Scout Regalia

SR Gingerbread Geodesic Dome

2011-12-06T23:18:00.000-08:00

Dymaxion Confections! Just in time (barely!) for the holiday season, we're excited to introduce the SR Gingerbread Geodesic Dome, now available on our website. Build your own gingerbread geodesic house with our dome template and easy to follow instructions including recipes for gingerbread and icing. It's fun. It's festive. We also created a video of how it's assembled.

Happy Holidays from Scout Regalia!

Flyfishing on the Owens River

2011-11-02T23:17:00.000-07:00

After an incredibly busy summer, we recently spent a weekend up by the Owens River and Mammoth to learn how to fly fish. What an incredible experience! Oddly enough, much of the land out there is owned by the City of Los Angeles and the LA Department of Water and Power. It's a strange feeling to be 5 hours away from Los Angeles but still be on city land.

We had an amazing guide for the weekend. Gary from Brock's Flyfishing Specialists is one of the most knowledgeable, friendly, and good hearted people we've ever met. He was an outstanding guide that knew the best parts of the Upper Owens River, and taught us some great fundamentals about casting and the art of fly fishing.

We caught and released a couple dozen rainbow and brown trout over the weekend, with perfect fall weather and incredibly scenic views. More pics on our flickr feed, and a video of our weekend above. We're already planning our next fly fishing adventure!

High Desert Test Sites: HDTS 2011

2011-10-31T23:32:00.000-07:00

Yucca Crater by Ball Nogues

Here There, There Here by ROLU & WELCOME projects

Space Post by Von Tundra

Trail Registry offering

Trail Registry by Scout Regalia

HDTS 2011 was pretty amazing. We saw such incredible work from so many talented designers, artists, musicians, and all around awesome people. Thanks to everyone who treked out to the Pioneertown site to take a peek at our Trail Registry! More pics are on our flickr page and facebook page.

Scout Regalia at HDTS: Trail Registry

2011-10-06T10:09:00.000-07:00

Introducing Trail Registry, our project for HDTS 2011 at High Desert Test Sites. We hope you can join us on October 15-16 in Joshua Tree, CA as we debut this long-term installation in Pioneertown!

Trail Registry is inspired by the registries found at trailheads. We created this registry to help delineate the entrance to the HDTS Pioneertown site. The registry encourages people to leave and/or take a memento tied to the enameled aluminum rods, similar to the way people leave rocks in a pile at the top of a mountain or leave artifacts near trailheads. We hope that this creates a sense of exploration and personal narrative of both the site and the area as a whole. Trail Registry is inspired by totem poles and nudie suits, with representations of the variety of flora and fauna of the high desert. The registry is made of Doug Fir that has been CNC milled to create the form, and includes an aluminum strip between the "front" and "back" of the two vertical totems, creating a juxtaposition between new and old materials.

Scout Regalia at HDTS: Laser Cut Messages

2011-10-05T19:50:00.000-07:00

Our Trail Registry for HDTS 2011 will also include laser cut messages on tyvek that will hang on the enameled aluminium rods. We want to encourage people to take or leave messages on the rods as a way to create a sense of exploration and personal narrative of both the site and the area as a whole. The messages range from descriptions of the local flora and fauna, street names, and messages such as "Take One" and "Leave One".

Special thanks to 2ndwnd Studio for the use of their awesome laser cutting facilities. 2ndwnd is part of the Knowhow Shop collective in Highland Park, where we did the milling of our totem poles.

Scout Regalia at HDTS: Pregame Milling

2011-10-01T09:42:00.000-07:00

We've been busy at headquarters getting ready for the HDTS 2011 event at High Desert Test Sites, which is happening on the weekend of October 15-16. We're really excited to be part of the event featuring art, design, and installations from so many talented designers and artists. Special thanks to curator Brooks Hudson Thomas who invited us to be part of the weekend event.

We'll share more of what we're up to as the project comes together. Part of our project involves milling forms from laminated Doug Fir. We've been working with the all-around awesome guys at Knowhow Shop for our millwork. They have a great cooperative shop space in Highland Park that has been indispensable in our fabrication and prototyping process.

More to come about HDTS!

Upstate NY Part 4: Pizza Tour 2011

2011-09-23T10:04:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love a good pizza pie? When we lived in Brooklyn, we were right next to some of the best street pizza around from Luigi's Pizzeria. Now that we're in LA, we have a shortlist of fine pies, topped by Mozza and followed by Casa Bianca, Mother Dough, and...well that's about it. Whenever we're in Upstate NY, pizza becomes a staple food group. Some of the best pizza we've ever had is in the Triple City region. Our visit this year was no exception in eating as many slices of pizza iterations as possible. Here's a few of the highlights:

Jim Roma's Bakery
Jim Roma's sheet pizza probably had the sweetest of all the sauces, with a light and fluffy crust that was just on the verge of being undercooked. It made for a great saucy slice that was delicious even at room temperature. They slice the sheet with giant scissors, which seem completely appropriate given the "shear" scale of pizza we're talking about.

Jim Roma's Bakery

202 North Nanticoke Ave.
Endicott, NY 13760

Mario's Pizza
Another exceptional sheet pizza is the plain cheese sheet from Mario's. The crust is quite a bit softer than a standard round pizza, probably because of the sheer volume and size of the pie. A mildly sweet sauce topped with a hearty portion of cheese.

