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.

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.

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!

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!

Transitioning

I remember my parents saying that life was a series of phases as they were enjoying their "retirement phase."  I didn't think much of it until now.

Now, we are entering that phase.

Retirement.

Retirement!

What does that look like?

Where do we want to live as we transition to a new phase?

We've been spending more and more time in the country, wondering if living there full time is what we want.

Will we be happy there?

Will we miss the hustle and bustle of the City?

After much consideration, we've decided that yes, we would be happy living in the country.

The City will not be missed.  At all.

We tried living in the City and are enjoying it, but it's not sustainable in the long run.

So, we are beginning the transition to retirement and country life.

Our timeline is hopefully 18 months.

The plan is to eventually sell our City home and remodel the house in Asti to accommodate full time living, as opposed to weekends only.

We are excited for chickens and goats.

A garden too!

It's a little scary, but will also be really fun to create a new, different life.

A new phase.

Retirement!

"She understood that the hardest times in life to go through

were when you were transitioning from 

one version of yourself to another."  

~Sarah Addison Allen

June in Asti

"What could be more perfect than the lovely month of June."

We've been spending more time in Asti lately, enjoying the season.

All the winter rain has brought such a glorious spring.

So many flowers to enjoy and so many birds to watch.

Stay tuned for more adventures and projects in the wine country this summer.
In the meantime, "Happy June!"

Inspired By Roses

I owe my love of roses to my mom.

She also loved roses, collecting rose bushes like baseball cards!

Indeed, her rose garden was amazing!

While she preferred red roses, I prefer white, like the Iceberg Rose above.

I have planted these Icebergs in three homes now, in various forms.

I chose the standard version of Icebergs at our previous home's side yard...

...and New Dawn climbers in the back.

I remember how glorious this arbor was with those pale pink roses!

Just like my mom collected rose bushes, I collected rose paintings and featured them on the stairs in our previous home.


They now live in our garage where I appreciate them every time I park the car!
I just can't part with them, nor will I ever.


A few of my favorite paintings found their way inside our new home.
This one is in the laundry room.
The red roses in a basket remind me of my mom.

 When I created this bouquet years ago, I again was inspired by my mom's love of roses.
She often cut from her garden and created bouquets of mixed colored roses.
I remember how she mixed "Double Delight," "Mr. Lincoln," and her favorite, "Tropicana" to name a few in her collection.
Roses inspired her too, and she passed her love of them to me.
Thanks, Mom!

I'm joining A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday.