Speaking of birthdays. In a few days it will be my middle daughter’s birthday and that means it’s time to go hunting for a rose for Sydney Rose. Her dad picked out the very first birthday rose when she was a baby. ”Bewitched,” a beautiful clear-pink hybrid tea, captured this spellbinding strawberry-blonde daughter perfectly. Every [...]
Look for an extensive overview of the San Francisco Decorator Showcase in the Bay Area News Group papers this Saturday, but in the meantime here’s a peak at design elements that felt fresh and noteworthy this year. Contemporary Art as Inspiration Check out the Cy Twombly inspired floors in Catherine Kwong’s living room, above. See those [...]
Like the pairing of a clever black cocktail dress with a custom strand of pearls, the 36th annual San Francisco Decorator Showcase is both sophisticated and provocative. This showcase speaks to those of us who crave less clutter and more meaningful design. After touring the disciplined and compelling rooms this morning, I’m excited to share [...]
Some design pros contend that old things are obsolete. They insist that modern design is where it’s at and that the passion for patina is definitely past its prime. I beg to differ. In a world gone Green, the desire to reuse, repurpose and recycle is really blossoming. Ask designer Joanne Palmisano, author of the [...]
Chipped polish on my dirt-encrusted nails reminds me that I should not be bothering with manicures this time of year. I’m just too busy digging in the dirt. Or frequenting nurseries to find more plants to dig in the dirt. Though I’d already picked up a little spring color at my neighborhood nursery, I was [...]
Like a tipsy party guest, oxalis—with its day-glo yellow blossoms and exuberant growth patterns—can be a pain to those attempting a manicured springtime garden display. Here in the woodland hills of Oakland, however, outrageously cheery swaths of oxalis are as welcome as a sunny patch of daffodils in a proper English garden. Also, did you [...]
Spring played peek-a-boo this week with on and off showers and some balmy days punctuated by frosty nights. Nevertheless, I enjoyed several playdates in the garden with some cold-weather annuals. Like my mother always says about lipstick—everyone needs a little color! Here are a few other things that brightened my world: 1. If you, too, [...]
At the annual Quilting in the Garden quilt show held at Alden Lane Nursery in Livermore this past weekend, quilts hung from beautiful old oaks like a dapper giant’s freshly hung laundry. Each year the show features a professional quilter and this year’s quilting queen was Judy Mathieson, master of the Mariner’s Compass. Her exquisitely pieced quilts were [...]
And so we moved. Out. Away. Somewhere else. It was a stormy departure as moves mostly are. Packing up all your earthly possessions—even to move them just a few miles away—whips up gale force winds of change. In addition, we agreed to let our buyers do some exterior work the last week we were in [...]
When we moved into this house thirteen years ago, the trellised back deck was devoid of plant life. Even the hardy Iceburg roses in the built-in galvanized steel planter boxes were leafless due to a malfunctioning irrigation system. The main garden was a flight below. It appeared that if I wanted to find green space I would need [...]
