Playtime with Valentino

 The flokati rug that currently sits in our furniture-less dining room has become Valentino's favorite playtime spot. I often come around the corner to find him entertaining himself by rolling around in its furry fibers or charging head-first from the other side of the room to its edge, where he will inevitably ride it right into the wall. How do we break it to him that this area will soon house a dining table and barstools? 

We're in for a rainy weekend here on the left coast folks and good thing, because we so desperately need it. Because we'll be couped up indoors for the better part of the next two days, I have a feeling we're in for lots of moments like these. Let's hope the rug I waited weeks and weeks for will hold up under the circumstances.

Bar Decanter at Bedside

I am not a water drinker during my waking hours. Honestly, I'd rather drink anything else. Probably as a result of that bad habit, I am up throughout the night refilling the glass of water I keep on my bedside table, which inevitably leads to poor sleep patterns. Looking to curb this domino effect, I figured out a way to make it a little easier to have a quick sip before I nod back to sleep by keeping a small decanter of water along with my glass at the ready.

You might remember this post where I shared the up-cycled mineral bar decanters I made from old liquor bottles. I happily displayed them throughout the holidays, even putting them to work as a juice bar for our New Year's Eve extravaganza. Today, one of them serves both a functional purpose, while providing a little extra bedside pretty.

Fresh Ideas // Rustic Meets Modern Kitchen

I love spaces that make you reconsider what you think is your "style". If I had to categorize myself, I would figure fancy myself a lover of streamlined modern rooms, free of clutter and anything that might translate as aging. But I've been surprised by so many rooms that fall outside that box, rooms that break through the invisible barrier of what I'm supposed to like and not like. This is one such room. 

I might not replicate the design in its entirety in my own home (a cook's kitchen is so personal), but there are so many wonderful things to love and learn from in this kitchen. I look at this space and I instantly smell coffee brewing and feel a strong urge to huddle up and cook here on a rainy day. Certainly it would be bathed in beautiful lighting with the prominent mixed metal fixtures placed strategically throughout the kitchen. I'm particularly fond of task lighting over the counter these days - over any counter actually be it kitchen, bath or office. Here, they no doubt play a pivotal role in the owner's cooking experience. But what surprises me most though is that there is room for both rustic and modern in this space - the bank of drawers under the counter and appliances certainly skew modern while many of the other furnishings, even if new, keep the space grounded and homey. 

There are other details in this kitchen to study and love. Click on over for some close ups and more out of the box ideas.

Design by Asa Myrberg

Houseplans // A Green Screen

Spring projects are already in full swing here around the house. The mild weather we've been afforded has made for some pretty productive work week evenings and weekends. In fact, the whole of this past weekend was spent re-working our vegetable bed configuration on the side yard. It's pretty satisfying how well it is shaping up in that part of the yard. But all that time spent out there over the past few days has also raised an issue in another area of our yard we feel we can no longer ignore. 

In an attempt to finally solve for an unsightly fence along the most highly visible poolside planter in our yard, we'll be installing a bamboo screen. The bright sunlight, narrow planter bed and rock-hard clay soil this area makes it difficult for anything to thrive in the ground. So we've come up with an above ground solution that will help us hide out our eyesore of a fence, while adding a verdant backdrop to our pool deck.

Before settling on our plan, we took inspiration from a bevy of options that provide both a privacy or sound barrier and an attractive green belt around a garden or patio. Here were some of our favorites.

Christophe Bulteau Landscape // Photographed by Jean-Marc Palisse

Nathan Burkett Landscape Architecture // Photographed by Urban Angles

Jeffrey Erb Landscape Design

There are so many plant options to choose from. It amazes me how a well planned arrangement can keep the prying eyes of an entire city at bay on a rooftop garden. 

Design Rob Pressman / Photo by Thomas J. Story

Crescent Garden "Ellis Planter" via Amazon

Photo by Van Chaplin for Southern Living

Design by William Hefner, Studio William Hefner  

As the first stage of our plan, we will remove eight towering Cypress trees along one part of the fence. We've held off on removing them because they currently act as a barrier between our neighbor's second story window and our pool deck. But the bottom line is that they are dirty, costly to maintain and pretty beat up from wind damage and animals that like to nest there so they must go. 

Once removed, we can build out our planters. We're planning on six,  2x6 foot beds, roughly 24" high, but of course that could eventually change based on lumber costs. We're moving towards a walnut stain and chartreuse colored bamboo (perhaps Alphonse Carr) which will both contrast nicely against all the black we currently have going on in the yard. 

Intro Image: John Rocha's home in Provence as photographed by Richard Powers

Last Image: Workshop / apd