Sleek, Modern Furniture In The East Bay

Posted by dfuller on Oct 20, 2011 in Berkeley, Blog Entries | 0 comments

I met Edgar Blazona 13 or 14 years ago now, when my wife and I were first dating. Ed was the most recent roommate in a lower Haight street flat occupied by my wife and one other tenant. One of the things that struck all of us about Ed right up front was how CLEAN his room was, and how well appointed. We quickly learned that Ed was a self taught furniture designer, and a good one at that. He had designed his own bed and other furnishings in his bedroom and was working then designing furniture for Pottery Barn.

Not long thereafter Ed struck out on his own developing furniture designs for kid’s furniture, modular dwellings, and even a few textiles. Ed seemed to have no end to his creative energy.

More recently – another example of his unending energy: Ed recently took over a shabby retail space at the corner of Virginia Street and San Pablo in Berkeley (1659 San Pablo Avenue). I stopped in to take a look at what he was doing and was amazed at the transformation of the space (I had seen it some weeks before). What had been a dark, dirt floor space was now a gleaming, ultra modern retail showroom.

You can stop by and check out the store, or you can also order online at TrueModern.com. True Modern features stylish, modern furniture for adults, kids, or babies. You can also find beautiful rugs, bedding and seating options there, all beautifully designed and impecably well made. Check out Ed’s “Dane Sofa” below, and when you visit, tell him Doug Fuller sent ya!

People Who Live In Glass Houses

Posted by dfuller on Oct 11, 2011 in Blog Entries | 0 comments

No stones allowed… this property just listed near Santa Barara, CA (the address is not disclosed) is truly a work of modernistic art. Built in 2010, the current owner/ builder/ designer, Los Angeles architect Steve Hermann, has decided to move to a more “kid friendly” house. Listed at a mere $19,995,000, this The Glass Pavilion (as it is known) sits on 3.5 lush acres and is surrounded by mature oak trees, creating a private setting (A good thing since there isn’t much privacy built into the walls). The home boasts a spacious 13,875 square feet and is situated on a 3.5 acre lot.

According to MSNBC.com, The tempered glass walls are built out of Starfire Glass, which is a high-end glass product that increased the cost of the home by about $1 million over what it would have cost if traditional dual-pane glass was used. Incidentally the median home value in the neighborhood surrounding The Glass Pavilion is $1,935,200.

If you are thinking you would like to buy this property and take a mortgage on it, Zillow’s mortgage calculator estimates your mortgage will run about $85,933 a month. That assumes a 30-year-fixed-rate home loan at 4.01 percent and 20 percent down payment. Need a little more incentive? The furniture is included.