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Flora Grubb's succulent displays
I've been wanting to recreate Flora Grubb's amazing succulent wall hanging, which has been showcased in design magazines and websites the world over.
But now that they're offering mini versions of the original oeuvre, I'm tempted to snag one for myself.
Tina Barseghian
Tina Barseghian
Tina Barseghian
The best way to take care of the little pretties is to take them outside and use a hose spray to water them. Let the soil dry well before watering. Prices start at around $175.
If you'd rather make one yourself, here are step-by-step instructions from the clever folks at Instructables. It's not as easy as it might look, but one reader followed the steps closely and created her own version.
| May 05 2010 at 09:46 AM
The ideal outdoor chairs
I've been on a long, difficult hunt searching for just the right outdoor chairs to place around our wood-top outdoor table. I've had wooden chairs and plastic chairs, none of which have worked out for one reason or another.
The wood chairs invariably had splinters and the plastic chairs cracked after one season in the sun. But the one mesh chair I had came closest to what I was looking for. Easy to keep clean, comfortable, and durable in all seasons. So I went on the hunt for just the right one.
To that end, this one from Ikea came very close. The tall back made it easy to recline and relax. But somehow, it seemed slightly flimsy.
These chairs, from Target, have aluminum frames which makes them super light. But the lumbar was not at supportive as other chairs I've tried, so my Goldilocks search continued.
Crate and Barrel made a compelling case with this chair. Though the bright color is pretty, it makes would be too much in my garden.
My perseverance paid off. I found the perfect sweet spot in the Rio chair at Room and Board. It's made of a steal mesh that's soft, comfortable, stylish, light and easy to move, and blends right in.
| May 03 2010 at 10:02 AM
Landscape modern art
I've been researching landscape designers in the area and came across Surfacedesign, Inc., based in San Francisco.
The design firm has worked on everything from parks and corporate campuses to private homes. I love their modern sensibility, their creative use of color, space, and unexpected materials.
Pictures are worth a thousand words, especially in the design world, so I'll let the images speak for themselves.
SAN FRANCISCO:
PENINSULA HOME: river rocks cover a drainage swale.
Folding decks.
Parallel and perpendicular poured concrete paths.
Recycled cobble stones and evergreen hedges.
SAN FRANCISCO: a steeply sloped San Francisco garden.
Steel boxes and horizontal fencing.
Like a geometry book.
Switchback path.
And finally, the view from the back window of the house.
| October 12 2009 at 07:00 AM
Paving stone patios
Because it's on a hill, my backyard is divided into terraced areas (as with many Bay Area homes): a small grassy, slope, a deck, and a flat 8-foot by 10-foot patio of sorts that's now got poured concrete paving stones.
Over the years, I've tried working with what's there: I painted them different shades of green to deal with the dingy gray it had turned and I tried growing clover in between the squares that I was hoping would overtake the weeds. I even tried growing Scotch moss, but unless I'm out there digging out the weeds every weekend, it's been a losing battle. I'd like to replace it with a different type of paving stone that will leave no room for pesky weeds.
I love the circles in this patio I found on Flickr Flickr
I also like the symmetry of these squares.
But rather than going with poured concrete again, whether it's a base or the actual final product, for easier drainage, I'd rather go with paving stones that can be put in place with sand as the base.
I think this might work, as shown in Sunset.
I also like the look of these round-cornered squares, though their small size might be too busy for my particular spot.
But this one will definitely work.
I'd love to see some examples of paving stones, if anyone wants to share. Upload your photos to our gallery here. When the project's complete, I'll share mine too.
| October 07 2009 at 07:00 AM
Park(it)
This Friday is Park(ing) Day. If you're in downtown San Francisco, you'll be able to see what a little creativity, sod, and a roll of quarters can do for a 20' x 7' space of grimy asphalt. Started in 2005, by San Francisco design firm, Rebar, PARK(ing) Day is now an annual, one-day global event where artists, activists and everyday people work together to temporarily alter metered parking spots into "PARK(ing)" spaces with temporary public parks.
Rebar's first Park(ing) space was a simple plot of grass and a bench installed by the firm as a way of calling attention to how cities allocate and use public space in dense urban areas. (In San Francisco, an estimated 80% of downtown open space is dedicated to cars.) Today, more than 100 cities around the world participate and people have expanded the concept by building art installations, health clinics, free bike repair shops and other social statements that reflect how they feel their public spaces might be better allocated.
Friendly, subversive fun. Here are some pictures of how people have transformed parking spots in the past.
More information regarding local PARK(ing) Day activities and a global map of all participating cities are available on the PARK(ing) Day Network here.
Rebar's first Park(ing) space in 2005.
