But once they moved in, how did these new urban dwellers decorate their own spaces? And more important for the voyeur in all of them, how did their neighbors decorate theirs, especially the guys in the penthouse?

Last week, homeowners in the 22-story “The 88″ on Second Street in downtown San Jose hosted their own “progressive design party” to show off their own places and peek in on others.

“I want to see how other people live,” says Karen Mandell, who had cheese and wine waiting for her guests in the unit she shares with her husband on the ninth floor. (Hint: There was more than one white couch on the tour.)

High-rise living is new to San Jose, a city known more for its suburban sprawl than hip downtown living. Beginning in 2007, just as the real estate market was tanking, the first of four towers were built downtown, starting with City Heights, then Axis and The 88 and finally the 360 Residences. The 88 is the tallest of the four. It opened in late 2009, is 65 percent full, and the homeowners couldn’t seem happier.

About 30 neighbors gathered first in the “entertainment room” on the fifth floor that opens to the spalike pool and grand, tree-studded terrace. And a surprising mix of neighbors it was, from European singles working in local high-tech to a young couple who traded a 3,000-square-foot in Denver, to empty nesters who left their Redwood City home of 33 years.

The Colorado couple are Karen and Evan Mandell. They moved to San Jose in late 2009 when Karen Mandell, 37, got a job as the research director for the Mineta Transportation Institute. She gave up her car when she moved here and walks the half-mile to work.

“It’s a very simple, clean, sustainable lifestyle,” she says. (Grocery shopping is easy with a Safeway on the ground floor, her husband says. “It’s like having the world’s largest refrigerator in the basement.”)

When they sold their big Denver home and were moving to the one-bedroom unit in the high-rise, they were faced with the quandary of what to do with all their heavily carved, marble-topped Baroque-style furniture. “We sold everything but the bar,” she says.

“You have to maximize your style when you only have two or three rooms to work with,” Evan Mandell, 38, says.

In came a new white leather sectional, a triangle-shaped dining table that seats six and a can of dark red paint to add drama to the living room walls.

While Karen Mandell gave up a lot of furniture, she didn’t seem to get rid of any shoes. She has floor-to-ceiling shelves of them in her closet, which she illuminated with a pink crystal chandelier; it was one of the most popular rooms on the tour. “Who are you, Lady Gaga?” her neighbor, Rosa Passanisi, asks, peeking in.

Passanisi, who works at the U.S. Postal Service with her husband and is nearing retirement, took a different approach to decorating. She simply moved all the furniture that would fit from their Redwood City home, right down to the oak ladder-back dining room chairs. Her house is comfortable, she says. “We don’t have a showcase house.”

Mohamed “Mo” Marleen’s 14th-floor space couldn’t be more modern, from the white couch to the bubblelike chandelier and arching globe light.

Rob and Laurie Howe moved much of their traditional furniture with an Asian influence into their 17th-floor home, adding walls of storage to accommodate the extras they couldn’t part with from the 4,200-square-foot home they gave up on a half-acre in Belleview, Wash., when Rob Howe took a job at eBay.

The tour’s big reveal was one of the penthouses on the 21st floor. Engineers Paul Teixeira, 35, and Jose Mendez, 28, own this 1,700-square-foot home with two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, 11 1/2-foot ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows. “It’s like a glass box in the air,” Teixeira says.

Teixeira was happy to give up his four-bedroom, two-story house in South San Jose that kept him doing yard work on weekends for the penthouse with the views from the eastern foothills all the way to San Francisco. Both men take the light rail to work most days. About the only things Teixeira kept from the old house were his childhood piano with the varnish flaking off (“It’s rustic and kind of weird,” Teixeria says) and the massive sectional that fit perfectly between two support columns.

“It’s that modern rustic, a cross between Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware,” he says of the comfortable, low-profile couch. “Neither of us are ultramodern. We were trying to shoot for that clean modern look, but a little bit warmer.”

The bar with the LED-illuminated shelving is new — lighting up his liquor bottles in an array of colors — along with the outsized artwork on the walls.

Before moving in, the couple modified the kitchen, adding a huge granite-topped island that has become party central. To add color to the mostly black-and-white palette, they added a trio of blue pendant lights over the island.

They also made a centerpiece on their seldom-used dining table with a giant ceramic abalone shell and blue and green blown glass that practically glows when the natural light streams through it.

As much as the couple enjoys the inside of their penthouse, it’s what’s outside that made them fall in love with it. On a clear day, they can see the Golden Gate Bridge.