Mario's Pizza

51 Fox Street

Owego, NY 13827

Consol's Family Kitchen

Hands down the best pizza we had that week was the "Hot Pie" at Consol's. The pies were made famous by Consul's Uncle Duff back in the mid 1940's. The perfectly thin but substantial crust with a slightly sweet sauce is topped with a nice blend of cheeses. They also have a grilled pizza which we'll have to taste test next time we're there. The best part is how they package the pies to go- not in a box, but wrapped with butcher paper so the pies don't sweat.

Consol's Family Kitchen

101 Oak Hill Ave.

Endicott, NY 13760

Shortstop Deli
While technically not a pizza in the truest sense, honorable mentions go to the Hot Truck Pizza Sub from the Shortstop Deli, which combines the best of both the pizza and sandwich worlds. These toasted subs are made of fresh french bread baked daily on site, with options for toppings that you check off from an order form at the counter. The Poor Man's Pizza (PMP) is a standout. They even have their own secret "truck sauce" which seems to be some mixture of mayonnaise, garlic, pizza sauce, and amazingness.

Shortstop Deli

200 W. Seneca St.

Ithaca, NY 14850

Upstate NY Part 3: Triple City Carousels

2011-09-21T10:29:00.000-07:00

With 6 historic wooden carousels, the Triple City area near Binghamton is the self proclaimed "Carousel Capital of the World". The carousels were donated by George Johnson of the Endicott-Johnson shoe company at the beginning on the 20th Century, with the caveat that all carousel rides would forever be free. What a treat for kids and kids at heart alike. We went to the carousel at Highland Park in Endwell, and even got a fun button for a spin on the carousel. More pics on our flickr feed!

Upstate NY Part 2: The Great New York State Fair

2011-09-20T09:16:00.000-07:00

One of the highlights of our week in Upstate New York was visiting the Great New York State Fair, which is the oldest and one of the largest state fairs in the country. While most people think of the City when you mention New York, the state has a strong agricultural core, and the fair was full of agricultural exhibits including barns full of poultry, dairy cattle, hay crops, and of course a butter sculpture.

More pics on our flickr feed, including images of (almost) prized pigeons, honorary Christmas trees, a miniature circus, and of course, Hot Beef Sundaes.

Upstate NY Part 1: Upstate is Gorges

2011-09-19T12:32:00.000-07:00

Before the devastating floods hit the Southern Tier region of Upstate New York, we spent a week in the area visiting family, friends, and seeing the sites. The landscape around the Owego, Candor, Ithaca, and Binghamton area is full of lush rolling hills scattered with small farms and roadside fruit stands. We know there's lots of work ahead to rebuild affected towns- hopes for a speedy recovery in the region!

Picnic in Elysian Park

2011-08-24T22:57:00.000-07:00

Photos by Shannon Cottrell Photography

What is summer without a picnic in the park? We finally cleared out a weekend to co-host a picnic in Elysian Park with our friends at You Have Been Here Sometime and A Note on Design. What a lovely afternoon filled with old and new friends, piles of food on blankets, bocce ball, and a pinata shaped like a can of Modelo.

Thanks to our good friend Shannon Cottrell for taking some amazing photographs that afternoon. You can find her work on her site and weekly in the LA Weekly. Looking forward to more summer picnics, whether they're in 2011 or 2012!

Summer at Headquarters

2011-07-30T16:24:00.000-07:00

We've had a pretty busy working summer so far, so our posts might be a bit more sporadic than usual. Lots of fun things coming up!

Our SR garden products will be available at Product Porch starting this month at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. Check out the store from the masterminds behind Specific Merchandise and The Vitrine.

We'll also have an installation as part of the HDTS 2011 weekend at High Desert Test Sites in October. Stay tuned for updates!

SR White Oak Table Set

2011-07-15T19:44:00.001-07:00

Photos by Dylan + Jeni Photography

We recently released our SR White Oak Table Set- a new take on our redwood SR Outdoor Table Set. We love the look of white oak. The tight grain and lighter hue of the hardwood make it really suitable for indoor use.

We especially loved working with our friends Dylan and Jeni for the SR White Oak Table Set photo shoot. They are amazing photographers and incredible chefs, and gracious hosts for amazing dinner parties. Check out Dylan's blog and Jeni's blog for a peek at their travel and culinary adventures!

For more photos and a lovely write up of our collaboration, check out the story on Dylan's blog.

Design Truck 2011

2011-07-02T16:07:00.000-07:00

Along with the Remodelista Marketplace, we were also part of the Design Truck during the weekend of Dwell on Design 2011. We had our SR White Oak Table Set bench for people to sit on while they chowed down on Kogi kimchee quesadillas or chilled at Covell. We were honored to be part of the mobile furniture gallery with so many talented designers including Brendan Ravenhill, Chris Adamick, Brooke Woosley, Kelly Lamb, and Bend Seating, to name a few!

Remodelista Booth at Dwell On Design 2011

2011-07-01T23:47:00.000-07:00

We were really excited to have a booth at the Remodelista Marketplace during Dwell on Design this year. We had our SR Garden Products and SR Wall Pockets for sale, along with information about our entire product line. It was a great experience and we're so glad that we got to meet so many wonderful people. We also debuted our hand-painted Scout Regalia sign over the weekend. Thanks again to everyone who stopped by!

THERMASS- A Proposal for Metropolis Next Generation 2011

2011-06-10T11:34:00.000-07:00

We recently submitted our proposal for the Metropolis Next Generation 2011 award, which asked designers to put their ideas to work to bring a 1960's federal building in Los Angeles to Zero Environmental Impact.

