Freshening Up

It is so nice to come in to my office now that I have a new slipcover for this old wingback chair. I have had this chair ever since my kids were little. I found it at a yard sale for $25 probably 15 years ago. Back then, we were just starting our family. We had just bought our first house and the kids were so young. I made a slipcover myself....not knowing what I was doing at all. I used regular thread.... the kind you would use for clothing. I did not know that I needed upholstery thread! The slipcover did not hold up all that well as you can imagine. But we had always made do with the chair....but recently, I just could not look at it another minute! It was threadbare and stained after so many washings I cannot count. It was time.

So here she is....with a plumped up seat cushion and a very simple white denim slip. I am trying to decide whether to paint the legs white or leave them black....and whether to leave on the arm covers, or leave them off. Photo ready and real life are very different after all.

Remodeling: It's Starting to Look Like Something!

At least Nullah seems to be looking at something.

 We have been working (by"we", I mean Tim) on the backyard fountain for what seems to be years now....really only one year....and it is finally starting to be a place where we can sit and enjoy the sound of water skipping down the wall and see water lilies and gold fish. (I am pretty sure that is what is holding Nullah's attention.)

Some of you may remember the progress of building our fountain in blog posts,  here, here and here.  Here is a little recap.....    

 This was our backyard a couple of years ago during the construction phase of the house remodel.

We already had a large concrete block wall between our neighbor's house and ours. There was a carport attached to it which we had torn down when we built our garage. We decided to leave the wall there after much discussion about whether to tear it down. We came up with a plan to do a water feature on the wall with a water trough at the bottom and cover the rest of the wall with Boston Ivy. This photo was taken before Tim started building the trough, and after we had a concrete pad poured. (Someday we plan to cover the pad with blue stone). You can see the wavy water line Tim drew on the wall, he he....

 Tim built the trough and capped the wall and trough with concrete trim pieces and had the wall stuccoed to match the house....

We left a space between the trough and the concrete pad so we could plant in the remaining strip....

Next, we decided to clad the space where water would cascade down the wall in metal plates. Tim painted a fertilizer and water solution on the metal plates (which he had cut into a rectangular shape) so that they would get a rusty patina. He had to waterproof the wall before screwing the plates to the wall in a running bond pattern....

Tim put up the plates a bit at a time making sure everything was level. He had measured and remeasured everything ahead of time to make sure we would have whole plates from top to bottom. Half width plates were cut for the ends of every other run....

There was much filling and emptying of the trough to make sure everything was watertight. Tim used PVC pipe to run the water up by pump to the top of the wall and across the top. Small holes were drilled across the length of pipe across the top to create a continuous stream that falls down the metal plates. We let the water cause more rust on the metal plates until we had the color we wanted. We then coated the wall with a finish coat to stop further rusting. We had to run water through the system for awhile to get rid of any residue in the water. Tim put metal u-channel pieces around the perimeter of the water wall to hide the PVC pipe. We are letting this trim rust naturally over time. 

Now for the fun part! 

We added water plants: white Water Lilies and Variegated Water Iris (light blue) which we got from a grower that sells water plants at our local Farmer's Market. This wall gets direct sun for most of the day, so Tim planted a variety of succulents in the strip in front of the trough wall and Tulip Magnolias on either side. We have started Boston Ivy growing to cover the stucco part of the wall the which will take awhile to get established.....

A trio of goldfish now call this pool home. We keep them company whenever the mood strikes. Things are coming along.....   

Work, Work, Work, and then a Gift!

It has been a whirlwind of creative thinking, sample shopping, design sketching, specification typing,  and client meetings. There has been birthdays to plan, houses to clean, gardens to plant, daughters lives to coordinate and dogs to walk. All of it happens everyday, it just seems there is either more of it, or less time to do it.

As I was opening another email, I had a moment. Patricia of PVE Design had sent a gift. It seems Patricia had seen a blog post I had written HERE. As is often her way, Patricia was inspired to open her mind and heart to create yet another illustrative masterpiece, and I was the lucky recipient.

I was charmed to my toes, and took a moment away from the multitask frenzy to just sit and enjoy. Enjoy seeing my house through Patricia's artistic eyes, to enjoy knowing someone had taken time to be so thoughtful....of me. 

It does give one pause  to remember to be more thoughtful oneself. 

To see more of the day-making creativity Patricia brushes onto her watercolor paper, hop on over HERE.

 Thank you so very much Patricia!

(And click on over to Patricia's blog to say hello!)

I hope you all have moments to enjoy this weekend!

A Change in the Weather

The Cherry Tree is in full bloom today...I had to catch it while I could. I think it is time to take down the Christmas lights, huh? We'll get to it when we paint the house this summer....I am still thinking about the color. I am now thinking Camel with white trim and gloss black doors. Then some black and white stripe awnings on the windows.  Anyone want to weigh in?

