Sactown is Revving Up!

Hello all!

I know it has been too long, and I am anxious to get back to all of you! Things have been quite interesting around here lately! Katie Denham Interiors is experiencing a growth spurt ( I have hired a new assistant....Yay!)..... following the trend in Sacramento at large. The area is surging ahead in its recovery, especially with the new Sacramento Kings arena project going full steam ahead (Go Kings!!)! These are very exciting times around here...for me, for Katie Denham Interiors and for Sacramento.

I have been in the throes of year end school celebrations....my youngest has graduated from High School and will be off to Portland for College this Fall (Can't wait to visit....Portland is one of my favorite cities.) We will soon be moving my older daughter out of her apartment in Santa Cruz so she can start her study abroad in Seoul, Korea this summer. Very exciting!  AND....Business has never been better....I am looking forward to sharing photos of recent projects as soon as they are ready! It is one of those situations where there are quite a few projects that have been completed, but because of the new work, I do not have the time to get them photographed. A wonderful "problem" to have, and yet, I do need a solution! I recently hired a new assistant (who is quickly becoming quite an asset) who is helping me with all of the new work. Perhaps I will have time to get those photos done sooner rather than later.

WELL....Sacramento is no slouch at the moment either! Lots happening here! Because of the new arena plans coming to downtown for the Kings, there are lots of people snapping up properties in the adjacent areas. The landscape of downtown will be changing drastically in the next few years. Some Sacramentans will be excited and some will resist change, and can be sure that everyone will have opinions about it all. It will very interesting to see how it all shakes out. 

In the meantime...there is always something fun happening around here! A couple of weeks ago I took a break from my desk and attended the Sacramento Mid-Century Modern Home Tour. The tour was organized by a nifty group called SacMod, a non-profit organization "dedicated to promoting, preserving and protecting modern art, architecture and design in the Sacramento region". I am definitely on board. The tour started with a very cool car show at the Sacramento Executive Airport (which is also a Mid-Century design). Not only were the cars taking me back in time, but all of the volunteers dressed the part as well. Such a "Back to the Future" moment!

These are just a few of the classic collectibles.....

As I mentioned, the tour started at the Sacramento Executive Airport....the one Arnold Schwarzenegger would fly into on a private jet when he was governor. It is a Streamline Modern building that was built in 1955 and has become Northern California's primary general aviation airport. Little tidbit: Originally this airport, back in the 30's, was known as the Sutterville Aerodrome....how's that for historic?

After we had our fill of sort of wishing we had a vintage car.....we moved on to the home part of the tour! Let me say that these homes are owned by Mid-Century enthusiasts who have a huge appreciation for all things the era. There has a big resurgence in this style over the last few years.....(can anyone say "Mad Men"?) I picked the best peeks into the various homes we visited. I loved seeing all of the different takes on what each home owner selected for their own homes....

This bedroom had what I refer to as "atomic art" as a mural above the bed. Kinda loved it just because the Jetsons was on a lot in our house when I was growing up.

This TV cart was stenciled with a very Mid-Century pattern on the top....both the mural and the painted furniture were done by local artist, Barbara Legacy. Glad to add another artisan to my list!

On the subject of art....there was quite a bit of art that had me walking down memory lane.....

This house was a 1955 Joseph Eichler house, and one of my favorites on the tour with its Mondrian -style front door and sunny feel. Joseph Eichler became well known for his California Modern homes in Northern California as well as Southern California. His homes also fall under the umbrella of the Atomic Ranch style home.....

I grew up with these tulip chairs in our breakfast nook (although our house in Pasadena was a Prairie style house designed by a Frank Lloyd Wright student in the 1930's)....so again, memory lane played a part in my affinity for this particular house...

If you are interested in a bit more history about this house, hop on over to the Eichlerific blog!

This next house caught my attention before I even went inside! This little BMW just got to me with its trailer and leather suitcase strapped to the back. CAn you see the louvered shades in the back? Priceless....

This house was also designed by Joseph Eichler, as were many of the homes in the South Land Park neighborhood of Sacramento. Again, the v-groove paneled ceilings were a common design element in Eichler homes, as was the channeled paneling....

Next up.... known as the "Westerner", this 1950's home was designed by Blomberg Builders of Sacramento. This house was recently renovated by the current owners, and you can see "before and afters" HERE.

This next house was featured in Atomic Ranch magazine in the Fall 2012 issue and in the May 2013 issue of Sacramento Magazine. Designed by Kenneth Rickey and Fred Brooks, it is another great example of atomic modern. 

The current owners have been restoring the home since they moved in in 2000 keeping the original details intact. Just a few of my favorite things....the bongos....

The convex glass fish aquarium in the Family Room....

And last, but not least....Nipper, the RCA dog....

That about wraps it up for this home tour! 

But for those of you who are interested in finding out more about SacMod and future events....hop right on over to their Facebook Page and get involved!