A Modern Barstool With A French Twist

The barstools have given me a lot to consider.  I didn't want them to be another fabric that had to coordinate with the kitchen club chairs and drapes, but I wanted to avoid leather too, as there is a fair share of leather already in the house.
The truth is, barstools have always been a challenge because there isn't much to choose from.
I even wrote a post several years ago called "Barstools--The Good, The Bad And the Ugly."
But I digress...

 Last week, I went to Serena and Lily on Sacramento Street to order the two upholstered club chairs for the kitchen and noticed these stools.  At first I dismissed them because they are so modern, but then I had an aha moment!

Looking at the woven abaca pattern, I noticed that these were the colors that I've been working with throughout the house.

Tobacco or camel, black and white.

I followed my gut and placed an order for three, just in time to get the 20% discount!

They arrived in two days and now I'm kind of freaking out as they are such a departure from my typical traditional look.  I do think that they will provide a much needed contemporary vibe and also go with that natural, organic theme that includes grasscloth, a few rattan pieces and woven shades.
They also go great with the upholstered kitchen club chairs which I will share later...

Your thoughts?

I Heart My New Countertops!

 I've been dreaming of soapstone countertops for years!

Should have put them in our old house and I cannot even remember why I didn't, but whatever, my dream came true Saturday!

 We were out of town, so my contractor texted me these photos.

He was worried about veining here and there, but after seeing them this morning, I can say that they are absolutely perfect!

 That big vein to the right of the sink?

I love it!

 The island is just a big ole hunk of soapstone!

I'm glad I didn't opt for the bigger edge.

Notice how the fabricator matched the veins...

 I envision many family gatherings and dinner parties in this kitchen.

There will be plenty of room to congregate here!

Here's where the three counter stools will live.

I actually bought them last week and they were delivered on Saturday too.

Talk about fast.  

Stay tuned...

Herringbone For Days!

 This is the parquet floor that was original to the house, circa 1935.

It was in the entry, the living room and the dining room.  

 I can't imagine how this floor was installed 80 years ago because to duplicate it today would be crazy ridiculous, both price-wise and labor-wise.

 I planned on keeping the floors, but ended up covering them up with plywood to further strengthen the house in the event of an earthquake.

My contractors highly recommended it and assured me that we would make the new floors even better than the old ones.

I have been pretty skeptical of that all along!

Really? 

 Better than those gorgeous parquet floors in the oval dining room?   I mean, how would we make the new floors awesome in here?

Herringbone was the answer, but only in the dining room.

It would be too expensive to put it in the living room and entry too.

But then we found herringbone floor that is already pre-cut, making the installation almost easy!

We compromised in the dining room and eliminated a border...

...and just installed herringbone right up to the walls.

The living room got a border though...

...as did the entry.

For the rest of the house, we used random plank boards in 5 inch widths.

That is until we discovered that we had just enough herringbone left over to do the master bedroom!

Decisions, decisions...

At first I was uncertain if herringbone should even be in the master, but then I realized that the leftover was like a gift.  I never would have considered herringbone for the master considering we were only going to do it in the dining room at first.

Now that the floors have been installed, they will be sanded and two coats of stain will be applied.

Then they will be covered up until the whole house is painted inside.

The final coat will be applied just before we move in.

Now all I have to do is decide on the color!

Up On The Roof

 My contractors promised me that they would have the roof deck finished for me in time for Fleet Week.

They called in James and his crew to assemble the ipe deck, which is suspended above the roof material on adjustable pods. 

 

I love this material!  It resembles teak, but is much more dense.  

I'm not going to maintain the color, but rather let it patina to a dark gray.

 The iron railing will get a coat of black paint, as will the new spiral staircase leading up to the deck.

I plan to use long, low planters with tall plants to create privacy all along the walls.

 I can't wait to furnish the deck!  I will use my existing black outdoor wicker sofa and chairs after a fresh coat of paint.  

I'm looking for a new tent pavilion also for the summer months like this one from Pottery Barn.
Alas, it's discontinued!

Next year, we plan to have a party on the roof for the Blue Angels air show.