 It's nice when a husband calls and invites one to lunch on the spur of the moment....just because it is a nice day, and the sun is shining. There is something to be said for blue skies and the scent of Freesia in the air.

The tree is just exploding! And the bees are buzzing.

 An outdoor cafe named Magpie's... our first time there, and it was wonderful. Lemon Chicken Salad with Spring Greens, Kalamata Olives, and shaved Fennel......and a Carrot Cake Cookie for dessert....oh my....delicious...the Earth is waking up.

Ahhh! The sun is here!

Happy Weekend!

P.S......Don't forget to enter the Give Away 

for:

Get all of the information to enter HERE.

Fresh Finds at the Sacramento Antique Faire

I had the chance to hit the Sacramento Antique Faire last Sunday ( it takes place on the second Sunday of every month. I was expecting rain, but it held off in the morning long enough for us to scan all of the isles and find some treasures.

The thing about antique faires I love is the hunt for that overlooked gem....it may not be in perfect condition, but it might be perfect for me. You may remember this blog post where I found the painting in the photo above for $30!!! This time, I came across the beautiful blue bottle....it worked out pretty well with the painting I think.

I have also been rearranging a few things in the Living Room to lift my spirits during this rain on, rain off season (right now....rain). Bringing out a few of my shells go a long way to get me thinking about summer. There is something about knotted rope that gets me reminiscing about sailing lazily about Balboa Bay. So when I came upon a large green glass bottle surrounded by knotted ropes, I stopped in my tracks. I assumed it would be a big splurge, since many demi-john bottles this size can be upwards of $300 on ebay. There was a slight bit of damage at the neck, so I thought "why not ask the price?".  Can you guess why it ended up in my Living Room?

$20........ That's why. I think I was a little in shock at first.....I almost walked away thinking the damage had significantly lowered it's value. Value, schmalue!!!! The late great Madeline Castaing was never fastidious about a decorative item being perfect...why should I be? $20 was an absolute steal and I love it! 

Here are just a few of the things I did not walk away with, but I dream of houses where they could find a home:

A few antique vendors from the Antique Trove in Roseville ( a half hour drive from Sacramento) made the trip down to the Faire. I am glad they did! I will be visiting the Trove a little more often in the future. (This booth is where I picked up my blue bottle.)

I loved the grey painted glasses case...just the whole display got me thinking. The books on top were a collection of Dickens greats.

I also had fun at this gardening display...the old concrete bird bath, the glass float in the bucket, the lidded metal containers, it all could have come home...but I must restrain myself or I would make the next episode of Hoarders.

I had to leave myself something to hunt for next time!

"Quick....I Need a Tablecloth!"

 What does one do when one needs a tablecloth and has a particular thing in mind.... no time and no funds? One idea.....make it oneself!

I have a different table in the Dining Room this year than last....the old one was a rectangle, and now it is round. This new (old) table may not be permanent since I think it is too small, but it is doing for now. I had a table cloth in mind....one with bold dark grey stripes. But I certainly did not have time to find it or have one made for the Holidays!

What to do in a pinch? Take out a trusty paint drop cloth....they are huge and very inexpensive....

 Buy some paint and a 9" roller from Home Depot. The 9" size was just about the right size for my stripes.....

 Spread out the drop cloth on top of another drop cloth....don't forget! The paint does seep through....

 If you would like things to be perfect, use painter's tape for making the lines straight. I chose to go a more casual route that ended up being a bit modern looking and "imperfect"...much less stressful! 

 And in one afternoon....I had the effect I was going for....I draped the table and tucked the extra edges underneath....

 Then the real fun of setting the table began! I have a pair of hand blown glass candelabras from Mexico...I used one for the center. I added gold chargers and my vintage Tiffany gold edged plates....I kind of liked the simplicity and was thinking to just stop here....but I kept on going.

 I added some Chinese green glazed plates and my new La Rochere Jacques Coeur wine and water glasses, white hotel napkins and silver....

 I made a boxwood "ball" using boxwood from the yard to put on the candelabra and some little mercury glass votive holders held more boxwood....

A few brass horns and pine cones from my Holiday stash....

Some votive candles, and Mother of Pearl salt dishes.....

All done!



Dinner at 8:00!

I hope you all had a wonderful Holiday!

Here's to a Joyful and Prosperous New Year!

Changing Things Up for Fall

 Things have been very busy this Fall, in a very good way! I am working hard with clients who are wonderful, and I will have lots to report on that front in weeks to come!

But it was time to take a little break last night, and my daughter and I had some fun arranging some little pumpkins and gourds on our front room table. The light was not the best, but you get the idea. A few wicker bottles, ghostly white pumpkins, and an antler or two, with the best pumpkin taking pride of place under a glass cloche.

I had picked up the pumpkins while grocery shopping, but when I saw Grant Gibson's front stoop display HERE, I realized I have to stop and smell the corn husks.....that is, take a bit of a break from the weekend work hours and head over to one of the many local pumpkin patches with the family to get some bigger pumpkins!

