In search of the... Quintessential Barstool

At first I was excited about replacing the counter stools from my last home with "awesome" new ones for our current home. And now over a decade later, I still have the old counter stools. I spent a lot of time looking both on-line and in brick and mortar stores, but never found what I wanted within my budget. (Or maybe that was within my husband's budget?) Either way, I never found something that was enough of an improvement over what I had for the amount of money required to spent on them.

Since we had very functional counter stools, we never had the "I need to buy something" pressure. So when the quintessential counter stools never materialized, I just kept using the old stools. I still would love to find something, but now I am even more particular.  I'm not wanting so much to make our home a showplace, but to find pieces that I love. I'm totally against trying for the "showroom" home. This is where I live and spend my time. I made a decision a few years ago that everything in this house would be something I loved and that I would want to take to the next house. Of course, for me the next house is a retirement villa of some sort. (Note to self: do a feature on retirement housing options, or lack there of.)

Back to bar and counter stools...

I don't want a designer telling me what the current color trend is or what the current style trend is. I know what colors I love and want to be surrounded by. I don't care if they are popular or not. And in the same way, I know if I like a particular style of chair. Again, I don't care if its currently deemed "chic".  Some people discover their style early in life and for others their style evolves over time. My style is evolving and I find that I generally like clean lines with a nod to tradition.

Certain islands are conducive to the backless stool that slips right under the counter and is out of sight while out of use.  This is what my sister-in-law has and for her home it works great. She has a huge island and six counter stools. If she didn't do the out of sight look, her kitchen would be overpowered by chairs, six around the island and six around the table.

I actually want a back, something you can lean into if you relax at the island. I've been looking at hundreds of pictures, trying to determine what I feel is the quintessential look for me and my kitchen. A lot of stools with backs are really overpowering for most islands. In fact, some stools only work for the heavy "bar" look.

Although the back can be fabric, the seat itself must be leather. Since the old stools are wood, I am done with a wood seat. I'm too old not to be comfortable. And since we have teenagers still and then nieces and nephews, I'm still worried about clean-up. So I say no to fabric seats.

Below are some examples of islands and chairs that I have found throughout the internet. Although not quite what I am looking, they may be just what you what. Everyone's definition of "quintessential" is different.

I like how these stools tuck nicely under the island and out of the way. The rush seat would be more comfortable than a solid wood, but I can't help cringe when I think of a family with kids who drop food. (From Home Bunch.)

This style of chair has a nice comfortable back, however, all fabric and again I wonder about care and maintenance. I like how the back isn't too high and doesn't overpower the island. (From Home Bunch)

I love how this kitchen has both traditional and contemporary elements. These contemporary counter stools are low profile, have a modern edge and make a nice accessory to a black and white kitchen. Source: Homester

I love this contemporary kitchen on Russian Hill in San Francisco. It's not for me, for for someone who does contemporary...I also like the contrast of these rustic stools with the clean lines of the island. Source: John Maniscalco Architecture

Although I find the drum pendant lighting less than desirable, I love the Plexi-Craft stools on wheels with the copper cushion. The cushion looks comfortable, the wheels are practical and the lucite keeps the counter stools from overpowering the island. Source: its jello blog

Same Lucite chairs as above, but from a different perspective. Source: Design Manifest Blog. 

Although from The Lodge at Doonber Golf Club in Ireland, commerical settings can provide awesome ideas. I love the plaid and leather bar stools at the clubhouse. Gorgeous legs!!  Source: Jacquelynne P. Lanham Designs, Inc. 

These bar stools are also used in a clubhouse and by the same design firm. With the solid color they achieve a totally different look. They are definitely one of my favorite looks!

