de LaB: February 2009

Thursday, February 26, 2009

March de LaB> Viewing The Varnish Reminder

March is almost upon us, which means we're ready for our next de LaB event!

Los Angeles' history echoes at Cole's, Originator of the French Dip, housed since 1908 in the hollow of the Pacific Electric building, once the nucleus of the Pacific Electric railway network. After a yearlong renovation, Cole's recently reopened, keeping many of the original details, including glass lighting, penny tile floors, historic photos, and the 40-foot mahogany bar.

Restaurant group 213's designer Ricki Kline will be giving us a tour of the restored space, which will include the ~~soon-to-open~~ now open speakeasy The Varnish, in the back room.

Cocktails around 7, tour and presentation will begin around 8:30.
118 E 6th St.
Los Angeles, CA

Get Directions on Google Maps

There should be plenty of street parking available.

Cole's has kindly offered to extend their happy hour specials to de LaB attendees throughout the night. Enjoy "Swell Well" $2 off, $1 off all Drinks/Beer/Wine and $4 Half Dips. Thanks to our friends at 213!

Please drop us a line, leave a comment, or RSVP on our facebook page so we can get a rough estimate of how many people are attending. Looking forward to seeing everyone there.

[Image of vintage cash register at The Varnish via Mattatouille]

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

This Just In: River Liver Photos

If any of you missed (or want to remember) the de LaB River Liver event hosted last August by green meme, our friend and amazing photographer Adam Latham has just posted a new gallery of pics from the party. (And yes, that is a giant pink My Little Pony....because nothing says fun like a trip to Ponyville!) See you all in March!

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

March de LaB> Viewing The Varnish

Save the Date! Monday, March 9th.

Los Angeles' history echoes at Cole's, Originator of the French Dip, housed since 1908 in the hollow of the Pacific Electric building, once the nucleus of the Pacific Electric railway network. After a yearlong renovation, Cole's recently reopened, keeping many of the original details, including glass lighting, penny tile floors, historic photos, and the 40-foot mahogany bar.

Restaurant group 213's designer Ricki Kline will be giving us a tour of the restored space, which will include the soon-to-open speakeasy The Varnish, in the back room.

More details to follow, including drink specials for de LaB.

Cocktails around 7, tour and presentation will begin around 8:30.

UPDATE: Cole's has kindly offered to extend their happy hour specials to de LaB attendees throughout the night. Enjoy "Swell Well" $2 off, $1 off all Drinks/Beer/Wine and $4 Half Dips. Thanks to our friends at 213!

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

de LaB>Daly Lofts recap!

In February we headed to Lincoln Heights for a tour of the Daly Lofts, architect and writer Joseph Giovannini’s first major LA project. Formerly a telephone trucking garage, this 23,000 square-foot structure now houses a series of trippy, sculptural modern live-work lofts that defy definition.

After cocktails and Mexican pastries (courtesy of Joseph) in one of the lofts, we embarked on a tour of the building that felt like one part funhouse, one part Death Star. Later, Joseph showed us a slideshow that featured some of the optical illusions and axonometric shapes in the other units. It left about 40 de Labbers seeing in the fourth dimension…or maybe it was the pineapple vodka cocktails with lime ice? Thanks to Joseph and everyone who attended on what was a viciously rainy night!

Photo from our friends at ArchNewsNow.

Read more about the Daly Lofts at Curbed and ArchNewsNow.

Also, a bit of news from de LaB headquarters: Marissa Gluck, editor extraordinare at Curbed LA and gal about (the east side of) town, is joining our de LaB planning team. She’s already hard at work cooking up something delicious for our March event. Welcome, Marissa!

-Alissa Walker

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

de LaB > February 5th!

We opted to let Obama (and the Ox) have the month of January, but please join us in February for the first de LaB of the new year!

