Patina Farm and a Giveaway!!!

All photographs by Lisa Romerein from  Patina Farm  by Brooke Giannetti and Steve Giannetti, reprinted by permission of Gibbs Smith.

You, of course, know my friend Brooke Giannetti, the gifted interior designer behind
Velvet & Linen fame and her uber-talented husband, architect Steve Giannetti.
Yes, of course you do, how could you not?!!
I found Brooke's blog Velvet & Linen right after I found Joni at Cote de Texas when I first discovered design blogs back in 2008!  In fact, it is because of Brooke and a post she did on my blog on Velvet & Linen right after I started writing about our renovation of the farmhouse that I first developed a following of readers, which in turn encouraged me to continue writing about our journey.  So, in essence Brooke is the reason you are here reading my blog!  She gave me my blog-wings and I can not thank her enough for that.  Both Brooke and Steve were so generous and gracious with helping me figure out several very important details around the house during our renovation and for that I will be forever grateful.  They are both such lovely, kind people.

I can honestly say that the only home that I have ever seen (that could make me walk away from the farmhouse;) where I could walk right in, not change a single element or piece of furniture and live happily ever after (with Dan and the girls of course;) is Brook and Steve's Ojai home!
The house and property is pure magic.
 Watching their progress over the last several years... from selling their gorgeous home in Santa Monica, (which was the subject of their first book  Patina Style  HERE) to buying land in Ojai, to breaking ground on the house, to Brooke discussing all the design elements, to watching every detail of the landscaping and viewing Steve's renderings of what they wanted the property and house to be has been a riveting journey for their love of a house.  That they created a home and property that looks like it has been there for 100 years is nothing short of amazing.

Brooke and Steve's new book, Patina Farm is a beautiful collaboration of the duo's love, passion and talent to create "home."  I have savored every moment of reading the book; taking in the story of the decisions, the design elements, the choices made and why they made them makes the book a wonderful, informative read.  This is a book I will use over and over again for inspiration.
Take a look at some of the magic for yourself....

 ...pure magic!

This book is a must-have for any design library.  I have a signed book (which I love);  you can get your own signed copy at Giannetti Home
HERE.
or to get an unsigned copy
HERE


Now, for the giveaway...
I have a copy (unsigned) of Patina Farm to give away!!
Simply leave a comment below (don't forget to include your name and email contact:)
telling me why you'd love to have this book!
Giveaway closes Friday, April 15 at 10 p.m. EST
The winner will be chosen by electronic, random selection and I'll contact the winner on Saturday!
Good luck!!
You will love this book!


UPDATE:
I wish I could send each and everyone of you this gorgeous book:)
Congratulations to Lauren in New Orleans!!!

the reading room today

You might recall that the last time I showed you the reading room we had just found a free antique pedestal table on the side of the road!  HERE.  As much as I loved that table- especially for its story;) I knew it was always a "filler" until the perfect table came along.  

It finally did!

I found this antique, circa mid 1800's, iron table with black marble top in Vermont.  

I adore the table and love that it is around the same circa as the house.  The room is small, so it makes the space seem much more open.

I left the iron base in its current state which is an off-white painted finish with iron rust coming through the paint in the form of spots/speckles.  I'm guessing it spent years in an old barn/shed being semi-exposed to elements.  

I'm going through a "keep it clean" look at present (the kitchen island has absolutely nothing on it, which is unusual for me;) so the table is topped with two antique green glazed Chinese parrots (they are unusually tall and only part of our collection), a piece of white coral, and a demi-john bottle with a hydrangea branch from the garden.

Walls are painted Ashwood OC-47 by Benjamin Moore. Trim is White Dove by Benjamin Moore.  (All my paint and stain colors can be found on my sidebar for future reference.)

Antique brass chandelier purchased 23 years ago in Houston for our first house in Eastmoreland in Portland, Oregon, it was also used for a while in our home in Dallas.

I recently changed out the regular bent-tip frosted light bulbs for these silicone-tipped bulbs HERE from Lumiere Candles.  These have a regular/standard-size base (as opposed to a chandelier-size base) and are 15 watts each.  I just love their bulbish/squatty shape!  They look perfect in the antique brass chandelier. 