Here’s the complete slideshow:

All proceeds from the tour are dedicated towards renovating the original electrical elements of the clubhouse and expanding its capacity to meet the needs of the 21st century. The group’s goal is to make the San Jose Woman’s Club a performing arts venue for the city by upgrading the stage lighting and heating system, and adding air conditioning and wiring for modern technology. You can buy tickets here or  Lookiloos is happy to offer two pairs of tickets to see these spectacular homes.  So, if you’d love to see these wonderful homes all you need to do is leave a comment.  Tell us why you are a “Lookiloo”.  The tour is Saturday, April 24th from 10 am to 4:30 pm. We will announce the winner Friday April 23rd at 5:00pm.

I love looking at lofts.  I imagine the hip life I’d live being in the middle of all the actions – restaurants, museums, bars and downtown fun – where I walked to get my morning coffee at the cafe downstairs and had my favorite booth at my neighborhood bar.  The folks at Silicon Valley Loft and Condo’s sent me this tip knowing of my “urban living” envy.  This week’s Lookiloo’s Peek is all that and more.

This 2,410 square feet one bedroom plus loft condominium in downtown San Jose.  The floor plan includes an expansive living area, gourmet kitchen, formal dining area, breakfast nook, solarium, and large upstairs loft.

Aside from hardwood floors and dramatic high ceilings, one of the stand out features was the unit’s floor-to-ceiling windows in the solarium. How often do you see a solarium and view like this in a loft? Wow!

At the heart of this space is a fireplace feature designed to replicate an old world building complete with “exposed bricks” and “open vent holes.”

46 W. Julian Street, Unit #PH7
San Jose, CA 95110
List price $949,000
Contact Silicon Valley Lofts and Condos if you are interested.

Rick Holden and Sandra Moll have long been known as patrons of the arts here in the South Bay.  Whether they were chairing meetings for The San Jose Repertory’s Board of Directors or opening their home to host a private event benefitting the Institute of Contemporary Art‘s or San Jose Jazz, the couple did it with flair.   So when it came time to relandscape their large backyard in San Jose’s Naglee Park, it should be no surprise that it has a distinctly artistic bent, from Thai artifacts to sculptures by local artists, like Marcia Donohue of the Our Own Stuff Gallery in Berkeley.

Entertainers at heart, the couple wanted a backyard space that would be appropriate for hosting a fundraising reception for 100 people, barbecue for 10 or intimate breakfast for two.  They enlisted the help of San Jose-based landscape designer Cevan Forristt, whose penchant for mixing ethnic treasures and reclaimed architectural artifacts  was just what the couple needed to transform their space into an unexpected downtown San Jose oasis.    “Our designer asked us each to write an essay about what we wanted to see in our backyard. I was not sure if Sandy and I would share the same vision or priorities”  Rick said.  “He melded our different points of view, brought his resources and hit the nail on the head.  We are out here year-round and the landscape is lush and constantly evolving.”

From antique Chinese soaking tubs to giant Malaysian prayer beads gracing a keyhole concrete wall, the Holden/Moll backyard is a constant delight.   The concrete table seating 14 guests was poured by Forrist himself who embedded broken ceramic plates and pottery as accents.  The pottery pieces were retrieved before a San Francisco shop owner could throw the lot in a dumpster after the Loma Prieta earthquake.  The custom table is surrounded by antique chairs.

Repurposing ancient items for new uses, they converted an antique Chinese horse trough into a beverage cooler. Dinner is often cooked on the gas powered wok hidden in one of the nooks.  A Chinese gate flanked with potted bamboo graces the driveway entrance, while a reclaimed blue antique Indian gate guards the eastern entrance to the patio. Fishing baskets were turned upside down, filled with white lights and converted into outdoor lamps.  The entire property is peppered with creations like bamboo/golden trumpet plant sculptures, lights imported from Mexico and a Buddah in an unexpected corner.   Adjoining the backyard, they have one of the largest collections of SJSU alum Donald Carlson‘s glass art and a contemporary painting by Jenny Do in their downstairs indoor entertainment space.

The hardscape is filled-in with a mix of bamboo, monkey paws, succulents and morning glories to pay homage to their Asian inspiration and create privacy and shade.

Rather than flying half way across the world to see ancient treasures, the Holden’s simply look to their backyard for some zen like relief — Silicon Valley style.

Update:
This post is featured in the San Jose Mercury News Home and Garden section here.

Here’s the complete slideshow:

I traded peeking at homes this weekend for being an art lookiloo instead.  Kids in tow, I braved the San Jose heat and hit the 33rd Annual Tapestry Arts Festival in downtown San Jose.  What is not to like – funnel cake, lemonade and booths filled with local art? It is just the place to find  unique decorating pieces that you just can’t pick up at Pottery Barn.  I love getting the chance to speak with artists and getting a glimpse into what inspired them.

