Wood. Concrete. Palm Trees.

 We visited Dave on set somewhere near the Santa Monica Airport and I ended up parking next to this beautiful house.  I love the combination of the wood, the concrete and the palm trees. These were the only pictures I took.  I wanted to take more but I don't feel comfortable taking pictures of strangers homes without asking.  

I've walked outside or come home to find people taking pictures of our fence. I know they just want a reference picture.  It would be more of a bother if they knocked on our door and asked permission so I'm glad they don't but it's still just strange to see people taking pictures of our house.   

Anyway, this enough to remember the wood and the garage door.  I dream a little dream. 

Garden Thoughts

I'm looking to redo or add more to our front, draught tolerant garden.  This area in particular is what I want to redo.  The plants I previously chose didn't quite turn out they way I thought they would. Partially because I didn't realize how shady this area is.  Even in the summer I'd say our front entrance gets 30-70% sun to shade.  This is an ideal place for succulents.  Another misconception I had,  I thought succulents loved full sun. Turns out they like little water but do best in shade or at least 50/50.  

We were on our way to the doctor when I spotted this area of her building. It's exactly what I'd like to do.  I love the varying colors succulents come in.  This makes me think that gardening is "painting with plants".  I'm also looking to have some structure like the plants are lined up below but I'd also like to incorporate some free flow to them as well.  There is another beautiful area in a shopping center in Malibu. I want to visit before I decide what to do.  For now, these images are giving me lots of inspiration.  

Interior Beam Color

I started out trying to get ideas for exterior house colors. I quickly got distracted by interior beam colors.  I guess they both go hand in hand since the beams of Mid Century Modern Homes flow from outside to inside.  

Dave and I discussed many ideas when we moved into the house.  Ultimately, time was the determining factor and we decided to stick to the all white.  Had I not been 9 months pregnant when we moved in I would have wanted our main beams to go back to their natural wood color.  I have since found out that the labor, cost and possible toxicity of sanding it down to natural wood is all quite high.  

Anyway, these are all images from one website, SoCal Modern.  They've given me lots of ideas. The entire site is amazing and inspiring to look through. They are a real estate company with only Mid Century Modern homes in Southern California.  I was blown away by the range of price points listed.   I have to say, when I see these homes all finished and beautiful it makes me want to move! It's a lot of work redoing a home when you have little kids.  

All images via SoCal Modern

All of the color choices are amazing.  

I love how the two browns specially work and define in the kitchen. 

 

I would never be bold enough to do color like this on the ceiling but it really works.

This is what I had in mind for our house.  

I love the dark doors with the dark beams and the rest white. 

 

I love this combination to.  

Again, color choices that I'd never think of, but they really work!

And the all white. I love it as well but now that I see all the color options together I realize that beams with color make it more of a signature MCM home.

Palm Springs

Dave had to scout in Palm Springs this past weekend so P and I grabbed our bating suits and leisure wear and tagged along to the desert.  These "workcations": trips done for work with a vacation squeezed in,  are always last minute.  Sometimes they can be a juggle for me but I wasn't about to pass up Mid Century Modern heaven.

We were put up at the Holiday Inn, which was quite nice and in tune to the Palm Springs feel. They've done a pretty good job of "upscaling" the brand.  But, it was no Ace Hotel.  We did go over to King's Highway for breakfast. The hotel and the meal did not disappoint.  As always, it's the details that make a place so perfect. 

 

 King's Highway

Ace Hotel Lobby

The pool at the Ace Hotel

Dave had to shoot in the morning and afternoon. He managed to squeeze family time in the middle of the day.  He drove me to a couple of thrift stores and shops but I didn't find anything we needed that was within our budget.  After dropping Dave off at the airport to rent a car I had about a half hour to kill before DWR opened. I decided to drive around and look at houses in the meantime.  I came upon a garage sale and found these three Hoop chairs for $200!  Yep! $200 for all three!