Sources:
http://bjdhausdesign.blogspot.com/2012/04/in-search-ofthe-perfect-barstool.html

http://www.homebunch.com/inspiring-homes-interiors/

http://www.designmanifest.com/inspiration/lucite-bar-stools/

http://itsjello.com/add-lucite-to-all-room/

http://www.m-architecture.com/work/russian_hill/index.html

http://homester.com.ua/design/apartments/kuhnja-v-cherno-belom-cvete/

Garden styled bikes

I love photos of vintage bikes decorated in flower baskets and sometimes referred to as bicylce planters. These are a few of the pictures I have gathered from the internet. Enjoy...

Junk Chic Cottage has a bike with flower baskets.

Corbels

Corbel Table from Restoration Hardware

Corbels are a great architecture feature in the building of a home, but are also great when used in furniture. One of my favorite tables made from corbels is from Restoration Hardware. They have created a striking desk by crafting exterior architecture corbels as they were originally created in the Middle Ages and then adding a thick desktop of glass. This works great either as a desk or a foyer console.

Foyer from Molly Frey Designs

Molly Frey Designs has created a beautiful beach style front entry with dark wood flooring and white paneled walls. I love the corbel table that has a driftwood look to it, perfect for the beach front look.

An on-line antique auction website, Antiquaire showed the following 1920 French Corbel Console with Stone Top that would make a beautiful addition to an entry foyer.

1920 French Corbel Console 

Little Rascal® Holly

I love evergreens and conifers in the garden and one of my favorite evergreens in our landscape is the Little Rascal® Holly, a patented holly from Monrovia. My parents added this shrub to their landscape years ago and shortly thereafter, I added it to mine as well. Per Monrovia it is an extremely cold hardy evergreen shrub that requires minimum maintenance. I haven't performed any maintenance on mine since I planted them - my kind of upkeep. 

Unlike yew shrubs, which require constant trimming, the Little Rascal® Holly's dense and compact form has a nice rounded shape that is easily maintained without shears or clippers. It has a bright green color during spring and summer which turns to deep purple in winter. It is slow growing and gets about 2 feet tall to 3 feet wide and  fits nicely into any landscape. I have noticed that the one shrub in our landscape that is closest to the water source it significantly bigger than its two siblings. One of its special features is that it is supposed to be deer resistant, but I don't get to test that in my neck of suburbia.

Monrovia recommends that you follow a regular watering schedule during the first growing season to establish deep, extensive root system and to feed with a general purpose fertilizer before new growth in the spring. This shrub is recommended for zones 5 - 9.

TLC List for the Garden

We've lived in our home for well over a decade now and our landscape is showing it needs a lot of TLC. Life has finally slowed down for us and I am hoping that this year, I can work on our landscape and give it the much needed CPR it craves.

Like a lot of people my landscape is a combination of not having a complete landscape plan and not having a master gardener in the family. I had an idea in my head of what I wanted, but didn't completely put it to paper and the landscape has gaps. Areas of the garden are not developed completely and some of my ideas weren't that good. Plants have died and not been replaced.  Some plants have thrived almost too well and have overwhelmed their area. Concepts were created, but time constraints left projects incomplete. And of course, you can't forget the "I feel in love with a plant at a nursery" syndrome. Some of the plants bought in haste have worked, others have failed and still others failed by dying.

This is our landscape 7 years ago with one of my must haves:
a Snow Fountain Weeping Cherry Tree.

I reviewed some early pictures of our yard. It looked so much better 7 years ago! The yard was greener, the beds were formed and the garden wasn't overgrown.  Looking at the pictures from a while back makes our current situation even more disappointing. This past week I walked the perimeter of our house and yard and tried to take that hard look, really looking at the house not as I want to see it, but how it really looks. All I can say is "Ouch"; it really is crying out for help.

This is my TLC list for the Garden:

1. Tree Pruning and Health:  To maintain the health of a tree, branches need to be pruned, roots need to be fertilized and the tree may need help against fungus or other ailments. My trees need some or all of the above. Branches are too low, the apron is uneven, roots are showing through the lawn, some of the trees have overgrown their space are just some of my issues.

I have 8 Arborvitae in my landscape.
Unfortunately three have bag worms. 

