Outdoor living - terrace colors

As I've said, there is still so much to be done inside the house, but the weather has been spectacular since we moved in...and with a pool and perfect terrace for al fresco meals and entertaining, I decided to jump right into making this outdoor space comfortable and inviting.

Generally, I am not a big fan of "outdoor rooms" unless they are attached to the house, like a patio off the family room, or a dining pergola off the kitchen. For me, being outdoors should not feel like being indoors. I see exterior spaces in decorating magazines that have everything from a living room atmosphere around a grand hearth to gourmet kitchen to outdoor movie screen, and I think "what ever happened to just enjoying the good old out-of-doors for what it is?" My kind of outdoor comfort includes chairs and tables that were clearly designed to be in the garden - not plush, weatherproof versions of fancy interior furniture. I prefer to keep the atmospheres separate. It makes each more special by celebrating their differences.

There is so much joy in owning a pool, although we never thought we'd have one, and would never have built one. Luckily for us, this perfect house just happened to include a pool, so we are the lucky beneficiaries. When I say the weather has been great, I should also mention

H-O-T!! The pool has been an absolute blessing and is responsible for keeping tempers at bay when the heat and humidity threaten them. Just look at this color - so cool and calming!

I know pools are a lot of work - maintaining the proper pH levels, etc., but this one seems to be worth every moment of time devoted to it - which I have to say isn't much, so far!

Before we moved, we picked out all the furniture we'd need to relax on our new backyard terrace. Bistro chairs and tables were a must, considering how much of our happiness revolves around food and wine. Then, we needed comfy spring-rocking chairs for chatting and reading, and finally chaises longues for sun bathing. I did not buy cushions ahead of time, as I wanted to use designer fabrics and make my own. I had a scheme in my mind's eye, which included a glorious floral outdoor fabric from Missoni, a company I simply adore! (MissoniHome fabrics are available to the trade, through Stark.) But after we got here, I looked at the color of the water, as well as the terrace tiles, and realized turquoise and terra cotta would be so much more in keeping with our hardscape.

As luck would have it, Home Depot had striped cushions in exactly the right color combination, so I bought those for the reading chairs. Home Depot had no cushions for the bistro chairs, and only wildly different patterned ones for the chaises longues. However, I bought those anyway, planning to cover them.

Jo-Ann Fabrics now carries an extensive collection of indoor/outdoor textiles, and there, I found a very similar turquoise in a fine printed strie, along with a terra cotta which I got to make cording. When I went to another Home Depot, I lucked out with throw pillows in a Japanese cherry branch pattern on turquoise, with accents of rust. These were obviously made to coordinate with the stripe I had purchased.

I covered the crazy chaise cushions in turquoise with matching ties and punctuated them with terra cotta piping, in order to give them a little zing, both close-up and from a distance. I love the way the rust color outlines the blue. I often make my own cording/piping, as it is truly easy, and adds a custom touch to whatever is being made.

Then, I made matching round cushions for the bistro chairs. I decided to skip making the ties for these cushions, as I felt they would look too fussy, on such small chairs.

At yet a third Home Depot, we were able to find more of the matching striped cushions, which we bought and I cut up and pieced together to make "box striped" throw pillows.

These are a fun way to add a different pattern, using the same fabric. Simply cut right triangles of the striped fabric, and piece together to form a square.

A beautiful pottery bowl by Clay Calderwood of Clayton's Clay Works, right here in Brewster, completes the scene. Clay happens to be my sister-in-law's brother, and I have actually had this bowl for many years - a gift from Jack. I am thrilled with the way it echoes the pool color.

Another piece I've had for a long time, which just goes so well on the terrace, is my antique ceramic elephant table. Originally purchased for our sunroom in Hingham, I have also used it in a showhouse bedroom, and most recently in my younger son's room.

Look at how versatile this piece is - below is a guest room I did for the Newport Showhouse Guild a couple of years ago. I have to say, though, I think this elephant has found his supreme spot on our terrace.

(Photo: Michael J. Lee)

Here's an overview of the finished cushions in various seating areas. I like that some chairs are in the sun, and some in the shade.

The bistro table in the foreground has an umbrella, and is a favorite spot for lunch, as it is just outside our kitchen door.

Finally, around the corner, and accessed by another door from the kitchen, is a charming antique set of table and chairs, which we inherited from the previous owner here. The carrera marble top long ago lost its sheen, and it has the patina of a piece of stone that has withstood the elements for generations. Four more seat cushions in the turquoise, piped in rust, complete the wrap-around color scheme of the continuous terrace.

