FARM
he master bedroom’s walk-in closet is enlivened by blush-colored cabinets, wall-to-wall cheetah print carpet and graphic pink wallpaper. “It’s a little slice of heaven on even the worst mornings, DESK/VANITY IN FRONT OF WINDOW FLANKED BY SCONCE LIGHTING; DESK AS VANITY IN CLOSET/VIBRANT SHADE AT WINDOW W/ FRINGE
Stone edging. Like tracing a drawing with a highlighter, adding a thin stone edging to a brick pathway focuses attention on the curve and form of the beds. Using stone edging is not only an aesthetic choice but also a practical one. In a hardworking potager garden, the slightly raised edge of the granite stones helps keep soil in the beds rather than on the pathway.
a “shed duplex” with two distinct areas separated by an interior wall. The area to the left provides a place for storing tools, while the second space houses their brood of backyard chickens. To construct the shed, they used a combination of new lumber, corrugated aluminum roofing and salvaged redwood boards from a family member’s old deck. Designing a single structure to serve two purposes saves floor space and eliminates the need for additional outbuildings in the backyard. In the shed’s chicken coop portion, a hatch lifts to reveal nesting boxes for easy egg collection by Aislin and Tim’s two young boys.
Tip: Also take a look at the towel hardware in the bathroom section. These can be a practical alternative to a utensil rack, with a little extra depth to accommodate more cumbersome items, such as pots with large handles. If you’re feeling crafty, create your own unconventional utility rack. A cool-looking industrial pipe affixed to the wall with coordinating brackets could work. Or, as shown in this photo, a sturdy branch could add a more organic kitchen detail. Metal S-hooks or J-hooks for your DIY pot rail can be found in most kitchen or hardware sections.
mother built the interior river rock patio around the garden with a local mason named Matt Chepin. Her mother originally kept plants like philodendrons and rubber trees, but Gray added UV blockers to the windows, filled the garden with more succulents and ferns, and replaced the soil with lava rock. There’s an automated water system in place, but there’s also a spigot in case Gray wants to do some watering herself, as her mother did.
a clever solution in a butler’s pantry in Sarasota, Florida. The dog tub is actually a horse feeding trough. (The owner is a polo player.) It’s about 42 inches wide and was modified to accommodate a drain. Similar galvanized stock tanks or watering troughs can be purchased from livestock supply stores. Food and supplies are kept in the base cabinet and a flip-down step allows the owner’s athletic Spanish water dogs to hop into the basin. The owner then stands on the step to wash them, says Josh Wynne, whose construction company built the LEED-certified home. The countertops are concrete and the walls are troweled clay with no added color. The upper cabinet doors are Galvalume, a carbon steel sheet coated with an aluminum-zinc alloy.
Free-standing tub: Installing a professional-style dog wash can be a lower-cost alternative to a built-in station. A plumber is still required to hook it up, but it won’t involve the tile work and framing needed for a built-in style. The model from ProGroom in this Louisville, Kentucky, laundry room includes space beneath the tub for dog bowls and a ramp that rolls out for entering and exiting the tub. The back of the tub includes a clip for tethering the bathing victim and a shelf and bracket for supplies. The most popular tubs for homeowners are those with ramps and those measuring 48 inches to 60 inches wide
E. B. Mahoney Builders, Inc. SaveEmail A hallway that was built as part of an addition masquerades as a sunroom here with skylights to scatter sunlight and warm the interior. The homeowners decided to preserve their Georgian home’s gorgeous stonework, so they worked the addition around it. The material preservation plus the inclusion of plants and natural light uphold the basic tenets of biophilic design.
Intimacy in a cavernous space. Faced with sky-high ceilings, designer Vanessa Weeks created a copper ceiling section above the island to provide a more intimate feeling. Three oversized industrial-style pendents also help fill the void and make a strong design impact.
pieces her client had picked up at Ballard’s Backroom (the Ballard Designs outlet), then had butcher block from Ikea customized for the desktop. She created a cozy spot for reading and power naps by adding a platform underneath a twin mattress, a board-and-batten-like surround made from painted medium-density fiberboard and a series of built-in cubbies. The homeowner accessorized with HomeGoods finds. GOOD MULTI USE SPACE DESIGN; INEXPENSIVE DECOR; CASUAL
Sitting area. If you’re willing to give up some storage and counter space, a built-in banquette is a creative way to make your cabinetry feel cozy and inviting, as well as add seating space. Your cushions, pillows and linens can complement your kitchen’s decorative scheme. WRAP BIG WINDOWS N READING SEAT
The pool is from Endless Pools and was integrated into the space by general contractor Jessie Ososki. DeWitt gives much credit to Ososki for helping to devise and implement the design of the addition. “The quality of craftsmanship is top-notch. All of the plywood walls have mitered edges— everything fits together as tight as a drum.”
