his compassion for animals. Use of the pool is complimentary for overnight guests.

Not all McMenamin projects have been transformed into hotels and restaurants. In Portland, the former Swedish Tabernacle Mission meeting hall, at Northwest Glisan Street, is now the Mission Theatre. It hosts movies, musical events, and stand-up comedians.

Along Hawthorne Boulevard in Portland’s artsy southeast neighborhood, the historic Bagdad Theater and Pub— the first to show “talkies” in the area

22 | AMERICAN LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

almost a century ago—now features a digital 4K projector and giant screen.

And then there’s the Crystal Ballroom, a legendary century-old building on Burnside Street that McMenamins purchased in 1994. Originally a jazz dance hall and then a square-dancing destination, it later hosted iconic acts such as Little Richard, James Brown, Marvin Gaye, and the Grateful Dead and was added to the list of National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

Today, the Crystal Ballroom features a unique floating dance floor and welcomes modern bands like Arcade Fire, who famously played at the Crystal in 2005 and then continued the concert downstairs in the streets of Portland.

The brothers’ latest project, the islandthemed Kalama Harbor Lodge, opened in April of 2018. Nestled on the Columbia River, the forty-room hotel is a decade-old labor of love for the McMenamins. It honors the heritage of Hawaiian-born John Kalama and his impact on the region and the town that bears his name, as well as that of Native American tribes such as the Cowlitz people, who first settled in the area. Historical artifacts and accounts abound, including in the guest rooms, the eateries, and the bars. For fun, there are even a few secret rooms hidden in the lodge to boot.

When not on the road developing new venues or supervising designers and

c p b h f K a t M r t l

F

crews among the company’s 2,000plus employees, the McMenamin brothers operate out of the company’s headquarters in Portland—a former funeral and wedding parlor on North Killingsworth Street. The building is also home to a McMenamins eatery, the Chapel Pub, a true indication that Mike and Brian McMenamins’ quest to resurrect and transform landmarks in the Pacific Northwest hits close to home, literally and figuratively.

For more info, visit mcmenamins.com

A guest room (top) and the Cloud Bar at Kalama Harbor Lodge.

americanlifestylemag.com | 23

FIRED UP ABOUT CERAMICS

in t er v i ew s wi t h brian giniewski, connie matisse, and pawena thimaporn w r i t t en b y shelley goldstein p ho t o gr aphy as noted

Learn more about Brian Giniewski at americanlifestylemag.com/video © Brian Giniewski

24 | AMERICAN LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

Three ceramics experts from different parts of the country share their philosophies on glaze colors, mindfulness, and the endless debate about what it means to be living the dream.

BRIAN GINIEWSKI of Brian Giniewski Ceramics How did you arrive at this place in your story?

After finishing graduate school at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in 2009, I took the academic route and moved through a bunch of one-year teaching positions at different universities in an attempt to find the holy grail of a tenure-track position. I was trying to make heady, conceptual art to bolster my academic portfolio, but it had zero commercial value. In 2013, I made my first batch of pastel drippy pots.

It was the first time in my life that something I made actually had some sort of resonance or response from a broad audience. It took me about three and a half years of making them in very

small batches on evenings and weekends before I decided to quit my full-time teaching job and open up my own business making pots.

Is there anything you miss about teaching?

Yes, absolutely. I love teaching, and I love being surrounded by creative people with an eagerness to learn. Now that I am producing work at a higher volume, I have really been trying to set up my studio as an incubator of sorts. I employ a number of young artists full time to help me, and I try to design their positions as the exact job I would have wanted when I was in their situation.

What is your philosophy of pottery?

How does that align with your life philosophy?

I believe that people just generally want to feel happy and content and to be able to express themselves in a way that shows others their true character. I want my pots to make people happy first and foremost, and if they also learn a thing or two about the value of handmade objects and the amount of work, failure, and resilience that this practice entails, then that’s a bonus!

Š Brian Giniewski

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During the hottest point of the kiln firing, the thick glaze literally turns into molten glass and oozes down the piece.

I fire them in a computer-controlled kiln, which I’ve programmed to turn off at just the right time to freeze those gooey drips in place. © Brian Giniewski

How would you define your style, and how did it develop?

