04 August 2011

Maison de Campagne


I am researching authentic Provence remodeling projects for new clients here in California. This couple is ready to create the certain feeling of an old maison de campagne in Provence, a la Coté Sud, in their home. Translating the Provençal look from the south of France to south of San Francisco will be a collaborative effort with my clients, who are themselves transplanted French citizens. I am so excited to work with them!


Coté Maison provided a wonderful jumping off point today. This featured home carries many strong characteristics of the renovated Provençal maison, such as use of the existing stonework, exposed ceiling beams, stone floors, polished and waxed concrete, iron door and window frames, and lots of re-use of old wood and materials. A completely relaxing atmosphere is created devoid of fussiness or extraneous embellishment for a simple, chic and livable home.



detail of the coffee tabletop arrangement


stone floors and walls, touches of linen,
leather seating and exposed beams all
express a simple chic Provençal life


the guest room is upstairs, thus the wooden floorboards; the
iron bed is a flea market find; the overhead beams are
lightened to a soft grey so they are not overbearing


the chic and simple Italian shower, open to
the room, is partitioned by an old found
wooden shutter and finished in concrete


the roughness of the limestone sink and the cut stone
floor is offset by the 19th C. gilded round mirror


the rustic long farmer's table in the dining room
has rusted metal lights hanging overhead, chic
wire-frame chairs and an old porch chair
from Cuba


weathered Cuban rockers with cowhide rug and very rustic
coffee table softened with the pearls; note the simple cantilevered
bench with the linen cushion


the concrete floor and iron framed doors
lead you directly into the garden outside;
old wood and wicker create comfort



***


thanks for visiting! Kit





03 August 2011

The White Dinner in Paris


I wasn't there, but wish I had been. This looks otherworldly divine! The annual "everything is white" dinner is held in Paris in the summer, and this year was in front of Notre Dame cathedral. Isn't it beautiful?






all images via Yahoo... yep Yahoo News!


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thanks for visiting! Kit





01 August 2011

A Joyful & Creative Rehearsal Dinner!



Well we did it! The rehearsal dinner in our back yard was great fun! With the renovation of the pool and the surrounding decking completed a mere two days before, colorful tables were set with provençal stripes, the sun was just setting behind the wisteria arbor, the tinkling of glasses and classical jazz wafting from the new {boy toy alert!} Sonor wireless speaker system across the pool all created a magical atmosphere. We invited all guests to paint a personal motif of wedding wishes for Lisa and Steven... and a joyfully creative wall of original art appeared as our evening progressed, much to the delight of all.



guests from far and wide gamely
painted their wedding wishes on our wall

Lisa, a radiant bride-to-be... love the dress, love the
way Steven looks at her!


wishes in Vietnamese & French


those Basque stripe cloths adorn the drinks table


the bride and her bi-coastal fathers rehearse the
walk down towards to ceremony



the bride's sisters Julia adds her special message


***


the very delicious menu

Grilled Shrimp & Grits
Skillet Buttermilk Corn Bread
Grilled Cedar Plank Salmon with Lemon Aoili
Grilled Flank Steak with Chimchurri
Braised Smoky Collard Greens
Blackeyed Pea and Arugula Salad
Peach Cobbler with Candied Ginger & Pecans
Champagne


***


thanks for visiting! Kit


23 July 2011

Wish. Me. Luck. :)


This week could hardly be more complicated... or exciting! Next Saturday is my daughter Lisa's wedding! And Friday, the rehearsal dinner is chez nous, in the garden. If you read my last post, you know that the pool failed a few weeks ago, which triggered a complete re-do of the entire backyard. Here we are six days out, and it looks like this:


I thought the guys left their things arranged very
nicely into a kind of "Still Life with Mortar" arrangement!

once not too long ago this was my little
"potager", or kitchen garden, planted with
herbs such as chocolate mint and lemongrass!


But we must keep a sense of wonder and humor about all this... what else can we do? At least the garden, traumatized though it is as it watches the horrors unfold before it's very eyes, is obliging with blooms in spite of being covered with stone dust and being trampled by large boots!


the dahlias are darling

the fuchsia is flourishing

the wisteria is waiting


the montbrescia is marvelous
(if a little dusty!)


I'll certainly be very busy for a few more days now... and will post beautiful photos after the miraculous transformation is completed!


***


thanks for visiting!... Kit



11 July 2011

Breathlessly Catching Up



When your only daughter decides in May that she is getting married in July, even if the wedding is small and in a friend's backyard, it has a way of taking over your life! We are very lucky that she is an event planner and a brilliant caterer and is marrying her business partner! We are of course thrilled for Lisa and Steven and were ecstatic when he proposed to her in Provence this spring!

Of great importance for us Femmes d'un Certain Age is finding the right dress to wear to. And that, dear readers, is no easy task, requiring shopping, fretting, sleepless nights and searching for perfect combination of fit, flatter, fabulous & feasible while striking just the correct note of not trying too hard and certainly letting the beautiful bride be the star of her day.

So...the wedding, along with a huge new client project, a road trip to Portland, Oregon over the 4th (fun!) and a fatal leak in our swimming pool (we are hosting the backyard rehearsal dinner) have kept me very busy and quite distracted from my beloved blogging. I should have been pruning roses and sighing over bridal gowns and tablescape colors! Instead, there is mud everywhere I look and I am working 12 hours a day:)

I am quite certain I now have your complete sympathy!

So yesterday I found the perfect dress. Exhale! I slept soundly last night, knowing all is well! Here's a little peek at the wonderful shop where we... bride, mother of bride and mother of groom... all had a delightful time shopping on a rare sunny summer day in San Francisco!

And today the amazing guys are replacing all the swimming pool plumbing, while we dither over bluestone, grass or a combination to replace the deck around the pool.

And the huge interior design project is blissfully, beautifully nearly finished.

We just might pull this off! Stay tuned!




the ceiling of the dress shop is decorated
with these beautiful Chinese silk parasols;
I love the way they look like floating
jellyfish over your head!



the gorgeous dress! now all I
need to find are nude colored
patent leather shoes to complete
the look

what do you think?


***



we drove 12 hours through 114 degree heat to
arrive at Crater Lake Lodge on July 2 and
found 10' snowdrifts!



***



ouch! my pretty backyard looks like
a war zone! we have just over two
weeks to go before we host
the rehearsal dinner here!

of course, Nicky loves all the dirt!

wish me luck

***


thank goodness I've been able to immerse myself
in designing this gorgeous radiused summer room for a
ca. 1888 mansion in Marin County!

this lovely rendering is by my assistant on the project,
Yuliya Krupnik, and shows the furnishings
I have designed for this room

stay tuned, more to follow when we are completed with
all five rooms!


***





thanks for visiting!... Kit







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