THERMASS is a multi-functional, single component solution for retrofitting existing buildings to be more energy efficient, seismically sound, and to improve quality of work conditions by enabling more natural light and air into a space.

The THERMASS system uses long-standing methods of energy efficiency to advance the goals of creating a net-zero building, including the use of natural light and air, and the earth’s ability to heat and cool spaces. These simple and efficient design solutions combined with state of the art smart technologies (greywater recycling system, operable aperture domes that move with the sun) make THERMASS a feasible and efficient solution to advancing the goals of a net zero building.

Check out the video belwo we made for the project, which provides a brief summary of our proposal. More images of THERMASS can be found on our website.

Hardware Geekout

2011-06-08T12:38:00.000-07:00

The hardware for our latest prototype arrived today in this amazing packaging.

Sunset Junction Design Proposal

2011-06-03T11:24:00.000-07:00

We recently submitted our proposal for the Sunset Junction Design Competition. Our proposal invites the public to enjoy the outdoor community space defined by colorful powder-coated teepees, diverse landscapes, and reclaimed boardwalk flooring and seating.

Retired metal sign posts will be powder-coated to create four teepees that delineate gathering spaces and provide shade as foliage begins to grow at their peaks. Seating areas run along the perimeter of each teepee and provide a comfortable and hospitable place to relax and meet friends and neighbors.

Bike racks are integrated into the design of the space, allowing visitors to safely lock their bikes as they enjoy Sunset Junction and the surrounding neighborhood amenities. Parking for up to ten bicycles is provided on the north side of the site.

Four different gardens are included on the site to create a diverse and visually stunning landscape: an aromatic garden, an herb garden, a desert garden, and a rugged garden.

Bunting in the form of various iconic street art found across Silverlake is strung across the four teepees as a colorful homage to the birds, sneakers, and letters that hang across power lines throughout the neighborhood. Photovoltaic cells are attached to the bunting to help power the string of LED bulbs that light the space in the evening.

Our vision for this site is to create a new community gathering space for residents and neighbors to enjoy throughout the day and into the evening. Sunset Junction is a vital part of the neighborhood, and we hope that our proposal helps to foster community and engage the public in new, meaningful ways.

Three Sisters Planting

2011-05-15T16:04:00.000-07:00

We heard about the "Three Sisters" planting from a few of our friends, and decided to give it a try this year in one of our SR Raised Gardens.

The "Three Sisters" planting consists of corn, beans, and squash, all interplanted to complement each other. The corn provides a pole for beans to climb up, and the bean adds nitrogen to the soil. Squash creates a "living mulch" that helps soil moisture from evaporating.

Find out more about the planting, including a diagram of how to plant them, on the Renee's Garden seed site.

Bonsai update

2011-05-07T14:41:00.000-07:00

Our bonsai are flourishing in all of the late spring rain we've been getting here in LA. Here's an update on our pomegranate bonsai that we posted a couple of months ago. What a difference a few months makes!

CicLAvia

2011-04-17T12:52:00.000-07:00

We just participated in our first CicLAvia event a few weeks ago, and it was amazing! 7-1/2 miles of Los Angeles streets were closed for bikes, walkers, unicycles, tricycles, segways...pretty much any mode of transportation besides cars. The route went through Koreatown, Downtown, and across the LA River to Hollenbeck Park. It was a perfect day to bike through LA. The next event is on July 10th- hope to see you there! More pics on our flickr feed.

Charcoal Grey Gardens

2011-04-02T13:08:00.000-07:00

It's here! New for the 2011 gardening season, we are excited to introduce SR Garden Kits in our select color of the year: Charcoal. This is the first color option available for the SR Garden Kits outside of SR Green. The SR Raised Garden Kit and SR Patio Garden Kit will be available in Charcoal through 2011.

The dark grey hue of Charcoal brings to mind wrought iron structures with timeless industrial influences. Charcoal was also chosen as a color that would complement the grey tones of aging of wood used for the raised gardens and patio gardens.

The SR Raised Garden and SR Patio Garden Kits in Charcoal are exclusive to our website and available only at www.scoutregalia.com.

SR Patio Garden as Record Storage

2011-03-25T09:35:00.000-07:00

Our latest solution to storing vinyl records at headquarters: using our SR Patio Garden as record storage. Works brilliantly!

First Day of Spring 2011

2011-03-20T10:28:00.000-07:00

It's finally the first day of Spring! We have a few exciting things that we're working on here at headquarters, and we'll be sharing our new ideas with you soon. In the meantime, now is the perfect time to start planning your garden!

We just discovered an amazing new resource for all sorts of plants from seedlings to full grown palm trees. Persson's Nursery in Pasadena has a wide variety of plants and a huge selection of fruit trees. We also just started looking online for heirloom seed resources, and Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds looks pretty amazing.

Of course, you can start your garden planning by building an SR Raised Garden in your backyard. And if you don't have a backyard, you can start your own home grown garden in our hardscape friendly SR Patio Garden. Happy Spring!

Spring is Near!

2011-03-05T11:49:00.000-08:00

Our pomegranate bonsai is sprouting leaves! Spring is so close...

SR Headquarters featured on design*sponge

2011-02-25T18:22:00.000-08:00

We are so excited to share our home+office with everyone! Our "headquarters" were featured in the Sneak Peek section of design*sponge this past week. Check out the full story here.

