Streets of San Francisco. These entrances are to homes located in one of my favorite pockets of the city, the marina. The first marina post office was established in 1919 complete with a general store and a gas pump.

life on sundays

Marina yachting ad campaign. RDJour

Photos by Indra Fortney.

Pastel colors popular in the 1920′s and 30′s.

Ideas: 1.) House number on the door 2.) Classic colors; black, white and tan 3.) tiled entry porch

Step Inside. Take a peek at some of the interiors in the marina area.

Sutton Suzuki Architecture.

Jute Interior Design. Photos by Mathew Millman.

Heading up the highway, we arrive in the sweet little town of Healdsburg.  Most of the early cabins and houses in and around Healdsburg were modest structures often “designed” and built by amateur carpenters.  In the tradition of the “first come first buy” American frontier, no section of town was set aside for business or public purposes.  Many of the early residents came from the deep south. You can see evidence of this in the style of architecture, chimneys built on the exterior of the home with a wide hearth.This style was popular in the south because it kept the house from getting too hot.

A peek inside a home I photographed.

SHOPPING IN HEALDSBURG.

Speaking of the south.. this designer happens to come from southern stock. Saint Dizier Design. 259 Center St.

Photos by Indra Fortney.

Myra Hoefer Designs. 309 Healdsburg Ave.

Aritst Quinn Scheibal is from San Francisco and now lives in Healdburg.  Quinn uses salvaged items as a canvas for his art.

What’s this?! A hot new design store. 14 Feet 325 Center St. Shop for cool industrial and mid-century pieces here.

Industrial hanging lamps. Hot.

Red tufted mid century sofa. Hot.

Funky yellow lamps from re-purposed metal. Hot.

Reading a book. Hot. I also loved the fact that my nieces red coat matches the sofa.

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Elegant Neutrals: Warm camels, blushy coral and nude pinks.

weheartit

Paired with forged iron, steel, and polished concrete.

etsy

Concrete.

Happy mature pastels.

Colors beloved by Ray and Charles Eames, modern, but ever so slightly degraded.

Anthropolpgie

pretty stuff

cocmale

houzz

Industrial Inspiration. Denim blue, industrial neutrals, rusty metal tones, sewing machine green.

miss moss.

welcome to the Jungalow

Wire, metal doors and pipework.

fubiz

Poppy talk.

abc home

From the surreal to the super real. Lush velvety bright blues and purple.

A room for court.

cocokelly

Eames.

Midnight Cowboy.

Inspiration from Benjamen Moore – new color story library.

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king of the land

Have a listen to this soundtrack while you read.

Allow nature to dictate texture; wood, stone, clay, vegetable died wool and hemp. Hookedonhouses

Resources: African inspired tables from West Elm

Textures and colors.

Frayed and loved.

Nettle linen curtains from ABC Home

Hand made baskets and Kuba cloth from Cultures

A funky twist. desiretoinspire

Babylonstoreon -a Cape Dutch hotel in the style of the 17th century Cape Colony located in South Africa. Babylonstoreon is a luxury hotel as well as a working farm.

WANDERLUST: I want to eat dinner here.

Chic retreats.

designsponge.

Kilim rug sold for only $89.00 on e-bay!

Random Objects poster $18.00

“Reverse graffiti” Durban, South Africa

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My current office looks like this:

Changes on the horizon: 1. organize wires under the desk 2. find props for the top of the bookcase -to bring color and shape into the room. 3. organize desk top (and my messy drawers).

4. move the file cabinet into the closet 4. hang a curtain over the closet door 3. replace the office chair (need to reupholster a Saarinen style molded plastic chair I have in storage) 4. add a rug 5. add an idea board on the right wall

Idea boards! Photo:  vintagerosebrocante

Decor8 blog.

A fish line tacked to the wall and some safety pins is all you need. Love the cozy feel of the flokati draped over this wood chair.

Fun display accessories from Urban Outfitters. 1.) picture cord 2.)  floating shelf $19  3.) zig zag rug $39-79

Very cool 1970′s retro clock from Tianjin factory, the first factory to produce a Chinese watch in 1961. etsy

All of these can be found from etsy.  1. file organizer $34.00 2. 1970′s office supply ‘cubby $25 3. Park Sherman office scale $34.00 4. Wilson Jones 3 hole punch $15.00 5. vintage industrial 2 hole punch 6. steel organizer $32.50

A handy item for the office – a mobile service bench from Global.

Feng Shui Tips for the office.

• DO sit in the corner farthest from the entrance to the room to have a “command” position.
• DON’T sit in line with the door, as you will be in the path of negative energy.
• DO keep your back toward a corner or a wall for support. If a post protrudes from the corner or wall, correct it by covering it with a hanging plant’s draping foliage.
• DO sit with a tall building behind you to provide the support of a “mountain” if your back is to a window.
• DON’T face away from the door if you are conducting business from home. Business will symbolically come to you through the door, so don’t turn your back on it.
• DON’T arrange your workspace so that you look straight out into a corridor or see the stairs, storage rooms, closets, elevators, escalators, or toilets.