Don't  forget that Lumiere Candles offers a 10% discount coupon code for my readers HERE. I love their: real wax sleeves, large diameter solid candle covers (which are so difficult to find),   their silicone-dipped bulbs, and their large translucent candle covers (which are impossible to find ;)  They also have resin candle sleeves and covers when for the times when you need a higher wattage bulb than what is allowable for the real wax sleeves.

(No, I am not being paid to endorse this company!  I simply love their beautiful products and the owners are super nice and they have wonderful customer service.)

I've removed some things from the top of the antique Italian case piece and illuminated the antique oil painting.
The simple French fauteuil chair was found in Marseille, France.  I had it covered in natural linen with a vintage alligator back.  A better photo of the back  HERE.

I moved several of the antique mirrors from a guest bedroom HERE to the reading room.  I love a good stack of antique mirrors!  The antique large gilded mirror in the back is French as is the Louis Philippe mirror in the center.  The small iron cushion mirror in front was found in France. Antique Chinese blue and white temple jar made into lamp and large aged brass ball sits on antique English chest.  Vintage mink muff turned pillow sits on a vintage Louis XV fauteuil (one of a pair.) 

"Mavis" is donning a vintage leopard collar around her waist for the cold winter months:)  You can read a story about her HERE.

On top of the stack of books sitting next to the Martha Washington chair is a book (National Gallery of Art, Washington) that we received as a wedding present 27 years ago from a friend (thank you Sue!)   I have always adored the painting on the cover.  

I like how in this photo you can see what the lamp shade looks like with the light on (front) and the pattern on the shade (in the back)  The story of the bookcase door HERE.  The bookcase is filled with antique books/reference books, small paintings, coral, antique iron urn, part of our collection of antique tortiseshell boxes and more of our collection of antique Chinese glazed terracotta green birds.

The south wall.

We found this antique oil painting in Marseille, France.  We named her Aunt Minerva.  She resonates with me. I love that she is reading a book in the reading room :)

An antique country English Chippendale chair with 18th antique vellum books and a bronze mold of a "nude."

The vintage painting on the east wall by artist Jerry Wilkerson.

Antique English oil painting entitled "Cottage in Devonshire" by listed artist James Poole in original frame. Circa 1850.

To see the reading room over the years and to read more about items in the room...

HERE

HERE

Note:  photographs taken for this post where taken in the early evening with lamps and lights on which casts a different light over the space than the daytime lighting in previous posts.

what I'm reading... Segreto: Secrets To Finishing Beautiful Interiors

I've written in the past about my love of paint, so when I listened to the interview with author Leslie Sinclair of Segreto Finishes on The Skirted Roundtable I had a strong feeling I would love her new book . And, I do!

Segreto:

Secrets To Finishing Beautiful Interiors
by
Leslie Sinclair

Leslie is the owner of Segreto Finishes- a decorative painting firm based in Houston, Texas.  Leslie named the firm after her husband's family, Segreto, which means "secret" in Italian.

The passion Leslie has for her business and for creating beautiful rooms really spoke to me.


"My philosophy is that when you enter a room, your eyes should not be drawn to any one element or finish, but instead, you should view the surroundings as a whole.  I aspire to create the perfect backdrop that enables fabrics, art and furniture to blend and establish a particular mood.  A palette developed to complement your home's architecture and design can give your surroundings a completely new perspective."
-Leslie Sinclair-

A perfect design statement if ever there was one.
This is a gorgeous book, but it is so much more- it is beautiful, inspiring and educational all at the same time.  There is a magical quality throughout- it is a book that you want to read and study very slowly, to savor and to absorb every single detail and element.  It is also a big book with exceptional photography and 300 pages of stunning interior design and finishes that will have you wanting to redo every wall in your house! 

These are not the faux finishes of the 90's... these are soft and sophisticated treatments done with a light hand and an artful eye.  Leslie explains many different finishes: Venetian plaster, gypsum plaster, plaster over sheet rock, glazes, stenciling, etc. for walls, ceilings, cabinetry, furniture and more.   She then shows you example after gorgeous example to the possibilities of each.  
If you are building a house, or renovating a newer home this is a must-have book.  The ideas in this book for new construction and how to give an old, aged feel to "new" are absolutely amazing.  I do not say that lightly.  The book gave me a great idea for a finish to use on interior shutters in the barn room!  There are creative ideas in the book for all homes- new to antique.  I have a feeling I will be turning to this book for reference often.
To be clear, this is not a "how-to" book in the traditional sense- there are no instructional directions or formulas, but more importantly, it is an eye opening collection of what can be... all with the magic of plaster, paint and finishes. 