Sailing the Pacific

2011-02-18T16:17:00.000-08:00

Apologies in advance to those living in inclement weather for this blog post. We don't need to tell you that the weather here in Southern California is amazing (even though we've actually had rain this winter- gasp!). And one of the nicest things about perfect weather is enjoying all sorts of activities all year round.

Just the other month, a couple of our good friends took us sailing off the coast of Newport Beach. Four friends in a small shield sailboat, with sea lions chilling on the buoys, salty sea mist...it was awesome.

Orange Coast College offers sailing and seamanship courses at their amazing facility in Newport Beach. We're thinking about taking some classes their this summer- warm weather is just around the corner!

Marfa Trip Part 5: El Cosmico

2011-01-04T22:09:00.000-08:00

While in Marfa, we stayed in a couple of the renovated vintage 1950's trailers over at El Cosmico. The campsite also has yurts, teepees, safari tents, and designated areas where you can bring your own tent.

We stayed a few nights in the Spartan Royal Mansion, which came equiped with a full kitchen, and another couple of nights in the Vagabond, which had a large living room area perfect for entertaining, trailer style.

More pics on our flickr feed!

Marfa Trip Part 4: Chinati Foundation in Marfa, TX

2011-01-04T21:54:00.000-08:00

After driving southeast under the Big Texas Sky for about 3 hours, we finally made it to our destination in Marfa, Texas. For those unfamiliar with Marfa, it served as a filming location for the 1956 film Giant and was more recently seen in No Country for Old Men. But the primary reason that people come out to Marfa is to see the work of Donald Judd, Dan Flavin and other artists at the Chinati Foundation.

Judd's 100 Untitled Works in milled aluminum are housed in two former artillery sheds, perfectly set in context with the surrounding landscape. There are also 15 Untitled Works in concrete on the site, which you can freely walk through at your leisure. Also a highlight are Dan Flavin's Untitled florescent light pieces that are in 6 former barracks, which make for amazing jumping photo ops.

More pics on our flickr feed!

Marfa Trip Part 3: White Sands, NM

2011-01-04T21:51:00.000-08:00

White Sands National Monument is just about an hour's drive outside of El Paso and well worth the trip. Part of the excitement for those who've never visited is the anticipation of seeing a vast swath of sand in the middle of the Southwest desert. You'll pass through the Missile Test Site on your way there, and before you know it, you see a waterless beach in the middle of nowhere.

Once you enter the park, it's pretty surreal to be in the middle of these giant gypsum dunes. You can rent sleds at the visitor center and slide down the dunes, which we highly recommend. There are campsites in the park as well, which we unfortunately didn't have the chance to stay at but hope to return someday, tent in hand.

More pics of White Sands National Monument, along with pics of our entire West Texas adventure, are on our flickr feed.

Marfa Trip Part 2: Bingo in El Paso

2011-01-03T19:26:00.000-08:00

After a 16 hour overnight train ride on the Sunset Limited, we arrived in El Paso. We found an amazing bingo hall near the airport and happened to stop by in the evening when they were just starting an intense night of bingo.

For bingo amateurs such as us, it was a bit overwhelming to get with the pace of the game, even if we only had 2 cards to everyone else's 10. By the middle of the evening, we were getting the hang of hearing numbers called with a deep Texas accent and furiously dabbing our cards with our bingo markers. Apparently, "G" is pronounced "chair" in some parts of bingo-playing West Texas. Ben won a Double Bingo that night, which was pretty exciting and sort of nerve wrecking at the same time.

Marfa Trip Part 1: LA to El Paso via Amtrak

2011-01-02T19:28:00.000-08:00

We ended 2010 and started the new year with a trip through the Southwest and a week in Marfa, TX. Our adventure started in Union Station where we boarded the Amtrak Sunset Limited, headed east from Los Angeles to El Paso.

The Sunset Limited is the southernmost route on the Amtrak system, traveling along the border from Los Angeles to its final destination in New Orleans.

Traveling by train is an amazing experience, set at a pace that seems appropriate for grand adventures. Trains travelling long distance have an observation car with oversized windows to enjoy the passing scenery. A lovely way to see the country and meet some really friendly people on the way.

Go Big or Go Dome

2010-12-19T22:40:00.000-08:00

What better way to celebrate the holidays (and a very rainy week here in Los Angeles) than with a geodesic gingerbread house. About 10" in diameter, our gingerbread dome is made of hexagons, pentagons, and a ridiculous amount of royal icing (which may sound fancy, but it's just a mixture of powdered sugar and egg whites). We included a teepee like the one we have in our backyard, and a gingerbread SR Outdoor Table Set. What can we say, we get a little intense with our holiday edible house construction.

If you're making you own gingerbread house this season, we highly recommend going to a Japanese supermarket to get some seriously amazing construction accoutrements, including chocolate covered tree stumps, bamboo shoots, and mushrooms, along with a variety of pocky pretzels that make excellent edible firewood.

More pics of our SR Geodesic Gingerbread Dome, along with an A-Frame we also made, are on our flickr feed.

SR Side Table Prototype

2010-12-12T15:07:00.000-08:00

We're slowly finding time to work on projects for our headquarters. Last month, we rolled up our sleeves and re-upholstered some old chairs. This month, we finally got around to designing and building a couple of bedside tables. It may be a sneak peak of our next product!

XANADU at Specific Merchandise

2010-11-17T20:40:00.000-08:00

The magical world of XANADU is right here in Los Angeles! The holiday show at Specific Merchandise brings together nearly 50 designers and artists for the largest exhibit yet at the gallery storefront. Curator and owner Brooks Hudson Thomas has done an amazing job bringing together so many talented designers for the show. The space looks amazing, and we hope all of our friends in Los Angeles have a chance to check it out.

