Living Simply

 

I’ve long been impressed by Jack and Marie’s simple way of living. For them, it probably originated with the Great Depression in which he grew up and she started her career. They saw no need to have the mansion on top of the hill or the latest luxury car. They didn’t throw lavish parties, although they did attend a few. A book I read portrayed them as looking rather lost at such a party, as though they weren’t quite sure why they were there or what they were supposed to do.

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They lived in apartments and co-ops, now known as condominiums. That was the way most people lived – and still do – in New York City, where land is at a premium and safety is in numbers.

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From the late-1930s, Marie had lived at 212 East 48th Street in midtown Manhattan. The 1920s midrise was not so very far from the Garment District, where she worked. After she and Jack married in 1949, they lived there, until they moved to California in 1957. Jack once described the apartment as being decorated in white, a design feature the couple retained throughout their lives. The idea was based on the still-prevalent philosophy to keep basic pieces simple and to pick up color in accessory pieces. In that way, one can obtain an entirely new look simply by replacing accessories. Jack took it a step further when he said they merely replaced the fabrics as they became worn.

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Jack and Marie carried their white decor forward with them when they moved to California. There, there lived in the Granville Towers, located at 1424 Crescent Heights Boulevard in West Hollywood. The French Regency apartment building was built in 1930 as The Voltaire to cater to actors and other prominent figures – and still attracts them despite the passage of nearly 90 years and a massive fire in 1935 that nearly destroyed the building and killed two attending firemen.

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At the Granville Towers, they still had some traditional furnishings but were moving toward the mid-century modern look they carried forward with them to Hawaii. Here is a picture of their dining room in California in 1959:

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Taken by Jerry Holscher for Jack and Marie 

(Fair Use Doctrine)

 

Marie's note on the back of the photograph reads,

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Dining Room from foyer entrance -- we'll describe the really marvelous table

later. Blk. buffet has pink marble top -- table has white canera glass top.

 

It would appear that Marie was photographing their belongings for their insurance records.

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Notice that Jack and Marie already owned the white tulip chairs that they would have throughout their time in Honolulu. These chairs were designed by world renowned architect Eero Saarinen, who designed Washington Dulles Airport. In both dining rooms, the floors were solid-surface to allow the chairs to slide without catching and turning over. Tulip chairs are not easy to use.

 

In Honolulu, Jack and Marie spent the first two years in a penthouse apartment atop the Ilikai Hotel. CBS provided it for them until they could be sure that Hawaii Five-0 would catch on. When success was in the air, they purchased a condominium in the Kahala Beach Apartments on Maunalua Bay. The apartment featured 3,500 square feet comprising a massive living room; sizeable dining room, kitchen, and master bedroom; and two smaller bedrooms, which Jack and Marie used for their respective hobbies.

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Most notable is the long, curved sofa – yes, white – that occupied the massive living room. It began life as a brown sofa, but Jack and Marie had it recovered in white as the brown upholstery became worn. Over time, two coffee tables are known to have stood before it, most recently a marble-topped table on which they displayed small framed snapshots. Mid-century, upholstered chairs with bleached walnut legs finish provided additional seating.

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While in Honolulu, Jack and Marie replaced the dining room table with a much starker contemporary table that featured an opaque bluish-green glass top. They also replaced the rose marble-topped sideboard with a simpler one, painted white.

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Their simple way of living went beyond their apartment living. It extended to their daily lives. Marie was known for buying canned goods from the discount table. Although she was known to shop at Times Market, she also shopped at Safeway.

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Marie made many of Jack’s and her clothes – not because she couldn’t afford to buy them, but because she liked making clothes. People admired her ensembles and asked where she had found them. Imagine their surprise when they learned that she had both designed and made them. The bright and colorful aloha shirts that Marie made for Jack became his trademark – they and his lauhala hats.

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And, then, there is Jack’s car, which he bought  upon arriving in the islands and drove until he died, a period of about thirty years. Considering that he left an estate of $40 million, he definitely lived in a tax bracket that usually trades cars much more frequently. Reason prevailed as dictated by the few miles there are to drive on Oahu, the high import fees on new cars, and the fact that “they just don’t build ‘em like that, anymore.” He dearly loved his 1969 Cadillac Sedan DeVille.

 

Lessons Learned: Buy what you need. Take care of it. Repair it, if at all possible. Cherish it.

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