As promised (with a bit of a delay), a tour of one of the most notoriously extravagant mansions ever built, Dean Gardens!

All images are scanned from the book, 'Dean Gardens: Legacy of Vision' ('93), released in conjunction with the completion of the home in 1992. Dean Gardens was built by software entrepreneur Larry Dean in the John's Creek area of Atlanta. It totaled 32,000 SF, with a construction cost of $30 million (and $1.5 million in upkeep).

Interestingly, all of the home's interiors were designed by Larry's son, Christopher.

Thread: Some fun colorful 90's home interiors I've scanned recently

Loft in the converted Simpsons Fold factory - Leeds, UK (mid 1990s)

Designed by Mac MacLean Home for Disney executive Larry Wilks (mid 1990s)

Designed by Ergo Design Works, Inc. (1/2)

Gripe I just can't get over: 'Corporate Memphis' as a name for that annoying 'Exaggerated Proportions Tech People' style doesn't make sense. First of all, 'Corporate Memphis' was already a thing, in the 1980s.

The Memphis Group, a small collective in Italy, burst onto the scene in 1981 with their wonderfully wild patterns, furniture, and interiors. With anything exciting, it was imitated endlessly once arriving.

Thread: Back in 2019, found that the Seattle library has a huge archive of HOW Magazine, which covered graphic design back in the 90s. It's a great insight into how varied the design landscape was at the time.

The works below are by Studio MD, one of my all-time favorite firms. One issue in 1993 covered the interiors of various graphic designers' offices; my favorite being this very vibrant Memphis-inspired look for Vaughn Wedeen Creative in Albuquerque, NM.

Thread: Wonderful, wild, and (mostly defunct) food-centric retail designs from 'Food Presentation & Display' by the legendary Martin Pegler (1992)





#1: California Beach Rock 'N Sushi - Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA - Designed by Ted Tokio Tanaka

I had posted some images of this one before, though I had no idea it had an 'indoor beach' with prop sharks, TVs, and painted murals!

In 1994, inspired by the theme restaurant boom, Steven Spielberg & Jeffrey Katzenberg founded 'Dive!', an undersea-submarine themed restaurant. (3) locations were opened in LA (Century City), Las Vegas, and Barcelona, with all closing by 1999. (1/X) A fully-curated experience, upon entering through the 'hatch door' entry, guests are greeted by a uniform-clad 'sailor', guiding them to their seats; adjacent to either a porthole window with underwater aquarium or view of the massive multi-screen virtual 'sea window'. (2/X)