We are super excited that our entire line of Scout Regalia products is part of this show (!!!). To display our SR Wall Pockets, we built a 15' tall "pennant" with over 200 hanging wall pockets. In addition, the show includes the SR Outdoor Table Set, garden kits, and our latest product, the SR Bookcase. The show also features work from our friends at design,bitches, todosomething, Von Tundra, WELCOME, Winter Session, artist Morgan Maclean, and some amazing handmade shoes by Dragan Mrdja.

More information about the show is available here, and more pics of the installation of the wall pocket pennant are on our flickr feed.

XANADU
Specific Merchandise
7374 Beverly Blvd
Through December 24th

Re-Upholstering an Old Chair

2010-11-06T17:15:00.000-07:00

Before

After

We've been meaning to upgrade our dining room chairs for a while now, and finally got around to it this past month. We had a couple of strict and challenging criteria for the chairs, the first being that they had to look great, and the second being that it had to cost less than $50/chair. Impossible?

To begin with, we knew we had to find chairs that we could repair/refinish to stay within our budget. Thankfully, we live near of one of the best second hand stores ever, across the bridge in Lincoln Heights over at Saint Vincent de Paul. We found a couple of old chairs (made in NY) with good bones and lines for $20/chair. It was a steal, but there was still some work that needed to be done, primarily reupholstering the seat and replacing the deteriorating foam. After scouring the fabric district in Downtown LA, we found some great tweed over at Mood Fabrics, along with some dense upholstery foam.

If you've never reupholstered a chair, its shockingly simple, and there are a ton of resources online including a really helpful video by ReadyMade Magazine. With a few cuts of fabric and some upholstery staples, we were done in no time. Final tally: $45/chair. Success!

More pics of the project on our flickr page.

SR Bookcase and More at High Desert Test Sites

2010-10-11T21:22:00.000-07:00

The SR Bookcase travelled out to Joshua Tree this past weekend to be part of the Specific Apartment installation at the High Desert Test Sites Headquarters in Downtown Joshua Tree. We were thrilled to be part of the show with so many talented designers and artists. We've spent plenty of time in Joshua Tree National Park but not a lot of time in Downtown JT, so it was a real treat to check out all the nice little stores and restaurants including the Mt. Fuji General Store and Crossroads Cafe.

The weekend was full of events featuring the work of Portland based design trio Von Tundra. Part of the weekend included brunch at A-Z West on tables and chairs designed and built by Von Tundra from wood pallets, along with a workshop to design/build a shade canopy from a collection of colorful vintage fabrics. We love the work they are up to and the ethos by which they run their business. Check out more of Von Tundra's work on their website, and in person starting this weekend at the Specific Merchandise storefront in Los Angeles, through November 6th.

More pics from our weekend in Joshua Tree are on our flickr page.

Heirloom Beans from Rancho Gordo

2010-09-30T20:12:00.000-07:00

Even if we consider ourselves fairly adept at growing vegetables in our SR Raised Gardens and SR Patio Gardens, there will always be things that are best left for the professionals. Heirloom beans definitely falls into this category.

We recently discovered the motherlode of fresh heirloom beans from Rancho Gordo, based out of Napa California. Their vast selection of beans is incredible, showcasing a variety of colors, flavors, and sizes that will surely change your ideas about plain ole beans. All of their beans are grown in small quantities to ensure quality, and are picked fresh within 2 years, making them taste like no other bean you've ever eaten. The beans you get from the grocery have generally been shelved for up to 10 years- yikes! Thomas Keller of French Laundry is a fan, and I love to think that he and I now source our beans from the same place. The Santa Maria Pinquitos are my favorite so far, but I'm super excited to try the Vaqueros and Rio Zapes. Bon Apetit!

Made to Order Production Tags

2010-09-23T21:38:00.000-07:00

We're always looking for ways to communicate information about our products through interesting, clear, and well designed means. In addition to product postcards, we now have Production Tags for our made to order furniture, including the latest release of our SR Bookcase.

The Production Tags allow us to provide customers with some information about their made to order Scout Regalia piece, and also helps us keep track of important information including custom color choices and finishes. Be on the lookout for these tags with your SR Outdoor Table Set and SR Bookcase orders!

SR Bookcase at Specific Merchandise

2010-09-17T12:09:00.000-07:00

We are so excited to debut the SR Bookcase, which is the latest addition to our catalogue of products and our first venture into indoor furniture. The SR Bookcase is currently part of "Autumn Suite", the fall show at Specific Merchandise, and is available through the Specific Merchandise online store on 1st Dibs.

Made of domestic hardwood and handcrafted in Los Angeles, the SR Bookcase is made to order and available as a 1, 2 or 3 bay system. Each bookcase is hand finished with low gloss, non toxic wood sealer and paints in your choice of 210 custom colors. Standing 7'-8" tall, the SR Bookcase will surely be a signature piece in any living space or office.

Check out the SR Bookcase in person over at Specific Merchandise through October 2nd. Lots of amazing new work from a variety of talented designers on display as well!

AUTUMN SUITE
Sept 4- Oct 2
Specific Merchandise
7374 Beverly Blvd

Ticking Apron from Winter Session

2010-08-29T21:59:00.000-07:00

Our friends over at Winter Session recently launched a series of sewn products all designed and hand made in Chicago. We love the work they make, and their impeccable attention to every stitching detail is outstanding.

