A Sneak Peak at our Guest Studio Renovation

We're making great progress inside our cozy little guest studio so I thought I would give you a sneak peak of a few of the highlights

Even Coachie is excited to sneak a peak!

When we visited Vintage Timberworks to buy wood for our garage door makeover, we also

picked out some barnwood for a few other projects. 

Tom loves working with wood, so when I decided to go with a french country design in the guest studio, he wanted to add a few extra special touches. 


This is one....

He made a closet door from the timbers.  The barnwood timbers are oak and after a light sanding with my orbital sander (the only power tool I know how to use!) the beauty of the oak really came through. 

I applied a light coat of wax after sanding to help restore lustre and shine. I love the richness of the oak grain.

Another special touch....

Gray board ceiling timbers and limestone plaster walls

And some beautiful French Brocante!

We are taking a few days off from renovating, but this project is really coming along!

The Beautiful Patina of 80 year old Grape Stake Fencing

A cottage or European farmhouse look would not be complete without some type of rustic fencing.
When thinking about fencing for our home, we loved the thought of using old recycled grape stakes to add instant patina and charm.


We loved the looks below....

The bench built into this fence was quite clever!

 

Most grape stakes today are made of cedar and will gray over time as in many of the photos above, but we really loved the slightly darker patina of the old redwood grape stake for our home. Redwood grape stakes are no longer made but are often recycled and resold.  

Tom went searching and found a raisin farmer that was changing out his 80 year old grape stakes for a more popular metal stake to use in his vineyards. 

 

Two truck and trailer loads later.....we had stacks of them! 

We love the color and texture. Many of the old stakes are in 4 or 5 foot lengths only, so in areas where we wanted a taller fence or gate, Tom had to get a little creative with his design.



 He cut, stacked and nailed them together to create taller fencing.....

and a few gates.

The design is so unique!

The patina of the garden elements add just the right pop of color against brown/gray of the grape stakes.  Both copper elements are original to our home and used to grace the prior owners garden gates in our back garden.




Our courtyard fencing was made using the 4 foot lengths.

We also used the stakes to create an arbor at the front entry.  Our wisteria vines have lots of nooks and crannies to grow around.

We are very happy with the look.  A combination of sustainable and beautiful!

 By the way, we have made great progress in our guest studio renovation and are almost ready to reveal, so stay tuned!

Take care,

Casanova Style...A Little Slice of European Heaven

I was introduced to the "Casanova Style" 25 years ago when a friend of mine suggested we get together and meet for lunch.  It left a lasting impression.  Casanova simply encompasses all the things I find beautiful and charming and it's European ambiance has been a constant source of inspiration.

Casanova is a restaurant and local landmark in Carmel by The Sea and I'm delighted to show you around one of my favorite places on the Monterey peninsula.

The design is a blend of the founders family farm house in Belgium and the original character of the old residence that it once was.

Its European charm beckons anyone strolling by to go inside for a closer look

The intoxicating scent of locally grown lavender on the path to the front door. It smells as beautiful as it looks.

And whether you dine on the porch

the outside garden

the fountain courtyard

or one of their charming dining rooms, its sure to make a lasting impression.

Great attention was given to every detail.   Even their serving stations are beautiful!

The garden elements add to the overall ambiance

This wrought iron gate sent me searching for something similar for our guest studio's private patio. I found an iron screen from France that will add the perfect European touch.



Two of my favorite things to order....

a latte.... I love that they serve it in a latte bowl.  So European isn't it?

and a dessert called "Chocolate Nougatine".  Chocolate lovers.... this is divine!!

They even have "Van Gogh's Table",  the table at which Vincent Van Gogh ate his daily meals while boarding at the Auberge Ravoux in Auvers Sur-Oise, France on display in it's own little nook. 

Casanova is the perfect place for lunching with girlfriends or a romantic dinner.  If you are ever visiting our beautiful area, you simply must go and experience it's charm.

More restaurant information here

 I hope you enjoyed my introduction to Casanova, our little slice of European heaven here on the Monterey peninsula.

Take care,

Tom's Rustic Fireplace Surround

I love beautiful fireplace surrounds and am particularly fond of antique limestone.  While seeking inspiration for our living room fireplace, I found many reproduction limestone surrounds that I would have been happy with.....unfortunately most were not within the budget.

So I gathered photos of the ones I liked and reviewed it with Tom to see if we could create or substitute something with a similar look but stay within budget.  I love a good challenge but I really had to convince beg Tom to give this one a try.


This is what I really wanted!!

 From the book The French Touch by Jan de Luz, Photography by Tom O'Neal
 Jan de Luz has a wonderful store in Carmel Valley, CA and a linen shop in Carmel by the Sea
 www.jandeluz.com




 And this is what I was working with!

This is a photo of our original living room wall with existing fireplace.  It doesn't require much creativity to get beyond this!   We first built the surround, then  framed in a new wall to cover the existing white brick. And when I say "we", I really mean Tom!

In a previous home renovation, we had fireplace surrounds made from a cement based product so I asked Tom to try and make a mold similar to the style I liked and distress the finish to make it look a bit ruddy.....like old stone. 

It took some convincing but he was willing to give it a try.
He first measured and built a wood mold for each piece of the surround. After cement was poured and had cured, he would assemble the pieces, attach and grout in place. All the cement pieces were also reinforced with rebar to maintain strength and prevent cracking.



This photo is of the mold for the very top piece of the fireplace. Cement is smoothed into place in the mold and after a few days when cured,  the mold is removed around the piece.

He made a few practice pours to get the texture right.   Rock salt mixed with a little sand was sprinkled into the molds first (this created the ruddy texture on the face of the pieces), then cement was poured over it.  Once cement cured, he released from mold.  All the individual pieces were then ready to assemble and build the surround.



 

Assembling and attaching pieces to existing wall....

and grouting....




A close up of the texture the rock salt and sand left in the cement.  The cement also has varied colors throughout.  I think that gives it more of an aged look don't you think?

We originally thought we might use some of the limestone plaster we were using on the wall to do a light finish over the cement as in the Jan de Luz photo, but the more we looked at it, the more we liked the the original gray.

Here's an after shot

and another....

By the way, this was very inexpensive to make.  All supplies plus cement cost around $300.00 (yes that's three hundred)  vs. the least expensive reproduction limestone I found at $4500.00.

But the fact that he made it because I really really wanted it........Priceless!!


Take care,