Janine Stankus
Copywriter and Content Strategist
Considerate Design
Crouched amid the protected oaks on a corner of East Austin’s Holly neighborhood is a modern, single-story home dubbed ‘Frog Legs.’ According to architect François Lévy, the name was bequeathed by the builders at Austin Newcastle Home, but he was never sure why. Perhaps it’s the long, zigzag line of the triple-gabled roof that runs north to south, like the stretched-out limb of a leaping amphibian…
Keeping the Blues Alive
Making a life out of what you love takes tenacity and energy—something Mr. Gene “Birdlegg” Pittman has in no short shrift. He likes to “hit the stage hot” with high-tempo melodies, unscripted movements, and fast, clear harmonica solos played straight to his audience.
Holding Space {Mexic-Arte}
In the heart of downtown Austin, amidst the wash of hotels and businesses, a swath of bright-colored murals stands as an emblem to the city’s multicultural heritage and marks the location of one of its most important culture hubs.
Doing The Work {Music 2021}
For these four Austin-based musicians, the 2020 pandemic stole away their limelights, emptied the rooms they once filled with energy, and left the road ahead shrouded in fog. But it also gave them something they had in very short shrift before: time. In the midst of adversity, these artists are digging deeper to refine their voices, hone their messages, reevaluate their roles, and create music. The results are authentic and inspiring, tunes that reaffirm music’s power to forge heartfelt connections—whether performers and listeners are in the same room or far apart.
Texas Midcentury Hotel Renovations Follow Fad and Government Incentives
In the downtown districts of Dallas, Houston, and even smaller Texas metros, a movement is on the rise to rescue midcentury modern buildings from would-be wreckage and redevelop them as destination spaces for major hotel chains. Developers have gone digging for these gems, chipping off decades of dust, polishing them up, and turning them about, spinning a story to beguile new guests. Architects have been called on to leverage the buildings’ storied histories to make midcentury modern — by today’s standards.
babaà Knits Better
Every garment by Madrid-based knitwear brand babaà is strong, straightforward, and timeless—attributes that stay with its wearer and provide a sense of comfort. Six years ago, its founder, Marta Bahillo, turned down a job designing womenswear for a major fashion house to pursue her passion for natural textiles and bringing good into the world. Now, Bahillo’s universe is full of beautiful things...
A House That’s at Home with Its Environment
Ramalina, a genus of lichens marked by its flat branches, flourishes in life-giving microclimates—and, in turn, creates lush, geometric canopies that filter light, capture nutrients, and nourish the air. The Lichen House, completed in 2016 by San Francisco–based Schwartz and Architecture, pays homage to this natural synergy in astonishingly artful ways.
Glasfurd & Walker designs stories that stand out
From a lush-yet-grounded fine dining concept that works at the intersection of art and science to neon signage that takes Chinese brasserie patrons to old Shanghai, their work is art with a story and purpose. Surface spoke to Phoebe Glasfurd about the firm’s philosophy and the projects set to dazzle design denizens in 2018.
Venture Catalyst: 5 Questions With Brandathon Founder ZeShan Malik
Fifteen talented creatives from the worlds of strategy, copy, and design. Five burgeoning startups vying for next-level awesomeness. What happens when they come together for one weekend, under the mentorship of top CMOs, creative directors and VCs at a buzzy technology campus in New York’s Soho neighborhood? It’s Brandathon, baby. Lines blur, relationships blossom and the best ideas are given a chance to shine.
Michael Zelehoski's New Order
In the converted garage space of his Beacon, NY studio, artist Michael Zelehoski and his brother guide a 9'x5' plywood slab through a table saw, carefully slicing the bottom edge. The plywood is actually pieced together around fragments of 21 different shipping pallets, which are arranged to create the illusion of a three-dimensional stack that dissolves into nothingness—or rather, carefully configured blank space. “I’m not sure if it’s too much," Zelehoski muses, “I might have to glue that on and do it again."
Extreme Downsizing
Les and Karen Walker aren’t retirees absconding from their day-to-day, they’re an active couple seeking, in simplicity, a whole new way of life. So last year, they sold their multilevel house, chucked their stuff, and moved into the most unremarkable house on the block. The 1955 California ranch squats in the midst of three acres, flanked by towering conifers. From the outside, it’s almost painfully prototypical, but beyond the eggnog-colored façade are clean lines and spacious, light-filled rooms—all signs of a couple going modern in their golden years.
Metamorphic rock and steel expose the possibilities of precious
Chris Platt 's work is "edgy" in the most literal sense, pushing the boundary between jewelry and sculpture. With a collection of jagged, industrial pieces forged from metal and stone, Platt is trying to introduce new energy into the jewelry market.
Lofty Vision
The roof pitches at an impressive 30 ft, with added skylights drawing in a glow, and the signature symmetry of the Dutch architecture contributes to the space’s feeling of sanctuary. In the warmer months, the couple likes to move the sofa from the ground-floor living area outside to the bluestone patio, opening up both sides of the barn to take in the sweeping views. When the barn’s huge 12' x 12' doors slide apart, light pours across the polished floors and the space seems to sigh all the way through. “It’s an unusual feeling,” Turnbull says, surveying the space from the loft. “It’s almost like being in a church.”
Polymorph
These warm, inviting, yet subtly grotesque figures tackle standards of femininity that have persisted over time despite women's advancement. Usvitsky is completely unabashed about labeling her art—and herself—feminist, a term that she believes women need to reclaim. "'Feminist' has been assigned so many meanings that I think the word itself has basically been diluted to a synonym for 'bitch,'" says Usvitsky. "What feminism is really about, though, is a woman being able to make her own damn decisions, in all aspects of her life. Period."
Terroir Life Wines
To oenophiles, the term "terroir" refers to wind, rain, soil, sun, diurnal shifts—all the elements that imbue wine with its distinct character. It’s the “biography of wine,” notes Ali Banks, Terroir Life co-founder, but one which misses an essential element: the people. Terroir Life writes the missing character into the stories of each of their wines by celebrating the people behind it: from those who farm it, to those who make it, to those who drink and enjoy it.
Call it "Farmer-chef-food" (Review)
Chef Nathan Snow is frustrated by those who pay the term "farm-to-table" loose lip service....The Huguenot raises the bar on farm-to-table to a symbiotic level that's been dubbed "farmer-chef-food." Snow writes his menu based on what Karl has available at the farm. Karl, in turn, takes on new crops and livestock based on Nathan's needs—or whims. Most recently, Karl raised a round of ducks for Snow, who wanted to try a cassoulet. Before that, it was guinea hens. The Karls have been able to expand their operation to accommodate this built-in customer.
Rural Chic: modern Farmhouse furniture
Curated roundup of "modern farmhouse" furniture for Upstate House magazine.