We were especially fond of their Ticking Apron, a work apron that is durable, functional, and of course timelessly good looking. Each apron is custom made to suit your needs, whether you're a leftie or rightie, or prefer to access your pencils and tools in one or multiple pockets. The neck strap is adjustable so you can really fit your apron as you like it. The apron was perfect this weekend as we worked on the finishing details of the SR Bookcase, which will be featured in the upcoming Fall show "Autumn Suite" over at Specific Merchandise.

You can find out more about the Ticking Apron and their other products on their website.

A Sneak Peek of our Fall Release

2010-08-24T21:57:00.000-07:00

Here's a sneak peak at what we've been up to over at Scout Regalia headquarters as we gear up to release our first piece of indoor furniture this fall- The SR Bookcase. We're still fine tuning the details of the piece, and most recently had a fun but challenging decision to make about the type of pulls we'll be using for the lower cabinets of the bookcase.

Cabinet pulls seem to ignite many heated debates amongst designers. Most modern cabinet designs have some sort of sleek and minimal stainless steel pull that seems to favor thin lines over usability. Sometimes, the pull completely disappears with a concealed magnetic push latch.

We've made a conscious decision to embrace the function and aesthetics of wood knobs for the cabinets of our bookcase. There's something both timeless and simple about using a wood knob that seems fitting for the aesthetic and ethos of the bookcase in particular and our office as a whole. A lot of people ask us what "Scout Regalia" means. The short answer is that it can be translated as "humble ornament"- an homage to finding the splendor in something austere and simple. We think the knobs are a good representation of that.

SR Cutsheet Project 01: Planting Table

2010-08-03T09:38:00.000-07:00

We are excited to announce the first of the SR Cutsheet Projects, a series of free instruction sheets created to help people build simple projects for their home.

The first of these projects is the SR Planting Table, which you may have seen in our blog post a few weeks ago about our growing collection of bonsai. This outdoor plant stand is easy to build, requiring just a few tools and some inexpensive materials. This table is great for all sorts of potted plants and we've found it to be invaluable in our garden.

We hope that the SR Cutsheet Project will help connect people to the design process and how things are made. The Cutsheet Project is a way to bring well designed, functional objects to the home in an inexpensive way that allows you to build things for yourself.

You can download the cutsheet for the Planting Table for free on our website, or click on the link below. More projects will be added in the future, so stay tuned.

SR Planting Table

Field Research: San Gorgonio Mountain

2010-07-30T11:31:00.000-07:00

Living in Los Angeles, we are fortunate to be within a 2 hour drive to experience the sea, the desert, the mountains, and everything in between. We recently took advantage of our geography and climbed the highest peak in Southern California, San Gorgonio Mountain in the San Bernardino Mountains.

At an elevation of 11,500 feet, San Gorgonio isn't the highest of peaks, but it's still pretty impressive to look across an endless horizon of sky while breathing some noticeably thin air. It's a hike that can be done in one (long) day with a light pack, but we opted to spend the weekend up there and camp near the summit at the Dry Lake View campsite.

It's a must-do adventure for Southern Californians who want to get out of town and breath some fresh mountain air. Permits, which are free, are required for all day hikes and overnight campsites, and the hardworking rangers will occasionally ask to see your permits. Permits can be attained here, and more pics of the hike are on our flickr page.

Eena Canvas Bags, Made in Portland OR

2010-07-25T12:41:00.000-07:00

Whenever possible, we try and support companies that still make high quality products here in the States. It's an ethos that we follow ourselves, utilizing local fabricators and manufacturers. It's easy to forget that every object, and every piece of clothing or furniture, has the work of real people behind it. Purchasing products with the knowledge that you are making a decision about what you support is something to keep in mind every now and then.

We recently had the need for a simple but outstanding canvas bag to haul small objects and such around town. The Eena bag from Beckel Canvas Products was exactly what we were looking for. Based out of Portland Oregon, Beckel has been producing a variety of high quality canvas products for over 40 years, and the Eena bag is the perfect mix of timeless design and heavy duty workmanship.

You can find the bag at Canoe, either online or in their store in Portland OR. And for a very well curated list of American made products, check out The American List over at one of our favorite blogs, A Continuous Lean.

SR Patio Gardens at Specific Merchandise

2010-07-13T22:12:00.000-07:00

We are super excited to be part of D'ARK GARDEN, the summer group show over at Specific Merchandise, the new gallery/store on Beverly Boulevard. We are thrilled to be part of the show with so many talented young designers, including LA artists D'ARK who created the two beds in the space, Woolly Pockets with their plant chandeliers, seedbomb vending machines by Common Studio, and a few beautiful chairs designed and fabricated by todosomething. This and so much more will be on display through July 31st.

For the group show, we built and planted two SR Patio Gardens- one with a forest ecology and the other with a desertscape. We used un-planed reclaimed redwood from The Reclaimer, which we wrote about a few weeks ago. The scapes are already taking on a life of their own, with new floral shoots coming out of the succulents in the dryscape, and mushrooms popping out of the groundcover in the forest ecology. We're looking forward to seeing these ecologies become more wild and feral as the weeks pass.