The addition’s interior is covered in marine-grade plywood, used in many boats because of its ability to hold up well to moisture. DeWitt loves the material because of its humble appearance. “It has beautiful striations and a lovely hue, but it’s the opposite of bling,” he says. Four operable skylights above the pool add additional light and magical views while swimming. A strip of LED lights is integrated into each skylight for nighttime illumination.
perfect compost bins
raised tubs for gardening
screened porch with HUGE curved sofa to take in different views...could even be a four season room
backyard greenhouse in the Bernal Heights neighborhood of San Francisco is thriving. Owners Tom Cowan and Lynda Smith grow a wide variety of edibles given their small space: lettuce, radicchio, Swiss chard, dandelions (Italian heirloom), onions, strawberries, raspberries, garlic, mint, kale, mustard, curly kale, watercress, basil, parsley, sage, thyme, chives and sorrel. The couple grows most of those edibles in soft GeoPots or Smart Pots, and a few others in cedar planters connected to the soil beneath them.
colors, ceilings w window/skylight wells,
Use Terracing to Your Advantage Terraces create flat, usable garden space on a slope, but just as important, they allow rainwater to infiltrate the soil, making dry slopes a bit moister. They also ensure that the soil stays put and allow you to build up a rich topsoil to support a greater diversity of crops.
The couple recently started keeping bees in this area as well. “We feel that it is really important for backyard gardeners to have bees,” Fagella says. “The bee population is in crisis due to a number of factors, [including] pesticide use for greener lawns and mono crops in agribusiness. Bees need diversity, which small organic farms and fields provide.”
A larger garden sits farther down the hill in a field surrounded by trees. “I have been gardening my whole life, and I have lived here for over 20 years,” Fagella says, “and we provide much of our food for the whole year from this backyard and chickens.”
Underneath the studio is the chicken coop, in an area that also provides access to the greenhouse. Fagella and Kerner built this log ramp that leads to the chicken yard outside on the side of the barn, allowing the chickens to run freely from inside to the outdoors.
colors, materials, appliances
Unstained wood plank boards give the feeling of a floor that’s almost nonexistent. That gives the pale teal island and cabinetry prominence and lets the crisscrossed ceiling beams draw the eye to a graphic architectural trick. Plus, having a stone fireplace in a kitchen is just awesome.
MIX OF ELEMENTS, COLORS, LUXURIOUSNESS, INTEREST
To bring a sophisticated feel to the living room, McMorron opted for luxurious fabrics in grays and purples to cover the custom-made furniture. The owners often host friends and family, so they wanted the living room to be spacious enough to fit lots of people. “The reception and cocktail area needed to take up to 10 people,” McMorron says. “We used a dark purple silk wallpaper on the central wall to give it a bit more glamour,” she says. Mirrors behind the shelves help to make the proportions bigger, and are “quite fun with cocktails,” she adds. ALSO FURNITURE LAYOUT...CASUAL, YET GLAM ADULT SITTING ROOM
feel like a boutique hotel, but with a country twist,...DETAILS OF FIREPLACE
A new chimney keeps the space toasty on cool nights. The surround is real stone veneer and this detail continues underneath the windows both inside and out, tying the chimney to the architecture and grounding the porch.
the kitchen retains the cabin look but with a few modern touches, like clean edges and stainless appliances. The backsplash is reclaimed barn board, coated with polyurethane to stand up to splashes. “This was a real collaboration between the homeowner and us,” Renae says. “We talked not only about the look but also a lot about function.” For example, a bar and beverage center is just to the left of the refrigerator, while a large island provides a big work surface and storage center. It also holds the microwave.
country comfort with a touch of chic
country comfort with a touch of chic
Looking down from the garden, you see a conservatory that fills in one end to make a courtyard. “In the cool months, they grow microgreens and lettuces here. All of the potted lemon, lime and orange trees are also overwintered here,” says Devore. In the spring the conservatory is used to start vegetables.
nice barn remodel/repurpose
nice, rustic style, soft colors...perfect for a retreat
Layering open shelves over brick, especially in a kitchen, creates a very warm, intimate feel. To echo the brick, display solid dishes and containers in earthy tones and materials, with muted bronze shelves for a transitional look or lightly finished wood to go rustic and eclectic.
this oeil-de-boeuf, added to a stone wall, offers a different view of the hydrangea garden.
connectiveness, slightly formal structure, flow
Potting station components: Many potting stations have a three-tier system — a top shelf for storing tools, a main work surface, and a lower shelf for stashing pots and bags of soil and amendments. Beyond that, there is plenty of opportunity to customize it to best suit your gardening needs. Consider adding an outdoor sink, drawers to store additional tools and supplies, built-in bins to hold potting soil, or a shade structure to cover the entire setup.
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