From The Balcony

When nature plays a starring role in a project, I love to see the colors and materials of nature reflected in the interior as well as the exterior. Like a beach house that mirrors the colors of sand and sea...

As in this lovely Hamptons home by Stephen Gambrel www.srgambrel.com/portfolio/country/hamptons/

Or a Mountain Retreat that echoes the trees and hills. See the colors and materials bind the interior to the out of doors.

Bobby McAlpine "cabin" courtesy of British House and Garden

In Winter (provided it rains in California), the view from the balcony of Villa Cantina is a blanket of velvety greens. The landscape is dotted with the gray greens of the moss draped

oaks.

If the project started from scratch and the budget were unlimited, I would like Villa Cantina

to look more like this

Interiors by the fabulous Suzanne Kasler

But the challenge of working with existing finishes and a limited budget can be just as rewarding.

Cowtan & Tout Livingstone, Covington Glynn Linen Hemp, Old Bank Bag Pillow Cindy Hattersley Design

Here is a peak at Villa Cantina as she cureently is from the outside. In the days ahead I will show you some of the existing finishes and materials that we will keep and the ones we can afford to change.

In the meantime go to

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/05/TR2O1BIGG6.DTL&type=travel

for a recent article about the area in the San Francisco Chronicle

Animals and an Animal Print for Inspiration

Villa Cantina has great bones but there are a few things that I am not crazy about. The kitchen cabinetry is not very interesting. She (Villa Cantina) is for the most part a traditional meditteranean, with a few tweaks here and there. Hence in choosing finishes, furniture, art and fabrics...the tweeks (ie cabinets) had to be taken into account when considering the overall design. Perhaps they will get a painted finish at some point but for now the have to be dealt with as they are. We are trying to accomplish a beautiful design on a budget. When I begin a project I start with a source of inspiration. It might be a beautiful antique piece, a rug, a great fabric, or even a finish. For Villa Cantina it was a painting that was a gift from our children, and a memo sample from one of my favorite fabric houses Cowtan & Tout.

Painting purchased at: Wisteria Antiques ( one of my favorite local haunts)

http://www.wisteriaantiques.net/

Cowtan & Tout # F1406-04 Livingstone (Brown)

The Cowtan fabric has to be my splurge fabric on this project, all other fabrics need to have a great look but be economical as well.

Villa Cantinas stronges virtue is the amazing vista off the main balcony. In my next post I will show the importance of bringing the outside in by incorporating the colors of the neighboring landscape.