The colors of our Italian pottery, some of which we have purchased in Italy and some of it imported by Abbiamo Tutto, go well with the terrace colors and have inspired the color choices for our future kitchen. I envision the kitchen color palette flowing out and connecting seamlessly with that of the terrace. These bright yet earthy colors are so easy to live with, an attractive presentation for food, and just plain cheerful.

The best part of indoor/outdoor fabric is that it can stay out all season. It doesn't fade, dries out quickly after rain showers, and is stain resistant and easy to wash. Besides all the fabulous choices available through designers, there are so many options these days, for consumers, including Calico Corners, whose all-weather fabrics I find very pretty. While I am sad not to have used my Missoni idea, I'll just have to file that one away for some future project!

Or better yet, these gorgeous Missoni beach towels are ONLY $297 each. I need a whole set of these (in my dreams!)

The facade - how important is the front of a house or business?

It's true for buildings, just as it is for human beings and filled chocolates - it's what's on the inside that really counts. But think about this: isn't it such fun to open a box of chocolates, look at the outsides first and try to imagine what's inside each before taking a little nibble of one (or all) to find out for sure? It's the beautiful coatings that make me long to try each one, for different reasons.

Well, I feel that way about houses and other buildings like boutiques, galleries, workshops...any building that says on its facade "I'm interesting - come inside and see what I'm all about."

This is what we've been focusing on, this week, with our new house/art gallery. Changing the trim and door colors was a huge improvement in making the place look warmer and more inviting from the street. but that still wasn't enough. This week, we ripped out the hedge, which had been half covering the walkway, in front of the building. We hemmed and hawed over this, as it's not easy for either of us to uproot a healthy growing plant, unless it's clearly a weed. However, it turned out to be a great decision. It "opened up" the front of our building to passers-by. Instead of looking like a fortress, it is now approachable. Several people have commented on how clean it looks and I enjoy seeing the angular architectural features under the bay windows, which had previously been hidden by the yew hedge.

BEFORE...

... and AFTER

Now, the new question is: what to put in its place? Clearly, the dirt cannot and should not stay as is. Grass is a simple choice, but frankly kind of boring. I want something that beckons visitors, something colorful like Jack's art, and cheerful like those who live here (OK, we're cheerful most of the time!) Since the front of the house gets morning sun, but shade the rest of the day, I'm thinking of impatiens, in lots of different colors. They thrive in indirect sunlight.

I adore how amazingly plump they get when they are fertilized for a couple of months. Incredible!! It's a bit late to get this look this summer, but maybe for next summer.

Another option would be to go with a classic Cape Cod border of hydrangeas, which is so charming and bright. I remember, as a child, being enthralled with hydrangea borders we would pass on our way to shop or to visit friends on the Cape. To me, they just say "welcome". They form a lovely border, and gracefully walk the line between casual and formal. My preference is for a combination of different shades of blue, purple, lavender and light pink.

Another consideration for facades and landscaping is: what will it look like in different seasons? Will the facade look barren after the impatiens have died or the hydrangea hedge has lost its leaves in late autumn? It's important to me to have a welcoming charm in mid-winter, when there is such a paucity of green and floral color in New England. Should we put back some evergreens for this reason? Perhaps a combination of evergreen and deciduous shrubs, like boxwood and hydrangeas.

Despite the indisputable fact that it's what's inside that counts, the facade is incredibly important in drawing people to a house or shop, and conveying a feeling for what might be inside. So...we're off to visit garden stores. (I may have to visit a chocolatier, and contemplate some creamy filled chocolates as well, to help me through this state of deliberation.) Stay tuned to find out what we decide.

Happy Bastille Day!

Joyeux quatorze juillet!

Happy Bastille Day!

Aux Champs Elysees

La Tour Eiffel!

Moving forward - new house, honed sensibilities

We are still unpacking boxes at our new house, and I already have paint swatches on several different walls. Truth be told, I started thinking about the decoration of this house months before we actually moved in. But going even farther back in time, I have to say this house is a continuation - a moving forward - of the design and lifestyle sensibilities I have been garnering and building upon since I was a little girl. And after 25 years together, it's like Jack and I are constantly honing our desires and needs for a perfect home, and getting ever closer to our absolute dream. For me/us the ultimate would be a house similar to this, but at least 100 years old, and in the south of France (or possibly Italy, for Jack), with the simple addition of a small vineyard...not too much to ask, huh? Frankly, this new house, while stateside, is pretty darn close!! (No vineyard, but...)