I like to think that I am referencing industrial design in my work but doing it in a way that allows for accidents and discovery. The glaze recipes that I use are all of my own making, and we mix them all in-house. During the hottest point of the kiln firing, the thick glaze literally turns into molten glass and oozes down the piece. I fire them in a computercontrolled kiln, which I’ve programmed to turn off at just the right time to freeze those gooey drips in place. My goal in developing my current glaze palette was to make a material that had the same sense of “deliciousness” as the wet, viscous paint from those pieces.

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Where is your studio located? How does the city influence you and your work?

My studio is now the top floor of the Globe Dye Works building in Northeast Philadelphia. This building was a huge factory that dyed yarns for Philadelphia’s once vibrant textile industry, and now a bunch of young creative entrepreneurs have filled the space back up with our own small-batch manufacturing. I take a great deal of pride in knowing that all of my work is made here in Philadelphia, and that this resurgence of making and manufacturing is being noticed around the country and around the world.

©

Where is your mind when you are creating pottery?

In the best of moments, my mind is nowhere else but right there. The process of focusing so intensely on a hands-on task like pottery can be incredibly helpful, especially for people with anxiety, which is something I have struggled with for a long time. I think that’s the dream for most makers: everything else dissolves away from your periphery, and, for that moment, it’s just you and your work.

C of

Ho co

In bo ap Pi m far Ca aw Fo go ex m af W

We make functional, timeless ceramic dinnerware and other useful objects.

We believe that eating and drinking are sacred acts, and that the objects we use day in and day out for making coffee, serving meals, and pouring water should be beautiful to look at and a pleasure to use. © Tropico Photo for East Fork

C O N N I E M AT I S S E of East Fork How did the team of East Fork come together?

In 2009, Alex Matisse, a floppy-haired boy from New England, finished an apprenticeship in the North Carolina Piedmont and set out on his own to make pottery on a gloomy old tobacco farm in Madison County, North Carolina. The workshop was tucked away in the mountains, right off East Fork Road. Meanwhile, I was milking goats eight miles away, deep in an existential crisis. We met at the farmers’ market where I was selling cheese, and a few weeks later, I moved in with Tom Waits’s “Come on Up to the House”

loud on the stereo. In 2013, our friend John Vigeland came to stay for the weekend. We all drank a lot of wine, read a lot of poetry, and sat by the fire, and before John headed home, he said, “I’d really like to figure out how to work together.”

How did the company evolve into what it is now?

Alex and John were trained in traditional ceramic apprenticeships under North Carolina potters Matt Jones, Mark Hewitt, and Daniel Johnston. When they left the workshops of their teachers and started out on their own, they, like many other potters who learn through apprenticeship, made pots that very much resembled their

teachers’ pots. When I came along, with my Los Angeles roots and restaurant background, we began shifting our focus toward functional dinnerware.

What is the shop’s design philosophy?

We make functional, timeless ceramic dinnerware and other useful objects.

We believe that eating and drinking are sacred acts and that the objects we use day in and day out for making coffee, serving meals, and pouring water should be beautiful to look at and a pleasure to use.

americanlifestylemag.com | 27

How many members are creating pottery? How do you create consistency of forms with multiple makers?

Since East Fork was founded in 2010, we’ve grown from a team of two potters to fourteen potters. Trained through formal ceramic apprenticeships, Alex’s and John’s hands have spent thousands of hours in the clay, making hundreds of the same form at a time and building an intimate, familiar relationship between makers and materials. We’ve taken those finely tuned forms and translated them into our new production methods.

o d u s p s f m a b e e a

How did you arrive at your color palette? Who named the glaze colors?

With my guidance as creative director, we create seasonally inspired glazes rarely found in traditional stoneware.

Our glaze chemist, Kyle Crowder, spends four to six months developing each matte glaze, testing for a myriad of variables, from color accuracy to density.

Our core mix of neutral-toned glaze provides a foundation for our collection, while the seasonal glazes let our personal style shine a little. Everything is designed to be mixed and matched.

We find color inspiration in anything, from fashion to produce to farmers’ market bouquets.

What does it mean to you to “live the dream”?

Our motivation starts from making objects that we see a need for and use in

© East Fork

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P o

H in

D m s a s B c

our own homes. Our storefront sells our dinnerware alongside other beautiful, useful objects made by friends and strangers near and far. We host dinner parties, cooking classes, and trunk shows. We raise funds and awareness for people and organizations working to make our communities more equitable and just. It’s a wild world out there, but a tender, beautiful one, too, made ever more sacred by our daily rituals of eating, drinking, and coming together around the table.

