A Whirlwind!

I haven't been able to blog lately as the plate...er, platter-super-sized platter....hath runneth over!

Helping a client move in to an Ojai Italian Villa has proved to be just as fun as I had imagined, but with all the months of treasure hunting and a full week of doing the initial install, there is still an entire notebook full of TO DO's...

This is all understandable.  Once one moves in to a new home, it takes a bit of time to feel the soul.  After the big pieces are arranged after you "feel" their positioning,  then tweaks & changes are usually necessary. We're editing out and adding in....and also now moving on to the missing bits and bobs.  One task for the next couple of weeks is to complete new outdoor cushions and pillows as the outdoor scheme is changing a bit now (about 65!) and still many, many (MANY!!) items to hunt for and then position.

More Gathering! More Shopping! Fun! Fun! Fun! I'm beyond loving all the treasure hunting!

I promise to back in touch in a day or so with actual pictures....

Some of the product being placed in and around this gorgeous setting nestled amongst orange groves, national forest, Santa Barbara mountains, and blue, blue sky:

I love using antique Batik pillows around a European decor scheme...nestled on Tuscan mustard hemp and white cotton twill, the colors add a pop without overpowering a room...

I found an old garden chair and made it into a princess chair on the deck outside a little girl's room. Sunbrella fabric in Canvas Natural will keep it outdoor friendly.

Ready for morning toast!

Malibu Home Staging

In the midst of all the crazy busy-busy of filling an Italian Villa in Ojai, California from top to bottom {remember I'm doing everything from the toothpaste to the towels to the towel racks! More on this at the end of the week}, I've been pulled in to work on staging a home for one of my most favorite (and biggest) clients. It's a mega gorgeous piece of property in Malibu. With so much on my plate, I've brought in my friend Kam to work with on the interiors. I will do all the outdoor areas. Kam is part of a group who does amazing, lightening fast set ups, thus allowing clients to get top dollar for their estates; check it out here:
DESIGNED TO MOVE


Home staging, used to facilitate and expedite selling luxury properties, is a big business in residential real estate, especially in California. Kam used to own a home decor store called Creme Fresh (we met when she started frequenting Vintageweave) in an area known as 'the Valley", but has since closed it and does mainly interior design and home staging. I'm really looking forward to working with her--more pics as they develop.
Kam will do inside, and I'll do exterior, which includes three outdoor areas. How will I possibly find the time? Easy! I plan to hook intravenously to a Starbucks and fire up my clone machine.......


We're meeting at the crack of dawn tomorrow to strategize....wee hours of the morning, mainly because my Ojai project is heating up and the move is scheduled for later this week. But I get to travel along the ocean soaking in one of the most gorgeous coastlines in the world so I'm pretty excited for every stage of this project...

Of course, when trying to sell a home it doesn't hurt that BARBARA STREISAND is your next door neighbor! "Spying from this balcony" might be a selling point!

California: Its Own Universe

My jaw doesn't drop too often anymore as I have seen some serious wealth out here in the greater Los Angeles area.
Many of my clients fall into that category.
Often my delivery guys come back with the stories; their eyes wide.
I've seen some of these homes.
I've consulted on some of these homes....
....and I've placed furniture in some of these homes.

Some clients even have multiple homes that add up to this.
I can accept that. I don't live in that world, but I can accept it.

But c'mon people! I had to pick my jaw up off the floor upon seeing this. In Carpenteria, about 3-4 hours north of Los Angeles, 1 hour north of Santa Barbara. It's beautiful and surely the views are one in a million.
But Thirty-Three Million?
For 5 bedrooms plus guesthouse on 2.2 acres. Really. Now.

It's true: California real estate is in its own Universe.


UPDATED: I think it would be wonderful if someone purchased this home and turned it into a retreat....a retreat for perhaps battered women where they could come and enjoy crafting, meditating, cooking...all kinds of classes that nurture the soul.

Or a Cooking school for foodies.....?
Let's hear it: WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH THIS PROPERTY WITH THIS GORGEOUS VIEW???