Tale of Two Fire Pits

There is something primeval about sitting around a fire pit at night. If you are in to camping, it is probably one of the reasons you like it. In California, you can't build an outdoor fireplace that burns wood, but you can have a fire pit. Go figure.

We decided to build one up at our country house in Asti. At first my reason for adding a fire pit was to "break up" the expansive area that I was landscaping. The house had a raised mound septic field that we had to abandon. Originally covered in white gravel, I decided to scrape it off, add soil and plant olive trees around the perimeter, French lavender and Iceberg white roses and rosemary. Adding the fire pit in the middle gave the "mound" a purpose.

The pit was surrounded with a circle of crushed granite for seating and path of granite connected the whole thing to an existing path--the one with the grape arbor. Large rocks found on the property lined it and separated the area from the soil and plantings. Below, the construction in progress before the granite and stone fire pit.

Looking up the path to the circle.

Side view.

The final result. We found a woman in Sacramento who made these American fanback chairs out of redwood. They are perfect.

Sister-in-law Ann wanted a similar look and function for their backyard. After years of neglect and abuse from their two dogs, it was time to do something. I drew up a plan that would create a mini wine country retreat in their suburban backyard. So up came the grass--what was left of it. Down went large rock defining the borders and "rooms". They used a beautiful tan gravel surrounding their pit. Their existing grapes were added to to give the feel of a vineyard. There was also an existing flagstone patio. I suggested a tent for that area with dining table beneath and fanback chairs surrounding their fire pit. Brother-in-law George and his son Sam did all the work. Below, the work in progress and then the final result being enjoyed by family and friends. Now they use their backyard! Late night fires and wine--or s'mores!

Construction crew: George and son Sam. Notice the vineyard to the left. A great way to landscape a sloping yard.

Hazel the dog "helps". She better not dig up any new plants--her specialty!

Under the new tent.

The final result!

The Pool House

The pool house in Asti. This separate building anchors the pool and gives a place to sit by the fire, barbeque, sleep (upstairs) or use the jacuzzi. There is also a bathroom with a lovely shower for overnight guests, etc. It is wonderful in the summer for shade when temperatures in the upper Alexander Valley can peak around 100 degrees. But also in the winter because of the fireplace and shelter.

A cool place to sit in the heat of the summer. The pool is to the right.

Above, the stairway leading up to a small bedroom. Only for the adventurous as there isn't any heat. It is like sleeping in a treehouse. The bathroom is to the left at the bottom of the stairs, the spa to the right.

The spa bathroom waiting with robes and slippers.

The spa overlooking the neighbor's vineyard (Rodney Strong) in the Fall.

Holiday House

My sister-in-law Ann does an incredible job decorating her house at Christmas time. I think she starts before Thanksgiving! She is a master at accessorizing and holds nothing back at this time of year. She adds a lot of natural greens and plants, so that nothing is artificial.

Can you see the wonderful screens? They're from our wine country house in Asti. This picture doesn't do them justice. They are upholstered in Fortuny fabric in a lovely orange. Did I say orange? The previous owner of that house left them and Ann inherited them from me. I think they give her living room such presence.

The dining room is set for a holiday ladies luncheon. Ann loves to entertain and is practically a professional at it!

Ann and I are married to identical twins! We like all the same things and have such fun when we are together.

Delores and Ann

Inside the Asti House

The dining room in our house in the wine country. The slipcovers were made out of vintage feed sacks. It took three sacks per chair. Luckily I found seven matching sacks at the flea market! The hutch is one of our first pieces. Very rustic. It sat for five years in my best friend Maureen's dining room until we bought this house. You can see the cement floors, seagrass rug and sleeping dog!

The living room. There are two sofas in flax linen from Crate and Barrel. They are the most comfortable sofas I have ever sat on. Great for napping too. The leather chairs are also from Crate and Barrel. The leather is very distressed with mohair cushions.

The Kitchen Island staged for a "photo shoot"! Countertops are Carrara marble

The Master Bedroom

The master bedroom is tiny and one of two in the house. The walls and ceiling are upholstered in taupe linen. Even though the two bedrooms are small, they have their own bathroom.

The bedroom in the upstairs pool house. Feeling adventurous? No heat! But there is a bathroom downstairs. More on this later....

The Dining Room

When we bought our house in San Mateo in 1999, the first thing I did was wallpaper the dining room in red toile. I loved it! But a year later, red toile was everywhere: fabric, wallpaper, bedding, dishes and even notecards. I still loved the red toile. Besides, it looked good at Christmas when we actually ate in the dining room! So I changed the curtains three times over the past ten years to keep the look fresh. From green velvet to plaid to the current brown floral.

Recently, I changed the wallpaper. This was a big decision. Should I paint? Should I go neutral with grasscloth? Should I transition from the apple green entry and pick a damask? I chose the damask. It really lightened things up and I think the brown floral drapes and captains chairs still go with it. In my attempt to lighten up, the rug was rolled up and down went a large seagrass rug. Christmas will still be lovely in the new dining room. In the meantime, here it is staged for fall.

At Long Last

We have been dreaming about this property for years! On July 3, 2008 we bought our dream vacation home. Located in the upper reaches of Sonoma County in Alexander Valley, it sits atop a knoll commanding 360 degree views. Not a typical "faux chateau", it does not pretend to be something found in France or Italy. Yet it evokes a sense of being there.

The property has a main house that has evolved over time from a funky 70's ranch to a single story home with Venetian Plaster walls and cement floors. Surrounding the main house is a grape arbor. A guest house is situated close by and has evolved from the main home's original garage to a beautiful suite with sitting room, bedroom and spa-like bath. There is a new pool house near the main house that also has a spa bath and a bedroom upstairs for guests feeling adventurous!

Overall, the property has a sense of place. Peaceful and serene with vineyard views, gravel and crushed granite paths that connect the buildings. The landscape has lavender, rosemary, white roses and Italian cypress trees. There are many olive trees as well.