I've Done It Now: Big Fat Remodel and the Home Tour

As you all know, we are still working on our house....a never ending saga. Since the weather has been exceptionally gorgeous lately, we have been concentrating on the yard.....and none to soon. I have gone and done something no one else in our position would do. I have agreed to be on a neighborhood house tour this Spring. (Picture my face with as Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone). Our neighborhood community group asked, and well, I couldn't say no. So now we are in a race to get things done inside and out before the deadline. Notice the complete absence of any plants except the occasional dandelion weed.

As you can see....we are no where near presentable. These are the "before" pictures. I hope I can pull something together in time. The long term plan is to do a water wall on the existing concrete block wall to the left in the first photo, a fireplace at the back fence, and cover the concrete slab with blue stone. But with non-existent funds at the moment, we will have to do a little smoke and mirrors staging for the short term.

You may be asking, why is she posting this? Well...I was visiting The Adventures of Tartanscot blog this morning, admiring a line-up of beautiful outdoor living areas, one or two of which are giving me much needed inspiration.

Potted plants and patio furniture will do alot to dress things up. We will be leveling out all of the planting beds and covering with redwood mulch. We may even be able to afford a plant or two. And the table settings I have already...no dollars to spend there.

This photo is what we are ultimately going for: stone and raised planters, and a wall covered in vines.

I might just be able to pull something like this off...with a little luck.

Thanks Tartanscot for providing a bit of a vision for me! And for those of you not yet acquainted, do pop over and say hello to Tartanscot! He is a San Francisco designer and stylist with quite a wonderful flair!

Cornerstone Gardens and Artefact Design and Salvage

A fellow blogger recently wrote that she is making a trip to Sonoma and Napa at the end of the month and has asked for suggestions on what might be worthwhile seeing in the area. This is for you Decorno!

"Situated along the main gateway between Sonoma Valley and Napa Valley, The Gardens at Cornerstone Place offers the first gallery-style garden exhibit in the United States. For art and garden enthusiasts who are rarely afforded a chance see the work of leading landscape architects and garden designers, the series of walk-through gardens showcase new and innovative designs from the world’s finest landscape architects and designers. When commissioned, these artists were given the freedom to create anything from traditional gardens to modern, conceptual installations. Each designer was provided a garden parcel of approximately 1,800 square feet, a few practical considerations and then, our course, infinite opportunity." Cornerstone Place website

I really couldn't describe it better myself. It is an amazing exhibit in a compound with shops, art galleries and a cafe. It is everything you need for a really memorable afternoon. Here are just a few of the garden exhibits:

Claude Cormier gave new life to a diseased tree that was to be removed by applying 70,000 sky-blue Christmas Balls. This has got to be my favorite of the exhibits.

This installation was contributed by students of UC Davis and addresses the question of what man's relationship is to the earth and the divine.

If one were an ant, a pebble might seem as big as a hill. That is the perception that Marco Antonini, Robeto Capecci and Rafaella Sini of Land 1 created in their exhibit.

This exhibit is by Mario Schjetan, one of the leading architects and landscape architects in Mexico.

This willow labyrinth is by Bay Area landscape designer Andrea Cochran.

This installation called "Garden Play" was designed by environmental artist, Topher Delaney of SEAM Studio

This beautifully patterened garden space was created by Yoji Sasaki.

These photos capture only a few of the amazing gardens at Cornerstone. You must experience them all! And when you are finished with your tour, there are some really fantastic shops in the same compound. The largest of these is Artefact Design and Salvage, and I have to say if you can't get to everything you want to in the area, you should at least see this shop. Here is a small taste of what you can find here:

Known for their large scale garden ornaments and architectural salvage, they also have a large gift and home decor collection. They have really embodied the "California" aesthetic here.

I think this is one of my favorite places in all of Sonoma and Napa. And there are many places to love!

The other shops in Cornerstone Place include: New Leaf Gallery, Opia Home, Zipper Gifts, and Translations. If you get hungry stop for a bite at Blue Tree Cafe. All shops can be explored through the Cornerstone Place website.

Well Decorno, I hope this helps you plan your trip! It is well worth the visit. Oh! And the Gloria Ferrer Winery is right across the street!