Feng Shui colors for success.

Purple

Red.

Blue.

Some people also believe heartily in the  ‘money tree’  to help attract prosperity. It’s hard to say exactly which plant is considered the best, the three most popular appear to be; bonsai ,  Jade and bamboo.

Most important, don’t forget to …

New blog every Friday. Things got a little hectic around the holidays, but I’m going to try to get these posts out every Friday from now on.  Sign up by e-mail, so you don’t miss out!

A dream house.

Galvanized water troughs make great containers for vegetable gardens. Drill multiple holes in the bottom of the trough to allow water to flow through.

Porch swings encourage you to pick up your feet and drift away. A pitcher of lemonade and a book and I would not leave this spot for many hours.

Nothing cozier than a wall of books.

Support your local bookstore! Hunt the sale tables, this is a great place to find coffee table books.

Butcher block counter-tops are practical and handsome.  I’m also a fan of this open floor plan style. It’s great to be a part of living room activity while cooking.

Yummy color palette.

Experiment with new color palettes.

Stripes give a little zest to any room.

Stylish dhurrie rug from CB2 $199.

These sleek toilets are very popular in Finland, the shape makes it much easier to clean than the traditional round bowl. Kohler $275

I spot a striped rug down the hall. Beautiful detail in the wood banister.

Shutters offer a clean, functional window covering for bathrooms.

In Scandinavia its common to use mattresses without a headboard, or bed frame. This room has a loft like feelings, simple and sweet.

Separate apartment above the garage, perfect for visiting guests.

Bocce ball.  As ear;u as 5000 B.C. the Egyptians played a form of bocce with polished rocks. From Egypt the game made its way to Greece around 800 B.C. The Romans learned the game from the Greeks, then introduced it throughout the empire.

As the game enjoyed rapid growth throughout Europe, being the sport of nobility and peasants alike, it began to threaten with the health of nations. The popularity of the game was said to interfere with the security of the state because it took too much time away from archery practice and other military exercises. Read more about the fascinating history of bocce.

Ginger rock makes an attractive weed free ground cover. A perfect place to enjoy a drink, or roast a marshmallow on the open fire pit, behind me is the pool.

New Post on Friday!

The little one is me. Berkley 1970′s.

Check out HauteLook  for discounts on name brand chic.

Banquettes and tulips, two of my favorite things to bring to a party. Photos from The Simply luxurious Life.

This boats headed to Morocco! Sip saffron tea while lounging on cushions. A Mediterranean breeze carries the romantic notion of a vibrant life, and why not?!

  Justin Blakeney is an inspiration, what fun interiors!

Layers, layers. If your going for a look like this don’t be afraid to mix pattern and color.

Muse on these…products I like from One Kings Lane. These rugs are luxury itself. I grew up in a house full of vegetable dyed kilim rugs.

My mom was always a fan of paper lights. They look great with any style interior. Light, airy and sublime. Cost Plus is a good, inexpensive resource for these. Photo designsponge

We have arrived, and it’s warm here.  Portugal photos by Indra Fortney. Ice cream woman by papermag.

Happy Colors.

Juliet balconies harken back to Renaissance days.

Can anyone tell me the name of this bridge? I took this video in 2006, peer through the dirty windshield to experience this awesome bridge.

If you don’t hear from me before, Have a fabulous New Year! The luxurious life.

The next blog will post the week after Christmas. Photos by Indra Fortney.

Birds are a wonderful, whimsical addition to home decor. Plus its the sort of thing that can remain in your house past Christmas without seeming garish. Ferrini Custom Frame Shop, Napa.

Paper mache bags from Ferrini ($8-16.00). Valerie Raven Bird nest encyclopedia $585.00

Valerie Raven: $325.00

Touches that make it count: Gold gilded mirrors and chandelier, flokati rug, tinsel tree, vintage settee. Ferrini

Reflect the holiday cheer in a funky mirror.Ferrini

Antler Art.

Ferrini.

Roost, Napa.

House of Bliss.

A few more antlers- they are the new home chic.

Love the whimsical reference using twigs instead.

Decorista.

When in doubt, roll it in some glitter! The sparkly Eiffel tower is from Ferrini and the ornaments are from Roost, Napa.

A sparkling bouquet of sticks.

Make sure you have a little sparkle in the closet as well..                       Paper Fashion.

A recent DIY workshop was held at Ferrini where Marie showed how to make these lovely ornaments .

Special little gift boxes, Ferrini.

French mannequins for sale at Ferrini.

Mannequin busts make a great home decorating prop, dressing it up to suit the mood. Found.

Traditional Christmas, with a bit of Scottish Style.

A cozy tartan from Roost, Napa.