© East Fork

© East Fork

PA W E N A T H I M A P O R N of Pawena Studio How did growing up in Thailand influence your design aesthetic?

During my early years, I spent most of my time outside of Bangkok. The open space and the natural landscape of the abundant plant life are reflected in the simplicity of my work. I later moved to Bangkok—a city full of busy streets and colorful palettes—for higher education.

My work is a mix of both worlds.

Sometimes I make very simple pieces that focus on shape and form, with only small textural decorations, and sometimes I make more colorful works.

What is your educational background? How does your story evolve into a pottery studio?

I attended KMITL University in Bangkok for industrial design, with an emphasis in ceramics and textiles.

While at the university, I also learned about packaging and graphic design, which led me to continue my studies in those areas. I was curious about the world outside my own country, so I came to the United States to study graphic design at the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California, and I worked in the design field for fifteen years. In 2015, the design studio I had been working for closed up shop. I had always wanted to start something on

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© David Sotelo

my own and have a flexible schedule to spend more time with my kids, so it seemed like a good time to make that change.

How does your background in design inform what kind of pottery you create?

It is ingrained in me to create something that is functional. Ceramics is a perfect fit for this because it gives me the freedom to come up with any design I want to make but also allows me to create functional objects.

Do you have a design philosophy?

Does it align with a life philosophy?

I don’t like to be too strict in terms of what and how I will design and what I make. I like to go with the flow. One day, I might want to make just cups

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© Pawena Thimaporn

and mugs; another day, I might want to experiment with lighting, create a bigger-scale piece, or play with colors.

Overall, I want to feel excited about what I make. Sometimes I take on a project just because it is interesting and allows me to have creative freedom. In contrast, my life is very simple.

Do you have a favorite part of the process?

How did you conceptualize your color palette? What does it say about you?

Working by hand is the best opportunity for me to practice mindfulness. I try not to think about anything, and I only focus on what I am doing at that moment. It’s like one of my favorite teachings: we should move our body more and move our thoughts less.

I like muted colors more than bright colors and matte finish over gloss. But I like to add accents of bright colors or gloss surfaces into the mix with muted colors and matte surfaces. It is like finding the right balance in life—not too boring but not too loud.

Throwing on the wheel and painting—I love the feeling of my hand shaping up the clay and how the brush feels pushing against the clay surface.

What is happening in your mind when you are creating pottery?

Do you think the vibe of the city you live in is reflected in your work?

Los Angeles is a very rich, colorful place, with a mix of different cultures from

© Pawena Thim

© David Sotelo

© Pawena Thimaporn

all over the world. The culture can be different from one street corner to the next. I am sure this influences my work in many ways—from the pattern I saw on packaging in a Korean market to the Mexican textiles I found at a weekend fair to the decorations in an Indian restaurant I went to for dinner.

How do your various creative talents fit together?

© Pawena Thimaporn

photography first, my work wouldn’t be the same as it is now. I didn’t realize until I started my own studio that all of these skills happen to complement each other nicely. I am glad I have the background and skills to put it all together now.

For more info, visit brianginiewski.com eastforkpottery.com pawenastudio.com

Since the beginning of my career, I have thought that I should follow my heart and do pottery full time. But if I hadn’t taken the scenic route to get there, earning experience in visual design and

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THE GEM OF THE KEYS w r i t t en b y alexa bricker p hot og r a p hy by yankee freedom III, the official dry tortugas national park and fort jefferson ferry service

32 | AMERICAN LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

AMERICAN WRITER ERNEST HEMINGWAY

sailed many different seas in his short sixty-one years of life. He served in the US Navy during World War I and, in his twenties and thirties, navigated to his temporary homes in Toronto and Paris. But there was perhaps no place he loved more than the Florida Keys, which he called home (and wrote admirably about) for much of the 1930s.

It’s not hard to see why. The island chain forms a separation between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, starting about sixty-eight miles south of Miami and extending west. The water looks nearly identical to that found in the Caribbean—richly turquoise and teeming with exotic species of fish and other marine life. Despite its proximity to Cuba and a history of Spanish ownership, the Keys have an interesting place in American history, too, beginning long before Hemingway was even born.

If you venture as far west into the Keys as possible, you’ll reach the Dry Tortugas—a cluster of small islands approximately seventy miles away from Key West and the westernmost islands of the Keys. The Dry Tortugas, perhaps more than any other islands in this chain, have a storied past that makes them a fascinating destination for historians and tourists alike.

