Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Living Large

At 2200 square feet, our new home lives large, thanks to an "open concept" floor plan.
There is no formal entry, however, there is kind of a sense of entry.  
Upon entering, you're in the living/dining room.

The living room side features a fireplace with tongue and groove clad wall above the mantel.


Looking toward the front door from the dining area.
The seaglass chandelier came with the house and I'm loving it.

The kitchen opens to the family room.

 
The family room opens to the backyard and enclosed patio.
Perfect for entertaining in the summer.

I'm struggling with the leather sofa though.
It just seems too heavy and doesn't fit the style of the house.

The patio area is just outside the kitchen and family room
The garden is beyond and the garage is to the left.

There is so much I want to do, but am taking my time.
Instead, we are enjoying our first Christmas in our new home.
Stay tuned for my to do list and our cottage decorated for the holidays.

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Friday, December 1, 2017

One Last Tour

 When we listed our San Francisco home, our realtor hired a professional photographer for the brochure and online website.  
At the time, I intended to write a post about selling the house, but just couldn't bring myself to do it!

 Better late than never they say.  
So, here are a few of my favorite photos of the house.

I thought enough time had gone by that I could revisit these photos and the house without feeling sad.

But, I'm proud of the remodel and how everything turned out.
It was one of the best experiences working with my contractors and together creating this home.

 We turned the challenge of this oval dining room into an asset with herringbone floor and wallpaper.

Together, we shopped for the beautiful soapstone in the kitchen and designed the cabinets too.

 I love those drapes!
So much, that I excluded them from the sale.

 The kitchen is probably the room I miss the most. 
However, the kitchen in our new house is very similar in layout--minus the soapstone...

 ...and minus the refrigerator!

The master bedroom.

The master bathroom.
I miss it too!

Actually, I miss the master closet the most!  
Ironically, it turned out to be a problem when we sold because buyers wanted a fourth bedroom, which is what this closet was originally.  

 The family room which opens to the courtyard.

That grasscloth was such an obsession.
So much so that I'm considering putting it in the new house too.

 The courtyard.

 Guest room # 1

 Guest room #2

 The laundry room, conveniently located across from the master bedroom.

 The powder room.
I don't think I had any photos of this room before.  
It was fun wallpapering it in this stripe grasscloth.

 A long, wide hallway that was an awkward space to decorate became an office.

 Off the kitchen, an atrium which has a spiral staircase leading to the roof deck.

 The roof deck.  
We rarely enjoyed this space as it was usually too cold and windy.
We did however, see the Blue Angels a few days before the move from here.

We loved this house!
It had curb appeal, which is hard to find in the City.
The inside was wonderful and designed to our taste, and I certainly enjoyed the remodel process.

What we struggled with was the location.  We learned that we aren't really city people.  We're more suburban people!  
Being surrounded by a garden and trees as opposed to apartments is better for our soul.

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Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Where Do I Begin?

Where do I begin?
It's been months since I last blogged.  
June, in fact.  And, a lot has happened since then.
I'll just cut to the chase.  We sold our house in San Francisco and bought a house in Marin County, just minutes north of the Golden Gate.

Why, you ask?
Well, it's a long story, but bottom line, we didn't love living in the City.
We actually started looking north in Marin at the beginning of last year.
First, focusing on Sausalito.  Then Mill Valley.  
I envisioned a small shingled cottage nestled in the trees, somewhere in Marin.

When a shingled cottage came available a few months ago, we jumped on it and were lucky to secure it.
Then came the hard part of selling our home in the City.  
It was a hard decision and hard to let it go after all the work we did.
I told myself that it's like HGTV.  Hey, they buy and sell all the time, right?
Think, Fixer Upper!

So, here we are--happy as can be!
We love our little cottage!  And, as you can see, so does the dog and cat!
And guess what?  It's shingled!

Want to see more of our cottage?  Stay tuned, as I'm planning to start blogging again.  I promise!
After all, Vignette Design turned 8 this month and I look forward to reconnecting to some old and new blog friends and followers.

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Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Kitchen Stove Niches

 Lately, I've been obsessed with kitchen stove niches.  
I love the idea of a stove tucked in its own space with shelves on either side for spices and cooking condiments.

Niches also create a wonderful focal point in the kitchen, much like a fireplace does for the living room.
I particularly love this example with its curved ceiling.
How wonderful is that stove?

Another wonderful stove.
A stove like this deserves its own niche!
Putting the pots on the backsplash brings all the cook's tools close at hand.

 I'm not a fan of the stove, although at one time I would have been.
But I like the cookware hanging on either side.

 This niche combines a tile backsplash with soapstone which looks great with the black cabinetry.
Copper cookware sits on the shelves.

There's that stove again!
I absolutely love this design.
The rustic beam juxtaposed with the tile is unexpected and fun.

 I saved my favorite for last though!
The kitchen in Steve and Brooke Giannetti's Ojai home is such an inspiration.
It has all the elements I'm hoping to incorporate into my Asti kitchen.
Hanging pots, spice shelves and a fabulous stove tucked away in a niche.

I'm meeting the architect tomorrow for the first time and plan to show him these examples.
I can't wait to hear his ideas!

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Tuesday, June 20, 2017

The Big Kitchen Cabinet

 My favorite part of the kitchen in Asti is the large built-in cabinet.
This is what it looked like 9 years ago when we bought the house.
A lot has changed since then!

Here is what it looks like today.
A large clock hangs over the cabinet and a large burlap pendent hangs over the island, replacing a ceiling fan.
Not seen are the kubu wicker barstools that replaced the green ones that came with the house.

I've had a lot of fun staging this cabinet with my white ironstone and glassware.
Looking closer, you will discover that the cabinet is a series of cabinet components sitting next to each other and stacked on top of each other.
It is not real wood, but thermafoil which is vinyl clad over MDF.
Did I mention that it is peeling?


Because remodeling the kitchen is part of the future renovations, I would like to replace the existing cabinet with a better version.
Here are a few ideas from my Pinterest board, "Asti Kitchen."

Finding an antique cabinet like this one, which may have come from a store could prove difficult.

I believe that one could be custom made to look old.
This one is amazing, but I prefer glass doors to keep the dust down.

I haven't ruled out a black cabinet either.

This example gets me every time!
I like how tall it is and how it looks with the terra cotta floor.

While my plan is to replace the big cabinet, another idea would be to move the stove to that location and create an entirely different focal point.
I can't wait to meet with the architect and hear his thoughts at the end of the month.
I'm hoping he has suggestions that I haven't even thought of!

Thank you for all your sweet comments on my Transitioning post.
I really appreciate your thoughts and encouragement.
It's also nice to know that others are going through the same thing!


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