Boomerang for Modern is celebrating its 28th anniversary this year.
In honor of the occasion, owner David Skelley and his partner Kurt opened up their home for a little anniversary party. They have a collection that few can top. I have the sneaking suspicion David has been skimming off the top at Boomerang for the whole 28 years! I could probably do a month or two of posts on all the insane design David and Kurt get to live with, but roaming around taking pictures of it all probably would have been poor party etiquette. Not to mention I didn't want to be the guy who looked like he was casing the place.
Needless to say, David has been a central figure in the San Diego mid century modern scene before there was actually a scene to speak of. The guests at the party were an indication of this long history. I'm not sure how I got in with this crew but there were museum folks, owners of a Killingsworth case study house and a Neutra house, major collectors and just all around nice people who happen to be into good design. Also included in this list of people David has befriended over the years is Malcolm Leland. Although he wasn't at the party in person (he lives in Arizona now), his work is well represented at David and Kurt's house. The tile piece above, installed in the path leading to the rooftop garden, is one of many examples.
Here is a Leland maquette for a sculpture proposal for the American Cement Building.
It was never built. Too bad, because it would have been a nice complement to the building's legendary facade
which was also designed by Malcolm. Not that the Natzler bowls aren't already an indication of this, but when someone
has a copy of Objects:USA on their shelf, they know what the good stuff is. It's an pretty accurate test. Try it out
at the next party you go to.
Then there are the Leland Space Banks. They have all three designs in all three colors--pink, green and white. They also have a
Leland fruit bowl, AP lantern, candlesticks and a great sculpture that was exhibited in Santa Barbara. It's obvious their friend Malcolm
holds a special place in their collection. I'm pretty sure there is at least one of his designs in every room of the house.
It all began in this 11' x 9' shop in 1985.
The 30th anniversary is just around the corner and Boomerang is still coming up with great stuff.
I also know firsthand that David doesn't keep it all for himself. I've been able to buy some great things at
Boomerang over the years and I'm sure there's more to come.
Image: Boomerang