The islands were originally named Las Tortugas, or “the turtles,” in 1513 by Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León for their abundance of the gentle sea creatures. Shortly after, the term “dry” was added to warn other sailors of the islands’ lack of fresh water. In the centuries that followed, pirates predominantly used the Dry Tortugas as

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a hangout because of their deep-water coves surrounded by shallower points of entry—they were even mentioned in Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1883 novel, Treasure Island.

However, as Key West became a highly useful port and wealthy trading post, the US started cracking down on piracy.

It began to develop the Dry Tortugas, building a lighthouse and a brick fortification system on Garden Key, Fort Jefferson, established after the War of 1812.

The Civil War and the invention of the rifled cannon (which could easily power through brick and stone) put a halt to construction of the fort, though the Union Army was able to make use of it as a prison. The islands saw minimal activity in the decades after the war and even throughout World Wars I and II, with the exception of 1935, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared Fort Jefferson a national monument, and, again in 1992, when the Dry Tortugas became an official national park.

DRY TORTUGAS ARE THE “THE LEAST-INFLUENCED CORAL REEF SYSTEM ANYWHERE AROUND THE STATES BECAUSE THERE’S NOT MUCH RAW MAINLAND.

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Today, visitors flock to the Dry Tortugas National Park in astounding numbers, thanks in part to one very famous pirate.

“What’s interesting is that we owe a lot of the recognition of the park in recent years to Captain Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise,” laughs Terry Strickland, general manager of the Yankee Freedom III, the national park’s official ferry and tour. “The ironic part is that he’s not referring to the Dry Tortugas in the films; he’s talking about Tortuga—an island near Haiti.”

Despite the fan confusion, people like Strickland, who know and love the islands, are grateful for their skyrocketing popularity. Because of the Dry Tortugas’ remoteness, they are only

accessible by ferry, by seaplane, or, very rarely, by private vessel. The number of passengers the ferry can transport is limited to 175 per trip, but it has still been able to host more than 50,000 people each year and close to half a million in the past decade.

If visitors come for their love of Captain Jack, they stay for the islands’ spectacular natural beauty and host of activities: snorkeling, bird-watching, and taking tours of Fort Jefferson being the most popular. At seventy miles away from the nearest inhabited island, the Dry Tortugas are one of the most ecologically protected areas in the world. There has been minimal human interference and development around their waters, helping to protect the naturally occurring coral reef system and marine life.

“The snorkeling is the best you’ll find in the continental US,” says Strickland.

“The section of the southeastern barrier reef along the Dry Tortugas is farthest from the mainland and therefore has the least adverse impact from human activities. The water is more pristine, making the marine ecosystem healthier and, in turn, the coral.” A healthy ecosystem, Strickland says, brings in hundreds of species of tropical fish and the coral is easily accessible to snorkelers thanks to gently sloping beaches and shallow waters. The ferry provides everything you need for a day in the temperate surf—a snorkel, fins, and a mask—and offers a map to guide you through the most popular and easily navigable areas.

When you’re ready to head back to land, turn your eyes to the sky and you might see some of the Dry Tortugas’ hundreds of species of migratory birds. The islands are a key stopover for birds flying

through the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail—a migratory path that spans the entire state. Bush Key, next to Garden Key, is a breeding ground and nesting place for species like the frigate bird and sooty tern, which reach the peak of their migratory season in June and July. The islands have become one of the most popular spots to visit in the bird-watching community, especially in the spring and summer months.

Aside from exploring the islands’ many natural curiosities, there is enough to see on the tour of historic Fort Jefferson to last through the end of your stay.

It provides a glimpse into some of the building’s most infamous residents, like Samuel Mudd, an accused coconspirator in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, as well as the decade’s worth of construction complications the fort experienced.

A museum located within the fort, operated by the National Park Service, provides an interactive experience for visitors interested in learning more about the natural and cultural history

of the islands, their rise and fall as a military installation, and the lives of prisoners and laborers who worked tirelessly on the fort’s construction.

Even though there’s a wealth of things to do on the Dry Tortugas, according to Strickland one of the most popular activities to do is to simply lie on a stretch of beach near the lapping waves, unplug, and relax. “There’s a beautiful beach, even with a boatload of people,” he says. “It’s still nice and quiet and removed from civilization, and something that a lot of visitors see as a big positive—though maybe not for everyone—is that the islands are out of cell phone range.”