With permission I have borrowed the following photographs in the book from Segreto Finshes...
enjoy!

To purchase this gorgeous book from the website click here

or visit Amazon

To be further inspired visit Leslie's company:  Segreto Finishes

and her blog:  Segreto: The Secret To Beautiful Living.

Leslie's interview on The Skirted Roundtable

what I'm reading: Patina Style

It arrived in the mail yesterday. 

I took it out of the mailing box, but couldn't bare to open it... it was just too lovely-

 a gift to be savoured. 

I wanted to open it in a quiet moment with a glass of wine.

I watched it all day today, and smiled each time I walked by it knowing that I was in for a treat.

I opened Patina Style tonight, and was a bit emotional as the soulful photographs jumped off the page and landed in my reading room.  I have admired, coveted and studied the work of Brooke and Steve Giannetti for almost three years now, as Brooke- of the famed Velvet and Linen - was the first blogger I "met." 
It is one thing to look at their gorgeous creations online and quite another to have them in my hands in large, beautiful photographs. 

This is a gorgeous book.

Stunning, really.  A book I will spend hours reading and studying.

"Life isn't about the things you own but about the experiences you have with them.  Patina Style embraces the life in things:  the newel post worn smooth where hands always land, the leather trunk that bears the rubs and scratches of global travel, velvet that is faded, silver that is tarnished, or a flowerpot embedded with moss.  This is the essence of Patina Style, a design philosophy that has evolved through our own lives, both personal and professional.

...
Patina Style also grew from a desire to add meaning and calm to our surroundings.  It was born of a palette of warm neutral colors- soft creams, gray-greens, and calm blues - that create serenity.  We gravitated towards materials that felt real and that age gracefully over time - pine or oak floors, plaster walls, and natural finishes.  We chose objects that showed the artist's touch and the creative process at work.

...
Objects also carry the history of the people's interactions with them and the effects of nature on their surface.

...
Throughout the book, you will come to understand why we believe personal expression and style are so important.  We will show how we do things like repurpose salvaged objects, bring outdoor furniture indoors, turn something old into something better than new.  We hope it will inspire you to do things your own way, to follow your heart, to seek beauty in your life.  When you follow your own unique perspective, you will love the results."

You will love this book. 

to get a copy....   Amazon,

 or to receive a signed copy contact Giannetti Home. 

what I'm reading... The Home Within Us

The Home Within Us

Bobby McAlpine

"What we crave in this life is an outer beauty that reflects the gorgeous world inside us.  I am speaking about the house within us.  What if the house inside you became the house you lived in?  What if you envisioned that your life could be just the way you imagine it?  Then you are en route to enlightened destiny, because each of us has huge control over our lives.  We don't always realize this because we are, to a degree, defined by so many outside forces.  But at the same time, we do have the power to create our own environment-- and our environment, in turn, shapes us.

One of the strongest ingredients in keeping you who you are, your physical environment also keeps you in full awareness of where you are.  If you can find your way to live in the house within you, then you not only create an enormous, broad, and lovely offering to yourself, but also to your "pack" -- your family and friends.  You will also inspire anyone who has not yet been able to make this connection.  Such is the power of rooms."

I have admired Bobby McAlpines's work for almost two decades.  I am loving this book, and adore the above passage because I am passionate about the power of home.   I, too, believe that the environment in which you live can change your life- that there is power in living in a beautiful space.  This has absolutely nothing to do with where you live, the size of your house, or how much money you do or don't have.... but everything to do with

doing the best you can with what you have, where you are. 


(you can find the book here)

Vicki's Fabulous French Life...

I'm so excited... the postman just delivered Vicki Archer's book (of the wonderful French Essence blog),
My French Life!
If you don't own a copy you need to! It is a gorgeous book filled with beautiful photographs, and I can't wait to pour a glass of bubbly and devour every word! It will take prominent residence on the book table in the Reading Room.
Now I'm thinking I need to go to France to get it personally autographed by Vicki!

all book photos by Carla Coulson