Friendship homes to open their doors
-
Exterior of the Glass Lofts on Penn Ave. in Garfield neighborhood. -
The soaring two-story front room in loft A301 was decorated by LeMix! It is in the Glass Lofts on Penn Ave. in Pittsburgh's Garfield neighborhood. -
"I Love Your Long Shadow," a life-sized human figure made from old doilies on a wire frame, and 1970s-vintage table and chairs in a Glass Lofts unit designed by Christine Whispell and Nicole Capozzi of Mox Box Consulting. -
Bernie Schilling of Mostly Mod furnished this unit in the Glass Lofts with a glass-topped Chromecraft table and Oh! chairs by British designer Karim Rashid. -
The rear room in loft A202 was decorated by Mostly Mod. -
The rear room in loft A202 was decorated by Mostly Mod. -
The room room in loft A101 was decorated by Mox Box Consulting. -
Mirrors in the hallway connecting the two rooms in loft A202 make it appear larger that it is. It was decorated by Mostly Mod.
Share with others:
Antique furniture and old houses are the mainstay of Pittsburgh house tours, and tour-goers will find both on the 17th annual Friendship House Tour on Sunday.
But they'll also find their funkier counterparts -- vintage and artist-made furniture and artwork in the brand-new Glass Lofts.
The tour begins at 10 a.m. at the bright green lofts at 5491 Penn Ave. in Garfield. Designed by architect Arthur Lubetz, this building features high-efficiency heating and cooling and environmentally low-impact materials. Construction crews finished work this summer on 18 lofts, restaurant space, artist studios and offices. Then the tour's organizer, Friendship Development Associates, asked groups of artists or designers to furnish four units.
- When:10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Tickets: $20 on tour day after 11 a.m. or $18 from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Glass Lofts.
- Information: www.friendshiphousetour.org.
Unit A101 was done by Christine Whispell and Nicole Capozzi of Mox Box Consulting and unit A202 by Bernie Schilling of Mostly Mod in Homestead.
Because Ms. Capozzi and Ms. Whispell are art consultants, the artwork came first in unit A101. Pride of place in the dining area goes to "I Love Your Long Shadow," a life-sized human figure made from old doilies on a wire frame by Kyle Ethan Fischer of Lawrenceville.
"All of the art is recycled or reused, taking old things and making them different," said Ms. Capozzi, a Bloomfield resident.
The 1970s vintage table and chairs, meanwhile, came from Craigslist. So did the two 1990s orb chairs and loveseat, which the two women chose because their lime green upholstery nearly matched the building's bright green shell.
Others whose work appears in unit A101 are Alex Lobus of South Park and Nevernew Furniture of Lawrenceville, Even the floor coverings are art. Susanna Glatty of North Carolina makes rugs from vintage wallpaper and fabric, coated with resin for durability.
Unit A202, meanwhile, is all about the furniture, most of it from the 1960s. In the eating area, Mr. Schilling has brought together a glass-topped Chromecraft table with new Oh! chairs by British designer Karim Rashid. Nearby are a '60s-vintage George Nelson sling sofa, Mies van der Rohe Barcelona chairs and a Charles Eames "surfboard" coffee table. Other highlights include a credenza and chest of drawers by John van Koret.
Although the house tour only runs until 5 p.m., Mr. Schilling plans to have a cocktail party in his space until 8 p.m.
"It will be a 10-hour party. All are welcome!" he said, laughing. "Everybody likes a cocktail, regardless of what time it is."
First Published September 18, 2010 12:00 am