Here are a few things that caught my eye:

Created by artisan, Dave Bruce from Phoenix, AZ, these are not your average bird house.  Take a closer look, each bird house is uniquely made with bright color and household items, like paintbrushes, door knobs and spoons.  These are sure to attract equally spunky birds to your backyard.  Check out his site here.  He also hand crafts furniture.

I also ran into award winning artist Oscar Celis of New Creations Metal Arts. Based in Murrieta, he makes surreal indoor/outdoor art out of sheet metal.  Each work of art is created free hand, hammered, welded and painted.  Ranging from rhinos to sun bursts to wine racks, you are sure to find something that will perk up your backyard.  Check out his site to catch him at a local festival. 

I am always impressed by ingenious inventors of things that seem obvious but are perfectly executed.  Dave Drake developed The Bed Desk (something I’ve been needing for years!) to save  those of us who like to read in bed, need a work surface when lounging on the sofa and need some place to keep our warm lap top off your knees.   Sold in specialty stores world wide, ebay or via art shows, Dave is happy to customize each of the birch wood tables to make it taller or shorter for you if needed.  Each product comes with a life time guarantee.  Check out his video here.   Yes, this is Dave himself modeling the Bed Desk!

You may or may not know it, but I am a Mommy with two kids, a husband and a goldfish.  So where do we live?  The South Bay burbs with our backyard and our three cars.  We love it – but now and then I yearn for the ease of living in an apartment or loft with a super who fixes things like clogged drains immediately and without nagging.  I  can also imagine myself having an appletini or two on the patio of my penthouse loft overlooking the city. aah!

For the past few years, I have been watching the high rise lofts and condos being built in San Jose. They have transformed what used to be a sleepy downtown to one that is bustling with delish restaurants of all kinds, theaters withing walking distance and night clubs featuring everything from karaoke to jazz. 

This weekend I had the opportunity to check out two condo/town home properties in the middle of downtown San Jose.  Thanks to Eric and Tony of Silicon Valley Lofts and Condos, who served as my tour guides and hooked me up! Check out Tony’s blog here.

My first stop in San Jose was actually a little off the beaten path of downtown’s hustle – the One East complex off of Julian Street.   Located on the edge of downtown, I think it is a good spot to be in the middle of it all, without really being in the middle of it all.  

The complex overall was cozy with only 43 units, these had more space than I expected in a new downtown development, for example all first floor units came with their own patios.  BBQ anyone?  A couple of things that stood out to me immediately was the unique parking set up, units were spread out over two floors – enough room for all my shoes and maybe my son’s soccer ball collection.

The complex has the South Bay’s first automated car lift system.  More typical in San Francisco and New York, you pull your car into a rotating spot.  When you need to go, you simply call it up and the cars move around like a combination Dumb Waiter/Shell Game until your car pops up.  Very cool!   Ensures everyone has two spots, nice feature.  For those more “green” or looking to save a little gas money, the light rail is right across the street.

Closets are one of my favorite features in any home.  In the two bedroom unit, the walk in closet was actually IN the bathroom.  I like the idea of keeping my husband’s unhung clothes in the closet away from me and my tendency for tripping over them.

The second stop on my downtown tour was the new Axis building.  With 22 stories and housing 429 units, this is urban living at its finest.  I was immediately impressed by architecture of the building itself it is sure to bring distinctive style to the currently lacking downtown landscape.  Inside the open layouts, beautiful granite kitchen counters with rich wood cabinetry and generous sized closets invite you home.   The models were  beautifully appointed and I could just see myself relaxing on my chaise lounger looking at the gorgeous view of downtown.

One feature that caught my eye was the control panel for all things electronic in the house.  My tour guide, explained that I could essentially turn on the lights to my unit from my car from my smart phone, so when I walked I wouldn’t be in the dark or too hot.  I could also control the shades, climate of the unit and heck, turn on my stereo system for a little relaxing music to greet me after a long day!  Now that is luxury.

Overall, these units gave me a good sense of what living in downtown San Jose offered – some of my favorite restaurants within walking distance, great cultural destinations and all the modern amenities to make livin’ easy.  As a mom of two busy kids, I am not if all the gear that comes with a busy family would actually fit in these units or how our kids would fare without a backyard to roam in.  However, if I were single or a couple, looking for city living with plush amenities, I would seriously consider one of these.

Photos of 1East complex are courtesy of 1East.  Photos of Axis taken by Lookiloos.