I've been thinking about what contributes to the quality of life I want in my home - that joie de vivre I adore. Well for starters it includes living in a pretty area and being surrounded by nice people. That may sound obvious, but, hey, we all know this combination does not exist everywhere. Brewster, our new hometown, is charming and laid back, close to the ocean, and seemingly populated with genuine, good people. Everyone we've met so far has been so friendly and helpful. There are certainly many artists and organic farmers around, so the deck is stacked in our favor!

Next, my home and garden should provide everything I need to live, work and relax, including home-grown food, just outside my door. My home is my comfort zone and should fulfill as many of my needs as possible. Also, I seriously consider interior and exterior decoration to be a necessity, as well as a pure joy. I have a need to think about it, create it, and constantly tweek my own decoration, practically 24/7. (Yes, I do dream about it!)

When Jack and I first saw this house online, we laughed since it was so unlike a typical Cape Cod house. It is, in fact, loaded with Mediterranean style inside an out. The previous owners' taste was dramatically different from ours, yet we could imagine our furnishings here so easily, once we actually saw it in person. Most importantly, the house just felt right. Thank heaven we sold our house in Hingham so quickly, as our lawyer and dear friend, Dan, hastened to tell us that we were going about things all wrong by falling in love with a new house even before putting our current house on the market.

I invite you to join me on my continuing journey, making a new house into a home that suits our style and our needs.

Since it's July, we've decided to start with the exterior of this house, which is so important! Well, okay, I admit that I have already bought paint for both the living room and Madeleine's room (I just couldn't wait!), but I am forcing myself to get the outside trim painted first, while it's sunny and warm. Whenever I arrive at my house, I want to feel welcomed by the colors and the landscaping. And we want our guests to feel the same way.

Here's the deal: neither of us ever considered that we'd live in a pink stucco house, but now that we are here and living in the house, we are growing to like it. It's really a pinkish version of taupe, and the paint is even named "Montego Tan" so I feel it's not really PINK. Mary and Robert (of Bloomy Rind) say it reminds them of houses in California, where they used to live. Other friends find it reminiscent of Spain, Italy or the Caribbean. The only thing we find off-putting about the exterior is the trim color - a deep brown, which seems heavy for the house, and certainly too dark for our joie de vivre style. So, we are repainting the exterior trim to a soft lichen-y green.

Choosing a paint color is always easy for me in my imagination and yet, involves so much persnickety choosiness to get just exactly the perfect hue. We knew we wanted a trim color that was soft, Cape Cod-y, friendly, and welcoming, not just because this is our home, but also since the front part of the building is Jack's art gallery, so we have to project the right kind of welcoming feel that will go with his paintings and colors, enticing passers by to stop in.

So many possibilities - only one perfect choice

Green seemed to be the perfect color, but we didn't want the house to look "pink and green" (read Lily Pulitzer). Even though I have been known to dress that way, I don't want my house to scream it! We ended up with a lovely greyish green, called "Garden Path" by Benjamin Moore. To me it says understated, but still cheerful...pretty in all four seasons, without being obnoxious.

The front doors here were the first thing to be changed. They were a bright violet, with dark brown outlines, just not at all what we are about. The color we ended up with for the doors is actually in a different green family from the Garden Path, but still works. As it turned out, the darker version of Garden Path contained too much grey and didn't have as much of a welcoming feel as the "Cedar Path" we ended up using. I did also try using the companion to Cedar Path for the trim, but even though the difference was minute, it still felt more Lily P than the Garden Path. (Tip: it saves a lot of money and aggravation to start with pint-size sample pots of paint, rather than leaping into a full gallon.)

A note about paints: As many of you know, I adore C2 paints. Their colors are rich and complex, and they cover in one coat, in many circumstances, besides being low in VOC's; ie, good for the earth. However, I couldn't find it near me, so I thought I'd try out the Benjamin Moore Aura paint, and I am very impressed! While I will be putting a second coat of paint on the doors and trim, the first coat has really covered well, something I would not normally expect from a light green over a dark brown. I have the feeling that paints have all improved dramatically in the past few years, due to consumer demand for superior quality and earth-friendliness.

Here's a peak at the new softer trim and door colors. I hope to get the rest of the trim painted by this weekend, so the house will look uniform and say "welcome" to passers-by.

* * * * * *

The other project I wanted to get done right away is planting some herbs for cooking. Next summer, we will have a full vegetable, herb and fruit garden, but it's too late to get that going this year, since the New England growing season is half over.

