Draping your outdoor rooms

One of my clients asked me to help them figure out how to shade their pergola.  They were having trouble with the low western sun that gets in your eyes in the afternoon and early evening hours.  Walpole Woodworkers makes a sun shade that drapes over the top of the pergola; but that wouldn't really solve the problem.  Because the sun is most bothersome when it's low.  They were even thinking about some kind of screening system.  I went online to look at it..UGLY!  So I got busy looking through my image files to see if drapes would be a good solution.  I found many great images of drapes being used on porches, and some on pergolas.  These are the nicest ones I came across.  The drapery helps to make a porch or pergola feel more like an outdoor living room.  It's an elegant solution to my client's sun problem. 

It's a Spring Thing

It doesn't seem possible but today is the first day of spring.  The temperatures are cold and there is snow on the ground, so it certainly doesn't feel like spring.  It's been a long winter and I'm looking forward to a little color and for my garden to start doing it's thing! Here are a few of my favorite early bloomers.

 

hyacinths

grape hyacinths and snow drops

narcissus

grape hyacinths

tulips

hyacinths

hyacinths

pansies

hyacinths

fruit tree blossoms

tulips

azalea and vinca

crocus

daffodil

Artful Blend of Old and New

 

This renovated Italian farmhouse was recently featured in Architectural Digest  I admire the artfully designed combination of old and new.  The renovation was designed by the Owner/Architect Benedikt Bolza for his rather large family of five children.  Apparently they do a lot of entertaining ...lots of wonderful cozy built-in seating areas. 

 I love the juxtaposition of the new minimalist stairs against the ancient masonry.

 I love the European showers...no curb and no door.  These look so clean and cool...I wonder if water goes all over the room.

Paradise for Sale

This must be Paradise!  The Dillingham Ranch on the north shore of Oahu is on the market, currently listed by Christie's Real Estate.  This luxury equestrian property of 2700 acres spans from the ocean to the mountain ridge, where it borders the Mokoleia Forest Reserve.  The fully restored "Big House" features a 3000sf great room and a 700sf commercial kitchen.  Wow!!