About as peaceful, serene, and removed from the hustle and bustle of the mainland as you can get by boat, Dry Tortugas National Park is a true treasure.

Rich in natural and man-made wonders, this jewel of the Florida Keys remains as enchanting for modern visitors as it was to explorers through the ages.

For more info, visit www.drytortugas.com

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laid-back

low-country LUXURY

HGTV Smart Home 2018

interview with tiffany brooks | written by matthew brady | pho to gra phy by hgtv

36 | AMERICAN LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

For its sixth annual HGTV® Smart Home Giveaway, HGTV headed south—to the Palmetto Bluff development in South Carolina.

HGTV Smart Home 2018 host and designer Tiffany Brooks shares the secrets behind creating this cool yet charming house.

Have you always been interested in interior design? How did you get started in the business—and become a star on HGTV?

I was the teenager who thought my parents’ taste in furniture was horrible. I would find ways to liven it up, especially when I wanted to have my friends over.

At age fifteen, I renovated my entire bedroom, and it turned out amazing.

I never thought that something like that was a “real” job, especially because my father’s an engineer and my brother went into architecture. My parents wanted me to study engineering, but I went to business school and eventually did real estate—and one day I designed the interior of a model home that ended up being entered into a contest. My supervisor made a bet with me that, if the model home won, I had to quit and do interior design full time. That was a sucker’s bet; I knew I wasn’t going to win—but it actually won! I had to pay up, so I got my ducks in a row, gave notice, and then started my interior decorating business, You and Your Decor.

In 2012, my brother convinced me to try out for the eighth season of HGTV Design Star. Much like the first model home, I had no expectations. I figured that it was a great opportunity and I’d have fun with it. To my surprise, I made it onto the show. I was even more

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KITCHEN HAS “ THE A BUILT-IN COFFEE SYSTEM AND A FLAT-

SCREEN TV ABOVE THE OVEN THAT’S A MIRROR WHEN TURNED OFF; THE TV ALSO HAS HIDDEN STORAGE BEHIND IT.

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surprised when I won! I’ve worked with HGTV ever since, hosting various programs since 2013 and designing the HGTV Smart Home since 2016.

With the HGTV Smart Home, you’re designing the interior of a home without knowing who the client’s going to be. Was that a hard adjustment for you?

Yes; it was so hard. Thankfully, they gave me limitations—otherwise, I don’t know what I would do. I have to come up with a story off the top of my head; I basically dream up a homeowner and what they’re going to do there, and then I design it much as I would for anybody else.

How would you describe the location of HGTV Smart Home 2018, the Palmetto Bluff development in Bluffton, South Carolina?

It’s a very pretty southern community.

What they accomplished with this development was combining a laidback lifestyle with upscale homes. For example, on the grounds there you’ll find an old country farmers’ market and casual local restaurants; however, the homes are just packed with technology, modern conveniences, and upscale finishes. It’s almost like the perfect oxymoron.

Tell us about the HGTV Smart Home 2018:

It’s a two-level house with approximately 2,850 square feet and a focus on outdoor living. It has two porches: a front porch and a huge wraparound screened porch in the back, as well as a firepit in the yard. It has amazing views, it’s very open, and it has a ton of natural light coming through.

Overall, I had to package the technology differently than I would in a normal

smart home. We tried to put an exclamation point on the Low-Country lifestyle but also put in all the modern conveniences to make it a smart home.

I had to think outside the box and not only tap into technology but also tap into what would make this house more convenient: I had to think of creative ideas for storage in the house, about furnishings, and about the best use of space. I always thought, “If this was my family’s house, what would make it easier?” With this in mind, I put in laundry chutes. There are hidden safes in the house. There’s even a hidden gaming room in the house with a VR system— but the room has a timer, so you can control how much gaming happens. (As a mom with a teenage son, I just love this feature!)

What other smart features are in the various rooms of the house?

As you’d expect, there’s a voice-activated system, so the house is programmed to talk to you, a smart lighting system, a state-of-the-art security system, and docking stations.

