verdant oasis

I fell right into this magical little garden. Its so very lush and verdant and seems to vibrate against the rich dark tones of the structures and furniture. i dont think i could ever achieve this level of growth on my concrete patio but i love the palette inspiration. 

 

 the following three images of seating areas on this property are really wonderful. the black folding chairs are similar to the ones i've been eyeing from ikea - and i like the little addition of the bolster pillow tied on with thick roping. 

 

 it all seems very casual and intimate ~ that if nothing else is something wonderful to aspire to out on my little patio area! i just love it. 

as found on apent hus

osborn & little

some pretty nature inspired wallpapers from the collections of osborne & little. The new apartment has a long rather dark hallway exacerbated by the "security measures" put to use by the landlord. that is, they bolted a piece of plywood to the back of the front door (which, like most san francisco apartments is a wood framed door with two rows of glass panes). it means that no light comes in from the hall making it feel a bit cramped. 

ive been brainstorming a way to bring interest and lightness to this area and perhaps a bit of wallpaper, just on the back of the door, would do nicely - 

 

i think that these wallpapers with their slight metalic sheen would nicely reflect light from one end of the hall to the other. Part of me would love to paper the entire corridor. i have explored "renter's wallpaper" but im afraid because the wall is already heavily textured. I think a panel of paper on the door combined with a new paint job might just do the trick~

               

paper styles : mandara - kikko trellis - laguna - jewel of spring -  tavertino

shop sneak peek

 the crazy pace of the weekend has finally tapered off. I love running around doing things but its nice to have a quiet day too. a few new additions to the shop and a little preview of whats to come for the fall

 a little peek at a new harvest collection thats brewing ...... texture, rich color, simple shapes and simple goodness. 

open kitchen shelving

sorry for the lack of flower post this week, I have a large wedding on monday and I know there will be plenty of flowers after that plus my flowers from last week as still looking cheery. instead today i thought i would share a few more goings on around the house. 
sadly at some point the original kitchen cabinets (i estimate the building is from about the 1930's) were taken out and replaced with generic white mdf cabinets. but the good news, this has created a few little places for me to introduce some open shelving. over the weekend we installed 3 of these ikea shelves in the kitchen. one replaced a tired shelf that was already hanging over the kitchen sink and the other two are in a little alcove by the doorway. 

a little touch up is still needed around where the lines of the old shelf used to be but that will get done eventually. 

I love that i can look at some of my pretty bowls and glasses while sitting at my table... what do you think? 

i hope you all have lovely weekends. I will be whipping up some flowers for a wedding on monday, hitting the flea market and doing a few more house projects. see you monday

xx

simple summer soiree

i find there is nothing more satisfying than a simple dinner of steamed shellfish. Its my favorite one pot meal for entertaining. A pretty dutch oven on the center of the table ladened with steamed mussels or clams and very little else is needed. It seems to be perfect for any season, but its quick cooking time and bountiful outcome seem especially well suited to an unfussy summer meal. I particularly like this recipe. 
      With the deep purple, blue and black hues of the mussel shell as inspiration, i imagined a table as simply beautiful as the meal. 


napkin, ramekin, paper lantern, wine, wine glass, dutch oven, ironstone bowls, wooden board, cheese.