Mission Style Circa 1790 in California

My daughter Lisa  made a goal to visit all of the twenty-one 18th C. missions that were built "a day's journey by horseback" (or about 30 miles apart) up and down the coast of California. On a recent gorgeous Sunday we had the chance to visit Mission San Miguel Arcangel in the central coast. As a designer who loves color, crumbling & derivative architecture, decorative painting on walls, history and celebration, I found it a stunning place to spend an hour or so. 

a portrait of the patron saint Michael the Archangel
hangs on the frescoed walls of the long, narrow

church; the walls are the original decorative

paintings by Esteban Munras from the 1820's

the front entry of the church is simple and austere with
a large carved and painted wooden door and quatrefoil windows

one of the buttresses on the side of the long, narrow church have
helped support it through earthquakes and the harmonic
vibrations from the nearby Union Pacific Railway railroad

one of the gateposts from the original enclosure
of the mission grounds stands proudly today
in the California sunshine

another massive carved and painted door
with a heavy oak lintel opens onto
the mission arcade

another original gate onto the enclosure that
housed and protected early missionaries

the stunning altar and surround are heavily
decorated by Estaban Munras in 1820 in
the Neo Classical excesses he had seen in the
magnificent churches in Mexico at the time; it remains 
today exactly as he finished it

this energizing burst appears on the left side
of the church alongside the classically
referenced blue painted columns

the entry to one of the carpentry areas is a
brilliantly orange painted arch with stylized flowers;
the dado wall with the border of red flowers
continues the length of the colonnade

closeup of the decorative painting
dating from 1820

a display of the implements and tools used
in the contraction of the 1797
Mission San Miguel Arcangel

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Franciscan missionaries in the late 18th Century California

by 1820, a total of twenty-one missions had
been established along the California
coast by the Franciscans; while they
are all existing today, Mission
San Miguel featured here has
the most preserved interior
and decorative elements of
all the missions

a photo taken in 1920 shows the details characteristic of the California
Misison style: colonnade of Roman arches, white unadorned exterior,
clay tile roofs, deep overhang... these architectural elements
are widely used in buildings in California today

above old photos of

Mission San Miguel are

from the

Library of Congress

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The Magical Land of Flora Grubb

a seating area with bright orange metal chairs next to

signature Flora Grubb pots and palms

On the prowl with one of my hippest young clients for cool, repurposed & floral items to anchor a wedding design, in the early morning mists and fogs south of San Francisco today, we found ourselves lost for hours in the magical land of Flora Grubb.

It's quite possible that I am hopelessly un-hip, or at least the very last person on the planet to discover Flora Grubb. But that's OK. It's still an experience of wonderment and awe, and worth blogging about!

You know you are somewhere very cool when you spot an old bicycle planted (somehow!) with air plants & succulents and suspended over an old reclaimed zinc-top table, looking for all the world like the Wicked Witch of the West had just hopped off of it and left it in mid-air when she stepped inside for her organic latte with The Mad Hatter. It's that kind of place.

succulents and old suguaro plants

accented with red ceramics create a

stunning entryway

cool planting table in front

of inviting green shutters

I love this blue orb set among the succulents!

a cool tile that could work for a cheese plate in

a rustic-chic setting

these plates have the look of

botanical etchings, wonderful!

inviting and colorful bistro set

on one of the garden pathways

another view down the garden path

a very cool blue chair with modern

lines invites a little respite in the garden

if you like the metal furniture, choose your favorite

from the wall and take it home today

blue chairs face the wonderful

coffee bar inside

sinuous concrete chaises for your

outdoors

concrete and redwood table is lovely

contrast to the lacy air plants

this rusty old Chevy Impala has an

ongoing life as a whimsical (not for everyone!)

planter in the quixotic garden

Lady Flora herself...a delightful

and charming creator of gardens!

When you get past the astonishing huge installations (that's really the only word for her artistic plant, artifact and salvage vignettes) and vertical green wall gardens (all the rage these days...and much easier to achieve than the green roof) scattered over the large, botanical-gardens-like outdoors, your eye will also find exquisite details and furniture. This is not your old Smith & Hawkins!

Wandering the pathways in her gardens you will see a vintage 60's Chevy Impala gently rusting away as one of (surely) the world's most unique planters. You can meander up to the coffee bar and request the barista make you one of the best espresso drinks around, then take in the scene sitting at the whimsical Caribbean pastel bistro chairs and tables while you admire every little detail. There's a lot to take in.

While we decided not every bride would choose this much drama and originality for her wedding, some elements would work beautifully for that rustic-chic wedding up in Sonoma or a wild Pacific coast setting.

This is the domain of the landscape artist and not to be missed by anyone with an eye for design and beautiful, exotic vignettes. Although the living green walls have a certain portability about them, most of these amazing plantings are well-suited for the long haul, enhancing a space on a permanent basis.

Flora Grubb Gardens

1634 Jerrold Avenue

San Francisco, CA 94124

415.648.2670

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in 2010, it's:

Kit Golson Design

for elegant, sustainable and pragmatic

Chic Provence Interior Design