But there are lots of unexpected things, too. Hidden in the bathroom, there’s a coffee maker that lifts and lowers with a touch of a button, a waterproof TV in the shower, and a pair of smart-screen vanity mirrors. There’s also a rotating conveyer belt for shoes in the master bedroom closet. Again, I’m totally referencing things that I’d want in my house—I would love to have something like that in my closet at home! [laughs] The kitchen has a built-in coffee system and a flat-screen TV above the oven that’s a mirror when turned off; the TV also has hidden storage behind it. All the interior fittings in the kitchen have

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ADDED “ WE SOLAR-POWERED SKYLIGHTS TO THE MASTER BEDROOM AND MASTER BATHROOM THAT CLOSE WHEN RAIN IS SENSED AND HAVE REMOTECONTROLLED SHADES.

40 | AMERICAN LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

dual purposes. The utensil drawers are stacked on top of each other to save space. We also have a feature in the kitchen that allows you to have a large mixer, for example, stowed away in a cabinet that lifts the mixer right up to counter height so you can use it without having to lug it around.

We utilized the stair fittings as additional storage, too, so there are hidden drawers in the stairs as you climb them. The art that’s hung over the fireplace in the living room is really a television—it’s framed out like a piece of art, but you can watch the smart TV inside.

On the exterior, the screens of the screened porch lift and lower, so you can go from an interior-screened porch to the porch being an extension of the outside.

Were the colors you chose for the house, which are more muted than your usual palette, inspired by the location?

To tell you the truth, it kind of happened by accident. While reviewing

what I did in each room, I noticed that all the colors I chose are very muted.

My reds are toned down to soft pinks.

My blues are toned down to grays, other than the kitchen cabinets, which are blue for a farmhouse feel. I painted one of the guest bedrooms navy, but even that’s kind of like a grayed-down navy.

I think the house just told its own story with the color and the design.

You mentioned the abundant natural light. How did you take advantage of that?

We added solar-powered skylights to the master bedroom and master bathroom that close when rain is sensed and have remote-controlled shades. Plus, the great room is surrounded on all three sides by humongous windows, so it’s flooded with natural light. It’s beautifully lit even

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without turning on any of the artificial lighting throughout the house. In fact, whenever I was in the house and not shooting a scene, I’d go through and turn off all the lights.

There are a lot of earthy elements as well. How important are they to the overall design?

I had some fun with wood paneling and the directions, shapes, and architectural detail I created out of it. While I still wanted to carry the tradition and laid-back nature of that area of the country, I also wanted to inject a little bit of personal flavor into this house.

For example, in the powder room, I created a pattern on the wood paneling that has a checkerboard feel. In the master bedroom, instead of a basic shiplap paneling, where the boards are all running horizontally, I created a chevron/herringbone-type pattern on the walls. I took opportunities like that to remix the obvious.

Plants were a key part of this design as well. I brought in live plants and trees to create balance and ground the space.

Is the open-concept floor plan contrary to a typical LowCountry feel?

Low Country is a culture within itself.

It’s laid-back and welcoming; it’s an invitation to your neighbors to come over for a glass of tea and a chat. The home’s open concept is a tribute to that type of casualness.

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L o w C o u n try i s a c u l tu re wi th i n i ts e l f .

It ’s la id-bac k an d we lc omin g; it ’s an in v itat ion to y ou r n e igh bors to c ome ov e r for a glass of te a an d a c h at. T h e h om e ’s ope n c on c e pt is a tribu te to t h at ty p e of c asu aln e ss.

What are your favorite rooms in the house?

I’d say the kitchen is a favorite of mine.

It has a vintage, farmhouse-type feel and has a lot of natural light. But I was also able to get creative with functionality.

For example, I placed shelving in front of the windows so that there is added storage, but it doesn’t prevent the light from streaming in. This added a little something extra that’s not too common.

The dining room is also a favorite because I was able to go outside the box with designs and be a little more reckless with patterns and colors than I normally would. I utilized furniture differently, too. For example, at the head table, I have an ottoman instead of a standard chair that you would normally see in a dining room setting.

This is your fifth time hosting the HGTV Smart Home Giveaway Special. Do you enjoy surprising the winner of the home even more than designing it?

I do. I get to ambush the winner of the house: I follow the person around and pretend I’m somebody else; then, all of a sudden, I spring the news on them.

I literally change somebody’s life in an afternoon. It’s as if I’ve made somebody a millionaire. It’s the craziest feeling!

For more info, visit HGTV.com/Smart

To read more about Tiffany’s design journey, visit americanlifestylemag.com

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T

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Go inside the Udvar-Hazy Center by visiting americanlifestylemag.com Space shuttle Discovery on display in the James S. McDonnell Space Hangar.