This month we’re heading to Lincoln Heights for a tour of the Daly Lofts, architect and writer Joseph Giovannini’s first major LA project. Formerly a telephone trucking garage, this 23,000 structure now houses a series of trippy, sculptural modern live-work lofts that defy definition. Once you’re inside, it’s hard to leave. The optical illusions and axonometric shapes and spaces will have you seeing the fourth dimension! If you’re like us and dig the fourth dimension, feel free to talk to Joseph about the three or four remaining units that are available for rent!

After our return from the fourth dimension, we might head to Barbara’s for some nosh.

Thursday, February 5
7 to 10pm
Drinks and bites at 7pm
Tour begins at 8:30pm
Park on the street. Buzz unit #11 when you get there.

Daly Lofts
2450 Daly Street
Los Angeles, CA 90031
Link to Google Maps

Photo from our friends at ArchNewsNow.

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About de LaB

(that’s: design east of La Brea)
part design lab, part social experiment

de LaB (dee-lab) is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)3 nonprofit that celebrates and supports local creatives in their efforts to enlighten, improve and engage the city. Through monthly events that are educational and inspirational, de LaB unites an enthusiastic community of local residents who are invested in the future of L.A.

We firmly believe that the east side of Los Angeles is home to the most exciting creative community in the world. We hope to bring exposure to its artists, designers and architects—both legendary and emerging—through events, workshops and public engagement projects that focus on building a better L.A. Through these events, we explore the changing urban environment, discover new projects and ideas, and learn more about the city in which we live, helping us to become more passionate, invested Angelenos.

Want to know more about what we do? Here's a list of the events we hosted in 2012, a list of the events we hosted in 2011 and a list of the events we hosted in 2010.

Join us on Facebook, won’t you?

Follow us on Twitter.

We're now on Instagram!

Or say hello [at] designeastoflabrea.org.

If you're coming to an event, tag your photos wherever you post them with #delab so we can include them in our newsletter.

And please add them to our Flickr pool.

About Your Hosts

ALISSA WALKER//Alissa writes about design, architecture, cities and transportation for publications like Fast Company, GOOD, Dwell, Sunset, and is the associate producer for the public radio show "DnA: Design and Architecture," hosted by Frances Anderton. She is a frequent collaborator with GOOD, most recently as curator of a series of events called GOOD Design, where designers solve city problems proposed by urban leaders. Alissa lives in a royal blue house in Silver Lake where she throws ice cream socials, tends to a drought-tolerant garden, writes infrequently but obsessively on her blog, Gelatobaby, and relishes life in LA without a car. Follow her at @gelatobaby

HAILY ZAKI//A creative at heart, Haily Zaki satisfies her love for modern design by promoting great companies doing interesting things. She launched Secret Agent PR in 2008 with the specific mission of infiltrating the media in the name of good design. She is also a co-founder of the Los Angeles Design Festival and an erstwhile contributor to Inhabitat and The Architect's Newspaper. In her spare time, she blogs about her adventures on the Intel Report and is the proud mom of a ridiculously precocious little boy and a 90-lb. pitbull. Follow her at @SecretAgentPR

MARISSA GLUCK//As co-founder and managing partner at media consultancy, Radar Research, Marissa Gluck is a writer, speaker and consultant covering the marketing and media industries. Marissa became interested in Los Angeles' architecture as she was completing her master's thesis for The London School of Economics and USC. Thus began a love affair with LA's buildings, sushi and sun. In her spare time, Marissa writes about LA real estate, architecture and urban planning for the LA Times, The Atlantic Cities, and LA mag, volunteers as a docent for the Schindler House in West Hollywood, and chases after late night taco trucks. Follow her at @marissagluck

ERIN CULLERTON//Erin is the founder of Design Agency Co., a boutique pr firm specializing in communications, strategy and cultural engagement for the design industry. A newfound lover of Los Angeles' rolling hills, Erin is the former Assistant Director of AIA San Francisco and creator of the popular Architecture and the City festival. A consummate advocate for good design, Erin serves on advisory committees for The Architect's Newspaper, A+D Museum, and Southern California Architecture and Design Consortium; is an honorary AIA SF member; and an occasional curator, writer and crafter. Follow her at @designagencyco

de Lab logo by Keith Scharwath