This is more British, Punch and Judy comes to mind.

Wishing you all…

Best Holiday Wishes to all my readers and thank you!

Enjoy the moment.

Photos (except those with other referenced blog sites) by Indra Fortney. New blog on Monday the 19th.

Think of color and texture this holiday season, gnarly grape vines, shiny glass, pearly white and glistening gold. DIY idea: Fill an open weave basket (like this acorn shaped basket above) with a mass of small twinkling white lights and hang from the porch.

Go on the hunt for gold.

Find new ways to spell out Christmas.

Toss in a little retro- marble grape clusters and shiny silver disco bulbs make a fun and funky setting.

Owls are a hoot! You can find these ornaments at Artefact in Sonoma.

Surprise guests with whimsical details.

Vintage dolls.

Recycle- newspaper wrapped gift boxes.

DIY paper garland check out Irene

What you need:
Sparkle paper

Twine
Hot glue
Scissors

How to:
Cut desired twine length.
Punch out circles. I used  1 and 2 inch.
Figure out pattern of circles. Once thats set
Place one circle sparkle side face down
Place twine on top of the back of the circle
Place hot glue over the twine onto the circle. And
Sandwich the twine and glue with another sparkly piece.
Continue the pattern until desired length is complete.

Oragami by MINNIE.CO.UK

Hand painted glass ornaments. Save on Craft

1.) Rinse the inside of the ornament with rubbing alcohol and allow it to dry. This will help the paint to stick to the inside area more efficiently.

2.) Choose two or more acrylic paint colors that match your holiday decor, sports team or school colors.

4.) Remove the metal top with the hanger on it carefully and set it aside.

9.) Turn the ornament over and allow any excess paint to drip out of the glass ball ornament into a wastebasket.

10.) Place the ornament into an empty egg carton to support it while it is drying. It may take up to three or four days. You can speed up the process by using a blow dryer.

11.) Replace the metal cap and hanger. Add a decorative ribbon loop that matches the colors in the ornament and hang it on your tree.

Funky bulb butter knifes.

I love this Asian looking Santa.

Check out the Herman Miller collection for classic molded Eames chair designs.

Mminiature tinsel Christmas tree. Puchicollective

1.) Take the  “trunk” pieces and twist together 3/4″ at the ends. remember which direction you twisted them, you will always twist the trunk in the same direction.

2.) Pick up the three smallest branches and lay them perpendicularly across the “Y” of the trunk.

3.) Twist the trunk tightly around them. Twist the trunk together another 3/4″.

4.) Repeat step 3 with the next set of branches.

5.) Fan out all the branches.

6.) When you reach the bottom, you can twist a third piece into the trunk, and spread it out like a tripod to hold up your tree. You can also use an empty wooden spool wrapped in ribbon for a sturdier base

7.) Add metallic beads for ornaments. Try adding fine glitter too. Vintage ornaments always had lots of glitter snow.

Hand painted glasses for the holidays. essortment

1.) Paint made for decorating glass – Most craft stores have this type of paint in stock in a variety of colors. Carefully read the label to make sure the paint is made especially for glass and can be set by heating the glassware in an oven.

2.) Paint brushes – Small to medium brushes work well for most designs. Either soft or firm bristles may be used depending upon your preference.

3.) Clip art – Unless you are skilled at freehand drawing and painting, pick out a simple clip art design that you would like to use on your glass.

4.) Clear tape – This will be used to steady the clip art onto the glass.

5.) Begin by figuring out what type of design you would like on the wine glasses. Simple designs tend to work the best, especially for beginners. Cut out the clip art to a size small enough to fit inside the glass. Position the picture where you would like the design to be on the glass (picture side out) and secure it with clear tape. You will be painting on the outside of the glass; however, the clip art on the inside will show through, thus providing a guide for painting.

Honey…just happens to be my moms name.

Vintage toys for sale etsy

Photos by Indra Fortney. Decorating by Domus Designers.  Homes listed by Kathyrn de Maigret.

1.) Add a flavor of fall with colorful pillows in orange, yellow and brown.

Check out vintage Ikat fabrics which have wonderful colors and patterns. These are from etsy.

2.) Top-down-bottom-up shades provide privacy while still showing the outdoor views.

3.) Martha Stewart kitchens from Home Depot.

4.) Vintage beveled mirrors.

etsy

Shopon Sherman $39.00

New Moon Rising $200.00

5.) Eclectic pillow assortment.

Sulkan ikat velvet pillow.

Elem O Pillows $30.00

Serene Soul butterfly pillow $39.95

A vintage poster could be just the thing in here..

1960 ad Rapid Shave Palmolive shaving cream $10.00

6.) Space saving idea- convert a portion of the garage into office space.

IKEA has a great selection of affordable work lamps.

Tertial $8.99

Tisdag $69.99

Husvik $59.99

Holiday Craft Workshop at Ferrini November 30th 6:00- 9:30