D'ARK GARDEN
July 10- July 31
Specific Merchandise
7374 Beverly Blvd

Dingbat Terrarium

2010-06-28T22:00:00.000-07:00

We're happy to announce that our entry for the Dingbat 2.0 design competition sponsored by the Los Angeles Forum for Architecture and Urban Design just won an Honorable Mention Award! The design competition challenged designers to re-think the "dingbat" style apartments popularized in the mid 50's-70's. Dingbats are typical Los Angeles apartment complexes, usually 2 or 3 story stucco boxes with unique facades and covered parking in the front.

"Dingbat Terrarium" is a new vision for multifamily housing in Los Angeles that embraces the utilitarian features of classic dingbats, while proposing creative solutions for a more livable model of rental housing in the city. With three housing models suited for families, workers, and students, "Dingbat Terrarium" seeks to improve the quality of life for residents at both the urban and residential scales. The title comes from the idea that each unit has a "terrarium" in the living room to bring light and curated views into the space. It's our response to the misdirected obsession with outward views no matter what's on the other side of the window.

We're 4/4 in winning Honorable Mentions for competition entries. Always a bridesmaid never a bride. But we're realizing that maybe honorable mentions are just a sign that we don't necessarily make architecture for architects, but architecture for people. And we'll take that any day.

You can download our entry on our website, and check out the rest of the winners on the LA Forum site.

Field Research: Costanoa Lodge

2010-06-21T22:57:00.000-07:00

We recently went up north to Pescadero California for a short weekend escape from LA. We stumbled upon a gem of a place to stay called Costanoa, which offers a variety of accommodations ranging from posh suites in their lodge, to awesome canvas cabins on wood platforms. You can also bring your own tent and just camp outside at the nicest KOA site we have ever seen. The amenities are incredible: who doesn't enjoy a hike or horse ride through acres of trails, followed by a cedar-clad dry sauna, topped off by a hot outdoor shower?

There are endless acres of hiking trails on site, and the grounds are right by the ocean. Southern California beaches generally don't have native vegetation leading up to the water, most just having a massive parking lot or some sort of development on the shoreline. It was remarkable to see how a protected shoreline could become such a diverse ecosystem.

Costanoa is a responsible environmental steward, and you can read more about their efforts for sustainability and ecological preservation on their website. It's only about an hour south of San Francisco, and a good 6 hours from LA, but well worth the trip.

More pics of our field research adventure can be found on our flickr page.

Why Revit When You Can Rivet?

2010-06-16T17:12:00.000-07:00

Introducing our new favorite office tool: The Paper Riveter! When we first saw this online, we immediately knew that the 'ole stapler needed to be replaced by this awesome tool. It first punches a hole through the stack of paper and then rivets them together. We are currently resisting the urge to rivet everything (up to 1/8" thick) in sight. You can find one for yourself at Garrett Wade, our new favorite tool site that seems to have read our minds about what we like and need here at headquarters.

Reclaimed Lumber in LA

2010-06-10T19:02:00.000-07:00

We recently went back to The Reclaimer to check out some stock for an upcoming project. The lumber yard in Sylmar is a great source for reclaimed wood here in LA. We scourced some redwood from them a few months ago when we built the planters for The Residences at the W Hollywood.

This time around, there was some amazing live edge burnt oak that they had recovered, along with some huge pieces of doug fir. We ended up getting a few pieces of reclaimed redwood, un-planed this time, that we'll be using for an upcoming exhibit that we will be part of at Specific Merchandise in July. We'll keep you posted!

Agave or Giant Asparagus?

2010-05-31T10:53:00.000-07:00

We were really surprised to see this giant asparagus-like bloom from one of our agave plants that seemed to have spouted overnight. At about 20 feet high, this giant sprout marks the end of this plant's life. Agave plants like this are also called "century plants", because of the time it takes for the plant to reach this stage of bloom. I doubt this one is that old, but it's pretty fascinating to see how such a drought resistant plant can grow such a crazy looking bloom.

We've found a few great places in and around LA that have a wonderful selection of native plants and succulents. Sunset Nursery has an extensive selection of succulents and other plants, and Everything Gardens in Atwater Village has a diverse garden full of various native plants. Also on the Eastside is Darling's Flowers, which you've probably seen from the 101 freeway. And while we have yet to visit this place, California Nursery Specialties in the Valley seems like an amazing place to find both cacti and giant dinosaur lawn ornaments.

Motley Hue

2010-05-17T16:15:00.000-07:00

The SR Outdoor Table Set comes in a rainbow of 210 bright enamel color options. We've been working directly with our clients in creating SR Outdoor Table Sets to their specific color choices. What a wonderful and eclectic set of colors we've seen come through the office/shop! We love to see these tables and benches come out in colors we would never have imagined, and they all look wonderful and unique in their own way. And it's great knowing that these table sets are going to homes that appreciate style, color, and timeless design. Here's a peek at the menagerie of colorful SR Outdoor Table Sets we've recently built.

Bonsai Inspiration

2010-05-08T13:29:00.000-07:00

In addition to growing an edible garden, we are constantly working on our collection of bonsai. Tending to bonsai is a skill that is honed over years of experience, but it's also something that is pretty accessible to anybody who is interested in cultivating miniature trees. We've amassed a small collection of bonsai including (from left) an Elm, Long Needle Juniper, Pomegranate, and a Trident Maple. It's pretty amazing to see and tend to miniature versions of huge tree species.

Our miniature trees are resting on a bonsai table that we made from redwood a couple of years ago. We love the way redwood ages into a beautiful grey patina. You can also see the natural aging of redwood on our SR Outdoor Table Set that we have in our home office backyard.