So I have a whole year to furnish and landscape the deck!

Coming up, my next post will be all about the hardwood floors...
I'm on a roll!

Olive Trees For Days!

Yesterday, Mr. A and I headed north to Sonoma to a very special place to hand select olive trees which will be the backbone of the landscaping for our new house.

We chose larger trees, but not too large.  I wanted them to look like they were always there.

There will be six multi-branch trees between the house and the street...

...and 8 standards in the courtyard.

Even though the standards are planted in huge boxes, their roots can be shaved down to fit in the narrow planting bed between the new brick patio and the stucco wall, providing privacy from the apartment building looming down on us next door.

It took forever for the brick to be finished, just because my mason put off the job for months.
Now that it's finished, the stucco can be painted and then I get to landscape!

 My inspiration for the courtyard has always been the Restoration Hardware courtyard at the San Francisco Design Center.
I plan to grow ficus on the wall, just like above and also add a mirror for reflection.

A bubbling fountain is also a must!  So you see, there is some progress!

However, after our vacation, we came home to the reality that we probably won't be spending Christmas in the new house.

My reaction?  Go "underground!"

At least on the blog.  

I've since come to terms and am keeping an open mind that just maybe the house will be finished by the first of December.

This is the longest I've ever gone without blogging since I started Vignette Design in November, six years ago.
Hopefully, I can get my blog mojo back.

Stay tuned for my next post:  The rooftop deck....

Our Martha's Vineyard "Home Away From Home"

 One of my life-long dreams has always been to visit Martha's Vineyard.  Everything I've ever read about it told me that I would be in love.
My dream finally came true!
We were fortunate to rent this adorable home on Martha's Vineyard for a week and not only did I fall in love, but I didn't want to leave!


It was recently featured in New England Home, so you can imagine how perfect the home is.
I love the decor, right down to the zebra stenciled hide in the living room.  It looks amazing with white slipcovered furniture and nautical details.


I spent a lot of time in this room, especially in the morning sipping my coffee and watching the sun rise over the harbor.


This vignette from New England Home shows the detail of the delft tiles around the fireplace and blue menswear plaid upholstery on the rattan chairs.  I love the blue hydrangea in this scene.
In fact, I purchased fresh flowers for the house while we stayed here to give the rooms some life.

There is a little breakfast nook between the living room and dining room.
Notice the architectural details.  There is very little drywall in this house--only white painted tongue and groove on the walls and beadboard on the ceilings.


The dining room is papered above the wainscotting in a beautiful blue and white print.
The dining chairs are lacquered navy blue and upholstered in a flax straw like fabric.

This photo from New England Home shows the wallpaper in more detail.
Through the door is the kitchen.


The walls in the kitchen are painted chocolate brown--an interesting choice to highlight the vaulted ceiling and white cabinetry.  Hmmmm, I wonder how navy blue would look instead...


The New England Home photo shows the detail of the backsplash behind the stove.


There are two bedrooms upstairs, including a huge master suite that overlooks the harbor.
Notice the painted ceiling above?

The master bath is beautifully appointed with marble floors and countertop.
I love the grasscloth on the walls.

There is also a bedroom downstairs, with one wall papered in a lavender stripe.
It has double doors that open the the courtyard...

...which also separates the main house from the guesthouse, and is the point of entry to the home.

 The guesthouse has a loft, featuring two twins and a separate bedroom and bath.

It even has its own little kitchen!

 Outside the living room is a wrap around porch that overlooks the harbor.
This home has it all and it was such a pleasure to stay here, pretending that we live here full time.


We pretended that this was our neighborhood...

...and pretended that this was our street as we walked to the main street where all the boutiques and restaurants are.  

We took lots of walks, exploring the island, pretending it was our home and wondering what would the winters be like here.   

We even took a drive to the other side so Mr. A could check out the fishing village. We made plans to come back next year so he could enter the fishing tournament that started just before we left.

But alas, we had to say goodbye.

Hopefully, we will be back and if we are lucky enough to stay in our home away from home on Martha's Vineyard again, I will be thrilled.

To read more about this lovely home, visit New England Home.