READY FOR MY CLOSE-UP

A chest with some heft. Bone inlay, stamped lead frame at top of back, and a very special piece of green German glass laid over mirror, looking back at you. Saw tooth cut on top drawer; gilt and washed, and then waxed and rubbed warm. Articulated corners. Layers of paint worn through; rubbed on, and off, and clawed with fingers when wet.

DRAWING A BATH

The way in.....the handle is a hand wrought rivet strike found at the Alameda flea market. The perforations in the door give just a hint..................

The shower is lined in bejmat tiles from morocco and the doorway surround is wrapped in zinc.

The ceiling is a flattened barrel vault made of reclaimed French oak. The crystal formations like salt rubbed into the grain.

A trove of linens take residence in a cabinet made of an old window sash. The sculpture on top was on our wedding cake (21 years ago)

The vanity and soapstone sink

The mirror frame is made of parchment (goatskin), the sconces are old mud shoes mounted on a steel plate. The mud shoes are wood, silver, and mother of pearl.

mud shoe sconce detail

The pivoting door

view from closet towards tub and perforated sliding privacy/light screen/shutter

linen case

Zinc clad tub surround and light/privacy screen

with one screen rolled over window

door to loggia and pool

view from shower toward the throne with limed poplar surround/cabinet

zinc top on limed cabinet and a thick waxed rubbed wooden frame

detail of limed poplar cabinet with waxed steel pulls and concealed flush?

high oval window and parchment mirror frame and barrel vault

vanity

detail, Moroccan tile, parchment frame, bird in hand

back of door and linen cabinet

view towards loggia and pool

RAW STEEL AND A BIT OF SUNSHINE

Putting some of the finishing touches on the front porch. Finally getting to the cladding on the pocket door housing. Decided to stretch some of the reclaimed redwood as trim only and inset panels of raw steel. I have stove blacked them and will give a coat of wax too. Love the color. After we temporarily placed the black roofing felt over the plywood sheathing it was hard to not stick with black.

WINE WALL

Just installed this cabinet in a very beautiful house that Nicole Hollis interiors www.nicolehollis.com has pulled together with the help of an inspired client. Happy birthday HM. It is combed, rubbed and waxed black, on a wood frame with an inlay of lead and bone. I grooved in roman numerals I through XXXII, in the bone, at the center of each door horizontal. The entire house is a beautiful material mix of old stone reclaimed french oak floors limed fir and sandblasted pine. Hair on Hyde on the walls, great soft leathers, and hand troweled smooth colored plaster. Radiant floors, all run by a mile of geo-thermal tubing. Very green, very natural, and not a bit too crunchy. Very beautiful all around.

Trish at www.trouvais.com passed on to me the Kreativ Blogger Award. Thanks Trish. I have really enjoyed pouring through her blog and always find her collection of images inspiring. She has a great aesthetic. Blogs like hers are what make scanning blogs worth doing for me. I would highly recommend stopping by her site. I am not really sure what to say about me getting a blogger award. Still consider myself a neophyte blogger. Still learning the ins and outs. I have found it to be a very useful outlet and creative diary and place to collect and objectify some of my thoughts. If it is a road that leads someplace I could not really say. Maybe thats not the point. So, evidently I am supposed to tell seven things about myself that people do not know. Not convinced that anyone wants to know these and I suspect that there are many more than just seven but here is a shot.

1. I went to the United States Naval Academy.

2. I have one filling.

3. I love to swim in very cold water.

4. The high Sierras are a piece of heaven to me.

5. So is Lucca.

6. I don't like cats, the exception being Antigone.

7. When I grow up I want to live on the Mediterranean.

Seven Blogs that I enjoy, obviously the too short list:

www.tradarchitecture.blogspot.com , an amazing eye

www.elizabethavedon.blogspot.com , pushes my outlook

www.spinthebottleny.com, good, plucky and intelligent gal, kind of my sister in law

www.dennyhollandstudio.blogspot.com , artful, inspiring, insightful

www.indecouroustaste.com , savage beauty

www.moroccanmaryam.typepad.com , great images, thoughtful, inspiring

www.kiva.org , what an idea, yeah I know its not a blog but watch the video