For those interested in bonsai, a great place to start is Chikogu-en Bonsai Nursery in Gardena, CA. The family run shop also has bonsai classes once a month and a really great selection of pots and tools. Another great resource is Yamaguchi Bonsai Nursery in West Los Angeles, which has a big selection of bonsai alongside other plants as well.

SR Patio Gardens at The Residences at The W Hollywood

2010-04-28T13:01:00.000-07:00

Photo: Tim Street-Porter

Photo: Mike Kershner

We are very excited to announce that the SR Patio Gardens are now part of the Eco Residence, GREEN + VINE at The Residences at The W Hollywood. You'll find three of the SR Patio Gardens on the lovely terrace overlooking Hollywood and Vine in the new "Eco Unit" that is part of the the new residences at the W Hotel in Hollywood.

Van Patter Design brought us on for the project, along with dozens of local designers and artisans to create an eco-unit that was unique and regional. To keep with the eco-local theme of the unit, we used reclaimed redwood sourced from The Reclaimer, a great place to find a variety of reclaimed lumber in the Los Angeles Area.

More information and images about the project can be found on the GREEN + VINE website. And you can recreate the same look with our SR Patio Garden Kit, or start your patio garden with an SR Patio Garden that's already assembled.

WPA 2.0

2010-04-20T09:35:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, we submitted a proposal for a competition sponsored by CityLAB that explored the possibilities of a new type of Works Progress Adminstration that places nested scales of infrastructure at the heart of rebuilding cities during this next era of metropolitan recovery. Our WPA 2.0 proposal laid out a strategically integrated plan which we called WELL: Work Eat Live Link. In a nutshell, our proposal looked at how modifying or rethinking day to day activities regarding how we work, eat, live and link can effect far reaching change that can foster lasting results.

Our entry is one of the Select Design Proposals featured on the WPA 2.0 online exhibit. Just click on "Multi-part Strategy", "Radical Adaptive Reuse", "Mobility + Accessibility", or "Food Production + Distribution", and our project is listed first on the upper left. We're pretty excited that our proposal fits into so many categories. You can also find our proposal in full on our site.

SR Packaging

2010-04-16T21:33:00.000-07:00

We've made a conscious effort to try and package all of our SR products in the most efficient and "ready to ship" means possible. Our cardboard packaging is customized with a Scout Regalia stamp on the side, and a line drawing of what the product will look like after assembly. When you order our SR Raised Garden Kit (DIY/Staked) or the SR Patio Garden Kit (DIY), expect to find this package at your doorstep.

We're Branding- The Old Fashioned Way

2010-03-30T14:55:00.000-07:00

We are very excited about our new brand- in the oldest sense of the word. Did you know that the word "brand" comes from the Norse term brandr, which means "to burn"? Our Scout Regalia wood brand allows us to discreetly make our mark on the underside of our SR Outdoor Table Set and the SR Patio Garden Kit (Assembled). It's a really fun process to do and watch, and we're currently resisting the urge to brand everything in sight, including toast.

Summer Garden Seed Starting

2010-03-13T12:49:00.001-08:00

Have you started planting your seeds for your summer garden yet? Here in Los Angeles, it seems like the growing season is all year round, which for the most part, is true. However, summertime does yield some of our most abundant vegetables, the heartiest of which we grow from seed. A great resource for finding out when and what you should plant in your growing zone is the good 'ole Farmer's Almanac.

We went all out this year with a goal of starting our entire garden from seed. We've started with zucchini, pole beans, poblano/ anaheim/ jalapeno peppers, green peppers, eggplants, shiso, and a half a dozen variety of heirloom tomatoes.

And for fun, you can document your growing seeds with Hipstamatic, a new photo application for the iPhone that will make it look like you've traveled back in time to do your gardening.

SR Product Postcards

2010-01-25T21:24:00.000-08:00

For each of our products, we design 5" x 7" information postcards that go into a little more detail about the product. With our latest releases, we created double sided postcards for the SR Outdoor Table Set and the SR Patio Garden. Since our Outdoor Table Set comes with 210 color options, we thought it would be a great way to showcase the rainbow of choices for the enameled finish. These postcards, along with information cards for all of our other products, are downloadable on our website. Below are links to the info cards for the latest Scout Regalia products- enjoy!

SR Outdoor Table Set

SR Patio Garden

SR Outdoor Table Set

2010-01-10T17:06:00.000-08:00

Since we don’t have a lot of space to host proper dinners inside our apartment, we designed and built an outdoor table set that comfortably seats 8. This is a prototype of our SR Outdoor Table Set, which is our first venture into made-to-order furniture (you can see more pics and order it here).

Outdoor Inspiration

2010-01-10T17:04:00.001-08:00

This unclad teepee was already here when we moved in, and it provides a nice addition to our yard. The teepee helps delineate a nice outdoor space without too much structure.

Scout Regalia Headquarters

2010-01-10T16:42:00.000-08:00

We have a modest space but we are making the most of our limited space and resources. We view our live-work space as an inviting and inspirational space that serves as both home and laboratory for our various Scout Regalia designs.

Scout Regalia Office

2010-01-10T13:53:00.000-08:00

Working from our home office, we’ve adapted our living room to utilize it more as a work space, but also made it comfortable enough to host get-togethers and accommodate friends (our Hans Wegner sofa turns into a day bed). We designed and built our bookcase along with our linear work table, which is made of solid core doors over plywood storage boxes. We clad one entire wall with homasote to serve as a work board to quickly pin up and review ideas, or place inspirational images for new work.