apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

So while working on a lit review on another topic entirely, I came across this (very readable) article that does a Marshall-McLuhan-style analysis of the meaning of the chair:
http://tinyurl.com/lg3kl

A short quote:
"Chairs promote heads and headship, while desensitizing the body. The parts of the chair are named for the parts of the body they numb or displace: seat, legs, feet, back, arms, etc. The chair-sitter, bodily numbed, cut off by desks, then boxed and cubicled in an office, relies on technological senses for vital information. He no longer accesses his original sensory tools, necessary for direct mimetic observation. His other senses numb, he tends to rely on the eye as main source of perception."

I have a bit of an unusual question.

My boyfriend and I have just moved into a small home (craftsman) and I would really love to give him a great book on architecture/home design/building as a housewarming gift.

He studied architecture and I studied fashion - so we both have a love for design, but I am complete neophyte when it comes to architecture!!

Does anyone have any favorites or great recommendations? I am thinking that I'd like to give him a coffee table type of book.

I'd love any input.

Cheers - K

PS - Thanks for sharing that article WISF....very interesting.

Coming to SF for the first time next week (for work). Would love some infos on good areas to visit to get a design-fix. Funky or modern or antique. All is good.

Okay, here's my cut at an answer to where to get your design fix.

Funky and modern, some antique = Hayes Valley. Lots of boutiques, many featured here on AT-SF.
http://tinyurl.com/6bjxx

Antique = Deco Ghetto along Market St. (but some stores have left, check their Web sites).
http://tinyurl.com/rebtw

Knife-edged modern = SoMa, but it's more architecture than shopping.
http://tinyurl.com/mf7ne

John Dickinson's not dead after all = the Castro.
http://tinyurl.com/yvktf

A San Francisco institution = Gump's.
http://www.gumps.com/

Jen-
my 2 favorite areas for a design-fix, or just to hang out:
1) Fillmore Street/Japantown: definitely check out Zinc Details on Fillmore for modern design, and the new Jonathan Adler store is fun. Have a bowl of the best ramen in the city at Iroha (1728 Buchanan) when you get hungry.
2) Yerba Buena Square: beautiful spot in downtown, also right next to SFMOMA which has a great giftshop.
Be ready for some revelry if you are coming during Pride!

-Hayes Valley - I second Wende on this one. All your modern needs met.

-Valencia Street - for funky thrift and some small art galleries.

Click my name to link to Holly's decor8 blog. She has a list on the left hand side of stores sorted by city. In her archives I remember seeing a rundown of shops in the Mission Disctrict (Valencia Street).

oooh - thanks great stuff. keep it coming. i forgot to mention art-gallery areas would be great, too. Though I'm sure they're pretty close to the design-y areas.

hey jen. i highly recommend walking around (or getting yourself on a tour) the mission and looking at all of the murals, ESPECIALLY on balmy alley. and then you're not that far from the pirate store at 866 valencia.

Kari,

You might try a subscription to American Bungalow magazine instead of a book.

I would recommend Valencia Street in the Mission for funky furniture stores: X-21 modern, The Apartment, Therapy to name a few.

I also like the Lost Art Salon www.lostartsalon.com for affordable artwork in the same vein. It's off the beaten path, but close to a fun EAST German restaurant - Walzwerk.
http://www.walzwerk.com/

Walzwerk is not open for lunch so those two outings might not work together.

Builders Book Source on 4th st. in Berkeley is a treasure trove of books on design, building, architectue and garden. It's near Cody's which also has a section devoted to design.

http://www.buildersbooksource.com/cgi-bin/booksite/index.html