The Polished Pebble

Garden Inspiration: Ojai Update

Welcome Summer

Garden inspiration is all around and I am so happy to have a bit of something on our 1 acre property to actually cut and put in a vase!

My color pallet for this front ( 1/4 acre) of our property is: blue/purple/pink with accent colors of: grey/white/orange....here is a sample:

We are working continually on the site, with the basics of the water feature in the beginning stages above

lets not forget the before: above

Here is some of our crazy ideas for the fountain, lots of metal and other industrial stuff...not sure!

Just got the sod in on Friday, what a relief!

Here is a view of the stone wall, all done with very little mortar and a whopping 200 feet long, completed about a month ago.

look at before below and after a decent paint job above

We planted two incredible Swan Hill Olive trees along the front of the house

We also put in a HUGE california pepper in the front area near the street. I can't even tell you how hard this tree was to get over the wall....crazy!

drive way is coming together, it will be a circular gravel drive

The olives are really pretty I think

Inspiration for the garden :

love the Agave

Happy to share, thanks again Artie: Color Outside the Lines

hope you have a great Sunday and happy gardening to all~*~kelley

Porch Project: Ojai Update

3 comments: Kelley

A front porch is one of the most important aspects of any home. It is like your smile. : ) It reveals how a house is most likely going to look on the inside. While this is not the worst looking front porch in the world, it was a little shabby and the metal screen door was very unwelcoming.

It looked so much better after a new coat of white paint and the pretty new screen door with the oak leaf cut out. Even still the brick was dated and crumbling. So off it came.

The projects started with a band of stones from the yard in a gentle swirl running the length of the porch.

We then filled in with blue stone pavers.

The combination of the rock with the flag stone is really complimentary and adds a nice interest instead of just a completely flat surface.

We then added a new walk way and again swirled a variety of small pebbles and aggregate through the center in a random pattern. The flag stone was used to fill out the rest of the walk.

Here is the result. It still needs sealer which will bring out the colors a bit more.

Plants have gone in and the porch is such a nice place to sit. We really like the rocking chairs, they are actually really comfortable and fit the mood of the house.

I think this is a nice way to say "welcome to our home"

Collecting: Signs

1 comment: Kelley

I have a thing for interesting signs:

Throughout my home and in our little ranch house, I have collections of interesting graphic signs.

Most that appeal to me have something to do with food. They are the most easily found and are usually the most fun.

I'm not really sure what a fish decoy is...??

I love things with dairy cows and the graphics on this sign are really bold and pretty.

The crackly paint and hand lettering add to the appeal here.

This one used in a family room with a seaside feel.

This is a great collection to start and most smaller signs are usually under $50 dollars. Think of it as original art work and steer clear of reproductions!

The Power of White

2 comments: Kelley

Rethinking white: the quiet non color

Some of the more perfect small houses have a common thread...the color white or the lack of strong colors in the design scheme

I have recently rekindled my love affair with white rooms. While a bold wall color can be really stunning there is an amazing interesting thing that happens in the all white room.

Edges are sharper and cleaner, and each accessory and object takes on more importance.

The placement of objects and continuous editing seems to be the hallmark of the white room. It is almost as if the lack of things makes the white space even more appealing and fresh.