"Park(ing)" spaces made in San Francisco and around the country.
| September 15 2009 at 07:00 AM
Grow Your Own
It's always fun to see whimsical, conceptual designs take shape.
Many years ago, ReadyMade offered a hilarious DIY project called "Sprout A Couch" (Issue 6).
Recently I've seen similar designs crop up. This grass Ottoman by DH Design was custom built for a client in Menlo Park.
A Japanese landscape firm, Mindscape, came out with a curvy grass bench called "Peddy." I would love to see this in an urban park -- it looks way more comfortable than a hard wooden bench, but might itch a little.
Of course, there are also faux grassy furniture made of recycled materials that look like the real thing. The Yanko designed bathmat looks great and will definitely tickle your feet awake each morning.
A company called Plantware grows trees, such as Ficus, on temporary frames in various shapes. Once the trees harden, the frame is removed allowing the "casting" of trees into functional shapes.
Here's a coat hanger designed by Efrat Gommeh for Plantware.
Flora Grubb's gorgeous living wall is inspiring me to get started making one.
ELT Living Wall sells kits for the self-starter, as does Gardeners.
| September 04 2009 at 07:00 AM
Birdhouses: not just for the birds
Something about seeing birds flitting about in the backyard makes me happy. There's one, specifically, I love to watch: a blue-feathered friend that looks quite exotic in my urban setting. (You can tell I'm not an expert birder -- but I do love seeing the little guys.)
I'm thinking about putting up a birdhouse to make them feel more welcome. Looking around at local stores and online, I've come up with a few I like most.
The Gardener sells some of these, made by Modern Birdhouses. They're made of sustainably harvested teak that's been certified with the Rainforest Alliance's Smartwood program, according to their website, and they come preassembled, except for the mounting bracket. And the floor is removable for cleaning.
Read More 'Birdhouses: not just for the birds' »
| August 05 2009 at 07:00 AM
Inspiring backyard ideas
Day after sunny summer day, I sit on the deck, trying to focus on all the accomplishments we've made to the backyard. My husband built three beautiful raised garden beds for our modest vegetable garden. My plantings overall look fine, the various feather grasses mixing nicely with the smoke tree; the cactus pot desperately trying to propagate; the small fern patch filling out slowly over time; the ancient hydrangea bush peaking through the very back.
But my eye invariably goes to what needs help. The cinder block retaining walls I inherited did not turn out as Dwell/modern-y as I'd hoped after I painted them green. A patch of dirt that refuses to host any type of plantings, no matter how many times I've switched them out, continues to taunt me. The gazebo needs to be painted, and the fruit trees, none of which have ever produced fruit, should be replaced.
Always on the lookout for inspiration, I've come across the online outdoor gallery of Living, Etc (one my favorite design magazines). These images are good enough to eat, but more importantly, help me idealize my own outdoor space. Ideas for color palettes, outdoor furnishings, and potting arrangements.
Break out the color!
Comfy perch for all-day reading.
Multiple pots and plants create an oasis.
Serious deck chair envy.
Hanging planters make a vertical garden.
| July 20 2009 at 07:00 AM
Styling sling chairs
Last summer on exactly this day, I was leaning back in an unexpectedly comfortable outdoor sling chair, reading (or rather looking at) Marie Claire Maison magazine in the sunny backyard of a stone farmhouse located in a medieval French village perched above Nice. It was truly an exalted state of being, a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and everyday I look for a way to somehow relive that moment of bliss.
Since moving to Haute-de-Cagnes is obviously out of the question, I must console myself with finding the furnishing that enabled that sense of contentment, so the hunt is on for the ideal sling chair, just like the one I nestled into in France.
It turned out to be not as easy a task as I thought it would be. The key was to find a chair whose seat is all fabric -- without the traditional wooden L-shaped bar in the back (which are not as comfortable for longterm lounging), such as the one I purchased from Cost Plus on a whim, not knowing there were other choices.
Further research turned up many more options, such as the Blue Ridge, which could easily work. But the shape is clunky and it looks like it might be a bit of work to prop it open.
The Sutton Bridge Savannah, from CSN stores, seems a bit too spare, but more importantly, too short in the back so you can't really lean back. I think I may have found it here, with the Red Stripe logo chair. Check out the padded headrest! And who can argue with the $38.50 price tag? Just when I think my search has concluded, I come upon this one from Home Visions. I prefer the nautical blue stripes and white frame to the Red Stripe logo chair, but wonder about comfort level. Feeling a bit like Goldilocks, I still haven't made up my mind. If only I could go back to that backyard in France to test the chair again. In the meantime, send me any ideas you've got about your ideal summertime perch.
| July 15 2009 at 07:00 AM
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