2. Shrubs, bushes and conifers: We have overgrown shrubs and sickly conifers. It is time to remove some and others just need to be nursed back to health.

3. Landscape beds and edging: There are some areas of the edging where I don't even know where the edging is supposed to be. The lawn either has grown into the bedding area or doesn't reach it. We haven't mulched for a couple of years (we were gone) and it shows. The areas that are rocked are covered with leaves so that the rocks don't show. Or in some areas the rocks have sunk and are now almost covered with soil.

4. Lawn:  Let's just say, our lawn does not look like our neighbor's lawn. His lawn is even, thick and the first to green up. Lucky for us, he lives across the street, we have a lovely view of their yard and he's a super nice guy so he's not rubbing our noses into the differences. But we really owe him a better view. Our lawn has areas that are really thin. There are places in the yard that have sunk. The lawn either has grown into the bedding area or doesn't reach it. The backyard is even worse. We have dogs. They dig, they run, they basically destroy. (But we still love them.)

5. Erosion: This one is serious and not just from aesthetics. The soil and ground under our front porch, side walk and driveway is eroding, sinking and creating gaps. This can cause cracks and worse. It could cause the porch to crack away from the home. This is really sad for a house that is only 12 years old. We will need to call in professionals.

6. Garden Plan: After everything is cleaned and revived there is still the issue that the garden lacks a finished look. I need to develop a cohesive plan and start the work that will give us the landscape we want.

Over the next few weeks, I intend to look into each of the six issues, blog what I am doing and my resources and hopefully nurse my yard and landscape back to health.

Brick Walls in the Home

TRANSFORMED APARTMENT  (LEIB DESIGNS INTERIORS)

Originally a two bedroom apartment, this NYC space was transformed in to a three bedroom luxury residence utilizing all square footage to reveal its aesthetic and functional potential. The renovations greatly increased the apartment’s property value. What I love the most about this part of the apartment is the blending of traditional moldings with the weathered brick wall. I would love to bring this look to our home.

Classy Hilltop Country Residence 

Designed by Jauregui Architecture Interiors Construction, this modern 8,200 square feet home situated in Austin, Texas, is full of trending and simple design features. Clean lines and attention to details have made this home picture perfect! Love the use of the aged column. It really is the details in this home that make it special.

On my idea board is this picture of a spiral stairway and brick and stone wall in Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. I think this would be a great idea for a loft with mezzanine. Source: http://countryfrenchantiques.tumblr.com/image/2728674609

A rose by any other name...

I have always been a sucker for roses and I'm not talking about receiving a dozen red roses on Valentine's day. In fact, I have often asked my husband for apricot roses or even a spring bouquet when he gets flowers for me.  What I am a sucker for is roses in the garden. It doesn't matter if the roses are cup-shaped English roses spilling over a lush green lawn, or climbing roses weaving their way up a trellis or even shrub roses rambling over a stone wall, I love them.

What's brought on today's rapture? I just got my David Austin 2014 Handbook of Roses. Nothing like David Austin roses to fan a love affair.

When I think of roses I don't think of a formal rose garden but a myriad of other ways that roses can be used in a garden.  They can be awesome in mixed borders, containers and climbing over fences, arbors and doorways.

Below are some of my favorite photos of roses in the garden.

Front door symmetry accented with climbing white roses.

Climbing Floribunda Rose 'Iceberg, Cl.' (Rosa)

Roses climb around a beautiful terrace and arbor.  Source: http://www.wallpaperswala.com/rose-garden/

Jardin, so very french...

Flower Carpet® Appleblossom Groundcover Rose

Lady of Shalott with heather

Garden Tour: Arkansas Governor’s Mansion (Seasonal Wisdom)

English roses cascade down on a lush lawn.  (Source: Niels Plougmann (cupshapedroses))

English roses  and other plants adorn a patio.  (Source: Niels Plougmann (cupshapedroses))