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A 2 W i a

rare air

THE UDVAR-HAZY CENTER w r i t t en b y matthew brady p h o t o g r a phy by smithsonian’s national air and space museum

The Boeing Aviation Hangar.

ON DECEMBER 17, 1903, ORVILLE AND

Wilbur Wright changed history: thanks to abundant planning, trial and error, and ingenuity, they became the first people to fly a plane. The brothers were airborne for 120 feet over the course of twelve historic seconds in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

Almost exactly a century later and 275 miles north of Kitty Hawk, near Washington Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Virginia, the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-

Hazy Center opened as a means to honor and display such historic feats of flight. Much like the National Air and Space Museum’s location on the National Mall in Washington, DC, the Udvar-Hazy Center plays an important role in preserving air and space history, being the storehouse for more than 2,800 aviation artifacts, 1,000 space artifacts (including 195 aircraft and 150 spacecraft and satellites), and 40 pieces of art. Over 200,000 people visited the center in the first two weeks after it opened in 2003, and it quickly became

one of Virginia’s leading attractions.

Today, the Udvar-Hazy Center welcomes over 1.5 million people a year.

It was the culmination of over fifteen years of lobbying, planning, and effort to get the center opened—and to solve a national storage problem. America had enjoyed a long history as an air and space pioneer, and it had accumulated a massive number of artifacts from its missions. The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum was built in Washington, DC, in 1976 to display

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such artifacts. However, because of its relatively modest size (161,000 square feet), it could only share a portion of the historical treasures with the public.

So a second location had to be considered. Starting the next year, plans were put in motion to build a larger facility in close proximity to the original, which would make transporting the aircraft and spacecraft more feasible and cost-effective, as they wouldn’t have to be disassembled. One hundred acres south of Dulles International was secured, and construction of what was then called the Dulles Annex began in 1993. An entirely privately funded endeavor, it was renamed the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in honor of the executive of a global aircraft leasing company who contributed $65 million to help establish the center.

UDVAR-HAZY CENTER “THE CERTAINLY ACHIEVED ITS

Museum specialists (above and right) working in the Mary Baker Engen Restoration Hangar.

PURPOSE OF EXPANDING ON THE SMITHSONIAN’S FOOTPRINT DEDICATED TO AIR AND SPACE. THE CENTER SPANS OVER FIVE BLOCKS AND POSSESSES OVER THREE-QUARTERS OF A MILLION SQUARE FEET—MORE THAN QUADRUPLE THE SPACE OF THE ORIGINAL.

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The Udvar-Hazy Center certainly achieved its purpose of expanding on the Smithsonian’s footprint dedicated to air and space. The center spans over five blocks and possesses over three-quarters of a million square feet—more than quadruple the space of the original. As such, it is home to an amazing collection of the country’s aviation and aeronautics marvels and other artifacts, all of which it acquires from a wide variety of sources, including the military, NASA, and private owners.

The center’s primary space is divided into two huge hangars: the eighty-foothigh James S. McDonnell Space Hangar and the ten-story-high, three-hundredyard-long Boeing Aviation Hangar, the latter of which is particularly aweinspiring. “When visitors enter our Boeing Aviation Hangar, the first word spoken for many of them is ‘Wow!’” says Amy Stamm, public affairs specialist for the Air and Space Museum. “In the

aviation hangar, aircraft are displayed at three levels—two levels suspended from the building's huge trusses and a third level on the floor. Most of the suspended aircraft have been hung in their typical flight maneuvers.”

If you’re interested in massive flying machines or American aviation and space history, you’re like a kid in a candy shop here, as there’s a virtual who’s who on display at both hangars.

“Some of our most popular spacecraft and aircraft include the space shuttle Discovery, which flew the most missions of any space shuttle; the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, the world's fastest jet-propelled aircraft; and the Air France Concorde, the first supersonic airliner to enter service, which flew passengers across the Atlantic at twice the speed of sound for over twenty-five years,” Stamm says. She notes that visitors can also enjoy watching planes land at Dulles Airport from the Donald D. Engen Observation Tower and watch restoration work in progress from the Mary Baker Engen Restoration Hangar overlook.