I was so excited! I texted Dave a picture. He said to get them but he didn't understand that I wasn't at a store. I had to run to the ATM to get cash.  I drove off and half way to the ATM I realized I was on the phone with Dave and wasn't watching where I was going. I didn't write down the address before leaving either and I do not know Palm Springs very well.  Luckily, Dave with his genius sense of direction got to the house before I started driving back and texted me the address!  Phew! 

I saw great chairs and said "I'll get them!" not thinking about how to get three patio chairs into a Prius with a child!!!! P wasn't in any rush to leave. She was happy lounging on one of the chaise chairs for sale while watching us play rubix cube with our three hoop chairs and the car.  

In the end it all worked out but I had the luck of timing that day. Within seconds of arriving on the scene another woman arrived and wanted the chairs as well.  Thank God I claimed them and thank God Dave arrived to get me back to the house and to load the chairs in.

I'm thrilled with our weekend purchase.  I did go to DWR after but as usual, even a sale at that place is $1000 over my budget. But I did see these two pots across the street and I had to photograph them for reference.  Loved the plant combos as much as the color combination. 

What Could Have Been

Roughly three years ago my husband and I were looking to buy property.  The recent launch of my kid's tee shirt/ clothing line, Learning Tees, was my focus.  I found this building listed for $640,000. It's located just east of Chinatown, across the street from the LA Transportation Dept.  Not a luxurious or hip part of town but I felt then and still do now that this will change.  


I thought getting an industrial space was going to be heaven, better than a house.  It would allow me to create a home/work environment perfect for raising a family with room for creative personal and business ideas.  This property was actually two buildings with a loading dock and outdoor space in between the two buildings.  Can you see it now?  A grassy "atrium" with cool shades hanging overhead nestled between buildings with large sliding or folding glass doors.  Tire swings hanging from the inside that swing to the outside.  Who wouldn't want to grow up there?


 Today, as I was on my way to music class with P I got lost and ended up driving past the building.  If you had asked me to find it,  I couldn't have. I don't believe in consequences.   I had to stop.  Now, three years later I can't imagine living in an industrial space secluded from parks and other families.  Again, I feel there are no consequences. I think we ended up in our home because it is the place that best suits our family's needs.  


I thought our current living space was going to be more devoted to work.  I pictured it 50-50 family-work.  It's more 80-20 and if possible I want it to go 90-10.  But the thing that makes our house so ideal for P and us is not so much what's inside it but what's just out side of it....our neighbors.  There are 10 other children who P sees often and she knows as her friends.  I've been through some rough events in the last two years; the near loss of my marriage, the loss of a child and the loss of my father and the hardest transition of all: motherhood.  People have asked me what has gotten me through all this with such ease. (It always looks easier from the outside).  Without a doubt it's been my neighbors.  


When we knew we were moving to the Valley,  my husband and I also planned to move back to the west side as soon as it was financially possible.  The plan has changed.  Great real estate is hard to find but great neighbors are even harder to come by. Although it sounds cliche and dorky it's true.  


I drove around the building's neighborhood today to see if my gut instinct about the area was right.  And sure enough buildings that look like this have started to pop up.  Now, if only I could use that gut instinct to milk a few lucrative investments then I could make our house the vision I've been dreaming about.  

My husband's work

My hubby is a location scout for commercials,  ie, he finds the locations where they film the commercials.  He's searched for everything from cool modern houses to a cheesy 70's drive thru. I guess some of those are still pretty cool.

One great perk of his job is that he's been in every single quintessential modern or mid-century home here in Los Angeles.  Sometimes I like to look through his files and see the homes though his eyes.

Here's a home I liked recently.  I love the doors, the floors and the amazing open floor plan, the sunken lounge area and the floor to ceiling windows.  I hope to put those back into our home some day, along with wooden floors.  I thought the sunken area would have been perfect when our kid wasn't walking but not sure how great it would be now.  She'd probably be jumping into it and giving me a heart attack!