After all, Fall is my favorite season...it is time to enjoy it!

 Are you decorating for Fall?

Making Lemonade.....

Back Yard Concrete Block Wall, Fountain Under Construction!

When we moved in to our 1911 house, we were thrilled to have an old house with all of it's charm and quirks. But things happen over the years. Things get built that make you wonder what the owners were thinking. We inherited a decrepit carport that was attached to a massive concrete block wall (9-10 feet high?). We took down the lean to, but the wall remains. An eyesore with rebar sticking up from the top. I guess it was never finished?

We left it alone while we busily attacked the house remodel. But now we are tackling the yard. So....what to do about this wall? Should it come down? Or should we try to work with it? Our neighbor has one of the most beautiful rose gardens I have ever seen, and many of his climbers are on the other side of this wall. We hate to disturb the plants....or our very patient neighbor ( he has kindly put up with two dogs that love to bark at the squirrels that run across the top of the wall).

We decided to leave it where it is. I had designed a large wall fountain for a restaurant a few years ago, and Tim loved it. So...we are creating a smaller version to break up the expanse of wall that blinds us with glare almost all day. I sketched up our vision of what the "After" will look like ......soon I hope!

After!

We plan to use corten metal plates for the back of the wall of water, and stucco the rest of the wall to match the house. A concrete finish cap will go along the top. Tim is building the trough for the water with a seat topped with the same concrete cap. Trellised vines will cover the wall on either side of the fountain, and I am hoping Tim will agree to potted citrus tress on either side. This wall gets sun almost all day....so Mediterranean plants will do well here. We will be trying out water plants for the first time in the fountain!

I am looking forward to the sound of falling water and the thermal cooling when the temps get up to 100 around here!

Another project on the books.....(Tim doesn't know about this one yet!)....our front door! It is a massive four feet wide, and to replace it would cost a small fortune. Plus, most door companies do not warranty a door this wide. 42 inches, yes....48 inches, no. I would have thought that the front door to a house that is otherwise very charming would have had some character. But sadly, it is a plain slab door with wood veneer that has seen better days. It is heavily scratched and peeling away. Plus, the dark stain stops the eye dead in it's tracks in our white living room. And why someone would feel it necessary to add a peephole to a door with windows, I will never understand! Here she is....

Front Door..."Before"

So this is my plan....... I want to add battens to the door to add some architectural interest. The pattern will echo some of the other patterns throughout the house. like the wainscoting in the dining room and the beamed ceilings. The battens will also hide the flaws in the veneer. Then a fresh coat of paint, new hardware, and voila! I hope to have a much prettier door that will not break the bank!

After!

I will keep you posted on the progress......soon I hope! it is dependent on my "contractor" (ahem....Tim!)

Remember This Table?

Brooke Giannetti had the giveaway of the year on her beautiful blog Velvet and Linen back in November. You may remember that I had entered with my office space in hopes of winning one of the three tables in the giveaway. Alas, I did not win....but the winners did a great job with the tables in their own spaces. It was very fun to see the results! (In case you missed it, click HERE.)

But the blogosphere is a wonderful place. When one computer window closes, another opens. Because of the blog post I did about the giveaway, I was happily reintroduced to an old friend I had lost touch with. Mike Whisten, a talented custom furniture maker and "imagineer", contacted me and we discussed a potential collaboration to make a table for my office. Mike was so inspired by the post, he began a project of his own. Mike recreated his own version of the metal frame table but instead of reclaimed lumber, he used reclaimed sales signs from a Loft project in Sacramento.

As you can see, his version is quite contemporary, and I love his spin on what constitutes a reuse of discarded materials. I think this table would be great in a loft, a beach house, or any eclectic setting that combines one-of-a-kind furniture peices. This is the kind of peice that makes a home unique. And that is what makes Mike special. He can work with anyone to create a peice of furniture that is perfect for them in size, material and function. Best of all, the prices are RIGHT!!! (This table is listed at $600 on Mike's website!)

I hope you have a chance to check out Mike's company website, 12M Design.

Give him a call and see what you can conjure up.

Meanwhile, Mike and I are talking about my Office table.

Happy Weekend!

Our front porch just a week ago. The leaves have almost gone now, and the Christmas lights have taken their place to warm the chilly nights. It is time to get the Christmas tree inside and decorate it this weekend. The boxes of ornaments are waiting. But I will miss this sight from our front porch.

Until I can get my home in order for Christmas, please take a moment to hop over to my good friend Scot's blog, Tartanscot.

He has put together a beautiful video of his home all set for the holidays. And the accompanying music is brilliant: Scot is a part of the San Francisco Concert Chorale and it will warm your soul. So start a fire, sit down with a hot toddy and enjoy.

Have a brilliant weekend!