Over fifteen specialists ply their trade at the Udvar-Hazy Center, carefully ensuring that the artifacts are preserved to pristine condition while staying true to their original form. Of course, doing so takes a lot of skill, effort, and dedication—making for a fascinating experience to observe from the overlook and leading to an appreciation for the work behind each of these artifacts.

This kind of work, however, can present daunting challenges for those involved. “For us, challenges come in many forms,” says Robert Mawhinney, museum specialist in the Preservation and Restoration Unit. “It could be the extremely intricate press-formed

wood fuselage of the World War I Albatros D.Va. that tests the skills and talent of any restorer, or the delicate preservation of the original 1918 fabric on the Caudron G-4, or the sheer size and scope of the Enola Gay restoration, which consumed more people hours than any other project. Every project presents a unique challenge—that’s part of the fun.”

As one can imagine, using only original parts when restoring decadesold machinery can sometimes cause a conundrum in those infrequent occasions when any are missing. “Most of our aircraft are complete and are disassembled for storage purposes, so it is fairly rare that we’re missing parts,” Mawhinney admits. “But when they are, we locate the parts any and every way we can. As part of the Smithsonian, we have contacts with museums and individuals around the world. We are fortunate that, oftentimes, when we do find something we need, individuals are apt to donate the item to our project. I’ve been told many times of the pride they feel helping complete one of the aircraft.”

learning and excitement about aviation and space artifacts. “We like to say that the National Air and Space Museum is where ‘education takes flight,’” says Stamm. “We know that the future of aerospace is going to require brilliant minds in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (or STEM), and we are committed to doing our part to inspire the next generation of innovators and explorers. We do so by telling the inspiring stories of aviation’s and space’s greatest feats, and also by making learning and STEM topics exciting and fun.

“To that end, we have a number of education programs, including Discovery Stations, where visitors can enjoy hands-on activities to learn the science or engineering principles behind flight. By helping visitors of all ages understand how a plane is able to take flight or how we can control the Curiosity rover on Mars all the way from Earth, we make the stories we’re telling come alive.”

For more info, visit airandspace.si.edu/udvar-hazy-center

Everyone at the Udvar-Hazy Center is also proud of its mission to inspire

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Front of Tear Out Card 2

Dear Lisa & Robert, In the 1970s, songwriting pair Peter Allen and Carole Bayer Sager composed the lyrics to "Everything Old Is New Again," and it's easy to see this in our country today--vintage is all the rage and a generation of makers has emerged. This issue of American Lifestyle magazine explores the bridge between the past and present.

The McMenamin brothers, Mike and Brian, embody those lyrics very Mike Hirner, Broker Associate well, having transformed over forty properties, including an elementary CA CalBRE # 01081000 school, a 1920s theater, and a jazz dance hall, into gathering spots.

Cell: (415) 722-4862 They take care to use materials associated with each building to honor Direct: (650) 931-2081 the property and its history.

E-mail: mhirner@apr.com www.MikeHirner.com technology with the of

Designer Tiffany Brooks balances the world Alain Pinel - Peninsula and San Francisco relaxed culture of Bluffton, South Carolina, inBurlingame her design ofChapin the HGTV - 1440 Ave, Ste 200 San Francisco - 3701 Buchanan St Smart Home 2018. The house has a wraparound porch perfect for unplugged, lazy afternoons, but it's also the ultimate in technological advancement.

Pottery is a prime example of a skill that's been handed down through generations. Ceramicists often create pots using the same technique as their teachers for a time before branching out and evolving their own distinctive style.

Back of Tear Out Card 2

What will you reinvent this season? As always, it's a pleasure to send you this magazine.

Mike Hirner

Mike Hirner, Broker Associate CA CalBRE # 01081000

Cell: (415) 722-4862 Direct: (650) 931-2081 E-mail: mhirner@apr.com www.MikeHirner.com

Alain Pinel - Peninsula and San Francisco Burlingame - 1440 Chapin Ave, Ste 200 San Francisco - 3701 Buchanan St

Mike Hirner, Broker Associate CA CalBRE # 01081000

Cell: (415) 722-4862 Direct: (650) 931-2081 E-mail: mhirner@apr.com www.MikeHirner.com  Alain Pinel - Peninsula and San Francisco Burlingame - 1440 Chapin Ave, Ste 200 San Francisco - 3701 Buchanan St

Mike Hirner Alain Pinel - Peninsula and San Francisco 1440 Chapin Avenue, Suite 200 Burlingame, CA 94010

Lisa & Robert Burnett

B