So here's what I planted in pots, just outside the kitchen door, for easy access:

Italian basil, French tarragon (from my mom's garden), lemon thyme, lemon basil

German thyme, silver sage, Italian oregano & dill

Red patio tomatoes, yellow grape tomatoes, lemon verbena,

applemint & chives

Normally, I wouldn't plant these so close together, but, as I said, I'm late getting a garden at all for this year, so I'm trying to squeeze all my favorites in for a few months. I got loads of rich, dark, organic potting soil at a local farm supply store. I never use chemicals with the plants I am going to eat!

Last night Jack made farm fresh ratatouille, heavily seasoned with some of the fresh thyme. It was out of this world with grilled chicken!

I can't wait to make lemon verbena ice cream with a recipe I got from Patricia Wells, when we cooked with her in Provence, years ago. This is the first time I've had my own lemon verbena to pick from. In the past, I've purchased the leaves dried from an organic purveyor, but this will be so much better. Stay tuned for recipe and photos...coming soon!

New cheese and gourmet shop

Our very dear friends, Robert and Mary Gonsalvez, have just opened Bloomy Rind - a much anticipated and universally welcome addition to Hingham Square. There are so many things I love about this shop - including its energetic and completely charming owners!

First of all, Robert is an excellent chef, who is an alumnus of the Culinary Institute of America, where our Drake goes to school. He creates salads, sandwiches, pates and other divine comestibles in the kitchen at the back of the store/restaurant.

Mary is a cheese curator extraordinaire, and between them, they have chosen an outstanding selection of cheeses - mostly focusing on American artisanal cheeses that are every bit as interesting as the imported cheeses they also carry. Many of their cheeses are award winners, quite a few of which are relatively local, coming from Massachusetts and our surrounding states ...and you KNOW how I love local foods!

Since Mary and Robert are special friends of ours, we and some other friends and family helped out getting the shop ready to open - so many hours of painting, laughter, moving furniture around, more laughter, sampling cheeses, more laughter.... you get the idea. "It takes a village," was the catch phrase for a few months.

C'est moi painting the new sandwich board.

I also painted words that describe cheeses at the top of one wall, and savory foods on the opposite wall. 
We had such fun coming up with all the descriptions!

Every cheese has a story...

Mary and Robert holding up a first, small version of their new sign, designed by Jack.
The logo (above) was also done by Jack - especially for this incredible duo.

 A few nights before the shop was due to open to the public, Robert, with Mary, prepared a delicious thank you meal for Lisa, Dan, Jack and me.

Lisa and I attempted making potato gnocchi, with much

assistance from the chef (and even more wine).

OPENING DAY coincided with the annual Taste of Hingham.

Madeleine and I labeled cheeses. 

Drake made paper cones to hold the cheese curds.

Jack manned the fried cheese curd station, 

along with Mary's relatives.

Mary's sisters and brothers were there pitching in and generally keeping everyone smiling.

A selection of their cheese offerings

One of my favorite cheeses they offer is Winnemere (right), 

handmade at Jasper Hill Farm in Vermont.

They offer imported olive oils, capers, jams, etc., as well as many American artisan-made products.

Bloomy Rind has now been open a couple of weeks, and already has a burgeoning fan club! Today, Jack and I treated ourselves to lunch there, with our friend, Marge.

The delectable selection of goodies pictured above, which Jack called his French picnic, included Aged Beemster Gouda (from Holland), Crottin de Champcol (French goat cheese), Bridgid's Abbey (raw cow's milk cheese from Connecticut), quince paste, dried cranberries, Marcona almonds (from Spain), three veggie sides created by Robert, Volpi salame (hand made in St. Louis), sourdough bread and Castleton artisan crackers (from Vermont).

The communal table is a terrific gathering place for friends as well as for meeting new people.
After the Hingham Farmers Market opened for it's Wednesday summer hours in Hingham Square yesterday, Robert was inspired by the locally grown strawberries he bought there, and created these lemon cupcakes with fresh strawberry buttercream frosting - out of this world!

Their coffee is hand-poured one cup at a time.

Le chef in his domain.

Rebecca making my grilled BLB - 

hand crafted smoky bacon, 

lettuce and brie sandwich

on dark pumpernickel, with 

peach butter.

The deli case features Robert's salads and pates, various imported olives, cured meats and much more. The selection changes daily.

Mary is constantly handing out cheese tastings and explaining what makes each cheese so special.... since every cheese has a story!

This shop is such a needed and welcome addition to Boston's South Shore. Visit Bloomy Rind to eat in or take away your goodies. I know you'll fall in love with the shop!